THE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS PROTOCOL

HYROX DOUBLES VS SINGLES: WHAT CHANGES, AND WHAT IT MEANS AFTER 50

HYROX doubles vs singles: in Doubles, both partners run all 8 km together and split only the stations, at the same weights as singles. What that means for racers over 50, and what the research on partner training found.

6 min read →

NEW TO F45, CROSSFIT OR HYROX CLASSES? WHY THE FIRST WEEKS HURT, AND HOW TO EASE IN

New group classes like F45, CrossFit and HYROX often leave beginners very sore. What the research measured about delayed-onset soreness, the repeated bout effect, how tendons adapt more slowly than muscle, and CrossFit injury data, plus the four-week ramp-up from The Functional Fitness Protocol.

5 min read →

WHAT CHASING MORE MILES COSTS AFTER 50: WHAT THE HEART, RECOVERY AND DEPENDENCE RESEARCH MEASURED

Very high endurance volume has a research literature of its own: a Copenhagen mortality curve, atrial fibrillation data, coronary calcium scans in veteran runners, and exercise-dependence screening. Here is what each study measured, including the age detail on atrial fibrillation that runs the other way for athletes over 50.

6 min read →

THE NUMBERS NOBODY TALKS ABOUT: WHAT TWO DECADES OF ENDURANCE RACING ACTUALLY COSTS

Most endurance athletes past fifty have never actually added up what their racing years have cost — in time, money, and cumulative mechanical wear. Here's the honest ledger, and the five-minute audit to run your own.

6 min read →

WHY I SWITCHED TO CROSSFIT AND HYROX AFTER TWO DECADES OF ENDURANCE RACING

Nineteen years of triathlon, 300+ finish lines, and a cardiology literature that finally made me ask what I should be training instead of just how much. Why grip strength, power output, and mobility took over where mileage left off.

8 min read →

MOBILITY IS THE NEW BASE MILEAGE

Decades of running and cycling build a powerful aerobic engine and quietly restrict the hips, ankles, and thoracic spine. Chapter 8 makes the case for treating mobility work like base mileage.

5 min read →

THE HOUR THAT REPLACES TEN: WHY FUNCTIONAL TRAINING BEATS ENDURANCE VOLUME AFTER 50

A serious Ironman training block runs 10-20 hours a week. A competitive Hyrox or CrossFit week runs 4-6. Here's the honest, hour-by-hour comparison -- and why the gap matters more, not less, after 50.

5 min read →

GRIP STRENGTH IS THE LONGEVITY METRIC ENDURANCE ATHLETES IGNORE

The PURE study tracked 139,691 adults across 17 countries and found grip strength predicts all-cause mortality better than blood pressure. Most endurance athletes have never tested it. Here is what the data shows — and the three exercises that move the number.

8 min read →

WHY POWER OUTPUT DECLINES FASTER THAN STRENGTH AFTER 50 — AND HOW TO STOP IT

Endurance training develops sustained aerobic output, not power, the rate of force development. In studies of older adults, power declined faster than strength. Here is what the research measured and how Hyrox, CrossFit, and HIIT train it.

7 min read →