Core Daily
The Performance Life
Mark Verstegen and a team of experts and writers provide useful strategies to perform great, while talking about their own goals and challenges as they practice the Core Performance tenets in their daily lives.
The Performance Life
New Book: The Brown Fat Revolution
James Lyons would seem like an unlikely person to write a book on nutrition and exercise. After all, as a plastic surgeon, he’s often approached by people looking for quick-fix solutions after neglecting both areas.
But after spending nearly three decades as a surgeon, Lyons has developed an interesting perspective on fat. When working on patients who have adhered to a healthy lifestyle, he notices their fat is leaner and browner in color. Those who have followed poor diets and failed to exercise have yellow, “greasy” fat.
The Performance Life
October's Top Stories
sth on flickr
With the days getting shorter and so much to watch on Hulu, we know how challenging it can be to keep up with your health and performance. So we've rounded up our most popular tips, recipes and workouts from the past month to help you stay current.
The Performance Life
Fueling Herself for the Field
Vicky Arthur
Age: 18
Hometown: Kensington, Md.
Occupation: Student athlete, University of Connecticut
The Challenge
Vicky Arthur was a 13-year-old eighth grader when she received a copy of the original Core Performance book in 2004.
Back then, her sport of choice was rock climbing and she competed at a high level across the country. The Core Performance program helped her create the stability and mobility needed to excel in a demanding sport that requires both. As she advanced to high school, her focus turned to team sports and field hockey, where core conditioning was equally important.
The Performance Life
Feel Like an Athlete Again
Kirsten Gross
Age: 31
Hometown: Santa Monica, Ca.
Occupation: Director of Corporate Compliance
The Challenge
Kirsten Gross always had been an elite-level tennis player, first as a competitive junior player and later at Yale. But after graduating in 2000, she became immersed in the corporate world, earning an MBA at Southern Cal in 2007. Working long hours, she soon found herself 20 pounds heavier and feeling anything but like an athlete.
The Performance Life
Time-Saving Training Plan
Fred Rzymek
Age: 56
Hometown: Safety Harbor, Florida
Occupation: Outside facilities technician, telecommunications industry
The Challenge:
Fred Rzymek is a busy guy. When he’s not installing and repairing phone, Internet, and television services for a major telecommunications company, he’s running a screen printing business and operating a race management company that puts on three triathlons and numerous running races in the Tampa Bay area. Other race directors hire him to assist with their events.
A triathlete himself since 1983, Rzymek (pronounced “RIZZ-mick”) finds time to compete in six to eight events a year, usually finishing among the top five in his age group. But with a grueling work schedule and a training regimen of running, swimming, cycling, and spin classes, his performance has suffered in recent years.
By mid-season, he experiences nagging back and hamstring injuries, and does not feel nearly as strong as he did years ago when strength training was a regular part of his program.
“You chase the performance side of triathlon and do the aerobic stuff and you forget the structural component,” Rzymek says. “You don’t do any of that and you think you’re in shape but you have no strength. Plus I could tell I was getting that hunched-over birdcage look.”
The Performance Life
Jen Freemas' Pregame Playlist
Meet Jen Freemas (that's her pictured above). Jen is a performance specialist for the Core Performance Center in Santa Monica, California and a former Track and Field athlete at the University of Massachusetts.
As you can imagine, juggling school, athletics and a social life got pretty hectic for Jen. “The music that I listened to helped to relax me and clear my mind," she says. "Track and Field is more mental than you might think."
The Performance Life
Getting Back to My “Drivers License Weight”
Warren Gorowitz
Age: 38
Hometown: Los Angeles
Occupation: Vice President, Ewing Irrigation Products
The Challenge
Warren Gorowitz spends 80 percent of his time on the road overseeing a company with 195 stores in 22 states, along with educating the public and government officials on water conservation.
That makes him a very busy road warrior who sometimes struggles to eat right and fit in runs. He belongs to two national gym chains, but admits he’s often inclined to wing it when it comes to his distance running. He entered his first half marathon (13.1 miles) having never run more than a 10K (6.2 miles) and embarked upon his first marathon in January 2008 having never attempted a distance longer than the half marathon.
In both instances, he finished the race but wondered how he might do by following an integrated training program. He also would like to get back to his “drivers license weight” of 172, which he’s listed during renewals since college, even though his weight has increased to 189.
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Popular Stories
Daily Quick
"When performed properly within a well designed workout, plyometrics can help improve your strength and power, and add an exciting twist to conventional training."
— from "Plyometrics: A Primer" in Core Knowledge.
Train Movements, Not Muscles
Your muscles are a team, and by training them that way, you’ll get better results.
Click here for more videos from our experts.
4-10
xThe increased frequency with which female athletes sustain ACL injuries compared to male athletes in the same sport.
Live Better
Play Better
Blogs
One Small Change
Are We Drinking Too Much?
Follow along (or join with) as writer Joe Kita begins his newest health-boosting experiment: drinking less alcohol.
Live Better
Tylenol May Weaken Flu Shot
Read this before getting a flu shot for you or your child to get the full benefit.
Play Better
Training with Ronnie Brown
Check out this footage of Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown working out at Athletes' Performance.
The Performance Life
New Book: The Brown Fat Revolution
An interesting perspective on dieting and fat from plastic surgeon James Lyons.
News
New Core Performance Book for Women Coming Soon!
Core Performance founder Mark Verstegen and noted author Pete Williams have written a new book specifically for women.
Secrets to Success
Tony Stewart on Taking Charge
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart shares his tips for making the jump from employee to owner.
