In this issue: We share our experiences with underwater training at Deep End Fitness and a multi-day running relay, plus a test run of a go-to, no-equipment, do-it-anywhere workout plan.
A word on… building mental fitness underwater
I stumbled on Deep End Fitness (DEF) a couple of years ago on Instagram (@deependfitness) after seeing some intense underwater training.
On a recent trip to San Diego for an insane multi-day running event, I decided we could try and take an extra two days to get in a session with the DEF guys. I reached out and was connected with Rick Briere, a 34-year-old Master Instructor with DEF and a former U.S. Marine Special Operations Raider with combat experience in Afghanistan. He served eight years before becoming an instructor.
According to Rick, DEF coaches people on creating and developing a process on how to handle situations that are daunting. For example, open water swimmers or surfers getting trapped under waves for an extended period of time. They teach people to overcome the anxieties that come with those situations. That level of confidence and resilience can be applied in all parts of life, not just in the water.
Our sessions with Rick included breath work, a series of drills, skills, a circuit, and a challenge that included carrying two dumbbells down the bottom of the pool at 13 feet.
The main takeaways were:
Being able to focus on your breath and breathing is an incredibly powerful tool—I think a lot more powerful than we even may realize.
Breaking a task down into smaller steps is the key to everything.
There’s a lot of talk of mental resilience, mental fitness, and breath work these days, but being put into a situation where it needs to be applied in a survival / life situation, it really shows what we’re capable of. Check out our full feature on humanfitproject.com for a more detailed breakdown of each session with Rick and DEF.
-Mike Simone, TORIAL co-founder and creator of humanfitproject
A word on… personal growth through content creation
We spent the weekend with Paceline in the mountains outside of San Diego at 48-hour running relay event. We camped (it was *freezing* and we ended up sleeping no more than two hours—in our rental car—both nights), ran three relay legs (3.1 miles, 3.1 miles, and 8 miles—all at altitude and with over 3500 feet of elevation), did a public speaking event, and more.
We captured a ton of incredible content for Paceline and our own social channels, but it was the personal growth that came with the experience that I really wasn’t expecting. Here are a few “lessons” learned:
You’re probably stronger—mentally and physically—than you think.
Don’t underestimate the elements.
Learn to listen to your hunger cues, and eat when you’re hungry.
Always have your own transportation.
If you’re going to run 8 miles at altitude with 3500 feet of elevation gain in the sun, bring water. And maybe even a snack.
Pizza tastes better when you’ve worked for it. (But you don’t *have* to work for it.)
Good sleep is everything.
You can survive for 48 hours without cell service. Or even a phone charger.
Be grateful. Even—especially—when things are hard.
-Caitlin Carlson, TORIAL co-founder
A word on… the HFP Bodyweight-Only Workout Plan
If you’ve been with us for a while, you might’ve picked up on the fact that I love running—and, more generally, I prefer cardio over strength training. But I know that I need to fit muscle strengthening activities into my regimen, too. So it always helps to have a little bit of guidance. And recently, I looked to the HFP Bodyweight-Only Workout Plan for just that.
The plan is built around three days of full-body workouts (a Tabata, an EMOM, and an AMQRAP) plus two days of long, steady-state cardio, and it’s designed to be followed for up to four weeks. In case you need a quick refresher, the Tabata structure is 20 seconds on/10 seconds off, EMOM stands for “every minute on the minute,” and AMQRAP stands for “as many quality rounds as possible.” Here’s what I took away from my experience with the program:
Variety is my best friend when it comes to strength training. I loved having the different structures to look forward to throughout the week, especially the EMOM. Speaking of which…
That EMOM had me playing catch-up the first time I tried it. Take note: 50 jumping jacks take longer than you think (ditto for 40 glute bridges and 25 sit-ups).
Truly, I could have done these strength workouts anywhere, so this is the perfect plan if you’ve got holiday travel on the horizon.
I did notice myself getting stronger as I stuck with the plan, but I wish I’d tracked the rounds I completed in each AMQRAP workout to get a better idea of how I was progressing.
You can purchase the plan here if you’re game to try it out.
-Erin Warwood, TORIAL managing editor
A word from… Angela Gargano, certified trainer and four-time American Ninja Warrior
Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on what you can do. After tearing my ACL on American Ninja Warrior, I decided I was going to turn my injury into an opportunity: I realized I had my arms, my core, and my mindset that I could dive deeper into.
When we get injured or things outside of our control take over our lives, we tend to freeze and think we can’t do anything—but that's just not the case. My advice? Take a moment and ask yourself what you can focus on.
Get more from Angela here.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It’s not intended as medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes.