What Happens When The Battery (Chicken) Runs Out? from Olly Hermon-Taylor on Vimeo.
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They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To!
Warning: don’t try this at home kids!
In 1905, Arthur Saxon lifted a total of 448 lbs overhead in a lift called the “Two Hands Anyhow”. This lift was made under competition conditions and is yet to be equalled. It consisted of lifting a 336 lb barbell onto the shoulder and then performing a “bent press” to lock out the barbell at arms length. A 112 lb ring weight (kind of like a kettlebell) was then lifted from the floor, to the shoulder as the lifter stood up straight (keeping the barbell locked out overhead) and was then also pressed overhead. All round a mind blowingly difficult feat, especially with a combined total of 448 lbs (more…)
Barefoot Running – Not Just For Idiots
Video watching time = 60 mins (sound patchy for first couple of seconds of the interview, but good, clear sound for the rest of the video)
Reading time = 1 min
Barefoot Running – Not Just For Idiots from Olly Hermon-Taylor on Vimeo.
I recently read www.barefoot-running.us, or head over to www.barefoot-running.us – great resource for barefoot runners
www.mobilitywod.com – because it’s awesome
Why Do My Calves Hurt? Read This First
Damn you calves! All I want to do is run, but you let me down. That deep ache shows up 10-15 minutes into an easy trot, deep in the middle of my lower leg. It’s not serious pain, but it won’t go away. Just as I’m getting into my stride, it rears its ugly head and slowly cranks up the volume, until it’s all I can hear. Why? Why me? Why today?
If this sounds familiar then you need to keep reading. (more…)
An Interview With Matt “Fivefingers” Wallden. Could This Be The End Of The Running Shoe?
To celebrate the launch of mnmlrunr.com, our new barefoot and minimal running store, we managed to secure an interview with Mr. Matthew Wallden, Osteopath, Corrective Exercise Specialist and Managing Director of Primal Lifestyle Ltd., UK distributors of Vibram fivefingers.
Matt is a good friend and mentor and one of the world’s leading authorities on Rehabilitation and Corrective Exercise. He introduced me to Vibram fivefingers some 3 years ago and I’ve never looked back. For me, this was the death of the traditional running shoe. As more and more people embrace barefoot and minimal running, it seems the days of spongy soles and motion control are numbered. Over to Matt and Heather…
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How did you get involved with the VFF’s?
I was teaching a course on rehabilitation and performance conditioning in New York when one of my students came in wearing a pair. Seeing the potential, we went after class to buy a pair, and I haven’t looked back since. At the time, I was writing a chapter on rehabilitation in a textbook of natural medicine and (more…)
11 Reasons Why I Love Barefoot Running
1. Simplicity/Freedom
I don’t have to put on shoes or socks. I have everything I need right here. I can just break into a trot, anytime I like.
2. Textures
Wet mud, cold water, sharp gravel, springy grass and soft earth. So much terrain and so many different surfaces to experience and adapt to.
3. Better Runner
When I run barefoot, I am a much better runner. My form is good and natural, I feel at ease and my movements are much more fluid.
4. You can wash your feet
Many people are put off by getting dirty feet. Well, they are easy to wash, require no machine, dry in minutes and come up like new. Much easier than washing and drying shoes.
5. Quiet
I once paced a fox for about 2 mins, running no more than 10 metres away. My running was so quiet, she just didn’t know I was there.
6. Meeting Cool People
If I wasn’t interested in barefoot running, I’d never have met cool people like Barefoot Ted and Chris McDougall. Barefoot runners are generally a pretty cool, grounded tribe of people.
7. Connection
Most of all, I love being connected to the earth and becoming part of my environment. Rather than working against nature and trying to conquer it, I just take my place and fit right in.
8. Other People’s Reaction
“Oh look, it’s the barefoot man”. Everyone notices something as simple as not wearing shoes. I love hearing people’s opinions, good or bad.
9. Getting Wet and Muddy
I no longer tip toe around puddles and mud. I just dive straight in and get wet and muddy. (See point 4.)
10. Nature Knows Best
4 million years of evolution have created the perfect foot. Now why would you want to go and spoil it by putting it in a shoe?
11. De-Stress
Stress comes from overload. Barefoot running in simple. Nothing washes away stress like immersing yourself in Nature so completely.
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Rediscover Your Abs: The Eastern Block Ab-Blaster
Total reading time = 10 mins
Disclaimer: This exercise could make your abdominal muscles very sore. Always get clearance from a qualified medical professional before starting any new exercise programme.
Are you ready to rediscover your abs? Good, then let us proceed.
One of the most sought after parts of an athletic and strong physique is the six-pack. Not only does a rippling washboard look good on the beach, it suggests strength, virility and dedication. You, the proud owner of the chocolate-bar-abs, stand out from the crowd of other, more abdominally-insulated humans. (more…)
Forest Therapy
Video watching time = 1 min: 23 sec. Reading time = 5 mins
Disclaimer: chopping wood with an axe can be dangerous. If you have not done it before, please seek professional advice before trying it.
Sometimes you just want to get out of the gym and let rip with an unstructured, non-technical workout. One of my favourites is chopping wood with an axe. No rep counting, strict rest periods, changing barbell plates, or worrying about whether you’ve worked the whole body or not. I like to call these sessions ‘deconstructed’ workouts and they’re a real tonic to a gym-frazzled brain. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love lifting weights but, by honoring the principle of variety (by more than simply changing exercises or transitioning to a different phase) my enthusiasm for hitting the gym again is completely rekindled by getting out of the gym for a couple of workouts and enjoying a ‘deconstructed’ exercise session or two. When my next training day comes around, I’m totally refreshed, excited about getting back into the gym and my performance always improves, across the board.
Chopping wood isn’t just a great physical workout, there are a whole host of powerful, health boosting benefits associated with getting out into nature and, in particular, forests and woodland settings. Simply spending time in wooded areas can have a positive impact on your health. Throwing in a couple of sessions of chopping logs with an axe will take it to a whole new level, as I’ll explain below. (more…)
Christopher McDougall Interview
An Interview With Chris McDougall from Olly Hermon-Taylor on Vimeo.
Video watching time = 21 mins 29 secs
Last week, Chris McDougall was in town promoting the release of the paperback edition of Born To Run. I had the privilege of meeting up with him in Hyde Park in London and filming a short interview and barefoot running demonstration.
I read the hardback edition of Born To Run last year and count it as one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is a truly powerful book, packed with adventure, excitement, larger than life characters and fascinating evidence as to why we were born to run. From the moment I unwrapped the Amazon package, I was completely enthralled and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it two days later (yes, I’m a slow reader who likes to savour every word). This is testament to how good a book it is, especially as I was not remotely interested in running at the time. Born To Run really changed the way I think and feel about running and started my journey towards barefoot running. (more…)
Introduction to Barefoot Running
Could something as basic as taking off your shoes really make a noticeable difference to your life and the way you move and run? Based on my own recent experience and that of a growing number of barefoot runners around the world, I would say that the answer is definitely yes; taking off your shoes and going barefoot can and will make a huge difference, not only to the way you run and move but also to the way you think and feel.
