Laird Hamilton is one of the pioneers of big wave surfing, always pushing the limits of creativity and the boundaries of human potential. He introduced tow-in surfing and hydrofoils to the sport, and has stood out as one of the world's best athletes. Now 51, Laird continues to chase big waves and maintain his fitness at a very high level. The article Laird's Laws, published on OutsideOnline.com outlines Laird's 17 laws for health, from using fear as a motivator, to sleeping m

I was recently sent an article on Time Affluence, by Arianna Huffington, defining the term as a new metric for defining success. Along with our success and wealth, the currency of time needs to be addressed as something that we can earn and spend, not something that constantly works against us. We've heard it before from motivational speakers and coaches, the reminder that everyone is provided the same amount of time each day, that it is up to us to manage our time and set pr

Shinji Takeuchi's "Most Graceful Freestyle" video is one of the most viewed swimming videos of all time. His so-called "Total Immersion Technique" is incredible to watch, as he makes the stroke seem so effortless. The use of a prolonged glide phase, minial kicking and deeper body position in the water goes against traditional swimming technique, but the effectiveness of his technique is not to be questioned. Some of the best long-distance swimmers in the world have a similar

Today we feature Ilya Ilyin, two time Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting. Kazakhstan's pride and joy, Ilya is able to balance the requirements for mobility and power in his expression of the barbell. Olympic weightlifting is all about speed and strength, a testament to the thousands of hours practicing the same two lifts. Enjoy the slow motion capture of 242kg being lifted from the ground and then violently thrown overhead. #weightlifting #motivation #inspiration

Today's concept will be about buy-in, and its importance on achieving your goals and also staying motivated. I've often run into this issue with clients with good intentions with fairly healthy habits and lifestyles. The problem occurs where people fail to invest enough to get a measurable return. I call this the ante. In poker, you need to pay the ante to get into the game, without knowing what the next cards will be. In health and fitness, you can't really get results unles

The concept of physiological lag is a core principle to how I schedule my training and recovery. Furthermore, it serves as a reminder that the payout for my workouts does not come within days, but rather weeks and months. Simply put, your body’s full adaptation to any given workout will be 10 days. Now this number is by no means precise and will vary for age, training experience and other lifestyle factors, such as nutrition and rest, but in the idea of giving yourself a lon

This video is aptly titled "Lord of the Rings". The gymnastics rings are the ultimate representation of upper body strength, mobility and body awareness. Azaryan discusses his "Slanted Cross", a defiant variation of the already impossible "Iron Cross". Here's a man who elevated himself beyond the rings, inspiring generations to follow. His belief in the system of gymnastics as a foundation for young children who will participate in sports has lives on through his academy and

It's not reckless, because when we leap, when we dive in, when we begin, only begin, we bring our true nature to the project, we make it personal and urgent. And it's not abandon, not in the sense that we've abandoned our senses or our responsibility. In fact, abandoning the fear of fear that is holding us back is the single best way not to abandon the work, the pure execution of the work. Later, there's time to backpedal and water down. But right now, reckless please. -Seth

SHARON TIFFIN/NEWS STAFF Check out this article written four years ago discussing the POPAT as part of the recruitment process for police officers. Six years ago, I began training potential municipal police and RCMP recruits for their POPAT and PARE tests, respectively. The tests are similar, consisting of an agility run, push-pull station (to simulate a close assault) and a squat-thrust vault jump component. They have a maximum passing standard of 4 min 45 (PARE) and 4:15 (P

With summer just around the corner, the long days are upon us. The sun greets us upon waking and lingers on past dinner. I encourage you to live the seasons. While it's ok to hunker down in the winter, it's also appropriate to increase your activity in the summer. Here's the challenge: 1. Sun exposure. Sun tanning is like drinking - encouraged in small doses, but damaging if performed in binge sessions. Try to get 20 min of sunlight on your skin every day. If it's warm enough