The Lifetime Athlete

Coach Joel Smith is back on the podcast! This time we’re talking about athletic foot function. Joel brings a wealth of knowledge in all areas of sports performance. He’s the host of the Just Fly Sports Performance podcast, and he is working on a new book which will be titled Best Foot Forward. I really enjoyed visiting with Joel in…

Training the endurance athlete is an intriguing topic. In this episode, we are going to take a look at athletes who are somewhat rhythm-dependent and who possess characteristics that give them high fatigue resistance. We’ll consider how to train these athletes for any sport or fitness pursuit, as well as considering how any athlete (including force-dominant and elastic beasts) can…

Training the elastic athlete is an art form. When an athlete possesses high potential for speed and agility, there are specific considerations for optimal training. In this episode, PK & I discuss some of the traits and training principles for elastic athletes which are featured in my book, AnimalFIT. I think you’ll find this discussion quite useful in both understanding…

Training strength athletes can take on many forms. In today’s episode, PK & I discuss the unique nature of strength-oriented athletes. Specifically, we address large-boned, muscular beings who are very force-dependent in their movement patterns. In my book AnimalFIT, these folks are the bears of the kingdom, as well as their cousins the badgers and wolverines. I think you’ll find…

There is a unique, athletic animal which resides within all of us. You can Identify your inner animal easily, with the AnimalFIT Quiz. In this episode, PK & I go over the AnimalFIT Quiz, which you can find at https://thelifetimeathlete.com/animalfit/. The quiz is a simple self-assessment tool that only takes you about 90 seconds to complete. Once you are finished,…

I recently had the privilege of visiting with renowned exercise physiologist, coach, and speaker Dr. Mike T. Nelson. Mike is a guy who is as intelligent as he is educated, and he’s at the pinnacle in both areas. We had a great discussion about metabolic and physiologic flexibility, online coaching, and Mike’s philosophy regarding lifetime athletics. We also spoke about…

Understanding your muscle fiber physiology is easy when you read my book, AnimalFIT. Learn about your ratio of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers and how they can steer you toward the optimal sport or fitness pursuit. And, appreciate how you can train your unique inner beast for any exercise or athletic endeavor. Muscles are fascinating! This podcast was brought to you…

Jumping is an invaluable athletic skill. We need to incorporate it into our training. But did you also know that you can use jumping to determine what kind of athlete you are? Yes, that’s true. Use the AnimalFIT Jump Test to determine which of 3 movement problem-solving strategies your body will self-select for a specific jumping task. This is just…

The word Anthropometrics comes from the Greek roots of human shape and studying its design. Understanding anthropometrics begins with recognizing your skeletal diameter (bone thickness) and joint mobility. Appreciating these parameters helps you to select exercise and design programming for optimal results. You can learn about your own anthropometrics, and much more in my new book AnimalFIT. Grab your copy…

Stiffness is a word that has several definitions. It’s poorly understood among some in the athletic and fitness community. However, most coaches and conditioning specialists understand the value of athletic stiffness. That’s what PK & I discuss today. We define stiffness and introduce some simple physics to help you gain an appreciation for the quality that is crucial for the…