Minute 1: Marky Mark’s new favorite workout
F45 is the most popular workout you’ve never heard of, according to a new story on the exploding HIIT gym. And also according to Mark Wahlberg’s wallet. The former Funky Bunch headliner just invested in F45 which is valued at more than $600 million and has more locations than Pure Barre and Soul Cycle combined. High-Intensity Interval Training has spawned many gyms like Barry’s Boot Camp and CrossFit, but nothing quite like F45 whose name is derived from its grueling 45-minute functional workouts.
F45 rotates 31 circuits featuring thousands of different exercise moves. Their locations are low on amenities, but high on energy and engagement. We have written before on how HIIT workouts tend to burn the most fat and on how to get started with 4 HIIT Workouts for Beginners. If you don’t have an F45 in your neighborhood yet, you probably won’t have to wait long. The Australian company is opening more than 500 locations in the U.S. alone.
#formfollowsfunction
Minute 2: America runs on Dunkin’
Gimme a lahge regulah, a crullah and a pair of neutral trainahs. Just in time for the Boston Marathon, the coffee run just took on a new meaning. We absolutely love the new Saucony Kinvaras that dropped this week. These highly-rated running shoes carry Dunkin’ graphics and a swagger that says “I’ll see your kale salad and raise you a dozen Munchkins.” Ad Age likes the strategy and so do runners. Last year’s version of the shoe now sells on eBay for 3X the original price. Get ‘em while they last at Saucony’s website. Sweet t-shirts are also available.
#carboload
Minute 3: Foam rollers on steroids
Foam rollers have become the seat belts of modern work-outs. Years ago, no one used them. Today, you’d be crazy not to use them. We have written before on the value of foam rolling, sharing 6 foam roller exercises that not only reduce soreness but stress as well. But just as the airbag improved on the seat belt, a new generation of warm-down tools are making foam rolling seem so last year.
The big trend now is toward electric-powered massage guns that pro athletes love and amateur athletes are beginning to adopt. Looser muscles and faster recoveries don’t come cheap, however. Top models will set you back $600. Before swiping a credit card for about a year’s worth of gym membership, you should learn more about the two most popular models. Here is a good review of the TheraGun and another one of the HyperVolt. And here is a review released last week that compares the two models.
#InstantMassaging
Minute 4: New milestone for man & his best friends
We love Labrador retrievers, running, and inspirational stories. So we fell hard for the tale of Thomas Panek who just made history at the NYC Half Marathon as the first blind person to complete the prestigious race without a human guide. A few months ago we shared an incredible story of perseverance from a woman who served as a guide to a blind runner at last year’s Boston Marathon in horrendous weather.
Now, Panek decided to do the race using only a group of 3 labs as guide dogs. According to a great story in Self, “Panek says he heard again and again that athletes who are blind simply couldn’t run with their guide dogs. It just wasn’t done. But when he took the helm at Guiding Eyes for the Blind five years ago, he asked, ‘Why not?’ And then he started to change the way things were done.” Kudos to NYRR for helping Panek to accomplish this milestone.
#doggeddetermination
Minute 5: Quick Intervals
- Joan Benoit Samuelson will run this year’s Boston Marathon, marking the 40th anniversary of her first Boston win as a 21-year-old college student. Samuelson last ran Boston in 2015 when she broke 3 hours.
- Speaking of marathons, we enjoyed this running story from an unlikely source, Popular Science. Writer Claire Maldarelli had never run more than 14 miles before notching a 3:21 on her first marathon attempt, despite only about 90 days of training. She leveraged some of the industry’s most advanced science, gear and research as part of a project sponsored by Nike. Her detailed account is a good read on both the physical and mental prep required with only a short lead time.
- For the first time in many years, bicycle helmets are experiencing a safety and design revolution. The new breed of protection is offering a better buffer against concussions and serious injury than earlier generations. The latest entrant is produced by Trek/Bontrager and features WaveCel plastic mesh that collapses upon impact, absorbing more shock and sparing the brain.
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
Cory George is the demonstration trainer for 3,800 exercises in the F45 repertoire. He filmed all of them in 2017 so the new fitness chain could show its members the ideal form for each rep. Cory is a former football player and current Adonis. And just in case you think his jacked frame is only for sauntering up and down the beach, he shows some impressive athleticism in this Instagram video post.
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