Training & Performance
ArchiveAh, the ol’ “my resting heart rate is slower than yours, therefore I’m a superior athlete!” argument. Cyclist Miguel Indurain famously had a resting heart rate of 28 beats per minute, and he won the Tour de France five times in a row, so it’s easy to see how…
Officially, there is no recommended diet or magic food to protect against osteoarthritis, a condition that affects nearly 27 million Americans 25 and older. (Women and obese people seem to be most affected, but previous joint injuries and repetitive use from sports may also increase your risk.) However, a…
It depends what you’re looking to achieve with your planks, says personal trainer and strength coach Jay Wright, owner of The Wright Fit fitness facilities in New York City and San Francisco’s brand-new NEMA community—and, ultimately, which type you’re able to do most comfortably and correctly.
Training and nutrition has been an exciting (if unreliable) frontier for decades. But recent discoveries, combined with field-tested science, have debunked popular myths and established some ground rules for the outdoor athlete. Here's your performance 12-step program.
Skimo racing is one of the fastest growing sufferfests in the U.S., combining grueling big-mountain ascents in the worst kind of winter weather. So, naturally, two inexperienced, undertrained magazine editors couldn't wait to sign up.
We’ve tackled this topic before, but new research suggests that it’s time to revisit the age-old question: If you’re going to do both, should you lift before running? Or run before lifting? Back in 2012, we reported that a short, moderate-intensity cardio workout before weight training…
We've long known that sleep is important to your health, but a new study shows that skimping on your shuteye can lead to a lasting loss of neurons.
A drop of blood may be all it takes to tell if you've suffered a concussion.
You may feel fine hitting the trail or gym after one or two drinks—heck, you may feel great—but there's more going on in your body than you probably realize. “Some research has shown that small amounts of alcohol actually increase muscular endurance and strength output—but these benefits are very short-lived,”…
In one sense, SCUBA diving seems like incredible exercise: You strap 70-some pounds to your body, swim for an hour or so, then haul yourself back up a ladder and onto your boat. Most divers, though, will admit they’re not doing all that much, fitness-wise, while they’re down there.
Used to be, you blew a knee and your options back to action were few—and long. But a fast-growing field of stem-cell therapy is ushering in a new, and much speedier, era of orthopedic recovery.
There’s at least one potential benefit to extreme winter weather: Shivering appears to torch significant calories by converting energy-storing white fat to energy-burning brown fat. In a recent study, National Institutes of Health investigators subjected volunteers to various environments (including some really cold ones) and found that…
As athletes, we are always trying to break walls, but sometime we end up breaking ourselves.
You're slim, but that doesn't mean you're fit. What matters most: staying active.
On a forgotten day in 1811, a scalped head would not only shape the American West but refashion the geopolitical future of the entire North American continent.
An ACL tear is an athlete’s worst nightmare. One of the knee’s main stabilizers, the ACL keeps you upright when you plant and pivot. Reconstructive surgery and months of recovery often follow ACL tears. Yet a new study suggests that surgery isn’t required for almost 25 percent of first-time,…
Watch George Hein, a financial analyst from Wyoming, start Mountain Athletics training with North Face athlete Kit DesLauriers, as he prepares for a major skin up and ski down in the Tetons. Set your goal and get your workouts. A new series from The North Face’s Mountain Athletics.
Unfortunately for cubicle club members everywhere, science says no. Despite the American Heart Association’s recommendation that adults get 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, or 25 minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week, new research shows that your health depends…
As ski-touring season hits full stride, we're here to help take the edge off lung-busting climbs and quad-searing descents.
Don't let a bad fall keep you down. Pro freeskier Crystal Wright shares hard-earned tips on preventing and recovering from tough breaks.
A growing body of research supports what was once a startling conclusion: vitamins don't help. In fact, they hamper performance.
Doctors have long advised patients to seek rest following a concussion. But a recent study shows that low-level aerobic exercise actually speeds recovery.
A Bluetooth puzzle for your pup
Tips from the world’s top-ranked slopestyle skier
Raising money once a year is great. So is pushing yourself to the limit. But today's racing culture is all about the fun.
From fat biking and snowshoe racing to winter trail running, there has never been more opportunity—or more variety—for competing on snow. Here's how to thrive when the mercury drops.
Why you don’t need a PH.D. in fitness
You don't need a gym membership to be ready for race season
A growing list of apps and tracking units allows you to challenge riding buddies and strangers alike.
Finally, more events are offering child-care options for active parents.
What kind of race is right for you?
Gyms are great for building strength and avoiding injury, but you don’t have to throw down $100 a month for that. Instead, do a series of body-weight-resistance exercises that target nearly every muscle, like the following four moves from certified strength and conditioning specialist Paul Hiniker.
Gyms are great for building strength and avoiding injury, but you don’t have to throw down $100 a month for that. Instead, do a series of body-weight-resistance exercises that target nearly every muscle, like the following four moves from certified strength and conditioning specialist Paul Hiniker.
They help you break falls and climb walls. Here's how to keep them strong.
Dogs are great adventure buddies, but they need to get in shape, just like you.
Gyms are great for building strength and avoiding injury, but you don’t have to throw down $100 a month for that. Instead, do a series of body-weight-resistance exercises that target nearly every muscle, like the following four moves from certified strength and conditioning specialist Paul Hiniker.
Can you sense the weather in your joints? Here's why that happens.
Behind the scenes at Big Air practice for the 2014 X Games. Follow and filming by Beau-James Wells.
Ski Jump champion Sarah Hendrickson finds a new way to improve her flying technique inside a wind tunnel as she prepares for the biggest season of her life.
We can only assume you’re wondering whether the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks will have an advantage in New Jersey at Super Bowl XLVIII. Don’t make any bets until you read this! Just kidding. (No, really.) We posed your question to Rod Connolly, an exercise physiologist,…
Some researchers believe that significant increases in resting heart rate (RHR) are a sign that you’re over-stressed, though the physiological mechanism behind the increase is not well understood. While scientists are currently uncertain that RHR is an ideal gauge of training readiness, some believe it can be…
Yes, it’s true that the volume of muscle mass activated during exercise is directly linked to the testosterone response. But it’s not the only factor involved. “Absolute workload (volume and intensity) of the session is also thought to be linked with the testosterone response,” Dr. Amy Vivien Tanner wrote…
When the urine collector came knocking, I didn't have a choice—start whizzing in front of him, or hang up my bike.
Douglass Lawder, owner of Buddha Fitness Club in Santa Fe, NM, walks through a quick workout that will keep you fit through the holidays.
In the wake of a controversial death, OCR hopes to better manage risk with the help of a new sanctioning body.
We posed your question to Dr. Kevin Laudner, a kinesiologist at Illinois State University who specializes in shoulders. “There are 20 to 30 muscles around the shoulder,” Laudner says. “I’m guessing there are quite a few that are causing the tightness, and there’s no one stretch that’s gonna get everything.”…
Time to chuck the ab-blaster and sell the ellipti-trainer. All you need for your ultimate home fitness center are these key essentials.
Slacklining isn’t just for show-offs anymore. It just might be the key to your winter-sports breakthrough.
The answer: it’s both physiological and mental. “It’s a natural defensive posture,” says family practice and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Bob Adams. “When we have bad news, pain, or something’s really stressful, we hunch up. It probably goes back to when we were in the uterus,” where we were safe…
The New Year's defining tech, fashion, and fads
Douglass Lawder, owner of Buddha Fitness Club in Santa Fe, NM, walks through a quick workout that will keep you fit through the holidays. …
Gyms are great for building strength and avoiding injury, but you don’t have to throw down $100 a month for that. Instead, do a series of body-weight-resistance exercises that target nearly every muscle, like the following four moves from certified strength and conditioning specialist Paul Hiniker.
When we published "Is CrossFit Killing Us?" fans of the workout went berserk, attempting to discredit the story, the research, and Outside. But the risk of injury is quite real—and it's the last thing CrossFit wants you to know.
Assuming both parts belong to the same person, we discussed your hypothetical ball problem with Dr. Peter Schlegel, a urologist and professor at Cornell University. “For the scrotum to freeze to the thigh, the thigh skin would have to be at a freezing temperature,” Schlegel says. That…
Can you really ski race on a torn ACL? What damage are you doing?
Do I have a higher chance of dropping dead from a heart attack if I exercise in the morning?
I’m racing the California International Marathon this weekend. The temperature will be in the 30s to start. How should I warm up?
Exercising consistently is the best thing you can do for your brain
Your winter conditioning isn’t complete until you’ve built both power and endurance in the body parts that matter
When I get fat and out of shape, my first run back is always a super-itchy experience. My thighs itch, my abdomen itches, it drives me crazy. Why is that?
Why you shouldn’t train with gadgets… and why you should
What rules do pros follow for exercising when they’re sick?
Traveling and time-crunched? Sneak in these 30-minute workouts to maintain your cardiovascular fitness, strength, and sanity this holiday season.
What’s a better shortcut for last-minute ski-season training, strength or cardio?
Is it a sign that I’m getting fitter, or that I’m out of shape if I’m sore three days after a workout?
High Five Foundation’s touching piece on Danny Toumarkine’s recovery and traumatic brain injury suffered snowboarding in 2011. #HelmetsAreCool…
I have a few "target areas" I’ve been working on for about a month, including my abs, but I’ve seen no improvement. What’s going on?
Sally Francklyn is a ski patroller with 10 years experience, as well as a recognized expert on social media, public relations, and online editing for major ski industry clients. After taking an 850 foot fall on “Once is Enough” in the Jackson backcountry. Sally found her life had changed radically.
There’s a number that controls your fitness destiny. And odds are you’re not doing enough to improve it.
As awareness about sports-related traumatic brain injuries grows, so do the number of advocacy groups devoted to the topic. Here’s where to turn for more information.
The rewards of risk are fueling a catastrophic increase in TBIs. How can we protect ourselves?
What should I do about pain on the inside of the knee? I can walk and jog, but with constant pain. I just want to run!
The CrossFit backlash is in full swing—led by a long list of injured participants
I usually drink according to thirst to stay hydrated, but will that strategy work during the cold winter months?
US Ski Team trainer Toni Beretzki demonstrates the Warrior One. More on the ultimate ski workout. …
US Ski Team trainer Toni Beretzki demonstrates the Butt-Up. More on the ultimate ski workout. …
US Ski Team trainer Toni Beretzki demonstrates the Side Kick Plank. More on the ultimate ski workout. …
US Ski Team trainer Toni Beretzki demonstrates the Swing Plank. More on the ultimate ski workout. …