Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 43

Valery Fedorenko started setting kettlebell world records as a teenager in Russia. He doesn’t believe in the 2-handed swing or the Turkish get up. Find out why and what he does coach his students.

2. How to Plan and Cook a Week’s Worth of Healthy, Tasty Meals (Becca Borawski)

Cooking your own healthy meals can feel expensive and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be either. Here’s my system for planning, shopping for, and cooking a week’s worth of great food.

3. Squat Therapy: 4 Drills That Will Improve Your Squat (Chet Morjaria)

Trying to improve your basic squat position? Trouble keeping your chest up or opening your hips? These four drills, which I call “squat therapy,” can help you develop great squat form.

4. Gut Bacteria and Obesity – A Hidden Connection? (Peter Curcio)

Do you or your clients seem to gain weight no matter how little you eat? It could be your guts. The bacteria in our bodies are affected by the foods we eat, sometimes with disastrous results.

5. At the Core of It: Creating Strength and Tension in the Body (Andrew Read)

What exactly constitute the mysterious “core”? And as an athlete how should you strengthen it differently than a bodybuilder? Here’s my advice on how to build a strong core.

6. Our Amazing Experience With the Teen Gauntlet CrossFit Competition Series (Danette “Dizzle” Rivera)

This year two of my CrossFit Kids LA students, one of them being my daughter, competed in the Teen Gauntlet competition. They were amazing, physically and mentally, as was the event itself.

7. Understanding the Medium: Coaching Lessons From a Rock ‘n’ Roll Roadie (Bob Takano)

In this country we have a prolonged history of ignoring the science involved in physical training. The end results of training can be glamorous, but the real skill is in the structure and planning.