Brian MacKenzie

Creator and Co-founder of Power Speed Endurance

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Book Recommendations:

Recommended by Brian MacKenzie

Murphy’s experience [in Inside the Box] is one that will be lived thousands of times in the coming years. It is an awakening not only of the physical but of consciousness to one’s ability and what is possible. He eloquently takes you on the ride of finding community and bringing purpose back into one’s own life. (from Amazon)

In Inside the Box, veteran journalist and marathoner T.J. Murphy goes all in to expose the gritty, high-intensity sport of CrossFit®. Murphy faced a future with a permanent limp from one too many marathons. Desperate to reclaim his fitness and strength, the 47-year-old signed up for his first CrossFit® workout with nothing to lose. Anaerobically blasted by each workout of the day, Murphy discovered a sweat-soaked fitness revolution that’s transforming bodies and lives. CrossFit is the sport of fitness, a radical new approach to exercise that is turning the traditional gym workout upside down. Every day at thousands of CrossFit gyms across America, fitness seekers of all shapes and sizes flex their inner athlete by racing to finish fast-paced workouts. Each workout mixes weight lifting and gymnastics into an explosively effective and addictive new way to lose weight and carve out a new physique. Inside the Box is Murphy’s journey through CrossFit. From staggering newcomer to evangelist, Murphy finds out how it feels, why it’s so popular, whether it can fix his broken body.

Recommended by Brian MacKenzie

Greg Amundson is about as motivating and motivated a human being as there exists. I met Greg in 2007 and his energy was immediately infectious. Not only was he probably the fittest guy I knew of at the time, but his lifestyle and way of coaching were one of the first I've ever known of to encompass a true holistic approach for the mind, body, and spirit that welcomed everyone in. Greg has pieced together the principles of weight training, sport, CrossFit, yoga, meditation, and nutrition. I just don't know too many other people doing it, not too mention on this level. (from Amazon)

Firebreather Fitness is Greg Amundson’s program to help you get into the best shape of your life―physically, mentally, and spiritually. Former SWAT officer, DEA Special Agent, U.S. Army Captain, and founding CrossFit athlete and coach, Greg Amundson is a globally recognized leader in functional fitness conditioning and anti-inflammatory foods and diet. Known as CrossFit’s “original firebreather”, Amundson shares his secrets, advice, and the experiences that helped him forge his Firebreather Fitness―a fitness of body, mind, and spirit. Amundson’s Firebreather Fitness program will help you align your physical, mental, and spiritual training so you can gain strength, unlock potential, and live a high-performance, super-healthy life. Firebreather Fitness includes · Integrated 21-day training programs that include innovative workouts, key mental drills, and warrior yoga to get you into top condition · Performance standards that keep your workouts challenging―and let you compete with athletes on your level · More than 40 exercises with clear technique photographs and advice · Scaling options to make workouts easier or harder, depending on your level of fitness It takes more than a hard body to excel at work, in the gym, and in life. Firebreather Fitness folds in the cutting-edge mental toughness training and time-tested spiritual practices that guide Amundson and the athletes he coaches. Amundson’s smart and effective guides to goal-setting, pain tolerance, honing purpose and focus, and exerting control over your mental state offer invaluable tools to help meet any challenge. Packed with practical advice, vetted training methods, and Amundson’s guided workout programs, Firebreather Fitness is a must-have resource for athletes, coaches, law enforcement and military professionals, and anyone interested in pursuing the high-performance life.