Brains, beauty, and brawn. Today’s athlete has arrived.

Today we feature our conversation with the strong and exceedingly smart, Allison Brager.  This Neuroscientist and CrossFit Games athlete somehow managed to find the time to talk to us about her new book, Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain.

In talking with Allison, we find what inspired her to start researching for her most recent publication.  As she explains, the dichotomy that exists in people of her profession who lift weights is widely scrutinized.  The old stereotype of “dumb jock” still holds strong today despite evidence to the contrary.  Allison goes on to discuss just how the brain is stimulated and developed simply through the acquisition of new skills.

Do you know someone who struggles with performing under pressure?  Choking is a phenomena that can be tracked in the brain and improved upon.  This drives our conversation to what can be perceived as the extreme opposite of those who can’t control their fear.  The daredevil athlete.  Allison explains why she considers herself one and why it also puts her at risk for other excessive dopamine seeking activities.

Finally, what role does sleep play in the brain of an athlete?  This is a subject covered almost ad nauseam by most specialists but Allison provides a fresh take on what this really means in terms of wins and losses.  Traveling across time zones and playing tournaments or competing has a quantifiable effect on all teams.  The number of losses attributed to this alteration in sleep behavior is staggering.

Hold on because this is one dense episode worth several listens.  Luckily, Allison keeps the information tangible both in her book and our chat. After all, we’re just meatheads? Right?

EMPOWER YOUR PERFORMANCE.

Want to get ahold of Allison’s book, Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain?  You can find it here or simply head to Amazon.  It’s available in paperback or Kindle edition.

If you are headed to The CrossFit Games, be sure to cheer on Allison and the rest of the Squat Mafia from Atlanta, Georgia.

Don’t forget to get your shit together for the #ToesForward Challenge!  Take a picture with toes pointing forward and hashtag #ToesForward and tag @PowerAthleteHQ and @MobilityWOD for a chance to win the following:

• – 6 months free Power Athlete Training via Train Heroic
• – $100 credit at Power Athlete’s store (plus free shipping)
• – 1hr movement and mobility consultation with M-Wod
• – Signed copies of new M-Wod books

The competition goes from the 26th of June to the 11th of July so let’s see those hooves, slippers, or prosthetics, TOES FORWARD!

Allison gets jacked to this Spotify Playlist.

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