Welcome to the VPX Sports Supplement Blog

When I first stumbled upon the world of competitive obstacle racing back in 2011, I had been searching for a primal, purely physical challenge.  I had grown tired of road running and traditional cardio training, and figured that a good way to expand my horizon would be to try out a Spartan Race. As one of the pioneers in the obstacle racing world, Spartan builds some of the toughest courses in the sport, which range from 3-30 miles and are designed to test competitors’ resilience, strength, and stamina.

Listening to your body and understanding your limits can be a difficult thing to recognize for athletes at any level. Most athletes who exercise regularly have no problem taking rest days to recover; however some athletes who train too frequently for specific athletic events, may see signs of overtraining syndrome.  Proper rest and active recovery days can benefit your body to repair muscle fibers that are often fatigued and stressed during constant training. Common symptoms of overtraining syndrome include: washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy, mild leg soreness, general aches and pains, pain in muscles and joints, sudden drop in performance, insomnia, headaches, decreased immunity and damage to the central nervous system over time.

Standing on the start line at an obstacle race, it’s easy to find motivation. You see it in the eyes of the person next to you. You hear it in the shouts and cheers. You feel it amid the smoke and chants and near-tangible nervous energy of beginning a new adventure.  

In Part 1 of the Temperature Training blog we covered the difference between relative race temperature (RRT) and absolute race temperature plus tips on how to train for a warm weather OCR when you live in a cold environment. This blog will focus on the opposite, training in warm weather for a race that will take place in a cold climate.

One of the least acknowledged challenges a competitor faces in Obstacle Course Racing is the impact of relative race temperature (RRT). This differs from absolute race temperature, in that RRT is a comparison of the climate in which you train versus the climate in which you will race. With the sport still in its infancy and therefore the amount of available races in a specific geographic region still low, and with competitors targeting specific races that meet their own personal preferences for distance, difficulty, terrain, etc., it is not uncommon for an athlete to be traveling across the country or even internationally for a race.

Some tips and advice for beginning obstacle racers.

Why exercise alone?  It’s boring, lonely, and it’s much harder to stay motivated five to six days a week at the gym.  Music improves the situation, but it doesn’t replace the company you gain from a workout partner or group of people to interact with.

Many of you might be taking advantage of the summer by planning a nice trip or maybe you have to travel for business. Do you find it hard to get a workout in while travelling? It’s easy to let travelling get in the way of your health and fitness goals, but there are also plenty of ways to stay active and burn fat on the road. The old adage “if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail” rings true in this situation. Here are 5 simple, but effective tips to help you stay active and healthy on the road.

The technique of a proper bench press is something you have to master and the only way you can is by benching and benching often – at least once a week. You have to find your “groove.” That groove will ultimately be the plane of movement from lock out (the top of the movement), down to where you naturally bottom out then back up over your eyes to lock out. For some guys their natural bottom out might not be hitting your sternum, but actually a few inches above.

Everyone strives for the chiseled abs and flat tummy, and some still think it requires thousands of boring crunches to achieve them! One thing remains certain: no matter how developed your abdominal muscles are, they will never make a visual impact with a layer of fat covering them. Your diet alone may be the deal breaker when it comes to achieving your very own six-pack. A combination of consistent diet and exercise is necessary to rid your belly bulge. If your diet is to blame, maybe you need help from the fully integrated health, supplementation and fitness program VIVO 360°! If you are looking for a way to get off the floor and spice up your dull ab routine, keep reading.