Training & Performance
Archive
Featuring two of the most effective but underrated fitness tools: a medicine ball and gravity.
Two brothers and a sister—whose parents are endurance athletes—attempted to swim the English Channel together this month. Does the family factor add any advantage?
When CrossFit denied our request to cover the 2014 CrossFit Games, we decided to look into the organization's long history of bullying anyone who dares to ask the hard questions—or look too closely.
Cycling is known for being low-impact. But does that mean it's bad for your bones?
The most dangerous threat you'll face while working out this summer? The heat. Here's how to beat it.
Having hiked more than 10,000 miles on epic long-distance trails, Liz Thomas is a true expert when it comes to battling blisters.
1,800 CrossFit gyms already offer programs for kids. Should they?
There's more to life than chasing definition in certain muscle groups. Maintaining a healthy weight, for instance.
The "eight-percent rule" ignores the power exercise has to counter time spent on your butt.
You don't need the gym. In less than an hour and with minimal equipment, you can have an intense workout that delivers full-body fitness, without the monthly dues.
You need nothing but a cooling pool for a core-burning, heart-rate-raising fitness session.
Serious careers? Check. Committed to their families? Check. Able to beat the pros at their own game? You know it. Five hard-charging desk jocks who manage to do it all share the secrets of their success.
Over the last five years, a lot has changed in the fitness world. But these four trends will continue to define the way you train.
They want to rethink the way we work out, build our gyms, fuel, and collect data. And they're coming for you next.
How should I schedule giving blood around my training schedule?
Sometimes you have to take your own advice—or suck it up and eat crow.
It may not be coincidence that led host country Brazil to the World Cup’s semi-final round for the first time in 12 years. But if Brazil really did have a home-field advantage, what do we make of the team’s tournament-ending, humiliating loss to Germany Tuesday? While a large…
Our genetic profile only tells one piece of the story, but that hasn't prevented scientists from making some bold assumptions about human performance.
New research and recovery techniques suggest we have more time to restore cognitive abilities after a traumatic brain injury than doctors previously thought.
Ordinary items to get you extraordinarily fit.
Bet you didn’t think this would come up in your fitness regimen, but your esophagus needs love during training, too. Intense exercise can contribute to heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and there’s a good chance that ramping up your routine may be causing your symptoms, says…
How do we put this nicely? If you’re anything like the participants in a recent Canadian study, you’re probably wrong about your workout intensity. (And yes, you probably are like them, considering that the group contained both men and women of different ages, ethnicities, and BMI classes.)…
Endurance coach and author Ben Greenfield guarantees your brain, guts, and groin will thank you
What’s one thing college kids and health nuts apparently have in common? Butt chugging. And a total lack of common sense.
Think of those tough spots as badges of honor! “Callus formation is a natural response to friction and pressure,” says podiatrist Megan Leahy of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. “Because runners obviously take more steps than non-runners, calluses may occur more readily.” Calluses can be harmless,…
Studies and experts suggest that nasal strips like Breathe Right don’t improve athletic performance in adults in any measure—no improved VO2 max, ventilation, maximal work rate, lactate threshold, or lowered ratings of perceived exertion. And it appears the same goes for horses. “Equine nasal…
After 100 races he just keeps going and going
Climbers typically have little understanding of basic training principles. And changing that will unleash a whole new breed of alpine expert.
This may not be the answer you’re looking for, but it’s the truth: The most effective way to get back into shape (and stay that way) isn’t by just doing one magic move over and over. The good news? You may not have to work out more than or…
The multisport athlete wins at the GoPro Mountain Games for the eighth consecutive year
When Matthew Inman shared his running motivation with the Internet, the creator of popular webcomic The Oatmeal started a fitness sensation.
Why Clint Dempsey is the perfect player to shoulder Team USA's daunting World Cup campaign
On a sprawling farm in Vermont, Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena runs a business and a fitness crusade. He'll train anyone who shows up, with one major caveat: You must submit to his every cruel and unusual whim.
Depending on the school of thought you’re following, meditation can be practiced in a number of ways—sitting cross-legged in a dark room, while on a long run, or even on a crowded bus with the help of a smartphone app and a pair of headphones. In general, though,…
A "#fitness" selfie now qualifies as a training tool. Go ahead and be vain. (You probably think this story's about you, don't you?)
Vitamin B12 shots have been around for years, and they’re often marketed as a miracle cure for everything from fatigue to depression to those stubborn extra pounds you can’t shake. And while it’s true that a B12 deficiency can contribute to those things, there is…
In an age of whiz-bang techno-training, it’s way too easy to lose track of what made us fit in the first place: quality movement, good food, and high-intensity common sense.
What do you get when you cross three former Navy SEALs, an attorney, degrees from Harvard’s business and Kennedy schools, and passion for the mountains? A brand new breed of eco-friendly obstacle race.
An inside look at how professional climber Angie Payne trains for big time bouldering competitions. She's placed 11th at the Toronto World Cup, and is slated to compete at the GoPro Mountain Games World Cup in Vail. …
New Healthkit app displays live fitness data, connects doctors and patients in real-time
A new report details the factors behind our surprising speedskating failure in this year's Olympics—and any athlete can learn from its findings.
What you can do beforehand, at sea level and once you hit the mountains
They say that showing up (or, in this case, putting it in writing) is half the battle—so for that, congrats on a big first step. Now, for your question: Science says that at 40 you are definitely not too old to benefit from a regular exercise routine. Great news, right?…
The fitness giant works hard to polish their public image—to the extent of confronting or even suing those who criticize CrossFit on social media. What gives?
There's no denying the popularity of CrossFit. And there's also no ignoring its TV potential. Enter the NPFL: In a bid to monetize functional fitness, an ex-CrossFit exec has a bold, new plan to attract sponsors and fans. Just don't call him a sellout.
Shane Niemeyer started exercising in prison after hitting rock-bottom. We talked to him about his path to become a regular Ironman competitor who's now gunning for a spot at the World Championships in Kona.
Harvard and MIT researchers did recently publish a study that found exposure to silver nanoparticles, found in clothing, toothpaste, toys and other products, can cause substantial DNA damage. But before I get to your main question, let’s look at why that news might’ve frightened you. A nanoparticle…
Two-time World's Toughest Mudder champ Junyong Pak, 36, on mastering the mud
You train to race outside. We get it. But to go your fastest—and stay your healthiest—you might just need to enter the gym.
When it comes to performance anxiety, fitness competitions can be a lot like taking the SATs or giving an important speech. And yes, over-thinking or stressing about them beforehand can, indeed, cause you to “choke,” according to a study presented last week at the British Psychological Society’s…
It's exploded in popularity recently, and it's not going anywhere. But can OCR make it to the Olympics?
It's never too late to start training, just keep at it
Study finds correlation between lack of exercise and deficient long-term memory.
The stopwatch is a big part of CrossFit and other “functional fitness” circuit-training programs: Timed workouts (and WODs, in CrossFit speak) allow athletes to measure their performance against fellow gym-members and their own previous sets. But there’s a time and place for the stopwatch, most experts say, and it’s not…
It’s not necessarily the facility that counts when you’re waking up at ungodly hours of the morning to clean and jerk—it’s the quality of the instructors, and the camaraderie of the friends who join you there. In fact, each CrossFit gym is supposed to be uniquely inviting, whether it's…
"As Seen On TV" equipment may not get you any results—as we've said all along.
You fall, hit your head, and suffer a concussion. How long will it take to recover? It depends.
In his new book, Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena spells out his recipe for success. The main ingredient? Pain.
Former pro speed skater Apolo Ohno is ready for a new challenge. Here he offers his advice for other aspiring distance athletes.
Pairing your running with explosive, maximal strength training primes your muscles for peak running performance. Think loaded squats—not bodyweight circuits—when it comes to improving race times.
They’ll always be injured but they’ll rarely admit it. That might be changing, though, as bull-riding cowboys begin to think of themselves—and treat their bodies—more as professional athletes and less as ranch laborers.
Scurvy set into Wilson Price Hunt's party until the Shoshone mega-dosed his explorers on their super-high-C "bush" remedy.
The only fix to tight hips is a good lunge and twist
If you've been fruitlessly spinning your creative wheels you might want to take a cue from Stanford University researchers and try getting out on your feet instead.
If you’re looking for an excuse to hit the massage table more frequently (or to justify the expense if you’re already doing it), you’re in luck. A recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago backs up what we’ve long suspected: Massage therapy…
You're pathetic. Really. According to the latest research, human fitness has decreased so dramatically in recent years that even the strongest of us would consider ancient men to be, well, monsters.
Drugs that affect hormones have the potential to cause all kinds of screwy side effects in the body—but fortunately, there’s not much evidence that medications like birth control or antidepressants will slow you down on the track or impede your progress in the gym. In fact, some research shows…
Reduced-oxygen training room Air Fit opens in Bay Area
Lyme disease is up 21 percent in dogs, but that doesn’t mean your ultimate adventure companion has to stay in the kennel—so long as you take these precautions before hiking this summer.
Why your thoughts go from brilliant to batty on your run
Good news! Your post-race pavement pizzas don’t have anything to do with your lactate threshold. “You’re going to be running your lactate up when you’re doing things more intense, but the two are not directly related,” says Dr. Stephen Simons, Director of Sports Medicine at…
Pieter du Preez overcame a horrific cycling accident, which left him paralyzed from the chest down, to become the first ever C6 quadriplegic to complete an Ironman triathlon. Now a Wings for Life World Run ambassador, this short film highlights his work ethic, his determination, and most importantly his…
Running and triathlon coach Brett Stewart gets this one from clients a lot: Between races that sell out months in advance and things that get in the way of training—like injuries, travel, and plain old busy schedules—it’s not uncommon for athletes to show up on race day…
Three years ago, it seemed like every fitness rag was hyping chocolate milk as the optimal recovery drink. It’s been in the fridge all along! We didn’t even know! The drink’s 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, experts said, best promotes muscle repair and rebuilds energy stores after a…
More is always better, right? Well, maybe not. Ultradistance runners have been warned that their mileage isn’t exactly healthy. But they aren’t the only ones who should be thinking about the long-term ramifications of their training.
An Ohio CrossFit affiliate says an academic study got stats about injury rates in the popular workout program wrong. And it’s suing the researchers behind the data. Should science be scared?
More people die from opioid overdoses than car crashes, and Zohydro is one of the strongest yet to hit the market.