Why you keep failing the POPAT, even though you are fit enough.

Periodically I get a client who has trained their butt off and is ready to smash the POPAT. Their numbers are good. They're strong enough and fit enough. Then they go to take the POPAT.... and they fall short. Time, after time.

So what's the deal?

GENERALLY, I FIND 3 MAIN REASONS WHY SOMEONE WILL FAIL THE POPAT, EVEN IF THEY ARE FIT ENOUGH.

These reasons are: 1. Pacing, 2. Timidness, 3. No warm-up...

Read More
Mark Murdoch
My Favorite Mobility Tools

Mobility is important. Like, super important. It might even be more important than strength training... I tend to like my toys, which means I spend a lot of time testing out mobility tools. Below I is a list of my favorite/most used tools.

Read More
Mark Murdoch
How to sleep better Part 2 - Sleep Hygiene

This week we talk about creating the ideal sleeping environment. There are many details to consider in this regard, but these little details can make all the difference.

In keeping with the Paleo/Primal theme, before we discuss our bed and bedroom we must consider how we have evolved as humans. We have been genetically programmed to produce melatonin for 12 hours a day. Melatonin is the chemical signal for our body to induce sleep. Therefore we require darkness or very dim light devoid of blue light for that amount of time. In today's day and age, that is not so. Starting work so early, an extended evening full of artificial light, TVs, iPads, computers, nightclubs, and nighttime driving all create a spike in cortisol (the bodies primary stress hormone)...

Read More
Mark Murdoch
How to sleep better Part 1 - Ten Sleep Hacks

Getting a good quality sleep starts from the moment you wake up. If you have sleep issues, wake up feeling tired, lethargic or headachy, or just want to improve the overall quality of your sleep, then you need to read on. In this day and age of working long hours, TV until midnight, Facebook, computers, phones, shiftwork, and parties, we are constantly bombarded by fake light. A fascinating study showed that one small beam of light shining on a person’s leg while they slept spiked the stress hormone cortisol! This leads to unrestful sleep...

Read More
Mark Murdoch
The 7 Movements your need to Master - Part 4: Gait (Running)

Today we tackle the most complex, yet the most underappreciated category of the fundamental movement patterns. Today we talk about Gait, or in other words, Running. The unfortunate reality is most people suck at running. This is surprising because it is fundamental to human performance. If you look at the stats, running is the most dangerous sport with over 75% of runners suffering some sort of injury annually. But this doesn't need to be the case.

Read More
The 7 Movements you need to Master - Part 1: Push and Pull

Human movement is complex. We can move in multiple planes, with extremely complex joint kinematics, or produce high forces at stunning velocities. Despite the inherent complexities of human movement, most movements can be broken down and contain aspects of 7 fundamental archetypes.

Today we focus on the first two fundamental patterns: The Push and the Pull.

Read More