Training & Performance
Archive
I know that exercise is supposed to improve sex, but is there a point of diminishing returns?
I want to add miles for my ultra training, but I'm concerned about breaking down my body. Will longer runs wreck my hard-won muscle tone?
The United States Olympic Committee has announced its 2011 coaches of the year. Rick Bower, coach of the U.S. snowboarding halfpipe team, took home the top honor. In the past, that award has gone to prominent names, including cycling coach Chris Carmichael…
I’ve seen it on a whole range of athletes, from Olympic volleyball players to swimmers and soccer players. How is Kinesio tape supposed to work, and is it effective?
A strong trunk is the key to efficient paddling. These four poses will help get you there.
There's been a lot of talk lately about long runs being hard on the body, particularly the heart. I've also read the CrossFit argument against distance running, even when preparing for a marathon. Should I change how I run?
Everything you need to complete one of the hardest races on earth, including a 16-week training program developed by Spartan's own Dr. Jeff Godin; the ultimate Spartan nutrition plan; and advice from Hobie Call, the winningest Spartan racer of all time
Is it true that if I abstain from caffeine before I race, it’ll be more effective during the race? How will it help me, and how much should I take?
Staying loose and strong are essential for efficient swimming. These four poses strike the perfect balance.
Lewis dishes on the nuances of slackline tricking competition, the newest event at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail
I’m bored of my routine and have trouble getting motivated to exercise. I'd like to train with someone, but I'm not sure where to look. Got any suggestions?
Sitting down with an Outside in Aspen athlete
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
Juggling a busy schedule, I try to make my exercise time as well-rounded and efficient as possible. To maximize my workout, is it better to run or lift first?
I'm looking to maximize my triathlon training days. Could you recommend a few places?
A new study says that Ibuprofen can help prevent mountain climbers from getting altitude sickness
Why a Bay Area gym has become a destination for the world’s top athletes
I've read about CrossFit adherents who have run marathons using just the exercise program's strength and conditioning regimen. Can I really train for a race using CrossFit alone?
What are the things I should make sure not to do in the final weeks before a triathlon?
My local gym touts metabolic testing for everybody, from people who want to lose 60 pounds to those who want to shave a few seconds off their PR. It's pretty spendy. Should I do it?
I'm looking for ways to gauge improvement. If I can soak through my wicking base layers, I call that a good day. Do better athletes sweat more?
I'm getting faster as I get older. Maybe I should think about upping my game and shooting for some really big goals...
The Quidditch World Cup sounds dorky, and make no mistake: it is. But these sorcery-loving Harry Potter fans play pretty rough, as Eric Hansen found out when he captained a bad-news team of ex-athletes, ultimate Frisbee studs, slobs, drunks, and some people he knows from Iceland. Brooms up, and may the best Muggles win.
Is there a way to schedule my training sessions to get the most out of my workout?
Two years after undergoing surgery to correct a debilitating heart condition, the Australian triathlete is poised to qualify for the Olympics
I have been following professional triathlon for a while and am amazed by the performances of elite athletes. Is there anything that we recreational athletes can learn from them? Just about very one of my amateur athletes asks me this at some point. The short answer is a resounding, “YES!”…
Matt Dixon of Purplepatch Fitness explains how to eat when you’re training and recovering. For more triathlon training videos, go to The Outside Challenge.
What’s the secret of success in endurance sports? I get asked this a lot. The answer can be boiled down to one phrase: consistency of effective training. Performance does not arrive overnight. It comes out of a consistently applied training plan that is appropriate and specific to your…
Major League Baseball’s long tradition of warming up for the season with oddball adventures
Matt Dixon of Purplepatch Fitness shares one of the best exercises for building strength in your glutes. For more triathlon fitness videos and interactive training plans, check out The Outside Challenge.
Matt Dixon of Purplepatch Fitness demonstrates one of the best exercises for building strength in your hamstrings and glutes. For more triathlon fitness videos and interactive training plans, check out The Outside Challenge.
Get ready to maximize the endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, and power you never knew you had.
Heart-rate training is the key to gauging your aerobic intensity and building endurance. Here's how to get started.
The ultimate guide to weightlifting for endurance athletes
Have trail and gym work turned you into a stiff? You need some flex time with Ashtanga yoga.
Your foundation is built. It's time to tweak the beast.
We asked four top fitness coaches for their tape-it-to-the-fridge-door advice. Here's what they told us. (Bonus: We kick your excuses to the curb.)
Get a solid endurance base through heart-rate training.
Fine-tune your fitness with balance and agility exercises. Here's how.
To keep a workout program fresh, you need to make it your own, and some days you need to break the rules—within reason.
I’ve never done a triathlon. I don’t swim. I don’t run. And I bike mainly when our copy chief goads me into it. Yes, this is pathetic, especially since I edit Outside’s fitness coverage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still active: I ski all winter, hike a 12,000-foot peak at…
In our obsession with minimizing exercise damage, we may have lost sight of the reason we exercise in the first place: to force our bodies to adapt and get stronger
Matt Dixon of Purplepatch Fitness demonstrates how to build swimming strength on days you don’t have time to visit the pool. For triathlon fitness videos and interactive training plans, check out The Outside Challenge.
Matt Dixon of Purple Patch Fitness demonstrates the proper technique for a lunge. For more triathlon fitness videos and interactive training plans check out The Outside Challenge.
Everything you need to run a personal best, including a 12-week training plan, a race-day nutrition plan, and advice from U.S. record holder Ryan Hall
California’s San Quentin State Prison is home to a ball field where you can take your cuts against convicted felons. This I had to try.
Training with a monitor can be daunting to master, but it’s the best way to make the most of your workouts.
A recent New York Times Magazine story titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" caused a stir last week, claiming that certain aspects of yoga were too risky for the general population. So should you avoid the fitness routine if you're not a serious athlete?
Triathlons aren’t just trendy. Multisport training develops balanced fitness and prevents injuries. Here’s why you should dump your ordinary routine and make the switch, too.
You’ve got questions? Your new triathlon-training coach, Matt Dixon, has the answers. Throughout the course of the next few months, as you prepare for your triathlon through The Outside Challenge, Dixon will answer a wide range…
Get ready for a sprint-distance triathlon with one of three custom plans created by coach Matt Dixon.
How fit do you really need to be to scale the highest peak in the world? An expert weighs in.
The science around strength training has changed in the last decade. You’re older, stronger, and hopefully, smarter now. Don’t make the same mistakes you made in your high school weight room.
Triathlon is booming, with hundreds of events being added to the calendar each year and thousands of goggle-eyed newbies lining up to swim, bike, and run for the first time. But only one race still really matters. Greetings from the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, ground zero of America's multisport madness