Ross Edgley - Blueprint

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2021

FIRST EDITION

Text Ross Edgley 2021

Diagram illustrations by Liane Payne HarperCollinsPublishers 2021

Exercise illustrations by Ben Hasler/NB Illustration

Cover design by Claire Ward HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2021

Cover photographs Simon Howard, all other images by Shutterstock. com

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Ross Edgley asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008487034

Ebook Edition September 2021 ISBN: 9780008487058

Version 2021-08-12

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I feel so lucky to have had an incredible career as an athlete, adventurer and author, and I feel privileged to be coached and mentored by some of the greatest minds in sports science. But I want to specifically dedicate this book to two of my greatest teachers, Richard and Jacqueline Edgley (also known as Mum and Dad). Youve been there for every mountain climbed, ocean swum and degree studied, and without you this book simply wouldnt exist.

By Eddie The Beast Hall, Worlds Strongest Man in 2017

Without a shadow of a doubt Ross Edgley is the craziest bastard sorry, athlete I know. Coming from me, thats saying something.

Although the world knows him for swimming 1,780 miles around Great Britain, climbing a rope the height of Everest (8,848 m) or doing a triathlon while carrying a 100 lb tree for charity, very few people understand the sheer number of hours he dedicates to research and training to make it all possible. As a friend and training partner I do, and have even witnessed (and endured) his brutal training sessions first-hand. Whether it be swimming ice miles across a frozen lake, running 10 km barefoot across snow and ice or pushing a one tonne tractor across a field for 10 hours in the middle of winter wearing nothing but a skimpy pair of swimming trunks, believe you me, Ross is not scared of a challenge.

In the pursuit of excellence, its often said theres a fine line between genius and insanity. As the Worlds Strongest Man in 2017 and the first person to deadlift 500 kg, I understand what it takes to push your body beyond what people think is possible. But while Ive done this within the realms of extreme strength, Ross has done it within the world of extreme endurance, and I recognise it requires a very specific and unique mindset. This is a mindset that Ross brilliantly describes with 100 per cent honesty and transparency in this book, blending elite sports science with theory, philosophy and some genuine originality.

For me, thats why this book is so pioneering. Its the first of its kind to show the inner workings of a sports science genius. Once you begin to understand the theory and psychology behind it, you begin to understand Ross. You start to realise there is method to the madness and, above all else, you understand how he built a level of endurance that verges on superhuman.

Essentially, this book is for anyone wanting to push themselves out of their comfort zone, achieve a goal and upgrade their training to another level often getting very cold, very tired and very hungry in the process.

Every human should learn Why We Adventure.

For some, this comes naturally as the desire is innate and wired into our DNA. Research shows a proportion of the population are born with a variant of the DRD4 gene (known as DRD4-7R) that makes us genetically predisposed to take risks and travel with a restless curiosity. More commonly referred to as the wanderlust gene, its believed people who possess this genetic code have lower sensitivity to dopamine (our feelgood hormone) and therefore require a bolder and braver lifestyle to satisfy their biological make-up.

This partly explains why we Homo sapiens migrated from Africa over 50,000 years ago and then continued to colonise the entire world some 20,000 years ago. Scientists believe our wanderlust gene-carrying ancestors were the ones who pioneered this exploration of our planet as they climbed mountains, crossed oceans and had dreams of exploring beyond the horizon.

But what about those without the wanderlust gene?

Well, I would argue they also need adventure (perhaps more so). Yes, granted theyre not inherently programmed with a desire to feel the sand beneath their toes in the Sahara Desert or go streaking in the snow across the Arctic Circle, but they require adventure to escape the shackles of the comfort zone. Defined as, Behavioural space where your activities and behaviours fit a routine and pattern that minimises stress and risk the comfort zone is also a place where ambition and creativity come to die.

Although stress often comes with negative connotations, science shows a small dosage in our lives can often be a good thing as a catalyst for growth and provides a powerful motivation to act. This is based on the work of Hungarian physician Hans Selye (1950) who stated certain stress, which he called eustress (from the Greek prefix