FERRARI IN THE GARAGE - 3 KEYS TO UNLOCK PERFORMANCE

Did you know you own a Ferrari? But it may just be sitting in your garage...

Have you ever seen a Ferrari as it drives by?  Heard the roar of its engine as it speeds away? Whether you are into cars or not, we all can appreciate the beauty of a luxury sports car. Not only is the car a sight to see but it also performs beautifully. For example, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, dubbed “The Most Powerful Ferrari” is an all-wheel drive hypercar  that packs 986 horsepower, goes 0-60 MPH in 2.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 211 MPH.  

​What if your wildest dreams came true and you actually owned one! How would you use it? Go ahead daydream its ok. Would you be speeding down the road, hugging the curves, and maybe even racing that one friend with the loud souped up car who never outgrew his “Fast and Furious” days?  How many of us in our daydreams see ourselves sitting in the driver's seat, inside of a garage, with the ignition off?
 
The idea is preposterous.  What a waste! We would want to USE the car. DRIVE it like we stole it.  It would be a tragedy for such a car to sit behind bars, un-driven, collecting rust and dust. Yet, an even greater tragedy can happen right under our noses.
 
The human body is by far one of the finest pieces of machinery that we will ever have at our disposal.  “It’s a fine tuned supersonic speed machine.” Not only is the healthy human physique a beautiful one, but it is capable of performing world record feats! Who of us hasn’t been captivated momentarily by the beauty of a stranger walking by?  Who of us hasn’t people watched at an airport? Or Spent hours viewing other humans competing and playing sports on TV? There is no doubt that the human body, your human body, is a marvel in itself and one to be LIVED in.
 
One other marvelous ability of the human body is transformation. Yeah that’s right we are all Transformers. We have the potential to be Ferraris. But often, we allow all of that potential to sit in a garage with the ignition turned off. Collecting rust and dust. Or worse yet, transforming into a Prius. Sitting on the couch eating potato chips and drinking beer every night. Going long periods without exercise or brain stimulating activities. Maybe we used to exercise but life just got busy and crowded out that activity.
 
The good news is that the Ferrari, your body, still has the potential to be enjoyed. Its still out there, sitting in your garage It just needs you to turn it on and drive it… and maybe pick some cleaner fuel to run it on.
 
At Dark Horse sports we know that this can be a little more complicated than it sounds. That’s why we are here to help you. We work with Athletes, those race ready Ferraris, and we use that experience to help train the not so race ready Priuses to reach their Ferrari potential both in beauty and performance. 
 
Ok, but maybe you just aren’t ready to take that step yet. It can be scary to “go from 0-60 in 3.5”. It just seems too hard. You just don’t know where to start. Its confusing, etc. That’s ok. We will be here when you are ready to sign up. However in the mean time we still want to help. 
 
We want to give you some “keys” to start unlocking the laden potential of that Ferrari in the garage and improve your overall health. We will list them in order of importance. You will feel better and you will be that much ahead when you do decide to get that Ferrari of yours up and running.
 
Key 1 - Sleep
 
Sleep should be your priority. It is the single biggest factor in overall health. It’s even directly related to your lifespan! Sleep helps regenerate and heal your body. It helps you deal with stress. It repairs your mind. We can go on and on. Just trust us, if there was only one area of your life you could improve, pick sleep. 
 
Now with sleep, quantity is not the only important aspect. Timing and conditions play a role. The sleep you get before midnight has greater value. So to put it in practice, go to bed at 10 PM. And wake up at the same time every day as much as you can. That means even on weekends. Keeping a consistent sleep cycle will do wonders for you. 
 
Sleeping conditions are just as important. Where you sleep should be like a cave or garage in the context of this article. Dark and cool. Your skin can absorb light while you sleep and if its too hot or too cold you will be restless. So off with the night lights, don’t sweat the boogy man, invest in blackout curtains, and choose a room temperature between 60-67 F. 
 
Key 2 - Nutrition & Digestion
 
Closely related to and affecting sleep is what you eat, drink, and how well you digest it. Your stomach is quite remarkably intelligent. It has even been referred to as the “Second Brain”. The microbiome in your gut helps dictate your health even your mood! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But not for the reason you may think. The great Charles Poliquin always said “The first thing you put in your mouth in the morning… provided it is food… dictates all neurotransmitters for the whole day.” If you make a healthy choice for breakfast then you will most likely make good food choices the rest of the day.
 
Key 3 - Exercise
 
Now this may sound like the scariest part. But, just walk before you run. Literally. Just walking will give you all the health benefits of running with out any of the dangerous side effects or potential injury risks. Make a goal to go for a walk 3-4 days a week for even just 15 minutes. Want something a little more aggressive? 
 
Try this simple workout written by one of our Dark Horse Sports Trainers:
 
15 Minute Ferrari Workout
 
Day 1
10 min weights/5 min Tabata
 
A1 Pushups  4 x 25
A2 DB Bent Over Rows 4 x 25
A3 Wall Dead Bug 4 x 20
 
B1 Airdyne or Stationary Bike Tabata: 4 sets of 20:10 work to rest ratio
 
Day 2
10 min weights/5 min Tabata
 
A1 DB Reverse Lunge 4 x 20
A2 DB Romanian Deadlift 4 x 20
A3 Plank Pull Through 4 x 16
 
B1 Airdyne or Stationary Bike Tabata: 4 sets of 20:10 work to rest ratio
 
 
Conclusion:
 
Your body is truly a wonderful machine. It has the potential to transform into a machine even more impressive than a Ferrari sports car. Instead of enjoying their bodies to the full potential, tragically many people just store their Ferraris in the garage so to speak, collecting dust and rust, by being inactive or too busy. You don’t need help transforming from a Ferrari to a Prius. But at Dark Horse Sports we want to help you reach your Ferrari potential.  We want to use our experience training athletes to help you reach your goals. It may seem daunting but it starts with 3 simple keys. 
 
Prioritize Sleep
Focus on a Healthy Breakfast
Incorporate Exercise 
 
 
So in the words of Rihanna “you’ve got the keys, now shut up and drive, drive, drive.”
 
Cheers!
 
 



 
References:
 
 
Best Temperature for Sleep. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sleep.org/articles/temperature-for-sleep/

Cani, P. D. (2018, September 1). Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises. Retrieved from https://gut.bmj.com/content/67/9/1716

Charles' World Famous Meat & Nut Breakfast. (2019, August 16). Retrieved from https://strengthsensei.com/the-meat-nuts-breakfast/

Sorokanich, B. (2019, June 5). This Is the SF90 Stradale, The Most Powerful Ferrari Ever. Retrieved from https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a27626676/ferrari-sf90-stradale-hybrid-hypercar-power-specs-photos/

The Strength Sensei Shares His Health Dominoes. (2017, October 23). Retrieved from https://www.the1thing.com/blog/the-one-thing/the-strength-sensei-shares-his-health-dominoes/?fbclid=IwAR0h0MDZNxqYTyFA79epuwWsyKLsM51Aemjosntf8_RVUFgzmt9MjiPpH1g