Fortnight is the new sandlot

Kids have retreated to video games because it's the one place where adults can’t interfere, control, or critique

And it's the one place where they can find autonomy & connection.

That used to be sports....But adults ruined it...

Bring back play: Research shows that kids don’t play outside anymore.

One survey found a decrease from 80 percent of kids in my parents’ generation playing outside to just 27 percent today.

Yes, phones, an increase in traffic, and similar factors have an impact.

But research also points to another culprit: safetyism.

An increase in parents’ protectiveness due to fear and a high need for control has led to a decline in unstructured free play.

Performing when it matters most is the hardest thing to do.

With the Super Bowl today, let’s dive into how elite athletes get ready to perform.

It’s not just about routines.

It’s about feeding your brain the right information.

Let’s go deep on the science & practice: Our brain is predictive.

That stress you feel? The fight or flight response?

It’s our brain taking it’s best guess on how to handle the moment before you.

Do you have the capability to handle the demands of the challenge?

Ever feel like you're stuck in a losing streak?

It might not be your fault.

Fascinating research reveals how winning actually changes your biology, giving you an unfair edge.

They discovered why winners keep winning.

Here's the science of the winner effect: Back in the 1960s, scientists observed something strange in lab animals. Rats, chicks, even fish – when competing , the winners became more aggressive, while the losers became timid

This wasn't just temporary.

Winners kept winning, losers kept losing. Was it just skill? Nope.

We suck at losing.

We stew on it. We think we need to feel miserable.

We look down on athletes who joke around. We say it didn't "sting" enough.

This goes against the biology & psychology of losing.

We need to learn to lose (& win) well. Here's how: What happens when we lose?

Cortisol increases, especially if it effects our status.
Testosterone decreases.

And if we stay in this state, it negatively impacts our next performance.

Winning and losing have lasting effects. A surge of testosterone and a rise in status can push us toward confidence and persistence. A drop in testosterone and an increase in cortisol nudges us the other way; sending a message that it's better to retreat, lick our wounds, and not engage.

According to a 2017 meta-analysis, the winner and loser effect is apparent in people across a wide range of competitions, from video games to tennis matches to stock trading. Win, and you get a bump in testosterone and a better shot at succeeding in the next game. Lose, and a drop in testosterone and a surge in cortisol is headed your way, along with more debilitating competitions.

This mix of biological and behavioral responses has been termed “the winner and loser effect.”

But...it's not always that way... We can influence the direction & magnitude of our response.

90% of coaching is helping people get out of their own way

Ego, fear of failure, status anxiety, external validation = Get in our way

For 20yrs I've helped elite performers get the most out of themselves. It's the topic of my book Win the Inside Game

Here are the key lessons: 1. Success causes us to narrow toward obsession, which helps in the short term, but backfires over the long haul. Perspective is the cure

2. Hard mindless work is easy. Hard intentional work is hard.

Youth sports in the US are a disaster driven by egos & money.

70% of kids drop out of sports by 13

Fear of failure & pressure to perform from parents & coaches is one of the biggest reasons

We need to do better

Here's my youth sports manifesto for parents. It's important: First, what's the point of youth sports?

They get at our basic psychological needs:
-We belong
-We can make progress
-We can have an impact

It's not about achievements. It's having a space to challenge ourselves in a healthy way.

To explore what you're interested in, what you're capable of, in a place that isn't life or death competition.

It's to learn how to be a teammate, to navigate conflict.

It's establishing good physical health practices.

Endurance sport is mental training

You are alone in your head for long periods of time with ever increasing levels of discomfort. You have a goal that half your mind is screaming to abandon

You repeat this day after day & have no option but to figure it out

Some tools to help: 1. Don't fight the discomfort. Accept it.

What we resist, persists.

Discomfort is your brains "Low gas" warning light.
Acknowledge it but then realize you get to decide what to do with that information.

At 24, I got my dream job. I was coaching Olympians for Nike.

It turned into a nightmare

I spent 10 years as a whistleblower. It was crazy. The FBI visited me. My career was threatened

Here are 10 lessons I wish I knew that helped me navigate the hardest period of my life: 1. You will go against your values. What matters is how you respond.

You are going to screw up. That’s normal. We all do and will. When we’re young we walk around with this simplistic view of the world; good and evil, right and wrong. At some point along the way that gets shattered. First, with other people. You may see a ‘good person’ go against that grain. Then, with ourselves. We do or say something that goes against everything we’ve been taught, and perhaps, everything we’ve stood for.

You won’t be the first or the last. In fact, those who think they will never do anything wrong are most susceptible to doing so. Part of growing up is recognizing the complexity and messiness. Both within the world and within yourself. We all mess up. We all take the wrong turn. But what matters next is the vital point.

What are you going to do? Research tells us that most people justify, rationalize, or double down. They default towards protection. We have an inbuilt psychological immune system that’s job is to keep that story that we are a good, decent person alive. And when evidence is presented that points in the other direction, our brain goes on a mission to make sure our image of our self is protected. Just look at the lengths frauds in business or cheats in sport go to rationalize their decision making process.

Our natural inclination is to protect our ego, to keep our sense of self in tact. That may save us of some guilt or anxiety in the short term, but it prevents the most important part of all of this: learning, adapting, and growing. When we rationalize, we prevent reflection. When we double down, we close off pathways that reverse course and make it right.

Regardless of what happens, of how bad you may feel, focus on what comes next. How do you respond? That’s the defining piece that will shape your future.

Endurance sport is mental training

You are alone in your head for long periods of time with ever increasing levels of discomfort. You have a goal that half your mind is screaming to abandon

You repeat this day after day & have no option but to figure it out

Some tools to help: Here are some ways to build that mental muscle:

1. Don't fight the discomfort. Accept it.

What we resist, persists.

Discomfort is your brains "Low gas" warning light.

Acknowledge it but then realize you get to decide what to do with that information.

How should you exercise if your goal is health and longevity?

There's a lot of BS and nonsense out there.

All sorts of acronyms that when it comes to health...don't matter.

Let's outline what actually works: While maximizing performance in a specific sport requires complexity and nuance, when it comes to health & longevity, the best way to exercise is actually pretty simple.

This might be a surprise. But the truth is: People overcomplicate it online.

You should NOT do these workouts as written

The disconnect between what’s done in the real world and what’s spread on social media is crazy

Why?

All out or as hard as you can workouts are RARE even in elites

The intensity is too high & isn’t the right stimulus

https://twitter.com/foundmyfitness/status/1844811732080021919

Especially with the first & third workouts where recovery is short

What should these workouts be?

Tabata- at 1mile pace
Wingate- depending on the goal, around 800 to 600 pace
1min on-off: Depending on goal: between 5k and 1mile pace.

Intervals should be purposeful not all out

As I prepare to turn 40 soon, my fitness goal is to be able to beat freshman in high school Steve...

That's not an easy task... (I ran 4:21 in the mile as a freshman), but I'm getting there.

How? Here's my old man training philosophy: 1. Don't do anything stupid. Focus on consistency. Take what my body gives me.

Injuries are the enemy. What used to take days to recover from now takes weeks.

So... I stop at the first hint of something wrong. Take time off when needed. And make very gradual changes.

Don't do this workout as written.

Do NOT try 4min MAX efforts.

For experienced: that workout should be at 5k-3k effort. NOT max
Novices: Better to break into sets of 1min pickups/rest @ 5k effort

Signed: Person with a 76 Vo2max
(more importantly an actual coach)

https://twitter.com/bryan_johnson/status/1839664743067631784

The problem with many inexperienced athletes is, as with Bryan, they can't distinguish efforts/paces.

Everything is thrown into "Max effort" or easy.

Part of getting fitter is understanding the nuance of effort/pacing.

It's a skill. But you have to be intentional on developing

This is how you know a book was written by someone who has no clue about running.

No, top women aren't faster than top men at 100+ miles. The ultra records show us this.

Let's stop comparing women's performance to men. There's an obvious difference. And that's okay.

https://twitter.com/robkhenderson/status/1828102545492922630

The only reason I call this out is because it's a longtime misconception that won't disappear.

And it's sad to see it in a popular, NY Times best selling book that otherwise seems solid.

Again, lots of ways to disprove, but the easiest is just look at the ultra records:

Update: One of the boxers own trainers confirms DSD.

The trainer reports they went to an endocrinologist, who said: "There is a problem with her hormones, with her chromosomes, but she is a woman."

Translation: DSD.

Just as expected. No Russian conspiracy

https://twitter.com/stevemagness/status/1819349587204743648

The IOC needed a clear DSD/Sex category policy and did NOT have one.

They created this mess. And everyone suffers.

What we still don't know: What type of DSD, but it's clear that it is one where T is elevated. So she'd have the advantage of going through male puberty

An inside look at the physiology of elite performance.

A lactate test on Olympic Marathon 4th placer, Emile Cairess.

What's going on here? Let's break it down. First, this test was provided by coach Renato Canova. It took place in the build up during May.

And consisted of 6x2k with short rest (35-45sec) + a faster 1200 to end.

Why this test?

Michael Phelps does not produce half the amount of lactic acid than everyone else.

That claim is going around. So here’s the debunk…

And even if he did, it wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing.

Oh…and lactate is good, not the enemy. So first off it’s lactate, not lactic acid.

Second. It doesn’t cause fatigue. It’s good. It’s a fuel. Our muscles and brains run on it.

Lactate is the way our body shuttles fuel from one muscle to another through our body.

If I hear one more time about Phelps' wingspan/lactic acid or Wembenyana's height, I'm going to tear my hair out.

Sorry to be harsh, but making that argument shows you don't have any understanding of sport or performance.

It falls apart based on a minute of critical thinking. If you'd like to understand why, I've outlined it in the thread and linked piece on Semenya:

https://x.com/stevemagness/status/1819349587204743648

So much information on the Algerian Boxer.

Let's clear up the mess in this thread.

1. They are NOT trans
2. The The IBA says she failed eligibility to compete as a female. We do not know test specifics.
3. If this is accurate, she is likely DSD (intersex).

What does this mean? 4. If she is DSD, it likely means she is 46 XY ARD. That's the most common in elite sport, as it retains the androgen advantage.

There are other DSDs, but nearly all that we see in sport except for complete androgen insufficiency, retain the androgen advantage.

I've spent a decade working with Olympians and pro athletes from every major league during their biggest moments.

Here are 8 lessons on handling pressure better that we can all use: 1. Get to the gun going off.

Our nerves dissipate once we move from waiting to action.

Why? The action shifts our focus. It's something we've done before. We're often experts at it.

Fill the space with routines, warm-ups, etc. to just make it to the gun going off.

What the research actually says? It’s not Vo2max.

It’s fitness. It’s speed you get up to during an exhaustive test that correlates with longevity.

Vo2max is a part of but not the whole thing.

Don’t train to increase your Vo2max. Train to get fit holistically.

https://twitter.com/FitFounder/status/1781697501352902952

Also there is nothing special about the “Norwegian workout.”

You’re better off varying your interval training length, speed, and rest period.

And it’s definitely not sprinting like it says in the thread. 🤦‍♂️