5 Pillars of Fitness

Everybody has the potential to do extraordinary things. Here's how to unleash your stronger, swifter, more powerful self.

Have you ever truly tested your athletic limits? If you're like most men, the answer is no. Sure, you go to the court and dribble till you're winded, or to the track and run till you're dripping wet. But you won't find your limits there — team sports and workout routines are all about, as the adage goes, "playing within yourself." Testing your limits is about playing beyond yourself. It's about actively seeking your physical boundaries, pushing down those walls, and raising your game to a level you never thought possible.

On the following pages, you'll meet five of the world's best athletes, each representing a pillar of peak performance. For these men, success would never have come had they stopped pushing when they met resistance. Learn their strategies and you'll soon be busting through your personal barriers. You may not earn a ticket to training camp, but you will end up in the best shape of your life.

SPEED: THE GREAT EQUALIZER
You might say it's better to be fast than good. If you're too slow to beat your man, you'll never have a chance to showcase your skills. (Remember Damon Bailey? Didn't think so.) And for those short on talent, speed can level the playing field. But sports speed isn't just about maximum velocity. It's also about how fast you can accelerate and decelerate — that is, go from standing still to your top speed, and vice versa. And because every tenth of a second matters, even small improvements can make a major impact on your performance.