Fitness | Mark's Daily Apple

Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

22 Sep

Sprint for Your Life: A Primal Workout

Sprint 1 Sprint for Your Life: A Primal Workout For the modern Grok, sprinting is generally an elective endeavor. His animals come pre-slaughtered, his honey comes bee-free, and the once-constant threats of predator or rival clan usually fail to materialize nowadays. He doesn’t “have” to run. If he runs fast, it’s probably because he chooses to do so – for sport, for fitness, or perhaps to catch a bus. But especially in matters of developing one’s physical potential (and, I suppose, when pursuing public transportation), speed still matters. Your sprints should be actual sprints, if you want to get the most out of them; you should be running at or around your maximum speed. But can we really squeeze out every single ounce of power without the threat of instant death or starvation licking at our heels? Is the modern sprint truly a sprint without the mortal urgency? Heck, even Usain Bolt seemed to let up on the intensity in his record-breaking 100m run, and he had a few billion eyes on him, not to mention the weight of a nation’s expectations bearing down on him. Can a mere mortal expect to give it his or her all?

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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16 Sep

Battling the Python: Swinging Rope Training

rope Battling the Python: Swinging Rope Training If you’re interested in a low-cost, no-hassle piece of homemade training equipment, look no further than a heavy rope. Not a jump rope (although that’s a worthy ally, too); just a thick, unwieldy rope, a confederation of fibers woven together to form a cordon to be used for strange and unconventional workouts (my favorite kind). Your rope should be around fifty feet long and two inches thick. It should be a manila rope, which is a hardy, durable variety typically used in boating. Manila rope is also especially heavy – a distinct advantage when you’re trying to get the best workout possible. Hardware stores should carry manila rope in various lengths and widths. If two inches in diameter is too much, go for 1.5” instead.