Endurance...The Ultimate Measure of Ability?

For most guys, a feat of endurance can be sitting through nine innings of a ballgame without getting up to go the bathroom. But for a select few athletes, a true test of the human spirit can be anything from three-day long runs to transatlantic swims. With a focus on the power of the human spirit, Men's Fitness looks at seven feats that pushed the limits of what we are truly capable of accomplishing.

The Longest Tennis Match

On average, a tennis match lasts about three and a half hours. A long game can go up to five. But during the 2010 Wimbledon championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played a match that lasted for over 11 hours. The longest contest in professional tennis history, the match consisted of 183 games held over the course of three days with the longest set going for over eight hours. With 28 different ball boys working in rotation, the players slurped coconut water and munched on chicken to keep their energy up over the exhausting playing period. And although they were given breaks to rest at night, both men were seen practicing during the time they had off. In the end, however, Isner came out with the hard-fought victory — and the worst case of tennis elbow in history.

 

Longest Fight in Boxing

In the days before ringside judges, state commissions and million dollar paydays, boxers duked it out until one man was left standing. Unsurprisingly, this "survival of the fittest" approach to the sport often resulted in endless brawls, specifically on April 6, 1893, when Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought for an unbelievable 111 three-minute rounds. Trading blows for seven hours and 19 minutes, the pugilists pummeled each other until the referee finally called a stop to the massacre and ruled it a draw. And although there wasn't a decisive winner, this epic battle took a serious toll on both fighters. Burke was said to have broken all the bones in both of his hands and soon retired, while Bowen was killed in the ring in his next fight.

 

First Person To Swim the Atlantic

The next time you're finishing up an exhausting round of laps at your local gym, think of Benoit Lecomte. One of the greatest long-distance swimmers to ever live, the Frenchman is credited with being the first person to successfully swim across the Atlantic Ocean without the benefit of a kick board. Doggy paddling for around 73 days, Lecomte covered approximately 3,716 miles of deep-sea to complete this mammoth task in 1998. Beginning in Hyannis, Massachusetts, the athlete swam in two hour sessions for up to eight hours a day until he reached his goal over two months later in Quiberon, Brittany, France. And if you're wondering how Lecomte avoided becoming great white food, he was tailed by a boat with an electromagnetic field that warded off sharks.

 

The Superhuman Run

Considered to be the best endurance runner on earth, Dean Karnazes was covering ridiculous distances from the time he was in grade school. As he grew, so did his accomplishments, and on October 18, 2005, the California native completed one of the most awe inspiring runs of all time when he pulled off a nonstop, 350-mile run around the San Francisco Bay area. Beginning his trek on a Wednesday afternoon, Karnazes pushed himself for over 80 hours of relentless pavement pounding until he finally finished his journey on Saturday night. The runner's abilities are so exceptional, he was recently featured on Stan Lee's History channel series Superhumans where his phenomenal gifts were attributed to an uncommon lack of lactic acid buildup in his system while running. That should come in handy when Karnazes attempts his next goal of running 500 miles.

 

Highest Climbs Without the Aid of Oxygen

Like Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps, Italian alpinist Karl Unterkircher was the rare type of athlete who was seemingly constructed for his chosen sport. This preternatural ability allowed the skilled climber to accomplish something no other man has done when he scaled both Mount Everest and K2 in 2004 without the aid of oxygen tanks. The two highest peaks on Earth, Tibet's Everest and China's K2 both reach peaks of over 22,000 feet and have claimed hundreds of lives. Unterkircher not only conquered treacherous passes and deadly climbs, but oxygen levels so low that he risked passing out from exhaustion just by breathing. Sadly, while Unterkircher reached many summits, he fell into a chasm while climbing the Nanga Parbat Mountain in the Himalayas in 2008 and is presumed dead.

 

The Longest Breath

Believe it or not, illusionist David Blaine briefly held a Guinness World Record after holding his breath underwater for 17 minutes and four seconds live on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The illusionist would not stay on top for long, however, as German diver Tom Sietas set out to top Blaine. One of the world's leading free drivers, Sietas has set records for swimming to depths of nearly 700 feet without the aid of oxygen tanks. The Hamburg native has been able to reach these frightening points thanks to an amazing lung capacity, which helped him best Blaine on December 30, 2008, when he submerged himself underwater for 17 minutes and 19 seconds.

 

The Super Cyclist

By traveling from the southwestern point of Land's End to John o' Groats in the northeast, it is possible to cover all of Great Britain in an uninterrupted trip. This course, popular with tourists, takes about three months to cover on foot and about two weeks on a bicycle. But in 2001, cyclist Gethin Butler conquered the whole journey in only two days. Racing across 874 miles of terrain, the extreme cyclist spent a little over 44 hours on his bike, vigorously pedaling with little rest until his astonishing trip was complete. An extreme rider, Butler has also cycled 1,000 miles in two days, seven hours and 53 minutes.

Get Stronger Arms for the Summer

Lose the sleeves and the jiggle with this superfast sculpting workout.

Plank Press

What you'll need: a pair of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, ayoga mat

Targets shoulders, back, triceps, and abs

• Place dumbbells at top of mat, then get into full push-up position with arms shoulder-width apart and hands directly under shoulders; step feet out slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Keeping hips level, lift right hand and pick up one dumbbell; drive right elbow backward at shoulder level, keeping arm close to side and palm facing down.
• Extend right arm forward.
• Return right elbow to bent position and repeat.
• Do 10 reps, switch sides and repeat. Do 2 sets.

Monkey Arms

Targets shoulders, triceps, and biceps

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides.
• Raise dumbbells up along sides of rib cage to armpits, elbows pointing out to sides.
• Extend arms out to sides, palms down. Reverse motion back to start.
• Do 2 sets of 20 reps.

Pom-Pom Circle

Targets shoulders and arms

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms slightly out to sides in an upside-down V.
• Slowly raise extended arms overhead, drawing five tiny circles with each weight on the way up until arms form a V.
• Slowly lower arms to sides, reversing direction of circles, to complete 1 rep.
• Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

Hammer Punch

Targets shoulders and biceps

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with arms by sides and palms facing forward.
• Bend elbows near rib cage to bring dumbbells next to shoulders while keeping palms facing forward.
• Punch left arm out to left side, palm facing forward, and then quickly bring dumbbell back to shoulder. Repeat with right arm to right side, then lower arms to start.
• Do 2 sets of 20 reps, alternating sides. MAKE IT HARDER: On final rep, do 20 fast-paced punches with left arm, then repeat with right arm.

Oblique-Twist Triceps Push-Up

Targets triceps, obliques, and outer thighs

• Lie on mat on your right side, hug rib cage with right arm, and place left hand on floor in front of right shoulder. Bend right leg behind you and lift left leg a few inches to hip level, toes pointed.
• Press through left palm to lift torso off floor until left arm is nearly fully extended. Simultaneously raise left leg as high as you can.
• Lower to start.
• Do 20 reps, switch sides and repeat. Do 2 sets.

Stretching to Break Through Plateaus

Unless you need to build your tolerance for boredom, most stretching is a waste of time. After all, when you review the research, it's clear that the most widely held principles of flexibility training simply don't work. Which is why few guys ever stick with it and even regular practitioners struggle to touch their toes. Worse, follow those age-old rules closely, and studies show that you'll actually be more likely to suffer a pulled muscle than if you hadn't stretched at all.

That's why it's time we rewrite the book on stretching and provide you with a flexibility plan that's not only effective, but also simple, fast, and painless. Your first order of business is to forget everything your high-school gym coach, workout partner, or yoga-loving girlfriend ever told you about stretching. Then memorize the new rules that follow. The benefit? You'll reduce your risk of injuries, improve your overall athleticism, and have an easier time tying your shoes.

Flexibility 101

Before we get to the rules, it's important to understand the basic—but typically misunderstood—science of stretching. First, a couple of definitions. There are two major types of stretching: static and dynamic.

You're probably more familiar with the former. For instance, a static stretch for your hamstrings is what you think it is—a movement in which you lean forward until you feel a slight discomfort in the target muscle, then stretch the muscle by holding that position for a few seconds.

Although it's often prescribed as an injury-prevention measure, static stretching before a workout might be the worst of all strategies. Because it forces the target muscle to relax, it temporarily makes it weaker. As a result, a strength imbalance can occur between opposing muscle groups. For example, stretching your hamstrings causes them to become significantly weaker than your quadriceps. And that may make you more susceptible to muscle strains, pulls, and tears in the short term.

Static stretching also reduces bloodflow to your muscles and decreases the activity of your central nervous system—meaning it inhibits your brain's ability to communicate with your muscles, which limits your capacity to generate force. The bottom line: Never perform static stretching before you work out or play sports.

Now, before you abandon static stretching for good, realize that it does have value. That's because improving your "passive" flexibility through static stretches is beneficial in the nonathletic endeavors of everyday life—such as bending, kneeling, and squatting. All you have to know is the right stretch for the right time.

he Rules of Static Stretching

When: Any time of day, except before a workout

Why: To improve general flexibility

How: Apply these guidelines:

Stretch twice a day, every day. Any less frequently and you won't maintain your gains in flexibility—which is why most flexibility plans don't work. Twice a day may seem like a lot, but each "session" will require as little as 4 minutes of your time. Also, there's no need to "warm" your muscles before stretching; that's a myth. So you can stretch at work, while you're watching TV, or while you're grilling burgers.

Keep in mind that duration matters. You can increase passive flexibility with a static stretch that's held for as little as 5 seconds, but you get optimal gains by holding it between 15 and 30 seconds, the point of diminishing returns.

Finally, do just one stretch for each tight muscle. Because most of the improvements in flexibility are made on the first stretch, repeating the same movement provides little benefit.

What: Use these movements to stretch your entire body. Do as shown and, for all but number 2, switch sides and repeat the stretch with the opposite arm or leg.

Upper Trapezius

Place your left hand on your head as shown and position your right arm behind your back. Gently pull your head toward your shoulder.

Latissimus Dorsi

Position your body as shown, then push your arms into the Swiss ball and your chest toward the floor.

Calves

Position your body in front of a wall as shown and lean forward to stretch.

Quadriceps

Position your body as shown and push your hips forward while keeping your torso upright.

Pectorals

Place your arm against a door frame or wall as shown, then move your shoulder forward.

Hamstrings

Place your foot on a sturdy box or bench as shown, then lean forward from the hips until you feel a stretch.

Dynamic Stretching

A dynamic stretch is the opposite of a static stretch. In this version, you quickly move a muscle in and out of a stretched position. Example: A body-weight lunge is a dynamic stretch for your quadriceps and hips.

Here's why the difference matters: Improvements in flexibility are specific to your body position and speed of movement. So if you do only static stretching—as most guys are advised—you'll primarily boost your flexibility in that exact posture while moving at a slow speed. While certainly effective if you're a contortionist, it has limited carryover to the flexibility you need in sports and weight training, which require your muscles to stretch at fast speeds in various body positions. That's why dynamic stretching is a necessary component of any program: It improves your "active" flexibility, the kind you need in every type of athletic endeavor.

Dynamic stretching also excites your central nervous system, and increases bloodflow, and strength and power production. So it's the ideal warmup for any activity. And when you regularly perform both dynamic and static stretches, some of the flexibility improvements from one will transfer to the other.

The Rules of Dynamic Stretching

When: As a warmup before any type of workout or sport

Why: To improve performance and reduce injury risk

How: Perform five to eight body-weight exercises or calisthenics at a slow tempo and in a comfortable range of motion. Increase your range and speed with each repetition, until you're performing the movement quickly from start to finish. Do one set of 10 repetitions of each exercise, one after the other. 

What: Try this sample routine of movements that are probably already familiar to you: jumping jacks, arm circles, trunk rotations, front lunges, side lunges, high knees, and body-weight squats.

Does your treadmill workout make you feel like a rat on a wheel? Then it's probably time to change up your routine. And not just because you're bored. "The human body wasn't designed for conveyor-belt training or repetitive, one-dimensional movement," says Dan John, a fitness coach in Burlingame, California, and the author of Never Let Go. So try one of John's novel cardio drills below. Or better yet, try all three. You'll blast fat and improve your fitness quickly. And the best part: You won't have to find ways to distract yourself during these workouts—you'll be too busy getting in shape. 

The "55" workout
Start by doing one body-weight squat and 10 pushups. Rest for 30 seconds, and then do 2 squats and 9 pushups. Gradually work your way up to 10 squats and down to 1 pushup. You'll complete 55 reps of each exercise by the time you're done—and reap both the cardiovascular benefit of aerobic training and the muscular pump of a strength session. (And if you like this routine, you'll love The World's Most Efficient Workout.)

10-meter sprints
Find an area in your gym where you can sprint for 10 meters. Once you've covered the distance, pause just long enough to inhale and exhale once through your nose. Sprint back and pause, this time inhaling and exhaling twice through your nose. Continue the drill—breathing normally as you sprint, and adding an additional nose inhalation and exhalation when you pause—until you can no longer breathe through your nose. "It takes more effort than breathing through your mouth—even during rest—which increases the intensity of the exercise," John says. The result: more gain in less time (and distance) than on a treadmill. (Don't undermine your fitness efforts: Make sure to avoid The Worst “Free” Restaurant Foods in America.)

Jumping-jack pyramid
Do as many jumping jacks as you can in 10 seconds. Rest for an equal amount of time. Next, do as many jumping jacks as you can in 20 seconds, and rest 20 seconds. Then do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Now work your way back down the pyramid (30, 20, 10). Repeat three times. This will change the way you think about jumping jacks forever.