Riak Fitness

In this Cycle Seminar, we discussed the important of mental recovery/preparation and how sometimes, it is infinitely more important to look after your mental state rather than your muscular development…

Here is a stretch protocol to use after any cycle or run sessions.  It pays particular attention to releasing the hips and hip flexors.

One of the most frustrating things about fitting in training around work and social commitments is having your favourite break-through session planned for the morning and then realising your assumed 90-minute slot is really a hectic 45-minute session followed by what feels like a 90% chance of stress induced pulmonary implosion as you leg it for the train minutes after a monstrous run set.

Concern about bodyweight is a psychological issue I would aver affects every single athlete. The motivations for losing or maintaining a certain weight can be wide ranging but I fear there is a great deal of confusion out there as to how to go about it. Unfortunately, the safest approaches take time and with many unwilling to commit to long-term change, they resort to more extreme methods, the consequences of which, can be extremely hazardous.

We live in a time when we are bombarded with images of a so-called ideal aesthetic. It is often athletic, heavily muscled yet extremely lean and with very bright white teeth. If you do not fit this aesthetic, like the overwhelming majority of the population of this planet do not, then it can be a source of anxiety and insecurity.

If you struggle with sleep or often feel rank in the mornings, it can be incredibly stressful and affect your ability to train and your relationships with the people around you. Just as with anything else that stresses you out, half the battle can be getting a plan in place to deal with it.

We all have ‘mental health’, and the relationship between athletic training and your psychological well-being is a complicated one. In Part 1 of this series, we look at mental recovery and how it is every bit as important as physical recovery.

Some tips on how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) a return of the ‘Beast from the East’.

A note on what we believe to be the fundamentals of a successful training regime.