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The proper exercise prequel is not a quick quad stretch.
“Dynamic moves are vital to my trainingthey prep me physically and mentally,” says the WNBA guard.
Elites might dedicate 30 minutes of a two-hour session to a dynamic warm-up.
TRY ITStand tall, bend forward, walk hands out to plank.
Return to plank; repeat twist on left.
Walk hands back to feet and stand for 1 rep. Do 5 reps.
Above: Hurdles are one of seven events in a two-day heptathlon.
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If Serena Williamsonlyplayed tennis, there’s a good chance she’d burn out, get hurt or both.
“Any workout done exclusively can lead to an overuse injury and decreased results,” Holland says.
Above: Do a chopping motion with a medicine ball to whittle your waist.
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Athletes are always training for something.
Find your somethingand that doesn’t necessarily have to be a race.
Having that deadline allows you to structure your training using a pro strategy called periodization.
That brings us to another term to think about when structuring your training: progressive overload.
Let’s say you typically jog 5 miles.
Then for Week 2, dial it up 10 percent more, and again for Week 3. you might repeat the four-week plan with one caveat: Make your base intensities higher the next cycle.
Above: Get fit, fitter, fittest at precisely the right time to meet your goal.
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Chances are you’re more one-dimensional (as in forward).
Multiplanar moves have a laundry list of benefits.
They engage more muscles, so you tone more quickly from every angle.
Why does being nimble matter?
The ability to move quickly and easily can contribute to a bigger calorie burn.
TRY ITPick one exercise from each group below to create a mix-and-match multiplanar workout.
Sprint, squat or lunge:Your choice here covers the sagittal plane.
For the squat or lunge, do 2 sets of 12 reps.
Pick sprints and go 30 seconds all-out with one-minute recoveries; repeat 5 times.2.
Side shuffle, star jump or side raise:Now you’re working in the frontal plane.
If you opt for the raises, perform 2 sets of 12 reps.3.
180 jump, wood chop or bicycle:Your third move is in the transverse plane.
Here, you’ll work for time again.
Go 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds rest; repeat 8 times.
Mindlessly inhaling refined carbs is like filling up on regular unleaded.
Ask Kastor’s wife and star trainee, elite distance runner Deena Kastor.
“Processed foods make me feel terrible,” she says.
Drink the juice, bake with them, or spread a jam on whole-grain toast.
Above: The ability to move quickly and easily can contribute to a bigger calorie burn.
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That’s because athletes know that moreisn’tmore.
Built-in rest days are physically necessary for your body to get fitter.
So see, we’re not saying youdeservea rest; it’s part of your training!
That also means no junk workouts.
Skip kickboxing if you’re still dead from yesterday’s MetCon class.
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