Steve Magness

Sleep

Just getting your ~8 hours has enormous benefits from the psychological to physical. Sleep is when your body restores & grows with its highest output of growth hormones, & when your mind processes and coalesces information. Translating knowledge from superficial to deep

We feel empowered like we have control over the situation and can make an impact.

Satisfying our basic needs is the fuel that allows us to put all of the tools we've developed to be tough to work.

Drop the Ego. Find People Who Know More.

The best coaches seek out wisdom from others.

Fiercely guarding your "secrets" backfires. Coaching comes from conversation. The more smart thinkers you're talking to, the clearer your thinking will be.

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I'm giving away my Coaching Philosophy guide.

It covers everything from motivation and buy-in to handling setbacks to changing behavior. It's a quick reference of principles for coaching excellence.

Get your copy for free here: thegrowtheq.ck.page/132c23e8bd

My rule when I was coaching college kids: always leave my door open.

Athletes knew they could stop by, talk, sit and do homework, or just lounge around. And they did.

It was simple, but one of the most effective team bonding/culture things we did.

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:

thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform Buy Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

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Whenever I hear of foods being labeled as good or bad, I think of the milkshake study.

Where being told it was a nutritious shake or an indulgent ice cream shake shifted satiety hormones...even though it was the same shake. Our perception and expectations influence biology.

What makes endurance athletes able to handle some of the toughest challenges?

They are forced to work through difficult moments, not by grinding through, but by accepting.

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I put together a free guide: How to Design Better Workouts.

Filled with insights on writing creative workouts that get the right stimulus for the desired adaptation.

Grab a copy for free:
thegrowtheq.ck.page/c51b8637db

Trump Might Have the Right Idea About This New Policy Those schoolyard laps set the course for the rest of my life.

There's a lot of talk about the Presidential Fitness Test coming back.

Some hated it. Others, like me, loved it.

Here's my take: It's an opportunity to re-imagine Physical Education, instead of treating it like an afterthought.

slate.com/life/2025/08...

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:

thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

Instead of looking at the old-school football coaches of the world:

Look to John Wooden, Steve Kerr, Pete Carroll, and so on.

Who are crazy competitive, but at their core try to help people become better human beings.

What I learned today thanks to @stevemagness.bsky.social 😀. Looking forward to getting deeper into this one.

YouTube video by Steve Magness The Greatest High-School Performance in History | Breaking Down Cooper Lutkenhaus's 800m

A 16 year old just delivered the greatest high school performance in history.

He ran 1:42.27 for 800m. A time unimaginable for a sophomore in HS.

He beat two world champs. And barely lost to another

I break it all down and compare him to all the HS phenoms in every sport: youtu.be/5VZCuUh84Lk?...

Rule of thumb: Don't listen to anyone who uses the acronym HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) regularly.

It's a sign they probably don't understand interval training or exercise.

Power does not equal leadership.

People mistake leadership with power and control. When it's really about the opposite, autonomy. If you are leading, your goal is to actually give away control.

You want to guide and empower your team to not be dependent on you.

You can't rush development.

You can't hack your way to sustainable success.

Stop trying to skip steps.

True development takes time.

Well, I couldn't say Tim Horton's.

The Complexity of Success: The Real Lesson from the Chase for the Sub-4 Minute Mile The role of luck and circumstances in success, and what that means for you.

New article: The complexity of success

What the real story of the quest for the sub-4 minute mile can teach us.

Bannister almost called off the attempt.

Wes Santee had the best fitness combo.

Landy was the best trained.

Luck and the messiness of success: open.substack.com/pub/stevemag...

Team culture doesn't form during meetings or scheduled activity.

It forms during the in between moments. The cool down conversations, the shared anxiety while awaiting a race, the adventures once the performance is complete and you've got hours to kill in a different city.

You can't rush development. You can't hack your way to sustainable success. Stop trying to skip steps. True development takes time.

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I put together a free guide: How to Design Better Workouts.

Filled with insights on writing creative workouts that get the right stimulus for the desired adaptation.

Grab a copy for free: thegrowtheq.ck.page/c51b8637db

A reminder that Olympians are humans, with the same anxieties, doubts, fears, & insecurities that we all have.

They can do extraordinary things. But they aren't superhuman. Lots of love and empathy for people who enter the arena and give themselves a shot, no matter the outcome

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:

thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

There's a difference between leadership and authority.

Authority comes from a title. It's assigned and typically depends on control.

Leadership is earned through competence and care. It's about empowering autonomy & development.

The Imperfect Path to Greatness - The Growth Equation An ever-increasing trend in the world of optimization is striving to be perfect. You often see this advice online: Never drink coffee. Always do an exacting workout. Get that 100% sleep score. Don’t h...

You don’t need the perfect sleep score.
You don’t need to fear the occasional Chick-fil-A sandwich.

You need to show up, even when conditions aren’t perfect.

The myth of perfection is making us weaker, not better.

Perfectionism trains our brains to freak out.
thegrowtheq.com/the-imperfec...

I created a guide to recovery! It's yours FREE.

It covers what to do when you're flat, fatigued, lethargic, overtrained...and everything in between.

Grab a copy: thegrowtheq.kit.com/55fda8f538

Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform Buy Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

FYI: My new book is 20% off! It's all about how to cultivate an approach to peak performance that works over the long haul.

No short cuts, no burn bright but burn out...but a sustainable approach to performing at your best in sport, work, and life.

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Hold yourself back from going all-in.

You may think going all-in to help your child is a good thing. The more invested you are, the more pressure and expectations fall on that child's lap. You want to support, not obsess. If you obsess, I promise it will end up backfiring.