One of the most illuminating books ever on a sports subculture, Learning to Breathe Fire combines vivid sports writing with a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be human. In the book, veteran journalist J.C. Herz explains the science of maximum effort, why the modern gym fails an obese society, and the psychic rewards of ending up on the floor feeling as though you're about to die.  The story traces CrossFit’s rise, from a single underground gym in Santa Cruz to its adoption as the workout of choice for elite special forces, firefighters and cops, to its popularity as the go-to fitness routine for regular Joes and Janes. Especially riveting is Herz’s description of The CrossFit Games, which begin as an informal throw-down on a California ranch and evolve into a televised global proving ground for the fittest men and women on Earth, as well as hundreds of thousands of lesser mortals.  In her portrayal of the sport's star athletes, its passionate coaches and its “chief armorer,” Rogue Fitness, Herz powerfully evokes the uniqueness of a fitness culture that  cultivates primal fierceness in average people. And in the shared ordeal of an all-consuming workout, she unearths the ritual intensity that's been with us since humans invented sports, showing us how, on a deep level, we're all tribal hunters and first responders, waiting for the signal to go all-out. From the Hardcover edition.

    An It Books paperback original, this essential handbook offers a jump-by-jump guide to parkour, aimed at building the confidence of the novice to become a confident and inventive free-runner. The first book of its kind, The Parkour and Freerunning Handbook is the only guide the fledgling traceur will ever need to get jumping.

    We know too much as an industry to stand for these “one plan fits all” food prescriptions. This book will reveal a set of guidelines, principles, and theories to create a framework for athletes with muscle and strength in mind.Nutritional prioritization in accordance to goalsThe structured order of importance is what makes this book different. Yes, many things matter, but WHEN do they matter? This is the question answered throughout this text to keep you from wasting time and energy with your nutritional efforts.Science-based calculations for any strength athleteWhether the athlete aims to get in shape for the bodybuilding stage, cut pounds for a weight class, or ensure that their nutrition is adequately supporting their muscle gaining efforts, we’ve got it covered.Dietary philosophies for long-term adherence and successWe don’t’ believe in quick fixes. We believe in lifestyle….The detailed mindsets, tools, and methods described in this book will help you find the appropriate balance between adherence, consistency, and flexibility within your nutrition plan to set you up for continued progress throughout your athletic career.

    Eric Cressey's cutting-edge four-phase program, featuring constant progression, variation, and inspiring goals, keeps you focused on increasing strength along with muscle mass, helping you achieve the fittest, most energetic, and best-looking body you've ever had-with fewer hours at the gym.

     Turn Up the Heat provides a thoroughly documented food management system personalized to each individual's metabolic type-fat-and-protein efficient, carbohydrate efficient, or dually efficient. The system is comprised of three components: eating the right kinds and amounts of foods in the correct sequence; following a specific exercise program based on the individual's metabolic type; and drinking the appropriate amount of water daily. Including easy-to-use questionnaires to determine your metabolic type, weekly food plans, and a 2-week Quickstart plan, Turn Up the Heat will forever break the apathy and frustration of dieters who just never seem to get to their ideal weight.

    That is why so many top trainers recommend dynamic stretches.Dynamic Stretching teaches how to effectively prepare your body for physical activity while simultaneously improving strength, power, speed, agility and endurance. With more than 50 exercises—fully illustrated with step-by-step photos—this book shows how to take your workouts and abilities to the next level:•Develop full-body range of motion•Enhance full-body motor control•Increase flexibility, balance and muscular endurance•Improve force generation and reaction time•Correct major and minor muscle imbalances

    Includes: A one-hour-per-year plan for healthy bones A self-test to assess risk factors Facts on the most accurate bone-density tests Tips on supplements beyond calcium, plus new

    With this program, you will be ready for any military training or physical challenge in the world. Come train with the world's fittest and strongest individuals: the US Navy SEALs!

    For good. Quitting sugar in the real world is hard. Sugar is everywhere and your friends think you’re mad for not eating cake. You’ve done the 8 week detox plan and part of you still craves chocolate so much that you develop a mild twitch when you see a brightly coloured wrapper on the shelves in front of you. Deeply addictive, sugar is everywhere. Even added to the most unlikely foods, the majority of us exceed the recommended daily intake without even realising it. Instead of teaching you how to cook fake cake, or pretending that quinoa really is an exciting grain that will revolutionise your view on salads, this book guides you through the myths about sugar in our food and through the realities of addiction. The 9 step action plan then helps you make the change and really stick to it. Even if you’re not quite ready to eliminate all sugar from your life, this book contains practical tips to help you shop wisely, create good habits and sustain better lifestyle choices.

     So why can it be so hard to achieve the results we crave? Working harder rarely has the desired effect. The answer is to work smarter, and with – not against – our natural strengths. Mindset with Muscle takes you on a different transformation journey. Rather than hitting the gym and obsessing about success, this book brings you ‘sets and reps for the brain’. When you read this book, and implement Jamie Alderton’s proven strategies, you will be able to: Develop your brain and build new habits that hard-wire you for success Map out exactly what you need to do in order to achieve your physical, business and financial goals Move forward confidently and take action to build the business, body and lifestyle of your dreams Finally get in the best physical and mental shape of your life Know with certainty you can achieve whatever it is you set out to do Mindset with Muscle urges you to wake up and realise you have the choice in life to achieve pretty much anything you set your mind to.

    No one cares, no one remembers, and it doesn't matter. This is why we laugh."There are no such things as gnolls, they never kill and eat people, and they can't read or write -- much less write something so stark, so raw, so beautifully bleak.Right?Because if there were, someone might have risked a violent and painful death to find them, study them, and bring back this book.Then you might read it.And then you might have a joyous and bloody and terribly strange adventure, and you might find yourself laughing with the gnolls."And then what?"From a world in which "Avatar" is "Fight Club" instead of Disney's "Pocahontas," James Tiptree, Jr. wrote "The Dice Man," and magic doesn't work any better than it does here... ...we bring you The Gnoll Credo. Sell that 'enchanted' sword and come join the hyena-people. Don't wear your good clothes.You can read sample chapters at http: //www.100wattpress.com

    Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up. Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich morphed—in a matter of mere months—from out of shape, mid-life couch potato to endurance machine. Finding Ultra recounts Rich’s remarkable journey to the starting line of the elite Ultraman competition, which pits the world’s fittest humans in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. And following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the EPIC5—five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week. In the years since Finding Ultra was published, Rich has become one of the world’s most recognized advocates of plant-based living. In this newly revised and updated edition, he shares the practices, tools, and techniques he uses for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, including diet and nutrition protocols. Rich reflects on the steps he took to shift his mindset and leverage deep reservoirs of untapped potential to achieve success beyond his wildest imagination, urging each of us to embark on our own journey of self-discovery.