Steve Magness
Performance coach/author; posts research-backed commentary on training, self-talk, psychology, and endurance performance.
Make the Overwhelming Feel Routine
When I was in HS I used to eat a full dinner—steak, chocolate milk, you name it—and then head right out the door for 9 miles at 6min pace It sucked for a week, then your body adapted & it was normal The lesson: We can make the overwhelming feel routine https://thegrowtheq.com/make-the-overwhelming-feel-routine/
Run More Miles to Unlock Marathon Potential
Most people don't run enough to reach their potential. It's just a fact. The average 3hr+ marathoner does ~40mpw. No one runs their best marathon on 40mpw. I understand why: jobs, life, etc. But the simplest way to improve your PR for novices is to...
Evidence‑Based Habits for a Longer, Healthier Life
Ways to live healthier and longer that are backed by actual evidence: 1. Exercise: Most days a week= conversational. Occasionally intense 2. Strength train 3. Eat mostly real foods 4. Cultivate genuine relationships 5. Sleep 7+ hours 6. Don't smoke 7. Have ways to cope with stress
Extreme 3x20s Workouts Leave You Exhausted, Nauseous
I just saw someone recommend 3x20sec all out, max effort with 2min rest 3 day a week as a time saver for exercise.. Sure…until you realize you’ll be lying on the ground for 20min after with a headache, unable to function,...
The Weakest Link's Drive Shapes the Whole Squadron
Research out of the US Air Force Academy found that the motivation of the least fit person in the squadron determined how much the entire squadron improved (or didn’t) on their fitness tests. Surround yourself wisely.
Disposable Diapers Block Signals, Stalling Natural Potty Training
In the 1950s, over 90% of toddlers were potty trained by 18 months. Today, that number is about 4%. Why? One reason: disposable diapers block the signals that help us learn. This isn't just about potty training. We block signals with comfort...
Patience and Consistency Beat Rush for Elite Performance
One of the keys to elite performance is staying in the game long enough to allow your talent to fully express. A rush to be great can often impede our development Be patient Focus on consistency over heroic efforts Play the long game Keep and...
Elite Runners Prioritize Sharpening Over Traditional Tapering
How should you Taper or Peak? Why the research doesn't align with what actual elite runners do...the difference between tapering and sharpening, and so much more. A new video deep dive on Youtube: @ SteveMagness Link below:
Flexibility Beats Extremes: Neuroticism Undermines Performance
The influencers in grind culture speak in absolutes: No alcohol, candy, sugar, etc. Super strict crazy routines Every world class athlete I know: eats some candy, drinks an occasional beer, has routines but is flexible Why? Neuroticism gets in the way of...
Motivation Can't Be Forced—Plant Growth Seeds Instead
As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: https://thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-force-motivation-you-can-plant-the-seeds/
Focus on Passion, Let Success Follow Naturally
Stop chasing outcomes. Chasing leads to worry, fear of failure, & trying to force your way towards success. It never works. Find things where your interests & talents align. Work your butt off at things that you enjoy the process of doing....
Mix Easy Runs with One Fast and One Uptempo Day
A simple way to develop aerobic fitness: Lots of easy runs. 1 day/week = short and fast but under control. (i.e. 8x1min on/off, or 12x 30sec/1 off at 5k to 1mile effort) 1 day/wk = longer, controlled & uptempo (4x5min, 2x10min, or 6x3min...
First Cool-Day Tempo Run Boosts Speed and Confidence
One of my favorite tricks I learned from my HS coach. In TX in the fall, on the 1st day when cool weather finally hits, do a longer hard tempo run. Why? You finally feel good on a run & instantly run...
Unlocking Norway's Training Secrets: The Power of Muscle Tone
New Video: Understanding the Norwegian Method of Training with special guest Marius Bakken. This was such a fun conversation. We went DEEP on so many topics, including one of the most impactful but seldom used one: Muscle tone. Link below.
Coach for Joyful Curiosity, Not Fear‑Driven Ego
The longer I coach, the more I’m convinced that it’s mostly about putting people in a place where they can perform out of joy, curiosity, exploring their potential, and taking on a challenge. Too often we let fear, protecting our...
Positive Game Review Boosts Hormones, Performance; Negative Harms
Research on professional rugby players found that watching what they did wrong after a game led to elevated cortisol and worse performance the next game. Watching what they did well had the opposite effect, a bump in testosterone and better...
Secure Striving Beats Fearful Effort for Real Growth
There are two kinds of striving: secure and insecure. The insecure variety comes from fear. Secure striving comes from wanting to win, to do your best, but realizing that it’s not the end of the world if you fall short. https://thegrowtheq.com/the-power-and-danger-of-caring-deeply/
Consistent Excellence Beats Occasional Greatness
Anyone can be great occasionally. When everything comes together and you're in the zone, performance is easy. What's really hard is being pretty darn good, day after day. Raise the floor. Not just the ceiling.
Reframe Stress: See Events at Their True Scale
Whenever we face a stressful situation, we tend to overestimate its importance. We need to gain perspective. Perspective isn’t about downplaying the significance of the event, it’s about reframing it to its proper level: https://thegrowtheq.com/to-perform-under-pressure-shift-your-perspective/
Sleep: The Untapped Billion‑Dollar Performance Drug
If you could bottle up sleep and sell it as a performance-enhancing drug it would be a billion-dollar blockbuster.
Constant Online Exposure Makes Failure Feel Public Judgment
We’re training a generation to fear failure. Not because they’re soft or lazy, because everything they do is on display. Every test score, every game, every rejection lives forever online. When life becomes performative, failure feels like a public referendum on your worth.
Coach Turns Anger Into Disruption of Negative Spiral
How do you disrupt the spiral? We've all been there, losing focus, our mind drifting to the mistake we just made. And then a coach gets in our face... Too often, that coach is just expressing anger. They are yelling at...
Fitness Silences the Discomfort Alarm, Making Toughness Easier
A secret: Being tough gets easier the fitter you are. When you are out of shape, the alarm bell in your head goes off at the slightest sensation of discomfort. When you are fit or prepared, the alarm is quiet for...
Treat Interval Training Like Art: Innovate With Every Variable
Proper interval training is like being an artist. You have all of these variables (speed, recovery, rep length, set length, pacing, etc.) and each twist, changes the stimulus a bit. You can do 100m repeats that work on speed or aerobic endurance. Be...
Norway Lets Kids Play, Not Compete, for Success
The key to Norway's sporting success?� "It takes everything we do in the US and does the opposite. We treat child athletes like budding professionals, prodigies train like the pros they look up to. In Norway, they let kids be...
Stop Overworking the Easy, Prioritize Deep Work
Novice runners tend to go too hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days. Same thing occurs in the office. We spend too much time, energy and effort on emails, meetings, etc. We don't block off enough...
5 Steps to Boost Lactate Threshold Effectively
What's the best way to improve the lactate threshold? When's it best to push or pull it up? I give you my 5 steps to improving LT in my latest deep dive video. Link below:
Stop Hovering: Overprotective Parenting Fuels Youth Mental Health Crisis
We've got a youth mental health epidemic. Part of the reason? Without being aware of it, adults are training kids to have hypersensitive threat alarms, without the tools or resources to handle any sort of challenge. The consequences are dire: https://thegrowtheq.com/stop-hovering-and-let-kids-play-their-mental-health-depends-on-it/
Even Elite Athletes Enjoy Junk—Set Realistic Diet Expectations
People have this concept that elite athletes must have perfect diets. Nope. They indulge in desserts and junk just like the rest of us. It's important to not set the bar to levels that even the most dedicated can't hold...
Why Peptide Enthusiasts Fear Tested Vaccines
Can someone explain to me why many of the same folks who love experimenting with peptides (i.e. little to no rigorous safety data) are terrified of vaccines and other drugs that have testing... How does someone square that circle?
Master the Basics Before Chasing Shiny Shortcuts
For elite performers, it makes some sense to chase the shiny objects, the minutia that may not actually help. For the masses, it doesn't. Elites have already tapped out the stuff that makes 99% of the difference. The masses...
Detach Identity From Your Work to Avoid Self‑failure
Separate your identity from what you do When you tie your identity too closely to what you do, anytime you fail at that thing, you will take it as a failure of your true self. It won’t be that I failed...
Make Feedback Stickier: Calm, Direct, Timed, Expectation‑Aware
Criticism is sticky. When we get criticized, we often can't let it go. How to give better feedback 1. Turn down the alarm 2. Stop Feedback sandwiches 3. There’s a sensitive window. 4. Our expectations impact our interpretation.
NYT Bestseller List: Small Sales, Big Misconceptions
This is getting a lot of pub. Let's explain why the NYT bestseller is confusing... The NYT list tracks 1 week of sales (and it's subjective not entirely based on sales data.) What it takes to make that list varies based...
Mind Over Doubt: Bannister’s Coach Saved History
The 1st sub 4 mile almost didn't happen. Bannister wanted to call off the attempt. His coach saw him full of doubts and asked one question: “If you forego this chance, would you ever forgive yourself for the rest of your life?...
Hip Extension Drives Knee Lift; Stop Forcing Knees
Lift your knees is a poor running form cue. Knee lift is mostly passive. It’s a result of a quality push into the ground. During hip extension it’s as if you are stretching the sling shot. Trying to actively lift your knees...
Build Foundations, Flow Naturally, Progress Logically, Stay Consistent, Personalize Training
The 5 Rules of Training: 1. The boring stuff is your foundation 2. Let it Come, Don’t Force it. 3. Take the Next Logical Step 4. You lose what you don’t train 5. Train the individual, not the system.
Debunking Electrolyte, Gel, and Dehydration Myths
Do electrolytes make you cramp? Do you need gels during a half-marathon? How much dehydration impairs performance? I tackle fueling and hydration myths and reality on my new YouTube Video. Link below:
Criticism Sticks, Praise Fades: Deliver Feedback Deliberately
Criticism is sticky. Praise isn't. Our brains hold on to critiques. What that means: We need to be very deliberate and intentional in how we deliver it. Four research backed ways to do so better: https://thegrowtheq.com/what-makes-criticism-so-sticky/
Stiffness Boosts Running Economy: Flexibility Not Required
Many elite distance runners have horrible flexibility. They can't come close to touching their toes. Why? A stiff spring can be beneficial. Some research found the worse you do in the sit and reach test, the better your running economy.
Run More Miles: Faster Marathoners Triple Training Volume
What matters in training for marathoners New analysis of 100k+ runners Faster runners: -Accumulated 3x the volume of slower runners -Had proportionally more easy running than higher intensities. As my HS coach told me years ago, step 1 is figuring out how...