Fitness
How Bow Hunting Is Giving Pro Triathlete Max Fennell a Competitive Edge
Professional triathlete Max Fennell was in between sips of coffee when he answered the call for our mid-morning interview. It wasn’t Folgers in his cup, but rather a freshly roasted brew from Fenn Coffee, the company he founded in 2018. You see, Fennell isn’t your average athlete.
“I’m just one of those people who doesn’t want to wait for things to get done,” Fennell says. “I’ll just go do it.”
When he’s not running his coffee company or competing in a grueling triathlon, Fennell’s mind-boggling busy schedule includes serving as chair of the Community Engagement and Outreach Committee for Menlo Park––Fennell’s hometown in the Bay Area. He’s appeared on various competitive TV shows, including a stint on Million Dollar Mile (a reality show produced by Lebron James and hosted by Tim Tebow). And if that’s not enough, he picked up bow hunting last year during the pandemic and now considers it one of his secret weapons.
Fennell identifies as an entrepreneur, hunter, and public servant, even if triathlete is what he’s best known as.
On August 15, Fennell will be standing on the starting line of what he considers his home race: Escape From Alcatraz. This grueling race attracts two thousand athletes from over 50 countries, all of whom will be confronted with a 1.5-mile swim in the San Francisco Bay’s choppy water, an 18-mile bike ride up and down the city’s steep hills, and an eight-mile run that features the soul-crushing Sand Ladder––a brutal set of cliff stairs. Most people would shudder at the thought of this race, but the unpredictability, the grind––that’s what Fennell lives for.
“There are a lot of variables you have to account for,” Fennell says. “This is a race where you can’t expect anything. You’ve just got to wait and see what happens on race day, then adapt.”
Fennell will enjoy a home-field advantage, as he regularly trains in a lagoon that connects to the San Francisco Bay’s chilly waters––negating one of the most daunting elements. In addition to his cold-water swim training, Fennell relies on a consistent biking and running schedule to stay in peak condition. While other triathletes stress about race prep and obsess over executing their plan, Fennel understands this race requires a different mindset.
“It’s all about showing up to the race feeling strong and confident knowing you can handle whatever’s thrown at you—not being worried about who’s showing up on race day,” he says.
This mindset can be attributed to last year, when he had an opportunity to compete in the Spartan Games––an obstacle course endurance race that features up to 30 different obstacles. The experience inspired him to change his approach to racing—to focus less on winning and more on competing and pushing himself to his outer limits. And Fennell’s not just pushing himself to the edge in triathlons.
The 33-year-old recently began backcountry bow hunting, a challenge that tests both his physical and mental limits in ways triathlons can’t. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he described the arduous task of carrying a 60-pound backpack up a mountain along rugged ridgelines. He spoke of stealthily pursuing turkeys for five straight hours while battling nature’s raw elements––gusty winds, wild temperature swings, and other four-legged predators. It’s not the type of experience most people, much less most triathletes, experience.
“Hunting is actually going to make me a stronger athlete more than anything,” Fennell says. “I think that’s the biggest edge I have over my competitors.”
Later this year, Fennell will try air gun hunting in Texas as part of a hunting television show—but that’s as close to hunting with guns as Fennel is interested in. He’s a bow hunting purist at heart and revels in the unique challenge and danger that comes with hunting in the wilderness.
“When you’re doing a competition, you’re competing with another human and trying to win,” says Fennell. “With fight or flight, you’re wondering if there’s a grizzly bear or a black bear around you. It’s a different kind of fear, but it unlocks a different level in your brain to go deeper and harder.”
Throughout his life, Fennell has never been afraid to dig deeper or go harder to overcome an obstacle in his way.
In 2014, Fennell made history by becoming the first black triathlete to get his pro card. Unfortunately, the sponsorship dollars didn’t follow. While he’s managed to support himself through starting his business, Fenn Coffee, he’s now working on a new initiative to pave the way for other black athletes trying to break into the sport.
“There’s still not a lot of opportunities for black endurance athletes in terms of sponsorship or any support,” he says. “I realized we need to create an initiative to address that and help provide opportunities to open doors.”
He’s currently in the process of building a non-profit organization, the United Endurance Project, which will work to identify and provide financial support to black endurance athletes on the cusp of going pro in triathlon or OCR racing.
The bigger the obstacle, the more motivated Fennell is to overcome it. It’s an outlook we can all benefit from.
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The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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