Fitness

I’m a run coach and I refuse to run without these three things

Published

3 months ago

March 26, 2025

I’m a run coach and I refuse to run without these three things

When I first started running after a 100lb weight loss, I went out in clothes I already owned and some old shoes.

As I began to compete in obstacle course, trail and then ultra races, I invested more time and money into the sport and worked my way through more gear than I care to mention, looking for that perfect combination of comfort and function.

My kit list grew and changed, and still is to this day, and of course what I wear and what I bring on a run will depend on how long it is and whether I’m running on trails, on the road, or racing.

But there’s a select group of three things that I refuse to run without.

They’re all affordable and I highly recommend you give them a try.

1. SPIbelt

(Image credit: Amber Nelson / Future)

I had tried various running belts—including a FlipBelt, Fitgriff running belt, and a Nathan running belt—but didn’t get on with any of them. There was always something that made them uncomfortable, so I’m grateful a friend introduced me to the SPIbelt.

The mostly elastic and spandex construction of the SPIbelt allows it to mold to your body and follow your natural movements so it isn’t a nuisance.

The SPIbelt is discrete and impressively functional for a simple elasticated adjustable belt with an expandable elastic zipper pocket.

The pocket appears small, but it can expand to fit your phone, keys and gels. It’s truly surprising how much you can fit into a single pocket.

You may experience a bit of bounce if you pack the pouch too full, but if that occurs I typically just tuck it into my waistband, its design is minimal enough to allow for that.

SPIbelt also has different options, including belts with two pockets in case you are running long distances and need more storage for fuel.

Spibelt Original Pocket Running Belt for Women Men, Phone Holder for Running, Running Fanny Pack, Holder for Phone,running Waist Pack,pouch Expands, Adjustable, Cloudy Grey With Black Zipper

2. Goodr sunglasses

Woman in sportswear giving thumbs up to camera with mouth open and a happy expression

(Image credit: Amber Nelson / Future)

Like the SPIbelt, a fellow runner introduced me to Goodr sunglasses. Originally, I ordered a couple of pairs because they had a lot of fun designs. Once I had them in hand, I realized how functional they were and have continued to stock up.

I currently have three pairs of the traditional style and one pair of the aviators which are more my everyday sunglasses. While having multiple pairs may not seem necessary, Goodr sunglasses come in a variety of lens tints to suit light conditions different light conditions—handy because I wear them in all conditions, including blizzards (yes, blizzards).

I always run in sunglasses, because as well as blocking out the sun (all of Goodr’s lenses are polarized, have glare-reducing properties and UV protection), they shield your eyes from rain, snow and wind, which is why I always have them on hand when I run.

The best part about Goodr is its no-bounce, no-slip design. These sunglasses won’t fall off even when running down a hill or in crazy winds. And they even stay put if you push them onto the top of your head.

Goodr Going to Valhalla...witness! Polarized Sunglasses for Men & Women, Medium Sized (og), Dark Gray Translucent Frames With Chrome Mirrored Reflective Lenses, Uv400 Protection, No Slip

Goodr Going to Valhalla…witness! Sunglasses

Goodr I Pickled These Myself Polarized Round Sunglasses for Men & Women, Small Sized (circle G), Teal Translucent Frames With Purple Pink Mirrored Reflective Lens, Uv400 Protection, No Slip, No Bounce

Goodr I Pickled These Myself Polarized Round Sunglasses

Goodr Amelia Earhart Ghosted Me Polarized Aviator Sunglasses for Men & Women, Large Sized (mach G), Brown Translucent Frames With Brown Non-Reflective Lenses, Uv400 Protection, No Slip, No Bounce

Goodr Amelia Earhart Ghosted Me Polarized Aviator Sunglasses

3. Baleaf shorts

Woman in sportswear stands on top of mountain holding sign that reads

Wearing Baleaf’s 5-inch compression shorts

(Image credit: Amber Nelson)

Comfort is everything when running. Whether you’re running for two hours or two miles, having shorts that fit well and don’t rub in all the wrong places is crucial. It took me a long time to find ones that I love, and once I did, I bought multiple pairs of each.

My favorite compression shorts are the Baleaf 5-inch compression shorts with pockets and a seamless crotch. I race, run and lift weights in these shorts and have been wearing them for four years. I have yet to find a pair that compares, even from more expensive brands.

I also really like the Baleaf 3-inch quick-dry running shorts, which are in the looser, more traditional style. Recently, the design changed slightly, but the only difference is the addition of the drawstring to the waist and taking away the useless side zipper pockets. These shorts are lightweight and move with your body, so I haven’t experienced any chafing. There’s a 5-inch version as well.

Baleaf Sweatleaf Women's Workout Shorts Compression Biker Shorts Pockets Yoga Volleyball High Waisted Tummy Control Spandex Black L 5 inch

Baleaf Sweatleaf Women’s Workout Shorts Compression Biker Shorts

Baleaf Women's Athletic Shorts 3" High Waist Running Shorts With Zipper Pockets Workout Gym Sports Quick Dry Upf 50+ Black L 3 inch

Baleaf Women’s Athletic Shorts

Baleaf Women's 5" Workout Shorts Gym Running Shorts Athletic With Liner High Waistband Quick Dry Sports Zipper Pockets Black M 5 inch

Baleaf Women’s Workout Shorts

Fitness

Build Muscle in Minutes with ‘Hypertrophy Snacks’

Published

15 hours ago

June 25, 2025

Press Room

Build Muscle in Minutes with ‘Hypertrophy Snacks’

‘Exercise snacks’ have been studied for years, and new research adds to the growing evidence of their benefits for overall health, muscle strength and size, cardiovascular fitness, and glycemic control. Often called ‘resistance exercise snacks’, this approach involves short, sharp training sessions, each lasting less than 10 minutes, that can lead to meaningful muscle gains.

Less time and more gains? We’re listening. We break down the new research, and include three 5-minute workouts for your desk breaks.

The Review

The research, published in Sports Medicine and Health Research, set out to evaluate the effectiveness of “exercise snacks” — regular, short bouts of physical activity — in improving physical fitness and metabolic health among sedentary populations. The researchers aimed to determine whether brief periods of exercise could help mitigate the negative health impacts of prolonged sedentary behaviour, such as sitting, which is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

The Methods

The study reviewed existing research on exercise snacks, focusing on interventions that involved short bursts of physical activity repeated multiple times throughout the day. These were conducted in different settings (home, office or school). The review analysed the impact on muscle strength and hypertrophy, aerobic fitness, energy metabolism and the metabolic impacts on markers such as insulin sensitivity, fat oxidation and muscle adaptations.

The Results

The researchers found that:

Westend61//Getty Images

Exercise snacks were effective in reducing postprandial blood glucose (blood sugar levels after eating), insulin levels, and triglyceride levels. They increased fat oxidation and improved overall metabolic health.
Exercise snacks led to improvements in cardiovascular respiratory fitness, an important factor in reducing the risk of cardiovascular illnesses.
Vigorous intermittent exercises, such as stair climbing and sprints, were beneficial for muscle strength.
Moderate intermittent exercises, like 10-minute resistance training sessions, were particularly beneficial for older adults.
Exercise snacks could be an effective alternative to longer more infrequent training sessions, maximising the cumulative effect of training volume across the week to increase muscle mass.
Resistance exercise snacks, performed once or twice daily may help maintain and increase muscle protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle growth.
Exercise snacks can increase leg muscle strength and size in older adults without the high intensity of traditional resistance exercises. This could be a safe and effective alternative for older exercisers.

The Conclusion

The researchers concluded that exercise snacks are an easy and effective method in reducing the health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles. These exercise snacks can provide a practical, time efficient way of integrating physical activity into daily routines, promoting better health, fitness, muscle strength and size.

What Does This Mean for Us?

Another large-scale review, published in Sports Medicine, has already investigated the effects of exercise snacks, highlighting the health benefits of incorporating them into our daily routine. This more recent study also noted additional benefits for muscle mass and strength. In light of this promising evidence, we can include hypertrophy snacks once or twice a day — after a quick warm-up — using the following examples:

Hypertrophy Snack for Chest and Triceps

1a) Press-ups x AMRAP (as many reps as possible) and 3 sets / 20 seconds rest

1b) Bench dips x 15 reps and 3 sets / 20 seconds rest

Hypertrophy Snack for Legs

1a) Air squats x 20 reps and 3 sets / 20 seconds rest

1b) Stair sprints x 1 minute / Walking lunges x 20 reps and 3 sets / 20 seconds rest

Hypertrophy Snack for Full Body AMRAP 5 Minutes

Dual dumbbell squat x 5 reps

Dumbbell push press x 5 reps

Dumbell Romanian deadlift x 5 reps

Dumbbell bent over row x 5 reps

Fitness

Hyrox Elite 15 athlete says this surprising exercise can improve your burpee broad jumps

Published

1 day ago

June 24, 2025

Press Room

Hyrox Elite 15 athlete says this surprising exercise can improve your burpee broad jumps

If you’re training for a Hyrox, then you’ll know you there are a lot of elements you need to brush up on, from strength to endurance, and power, in order to prepare you for the race’s eight workout stations. One of which is the burpee broad jumps.

In a survey carried out by Trio Fitness Training with 410 participants, burpee board jumps were voted the hardest Hyrox station (followed by wall balls and lunges). It doesn’t come as a massive shock, as having to jump as far as possible on already tired legs is pretty torturous and can lead to a lactic overload.

However, if you’re struggling to make yours more efficient or less exhausting, the key to improvement might lie in an unexpected place. According to Red Bull Athlete Lucy Procter, who recently took 5th place at the Hyrox World Championships in Chicago, there’s one surprising exercise that can seriously level up your performance – and it’s probably not what you think.

How to improve your burpee broad jumps

The exercise Lucy recommends is actually working on your bench press – as we said, probably not what you thought. “That movement off the floor is essentially a bench press, so build that and it will help you get off the floor quickly,” she tells us over video call.

Instead of focusing on absolute strength here, it’s probably more beneficial to work on strength endurance – so higher reps and slightly lighter weights – as you’ll be pushing your body off the ground more than once.

We have a full bench press guide for those who need some pointers on how to nail the perfect pressing pattern. But, remember you don’t have to use a barbell and weight bench; you can use a pair of dumbbells, or you could even do a floor press, or even work on your push-ups, if you don’t have access to weights.

Pressing obviously makes up one part of the movement, the jump is the second part. “The further you can jump, the less reps you have to do, so power development and anything that can help you jump further is also key,” she says.

For this, Lucy focuses on different jump variations, like box jumps, burpees to plate (that’s a weight plate), and burpees wearing a weighted vest – “they’re always a good one, because as soon as you take that vest off you’re flying!” Lucy adds.

Lucy also took 2nd place in the women’s doubles, alongside Sinead Bent, at the World Championships. You can watch more of her and other elite athletes ‘ journey into the world of Hyrox with Red Bull’s brand new, free 5-part docuseries ‘Beyond The Rox’ – available to watch on Red Bull TV now.

Fitness

These 5 Mistakes Are Killing Your Arm Gains, Says Exercise Scientist

Published

2 days ago

June 23, 2025

Press Room

These 5 Mistakes Are Killing Your Arm Gains, Says Exercise Scientist

If you’re hammering away at your hammer curls to no avail, sports scientist Dr Mike Israetel delivers a sharp dose of reality, highlighting the top arm training mistakes we’re making.

In a recent YouTube video, he outlines five of the most common mistakes people make when training arms, from range of motion to outdated programming habits and forgetting to train our forearms. Whether you’re training your arms for aesthetics or performance, these are the principles you’ll want to revisit.

5 Arm Training Mistakes You Need to Avoid

1/ You Don’t Need a Dedicated ‘Arm Day’

The myth that biceps and triceps must be trained together, on the same day, is both outdated and unnecessary. ‘There is no distinct benefit of this,’ Dr Israetel explains. ‘In fact, if your biceps are sufficiently pumped, it actually limits the range of motion on your triceps.’

He continues to explain that the problem lies within recovery strategies: ‘Triceps get sore for like two or three days. Biceps recover in a day or two. So if you’re always trying to train them together, you’ll have to needlessly constrict the amount of effort or volume you do for triceps.’

Sure, an arm day can be fun, but ‘if you have to screw up the rest of your programme to keep an arm day in the mix, consider not doing that,’ advises Dr Israetel.

2/ Getting Stuck in Fixed Rep Ranges

‘Sets of 5 to 8 can 100% grow your biceps and triceps really well… so can sets of 12 all the way up to even 30,’ says Dr Israetel. ‘Any rep range that works best for a while will eventually get stale, and variation will promote more growth.’ In other words, don’t be afraid to explore varied rep ranges when your current ones get easy.

3/ Not Maximising the Stretch

Isbjorn//Getty Images

‘People do cable extensions halfway down… bicep curls when they don’t ever get a deep stretch.’ And while standing curls might feel tough, Dr Israetel warns they’re often ineffective due to gravity’s unhelpful angle.

The fix for this? Lying dumbbell curls. Which Israetel says is ‘probably one of the most brutal and effective ways to train your bicep’. Why? Because ‘It stretches your bicep under its most maximum load… at that very deep part of the stretch.’

He says this is the same for exercises such as skull crushers: ‘going all the way down… you’re going to get more pumps, more soreness, more growth.’

4/ Not Training Arms Enough

If you’re hitting your arms once a week, and are serious about increasing size, you may want to up the ante says Dr Israetel, ‘Your triceps, you can train in most cases, hard, two to three times a week. Your biceps you can train in most cases hard three to four times a week.

‘These are small muscles, they do not take one week to recover’. If your split allows for it, slot in two to four dedicated arm sessions per week – assuming recovery is on point.

5/ Forgetting the Forearms

‘Your forearms can contribute massively to how big your overall arms look,’ says Dr Israetel. If you want to really maximise how big our arms look, he advises: ‘Three to six sets of some kind of forearm curls… multiple times per week will get you notably bigger forearms.’