Natural Athletic Training & Fitness

Stop Mindless Stretching, Part 4: Warm-up, Cool-down, Injury Treatment, and a Bozo Prevention Strategy Stretching should not be the sole activity performed during a warm-up before or cool-down after your movement (or exercise) program. Should it be a part of your routine at all? Most of us have heard to …

Stop Mindless Stretching, Part 3: Yoga, (not Stretching), Movement, & Mobility Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not Sanskrit for stretching. It actually means to join or unite, and it is a combined spiritual, mental, and physical practice. Assuredly, most yoga poses do focus on flexibility and strength to varying degrees, however, …

Stop Mindless Stretching, Part 2: Flexibility, Fascia, and Your Nervous System Flexibility might be the ability of a joint to bend through its full range of motion, but in actuality, it’s the reflection of your nervous system and not simply the more you can stretch, and stretch and stretch some …

Stop Mindless Stretching, Part 1: Stretching for Flexibility, or Not It has been almost five years since I first posted my somewhat controversial “Stop Stretching!” article on the Sock Doc website (or Soc Doc as many continue to write). My views regarding stretching haven’t changed much but my knowledge and …

Gait – the movement of our limbs during locomotion. Our gait changes as we move faster or slower, as well as when we change terrain. Many people have poor gait mechanics that limit their ability to perform to their fullest potential. Sometimes this limitation results in pain. Other times there …

Most humans have essentially lost their ability to support themselves without secondary support, either because of poorly developed biomechanics or underlying health problems. Walking or running barefoot is an ideal way to improve your proprioception (sense of position) and kinesthetic sense (the feedback your nervous system receives from your feet). …

See the attached PDF for my recent article in Paleo Magazine, August/September 2014 edition – “Barefoot“. Check out Paleo Magazine for more great articles.   Humans, with rare exception, should be able to function well while barefoot from birth until death. Although sadly many people are unable to walk, run, …

Aerobic endurance is something I’ve discussed on the sock-doc site many times. Its importance in both fitness and health is often underestimated either because there are news reports citing studies saying too much will harm your health, or athletes neglect the time and effort to put in the training to …

Training twice a day, also known as two a day workouts, can make dramatic improvements in your fitness if done correctly. Unfortunately for many, two-a-day workouts add just another factor in the injury equation as many athletes are not ready for such physical demand. Should you, regardless of your current …

Consistency is an important concept when it comes to developing health and fitness. Being consistent with proper training, a healthy diet, and overall lifestyle habits will not only provide improved health and fitness but it will help you remain injury-free too. In this post I want to discuss training consistency. …

I must say, and I know this comes to a shock to you Sock Doc veterans out there, stretching is dangerous. Yes I’m talking about the typical static stretching that so many perform before or after exercise. Actually many consider static stretching an exercise of itself. There’s no need to …

Studies, research, and expert opinions – sometimes they support our current training methods and lifestyle choices, and other times they may appear to completely debunk our methods and philosophies. This may lead to uncertainties and fear that we may be on the wrong path of health and fitness. You may …

I recently wrote an article called “Healthy People = Barefoot People” which discusses why barefoot people tend to be healthier than often-shod people and how/why being barefoot can improve your health. It’s a good read – but hey, I wrote it, so of course I’m going to say that. Part …

The typical kid today isn’t outside much, and most aren’t moving as they should be even while they are indoors. They’ve developed awkward, uncoordinated movements as a result of being immobile, wearing modern footwear, and eating a highly processed and nutrient devoid diet. It’s said that one in six kids …

Humans should be able to function barefoot from birth until death, (barring some birth defect, infection, or trauma of course), though sadly many people are unable to run, walk, or even stand for even a few minutes barefoot without discomfort, pain, or general uneasiness. Many people have essentially lost their …

Hunter-gatherers were constantly active, alternating hard physical days with less demanding days as often as they could. Their routines were balanced, promoting strength, agility, and aerobic and anaerobic endurance, thereby ensuring that their health remained intact. For the most part, their activity kept them strong and injury-free. It’s most likely …

I recently spent a week living beside Erwan Le Corre, Vic Verdier, Clifton Harski and eleven other MovNat attendees, training quite differently than I have for, well, anything.  For the past 20 years I’ve been immersed in the triathlon and endurance arena, having competed in 20 Ironman races, including 6 …

Stretching is perhaps one of the most controversial fitness subjects of present day. Passionate debates arise between those who perceive the benefits of stretching and those, like me, who think stretching is one of the worst activities you can partake in, especially if you’re already injured. It’s a tradition that’s …

I often get asked,  “How does the Sock Doc train?” – what heart rate, what duration, what intensity, etc… There’s so many different coaching ideas, perspectives, theories out there, sometimes it’s hard to sort through it all. Well, here’s the general run-down:

Most athletes exercise anaerobically the majority of the time, rather than aerobically. Aerobic exercise (not aerobics, such as “aerobics” class), is when you are exercising within a specific heart rate zone, (a certain intensity), which will be discussed. Please see the Sock Doc Training Principles for a thorough understanding of …