Fitness Resources

The books, programs, and social media accounts that have been instrumental in my athletic development.

I have previously made several posts on gratitude. One emphasizing the practice and one collective considerations on the concept.

Regular reflection and gratitude keep me motivated and wanting to improve. If not for the present and future benefits, then to honor those who provided me the opportunity.

I’m fortunate in countless ways. When considering my physical abilities and accomplishments in jiu-jitsu competitions or a world record in burpees, there is zero chance I’d have had any success without the various forms of support I’ve received since getting into athletics as a child.

I could write all day about the people in my life and how incredible they’ve been throughout such as my children, wife, parents, sister, other family, friends, coaches, teammates, and mentors. I wanted to use this post, however, to share the books, programs and online resources I have gained knowledge and support from throughout my career thus far. 

If you’ve read any of my Intentional Stress Workout of the Week posts (all listed in corresponding tag in my navigation bar), you’ll know I emphasize the mental side of any workout more than the physical. 

Exercise can is an excellent vehicle for resilience training with prepared mental states. 

Concepts like perceived exertion, reframing, nasal breathing, flow states, clutch states, emotional intelligence, grit, and pain tolerance can all be specifically trained during a physical challenge. As you become more proficient in a particular skill, it can then be transferred and applied to other domains in your life.

My ability to program workouts while emphasizing the mental side of a challenge has come from years of trial and error leading to progressive improvement.

Learning through experience. 

The resources below reflect a good portion of the knowledge and inspiration I’ve gained from books and online resources. 

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” -Bruce Lee

Books

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Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett

Kelly Starrett is a world-renowned physical therapist whose writing and videos are amongst the best in the world for all things fitness and mobility. This book is the one to get if you’re interested in proper form of any functional movement. Pain resolution and injury prevention protocols are also emphasized but my love for this book came from its in-depth descriptions of how to optimize technique for athletic performance.