Here at The Lifetime Athlete, we celebrate athletes of every type. Our platform is based around the concept that everyone has an athlete residing within them, and our goal is to help them discover, develop, and embrace that entity. But not every athlete is the same. Some are single-sport specialists, and others go for all-around capabilities. The beauty of the…
Episode 445 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast features a discussion on hydration beverages, mobility for aging dudes, women’s training, and the relationship of activity to blood glucose control. Definitely worth a listen on any of the major podcast platforms…or right here!
We could also call today’s message “Sizzling Subjects in Lifespan Human Performance.” In fact, engaging with clients and providing commentary in this arena has become an immersive passion pursuit for me. Maybe more than I ever anticipated and certainly one of the best parts of this job. In Episode 443 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, I selected 5 questions from…
I’ve worked with a lot of cyclists over the past 4+ decades. This includes avid and competitive riders whose identity is, among other things, being a biker. And those who appreciate the two-wheeled mechanism and consider themselves to be a person who rides bikes. At different times, I’ve been both of those people. Maybe you have, too. It’s all good.…
These days, there are a number of terms which are frequently used to describe our pursuit of longevity and peak performance. The manner in which we frame that which we do…can have a powerful impact on our mindsets as well as our outcomes. Here’s a topic that we discuss quite often in The Lifetime Athlete App. And that’s the ATHLETISPAN.…
I’d like to take this opportunity to go over block periodization as a valuable tool for Lifetime Athletes. I’ll cover the concept in general and compare and contrast it to other methods of training organization. And I’ll explain how we use block periodization in The Lifetime Athlete App, both within our comprehensive fitness for life Training Tribe programming as well…
Episode 437 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast features a discussion entitled “The Last Word on Diets and Cold Plunges.” In reality, it represents the not so last word. It’s important to keep learning, growing, and evolving with our thinking. The conversation explores several popular subjects: The pronounced bias of many thought leaders and influencers. The only true things we can…
As Lifetime Athletes, we recognize that regular, purposeful exercise – aka training – is critical in the pursuit of longevity and performance. The training habit supports the resilience and robustness which characterizes a Lifetime Athlete. Most members of this community would agree that resistance training is the most important form of exercise that older humans can undertake. Not the only…
Training for the long haul. Performing exercise in order to optimize health, fitness, and athletic performance through the lifespan. That’s what we’re all about. Whether you are just getting started with this journey, or have been at it for decades, it’s great to assess and cogitate on occasion. I’ve got 7 questions for you to ask yourself. They may not…
I’ve always been fascinated by the training process. Exercise applied in the quest of a specific outcome. The stimulus-adaptation response in humans. This certainly explains my career choice. My interest in the relationship between performance and longevity continues to grow. How can we best improve fitness and athleticism at any age, and what are the ideal ways to keep those…
Lift for muscle. Jump for bone density. Sprint for metabolic health. Things we hear a lot about these days. Things I’ve been emphasizing on this platform and in my work for over 4 decades. Doing those things is nothing new. It’s just the way we’ve been thinking about it lately which may have experienced a slight focus shift. Lifting weights,…
This is a simple message about a potentially complex topic…changing versus maintaining. Essentially, what it takes to change a condition isn’t necessarily the same thing as that which is required to maintain the status once achieved. I believe there is a disconnect in popular thinking regarding this relationship. These differentiations exist in potentially many areas but training, dietary manipulation for…
Now here’s a topic to get excited about! Or frustrated. Or enraged. We’d better start off by defining the terms in the title. Aches and pains, when used colloquially, describe the familiar and annoying discomfort that practically all humans experience on occasion. Nagging irritation or sharp twinges that challenge and restrict movement. Impediments to feeling great and moving effectively. Something…
College basketball fans are in their glory this month. And rightfully so. The action is always intense, exciting, and impressive. That’s March Madness! But today’s message is about a different kind of insanity. Well, maybe not insanity, but certainly the condition of dynamic opportunity. You could even say mild craziness. Early spring weather, especially during the month of March, can…
There are many ways in which we can classify and customize training. One of the most valuable models that we utilize regularly at TLA is the Mobility-Stability Continuum. Whether you’re a self-coached athlete, a lifelong fitness enthusiast, or a therapist-coach-trainer, leveling up your game in this subject area is pure gold. Mobility is access to range of motion. It’s how…
Training for Life. Living LIFE! Going through the journey performing highly and feeling great. Certainly a worthy goal. Undoubtedly a great challenge. How in the world do we accomplish this objective? What’s the single most important consideration in such a quest? Not getting injured. Avoiding, within reason, injuries and all their associated factors is the essential task. So we can…
This piece offers a few tips and suggestions for Lifetime Athletes who are taking their resistance training seriously. This is a synopsis of a recent podcast episode and I’ve included that option below, but I’m listing out a series of pointers just in case you prefer to read as opposed to listen. You can also access The Lifetime Athlete Podcast…
Today we are exploring a continuation of the conversation around effort gradations with aerobic and anaerobic training. The recent article “Chiming in on the Zone 2 Discussion” generated a significant amount of much-appreciated community feedback. Feel free to refer back to that piece as a reference that may help you to put everything in context. The 5-Zone intensity classification has…
There’s been quite a lot of buzz around the topic of Zone 2 training over the past couple of years. Z2 exercise is recognized as essential for endurance sport performance, valuable for general health and fitness, and significant for longevity and functional independence. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few thoughts and observations. Let’s begin with a…
I thought I’d start off with a quick look back at 2025 and a healthy dose of gratitude. Then I’ll lay out a number of suggestions that just might make 2026 your best year ever. 2025 was a very good year. If I was a sommelier, I’d say the wine produced across many regions during the past year was robust…
This article is being penned (typed) as I look out the window at darkness and snow. It is indeed winter. I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season. Here’s a question I’m often asked. “Should we train the same way all year round?” Or more specifically, “Why can’t we just train the same way in winter as we do…
In Episode 421 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, I responded to a number of Lifetime Athlete App community member questions. Should Lifetime Athletes be using sleds? What’s the ideal training split? Are superfoods a hoax? And more. Worth a listen if you are going after healthspan and lifelong fitness.
Let’s start off today’s message using two popular concepts. Longevity, and anti-aging. Both of these hint at our chosen topic, but neither of them quite do it justice. Longevity simply describes the condition of living a long life. Some will suggest that by default this long life needs to be relatively healthy in order to achieve its potential. But statistics…
You gotta do the stuff. At least a good chunk of it. Most of the time. If you want results. In training and rehabilitation. Magic, or at least a great outcome, does not tend to happen spontaneously. Putting in the requisite amount of work is what leads to better function and performance. Today’s message starts off with a few humorous…
Happy Thanksgiving! I appreciate every member of our community on many levels. Thank you for being a part of our quest for ultimate health, fitness, performance, and longevity. I value the opportunity to engage with you and to strategize and problem-solve. Thanks for challenging me to learn, grow, and share. And most of all, I’m grateful for you being in…
What does it really mean to be Hard to Kill? I end up touching on this with a lot of members in The Lifetime Athlete App during our Personal Coaching Consultations. Most people really jive with the HTK concept, but a few bristle at it and say it sounds too much like a macho action film theme. I’m certainly not…
For any human being, particularly a Lifetime Athlete, injuries happen. In fact, many would say that what happens is a four-letter word beginning with an “s” and ending with a “t.” Regardless, in the presence of an injury we have to determine what exactly is wrong and then embark upon the most appropriate path toward (full) recovery. This is essentially…
The intersection of longevity and performance is indeed a unique subject. It’s something that we’ve focused upon for years here at TLA. And it’s inarguably the most important consideration for members of this community. In discussing this topic, we must first examine some definitions. Longevity, in its broadest sense, simply refers to length of life. And performance, in our context,…
The developmental sequence constitutes a journey we have all taken. Many of us may need to take it again (more on this later). In today’s message I’m going to focus on the physical development sequence common to humans. This is represented by the motor programs, positions, and movement patterns that infants utilize to progress from a fetal position to independent…
You are a Lifetime Athlete. You train year round for comprehensive fitness and performance. You participate in one, several, or numerous sports that you enjoy immensely. There are practically as many ways to pursue lifelong athleticism as there are Lifetime Athletes. But there are a number of sports or fitness activities that are extremely approachable and adaptable for almost everyone.…
You hear a lot of discussion these days about prioritizing resistance training to emphasize muscular hypertrophy. But should that be our only focus? Not necessarily. Let’s dive in. As Lifetime Athletes, we train for LIFE and that involves a number of capacities such as endurance, speed, power, and agility. We can also include the targets of fun, fellowship, and overall…
Everybody’s talking about longevity. I always strive to be a voice of reason. I try to offer a balanced and sensible perspective on most subjects. Drawing a hard line in the sand and using terms like always and never, as they apply to exercise selection and performance, is something about which we need to be cautious. I want to respond…
Training for LIFE! Now this is a foundational concept for us Lifetime Athletes. Exercising, playing, and competing through the lifespan. Doing those things in order to maximize our vitality and participation in all of life. Keeping the training habit alive, in whatever forms that requires, all the way through the journey. Lots of ways to think about how to accomplish…
In Episode 409 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, I welcomed my old friend Doug Fletcher to discuss his 2025 completion of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. This is the story of a Lifetime Athlete checking off a lifetime bucket list item. Over 60 days of riding, camping, and experiencing a Rocky Mountain Summer, Doug joined a rare group to…
This topic comes up a lot in our App community, and it’s one that can be framed in a very specific manner. We need to consider the art form of how to get results in resistance training without getting hurt in the process. And we have to find ways to adjust the training process as we age. So, in a…
Goals. Objectives. Meaningful accomplishments. Diving into an experience you’ve been seeking. Checking off a bucket list item. These are things that we do throughout our journey and across all areas of life. Sports. Health. Finance. Travel. Celebrations. And so on. In this community, when we use terms like “take the athletic avenue into wellness” or “train for life,” they have…
This is an excerpt from our latest Lifetime Athlete Program in the App. It was created based on popular demand in our client community. The Dad Bod. It can sneak up on any man in this modern world. This Lifetime Athlete Program helps you to get rid of your Dad Bod, once and for all. Dad Bod Be Gone (DBBG)…
When you combine cycling and locomotion you get cyclomotion. Or biking and hiking. Or riding and running. You get my drift. These types of workouts, or play, or competition, can take on many forms. Through the 80’s and 90’s, I did dozens of duathlon events. Some were run-bike-run. Others were bike-run or run-bike. Often, in triathlon training, you did a…
Influencer. I’ve come to despise the term as much as “biohacking.” And many of those who portray themselves as all-knowing. If one produces content – and offers products or services – in any field, authenticity is an imperative. This is especially true for any individual who is purportedly attempting to help others to experience long, healthy, and productive lives. Since…
Conversations about longevity are all the rage right now. Perhaps that’s even more true regarding the concept of healthspan. If you are a regular here (thank you if you are, welcome if you are new), you know we look at those items as a continuum at TLA. First, we have lifespan. This is simply length of life. Then we have…
I thought this would be an interesting title for today’s discussion. A unique perspective, perhaps, but there is indeed LIFE in the fast lane. If you’re like me, you’re thinking about The Eagles’ 1976 mega-hit Life in the Fast Lane. But our exploration has nothing to do with the drug and party scene. We’re actually talking about speed. Training for…
This topic has been coming up a lot lately. A number of clients and community members have been asking whether a weight vest or loaded backpack is best for their conditioning objectives. You won’t be surprised to know that my position on this topic is relatively “device-neutral.” Both can be great. It just depends on your specific goals. I’ll offer…
S*** happens. I mean, SORE happens. Especially for Lifetime Athletes. Sometimes in training. But certainly coming off of big events and competitions. You can get sore – and stiff and tired – anywhere in your body. But it is quite common in the legs and especially during summer and fall. We will generally see this in two distinct subsets of…
Now here’s a great topic! Ironically, it’s one which applies less to our TLA community than it does to the general population. Nonetheless, let’s explore with equal parts curiosity and reason. This will be a rambling conversation with the goal of neither informing nor convincing you…it’s simply intended to be food for thought. Depending on your historical perspective or favorite…
Admittedly, I struggled with the title for this article. I thought about “The Glory of Summer” and “Launching into a Spectacular Summer” among several other options. I settled on “Preparing for a Sensational Summer” and it’s with an enthusiastic and optimistic attitude that I embrace this season. First off, let me offer my heartfelt thanks to you for being a…
Should you train outdoors during the summer? Why would a Lifetime Athlete want to do this? What’s the value in doing so? This discussion is going to cover those and related questions. Let’s dive in! There are any number of manners in which we can frame this up. But I think one of the best would be to list out…
Is Everyone Really an Athlete? Yep. You bet. Or can and certainly should be. This will take a little explaining but it’s a topic which is frequently debated in the fitness and athletic community. Let’s break down the whole “is, can be, and should be” (an athlete) perspective. As humans we are amazing, complex organisms. But we are also animals…
A cool topic indeed for today’s message. Responsive autoregulation can at times seem quite obvious and in other instances we may find ourselves somewhat oblivious to this concept. As we figure out this healthspan to athletispan process, we frequently need to make adjustments in our training and recreational output in accordance with how our bodies are feeling. When we responsively…
Basic movement patterns are a key consideration in exercise selection and program design for Lifetime Athletes. When we are utilizing movement patterns in training, we can focus on a variety of objectives. Additionally, we utilize other patterns and positions which are both evolutionarily-consistent and fundamental in human performance. Part 1 of Basic Movement Patterns covers these and related topics. When…
It’s time for a little op-ed piece and as always, this is a discussion without judgment. That stated, the title begs the question regarding your choice of sport and fitness pursuits through the lifespan. Do you focus your training in mainly one area or do you diversify in the pursuit of a more well-rounded repertoire of movement options? This is…
Power is a unique word. It conjures up multiple images in our minds. She’s got the power. He’s really powerful. But what do those statements really mean? Power is an essential, yet often overlooked and neglected aspect of training. It’s not only critical for peak performance in almost every sport, it’s actually necessary for optimal longevity. So much of the…
This is definitely cornerstone content on the platform and consequently it’s going out in triplicate format. There will be a podcast and video with a parallel message. I think this topic is so important that I want to make sure it fills every media option within our community. Let’s begin with an expanded definition of deloading. With training, especially for…
The title doesn’t state that this piece will be about emerging science or facts surrounding the use of hot and cold for Lifetime Athletes. Just my opinions. I’ve always been interested in cool to cold plunges as well as saunas and the like. I remember as a kid when we would go on hiking and camping trips I usually found…
Let’s say you are an avid hunter and now, in mid-April, you’re getting ready to hunt turkey and bear. You’ve been training consistently and you’re in great shape for your pursuits. Good on you! But maybe you’re not hunting the spring seasons. Perhaps you haven’t been quite as dedicated to your conditioning as you would have liked. And you’ve got…
The use of high carbohydrate diets, as well as supplementary intraworkout (or competition) carb intake, is popular in athletics. This is particularly true considering endurance sports. The major objectives with this practice are twofold. There is very little argument that this approach enhances performance for most athletes (we’ll dive more deeply into this later) but there exists considerable controversy if…
Today’s topic is one which I find particularly fascinating. Let’s begin with a definition of what Training for LIFE means. Training for LIFE, in TLA terms, means two things. You are engaged in athletic and fitness training throughout your lifespan. This process will evolve and take on different shapes, but you’re in it to win it. And perhaps more importantly,…
Here’s a super-cool topic we are always bouncing around in our community. Members in The Lifetime Athlete App use locomotion in a variety of applications, depending on their goals and body situation. Episode 386 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast features a discussion on the following:
This article is a resource for Lifetime Athletes. It serves two purposes. First, it describes the rationale and methodology we use here at TLA to design our Training Tribe and sport-specific programming. This provides our team and community members with an in-depth understanding of the program design and implementation process. Second, it empowers you with the knowledge and tools you…
Have you ever wished you had an easy way of evaluating your fitness level and athletic abilities? At TLA, we use the Athletic Capacity Rating System (ACRS). This is a simple and very customizable system that we employ in our community to help you to do three things. The ACRS is based on the 5 Capacities of Athleticism or human…
Back(side) by popular demand! In the kinetic train of human performance, the real locomotive that drives our speed and explosive power is actually the caboose. Having a full, round backside might not actually make you a more well-rounded person, but it can certainly enhance the fit of your wardrobe. And avoiding the “half-arsed” condition known as buttock deficiency can improve…
There are practically innumerable ways you can classify training. A lot of times the manner in which you describe your training is dependent upon your goals, or where your mind is in the moment. In many situations, a great way to consider your workouts is in regard to two distinctions. Is the session geared toward improving the mechanical efficiency of…
Fitness competition has been around for a while now. One of the all-time most popular articles on the platform, which I wrote over 4 years ago, is CrossFit vs. Spartan vs. Hyrox. I really appreciate the thought and variety applied to these and other forms of sport and movement. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to coach and train…
The title says it all. Well, almost! I’ve received a multitude of outstanding questions from our community over the past several weeks. It was time for a Mail Bag Q&A episode. I personally replied to all of the inquiries but I saved three great questions for a deeper discussion. Ever popular and for good reason, the topic of resistance training…
Rate of Perceived Exertion, or RPE, is something we are always talking about in our community. We’ve certainly featured RPE as a popular article and podcast topic. Yet I continue to encounter many well-meaning Lifetime Athletes who struggle with the concept. My goal today is to simplify RPE in the clearest way possible. We’ve talked about the original Borg Scale…
What should you eat and how should you train when you’re trying to lose weight? Sometimes, as a Lifetime Athlete, you may be wishing to tune up your body composition a bit. Immediately, there are two critical considerations we must observe. In these types of pursuits, every Lifetime Athlete needs to lose the fat and keep the muscle. Too many…
Let’s say you are a backpacker, hunter, fisherperson, skier, climber, mountain biker, kayaker…or anyone who ventures into the outdoors with a quest for experience and a concern for preparedness. You need to carry a knife. And that should be the ideal knife for your specific situation. Whether you are opening food packages, cutting paracord, processing game and fish — or…
One of the most common situations we encounter as Lifetime Athletes is the need to adjust a workout to fit our needs. Make a training session meet your unique body where it’s at…perfectly. This is a big FAQ in our community and it’s an outstanding topic for today’s discussion. Almost any workout can be scaled up or down, and that’s…
Now here’s an absolutely scintillating discussion topic. If we consider the difference between generalists, or all-around athletes and single-sport specialists, there are several distinguishing characteristics we can identify. I’m thinking about this in the context of our community. Lifetime Athletes who are going through the journey with a perspective. Behaviors which define their intentions. I thoroughly enjoyed the book Range:…
In the spirit of the New Year, we’re kicking things off with the Lean4LIFE 30-day Challenge! It’s popular to jumpstart the year with a month-long challenge and that’s especially true in the realm of health, fitness, and body composition. Strategically using diet, exercise, and lifestyle to reset the metabolism…and “stuff” like that. The Challenge starts January 6th it’s exclusively available…
Jumping is fun. It’s a natural, playful action in the human beast that is equal parts performance-enhancing and function-preserving. Jumping helps us to maintain our fast-twitch capacities, reactivity, and youthful vitality. The key to successfully incorporating jumping into your routine is doing so safely and sensibly. We use jumping with almost all our clients, including those in their 70’s and…
I absolutely love this topic. It represents the crux of our quest at TLA. At some point, every Lifetime Athlete ponders some version of the following question: “How can my lifestyle interventions and behaviors, including but not limited to training and nutrition, impact both the length and quality (health, functionality, performance) of my lifespan?” What matters most? Living as long…
Today’s topic is being presented secondary to popular demand. I frequently receive inquiries from our community regarding exercise selection concerning a variety of performance capacities. Recently, and extensively, Zone 2 Cardio has been at the top of the list. The questions abound and they are very insightful. I’ll bullet them out and then address each one independently. But before I…
Ergonomics…the study of human efficiency at work. What on earth does this have to do with longevity and peak performance? Well, when you think about it, we spend roughly ⅓ of our time on earth at work. This has the potential to profoundly impact our health. And, if your neck, back, mojo (or anything else) is messed up because of…
Many exercises and movement patterns offer us a selection option between the open and closed kinetic chain. As a Lifetime Athlete, you may want to give consideration to how you utilize these tools. Let’s begin with a few simple definitions. A kinetic chain implies that a series of segments or linkages within the body are involved in the execution of…
Exercise selection is a fascinating topic. We choose exercises based on our desired outcomes and with regard to what works best for our unique bodies. And we determine how we perform those movements pertaining to body position, load, range, and tempo. Last week we talked about training for movement competency. We acknowledged the value of an exercise for strength, hypertrophy,…
We train for many reasons. Peak performance in sport is often a target. You might work out to improve your strength or muscle development. Maybe you exercise to increase your VO2max. Others engage in sessions to enhance their mobility. All of those things are good…in fact they are great. The objectives of training are indeed many. The intention of becoming…
Every now and again I like to reflect back on something I’ve written or said in the past and see where my mind is at currently. Occasionally, I end up not agreeing with a portion of what I’ve stated because my experience and knowledge has changed with the passage of time. But often, I find myself in concurrence with past…
This post could also be labeled “Staying Bouncy as You Get Older,” or “Jumping for Joy.” Such phraseology connotes the preservation of elastic properties in the evolving human. Aging. Doing so gracefully. Maintaining health until right up to the very end. Keeping performance, and functional capacities, at a relatively high level for as long as possible. This is good stuff…
This is a sequel to Part 1 on this topic, which I posted almost 3 years ago. While this followup may seem long overdue, it has actually taken a full 33 months to complete my investigation and reach my final conclusions. Since it’s been quite a while, you may have interest in reading Shooting with a Recoil-Sensitive Shoulder, Part 1.…
Training does not need to be elaborate to be effective. Sometimes simple is best. In our Training Tribe programming, we often use just a single implement for all or part of a workout. This month, in some of our sessions, we are employing a Simple Kettlebell Warmup. We start all our workouts with an activation or preparatory segment. Depending on…
Success stories are fun to hear. Steven Graves, a member of our Lifetime Athlete community, and now a true mountain badass, just got back from an amazing adventure. He checked off a bucket list item at 53 years young, scaling mountains and battling extreme weather in Southeast Alaska. This resulted in him taking a trophy mountain goat at 44 yards…
Do you need a coach? The answer to this question ranges anywhere from “absolutely yes, maybe, or probably not.” This is definitely a concept worth exploring. If you are performing at your maximum potential, are free from injury, have excellent health markers and body composition, feeling fantastic, and totally satisfied with your training and lifestyle…you don’t need a coach. In…
Here at TLA, we talk a lot about training. All-around fitness. Complete athleticism. Developing strength, speed, power, agility, and endurance. We train for health, longevity, and performance in all aspects of life. But we also give equal consideration to sports. We train for sports. We participate in sports. Play. Compete. Win. Lose. There are unique benefits from sports. While we…
As summer comes to a close, it’s fitting that we conclude the season with a discussion of endurance. We’ve talked about strength (and hypertrophy), speed, power, and agility. The 5th and final capacity of athleticism in our training discussion is endurance. And of course it’s always important to keep in mind that all of these capacities are of equal importance…
The most basic definition of agility is the ability to move quickly and easily. Here at TLA, we take that a bit further. Agility is one of the 5 major Components of Athleticism. A complete, and thus lifetime athlete, needs to be not only strong, fast, powerful, and enduring. He or she must be AGILE. Agility consists of 4 unique…
This is DEFINITELY one of the most popular topics in our community, and it’s being featured in the Longevity Training Series because it is so important. In the simplest terms, a layoff is any time period away from regular training that’s long enough to cause some (or much) deconditioning. For any reason and they are all valid. Just got busy…
Speed haters need not apply. Same for speed doubters and speed deniers. Speed is one of the attributes of a Lifetime Athlete and it’s also a premier expression of youthfulness. Speed training, done properly, can help you to perform at higher levels and to look and feel your best. Here’s how!
We’re always talking about how here at TLA we use the same methods to achieve peak performance that the pros do. As you are watching the Olympics, you’ve probably noticed that in practically every sport, the athletes — and particularly the champions — are FAST. Genetics are involved here, but every top athlete trains for speed. As we get older,…
A term you hear occasionally is “What’s your WHY?” It’s often used by motivational speakers (even if you’re Matt Foley living in a van down by the river). I’d like to pose a different question in today’s brief post: What’s YOUR Olympics? The Olympics are a celebration. Human potential. Competition. Sportsmanship. National pride. Worldwide community. The current, 33rd Olympiad, is…
The Olympics will be happening soon. Citius, Altius, Fortius – or Faster, Higher, Stronger – will be exemplified. Today’s post will be addressing the Citius component. Speed. At TLA, we value speed as one of the 5 Capacities of Athleticism, or human performance. Along with strength, power, agility, and endurance, speed is an essential item in the lifelong peak performer’s…
The entire platform at TLA is dedicated to maxing out health, performance, and longevity. Rooted within this focus are a number of first principles. And among those are strength and hypertrophy. Both matter. They are complementary. And they are to some degree inseparable. Strength is the ability to produce force, and it’s usually quantified in maximal amounts. Hypertrophy is muscular…
This week the topic in our community is Power Training. Specifically, as part of the Summer Longevity Training Series on The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, we’re talking about how to safely and effectively develop and maintain power in the older athlete. This is an interesting subject because power is, relatively speaking, poorly understood and often overlooked in fitness and longevity circles.…
This is a fantastic topic. It’s cornerstone content here at TLA. We’re kicking off the Summer Longevity Training Series. Utilizing resistance training to effectively, and safely, build strength and muscle mass in mature athletes and fitness enthusiasts…is an absolute art form. In Episode 356 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, I discuss the literature and my experience concerning this subject. A…
As is frequently the case, we’re running a brief series on The Lifetime Athlete Podcast this summer. The show is available on all the major pod playing platforms. In case you’re as intrigued and excited by this topic as I am, I’ve included the Preview for The Summer Longevity Training Series right here. Beginning June 24th and over 4 shows,…
Giving advice on footwear selection is a tricky topic. This is particularly true when it comes to backcountry hunters and mountain athletes. Across the footwear industry, from manufacturers to retailers, there are inconsistencies in the recommendations provided to consumers. Unfortunately, much of this is driven by aggressive marketing and the goal of convincing, more than educating, the customer. It gets…
Swimming, water exercise, water immersion, water exposure. It’s all a part of summer life, and training, for The Lifetime Athlete (YOU). The benefits are numerous, as are the ways you can get them. I’ve included a few podcasts and videos to give you some ideas for your summer programming. You may also be interested in becoming a member in The…
One of the best training tools for any Lifetime Athlete is a Drag Rig. Inexpensive, easy to make, highly efficient, and extremely effective. What’s not to love? Learn how to make and use a drag rig for resisted locomotion. Take your training to the next level.
Beach time is right around the corner. A number of clients and acquaintances have inquired about how to best build the backside. It’s the return of Operation BootyJACK! In the kinetic train of human performance, the real locomotive that drives our speed and explosive power is actually the caboose. Having a full, round backside might not actually make you a…
Staying in shape when big things are going on in your life, is an intriguing topic. I’m certain that practically all of us have experience with relocating, getting married or divorced, the birth of a child, a new job, work projects, business deals and trips, and many other examples of major life events. When the days, weeks, and sometimes months…
Rate of Perceived Exertion versus Readiness to Train. This is a fascinating comparison. RPE describes how hard you are working, and RTT depicts your level of recovery and output potential. These terms are not synonymous, but they tend to (and should) work in parallel fashion. RPE is but one of the many metrics available for gauging effort. Heart rate, power…
The title of this post is phrased as a question. The answer to the query of how many ways you can be a Lifetime Athlete is perhaps infinite. Literally, there are many, many forms that a vigorous, vital, robust and athletic life can take. This week we profiled a number of lifelong peak performers on The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. I’ll…
The terminology we use to describe output levels during training is quite useful. Today we’re going to discuss 2 popular methods of estimating effort. They are Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Repetitions in Reserve (RIR). Potato versus Pototto. Or you might say Tumaytuh while another utters Tohmottoh. I think you get my drift. RPE and RIR are great assets…
I hope you are having a great Spring Break. Maybe you are on a trip. Or perhaps you are staying home and will be traveling on vacation or business at a later date. Either way, it’s great to have a perspective on training for times when you are “on the road.” Training while traveling is a topic that comes up…
Happy March 1st! This month our community is diving into The Earth-Based Diet 30-day Challenge. It’s the Earth-Based 30 (EB30)! Improving health, fitness, performance, and body composition is the focus. EB30 is using the science-based, common sense approach to human nutrition that is one of the foundational components of lifelong health at The Lifetime Athlete. It’s also the key ingredient (pun…
At this time last year, I did a feature on “Building the Backpacking Athlete,” which included an article, podcast, and video. That information was utilized in a presentation I had the opportunity to give in the Backpacking Light Trail Days Online seminar. This year I’ll be providing another presentation at TDO24. Building on last year’s content, the current edition will…
The training microcycle that we use most frequently at TLA is the weekly microcycle. In the Training Tribe, and with most coaching clients, I usually program 6 specific workouts in any given week and then recommend a recovery training day as the 7th session. There are a few exceptions to that general rule. Some athletes are encouraged to utilize only…
Isn’t it fantastic being in the Training Tribe? Yes! Absolutely. We’re continuing in this first of three months in the Strength and Hypertrophy Block. I’ve mentioned in some of our content how we’re working on being highly competent with the compound movements in this training split as well as making sure we are recovering adequately. Sleep and nutrition are the…
This document provides a relatively succinct overview of how we do things at TLA. Historically, I’ve made this available to anyone in our community as a downloadable PDF (that will continue). However, since this guide has been recently revised, I wanted to post it here on the Blog as well is in the App so it’s easy for any team…
Now this is a post I’ve really been looking forward to writing. As the title states…The Lifetime Athlete App is Live! This is exciting news because the debut of the App represents evolution in the company as well as a new chapter in our content and structure. My mission has always been to guide people toward the highest levels of…
Wow! This Training Tribe Workouts of the Week Update salutes YOU because you are a dynamic and amazing Tribe member! Welcome to a new Training Block. This is the official launch of our 3-month Strength and Hypertrophy Block. We’ll be emphasizing resistance training to improve force output capacity and muscle mass. This block is considerably different from the previous one,…
This is a topic which comes up quite often and it’s definitely worth revisiting. When I am designing programming for a client or group, I’ll often include a “key” in the documentation to explain commonly used terms, abbreviations, and acronyms. Things like DB=dumbbells, BB=barbell, KB=kettlebell, SB=sandbag, etc. Most people already know most of those designations but anytime I can spare…
Hello Amazing Tribe member! I appreciate and salute you. We’re in transition this week as we deload from the Agility Block and begin preparing for the Strength Block. This week has some unique workouts that I bet you will find to be both restorative and exhilarating. We are also in transition with our membership model. The Lifetime Athlete app will…
Yo Tribester! Week 4 of 5 in this (relatively) long month! It’s the penultimate week of our Agility Block and we’ve got another round of exciting and varied workouts. We are going to explore drop sets, intermittent and long-length isometrics, tuck jumps, and broad jumps…to name a few cool changeups. As is often our pattern, there are 3 sessions that…
As opposed to commenting about the Bermuda Triangle or B-rated movies…this is a little op-ed piece I’ve been wanting to put together for quite some time. My version of the Devil’s Triangle involves over 4 decades of experience and observation in athletic and fitness training. It’s a story of temptation, seduction, success, and calamity. Actually that last statement sounds like…
Oh yeah! Week 3 of Month 2 in the Agility Block is here! This means it’s time for a bit more intensity. We’ve been using a high degree of variety but now we are going to pull that back a little and concentrate on effort in a few applications. We’ve talked about how agility is comprised of mobility, stability, reactivity,…
Wow, Tribe Member, our WOW (workouts of the week) are super exciting as we get into the 2nd week of Month 2 of the Agility Block. We are continuing to work on multi-directional movement competency and elasticity. We are using an A-B-CX2 split and we are combining exercises and positions athletically. I’ve mentioned the agile mindset previously. Or let’s call…
Today’s post is a quick one offering up a bit of training advice that you may find useful. As my buddy PK says, it’s a nugget of peak performance. Might even be a pearl of training wisdom. Whatever. Isometrics have great value in training and they should be a part of your conditioning system. I hesitate to use the term…
Hello Amazing Tribe Member! Happy New Year! We are jumping into 2024 and this month is the second and final one in the Agility Block. And JUMPING is, literally, what we are focusing on this week and month. Many of you were very patient with our last month, recognizing its fairly easy and preliminary nature. This month we get to…
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and you are getting set up for a fantastic New Year. 2024 is right around the corner, and it’s going to be a great year. I’ve got a lot of interesting content and exciting updates at TLA to share over the next several weeks. Today I wanted to feature a recent podcast that…
Seasons Greetings Training Tribe Member! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours! We are moving into what is often an incredibly dynamic and variable time of the year. Sometimes the holidays are quiet and you find yourself with plenty of time and energy to smash some workouts. Other times there is travel, entertaining, and work at a level…
Howdy Tribe Member! In our programming, this month is a 5-weeker, and it’s time for week 4. I’ve got some dandy challenges for you this week. In keeping with our theme of agility, we’re snagging some conditioning circuits (Condi-circ, pronounced Kondee-Serk) along with some free choice sports participation. Allow me to describe these concepts. We are using two forms of…
Not long ago I posted a few workouts for folks to try out around Thanksgiving. Several of those were taken from our Training Tribe library. I received some great feedback on those sessions. None of them were overly elaborate representations of comprehensive training systems. They were just fun, relatively quick workouts to shake up a routine or to make it…
You are a magnificent Tribal BEAST! Let’s celebrate your inner animal with a smattering of shapeshifting movements! This week we continue to build into the Agility Block by layering on additional elements of movement competency. As you’ll recall, we started out the Block by re-familiarizing ourselves with basic patterns like pushing, pulling, lunging, squatting, hinging, and rotating. Then we appreciated…
YOU are simply AMAZING! An evolved human who embraces learning and explores possibilities in human performance. This week we are taking those basic patterns of exercise and performing them in different positions. An interesting concept indeed. As opposed to looking at your workout as a bunch of straight line, full range movements…consider it to be a conglomeration of force and…
From Thanksgiving and into the first few weeks of the New Year represents the holiday season, winter, and a period of relative darkness (considering the available daylight hours). Let’s just call it December and January in the northern hemisphere. Year-end projects at work, school functions, holiday parties and other obligations typically fill this season. It’s been called the most wonderful…
Hello Amazing and Wonderful Tribe Member! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and also took advantage of a few killer deals (Black Friday, etc.) on exercise equipment upgrades for your gym. As you are well aware, we are moving into winter. We’re also beginning a new Training Block. In our Annual Training Plan, we use a block periodization system…
Greetings Peeps! Happy Thanksgiving to you. I hope you are setting up for a fantastic holiday that features feasting, family, fellowship…and fitness! Most years around this time I produce a bit of content around those themes and this one is no exception. While I try to maintain a perspective of gratitude all the time, it’s during this season when I…
Congratulations Friends! We’ve made it to the final week of the 3rd and final month of the Endurance Block. Fittingly, it’s one of our 2 longest (3 months) blocks, along with Strength. Up next is Agility and that will feature exciting movementsmith microworkouts in your gym. But for now, it’s time to finish up Endurance with a classic deloading week.…
Line up for some AMAZING workouts this week! That’s right, we are doing line-based sessions that can uniquely develop your endurance and work capacity. Equal parts fun and challenge! These workouts come from a long line of training tools, some of which we’ve used before. And each one is set to a line-specific song. Let’s line everything out! Week of…
You are a backcountry hunter or mountain athlete. You spent the whole summer building and honing your fitness. Maybe you participated in our Fit for the Field (FftF) online conditioning course. Regardless, you’re into your peak season and you need to switch your workout system into a maintenance routine. Easy peasy I say. If you were a participant in FftF,…
Wowski Dowski! Another great week of training is before us. After last week’s interval-based sessions, this week we are going to work more on steady-state flow workouts. These are exercise bouts that encourage you to cruise along for extended durations. You can explore some sports psychology here. Using association versus dissociation is something to explore. If you prefer to associate…
Hello Amazing Tribester! Even though we are still in October, we’re calling this week the first one in the third and final month of the Endurance Block. I’ve really been enjoying the workouts and challenges we’ve had in this portion of our Annual Training Plan, and I bet you have also. This week we’re going to be looking at several…
It’s a busy time of year. I just got back from an antelope hunting trip and soon I’ll be heading out for elk. The antelope expedition was one filled with challenge, humility, success, and gratitude. Experiencing amazing people, beautiful places, and personal growth. It’s all in this podcast discussion.
Wow! We are into the final week of the 2nd of 3 months in our Endurance Block! Amazing how the time flies! Last week we kept our theme of substantial volume but we really mixed modes and intensities creatively. This week is a deloading cruise in which we use mostly low intensity as we flexibly explore frequency and duration of…
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Regarding today’s topic, a few thousand words can paint an amazing picture. I recently had a great conversation with Lifetime Athlete Dennis Rackers on The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. Dennis is 69 years young, a backcountry hunter, and he carries excellent muscle mass on his frame at 16% bodyfat. His maximal oxygen uptake…
The ZesterFest! You know how Daddy likes a zesty sesh! And you do too. Well, forget about Oktoberfest…this week has 3 incredibly tasty tests (actually workouts). You’re going to go through some gears in locomotion, use some sustained power out on the field, and dive into some incredible volume work in the gym. All while having a hellagood time. There…
Delightful and Delicious! That’s what our movement snacks and feasts are all about this week. Celebrating (YOU) the Human Beast with high durability exposures! We’ve got some new, creative sessions to keep the fun in fitness and help you to become practically tireless! We’ve talked about the many ways you can develop endurance, all while maintaining your other athletic properties…
October! Oktober! Oktobre! No matter how you spell it…this month is going to be completely fabulous! This week we are using the 3 x 2 setup again. That’s three workouts, done twice each…in the week. There’s an optional OFF day you can place anywhere you like. As you know, we generally still recommend some light activity on those days to…
Honestly, I’m not sure we should call this short piece an endurance training primer. It’s more of “a few thoughts about endurance training” type of thing. First, let’s define endurance. It’s unique among the 5 Capacities of Athleticism (along with strength, speed, power, and agility) in that it is complementary, or supportive, to the others. Endurance is certainly driven by…
Greetings Amazing Tribe Member! Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, we get a (relative) deloading week with some fresh stimuli. We are going to be featuring three workouts this week, with each done twice if possible. Workout A and C head out to the field (any that you have available) with the good old FittKitt. B is…
Howdy! This week’s content is out a little early since I’ll be gone for a few days. We always increase workload in the 3rd week of every month. Because we are in Month 1 (of 3) of the Endurance Block, we’ll be increasing workload by primarily adding volume. Endurance is more than just cardiorespiratory fitness. It’s mechanical efficiency, movement and…
As many of you will recall, we set up the Summer 2023 Fitness Challenge back in May. Our goal was to test and train a unique capacity of athleticism, which is power. We sampled anaerobic power with a lifting test and used the mile run for aerobic power. The lifting test used a trap bar deadlift, or similar setup depending…
Howdy! This week we are accumulating some volume in the Endurance Block. We started the month with a very basic approach in order to set that stage. Now we are going to increase workload primarily from a workout duration perspective. Perhaps more so than any other athletic capacity, endurance is naturally very time-dependent. In light of this, if you need…
Happy Labor Day Weekend! It’s the end of summer. The beginning (at least in some ways) of fall. And WE are starting into our 3-month Endurance Block. You’ve done an outstanding job working on strength, power, speed, and agility throughout the year so far. We’ll keep those capacities alive in your beast as we now really develop superior endurance. Endurance…
Now, this is a FANTASTIC topic! Today we are going to discuss how to manipulate a workout so that you get the best possible results from your training effort. I went with manipulating because it sounded like the most appropriate term. I also thought about micro-managing and modifying. Adjusting or tweaking would also fit pretty well. Let’s say that in…
What an exciting time this is! We are finishing up with the summer season and the Speed Block. We’re preparing to transition into the Endurance Block. This week gives you the opportunity to finish out fast, emphasize deloading and recovery, or get a head start on endurance training. I’ll explain the options below. Let’s say you wanna work on speed…
This is a little op-ed piece that I’ve been wanting to get out for a while. The topic has been on my mind practically forever but I don’t think I’ve ever stated my position quite this way. The care and feeding of the optimized human requires more than just nutrition, although that is very important. The model I’ve developed, which…
The final week of the Speed Block. The final week of August. Maybe not the final week of summer but it’s getting close. We are going to take this out in style. The workouts this week have some very interesting features that I think you will enjoy. You can always mix up the days as you need to best fit…
Now here’s an interesting thought! There are definitely some parallels between sprinting and surfing. Allow me to explain. Surfers do three main things in their process. So do sprinters. Get out. Get up. Get on. A surfer will get out, or paddle in accelerating fashion to catch the forming wave. Sprinters drive out hard from the blocks or a 3-point…
It’s week 3 of the month and time for some intensification. We are going to be featuring two speed-based options this week, which will be quite delightful (in my humble and honest opinion). I’d like you to look at every workout this week as optional, simply choosing the ones you like best and putting your week together as you see…
Perhaps the title lacks a little originality, but it’s genuine. This has been a great summer so far, but for me it has seemed to fly by more quickly than usual. I was sort of on the “party circuit” in June and July. We had several birthday parties, retirement parties, weddings, and BBQ celebrations to attend. Like 3-4 times per…
Greetings Tribe Member! I bet you are feeling FAST! More quick stuff this week. We’ll be keeping a few elements consistent and then also jamming on new kicks. Let me know how you’ve liked using some of the video programs in the content. We are dipping into some shorter sprint work at higher velocity this week. Then we’ll advance it…
Wow! I can’t believe another month is upon us (or at least that it starts on Tuesday). This is the final month of the Speed Block, and we’ll be doing a number of zippity things. One of the key considerations this month is to check your recovery from time to time. You want to be feeling mostly rested and fresh,…
A lot of people run as their primary form of aerobic exercise. Many athletes, in all sorts of sports and not just running, need to be able to access their speed and go fast. At least if they want to be competitive or even win. Interestingly, the game of life also benefits greatly from sprinting. But you have to warm…
It’s Speed Week! This week the featured topic at The Lifetime Athlete is SPEED. I’ll be doing a daily podcast (on all the major podcast platforms) July 24-28 with some bonus video and article content. Today’s post will set the stage and highlight the week’s schedule. Speed is one of the 5 Capacities of Athleticism. Along with strength, power, agility,…
Oh my…it’s the final full week in July! Speed Block month 1 is coming to a close with some unique changeups. We usually do a fairly significant deloading phase in the final week of each month. This one’s only going to be moderate because we have some fun sessions to explore. There are 5 workouts to get done this week.…
Find your first met head. When walking, running, squatting, and lunging. It’s a great cue. It’s the take-home message of today’s post, so if that’s all you need…you’re done. See ya! But if you want to learn more about foot function, gait mechanics, exercise performance – and other forms of asskickery – hang on for a few minutes. Let’s explore…
Hi there you oh so speedy Training Tribester! I know you are getting faster. I see it in the local peeps. I hear about it from some of you across the country. You are applying the science, and the fun, and getting results. Nobody said this stuff was really easy. We had to put in a lot of preparatory work.…
A lot of thought. A considerable volume of study. Extensive experimentation. Many conversations. That’s what went into today’s topic. We are of course going to be discussing the Ultimate Anti-Aging Workout! Right off the bat, I’ll admit that the title is a bit sensational. We are all aging. No doubt about it. Can’t deny it. But are there things we…
I think I’ll be able to keep this one relatively brief. Yet, however succinct this message may be, I believe it to be of critical importance for our community. I was in a performance coaching meeting with one of my amazing clients the other day. After we dissected some workout programming, examined a few key performance indicators (KPI’s), and made…
You are AWESOME! And you’re fast! But you’re only gonna get faster in the Speed Block. This is week 2. We are continuing with the intelligent application of explosive movement, particularly in Workout A and D. These are our field and track workouts, respectively. The “filler” sessions include our big fun cardio-emphasizing Trail Hustle and Picnic workout (done once in…
Last summer I did a recap, but this year it’s a preview! The 2nd Annual Lifetime Hunter Online Summit will be taking place on Friday, July 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. It’s one of the features of the Fit for the Field hunter conditioning course and it’s always great fun for me to connect with members of our team. Similar to last…
This is a piece I’ve wanted to put out for a long time. I’ve been thinking and studying around the topic for quite a while. You’re going to be getting my opinion on the 5 best resistance exercises for the ever-evolving athletic human. [Don’t care to read? Have a listen! Also available on all the major podcast platforms!] First I…
It’s here at last…or yet again! My favorite training block of the year, the Speed Block! While I love all the blocks we use in our Annual Training Plan, this one has so much magic. It’s summer. We’re outside for many workouts. We’ve come off the Power Block and now our bodies are ready to do some true speed training.…
Probably a better way of saying it is “be thoughtful when selecting your sport or primary fitness pursuit.” This will take a little explaining but I believe you’ll find it an interesting topic. Whenever I’m working with my online coaching clients, we do some initial assessments to assist with program design. We consider goals, injury and health history, schedule, space,…
Greetings Amazing Tribester! Congratulations on reaching the final week of the Power Block! We’ve done some outstanding work and now it’s time for a little deloading before we transition into the Speed Block. This week has some familiar and some new content, all designed to help you consolidate your excellent gains. We are still hitting our popular summer outdoor sessions,…
As Lifetime Athletes, we play a variety of sports and we train in different locations on multiple surfaces. The shoes we select can make a difference in our comfort, safety, and performance. And there’s even a place for being barefoot! Gyms, beaches, fields, artificial turf,courts, tracks, roads, and trails are the terrain of The Lifetime Athlete. This week I’m providing…
The Summer Solstice is upon us and summer is officially kicking off. I’m hoping you’ve been doing lots of fun things and have many more planned. Seize the season! I’m sharing a brief video which depicts one of the many awesome things we are doing in the Training Tribe, again this year. We train for LIFE! And we live it.…
Hello Amazing T2 member! Welcome to Week 3 of the 2nd and final month of our Power Block. Everyone has been crushing it and I commend you on your excellent effort and progress. This week we intensify a bit but also keep a few things the same and mellow to offset the mojo. The outdoor workouts are our jam during…
The title of today’s post makes me think that listening to Billy Squier’s “Emotions in Motion” album would be a good way to set the scene for this topic. I’ve been having some great interactions with members of our community and the subject of emotions, hormones, and metabolism has been getting some attention. Today’s discussion is a brief exploration of…
Loving this Power Block! The workouts are equal parts hard and fun. It’s so exhilarating to get outside and push ourselves. I love the gym, but I needed the outdoor summer mojo. Things are getting more zesty as we start to hammer field workouts, track workouts, and hikes. Our maintenance/recovery work in the gym is totally elastic this week. Three…
A lot of the athletes I coach are outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts. Many are backcountry hunters. There are some questions that come up regularly with this population. Those questions are answered in this week’s content, which is being offered exclusively in video format. I hope you find some valuable information and let me know if you have any questions. Cheers!
Howdy, y’all! June is here and that means several things. We are heading into our second and final month of the Power Block. And, the outdoor season kicks off nationwide! I’ll provide a little more information about both of the those points below. The Power Block is awesome. Power is a specific entity in the Lifetime Athlete (you). But it…
Last year, during the summer of 2022, I toyed with several conditioning goals. Honestly, most of those revolved around rehabilitation from my late 2021 shoulder reconstruction. There was also some deconditioning to be addressed secondary to a major medical experience. As much as I knew the best way to stay in shape is to never let yourself get out of…
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! This is a holiday week and weekend, and we’ll be having a unique exposure to training. There are some bonus activities and it’s a chance for everyone to transition smoothly into summer mode. Here are the highlights! We’re running the Memorial Day Mile on Monday the 29th. Everyone nationwide can do this and the data is…
Recently, I sent out a “community query” and I’m delighted to state that I received some outstanding feedback. First of all, to everyone who commented, thank you very much. I appreciate your participation and assistance with this project. In that inquiry I asked 3 simple questions: The responses I received were very insightful. They both validated what I’ve been doing…
Greetings Great One! I never cease to be amazed how quickly time flies. I guess that means we are having fun. I’ve also heard that if you want to get something done, give that project to the busiest person in town. Regardless, here we are at the final week or so of the month. There is a deloading opportunity combined…
Whatever your sport or passion pursuit, doing “the thing” is the most-specific activity you can do. But in many situations we don’t get to do said “thing” quite as much as we’d like. That’s when doing exercises that have a high degree of transfer becomes exceptionally useful. Mountain athletes such as hunters, hikers, backpackers, skiers (when boot-packing), and others need…
It is time, Simba! Time to Kick Ass, take what’s yours, take no prisoners, and be a champion! Strong words indeed, and oh so true. We piled on the training volume last week. Now this week we test it. We’re going to be looking at a test workout, done twice in the week, with recovery filler in between. It’s spicy.…
Power. Here’s a short and sweet dispatch about power. What it is, why you need it, and how to get it. Power is a frequently used word in our world. It describes battery levels, the electric grid, turning on devices, and personality characteristics. Put it in front of “nap” or “dump” and it makes those things sound more impressive and…
How ya doin’? I hope the answer is great, fantastic, or sensational! I’ve been enjoying the opportunity to engage with so many of you in a variety of manners. In this post I want to pose a few questions and inquire how I can possibly inspire, educate, or entertain you in an ever-improving way. Because I value you as a…
Time to get powerful! We’re moving into this second week of month 1 of the Power Block. I’ve been getting great feedback from our community. Everyone is loving the new training sessions and the chance to get outside for a few workouts every week. Local peeps have been hitting some atmospheric re-entry track sessions on Sundays at 1pm. Soon we…
Oh, man, am I ever excited to lead us into this first week of the first month of the Power Block! We are finally getting some nice weather and I for one was also ready to change things up after all that resistance training from the last block. A good primer for this week is to briefly define and discuss…
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article entitled “CrossFit vs. Hyrox vs. Spartan…Who is the Fittest?” That post was very well-received and it’s been one of my most popular to date. In the article I compared the different fitness competitions and identified the types of athletes that tend to do best at each discipline. All-around fitness is an…
The finale of the Strength Block is upon us! Congratulations on making it to this point and great job on all your training. We are now on the road to a deload. There are a couple of relatively easy sessions to allow full recovery before we push into the Power Block. As a preview, the month of May will feature…
Howdy you amazing and fantastic community member! There’s been so much going on lately I felt like an update of sorts was in order. I’m often humbled and inspired by how my job description continues to be refined and defined. Offering the promise of vitality. Applying advanced athletic and wellness science to the general population. Trying to stave off The…
I hesitated to say “the latest…and GREATEST” in the title because that’s not quite where my head is at. This missive is really being prompted by some outstanding discussions I’ve recently had with a number of clients. There are a lot of diets out there. To name just a few there has been High Protein, High Carbohydrate, Low Carbohydrate, Low…
It’s been a long, and strong, STRENGTH TRAINING BLOCK! We’ve used resistance training to enhance strength, hypertrophy, and even muscular endurance. I commend you on working so hard. And it has been that. But we’ve built some really good properties which will allow us to move into the Power Block with ease. This week has some changeups as I’ve promised.…
I love coaching, training, and rehabbing athletes of all ages, types, and abilities. It’s been my jam for 40 years. One of the athletic populations with which I work a lot is the Backcountry Hunter. I coach a lot of these athletes on an individual basis, but I also have the privilege of offering the Fit for the Field online…
And another week is upon us! And what a glorious one it shall be! Spring! Easter! Full Body Split! Maybe not necessarily in that order! The key now is to stay strong, to stay the course. Seasons are changing and we just need to squeak out a little bit more intense gym work to prepare us for the outdoor season.…
A new month! A new training split. Oh yea! We’ve been cruising along in the Strength (and hypertrophy) Block. This final month in the block is one of my favorite splits. It’s a full body (FB) routine which has 3 different resistance workouts each week, interspersed with general conditioning (GC) days that work on various aspects of fitness and athleticism.…
Howdy Howdy! I hope you are having a fantastic day! Mine is indeed that because today I get the opportunity to discuss a topic about which I’m really passionate (honestly, there are a lot of those topics). As a self-acknowledged gearhead, I’m always interested in the functionality and ergonomics of equipment, and how that interfaces with human biomechanics. Let’s say…
Greetings amazing Tribester! It’s time for a bonus week! We are going to emphasize true recovery this week. I want to encourage you to explore how easy you can go, for the most part. We’ve been hammering hard and I’ve been getting some reports from the community of sore muscles, bones, and tendons, as well as folks feeling tired and…
The human shoulder is a marvel of design. It is perhaps more than a joint and is best described as the shoulder complex. This is because it is somewhat complex. Comprised of a shoulder “girdle” made up of your clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade), and humerus (upper arm), the shoulder complex blends mobility and stability in truly unique fashion. That…
Congratulations! We have made it to the final, deloading week of the month. This second month of the 3 month Strength and Hypertrophy Block has been challenging. We’ve been hammering on a great training split and really using some heavy loading. Now, it’s important to put a finale on the routine by backing off the intensity and simply perfecting our…
Howdy! I’m putting these thoughts together during Spring Break so if you’re on a trip, I hope it’s an amazing one. I’m doing a bit of a “stay-cation” mostly because I’m busy with work and planning to save some time off for later in the spring. Not long ago I did a little piece that was very well received within…
Week 3 for you and me! It’s us and we! The mighty Training Tribe ventures into intensification week. It may be spring break week, but that means we just more time to train hard. And that’s what we do in week 3 of every month. The changeups may look subtle, but they will test you (as they should) at the…
It’s the second week of the second month in this Strength and Hypertrophy Training Block. By now I’m betting you have your motion mojo dialed in with regard to technique on every exercise. We’re driving the loads up a bit this week. Adding weight, band tension, or tempo changes can help you to continue the stimulus for awesome adaptations. We…
Have I mentioned recently that you are AWESOME! Well you are. Just in case I don’t say it enough. I really appreciate our community of killer peeps. Ski season is running full blast here. Winter sports are in championship mode. But soon enough, we’ll have a transitional time before spring truly arrives. Of course this depends on where you are,…
We are marching into another month in the Strength Block, and that just happens to be the month of March. It’s the second of three months in which we use resistance training to enhance our strength and muscular development. You could always listen to Sammy Hagar’s “Marching to Mars” if you need a theme song for this month’s workouts. We…
Everyone is an athlete. Everyone can be an athlete. Everyone should be an athlete. The minute you start seeing yourself as an athlete, good things happen. Your athletic identity guides you to not just exercise, eat well, and be healthy – but to train for peak performance in your chosen sport or passion pursuit. Almost magically, your behaviors become purpose-driven…
Howdy, howdy let’s not get too rowdy this week. It’s time for a deload. We’re still going to be using the established training split for the month, but with some exciting changeups. By putting a few small adjustments and modifications, you can make the workouts continue to provide a good stimulus to the body while at the same time allowing…
It’s week 3 of Month 1 in our Strength Training Block. We are going to up the intensity a bit. Just a bit, though. One of the secrets of progressive overload training is that those overloads are fairly subtle. No need to shock your bod, just coax it to the next level. That’s why we’ve been working on staying consistent…
Your athletic baseline is the level of conditioning around which you oscillate over the course of time. You can think of this in terms of seasons, years, decades, and more. It’s obviously something that is both variable and dynamic. The athletic baseline varies a bit from person to person and it also dynamically vacillates within the individual over the lifespan. …
Week 2 of Month 1 of the Strength Block is upon us! This week we are going to apply a bit more methodology in the training system. We’ve got a good workout structure set up and it includes some excellent compound and functional movements. Now we are going to make some distinctions between strength and hypertrophy. Strength is max force…
Anterior Truncal Obesity. Abdominal Fat. Now here’s a popular topic and it’s worth examining. In an ideal world these terms never apply to Lifetime Athletes. But the world isn’t always ideal, even for us health and performance oriented folks. First, let’s set the tone for this brief discussion and make sure it is super clear that this is not a…
Here I stand at TLA, the crossroads of performance and longevity. Trying out some new words. I kinda like the way “perfevity” sounds a little more than “longormance.” What do you think? You can always contact me and let me know your opinion on these terms or even suggest a different, possibly better, one. I don’t own this intersection. It’s…
OK…here we go! This week launches our 3-month Strength Training Block. We’ll be improving force production capacity and muscular hypertrophy. There will also be upticks in connective tissue resiliency, bone density, and the whole swole and jacked presentation of yourself! The training split we’ll be using this month is a classic. It’s push-legs-pull and it goes like this: Workout A…
Ok, so here I am finding myself training a lot of people with passionate lifestyle pursuits. Backcountry hunters, backpackers, triathletes, skiers, mountain bikers…people who love what they do and are motivated to be able to do it for a lifetime. Folks who have goals, trips, and events targeted this year for which they are preparing. Our discussions will often arrive…
Hello amazing Tribe member! Here we are at the end of our Agility Block and entering a deloading week. You’ve done a great job with all the “high-variety” training that we’ve been doing to augment your MOVEMENTSMITH ability. It’s always fun to bid farewell to one block and to usher another one in. With the agility training we were mainly…
It can be said that only YOU know your body best. And in most cases that’s true. But self-knowledge is an ongoing process and when we can enhance our understanding of our uniqueness…good things happen. This is both the central tenet of how I work with my coaching clients as well as the theme of a series I’m doing right…
Week 3 of month 2 of the Agility Block…oh yea! It’s time for intensification and a little KPI testing. We’ve got three new workouts this week and the goal is to hit each one twice if at all possible. Each session addresses your athleticism and fitness a bit differently. You’ll probably have one that is your fave. Ping me in…
Nutrition. Food. Diet. Sustenance. Nourishment. Dining. Meal Planning. Health. Longevity. Performance. All are interesting topics which occupy the popular mindset in no small manner. And for good reason. What we consume can certainly have profound impacts on our beings…and their well-being. This is much more a reflection and opinion than any summation of research. I’m going to list out a…
Wowski Dowski! It’s time for some new workouts of the week. WOW is how we roll and this week we again have three sessions to perform. However, instead of banging out two of each with a day of rest, this week we are targeting 1x Workout A and Workout B and trying to get 2 sessions of Workout C. Your…
Happy New Year! Regardless of whether you believe in making resolutions, it’s great to have visions and goals and to build your plans and programs around them. I’ve got a couple quick tips for you, and I’m going to present them in an interesting manner. At least I think so. I’ll tell you first how to fail at your resolution…
Happy New Year! 2023 is going to be incredible! We’re diving into the second and final month of the Agility Block with some exciting new workouts. We’ll also be ramping up some programs for the Running Demons, sculpting our body composition, really optimizing training and lifestyle in our MasterClasses! When we think of our Annual Training Plan, and the comprehensive…
By popular demand, from multiple community requests – as well as my own passion project – I bring you Christmas Elk Chorizo! Yep, it’s that time of year again when I make sausage and jerky, and it varies from year to year what products get produced. All that depends on which animals got harvested, and what I’m feeling like creating.…
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Week 5 and we are still going strong in month 1 of the Agility Block! This week will be a very casual deloading week in which we have some very simple options. There will be a Workout A and B and you can try to snag a few of each as your schedule allows. We actually…
Hi guys…here’s a short post to share what I’ve been thinking, and maybe to get you thinking also. These days we hear so much about Zone 2 cardio and all its attributes. But I think there is a tendency to overlook or bypass Zone 1 in the presence of all the recent chattah. So I guess before we can distinguish…
Yep! That’s right! This week has some fun-filled, excuse-buster sessions. Workouts that make you smile as much as they create that unique, known only to us sorta glow. Share the love. Get some peeps to train with ya, give them a T2 membership for Christmas, or tell them to sign up and finally achieve some New Year’s resolutions! I was…
It’s that time of year. While we are not quite at the last minute for our gift-buying endeavors, the season is upon us. Let’s say there is that special someone for whom you’re not sure what to get. He or she is a Lifetime Athlete. You know you want to give them something special that says “I care about you…
Have you ever developed a sore forefoot which felt like it was bruised…but you don’t recall doing anything specific to cause that problem? What about burning pain, numbness, and pins and needles sensations radiating into your toes when you put pressure on your forefoot? Are you a backcountry athlete who has struggled with boot foot and forefoot issues? This is…
I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to call this post, so it is indeed a report from TLA HQ! Technically, every post I write comes out of the headquarters of The Lifetime Athlete so I guess that’s pertinent. I’ve worked with a couple clients in Europe and South America so I can literally say I’m writing from the…
Oh, by gosh by golly! This is one heck of a Partay Week! There are several outstanding workouts for us to explore, including a really zesty Workout C with a mobility flow as well as a High Intensity Circuit. We’ve also got a little KPI testing inserted into that mojo! As you know so well, KPI’s are Key Performance Indicators.…
Week 2 of month 1 of the Agility Block! Does it get any better? K-Katt the 666 Devil Runner and Bill the Ice Ninja and I just finished up this week’s MasterClass. We broke down squat mechanics and did an atmospheric entry workout to kick off the season. Saturday mornings at 9 will be awesome all winter! This week we…
New Beginnings! Today marks the start of our 2-month Agility Block. To be fair, I enjoy every block and appreciate the value of our training system. But I must say I really like the Agility Block for a couple of reasons. First, agility is a necessary component of movement competency and I always benefit from focusing on it for a…
It’s Thanksgiving time. This is a fabulous time of year when we officially celebrate the end of Autumn, the bountiful harvest, and our good fortune. Beyond the gatherings and turkey dinners, we have many traditions to appreciate the season and opportunities to officially reflect on our gratitude. Today’s missive is entitled “Thanksgiving Thoughts” and it’s a combination of things I’m…
Wow! What an Endurance Block it has been! I hope you have enjoyed the past 3 months of training, and also that doozy of a test week we just accomplished. Daddy is tired and I bet you are too. We are going to do a very casual deload this week before we rev up and begin our 2-month Agility Block. …
Yakahoola! This week is KPI testing! We’ve got some tasty opps to see how your endurance development has come along. We’ll have a selection of sessions that you can choose from. Do them all or just try a few. Fill the recovery days with easy sessions as you prefer. Post your outcomes and impressions in the T2 Forum. I’ve been…
Greetings Magnificent Tribe Member! We are now entering the second week of our third and final month in the endurance block! I’ve got some cool stuff for you. Thanks to many of you for reaching out with comments and questions…it’s always appreciated. We’re going to be using 3 workouts again this week. They’ll be unique in that they will provide…
To be honest, I don’t love endurance training. My jam in the workout sense is interval training and circuits. To each his/her own of course. But I’m glad I incorporate some endurance training into my conditioning plans. My favorite sport, or pastime – really a passion, is elk hunting. I love almost everything about it. The nature experience. The quest.…
Happy Halloween! Here we go! The third and final month of our Endurance Training Block. I can feel your fatigue resistance becoming awesome! This month we’ll really see just how much we can do as we mainly focus on low intensity and high volume, with a smattering of dynamism thrown in. We’ll be using three sessions this week, each to…
Episode 261 of the Podcast features The Antelope Hunt Recap! If you’d like to hear the story of my recent outing, including the preparation, the journey, and the field to table experience…give it a listen!
It’s time for a deloading week. We are into the 4th and final week of the second of 3 months in our Endurance Block. Coming off those Key Performance Indicator tests you may feel like you need an easy week. But you also might be up for some zesty festivals. Regardless, endurance is the art of fatigue resistance and it’s…
Greetings Spectacular Tribe Member! It’s KPI Test time. This week we will be looking at a couple of Key Performance Indicators. It’s fun to challenge ourselves and see where we are. We’ve been doing a lot of creative workouts. Now it’s time to throw down. We’ll revisit these measures next month as well. Week of 2022-10-17 (week 3 of month…
Another great week of training, and LIFE, is shaping up! I’m hoping you really enjoyed the delightful sessions of last week. There were some zesty workouts indeed. This week we continue to build endurance within our comprehensive athletic system. The workouts will help you to become even more fatigue resistant as you enjoy this amazing and beautiful fall weather. This…
Oh my, how the time flies! I’m utterly amazed that another month is here! It’s October! A time of pumpkins, hay mazes, and absolutely delightful workouts! The weather will be pleasant and it’s a perfect time to dive into more endurance-based training. It’s ancestrally consistent, as hunting, gathering, and migrating historically peaked during this month for us hominids over the…
Autumn is an amazing season. It’s my favorite. But I recognize it’s also important to know that every season has its attributes…and we should appreciate them all. But fall, to me, feels even more special. I love the way the light takes on that golden hue, and how the nights are crisp. Ancestrally, fall represented the peak of our hunting…
You can get your kicks on Route 66…but you can also get them on Nine Twenty-Six! This 4th and final week of month 1 in our 3-month Endurance Training Block features a mild deload which you can customize. You can adjust loads and durations in these sessions to get what you need (and so richly deserve). Did I mention that…
Nine Nineteen! Don’t you just love the way that sounds? It feels zesty just to say it and zesty is exactly what we are doing in this week’s training! We’ve got two amazing full body fatigue resistance exposures in addition to a very nourishing recoverysesh sandwiched in between. We are emphasizing total movement volume but not putting too much emphasis…
Speed is one of the 5 major capacities of human performance, or athleticism. Along with strength, power, agility, and endurance…speed is a defining characteristic of winners. Every athlete, and in fact every human organism, needs speed to live and perform to the highest potential. Developing, maintaining, and improving speed in older athletes, however, is often a challenging proposition. The first…
Oh my my, Oh hell yes! Thank you Tom Petty! And thank YOU for being a durable Lifetime Athletic who is building endurance this month. This week we begin to accumulate volume in the aerobic fitness and muscular endurance realms. Simple stuff but more (lots) of it. Here is an interesting thing I’ve noticed over the last week. Endurance training…
Happy Labor Day and welcome to the Endurance Block! It’s always exceptionally exciting when we begin a new training block. Since we operate from an Annual Training Plan which balances strength, speed, power, agility, and endurance, we emphasize one component of athleticism every 2-3 months. It’s a great way to keep the year stimulating, and your training incredibly effective. Endurance…
I thought the title sounded interesting. Honestly, I’m not sure there is anything I’ve got to say about training that is actually revolutionary…but maybe. Today’s commentary is going to focus on the word evolution as it pertains to training. Evolution in the field of biomechanics. Evolution in my own thinking and programming. Evolution in all of our athletic bodies. Possibly…
Wow, what a summer it has been! So many great workouts and fellowship gatherings. I thank and salute you all. And also I’d like to add how gratifying its been for me to see you making such outstanding gains in your fitness and performances! Truly A-level, elite stuff. This is “week 5” of the month because we are hanging on…
It (summer) is almost over! Unless you are a Beach Boy (Endless Summer)! In this final full week of the month, we’ll deload out of our Speed Block and salute summer properly. Everyone has done a fantastic job with all the diverse training and playing that has filled our summer. Looking ahead, we’ll be starting our 3-month Endurance Block on…
Summer is almost over. Weather-wise, that sorta depends on where you live. But thinking “calendar-ly” we generally see a pattern shift when August flows into September. Labor Day, in addition to its traditional observance, also generally marks a change in mindset and focus for most people. They transition from summer to fall activities and schedules. All that stated, we’ve still…
Yes! Yusss! It should actually be a crime that we have so much fun getting our fitness and fellowship. Last week’s Roaster workout was a screaming success. Big turnout. Big efforts. Big results…big time! Thanks for inspiring me in Tribe program design and for being open minded to athletic fitness and athletic longevity. We are more than onto something…we are…
Eight-Eight! On like Kong it is! Oh yes, week 2 of month 2 in our Speed Block is here, and it’s utterly fantastic! I hope you have been enjoying the workouts as well as the rest of your summer. We’ve been having a lot of the 3 F’s which are fitness, fun, and fellowship! This week we’ve got some particularly…
I’m always thinking about how to select the best exercises for a given situation. I’m referring to what you do in your workout program. This runs the gamut from choosing movements that can help to correct deficiencies, to exercises that can embellish your natural gifts, or to motions that are “sports-specific.” Your conditioning program includes the assortment of exercises that…
Your mileage may vary. So will mine. That’s an interesting statement with which we are all familiar. Those automobile ads making such proclamations are so common, but it’s also helpful to think about the mileage we get out of our bodies. I’m going to talk about mileage and the human body in two specific ways today. In a very general…
Howdy you outstanding, brilliant, and sexy Tribe member! I hope you had a fantastic July and I know we are all going to have an amazing August. One reason is because we jump into the second month of our two-month speed-focused training block. Before we get to the programming, I’ve got just a few updates for you. I’ll be out…
The title says a lot. You can and should train for any sport or activity that is important to you. And you should make your training work over your lifespan — to give you as many years of high performance as possible. I train as a Lifetime Athlete and I train to hunt, among a few other things. I’ve been…
It’s the Speed Block and I’m ahead of schedule. I guess you could say I’m fast. I usually get the weekly content up by Sunday so you have it for our week starting on Monday, but here it is in advance! We are downshifting this week by deloading a bit. Speed training is fun, but you have to take it…
Hey there! I hope your summer is going well. It’s already mid-July and the days are literally flying by. I’ve got a list of items (work assignments, house projects, workouts, trips, etc.) that I’m hustling to check off. I imagine it’s the same for you. As part of the Fit for the Field backcountry hunter conditioning system, this summer I…
Oh Mighty Tribe Member! The fun doesn’t end. It’s summer. It’s hot. It’s sizzlin! And so are we! This week it’s time for a little competition and KPI testing action. I’ll be explaining everything in the text below, but just know you’ve worked so hard, done so well, and earned not only your fitness…but my respect. We are in the…
Hello Tribe Member…You are phenomenal! It’s such a great summer and I’m seeing many of you reach new levels of fitness and performance. This also correlates well with productivity, success, and life satisfaction – as I’m sure you are well aware. It seems I’m always in a rabbit hole of study and this week is no different. As I ponder…
Lately I’ve been in a rabbit hole studying longevity versus quality of life, and comparing performance to basic functional abilities. I’ve been examining the available literature on these topics as well as trying to be an observant human in the midst of every person in my circle existing as a case study. The research is quite interesting to say the…
Howdy you great Tribal BEAST! It’s on! Here. We. GO! Hot summer and the first week of July is also the first week of the SPEED Block. Speed is max velocity, and we’ll be taking all that acceleration and power you’ve developed and putting it to good use. We’ll be training upright running mechanics and rapid elastic motion, and having…
Oh my you mighty Tribe member! This is a transitional week in which we bridge between the Power block and Speed block. We are going to stick with the pattern of two sessions on the field, two on the trail, and two on the track this week. See if you can fit them all in. Additionally, we are going to…
I frequently find myself talking about running shoes. Each spring or summer I do a review, guide, or update on the topic. If you’d like to look at some of the prior resources, which include several articles, videos, and podcast episodes…just type “running shoes” into the search bar on the website. For this year, I had some inspirations and observations…
Hello you amazing Tribal Beast! I can’t believe we are heading into our deload week and completing the second of 2 months of the Power Block, but we are! You’ve done great and now this week we have some fun workouts that you can explore as you recover and consolidate your gains from the month. The theme this week is…
It’s week 3 of our training month! This means it’s time for intensification. We’re in POWER mode and there are three amazing outdoor workouts plus a gymsesh to fill out your week. The key workouts of the week (WOW!) are slated for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday but you can put them wherever you like. That filler gymsesh covers the other…
I was recently doing a bit of traveling. As is often the case, I found myself pondering and reflecting on the human experience, at least my version of it. I don’t travel as much as I used to. I know that’s true for many of us, and for a variety of reasons. A number of friends, colleagues, and family members…
Howdy Tribe member and I hope you are doing not just well, but fantastic. This is a unique update because we are covering 2 weeks instead of one. We are entering the second and final month of our Power Training Block. As you know, this is the amalgamation of strength and speed, as power sits approximately in the middle of…
Hey you powerful BEAST! Great work on month 1 of our 2-month Power Block! You are kicking it! This final week of the month will be our deload, in which things will get a bit light and casual and your body can catch up from all the zesty sessions we’ve been performing. As we get ready for summer, it’s a…
Functional exercise, or functional fitness, is a very interesting term. It’s used frequently to describe movement and training patterns. It’s also a phrase that’s both adored and despised. Let’s give functional exercise some attention today. I guess I’m not gonna redefine functional fitness. I’m just going to revisit the concept. By definition, the adjective “functional” suggests that something is designed…
It’s week 3 of the month and we are headed into some intensification! Power training continues with a strength/speed focus! You’ve been doing great in transitioning into this block. We are going to increase load and effort this week in a few key areas. We continue to develop connective tissue integrity so that our bodies can stabilize and augment power…
Week 2 of May continues with Power Training! We’ve made just a few changes to the sessions and I’ll highlight those below. The main thing to remember with power is that, once you are warmed up, you focus on making your movements more explosive. For now, this doesn’t need to be all-out…just purposeful. There are two main changes for the…
Getting on the same page. Speaking the same language. This is good when we want to avoid confusion and increase effectiveness. When talking about footwork, specifically in reference to some common athletic movements, standardized nomenclature is essential. What I find, and I’m sure you have also, is that there is a bit of a disconnect when it comes to footwork.…
Enter the Power Block! This might be my favorite block because of the dynamic nature of this type of training. Power sits roughly in the middle of the force/velocity curve, and it uses a blend of strength and speed. If you want to get fancy, you can bias the strength side and call it strength-speed (which is how we’ll begin…
It seems like I’m always in some kind of biomechanics rabbit hole. It’s been that way forever. One of my favorite areas of study in human performance is gait mechanics. Today’s discussion focuses on a particular aspect of running gait, and it applies to locomotion in jogging, running, and sprinting. I’ve spent nearly 40 years reading research articles, and being…
Hello Amazing Tribe Member! It’s the final week of our Strength Block and we are doing a nice, easy deload after 3 dedicated months of work in the iron church! Our major goal this week is to give the joints and muscles a little break and limber up the body before starting our upcoming Power Block. This week will look,…
Tribestser…you are a truly totally titanium terminator! This month is a 5-weeker and in the 4th week we are keeping on keeping on with our triple progression lifts in the three major workouts. They’ve been moved to A, B, and C (M-W-F) because now Workout D is your general conditioning session that’s a little lighter and you can fill in…
Need to get rid of pain? Want to level up your performance? Ever consider your lunge and split squat biomechanics? The lunge is one of the 7 major movement patterns we typically utilize in exercise program design. Along with hinge, squat, rotate, locomote, push and pull…the lunge is a mainstay in many training sessions. In Episode 233 of The Lifetime…
Greetings Tribe member and I hope your April is going extremely well. This is the week of 4/11 and some of you will remember the old “411” days when you dialed those numbers for information. Oh, how the times have changed! And speaking of change, that’s what we are doing with our general conditioning workouts (B,D,F) this week. But before…
A movementsmith is someone who owns position and has mastery of motion in every direction. He or she is the epitome of graceful, artistic, and poetic movement which is economical, efficient, and effective. One of my missions is to be a movementsmith and to help everyone else do the same. When you are a movementsmith, 3 things are going to…
Another week. Same days but definitely not the same s**t! This week we are using our double progression method and expecting to see a few more reps added in your primary and accessory moves of sessions A, C, and E. Let me know if you need a little help with technique or setup. Ping me in the T2 Forum or…
Spring is upon us and I’m filled with newfound energy and reflections on the process of renewal. In reality, late March really feels like the “first of the year” to me more than does January 1. Sometimes our societal constructs and the natural world don’t always coincide perfectly. PK & I recently had a discussion on the Podcast about kickstarting…
It’s the 3rd and final month of the Strength Block and it’s the first of week of April. But this is no fooling and you are no fool! You are a robust, resilient, versatile, and durable athletic BEAST! Now we are moving into a new training split. You will be performing a full-body resistance workout three times per week and…
Congratulations on making it to week number 4 of month 2 in the Strength Training Block. You’ve mastered the concepts of RPE and RIR and you’ve explored momentary muscular failure. KPE tests have revealed 12RM’s, AMRAP times, and power output! This is the deload week, where we back off a bit, consolidate those gains, and have a blast with some…
Howdy Terrific Tribester! What an amazing week we have in front of us. It’s KPI test time and we are going to the well! At least this is true in your final set of each primary lift for Workout A and B! RIR 0 means you go til you got nothing left. Momentary muscular failure! Let the gains begin! Week…
Understanding Human Movement – Part 1 is a video lesson I recently produced. This was a spinoff from some very frequently asked questions that I get from colleagues I mentor and athletes I coach. Folks commonly inquire: How can I assess movement more effectively? How can I identify problems with my clients or my own movements? How can I take…
Talk about AWESOME! You are, and so is the fantastic programming for this week. We’re making some slight adjustments (upgrades, really) to our workouts and I think you’ll be pleased. Because we’re in Month 2 (of 3) in our dedicated Strength block, we don’t change up the movements too much like we did in the Agility block. The workouts give…
Yesterday was WhipperSnapper Wednesday. That was the theme of the daily email (The T2 eBlast!) that goes out to our Training Tribe members. The message was Get. Younger. Today. That was no joke and the tips and motivation the members received related to the training we are doing this month. The month of March may not have come in like…
Howdy, amazing Tribe member! We are kicking off month 2 (of 3) in our Strength Training Block. This month we will be using a new training split, a new methodology for intensity rating, and some exciting new exercises! Last month we used a push-legs-pull x 2 training split, with an optional day for rest or other training and excitement. This…
Here at The Lifetime Athlete, we are in the middle of a t-shirt giveaway! I’m also starting up a crowdsourcing project for a new book and I’d like to ask a favor. This brief post will tell you what I’m up to and how you can get a great shirt. First I’ll fill you in on this new project. I’m…
I recently produced a video on The Lifetime Athlete YouTube Channel entitled Interpreting Shoe Wear. This quick lesson touched on some of the major areas in shoewear analysis that can assist clinicians and athletes alike in solving pain and performance problems. Interpreting shoe wear patterns is extremely effective in supporting your other examination findings, such as postural assessment, gait analysis,…
Oh, yes, we are heading into our 4th and final week of this 1st of 3 months in the Strength Training Block. You are now a master of RPE as well as some good, basic compound movements. This week we will be ushering in a slight deload as you consolidate some of the gains from pushing it last week. This…
This post is a synopsis of Episode 224 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. It was entitled The Big Three Lifts. This discussion was a Mail Bag episode in response to a number of recent inquiries. Every Lifetime Athlete is familiar with these exercises as well as the squat, horizontal press, and hinge patterns they represent. Training these movements can help…
You rock. You roll. You rule. You win. Thanks for being an amazing member of the Training Tribe and for inspiring me to play the long game. The game of life. The athletic life. That’s what we do. And we do it spectacularly this week as we now refine our technique in the exercises, test ourselves a bit, and really…
Understanding gait mechanics in the foot is a video I recently produced. This is a topic I’ve studied for nearly 40 years and it is very popular in my collegial consultations and my client coaching sessions. Getting a better grasp of how the foot works, or is designed to operate, can help anyone to more effectively appreciate movement, training, injury…
We’re entering the 2nd week of the first month of our Strength Block, and I hope you are doing well. Learning how to fine-tune your workouts, and to achieve progressive overload by using RPE is indeed a skill. Let me know if you have any questions. This week we are not making huge changes, but you will notice that now…
[also available on the Podcast!] Let’s say you are headed into the backcountry. Or maybe it’s an adventure anywhere that gets you on some natural terrain. This could be the mountains, woods, swamps, or even the local recreational trail. Here are some common questions. What kind of shoes should I wear? How can I prepare my feet for the journey?…
Oh Yeah! We’re jumping into our Strength Block this week. That’s 3 dedicated months of increasing strength and muscle mass. I love all the blocks and I find each aspect of training both enjoyable and challenging. But I must admit there is something special and traditional about getting in the gym and clanging and banging. In preparation for this block,…
Congratulations Mighty Tribe Member! You’ve completed the Agility Block, smashed the second month of it, and are now ready for our deloading week! This will involve some creative play weaved into the sessions you’ve been dominating, and you can further explore your ability as a movementsmith. Workout A and B are getting transformed yet again, with some Bonus work thrown…
Discussing physical activity is something that I, and we, do all the time. There are myriad ways in which we can spin this topic. Today, I’m going to touch on just a few. First, I’ll review the definitions which I use at TLA. Then I will examine the way in which we frame our physical endeavors. And finally, I’ll mention…
Greetings great ones! In week 3 of the final month in our agility block we are going to be doing some KPI testing. This is a special week because we are going to test proficiency in all the wonderful movement patterns we’ve been utilizing over the month. We’ll be assessing speed of workout execution in one session and workload tolerance…
No days off. This is a popular phrase and it has multiple interpretations, depending upon with whom you speak. I’m going to describe The Lifetime Athlete version of this term. Honestly, my perspective on “no days off” comes as much from what I’ve learned from others as it stems from my personal experience. In discussing my philosophy of “no days…
It’s a palindromic day…that is 01-10! I hope you are enjoying this month’s programming. We have our Agility training, the Shed n’ Shred, and upgrades for The Running Demons. The Workout of the Week upgrades are laid out below, and the news for the bodycomp and running groups is in the T2 Forum. We’ll be using the same exercises as…
2021 is DONE. 2022 is NEW! I hope you had a great holiday and are getting started with an amazing New Year! This is a summary of what’s going on at The Lifetime Athlete. I’ll highlight a mix of topics going from the year that was to the year I hope it will be. The Blog: After a decade as…
Happy New Year (ongoing)! We’re diving into 2022 as well as Month 2 (that’s 2 of 2) of the Agility Block. We are also starting up our Shed n’ Shred body re-comping plan and our Running Demons locomotion team. You’ll find that in the T2 Forum. Cool stuff for cool peeps! In the agility-focused training, we take some of our…
This is a science project. I recently acquired a recoil-sensitive shoulder. This is the story of how that happened and what I’ll be doing to continue pursuing one of my lifetime sports in the presence of an orthopedic issue. I decided to share this journey because I believe it has the potential to benefit many other LIfetime Athletes who participate…
Happy Holidays! I hope you are having a great season! It’s a busy and festive time of year, but also a chance to get in some rest and training. In keeping with our theme of microworkouts, this week will feature two simple sessions that you can do a few times wherever you can fit them in. It’s just a nice…
Merry Christmas! In this Holiday week we’ve got some delightful workouts. They will fill your spirit with cheer, glee, and yuletide muscularity! If you are busy or on the road, check in with me on how to modify the sessions and we’ll make sure you get something done. Remember, as a Hard to Kill Training Tribe member and Lifetime Athlete,…
As we approach year-end 2021, I’m enjoying the opportunity to both glance back and peer forward regarding the Training Tribe. T2 has been one of my most successful and enjoyable endeavors in recent years. This online group coaching and training community grew from my desire to reach people with an easy-to-access, affordable, and effective conditioning system that is rooted in…
Here we go again…up, up, and away. Or toward something, which is called movement competency my friends. Your body is becoming agile. You own position. Your motion is elegant, artistic, and graceful. And you are going to absolutely love this week’s programming. Workout A is the Sammy in which you create a training sandwich. Bracket the “meat” of resistance with…
Hello everyone and I hope this day finds you feeling great and crushing goals! Today’s post is in response to some great feedback and questions I’ve recently received. Folks have asked “How can I train to prepare specifically for an upcoming surgery, what can I do to maintain at least some of my conditioning on both the front and back…
Greetings Great Ones! Week 2 of the Agility Block is another great one for our Training Tribe! It’s Saturday morning and I was up early, working on some athlete programming for clients I coach and listening to a podcast on collagen supplementation. I’ll feed ya (punly punlerson) some more on that topic later! I’m also prepping for today’s MasterClass and…
In this third part of the Hunter Performance Series, I’m going to discuss a variety of tactics and strategies that can enhance your effectiveness and enjoyment as a backcountry hunter. Many of these concepts will be useful for any mountain athlete or wilderness traveler. In Part 1 we covered conditioning and in Part 2 our focus was gear. Now we…
It’s SOOO exciting! We are starting another Block of training this week, and it’s our two-month focus on Agility! I love every block of training, and in this season I especially enjoy tuning up my multidirectional movement capacity. Let’s start out by defining agility. At TLA, we know that agility is the combination of mobility, stability, reactivity and fluidity. We’ll…
That about sums it up! Happy Thanksgiving to you! It’s that time of year when we reflect, gather, and celebrate. It’s also a great time for me to share a few things. I’m grateful for so many things, including family, friends, and health. But in this post I want to express my appreciation for you, The Lifetime Athlete community. Clients…
Congratulations on making it to the completion of the Endurance Block. This week wraps up our concentration on fatigue resistance before we progress into an agility-based focus. As we deload this week, the workouts take on a more playful and casual attitude. Try to fit what you can around holiday travel and celebrating. Looking ahead, and just to give you…
Oh yea, it’s KPI test week! Since we are wrapping up the endurance block with this month, and it’s the 3rd week, it’s time to check the status of your awesomeness! This week features 3 unique workouts, each with a slightly different theme. Your challenge is to do at least two of the sessions twice in the week. The goal…
By nature, being an athlete for life means being Hard to Kill. But what does that really mean? Let’s start out by defining each of the preceding two terms. An athlete for life is a Lifetime Athlete. A person who looks, moves, and lives in a natural, elastic fashion, practically through their entire lifespan. This is someone who views herself…
Wow! The Workouts of the Week are dynamic and oh so delightful! We are working on athletic fatigue resistance with 3 different setups, and putting together a great stimulus for the key components of durability and versatility. The serving suggestions for your feast of fabulous fitness include an aerobic session, a resistance routine, and a mobility experience. The goal is…
One of the great things about being a modern backcountry hunter is all the cool gear we have at our disposal. Of course, the outdoor experience itself is king, but quality gear can make you a more safe, comfortable, and effective backcountry hunter. The athletic mountain hunter benefits greatly from the wise use of technology. This article is not going…
It’s November! This is the third and final month of our Endurance Block of training. I want to commend you on making it to this point in the training year and also to congratulate on your outstanding endurance gains. As the days get a bit shorter (at least in terms of available light) we will take a fairly casual approach…
All across the country, one of the most popular running events is the Thanksgiving run. With lots of creative names surrounding the holiday theme, these races usually occur in November. The distance of the run can vary, but many are of the 5-mile or 8k variety. This article will offer some tips to help you get tuned up for such…
Hunters are the original athletes. Hunting the backcountry is my favorite thing. It is a natural, evolutionarily-appropriate sport in many ways. But in reality, backcountry hunting is much more than an athletic endeavor. It’s a way of life and an amazing source of connection, enrichment, and renewal. This is the first time in many, many years that I’m not heading…
It’s Football Season! I recently had a great discussion with one of my peeps (Thanks Tracey!) and we came up with a cool fitness program for football fans. You may have thought from the title that this was a conditioning or training program for football players, but this one is for the fans. Tracey is an avid (perhaps rabid) football…
Here are some highlights from Episode 201 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. I recently returned from my “surgical road trip.” It was an amazing adventure to say the least. In this discussion, I share some of my story as well as offer a number of tips for anyone who is preparing for an upcoming orthopedic surgery. A quick review of…
Howdy! Here’s a quick highlight about a topic I’m covering in some upcoming episodes of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. It’s the story of my 2021 shoulder injury, and eventually the surgery and rehab experience that went along with it. As Lifetime Athletes, and heck for that matter most humans, almost none of us gets through this journey without a couple…
Wow! This is exciting! We’re in the middle of our Endurance block of training and in my estimation, October is perhaps the best month for getting outside and going long. The fall colors, light, and air are spectacular in most parts of the country. In keeping with the tradition of our Annual Training Plan, we are balancing some distance-focused training…
Let’s say you have a goal…whatever is important to you. It could be losing 10 pounds, riding a 40k time trial under an hour, or squatting twice your bodyweight. Or it could be going on a backpacking trip with your family, building a shed, or getting your blood pressure under 120/80. Let’s also say you are fairly serious about your…
Congratulations on making it to the final week of September and our deloading week of training. You’ve completed the first month of this block and have tested your muscular and cardiorespiratory endurance. This week’s workouts should feel somewhat easy because we are in a consolidation phase where your body recovers and makes the adaptations from the harder work we did…
Fall is either here or on the way, depending on where you live. It’s my favorite time of the year. The weather is often pleasant, the light takes on a golden hue, and it’s just a great time to be outside doing things you enjoy. Since this is the Running Performance Series, let’s recognize that fall is a great time,…
Oh my! It’s that zesty time in each 1/12th of the year (month) when we get to test and challenge ourselves a bit. In this first month of the endurance block, I’ve got a cool set of sessions ready for you. Your cardiorespiratory and muscular fatigue resistance will be assessed and enhanced simultaneously. Here’s how it’s going to work. Each…
Happy Labor Day Weekend! I salute the American worker and I salute YOU for all the work you’ve put into your training. As we settle into a fall pattern and begin to accumulate volume in the Endurance Block, we are making some adjustments to the workouts we did last week. You may feel a slight bump in fatigue. Make sure…
As a runner, sometimes — or even most of the time — you just head out the door and start running. Simplicity is indeed beautiful. But when you are interested in improving your running performance, you generally think of workouts as being purpose-specific. There are many ways to look at running workouts, and many of those can be quite scientific.…
Welcome to the Endurance Block! This is going to be a great kickoff to Fall. We will be developing fatigue resistance in both cardiorespiratory efficiency and muscular force output. You’ll take the athletic versatility which you have built over the spring and summer and now add ALL DAY DURABILITY to your mojo! As many of you are already aware, I’m…
Now this is a fascinating topic! A very commonly asked question that I receive often from clients is “How long should my stride be?” As with many things, the answer often starts with “it depends.” However, for any running body at a given speed, there is an ideal length of stride that optimizes running economy and efficiency. That’s where we…
Wow! What a month it has been and what a year we’ve completed! I’m amazed at how fast the time has gone by. It’s passed about as rapidly as you have been moving in our Speed Block. I want to congratulate you for embracing comprehensive athleticism and multidirectional velocity! As Lifetime Athletes and Training Tribe members, you are an example…
Congratulations on your progress! You are AWESOME and you are FAST! We’ve worked through tons of gait mechanics and the secrets of acceleration and max velocity. You’ve run the 100, 200, and 400 meters. Now we are pushing your speed endurance out to the final distance of the speed block…the 800 meters. We’ve got two track sessions, one field session,…
Welcome to the 3rd and final part of our “series within a series.” I’m of course referring to our focus on the components of video gait analysis within our summer Running Performance Series. In Part 1 we reviewed how to take good footage so that you can capture a reasonable representation of your running mechanics. In Part 2 we touched…
Here we go! Yet another week of getting fit and moving FAST! We are continuing to mix up track, field, gym, and water training options. Every session has the opportunity to activate your beast and then propel it (or an implement) with max velocity. Keeping things interesting for the local peeps. Daddy has some surprises! Let’s just say whenever you…
This is Part 2 of Video Gait Analysis and we are going to go over a few things to look for when examining your gait video. In Part 1 we reviewed the techniques and tips for getting good footage, and now we’ll take a look at a few of the components of running gait. It’s important to recognize that when…
It’s August and summer is flying FAST! Just like you have been running. Many congratulations on your excellent input (participation and work) and output (friggin’ realtime results)! As we complete the Speed Block with month 2, we are going to be having some unique workout options. Because it’s summer vacation time for all of us, I want to make sure…
Deloading time is here! Our speed is really coming along. This week we concentrate on running form. We’ll back off slightly to let our tissues catch up this week as we work a little general conditioning. Still focusing on track for a few more weeks. I’m getting some feedback that you like having one key session to try and repeat…
Next up in our running performance series is Video Gait Analysis, and this is Part 1 of 3. We’re going to talk about how to record running video so that you have good data for evaluation. And potentially, using your findings to fine-tune your running mechanics can help you to simultaneously improve performance and reduce injury risk. This information is…
Here we go with another great week in speed training. You are doing great! As you are both discovering and exemplifying, speed is as much a mindset as it is a physical performance capacity. We progressively ramp up and activate our bodies to get into the speed zone. And then we concentrate on doing just a few things intensely. Good…
My take on choosing the right running shoe for your feet, body, and running goals has become decidedly less complex. As I’ve evolved over the past 40 years in my learning, observing, and thinking with regard to running shoe selection, I can boil it down to 3 key areas: fit, terrain, and purpose. That’s pretty much it. Each of those…
Hi there, friend! Have you ever heard the term “load management” and wondered exactly what that meant? Have you pondered how you can manage loads in both training and life to be more successful in performance and health? That’s what this relatively brief read will explain. Let’s dive in! Before we can get to managing load, we have to understand…
Isn’t speed exhilarating! You’re doing great and I hope you are having fun with our speed focus. In fact, focus is what this is all about. Right now we are not concerned about doing lots of volume or learning new exercises. We are concentrating on refining our fitness and getting better at what we are doing…which is going FAST. We’re…
Howdy Great One! You are doing amazing things in your training and the results are shining through! As we cruise into week 2 of the Speed Block, we’ll be focusing on running mechanics in our training. In this case it’s not just what we do…it’s HOW we do it. The “it” is of course the magical art of running fast.…
Hi Folks! As we launch into the Running Performance Series, I thought I’d start with helping you gain a perspective on just what type of runner you are. There are many ways to interpret that concept, and I’d like to start by assisting you in identifying the athletic mechanotype which characterizes your running style. This is a principle which I…
This is a quick post to let you know about a series I’ll be working on this summer. It’s all about Running Performance. Are you an avid runner who wants to dive into the nitty gritty science that can help you get faster, stay injury-free, and just get more enjoyment out of your running? Are you a team sport athlete…
Oh yes, you are phenomenal and so is this week’s training. We’re easing into our Speed Block of training, and readying our tissues to be elastic and lightning-fast. Speed is as much a mindset as it is a reality. Don’t worry about your times just yet. Simply think about what is fast for YOU, and steep yourself in the richness…
The glory of summer is upon us as we greet the solstice and enjoy the warm, sun-filled days. I’m sure you are psyched to get the most out of your favorite activities and sports. Doing so can be made even more effective and enjoyable when you know your inner beast and how to best train it. Whether you run, play…
Wow! Hormesis-Bratosis was achieved recently. We ran up the mountain at 95 degrees, plunged the creek at a water temperature lower than half that of the air, and then enjoyed grilled bratwurst and fellowship with the setting sun. What an upregulation and I hope you are out getting the same mojo all over the country. Also, Happy Father’s Day to…
Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum! If I was a pirate that might be something I’d say, but it actually has no relevance to this week’s programming updates. Or does it? If pirates pillage and plunder, your prowess in the Power Block may be exceptionally pronounced! OK…on with the show. This week we intensify a bit and push…
Hello and welcome to yet another fantastic week of T2 programming! I’m amazed at the results everyone is achieving but I’m equally impressed by all the fun and fellowship we are enjoying. Training (and playing and competing) outdoors in a group setting is amazing. It’s a total upregulation of health, fitness, and life satisfaction. In fact, here are a few…
Welcome to Month 2 of the Power Block and thanks for being such a Terrific Tribester! Even though this block starts on May 31…it’s the June block! We are really going to mix it up this month. We’ll start the first week with a large variety of killer moves, many of which you already know, and we’ll refine from there.…
Here’s a quick update of some of the things that have been going on at TLA. I could even call this the M3 post. M-cubed items are as follows: Muscles In Episode 183 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, PK & I took a deep dive into Understanding Your Muscle Physiology. We explored the science of muscle fiber types, the athletic…
Yotribedawgsupp!? Every week of our programming is special to me, but I must say that I really enjoy the deload weeks. That’s because we relax our focus just a bit, and let the gains pour in. Your body will supercompensate from the challenging workloads of the previous 3 weeks and upregulate your awesomeness. Admittedly, this does take a fairly decent…
Hello amazing Tribe member and welcome to another exciting week in our programming. In this 3rd week of month 1 for the Power Block, we are doing some intensification in our workouts. We are going to be taking some of the exercises you’ve been doing and add just a bit of zestiness! As you are well aware, power is that…
How you jump can provide a solid indication of the type of athlete you are. When you view a movement task as a problem-solving exercise, your body will automatically self-select the jumping pattern that best fits your body type. It’s all in my new book, AnimalFIT!
It’s week 2 of month 1 in the Power Block. I hope you are feeling great and loving these dynamic sessions. No major changes this week, but I’m going to review a few points and make some subtle adjustments to the workouts. If you need to recheck your technique on any of the exercises, just refer back to last week’s…
Do you know your body type and how to train it? Become AnimalFIT…use my new book to Unleash Your Inner Beast and Unlock Your Athletic Potential! Wanna get started learning about Somatotypes and Anthropometrics? Enjoy some podcasts and stay tuned for more to come!
Stiffness is often viewed as limited or decreased flexibility, particularly in the joints and muscles. While this type of stiffness is a reality, if we think of stiffness in simple physics terms, it is the extent to which a structure resists deformation in response to an applied force. That second definition is the one we are most concerned with when…
Greetings Great Tribe Member! It’s week 1 of month 1 of the Power block. This is a 2-month block in which we take your strength (the athletic force production capacity which you developed oh so well over the past few months) and use it in a more explosive manner. Power is defined as Force x Distance/Time and this means that…
The 2021 summer training program for The Lifetime Athlete Training Tribe starts May 1st! This is exciting stuff and frankly it’s my favorite part of the year. Even though the Tribe is online year-round and nationwide, our programming utilizes dedicated outdoor workouts several times per week from May through August. Local tribe members in the Gallatin Valley of Montana will…
Congratulations on completing our Strength training block. That was 3 months of focused excellence. Treat yourself to a deloading week and let your body consolidate the gains you’ve made. We will really emphasize recovery this week as we prepare for the upcoming Power block. I think you’ll find this week’s programming to be particularly tasty. Each day has a different,…
It’s here again and it’s better than ever…KPI Test Week. It’s great to be challenged and tested once in a while. Know where you are at. See what’s working. Find areas to shore up. As we approach the conclusion of our strength block, we’ll be assessing some measures as well as taking a look at our other basic athletic competencies…
Or…to add to the title, today’s topic is not only to look younger than the number on your driver’s license — but to feel and perform that way as well. Our goal is (or should be) to make our physiological age a lower number than our chronological age. It all comes down to one key point. Youthful vitality is exemplified…
Do you have your training totally dialed in for your unique body and your specific goals? Are you feeling, looking, and performing at your absolute best? If so, please don’t read any further. In fact, if you answered yes to the last two questions, reach out to me so that I can learn from you. But if you are like…
A new week and a new opportunity for greatness! In this 3rd week of 5 for this month, we are getting it done big time. A great turnout for the local crew in preseason group training happened last Wednesday, and it goes off again at 6pm on the 14th. Bring your sandbag, tubing, strap, and bucket…we’ll be discussing setting up…
Oh Yeah! Man, I am really feeling the spring mojo! Thanks for being a part of our amazing team. We’re polishing our strength and adding in some new zesty (I realize I say that a lot!) general conditioning experiences. Here are three quick updates for our fam (respect): No MasterClass this Sunday. Happy Easter! Bonus group sessions all through the…
Every lifetime athlete benefits from an annual reset of the metabolism. A month is usually enough for most of us. This allows us to restore optimal metabolic health and to “clean up the system” a bit. However, some folks will benefit from a longer reset period, as in several months, particularly if they have “slipped” a little from optimal metabolic…
OK…everything but the killer boots! Hopefully someone got the “Dumb and Dumber” reference. Oh Magnificent One…another month of greatness is upon us. We’re launching into month 3 of the strength block, and moving into a 3/3 training split that features full body resistance training and general conditioning. It’s zesty, delightful, and powerful…just like YOU! As I look back over the…
Right away, you’ll probably agree that the subject in today’s title conjures up much debate and context-dependency. So be it. Let’s talk. That’s exactly what happened in Episode 175 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast: The Sweet Spot for Cardio. PK & I discussed a number of considerations and offered advice for lifetime athletes. Here are some of the things we…
Hey there mighty Tribester! Congrats on making it to the deload week. You’ve been working hard and smart! It takes effort to build excellence, and you have been putting it out! Way to go! This week we are backing off slightly and consolidating gains. We’ll punch out the final week of the movements at which you are now expert. You’ll…
Hello and Happy Spring…wherever you are! It’s that time of year when we tend to get outside more and ramp up our activity and training. And if you are a ground-based athlete, that includes running. Ground-based athletes, or terrestrial beasts, are those whose sports require them to move athletically with their feet on the ground. This means running. Whether you…
Tribe member, you are STRONG. And, you’re getting stronger! We’ve been playing the iron game and it is paying off. In fact, you are hitting the jackpot. This week we are going to push ourselves a bit, and reach a new level. As lifetime athletes, we train for complete athleticism (duh JohnBoy). We lift and chase strength, but we are…
Would you like to know why you are such an outstanding human being? Because you are a Training Tribe member who values health, peak performance, and longevity. And additionally, you are working hard and smart in this strength block and accumulating more outstanding volume this week. Here’s the skinny. We are making no changes to the workout plan this week,…
Greetings Great Ones! I’m not just hoping…I’m guessing that you are having an incredible day! That’s because you are a Lifetime Athlete, which of course makes everything better. So of course I first salute you in your quest as well as your leadership. This is just what the title says…an update or actually a mojo injection. Possibly even a “state…
Howdy, Mighty Tribe Member! We are launching into month 2 of our strength block, and we’ll be starting all new splits with some fabulous movement opportunities. Last month represented a lot of good, solid work and now we are building upon that platform. Your body is layering on strength, and that’s not just in your muscles. Your bones, organs, and…
Okey Dokey! I want to commend you on reaching the final week of month 1 in our strength block. You’ve mastered quite a bit of lifting technique, volume, and methodology. This hasn’t been easy but it will pay huge dividends in your beastly capacities. We’re cruising into a deload week that features a reduction in volume brought about by less…
Can one form of training hurt or help another? This is an intriguing question to say the least. Let’s dive in. Context is king. It really matters. We always have to consider the organism in question (you, me, the athletic beast), the current or long-term goal, and a multitude of other factors. “Yes, no, maybe, and it depends” are all…
Hi there comrade! This is our intensification week, and we are going to be working on establishing some 5RM’s! Additionally, we will be conducting our MasterClass as a live version of Workout C, hitting legs, and coaching the mechanics of the squat. No one will ever be able to say again that “you don’t know squat!” Speaking of all that…
Top ‘o the day to you, oh magtabulous Tribester! I’m getting some good feedback from our team members that last week went very well. We have moved to simplicity with basic compound movements while simultaneously adding complexity in our methodology. That theme continues this week. We are ratcheting down our primary exercises from sets of 8 (push and pull) and…
That’s a million dollar question and the answer is most certainly “it depends.” As a Lifetime Athlete, you naturally want to be strong, fast, agile, and durable. Weak, slow, stiff, and fragile are not the objectives. The definition of strength. The ability to produce or withstand force. It is most often equated to a 1RM lift but can also be…
A coach can exponentially magnify your results in health and performance. But finding the right one, the best coach for YOU, requires some careful consideration. This concept is true even if you coach yourself, since the manner in which you engage with your inner beast can make or break your outcomes. Of course, there are some situations where “you don’t…
Top of the month to you my bruthas and sistahs of IRON! Coming out of our high movement variety agility-based block, we are moving into the first month of our outstanding 3-month block which really focuses on strength. In fact, it’s the only time of the year when we get to be total meatheads. Now we are going to be…
Yo! Sup? You Rule! As you went through the fall block of training, you brought out your canine-like endurance and fatigue resistance. Through December and January, you restored your cat-like agility. Now, as we enter the Feb-Mar-April block, we build bruin-like strength. Dogs jog, cats jump, and bears lift the hell outta stuff. But before that happens, we have a…
There are some questions that clients ask me so often, I wanted to pay tribute to these inquiries. Honestly, rarely does a week go by that I don’t have a stimulating conversation on at least one of these topics. For the sake of brevity as well as clarity, I’m going to address these questions one at a time, over some…
Greetings Great One! You wanna know what makes you so fantastic? Well…many things, but the one I want to recognize today is your dedication to excellence. You strive for peak performance, don’t make excuses, get things done, and lead/show/help others. That’s just one of the characteristics of a Lifetime Athlete and a Training Tribe member. You are outstanding! This week’s…
Fitness as a sport. The quest to define ultimate athleticism. Consider the decathlon. Ironman. Strongman. Highland Games…all legit. Performance limits are being challenged everywhere. But is there such a thing as ultimate fitness or all-around fitness? Which athletes really are the fittest on earth? Elite athletes inspire. That’s the first thought that comes to my mind. This is true across…
Hello you outstanding, brilliant, and world-beating Tribe member! This week we are increasing core challenges in some of our movement patterns and dabbling in the ballistic concentration of energy. Lifting, jumping, and sprinting never looked so good! Also, we are rolling into week 2 of our metabolic reset, and pulling the trigger by eliminating autoimmune-provoking foods. For additional information on…
Reset. Resolution. Cleanse. Eliminate. Program. Discipline. Dedication. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah! This is the time of year when the focus on such things intensifies. Here a few simple suggestions. Take them or leave them…either way you are still awesome! But if you really do want to kick more ass, get in shape, restore your health, get…
Here we go! Happy New Year Tribe Member! 2021 is your year…the season of YOU, and time to crush! As we cruise into the second month of our winter agility-focused block of training, we’ll be reducing complexity and using simple motions. But our goal is to establish mastery, and artistic expression of the human beast. Make everything you do a…
Doing anything smarter, not just harder, is the key to success. And training more intelligently, with a few tips and lessons from our friends, clients, and Tribe members, can lead to better results in the coming year. This rings true whether your goals are health improvement, fat loss, fitness enhancement, or goal-crushing in athletics. Here are some things you might…
Oh Mighty Tribal Beast…Happy New Year! We shall cruise more than blast into 2021 with a deload week in which we continue to develop full athleticism with another month’s emphasis on agility. Our connective tissues, including tendons, fascia, and bones are adapting to all this multidirectional movement and load management. The workouts are relatively brief this week so you can…
What’s in your home gym? Instead of asking you which credit card is in your wallet, let’s discuss home gyms. As more and more people are training at home these days, there are practically innumerable options available for home exercise and conditioning. Virtually any budget or space constraint can be served, and I’ve been impressed with the creativity with which…
Oh Mighty One, you are SENSATIONAL! KPI week is here, and it’s fitting for an awesome Holiday celebration! This week features 3 delightful microworkouts that you can hit 1-2 times each per your discretion. We are continuing to work on compression/expansion relationships in your beastly bod as well as a healthy dose of balance. Some of the activation work uses…
Rarely in nature is anything static. It’s dynamic, whether subtly or significantly so. The seasons change. Temperatures go up and down. The length and intensity of daylight changes. Animals display differing activity and food consumption patterns. In polar regions these alterations are magnificent. But they are also modestly present even at the equator. So, if the natural world fluctuates throughout…
Force and velocity exist in a curvilinear relationship. Maximum force is your ultimate strength, and this is represented best by a 1RM. Max velocity is your absolute highest speed, and that’s your sprinting ability expressed in meters per second. That’s the simple part. What makes these things interesting, and perhaps more complicated, is that while they are separate entities in…
When you are in the TRIBE, YOU TRIUMPH over Trials and Tribulation. And that’s not trivial talk! This is going to be yet another fantastic week of tasty twaining because we are exploring cat-like capacities and introducing the concept of the scalable microworkout. A true treat of terrificness! December is a 5-weeker and we have the added luxury of hitting…
In this week’s Tribute to the Tribe (you), I’ll start off by reminding you that you are AMAZING! Embracing multi-capacity physical excellence is a full-time job. And this week you are up for a promotion. We’re pumping up the volume as we explore both movement diversity and skill mastery. We’ll be managing gravitational force vectors and owning shape and position. …
Are you a knee-dominant or a hip-dominant athlete? What’s the difference and what does that really mean for your performance capacities? These are the things we are going to discuss today. The world of sport science keeps evolving and we get so much great and useful information from researchers and thought leaders alike. One popular area of interest is in…
Howdy, Magnificent Tribe member! This week we start a new block which focuses on the development of agility. We’ll still work on strength, speed, power, and endurance, but our emphasis in December and January will be the blending of mobility, stability, fluidity, and reactivity. Those are the constituents of agility, and they make you a shapeshifting beast of a human.…
Just a quick message to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I appreciate you and thanks so much for being a part of The Lifetime Athlete community. This week on the podcast, PK & I had a great discussion revolving around Thankful Thoughts. We talked about the state of human performance today and how coaching, training, and reconditioning have really entered…
Happy Thanksgiving you Terrific Tribester! This week wraps up our 3-month training block in which we emphasized endurance. We’ll deload and have some fun consolidating and realizing our gains, and prepare for next month’s transition into an agility focus. I’m hoping you have crushed your KPI’s and have posted some amazing results in the T2 Forum. I also wish you…
The concept of periodization in training has many applications. Dividing training into definitive periods allows for concentration of effort and potentially greater adaptations. This type of purpose-driven training is usually influenced by the sport seasons and athletic goals of the participants. Like I always say, movement is an umbrella under which activity and exercise training reside. General daily activity is…
Hello Tribe Member! You are magnificent! In this amazing and oh so special third week of November we will be addressing the intensification of training and performing some KPI tests. You’ll find that your global athleticism has been upregulated, and your results will be astonishing. I’m also anticipating that you’ll register a reduction in resting heart rate as your body…
The title is self-explanatory. Finding ways to keep your training effective, and stay connected with your peers, is what this post is all about. I love gyms and athletic facilities. I love face-to-face coaching. I love team and group workouts and competitions. But those situations aren’t as easy to facilitate these days. The most obvious reason is the ongoing coronavirus…
Hey! Did I mention you were awesome? Oh my my, oh hell yes (Thanks TP)! This week has some absolutely tasty training treats for us Tribelings. We’re communing with nature, breathing our way into multiple positions, and crushing 12 hours of Power, to name a few things. Your med ball gets a bit more work, and we even introduce the…
Greetings Readers! I hope you are having a great Autumn and a safe Halloween. This is a short post to share with you some information about cardio training, or aerobic exercise. In Episode 154 of The Lifetime Athlete Podcast, PK & I recently had the opportunity to address some audience questions about cardio training. These occur frequently and it’s really…
Another exciting month of training begins for the Tribe! As we launch into November, we will be utilizing our conjugate model that touches on strength, speed, power, and agility, but is currently focused on endurance. We’ll be using a number of different KPI’s, tests, and challenges each week. Because you have built good movement variability and exercise competency, we can…
You are Tribetacular! You’ve been doing a fantastic job with all the training that we have been crushing. Endurance is increasing across the group, as I’m seeing improvements in aerobic fitness in your 5k runs, and great fatigue resistance in your rep counts with many of the dynamic and functional movements in which we are engaged. You are truly epitomizing…
How an athlete and a coach communicate is paramount to the success of their relationship. And this is true even if you are a self-coached athlete, in that the framing and self-talk you employ can have profound impacts on both your outcomes and your perspectives. I’m going to highlight a couple of key areas and offer the viewpoint of both…
Hello Mighty Training Tribe Athlete! Yahoo…it’s KPI test week. Now we get to test our conditioning and athleticism. This week we are going to use flexible scheduling for the sessions, return to bilateral movement patterns in the main lifts, and use breathing as a training tool. This week’s MasterClass will be on Monday, October 19 from 1:00-2:00pm MDT. The ID…
Hello Magnificent One and I hope you are having a great week! This is the programming upgrade for The Training Tribe for the week of October 12, 2020. WEEK OF: 10-12-2020 (third of 5 weeks of Month 2) WOW WARMUP MAIN SETS ACCESSORY TIPS A1M 10’ jog L1 1 x 30’ @ ½ marathon pace (L2) 100 Walking lungesStretches Synchronize…
Today’s article addresses the following questions: Should we just go through the motions with exercise and training or can we be more purposeful in how we contract our muscles in the pursuit of results? In certain sports or movement patterns, do our bodies have a tendency to utilize one type of contraction over another? As I consider that first question…
Hello Magnificent Beast and T2 Member! This week we are coaxing up our volume a bit and working on some cool concepts. In the MasterClass I’m going to be sharing some information about muscle contractions and tempo/cadence with exercises, as well as answering any and all questions you may have. The session is on Wednesday, Oct 7, at 5:30pm MDT.…
We are really talking about squatter’s rights (and responsibilities). The squat is one of our major movement patterns. It’s a functional tool, a position, a test, and an exercise. Squatting is how we get up and down in many circumstances. It is our most anti-gravity motion. Historically, squatting has been our most popular rest and work position (until recent times…
Hey Tribe Peep…you are AWESOME! Thanks for being a part of our community of gitterdoners! Today launches the second month of our three month endurance emphasis training block. We’ve got all new exercises and programs to help you achieve athletic excellence and massive fatigue resistance. Becoming a versatile and durable beast has never been more exciting. Last week’s MasterClass on…
Greetings you amazing Lifetime Athlete and Tribe member! I hope by the time you are reading this you have completed your KPI tests for this month and are psyched about your results and future training/testing. Deloading is a term that applies to a slight reduction in overall training volume and intensity. This allows your body to recover a bit and…
Mobility and stability are two words which are frequently used in the terminology of physical therapy, athletic training, and movement optimization (to name just a few fields obsessed with the terms). And perhaps this is rightfully so. I believe that mobility and stability are very important concepts when we consider the evaluation or execution of movement in homo sapiens, or…
Greetings once again you spectabulous BEASTS! This is going to be a great week. We’ve got some adjustments to the training system and our glorious KPI test on the weekend. Pure fun! The MasterClass this week will be on Friday, September 18 at 9:00am MDT. I’ve got a number topics to cover and also want to make sure everyone is…
Greetings awesome Tribe Members! This post includes the programming upgrades for your WOW! (Workouts of the Week) and is available in table, text, and video formats. Our focus this week is to continue to use the exercises we have been working on since last week and to slightly increase our overall training volume while maintaining approximately the same intensity of…
Creating a common language between athlete and coach is essential for greatest understanding and optimal results. Featured below is a list of terms in glossary fashion that I use with all my athletes. This isn’t the most comprehensive list and I often include other nomenclature in my conversations, but it provides a good representation of communication around training for peak…
Greetings Tribe Members! This week we launch week 1 of the Endurance/agility training block. This block is a 3-month journey and we will emphasize endurance and to a lesser extent agility per the Annual Training Plan (ATP), while touching a bit on strength, speed, and power. If you have not yet reviewed the ATP (included in the 2020-08-27 introductory T2…
What is T2? T2 is the Training Tribe. It’s The Lifetime Athlete’s app-based, comprehensive fitness for life workout system. T2 is a nationwide team that trains for lifelong health and fitness, peak performance, and complete athleticism. It’s the premier membership feature in The Lifetime Athlete App. The Tribe is a network of connected, motivated individuals who are dedicated to being…
Greetings Tribe Member! This is a message to welcome you to the group and provide some introductory information. As a member of The Lifetime Athlete App community, you receive an automatic membership in the Training Tribe. This features exclusive access to comprehensive year-round workout, nutrition, and lifestyle content…all at your fingertips. When you open the T2 section in the App,…
Want a simple way to evaluate how you stack up in the 5 capacities of human performance (strength, speed, power, agility, and endurance)? Use the Capacity Rating System (CRS) to start getting more results from your training today. The CRS can help you to identify your assets and liabilities across the performance spectrum. This knowledge will enable you to hone…
Creating an economical, efficient, and effective home gym is of paramount importance for the Lifetime Athlete. Commercial gyms are great, but being able to hit your workout and do exactly what you need — getting it done as quickly as possible and with the utmost convenience — is perhaps the greatest benefit of a home gym. In current times, home-based…
Summer is flying along! Depending on where you live the weather may be changing. Here in Montana we’re still enjoying bright sunny days but the nights have been getting cooler, dropping into the high 30’s/low 40’s around our region last evening. It’s mid-August and I hope you have been enjoying time with family and friends, staying safe and healthy, training…
The name says it all. Are you a complete, athletic athlete? Do you possess the athletic skillset you need for both peak performance and lifelong health? You can determine the answer to those questions by using the Athletic Assessment. [That’s the brief video on the AA. There’s a link to the full-length video as well as a podcast discussion on…
Actually, there are no secrets…just a few undeniable facts. Get healthy first. A healthy body absorbs training and performs with excellence. Trying to train an unhealthy body or compete in a suboptimal state produces marginal results at best. The basics of health aren’t sexy, but they form the critical foundation from which we launch athleticism. Sleep optimally. Eat well. Stay…
Howdy Peeps! I hope you are crushing workouts and coming up with creative comps during this very unique summer season. How we train and compete during the pandemic continues to evolve, and it is the innovative, versatile, and durable beast that adapts most effectively. All that stated…it is indeed summer, and with warmer (or hotter) temperatures, humidity, and increased time…
Greetings and I hope this message finds you enjoying summer to the max. Today I’d like to share a perspective on athletics, athleticism, and athletes. Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself engaging with many people on the subject of lifetime athletics. That probably seems obvious given my business name and career path, but I’ve had the pleasure of…
I hope today finds everyone healthy, enjoying summer, and both training for and achieving peak performances. Today I’d like to recognize that we are all still in this ever-evolving situation regarding the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic and offer some perspectives on lessons that we may have learned, or should have learned, from this crisis. #1 First of all, we are…
Maintaining peak performance capacity for life is easier said than done. But there are a few secrets to being an athlete for life. Kicking ass for life requires careful consideration and artful application. It comes down to two things: Finessing Workload and Recovery Leveraging Your Strengths and Weaknesses We’ve talked about workload quite a bit here at TLA. Workload is…
The Workload Impact Systemic Evaluation System [This document is a guide for clients on how to use the WISE™ System. It is an excerpt from my upcoming book on training for peak performance through the lifespan.] The WISE system is how we get wise about training. It is based upon the simplification of the training parameters of intensity, duration, workload,…
Effective workouts are those that produce results. Last week we discussed the nuances of personalizing your training to best fit your body and goals. Now we are going to explore some ways in which you can assemble your workouts for your best outcomes. We’re going to examine 6 areas in workout design. They are as follows: Warmup Types of Training…
I hope this post finds you healthy, wealthy, and wise. And I also hope your training is going fantastic as we cruise into summer. This month at TLA I’m focusing on Peak Performance Training, and it is the theme for our weekly online MasterClass Webinar series. This week, I’d like to offer some suggestions that can help you to get…
Would you like some free speed? If you are a runner or an athlete in practically any sport, does going faster without increasing your metabolic conditioning sound like a good deal? I hope you said “YES!” to those questions. I’m not kidding when I say that you can go faster, improve your performance and experience, and decrease injury risk at…
This topic is an exciting one. The science of human biomechanics continues to advance and the footwear industry keeps evolving. I’ve been looking forward to this year’s update and wanted to share some observations and suggestions. Running shoe research and development drives much of the athletic, hiking, walking, and casual shoe markets. So, even if you don’t consider yourself a…
One of the most common injury conditions for Lifetime Athletes…is the demon known as Plantar Fasciitis! It frustrates and debilitates many athletes, but it is a problem that can be solved. We just need to understand what it is, how it develops, and how to make it go bye bye forever. Plantar fasciitis, and improving foot function, is the focus…
I think that title pretty much says it all. At least with respect to this week’s topic. May is Human Locomotion Month at The Lifetime Athlete and this week we are studying the motion of the foot and how it can be leveraged for peak performance and long term health. This week’s MasterClass took a deep dive into all things…
As in TLA Health and Performance MasterClasses. That’s right, folks. In addition to my Online Physical Therapy and Coaching/Training Services, I’m thrilled to announce that MasterClass Season 1 is here. These sessions are interactive, small-group webinars on the topics that you, my peeps/fam/tribe of lifelong peak-performing beasts, have asked about the most. Season 1 is May/June 2020. The theme for…
Depending upon your goals, conditioning level, and available equipment…training at home can be approached in many ways. It might feel limited, boring, and ineffective. But it doesn’t have to be — training at home can be diverse, fun, and successful. It just takes the right amount of creativity and scientific knowledge. Working out at home can be extremely efficient since…
This is an article about running. It is a collection of wise practices from a group of runners. If you are interested in running for life, and staying healthy and competitive as you get older, please read on. However, if you are not into running, or health, or longevity…you may not be enthused to explore the pearl-rich nature of this…
#stayhome is a prudent message during the coronavirus pandemic. But what if you need rehabilitation from an injury or surgery? What does #rehabathome look like? First of all, please don’t misconstrue any of the following bits of information as overt medical advice. They are just general suggestions. Obviously, if you have any issues which have not been properly diagnosed, please…
As the world is engulfed in the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to band together to most effectively deal with this crisis. My deep concern goes out to anyone who has been adversely affected. The information we’ve received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other organizations, is important for us to employ. Recommendations regarding hygiene tactics, temporary social…
How we breathe can have a profound impact upon our autonomic nervous system state as well as the degree of movement variability we have in our system. Autonomic nervous system states are the parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight) conditions. Slow, deep breathing with an emphasis on nasal inhalations can augment the parasympathetic side of the equation.…
Originally I didn’t intend to include a third part to this series…but the peeps asked — and so they shall receive. A number of folks had some specific questions and thus I feel compelled to address these insightful queries from the Lifetime Athlete fam. One more time, what is metabolic flexibility and why is it important? This is basically the…
March is Metabolic Flexibility Month. Honestly, I totally made that up and I have absolutely no idea if such a designation exists. We could also say that during the month of March we are trying to reset the metabolism to restore its efficiency in powering our athletic endeavors. In Part 1 of this series I explained that our goal as…
Human metabolism is an amazing orchestration of complex signaling and function. The ways in which the metabolism utilizes digested food and nutrients is manyfold. Of particular interest to the Lifetime Athlete is how the body uses the different macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrate) to support lifelong health and peak performance. For discussion purposes, we can oversimplify the roles of the 3…
This Friday is Valentine’s Day! Why not give someone you care about a true gift of love? How about a gift of LIFE! I’d like to suggest that you give an important someone, or several special folks, or even yourself…a gift that not only shows you care, but that helps to make life better, more fun, more fulfilling, and more…
The Reaper is out there. He is coming for everyone. Eventually, he’ll get all of us. But you have some say in how it all goes down. You can go out on your own terms. There are choices we can make. We can choose to live a healthy, high-performing lifestyle and maintain wellness over a potentially longer and certainly higher-quality…
Exercise is essential for maximum health and optimal function through the lifespan. Unfortunately, and despite our best intentions, we are occasionally sidelined from our exercise endeavors by an injury. This usually doesn’t mean the end of our fitness or athletic careers, but having an understanding of what’s going on — and what we should do about — an injury, can…
Are you hard to kill? Because that’s what I’d like to be and I’d certainly like to see you be the same. Hard to kill is being strong, fast, mobile and durable. You die late, healthy, and fast. The alternative is to be weak, slow, stiff, and fragile. This equates to expiring early, sick, and slowly. For the most part,…
I always find this time of year to be an engaging one. Whether it’s necessary or not, many of us will be looking back at the previous year and reflecting. We’ll think about the high and low points, and what we learned or enjoyed. And we often take a few notes, mental or otherwise, of what worked and what didn’t…
Whether you believe in New Year’s resolutions or not…the statistics don’t lie: More Americans embark on a fitness or training program, or renew their vigor and dedication towards an existing one — on January 2nd — than at any other time of the year. And if you are a regular gym-goer, working out multiple times per week at a commercial…
Becoming — and remaining — a lifetime athlete…is as easy as 5-3-1. Employ the 5 foundational components of lifelong health. Then add in the 3 essential elements of peak performance. And you become the 1 optimally-functioning beast for which your genes are programmed: A LIFETIME ATHLETE. Many of you will say “Where can I sign up?” or “How can I…
Can you believe it’s December already? I hope you had a great Thanksgiving celebration and got some killer deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I also hope you are approaching year-end in good health, with a positive outlook, and with most of your ducks in a row. December, or year-end, means different things to many of us. In business,…
The journey that each of us takes over a lifetime is indeed remarkable. I’m excited to announce that The Lifetime Body is now the Lifetime Athlete! This change of one word in my business name represents a subtle shift in the company’s focus and it has been driven by readers, listeners, and clients like you. Over the last several years,…
Any questions? Sounds good and makes sense…right? I think we’ve all heard that advice before, but let me explain why I’m offering it up right now. I was out for a drive on a rural road near my home recently. This area has a lot of raptors, especially in the autumn. As I crested a small hill on the gravel…
Greetings awesome Lifetime Body folks! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that the sub-2 hour marathon is no longer a barrier in human performance. On Saturday, October 12th, in Vienna, Austria — Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran the marathon in 1:59:40! In a special event, designed to showcase the extension of the limits of human performance, Kipchoge…
Crushing an athletic goal is a great accomplishment and there are many potential roads to victory. And having a coach is a proven way to ensure your success. Coaching is all about the relationship. It’s not just training, nutrition, sleep, recovery, race tactics, and equipment. It’s relating to another person with respect, supporting his/her aspirations and realities, and ultimately artistically…
Technology is evolving in all parts of our daily existence. In most cases, this progress represents a positive in terms of the efficiency and effectiveness with which we go about our lives. The delivery of physical therapy services is rapidly expanding to include telePT, or what is known as telehealth physical therapy. In most states we now have the ability…
In all probability, every one of us can readily recognize the familiar nuisance of a splinter in our finger. It’s usually not exquisitely painful, but it certainly can be annoying. However, in many cases, we are barely aware that it is there, and we can generally tolerate its presence until we get around to removing it. The splinter is quite…
Back(side) by popular demand! In the kinetic train of human performance, the real locomotive that drives our speed and explosive power is actually the caboose. Having a full, round backside might not actually make you a more well-rounded person, but it can certainly enhance the fit of your wardrobe. And avoiding the “half-arsed” condition known as buttock deficiency can improve…
I’m in the business of helping people to seek and achieve peak performance. I love training others and myself for the highest athletic outcomes. But a lot of my clients start their journey toward peak performance at a point where they just want or need to get healthy first. They have to learn to eat right, sleep well, and to…
I recently had the outstanding opportunity to visit with Lyle Weese, who is the Director and Head Coach of Track and Field and Cross Country at Montana State University. In The Lifetime Body Podcast, we had a fantastic discussion of the athletic experience, training and health practices, and life balance. Lyle is a great resource and role model in these…
I recently reflected on some major lessons in health and fitness. These are big rocks in training, nutrition, and weight loss that I have written about in my Science Project series books. These principles have been reaffirmed by current research as well as my experience in working with clients. I talked about these items in this week’s podcast if you’d…
We live in amazing times. The number of devices that provide self-quantification data are myriad. Maybe you work out with a watch or some apps that track your heart rate, speed, power, pace, rpm’s, steps, or METS. Perhaps you have a ring or bracelet that tracks your heart rate variability, sleep patterns, or caloric expenditure. You could analyze your dietary…
Let’s say you like to get outdoors and do your thing, whatever that may be. Perhaps you consider yourself a mountain athlete…who runs, bikes, climbs and skis in the backcountry. Or maybe you are an avid hunter who pursues game in the hinterlands. You’re a backpacker, a fisherman, or someone who likes to hike to the top of the local…
Greetings everyone, and happy summer to you! Yes, finally…it’s now official — summer is here! And with this warm and sunny season (hopefully), we usually feel inspired to get outside and move more, doing all sorts of activities and exercises that are supported by the pleasant weather. This short post is just a bit of a “Rah Rah!” I’m going…
Training is indeed an art form. Effective training for any athletic or fitness goal depends upon optimal programming and coaching. We design programs and routines, establish schedules, and then apply them to ourselves or the individuals we coach in pursuit of the greatest results. Once we feel we have an ideal program that fits a person’s unique physical characteristics, current…
The athletic preparation field is an immense one, and it covers myriad related disciplines. Many of the practices or characteristics of elite athletes can be viewed as lessons from high-level practitioners of physical art. And we can often use those examples to get more out of our own fitness and competitive endeavors. I recently had the absolute honor and privilege…
Is there an optimal time for training? The answer is “yes, no, and actually…it depends.” Yes, there is substantial research-based evidence to suggest that certain types of exercise or training, for specific or unique individuals, is indeed best performed at a particular time of day. No, there isn’t really one perfect time for training and in fact the time you…
The three major words in the title of this message relate to each other in very interesting ways. Ergonomics is the study of a person’s efficiency at work. This involves how he/she functions, what is produced, and what are the costs — particularly in terms of wear and tear on the body. Health has many global definitions. At work, health…
Clients often ask me about some of the applications we utilize with training and rehabilitation. They will query if an intervention is a fundamental principle in physical therapy, or perhaps even one of my unique twists on those tenets. This short post is an introduction to PT Basics — and I’ll present a few foundations in PT, along with a…
Usain Bolt and Eliud Kipchoge are the fastest runners in history. They are among the greatest athletes of all time, with Bolt recently retiring from well over a decade of domination in the sprints and Kipchoge continuing to reign supreme in the marathon. These athletes provide outstanding examples of the alignment of training and competing to a body type for…
There are many things we can learn from elite athletes. Among these are how to maximally appreciate and optimally utilize our unique bodies in our sporting pursuits. I’m going to provide several examples of athletic bodies. I’m also going to describe these athletes in relation to AnimalFit, the proprietary body type training system I developed and that I use extensively…
Would you like to learn how to run faster? Want improve your speed, pace, or time? Let’s dive into that subject. I’ve been working with athletes and runners of all ages and abilities for over 35 years. I really enjoy engaging with these folks on various health, fitness, and peak performance projects. By far the most common request shared by…
Spring is here (for the most part) and many of us are training with renewed energy, having a focus on new fitness goals or upcoming sports events. I’m inspired to help you reach a peak performance, and to do that by using workouts that work…for YOU! The traits of peak performers and the parameters of effective workouts have been recent…
This is Part 2 of the dietary experiment discussion. As you’ll recall from Part 1, my intention was to raise the question of individual dietary optimization, to report on some of my personal culinary explorations, and to encourage you to consider your own diet’s impact on your health and performance. That last edition has some stories of my eating evolution,…
It’s fun to experiment. And it can be very interesting and informative when you experiment on yourself. One of the easiest and perhaps most productive areas in which to conduct personal investigations is in the realm of dietary intake. Through trial and error, and a little good science, you can learn what foods really work (or don’t) for you. Done…
Spring is right around the corner in some parts of the country, and the change of seasons gets many folks thinking about reviving or revving up their running program. This often coincides with shopping for a new pair of running shoes. The title of this week’s article has the potential to be an immense topic, but I’m going to a…
Coaching and Training Secrets – Edition #1 of 10,000 Ok…maybe there won’t be 10,000 of these posts, but there is lot of material in this category for sure. I really enjoy working with clients in pursuit of their health and performance goals, and there are a lot of strategies and tools we utilize to get results. In this week’s podcast,…
In last week’s article we looked at acute injury, as well as the cellular mechanisms and management progressions associated with damaged tissue. We recognized acute injuries as instantaneous, event-related episodes and gave some examples of how our bodies, and minds, deal with those situations. Now we are going to examine chronic injuries. This will benefit from some defining and also…
Fecal matter happens…and I’m not talking about BM’s. I’m talking about injuries. Many of these tissue-damaging events can be prevented through proper training and sound judgement, but despite our best efforts, injuries happen. And they are going to keep happening. But how we deal with them makes a huge difference in how rapidly and to what extent we come back…
Weight loss isn’t complicated. And it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it really can be EFFORTLESS! We have a genuine need for body weight reduction in much of our population. There is no denying that. We’re currently faced with an obesity epidemic and all the associated disease and diminished quality of life it brings. And there are also…
F4! Where can I sign up for that? Or at least 2 out of 4! All joking aside, the four items in the title may be the true parallels between ancient and modern life. Whether you are considering the primal drives of the earliest humans, medieval life patterns like those in Game of Thrones, or the most basic endeavors of…
Kicking Ass is a term that each of us can relate to in one fashion or another. In Lifetime Body terminology, it is not just the act of getting things done — it is the reality of efficiently and effectively achieving high levels of outcomes across every category in which you participate in life. Some would say you are “crushing…
How we go about our training for health, fitness, athletic performance, and longevity are great topics of debate these days. Are you a bubble boy who goes easy all the time and fears hard effort? Or are you a warrior princess who slashes and burns every workout in full-crush mode? Humor aside, there is probably a place for both of…
I recently had the extreme pleasure of visiting with Doug Fletcher, who is the co-author of How Clients Buy: A Practical Guide to Business Development for Consulting and Professional Services. Doug was a guest on the podcast and we discussed how results-getters in business are RainMakers, and how the principles explained in his book can help you to become your…
It’s kinda like “Car Talk” if you ask me. Does meat consumption make you aggressive, lower your IQ, and identify your political orientation? Or does eating rice crackers and lettuce make you irritable and give you the right to be critical of others? Dietary choice is indeed a potentially meaty subject. Debate has gone on for decades, if not centuries…
Happy New Year! I hope your 2018 was utterly amazing and your 2019 has kicked off in an incredibly spectacular fashion. An FAQ that I often hear is “What are your top 10 or 20 foods?” Obviously, such a list can take many forms based on any number of criteria. It can vary from season to season, and certainly be…
Happy Holidays! I hope that you have been enjoying the season and all the great things that come with it. As I sit by the woodstove (might sound corny but is true) and put fingers to keyboard, I’m finding myself in a particular state of mind. I’m struggling to frame this perspective, but I think I can capture it with…
The new Lifetime Body Program/ebook: AnimalFit, has just been released! These are exciting times, because now you can use the AnimalFit system to Unleash Your Inner Beast and Unlock Your Athletic Potential! AnimalFit is my 4th book to date and it’s not just the product of my 35 years of work and study in the field of human performance.…
Get ready to Unleash your Inner Beast with AnimalFit!
It was Pink Floyd, in “Another Brick in the Wall”, who posed this question (x2): “If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding…how can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?!” Let’s get into that. The subjects of meat consumption in the human diet; the science surrounding meat, nutrition, ethics, and the environment; and…
Health, fitness, and athletic performance training programs come in all shapes and sizes. But the best ones all have one thing in common. They utilize the 4 essential workout variables, which determine training workload, to achieve success. Whether you design your own program, or you work with a fitness or sports training professional, understanding how to apply and manipulate…
This week on the video I highlighted some common wellness practices that “Git my Goat” and suggested we ask ourselves a few key questions when considering them. PK and I dove a bit deeper in the podcast. I think you’ll find this interesting. Is your wellness guru or health and fitness leader knowledgeable and reliable? Is he or she…
Here’s an early wish of “Happy Thanksgiving” to you! Many of my clients often ask for strategies they can utilize to successfully navigate holiday meals without jeopardizing their health goals. Here’s a few… Just don’t worry about it. Simply have a big feast and don’t overthink it. Humans are designed around the cyclic use of many “f” words (feasting,…
