Investigating the world of fitness, so you don’t have to.
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Shoeless Joe
When it comes to running footwear, sometimes less is more.
By Nick Heil
ON A WARM MARCH DAY, in a fit of spring fever, I drove to a nearby park, whipped off my shoes and socks, and set out for a run. I wasn’t just trying to get in touch with my inner Tarahumara; I was investigating the new trend in “natural-motion” running, the purest embodiment of which involves jogging sans shoes…
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JUNE 2009: Running Barefoot
When it comes to running footwear, sometimes less is more.
MAY 2009: The Perfect Squat
An old-school move holds the key to unlocking your power—if only you can do it right.
FEBRUARY 2009: The Tortoise & The Stair
No mountain? No problem. As our man discovered, racing up a skyscraper provides a challenge as daunting as many high peaks.
DECEMBER 2008: Short, But Not So Sweet
Want to get in shape on your coffee break? Try insta-workouts—just don’t get carried away.
NOVEMBER 2008: The Hell On Earth Fitness Plan
There’s an ominous buzz coming from Salt Lake City’s Gym Jones, where owner and climber Mark Twight has created a torturous strength-and-conditioning program.
OCTOBER 2008: Off The Wall
Is this parkour thing for real?
SEPTEMBER 2008: Online Training
Inside the maddening new world of online training.
AUGUST 2008: Physical Fitness Test
Uncle Sam’s Presidential Fitness program endorses video games. When did we go soft?
JUNE 2008: Rowbike
Our man tests one of the wackiest fitness hybrids yet, a full-body-throttling rower on wheels.
FEBRUARY 2008: Tread Lightly
With the help of a gravity-busting treadmill, the Lab Rat endangers a world record.
JANUARY 2008: Holding My Own
New compression garments—don’t call them tights—get a grudging endorsement.
NOVEMBER 2007: Legal Aid
Can two ounces of 5-Hour Energy—a fatigue-fighting drink that claims to be a healthy alternative to other sugar-rich energy drinks—deliver?
SEPTEMBER 2007: Elevated
Can Viagra really improve high-altitude performance?
JULY 2007: Quiet Feet
Go with the flow, say ChiRunners, and your legs will follow.
JUNE 2007: The Payoff
Train with purpose, pack your calendar with challenging events, and something remarkable happens: Fitness ceases to be a chore and becomes part of your life.
MARCH 2007: Chill Out
Our aching Lab Rat tests the world’s most expensive ice pack.
FEBRUARY 2007: Revving Up
Can a performance supplement be legal, healthy, and effective? The Lab Rat pops a fistful to find out.
JANUARY 2007: Pace Setter
With the latest iPod evolution, our human guinea pig turns on, tunes in, and…drops out?
DECEMBER 2007: The Pain Cave
To find your limits, you must go past them.
