Welcome to our weekend roundup, Three of the Best! Every Saturday, we’ll post up Breaking Muscle’s top three articles of the week. These pieces have caught your attention throughout the last seven days. So here they are in one place for you to consume, digest, and enjoy.
[Photo courtesy of Chandler Stevens]
#1 – The Definitive Guide to Owning Your Flat Footed Squat
When it comes to mobility challenges, it seems like mastering the flat-footed squat is one of the trickiest. Progress can be frustratingly slow, and even if we do get our heels down, we often find ourselves uncomfortably hunched in the bottom position. Rarely is it a position we’d consider rest. In this article I want to introduce you to some of the most effective tools to unlock freedom in your squat.
Keep in mind: there’s no overnight fix. But if you commit to the process of freeing up your joints, you’ll find that the benefits extend far beyond gains in the gym.
#2 – Glute Training for Real Life Strength
By Jessica Bento
Most people define functional training as “training that relates to real life.” This is a wonderful philosophical definition, but it does little to clarify the methods, programming, and use of functional training.
A great example of this challenge of understanding human function can be seen in the popularity of “glute training.” While many strategies can help in developing “stronger glutes,” the overall goal of any good functional program is not to just make a muscle stronger, but more integrated with the body’s entire system.
#3 – The Myth of Exercise and Weight Loss
When it comes down to it, there are only three legitimate reasons to exercise:
- To improve your health
- To improve your level of fitness (i.e., your level of endurance, strength, flexibility, etc.)
- Because you like it.
Missing from the list is the granddaddy reason of them all: “to lose weight.” Scientifically, exercise has many benefits, from better sleep, to improved confidence, to healthier blood pressure. But for many, weight loss is not necessarily correlated with fitness. So why do so many people insist it is?
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