<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>David Varnes, Author at Breaking Muscle</title>
	<atom:link href="https://breakingmuscle.com/author/david-varnes/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/author/david-varnes/</link>
	<description>Breaking Muscle</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 11 Sep 2023 19:10:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.1</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cropped-bmlogowhite-red-120x68.png</url>
	<title>David Varnes, Author at Breaking Muscle</title>
	<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/author/david-varnes/</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>DIY Beast Mode Gear: How to Build Your Own Barbell</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/diy-beast-mode-gear-how-to-build-your-own-barbell/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2020 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barbell]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/diy-beast-mode-gear-how-to-build-your-own-barbell</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>There have been plenty of challenges living for the past six years as an American in Japan. First of all, finding shoes my size is a challenge at best and damn near impossible at worst. Finding t-shirts that don’t choke me while not simultaneously being covered in non-sensical (or at least grammatically incorrect) English is another. And let’s...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/diy-beast-mode-gear-how-to-build-your-own-barbell/">DIY Beast Mode Gear: How to Build Your Own Barbell</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>There have been plenty of challenges living for the past six years as an American in Japan.</strong> First of all, finding shoes my size is a challenge at best and damn near impossible at worst. Finding t-shirts that don’t choke me while not simultaneously being covered in non-sensical (or at least grammatically incorrect) English is another. And let’s not even get into trying to find a decent steak.</p>
<p><strong>There have been plenty of challenges living for the past six years as an American in Japan.</strong> First of all, finding shoes my size is a challenge at best and damn near impossible at worst. Finding t-shirts that don’t choke me while not simultaneously being covered in non-sensical (or at least grammatically incorrect) English is another. And let’s not even get into trying to find a decent steak.</p>
<p>But I digress, this article is about do-it-yourself (DIY) beast mode gear<strong>. Almost a year ago, I started my own gym in my town, and am the proud owner of one of the few <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-olympic-weightlifting-primer/" data-lasso-id="24229">Olympic-style weight</a> sets in the entire town (including the three largest commercial gyms).</strong></p>
<p>When shopping, however, prices reared their ugly heads. Weight sets that would have cost about 600 dollars in the United States were running 100,000 yen here in Japan (about a thousand American dollars) &#8211; before shipping! I spent the most I could afford and got the best set I could. Hey, heavy lifters are rare in Japan, and even more rare in the countryside. Almost everything has to be imported, and prices are at a premium.</p>
<p>Fast forward to last month, and I was working my squats. I was very happy to hit a personal best (<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-a-torn-acl-changed-my-life/" data-lasso-id="24230">post ACL surgery</a>) of 210 kilograms (about 463 pounds) when I noticed that my bar, while not failing, had what I would call an excessive amount of “flex” in it.</p>
<p>Since this was my one and only bar for the gym, tearing the damn thing in half would not be a good idea. So, I went back into my documentation on the weight set and checked my bar capacity.</p>
<p><strong>Open up to the proper page, and read “Recommended Max Weight: 200 kilograms.” Ooooops.</strong> Now, what do I do? I want to go even heavier, but if I do, I might just shear off the ends of my bar. Time to buy a new bar it seemed.</p>
<p>Here, prices reared their ugly heads yet again. When I checked prices for a high capacity bar, the cheapest I could find was over 50,000 yen (500 USD). A good quality bar like an Ivanko bar was going to run over 100,000 yen (1000 USD).</p>
<p>To be quite honest, I just couldn’t afford the damned things. <strong>So, as a former military officer who did his fair share of “MSU Ops” (Making Sh** Up Operations), I decided to DIY my new bar.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The most important part, of course, is the heart of the bar, the core bar itself.</strong> After reading a series of highly informative (and quite often funny) articles by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190508165337/https://www.newsday.com/long-island/obituaries/ken-leistner-obituary-1.30810580" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="24231">Dr. Ken Leistner</a> (no stranger to the DIY iron game himself), I knew I wanted to get cold rolled steel. In stepped the helpful folks at Osaka Stainless Steel Company in Osaka, Japan.</p>
<p>Working with their representatives, we decided eventually on a 38mm diameter cold rolled hardened steel bar at 250cm in length (about 8 feet, so longer than your normal bar &#8211; it&#8217;s the one on top in the photo). And it was really a good price too, only about a hundred U.S. dollars, including delivery.</p>
<p><strong>I went with the bigger diameter bar (38mm as opposed to the standard 28mm bar) for a few reasons.</strong> First off, while I knew the bar I was getting was cold-rolled, that was no guarantee it was as strong as the steel used in a high-quality commercial bar.</p>
<p>Those extra millimeters of steel could be useful. Second, the extra diameter could also be useful as a grip aid. While not a true fat bar in the 2-inch or higher category, let’s face it, that extra almost half-inch is still going to challenge the grip on deadlifts and other pulls.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-12946" style="height: 480px; width: 640px;" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastpipes.jpg" alt="DIY barbell, build your own barbell, do it yourself barbell, building a barbell" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastpipes.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastpipes-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p>So, I had my “heart,” now I needed the finishing touches. A quick trip to a local hardware store got me the pipes to go over the ends of my bar, a set of 50cm long 1.5in diameter water pipes.</p>
<p><strong>With an inner diameter of 39mm and an outer diameter of 49mm, I couldn’t ask for a better fit if I had custom ordered the damn things.</strong></p>
<p>Since this bar is meant for the power lifts and not Olympic lifts, I didn’t need bushings or bearings or anything else like that, I could affix the pipes to the bar directly with no rotation needed.</p>
<p>Using a series of high strength epoxies, I was able to fasten the pipes to the ends of the bar with no issues at all (while I would have loved to have welded them on, I have neither the skill nor the access to a welding set). Using an old set of screw-on collars to work as my inner collars and TA-DA! <strong>The BEAST is unleashed!</strong></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-12947" style="height: 480px; width: 640px;" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastinnercollars.jpg" alt="DIY barbell, build your own barbell, do it yourself barbell, building a barbell" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastinnercollars.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beastinnercollars-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><strong>I can tell you, so far this thing is a rock on my back.</strong> Taking it out on squats was like having a dead straight laser line across my shoulders, even when fully loaded, and even when I <em>tried</em> to bounce the top of a few squats just to see if I could get the bar to flex at all. As an added bonus, the extra bar width even felt a bit more comfortable on my shoulders, dispersing the weight a bit wider on the back muscles.</p>
<p>So, don’t despair if you are in a similar situation. While I doubt few readers of this are going to find themselves in a non-English speaking foreign country that doesn’t have a large heavy lifting community, you might find yourself in a situation where your finances don’t quite match the prices of commercially available equipment, or shipping and other costs make do-it-yourself work useful and worthwhile.</p>
<p><strong>If you do decide to take the DIY plunge, here are a few tips I would share with you:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Shop around.</strong> I checked over a dozen different sources (online and via telephone) before I settled on the bar that I purchased.</li>
<li><strong>Research.</strong> Check the dimensions, thickness, and any other information you can on the commercially available products you are trying to emulate or template off of. Even if your build is unique due to your circumstances, find out as much info as you can.</li>
<li><strong>Overbuild.</strong> Unless you are a master metalworker or fabricator, or you know someone who is, your welds and materials may not be as fool-proof as the commercial stuff. Let’s face it, York, Ivanko, and the rest have stayed in business doing what they do because they build good stuff and they know how to put it together. You’re not that good (yet?). So, overbuild if you can. If the commercial-grade rack you want has box walls 2mm thick, get something 3mm thick if you can. If you need something that can handle 500 pounds, build something that can handle 750 pounds. It might be a bit more expensive (hey, I could have built the BEAST for about three-quarters of the price I did if I had copied commercial measurements exactly) but the extra safety factor helps me sleep better at night.</li>
<li><strong>Try it out.</strong> Put the thing through its paces, but do it slowly. Just because you might want to build something that can take up to 1000 pounds, don’t just slap 1000 pounds on the thing first time out. Take it up slowly, and see what it can do.</li>
</ol>
<p>In any case, I hope this encourages you as well to try and do your own <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/10-essential-items-to-outfit-your-home-gym/" data-lasso-id="24232">home made beast mode gear</a> for your own needs.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/diy-beast-mode-gear-how-to-build-your-own-barbell/">DIY Beast Mode Gear: How to Build Your Own Barbell</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Ways to Develop the Fighting Spirit in Youth Athletes</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-develop-the-fighting-spirit-in-youth-athletes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth athletes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/5-ways-to-develop-the-fighting-spirit-in-youth-athletes</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Being a parent is tough. In addition to feeding, clothing, and taking care of the physical needs of a child, you are also responsible for developing their mental strength. In fact, developing mental strength and a fighting spirit is one of the most important things a parent can do. Fighting spirit can overcome economic backgrounds, educational deficiencies, and...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-develop-the-fighting-spirit-in-youth-athletes/">5 Ways to Develop the Fighting Spirit in Youth Athletes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Being a parent is tough.</strong> In addition to feeding, clothing, and taking care of the physical needs of a child, you are also responsible for developing their mental strength. <strong>In fact, developing mental strength and a fighting spirit is one of the most important things a parent can do.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Fighting spirit can overcome economic backgrounds, educational deficiencies, and even physical and mental limitations.</strong> But, how do we develop fighting spirit? Before looking at five great strategies to build fighting spirit in children, I’m going to give you an example of why it is important.</p>
<h2 id="identifying-the-despair">Identifying the Despair</h2>
<p>In one of my first judo tournaments in Japan, I had the chance to observe the children&#8217;s divisions, which were organized by club rather than school teams.</p>
<p>One team in particular stood out. The players had beautiful technique. A throw executed by one of them was almost an assured ippon victory. But as I watched, I noticed a disturbing trend. <strong>If a match went longer than a minute or two, the players from this club routinely lost.</strong> It wasn&#8217;t a matter of conditioning. I knew the players were in good shape. It was a lack of fighting spirit.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="fighting-spirit-is-an-essential-strength-we-need-to-develop-in-our-children-not-just-for-their-lives-in-sport-but-for-their-lives-in-general"><em>&#8220;Fighting spirit is an essential strength we need to develop in our children, not just for their lives in sport, but for their lives in general.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p>Despite cheering coaches and an initially aggressive attitude, <strong>if the player couldn&#8217;t win quickly, despair set in.</strong> You could almost read their minds. “Why is this guy still standing here? I&#8217;ve hit him with the best I have, and I haven&#8217;t won. Why can&#8217;t I win? I can&#8217;t win.”</p>
<p><strong>From the instant that look came over a player&#8217;s face, I knew the match would change.</strong> More than once I leaned over to my friend and said, “This kid is going to lose. He&#8217;s done for.”</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-56199" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kidsjudo.png" alt="kids Judo, competition, spirit, determination" width="600" height="405" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kidsjudo.png 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kidsjudo-300x203.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p>The rest of the match followed a predictable pattern. The once-confident player became extremely defensive, trying every trick in the book to delay, stall, and hang on rather than to win. <strong>When asked how I could predict so many losses on players who were at the time dominating their matches, I simply explained the players from that club lacked fighting spirit.</strong></p>
<h2 class="rtecenter" id="5-ways-to-build-fighting-spirit"><strong>5 Ways to Build Fighting Spirit</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Fighting spirit is a strength that means more than just the willingness to engage in adversarial combat.</strong> That&#8217;s bullying and belligerence. It&#8217;s more than perseverance, as mere perseverance can mean taking a beating without ever trying to succeed or improve.</p>
<p>Fighting spirit is an essential strength we need to develop in our children, not just for their lives in sport, but for their lives in general. <strong>Here are five tools you can use to build it.</strong></p>
<h2 id="1-set-high-expectations">1. Set High Expectations</h2>
<p>Les Brown, a famous motivational speaker, repeatedly says in his speeches, “Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.”</p>
<p><strong>Expect the most out of your children, and help them expect the most out of themselves.</strong> I&#8217;ve seen children who perform in school years above their grade level. I&#8217;ve seen kids who can lift weights adults deem impossible. All this merely because the child expects he or she can. Have high expectations for your kids, and even if they miss, they can end up at a higher level than if you keep your expectations low.</p>
<h2 id="2-let-them-fail-sometimes">2. Let Them Fail Sometimes</h2>
<p>Losing sucks, every adult knows that. Because of that, <strong>certain groups advocate encouraging self-esteem and the concept of “losing” has been removed from many areas of a child&#8217;s life. </strong>Soccer and baseball games no longer keep score, and some schools no longer grade tests. These challenges of little consequence are removed, all in the name of promoting children&#8217;s self-worth. The result of this is that when life does deliver challenges that do have consequences, the child’s mental muscles aren&#8217;t ready for the strain.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="for-now-encourage-children-to-pursue-their-dreams-with-all-their-heart"><em>&#8220;For now, encourage children to pursue their dreams with all their heart.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p><strong>Let your kids get familiar with the strain needed for true success, and if they fail sometimes, so be it.</strong> Let them learn from loss and develop the skill set that comes with critical evaluation of performance. Let them learn how to come back from a loss and to know the self-esteem that comes from true achievement, not false puffery.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-56200" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo2spirit.jpg" alt="adolescent sports, coaching, childrens competition" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo2spirit.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo2spirit-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="3-encourage-the-dream">3. Encourage the Dream</h2>
<p>Currently, my son has a dream. When he gets older (maybe ten, maybe 100, he&#8217;s not sure), he wants to be a firefighter who also drives an excavator, while moonlighting as Batman, and becoming the strongest man in the world (watch out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafth%C3%B3r_J%C3%BAl%C3%ADus_Bj%C3%B6rnsson" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="56996">Hafthor Bjornson</a>).</p>
<p>The realistic adult in me wants to say his dream is impossible. <strong>But, I also realize this sort of dreaming represents him setting a high goal for himself.</strong> Sure, the odds of him becoming the strongest man in the world are roughly one in seven billion. Sure, Batman exists only in comic books and on film. But, who knows what he could become?</p>
<p><strong>Don&#8217;t worry about counting the cost now.</strong> There will be time enough for that later. For now, encourage children to pursue their dreams with all their heart.</p>
<h2 id="4-encourage-a-1-mentality">4. Encourage a +1 Mentality</h2>
<p><strong>While my son may have dreams of being strong and I expect big things of him, I also know that handing him an Atlas stone and telling him to lift it now would be useless.</strong> On the other hand, challenging him to lift one more kilogram than last time or to try one more new word than before in his schoolwork lets him feel the challenge is within reach.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="gains-are-gained-through-effort-hard-effort"><em>&#8220;Gains are gained through effort &#8211; hard effort.</em>&#8220;</h3>
<p>For whatever it is for your children, <strong>encourage them to be a tiny bit better than they were before.</strong> The accumulation of these constant small increases, regardless of the area of study, will lead to huge gains in the long term.</p>
<h2 id="5-recognize-effort-not-results">5. Recognize Effort, Not Results</h2>
<p>Gains are gained through effort &#8211; hard effort. This is true whether we’re talking about the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/back-squat/" data-lasso-id="151300">back squat</a>, math, or how to cook a perfect steak. <strong>If your child tries with all he or she has, regardless of the result, give him or her a hug.</strong> Let your children know you are proud of their efforts.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-56201" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo3spirit.jpg" alt="soccer, youth sports, adolescent training" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo3spirit.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/photo3spirit-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><strong>At the same time, if your child didn&#8217;t try, then note it.</strong> Let him or her know that you expect better next time. Without putting your child down, encourage him or to try harder next time. Encourage your children to analyze what went wrong and consider how they can prevent it from happening again.</p>
<h2 id="spirit-is-crucial">Spirit Is Crucial</h2>
<p>In a perfect world, fighting spirit might not be necessary. <strong>In the real world, fighting spirit is needed to be successful.</strong> Even if your goal is to make the world a utopia, you must have fighting spirit to shape the world to your will. Nobody stumbles their way into a perfect life without effort, regardless of the anecdotes you may read.</p>
<p>Encourage your children to develop their own fighting spirit, to grow their mental muscle. Hopefully, their strength and spirit will make them as successful as they could ever want.</p>
<p><strong>Read more about youth athletes:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-steps-to-nip-youth-performance-anxiety-in-the-bud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="56997">3 Steps to Nip Youth Performance Anxiety in the Bud</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Foundational Training for Youth Athletes</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/biological-versus-chronological-age-in-youth-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="56999">Biological Versus Chronological Age in Youth Sports</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>What&#8217;s New on Breaking Muscle Today</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em><span style="font-size: 11px;">Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="57001">Shutterstock</a>.</span></em></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-develop-the-fighting-spirit-in-youth-athletes/">5 Ways to Develop the Fighting Spirit in Youth Athletes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>3 Tips for Developing Fine Motor Control During Childhood</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/3-tips-for-developing-fine-motor-control-during-childhood/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2014 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/3-tips-for-developing-fine-motor-control-during-childhood</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Enouraging fine motor control is a critical part of raising children. Not only is fine motor control essential to daily life, but when it comes to sports, fine motor control is paramount. Just a fraction of an inch difference in finger placement and release of a curveball can make the difference between a Major League pitcher, a decent...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-tips-for-developing-fine-motor-control-during-childhood/">3 Tips for Developing Fine Motor Control During Childhood</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Enouraging fine motor control is a critical part of raising children.<strong> Not only is fine motor control essential to daily life, but when it comes to sports, fine motor control is paramount.</strong></p>
<p>Just a fraction of an inch difference in finger placement and release of a curveball can make the difference between a Major League pitcher, a decent high school pitcher, and a Friday Night Beer League player.</p>
<p><strong>But how do we encourage the development of fine motor control, especially when so much of it is task specific? </strong>Here are three ideas for simplifying fine motor development in kids, inspired by <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-get-young-children-moving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50436">the Montessori approach</a> to learning and skill acquisition.</p>
<h2 id="1-provide-materials">1. Provide Materials</h2>
<p>Whether we’re talking about fat crayons, oversized buttons and buttonholes, or “comfort grip” utensils, <strong>the whole market for overly thick, oversized children&#8217;s materials actually discourages the development of fine motor control.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Montessori system has the opposite approach.</strong> Pencils are of normal size, or even of smaller than average size if possible. Eating utensils are also smaller than adult utensils. The use of small items means the materials fit into children&#8217;s hands in a similar manner to how we expect them to fit into our hands as adults. With these tools, children can learn the motor patterns and muscular control that allow them to have fine motor control of the full-sized items later on.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="the-montessori-idea-of-realism-ensures-you-will-use-the-most-effective-and-age-appropriate-tools-to-develop-basic-skills-and-also-improve-fine-motor-control">&#8220;<em>The Montessori idea of realism ensures you will use the most effective and age-appropriate tools to develop basic skills and also improve fine motor control.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p><strong>You can apply the same ideas for athletics.</strong> Youth basketballs are normally smaller sized than their adult equivalents. To encourage fine motor skill development in sports, use youth footballs, soccer balls, and other sports equipment that are similarly scaled down.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><strong>RELATED</strong>: <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/inexpensive-easy-ways-to-prepare-the-fitness-environment-for-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50438"><strong>Inexpensive, Easy Ways to Prepare the Fitness Environment for Kids</strong></a></p>
<h2 id="2-repetition">2. Repetition</h2>
<p><strong>Much of fine motor control is actually unconscious</strong>. We don&#8217;t think about each individual curve and line as we sign a document, because the appropriate level of fine motor control has been so established that signing a paper has become an unconscious act.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-26209" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock179595014.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock179595014.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock179595014-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/revisiting-bruce-lee-and-enter-the-dragon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50439">Bruce Lee </a>commented on this level of skill in his discussion of the three phases of learning martial arts.</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>A punch is just a punch. While usually thrown with little skill and bad mechanics, the action is natural and unconscious.</li>
<li>The conscious skill phase, when a punch becomes more than a punch. The martial artist is consciously thinking about hand placement, targeting, and body control. While the mechanics and technique might be better than they were in the first phase, there is often a robotic quality to the actions, and they rarely flow.</li>
<li>A punch becomes just a punch, but now it is technically and mechanically sound.</li>
</ol>
<p>This idea goes beyond the sphere of martial arts. <strong>The same idea applies for children and their fine motor skills.</strong> Encouraging <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-art-of-practice-5-key-elements-for-perfect-practice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50440">repetition</a>, as much as the child wants and can handle, will ingrain the motor patterns and fine motor control needed for later performance of the skills in game situations.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><strong>LEARN MORE: <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/4-training-lessons-we-can-learn-from-bruce-lee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50441">4 Training Lessons We Can Learn From Bruce Lee</a></strong></p>
<h2 id="3-strengthen-the-entire-system">3. Strengthen the Entire System</h2>
<p><strong>Developing overall strength will allow for greater fine motor control in kids. </strong>The basic premise is that the lower percentage of total muscular power needed to complete an action, the greater amount of motor control possible.</p>
<p><strong>You see this in sports all the time.</strong> Pitchers are pulled from baseball games not when their fastballs are slowing down, but when their pitch placement gets wonky. Heavyweight boxing matches usually go from crisp, technical punches in the first few rounds to sweaty hug-fests by round ten. The rare occasions when players do display amazing examples of skill and motor control in the later stages of events are usually hailed as extraordinary.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="in-general-the-stronger-and-fitter-the-overall-system-is-the-better-fine-motor-control-can-be-achieved">&#8220;<em>In general, the stronger and fitter the overall system is, the better fine motor control can be achieved.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p>For sports that involve the use of the hands and forearms, there are numerous ways to develop strength<strong>. In Montessori classrooms, we often use clay in art projects</strong>. Students are encouraged to form, shape, and pinch the clay using just their fingers. They start with soft clay and work their way up to firm clay. While this activity is meant to develop strength for handwriting, it can also be used for developing the hand strength needed to throw a football.</p>
<p><strong>Even for sports skills that involve other body parts and functions, the same principle can still apply</strong>. <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/7-insane-leg-workouts-that-may-make-you-take-up-basket-weaving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50442">Building stronger legs </a>gives basketball players that extra cushion for performing spin moves in the fourth quarter, and gives running backs the ability to cut more sharply late in the game. In general, the stronger and fitter the overall system is, the better fine motor control can be achieved.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-26210" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock201266240.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock201266240.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shutterstock201266240-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="foundational-training-can-help">Foundational Training Can Help</h2>
<p>It is axiomatic that before a difficult skill is attempted, lower level skills must first be mastered. Figure skaters do not start doing triple toe loops without having first mastered turns, spins, and other basic skills.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><strong>LEARN MORE: Foundational Training for Youth Athletes: Are You Doing It?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Foundational training is slightly different, in that we take it down even one level more, building the most basic versions of the skills and doing them in a challenging way.</strong> While skills are diverse based on the needs of the goal activity, foundational skills exist regardless of the sport you play.</p>
<p><strong>Foundational Training is built upon the idea that the body moves in certain planes and patterns consistently.</strong> Currently, I use eight different patterns in my foundational training teaching:</p>
<ol>
<li>Squat</li>
<li>Hip Hinge</li>
<li>Vertical Press</li>
<li>Horizontal Press</li>
<li>Horizontal Pull</li>
<li>Vertical Pull</li>
<li>Twist</li>
<li>Abdominal Flexion</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>By training these basic foundational movements, you can build the systems for later basic skills training. </strong>The <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/real-functional-training-is-simple-montessori-realism-in-the-gym/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50444">Montessori idea of realism</a> ensures you will use the most effective and age-appropriate tools to develop basic skills and also improve fine motor control.</p>
<p>In the end, fine motor control remains an elusive subject. Coaches search for it, athletes treasure it, and trainers try everything they can to make it possible. <strong>Incorporate these hints into your own training and when working with your children, and watch the fine motor skills improve.</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50445">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-tips-for-developing-fine-motor-control-during-childhood/">3 Tips for Developing Fine Motor Control During Childhood</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>3 Recipes to Get Your Kids Excited About Vegetables</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/3-recipes-to-get-your-kids-excited-about-vegetables/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Nov 2014 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids nutrition]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/3-recipes-to-get-your-kids-excited-about-vegetables</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>“You gotta eat your vegetables.” This mantra, uttered by concerned mothers since the time of Alexander the Great, has led to tears, tantrums, and arguments. I suspect it may have even started the careers of many a stage magician (Hey Mom, see? The vegetables are all gone!). Vegetables Don&#8217;t Have to Be Boring For some reason, parents have...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-recipes-to-get-your-kids-excited-about-vegetables/">3 Recipes to Get Your Kids Excited About Vegetables</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>“You gotta <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/why-you-need-phytonutrients-and-the-4-best-places-to-get-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50231">eat your vegetables</a>.”</strong> This mantra, uttered by concerned mothers since the time of Alexander the Great, has led to tears, tantrums, and arguments. I suspect it may have even started the careers of many a stage magician (Hey Mom, see? The vegetables are all gone!).</p>
<h2 id="vegetables-dont-have-to-be-boring">Vegetables Don&#8217;t Have to Be Boring</h2>
<p><strong>For some reason, parents have determined <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/2-healthy-dressings-that-wont-ruin-your-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50232">eating vegetables</a> means the veggies must be presented in as bland and unappealing a manner as possible.</strong> But who in their right mind actually wants to eat cauliflower that has been boiled in unsalted water for ten minutes, then plopped on the upper left quadrant of the plate like some sort of mass from outer space?</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="by-preparing-in-advance-and-relaxing-your-ideas-of-what-vegetables-are-supposed-to-taste-like-you-will-open-up-a-whole-new-world-of-possibilities-for-the-simple-vegetable"><em>&#8220;By preparing in advance and relaxing your ideas of what vegetables are supposed to taste like, you will open up a whole new world of possibilities for the simple vegetable.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p><strong>We as parents spend so much time making intricate and sexy main dishes (usually the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/want-more-muscle-science-says-eat-more-protein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50233">protein-heavy </a>portion of our meal), that by the time we get to the side dishes, we have little time and energy left to spare. </strong>I understand, too. After a long day of work, afternoon activities, and everything else that goes on during the day, sometimes you just don&#8217;t have the time to think creatively. But trust me, it&#8217;s not that hard.</p>
<h2 id="here-are-some-hints-before-we-begin">Here are some hints before we begin</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Involve your kids in the preparation as much as you can</strong>. As I mentioned in a previous article, when you let them in on the creative process, they&#8217;ll want to sample what they produce. Let them cut, chop, manipulate switches, or do whatever else it is they can safely do to get involved.</li>
<li><strong>Use spices, herbs, and judicious amounts of other ingredients</strong>. Does it mask the real flavor? Of course it does. But so does adding salt and pepper to your beef, or Thai chili sauce to your chicken.</li>
</ul>
<p>So let&#8217;s tackle a few recipes, shall we? <strong>Try some of the following recipes and ideas to get your kids eating their veggies, and perhaps even asking for more.</strong></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><strong>RELATED:<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/i-dont-want-to-eat-that-6-tips-on-making-healthy-eating-for-kids-not-so-difficult/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50235"> 6 Tips on Making Healthy Eating for Kids Not So Difficult</a></strong></p>
<h2 id="avocado-chocolate-pudding">Avocado Chocolate Pudding</h2>
<p>This one is devious. I mean, avocado? In dessert? <strong>Yep, and best of all, it can make for an awesome pudding. </strong>Avocado is rich in vitamins and <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/balancing-your-fats-might-be-good-for-your-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50236">healthy fats</a>. These fats are the perfect emollient for whipping into a pudding. Now, this isn&#8217;t low calorie, and if you are carb-conscious you&#8217;re going to have to use some sort of sugar substitute. However, it is an easy and tasty way to get vegetables and vitamins into a diet.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-26123" style="height: 586px; width: 500px;" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010107.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="703" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010107.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010107-256x300.jpg 256w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Enjoying avocado chocolate pudding.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>To prepare, take one or two dark chocolate bars and melt them down with a hint of butter. </strong>I&#8217;ve used different ratios of cocoa and sweetener to avocado, so experiment to find your own preference. Once your chocolate is all melted into a beautiful shiny syrup, blend it together with one avocado and a pinch of cinnamon in your blender or food processor for about thirty seconds. Put it in your refrigerator for about an hour, and presto-chango, delicious pudding!</p>
<ul>
<li><em><strong>The Vegan Version: </strong>For a <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/strong-healthy-and-vegan-yes-it-can-be-done/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50237">vegan</a> option, you can substitute out the butter and chocolate bars and use cocoa powder, coconut milk, and the sweetener of your choice to taste.</em></li>
<li><em><strong>The Bodybuilder Version:</strong> Throw in your favorite <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/10-things-i-know-about-protein-that-you-dont/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50238">protein powder</a>, but beware the gritty texture.</em></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="oven-roasted-squash">Oven-Roasted Squash</h2>
<p>When most kids think of squash, grimaces are not far behind. <strong>However, many of the members of the squash family make delicious sweet bites when they are roasted. </strong>Two of my favorites are kabocha pumpkin squash and butternut squash.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="involve-your-kids-in-the-preparation-as-much-as-you-can-when-you-let-them-in-on-the-creative-process-theyll-want-to-sample-what-they-produce"><em>&#8220;Involve your kids in the preparation as much as you can&#8230; [W]hen you let them in on the creative process, they&#8217;ll want to sample what they produce.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p><strong>To prepare, thoroughly clean out the insides of your gourd, then cut into chunks about half-inch square. </strong>I try to remove the flesh from the outer shells, although here in Japan, you can find the shells attached through all sorts of preparations, including frying, roasting, boiling, and stewing. For children however, I have found that shell-less roasted gourd goes over a lot better than shell-on.</p>
<p>To cook, lightly salt the squash squares and roast in a 375-degree oven until they begin to caramelize on the edges.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-26124" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010084ed.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010084ed.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/p1010084ed-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>My students preparing squash for roasting.</em></span></p>
<h2 id="thanksgiving-pumpkin-smoothies">Thanksgiving Pumpkin Smoothies</h2>
<p><strong>This one lends itself to not only the sweet-toothed of us, but also the lazy.</strong> I will admit to having used pre-packaged <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/recipe-holiday-pumpkin-parfait/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50239">pumpkin</a> for this recipe. But before you light your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, be aware that it was organic pumpkin, with nothing else added. Since that first time, I have also re-made this recipe using more commonly available commercial canned pumpkin (think the stuff you might use in a pumpkin pie for the office Thanksgiving potluck) and using roasted, blended, and mashed kabocha pumpkins.</p>
<h3 class="rtecenter" id="adding-vegetables-into-our-childrens-diets-is-of-utmost-importance-but-as-these-recipes-show-we-dont-have-to-sacrifice-flavor-in-the-pursuit-of-healthy-variety"><em>&#8220;Adding vegetables into our children&#8217;s diets is of utmost importance. But as these recipes show, we don’t have to sacrifice flavor in the pursuit of healthy variety.&#8221;</em></h3>
<p><strong>To make the smoothies, take a few spoonfuls of mashed pumpkin (however you obtained it), and blend it with other smoothie ingredients.</strong> As I have no problems with <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/science-says-dairy-is-good-for-insulin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50240">dairy products</a>, I use semi-frozen milk, along with honey and cinnamon. To make it thicker, I tend to add more pumpkin, although that does play with the flavor.</p>
<p><strong>I&#8217;ve also seen people use coconut milk, almond milk, goat milk, and just about every other milk under the sun, with good results.</strong> One athlete I was working with who was trying to add weight used half-and-half with protein powder, but I personally disliked the texture and found it too heavy in my stomach.</p>
<h2 id="give-it-a-shot">Give It a Shot</h2>
<p>Adding vegetables into our children&#8217;s diets is of utmost importance. <strong>But as these recipes show, we don’t have to sacrifice flavor in the pursuit of healthy variety.</strong> In fact, by preparing in advance and relaxing your ideas of what vegetables are supposed to taste like, you will open up a whole new world of possibilities for the simple vegetable.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 1 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="50241">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of David Varnes.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-recipes-to-get-your-kids-excited-about-vegetables/">3 Recipes to Get Your Kids Excited About Vegetables</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Real Functional Training Is Simple: Montessori Realism in the Gym</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/real-functional-training-is-simple-montessori-realism-in-the-gym/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[montessori]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/real-functional-training-is-simple-montessori-realism-in-the-gym</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>For good or for ill, functional training is a trend in sports training. Although the term was originally used to distinguish functional training methods from bodybuilding styles, some of its applications resemble a strange blend of Ninja Warrior and Barnum and Bailey’s circus. Thankfully, a return to reality has started to take place, as coaches bring the focus...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/real-functional-training-is-simple-montessori-realism-in-the-gym/">Real Functional Training Is Simple: Montessori Realism in the Gym</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>For good or for ill, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/what-is-your-functional-fitness-for/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48419">functional training</a> is a trend in sports training. </strong>Although the term was originally used to distinguish functional training methods from bodybuilding styles, some of its applications resemble a strange blend of <em>Ninja Warrior</em> and Barnum and Bailey’s circus.</p>
<p><strong>Thankfully, a return to reality has started to take place, as coaches bring the focus back to the basics: <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/whole-body-versus-split-training-which-is-best-athlete-journal-111/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48421">multi-joint basic lifts</a>. </strong>I hope I have seen my last one-leg BOSU alternate-arm kettlebell snatch ever.</p>
<h2 id="the-montessori-way">The Montessori Way</h2>
<blockquote><p>“Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.” &#8211; Maria Montessori</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>A decade’s worth of pain, frustration, and lack of progress would have been saved if the coaching world had looked toward the Montessori system for inspiration.</strong><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-get-young-children-moving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48422">Maria Montessori </a>was a strong believer in having students get in touch with reality and nature. Montessori classrooms usually have a distinct lack of plastic and other artificial materials in comparison to traditional classes. One of the keystones of the Montessori system is frequent practice with the real thing, as much and as safely possible.</p>
<p>Working with athletes is similar. <strong>Artificial simulation does not create real abilities.</strong> <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/perfect-practice-makes-perfect-or-does-nature-trump-everything/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48423">Skill only comes after hours of hard work</a>. You must spend time working on the specific skills you wish to improve.</p>
<p><strong>Often this isn’t fun, but for coaches, this focus on hard work actually makes the job easier. </strong>If you coach sports, leave the off-season strength training in the hands of your strength and conditioning coach, if your school has one. If it doesn’t, then at least divide your schedule. Let skill time be skill time and strength time be strength time.<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/cross-training-doesnt-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48424"> Blending the two into an inefficient mish-mash</a> produces nothing but sweat.</p>
<p><strong>A simple program that includes the classic powerlifts and one variation of the snatch or clean would do better for most athletes than half a million varied “functional training” lifts like the ones I described above.</strong> Athletes who compete in strength sports (powerlifters, Olympic lifters, strongmen, and CrossFitters) may need more than that, since skill training and strength training are one and the same for them.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-25321" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/10/shutterstock222533284.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="461" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/shutterstock222533284.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/shutterstock222533284-300x231.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="an-old-fashioned-functional-workout">An Old-Fashioned Functional Workout</h2>
<p><strong>Simplifying your training doesn&#8217;t have to be boring, but it will be different. </strong>How do the two approaches look in the weight room? Let&#8217;s use a football defensive lineman as an example. We will call one a “functional” workout and the other a “Montessori” workout.</p>
<ul>
<li>10 minutes of various jogs and runs, to include front, back, side shuffles, crossovers, skips and jumps.</li>
<li>Foam rolling</li>
<li>Split stance kettlebell snatches, 4 x 5</li>
<li>One arm BOSU Landmine Presses. 10 x 4 (Starting from a half squat to simulate firing off the ball and gaining separation on an opponent.)</li>
<li>4 directional dumbbell lunges, 5 x 8 (2 each direction)</li>
<li>Box jumps, 4x max height</li>
<li>Ladder walk push ups combined with dumbbell rows, 3 x whatever your ladder is (If you can do it while wearing a <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/best-weighted-vest/" data-lasso-id="333990">weight vest</a>, even cooler.)</li>
<li>TRX planks 3x to exhaustion</li>
</ul>
<p>This workout requires eight different movements, 26 different sets, and at least seven different pieces of functional equipment, in addition to normal weight room bars and racks. Total time to completion? <strong>Probably around 1.5-2 hours, when changeover and <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-choose-the-proper-work-and-rest-periods-when-interval-training/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48425">rest periods </a>are figured in.</strong></p>
<h2 id="montessori-inspired-workout">Montessori-Inspired Workout</h2>
<p><strong>Now, let’s look at a football-focused Montessori workout. </strong>This workout would be followed (or preceded) by a skill-specific practice done at a different time.</p>
<ul>
<li>800 meters (½ mile) jogging &#8211; Just enough to get a bit of a sweat worked up.</li>
<li><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/back-squat/" data-lasso-id="151196">Back squats</a>, 2 warm up sets, then 4 x 6 &#8211; Rate of exertion should be high. “One left in the tank,” so to speak.</li>
<li>Romanian deadlift, 1 x 12 &#8211; Stress should be on squeezing the hips and glutes through the motion. Pull the shoulders back at the top as well.</li>
<li>Incline press, 5 x 5 &#8211; Use a spotter. That last set should be a grunter. Don’t do this in a Planet Fitness.</li>
<li>Pullups/dips superset, 4 x as many reps as possible (AMRAP) &#8211; Ensure stoppage at form failure, not paralytic muscular failure.</li>
<li>Hanging leg raises, 3 x AMRAP</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>That&#8217;s a total of six exercises (seven if you count the superset as two movements), but only seventeen work sets.</strong> Most likely completion in the range of 45 minutes to one hour. Best of all, you only need a single <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/best-squat-rack/" data-lasso-id="308184">power rack</a>, a bar, and plates. At the right intensity, I challenge anyone to do it and call it easy.</p>
<h2 id="the-benefit-of-using-the-montessori-approach-to-fitness">The Benefit of Using the Montessori Approach to Fitness</h2>
<p>What can a sports coach do with that extra hour? <strong>Ask any coach what they would give to have an extra hour three or four times a week with their athlete, and most would be rubbing their hands with glee. </strong>Walkthroughs. Tape review. Drilling. For those who have student athletes, a chance to get their homework done. Putting some sort of rest in between the two workouts also ensures that the total average intensity of the split workouts is going to be higher than the two-hour functional marathon.</p>
<p><strong>When designing your own workouts, take a moment to look past the hype and the funky-looking devices endorsed by trendy fitness celebrities.</strong> Instead, consider using the Montessori ideal of realism. A lot of athletes would be a lot stronger and fitter if we applied this concept. On the other hand, the BOSU company would probably be out of business.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="48427">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/real-functional-training-is-simple-montessori-realism-in-the-gym/">Real Functional Training Is Simple: Montessori Realism in the Gym</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Inexpensive, Easy Ways to Prepare the Fitness Environment for Kids</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/inexpensive-easy-ways-to-prepare-the-fitness-environment-for-kids/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids fitness]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/inexpensive-easy-ways-to-prepare-the-fitness-environment-for-kids</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In previous articles, I explained how the Montessori concept of “following the child” can be applied in both a school environment and a fitness environment. I also discussed how foundational training is important in both the classroom and the fitness world. In previous articles, I explained how the Montessori concept of “following the child” can be applied in...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/inexpensive-easy-ways-to-prepare-the-fitness-environment-for-kids/">Inexpensive, Easy Ways to Prepare the Fitness Environment for Kids</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>In previous articles, I explained how the Montessori concept of “following the child” can be applied in both a school environment and a fitness environment. I also discussed how foundational training is important in both the classroom and the fitness world.</em></p>
<p><em>In previous articles, I explained how the Montessori concept of “following the child” can be applied in both a school environment and a fitness environment. I also discussed how foundational training is important in both the classroom and the fitness world.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Now let’s look at another Montessori idea that can be applied to the fitness and sports arenas: preparing the environment.</strong></em></p>
<p>In a Montessori classroom, many of the materials are prepared with children in mind. Note, this does not mean “child-proof” materials such as unbreakable tumblers, condescending gadgets, and other garishly colored plastic materials.</p>
<p><strong>Instead, real materials are used to teach children the real consequences of their actions, but scaled down to fit child-sized hands.</strong></p>
<p>You’ll find small glasses made of real glass and small metal forks, spoons, and sometimes even knives. Tables are at an adult’s knee height or smaller, sinks are lower, and toilets are smaller. Materials are laid out in trays and workspaces at the child’s height to make it easy to access and return materials.</p>
<p><strong>Once the students understand the reality, power, and responsibility that goes with such a special environment, they care for and love their classrooms, with nary a Power Ranger, neon toy, or Snoopy in sight.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Montessori classroom is appealing to the students because it is inviting and empowering.</strong></p>
<p>They feel welcomed and respected in their classroom, and they are encouraged to take ownership of it. This same idea can easily be applied to fitness facilities and sports. However, finding age-appropriate equipment is a challenging area, especially for <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/strength-training-is-good-for-kids-heres-how-to-do-it/" data-lasso-id="46819">weight training coaches</a>.</p>
<h2 id="materials-and-equipment-a-challenge-for-coaches">Materials and Equipment: A Challenge for Coaches</h2>
<p><strong>The plain and simple truth is, a lot of fitness equipment isn’t made for children’s usage.</strong></p>
<p>Bars are too thick, and standard Olympic bars are often too long and too heavy for new trainees. For shorter children, even the standard size 20kg/45lb plate is too large, although perhaps not due to weight (I’ve known some very strong shorter lifters), but because the bar is just too high for them.</p>
<p>While there are options like shorter bars or aluminum shafted bars, they can be rather expensive, and unless you happen to own a profitable facility, you may not be able to purchase them.</p>
<p><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-to-get-young-children-moving/" data-lasso-id="46820">Montessori</a> teachers face the same challenges. Specifically made Montessori materials are a niche market, with manufacturers usually commanding premium prices for their craft. Math beads, science materials, and other items can run into the hundreds of dollars each.</p>
<p><strong>Most teachers compromise, buying what they cannot replicate themselves and being creative with substitutes for the rest.</strong> You’d be surprised at how many seats for preschoolers can be made from paper milk cartons, duct tape, construction paper, and a bit of laminating film.</p>
<p><strong>The same thing can be done for children’s fitness. Here are some inexpensive ways to prepare the environment for kids’ fitness:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Homemade Heavy Bag:</strong> With some duct tape, old clothes, and a single duffel bag (I used a clothes storage bag, the vacuum type), you can <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/6-cheap-ways-to-turn-couch-potato-kids-into-ninja-warriors/" data-lasso-id="46821">make a tackling dummy/heavy bag/lifting bag for kids</a> for less than $10.00. I stuffed mine with the outgrown baby clothes and cloth diapers my son used (after a thorough washing).</li>
<li><strong>Homemade Sandbags:</strong> Sand is another great option for providing materials for construction. It’s cheap, it’s heavy, and you can get it just about anywhere. Fill some bags with sand, and let your kids start with lifting those.</li>
<li><strong>Bars:</strong> Barbells are harder to replicate. Unless you are a machinist, making bars for children that can handle normal plates is difficult.<strong> However, dip bars, pull up bars, and fixed weight bars are a more practical and attainable option.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-24570" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/09/9565890149861879fccao.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="371" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/9565890149861879fccao.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/9565890149861879fccao-300x186.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Rings, Ropes, and Bands:</strong> Rings are another fun option and are pretty easy to get your hands on. <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/6-exercises-to-fight-bad-posture-in-kids/" data-lasso-id="46822">Ropes and bands</a> are some of my other childrens’ weight lifting options. They’re lightweight, flexible, moveable, and again, often cheap. Ropes make a great option for most pulling exercises. You can tie them to almost any form of resistance to make pulling sleds or other options for leg work. And even the smallest hands can easily grip bands, making pushing, pulling, and twisting exercises easy.</li>
<li><strong>Bodyweight:</strong> Of course, bodyweight itself is one of the greatest exercise tools. The ability to vary angles, positions, and timing makes the possibilities almost infinite. It falls to the teacher to make sure that the exercises are scaled properly to the child’s level of coordination and fitness.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>In the end, preparing the environment is key for creating fun, engaging children’s fitness programs.</strong></p>
<p>The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to use your imagination. Use everyday objects, especially ones that look realistic or are made from objects children would use in their play.</p>
<p>Pulling sleds that look like cars (a great second life for an old wagon, tricycle, or other device) or throwing medicine balls that are made from basketballs are a few creative ideas.</p>
<p>Use your imagination and prepare the fitness environment to be safe, challenging, and scaled not only to the child’s physical ability, but also to his or her mindset.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 1 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="46825">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 1 courtesy of <a href="http://www.crossfitla.com/cms/index.php/CFLAKids/CFLAKids-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="46826">CrossFit LA Kids</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/inexpensive-easy-ways-to-prepare-the-fitness-environment-for-kids/">Inexpensive, Easy Ways to Prepare the Fitness Environment for Kids</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Goldilocks Question: Is Your Gym Too Big, Too Soft, or Just Right?</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/the-goldilocks-question-is-your-gym-too-big-too-soft-or-just-right/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gym]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/the-goldilocks-question-is-your-gym-too-big-too-soft-or-just-right</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday, I had reading time with my three-year-old son. When I asked him which book he wanted to read, he brought over to me a dog-eared, tattered copy of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. As I read the familiar story, my mind drifted from recounting the breaking-and-entering activities of a little blonde girl in an ursine domicile, and...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-goldilocks-question-is-your-gym-too-big-too-soft-or-just-right/">The Goldilocks Question: Is Your Gym Too Big, Too Soft, or Just Right?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday, I had reading time with my three-year-old son. <strong>When I asked him which book he wanted to read, he brought over to me a dog-eared, tattered copy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_the_Three_Bears" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42910"><em>Goldilocks and the Three Bears</em></a>. </strong></p>
<p>As I read the familiar story, my mind drifted from recounting the breaking-and-entering activities of a little blonde girl in an ursine domicile, and pondered a question.</p>
<h2 id="the-goldilocks-syndrome">The Goldilocks Syndrome</h2>
<p>As Goldilocks tries out the bears’ chairs, beds, and bowls of porridge, she finds that Papa Bear’s things are too much, Mama Bear’s are not enough, and Baby Bear’s are just right. <strong>In the world of sporting activities, owners, teachers, and members all face a similar question.</strong> When is a facility, club, or group the right size? When is it too large or too small?</p>
<p>The answer is different for everyone. While Papa Bear’s bed may have been too hard for Goldilocks, perhaps Papa Bear had a stiff back and needed the extra support. On the other hand, perhaps Mama Bear wanted the extra warmth that a deep, soft mattress can provide. I’m not them, so I cannot say. Fitness is the same.</p>
<p><strong>Let’s talk about some of the potential benefits and drawbacks of groups or gyms of certain sizes.</strong></p>
<h2 id="papa-bear">Papa Bear</h2>
<p><strong>You’re big, you’re bad, and everyone knows who you are.</strong> In the fitness world, you probably have t-shirts emblazoned with your name or logo being sold at shops all over the place. People who have never stepped within your doors may be rockin’ your gear. You might even have endorsement contracts with suppliers who market clothes, supplements, and perhaps even action figures with your name attached.</p>
<p><strong>For members, the advantages of being a Papa Bear are huge.</strong> Members have access to <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/globo-gym-warning-how-to-protect-yourself-your-money-and-your-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42912">large-scale membership</a> in a wide range of locations. You could get a lift in at home in California on Monday, and get your next lift in on Thursday in Seattle, all on the same membership card. If certifications are your thing, being accepted nationally or even worldwide carries its own advantages.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22785" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/07/800px-goldsgym3910wilsonblvdarlingtonvirginia.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/800px-goldsgym3910wilsonblvdarlingtonvirginia.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/800px-goldsgym3910wilsonblvdarlingtonvirginia-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><strong>In addition, a <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-misconceptions-about-the-globo-gym/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42913">huge gym chain </a>can offer a plethora of options for varying tastes, such as family members who do not all participate in the same activities. </strong>When I was a member of a large chain gym, I could lift in one section and do three different types of cardio classes, in addition to training on my own, swimming, and playing basketball, all while my wife enjoyed yoga and Pilates classes. The economy of scale allows such options that may not be feasible at smaller gyms.</p>
<p><strong>On the other hand, Papa Bear groups have disadvantages as well.</strong> The first and most damaging is the “<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/is-crossfit-going-the-way-of-the-globo-gym/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42914">trend towards beige</a>” that large gyms or groups have. Once a certain size is reached, the intense passion and the personal connection that fueled Papa Bear’s rise to prominence passes away. Accountants become more important than passion when the bottom line is measured in dollars rather than in pounds, minutes, and seconds.</p>
<p><strong>Secondly, many Papa Bear gyms experience a loss of personal connection.</strong> It’s hard to have a commitment to a facility that cannot recognize you by at least your face, and has to swipe you in using a barcoded plastic tag, just like cattle.</p>
<h2 id="mama-bear">Mama Bear</h2>
<p><strong>This classification tends to be associated with the boutique gym, especially the “<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/are-womens-only-gyms-discriminatory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42915">ladies’ fitness centers</a>,” by whatever brand name they call themselves. </strong>Of course, there are advantages to such places. I understand it is hard to get a workout in when you’ve got men who treat the gym like a singles bar. And hopefully the staff is attuned to the uniqueness of training women as opposed to men.</p>
<p><strong>On the other hand, the biggest flaw I see with Mama Bear gyms is being “too soft.”</strong> Just because your gender is female does not mean that you are physically incapable of <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-indisputable-reasons-for-women-to-lift-heavy-30-day-challenge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42916">lifting more than thirty pounds</a>. While the leverages may be different than a man’s, that does not mean women are confined to hydraulically-resisted pink padded machines, or that working hard and grunting is anathema to the gender. And of course, the lack of results is also a pretty damning feature. I have yet to see anyone who could be classified in the top ten percent of fitness who got there via a Mama Bear gym or group.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22786" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock94043161.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="578" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock94043161.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock94043161-300x289.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="baby-bear">Baby Bear</h2>
<p>For Goldilocks, Baby Bear’s stuff, much to his disadvantage, tended to be just right<strong>. In the real world, being a baby animal is a pretty nasty situation. </strong>Only one in about four cheetah cubs survives to adulthood, and the odds are even worse for other species. The same goes for gyms. I’ve lost count of the number of <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/i-want-to-open-a-crossfit-you-say-but-do-you-really/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42917">small gym managers</a> who have closed their doors after a few years due to financial or stress reasons. At my own gym, I’m the head instructor, as well as marketing staff, maintenance, janitor, and other positions. The Baby Bear gym you join today just may not be here next year, or even next week.</p>
<p><strong>That being said, there is a passion to small clubs and gyms that larger facilities usually fail to replicate.</strong> Gold’s Gym Venice circa 1974 was on another level, passion-wise, to Gold’s Gym Venice 2014. To use another wildlife analogy, lone lions (youngsters without their own pride) are much more aggressive than pride leaders, who tend to let the females of the pride do all the hunting. This sort of passionate atmosphere can definitely provide that shot in the arm, especially if you are passionate about your training.</p>
<p><strong>In addition, the small gym tends to be specialized (for good or ill).</strong> You will find the best lifters and most knowledgeable trainers in the world working in relatively small gyms or in niche markets, not at any gym that boasts 100 locations, or has any sort of family discount membership plan. Heck, some of the strongest people I know lift out of their own garages.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22787" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock148485452.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="369" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock148485452.jpg 500w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shutterstock148485452-300x221.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<h2 id="which-should-you-choose">Which Should You Choose?</h2>
<p>So, what’s better for you? <strong>It truly is going to depend on you, your goals, and your life situation</strong>. For me, I am what can best be termed as asocial when I am working out. It’s not that I’m going to be hostile to you or anything. I just don’t want to be bothered. I train alone. I want to work out at my pace, with my focus and my intensity. I don’t need to have my groove screwed up by being asked if I have many more sets to do before I <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/i-got-99-problems-but-a-bench-aint-one/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42919">get off that bench</a>, bro.</p>
<p><strong>If you are looking for a social group as well as a sporting activity, a larger gym might be ideal.</strong> If your pocketbook is your most important consideration, the lower cost contracts that larger gyms can offer will most likely beat your local musclehead factory. On the other hand, if your dream is to eventually be holding UFC gold, you might have to ante up the money to pay for an American Top Team or Jackson’s MMA. I cannot answer to your particular situation. And of course, there may not be a “just right” for your situation, and you might have to make do with “good enough,” at least for a while.</p>
<p>A final word of caution, coming from Goldilocks herself. <strong>Remember that she ended up breaking her “just right” chair and eating all of her “just right” porridge.</strong> The same holds true for you. What may be just right today <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/seasons-of-the-athlete-evolving-with-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42920">may not be just right next year</a>. It’s a normal part of life. In the meantime, evaluate your potential options, and try to select what is just right for you.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 1 courtesy of Jessie Willcox Smith (American, 1863-1935) (ArtDaily.com) [Public domain], via <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Jessie_Willcox_Smith_-_%27Goldilocks_and_the_Three_Bears%27%2C_Swift%27s_Premium_Soap_Products_calendar_illustration.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42921">Wikimedia Commons</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 2 courtesy of KudzuVine (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos 3 and 4 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42923">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-goldilocks-question-is-your-gym-too-big-too-soft-or-just-right/">The Goldilocks Question: Is Your Gym Too Big, Too Soft, or Just Right?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Worst Thing You Can Say to a Child Athlete</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/the-worst-thing-you-can-say-to-a-child-athlete/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2014 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/the-worst-thing-you-can-say-to-a-child-athlete</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Recently, my gym launched a kids grappling and MMA program. Starting with students as young as three years old, we begin with no contact, but use lots of activities that are designed to teach the fundamentals of striking and grappling long before the students ever have to worry about opponents. A Real Life Problem Yesterday, I was working...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-worst-thing-you-can-say-to-a-child-athlete/">The Worst Thing You Can Say to a Child Athlete</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Recently, my gym launched a <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/interview-with-ok-kimonos-founder-brendan-hufford-helping-all-kids-train-bjj/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42201">kids grappling </a>and MMA program. </strong>Starting with students as young as three years old, we begin with no contact, but use lots of activities that are designed to teach the fundamentals of striking and grappling long before the students ever have to worry about opponents.</p>
<h2 id="a-real-life-problem">A Real Life Problem</h2>
<p><strong>Yesterday, I was working with one of our newest students, a four-year-old boy.</strong> He had plenty of energy, but when it came time to working on rotational movement, or<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/coordination-training-for-future-champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42202"> any movement at all that required core strength</a>, his ability was low at best. When we were working on punches and kicks against the mitts, I assumed it was due to lack of technique. After all, technique can often make a large difference in applied power.</p>
<p><strong>However, when it came time for us to work the basics of falling down, I found he was unable to bring himself from a lying position up to a seated position without rolling to his side and using his arms to assist in the action.</strong> Repeated demonstrations, guided practice, and hints to use the legs didn’t help. He just couldn’t get his upper body from the floor to a seated position without using his arms to assist him.</p>
<p>Finally, I asked him why he was having so much trouble. <strong>He looked at me and told me that at his previous preschool, he had been told by his teachers (and reinforced by his parents) that children his age were physically unable to sit up directly.</strong> He had been taught that due to his age, it was impossible &#8211; that he was so weak that he could not do it.</p>
<p>The internal rage I felt at this response &#8211; especially as I watched my son, who is a year younger, completing the full motion with no problems right next to this student &#8211; led me to recognize the most harmful thing that we as parents or coaches can ever tell our children.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22431" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock151305863.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="461" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock151305863.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock151305863-300x231.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="stop-saying-you-cant">Stop Saying &#8220;You Can&#8217;t&#8221;</h2>
<p><strong>“Impossible.” “You can’t.” Whatever expression you use, you’re putting mental shackles on your child that might never be broken.</strong> I am not speaking of the word, “no,” which often has good applications, especially when you’re laying out safety rules. But “impossible.”</p>
<p><strong>Living where I do in Japan, I hear the Japanese translation, <em>muri</em>, almost on a daily basis.</strong> Women saying that <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/3-indisputable-reasons-for-women-to-lift-heavy-30-day-challenge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42203">lifting heavy weights is impossible</a>, even though I show them pictures of one-legged women doing deadlifts, and 99lb Asian women doing 100kg lifts. Men stating they could never squat or bench press what I do because their DNA makes it impossible. Ironically, one of the world record holders for the bench press, Daiki Kodama, is Japanese. And Japan won a silver medal in women’s weightlifting in London. But never mind that. Such acts are impossible.</p>
<p>Parents, break those shackles, and see how much your child can grow, physically as well as mentally. There is a reason my son is able to use a leverage machine to bench 20kg at a body weight of about 15kg. It’s not his DNA or any special diet we’re feeding him. <strong>It’s because when he first wanted to follow his daddy into the weight lifting area, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/strength-training-is-good-for-kids-heres-how-to-do-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42204">he tried copying me</a>.</strong> Instead of telling him it was impossible for him to do, I let him try for himself, knowing that the safety catches on the machine would not allow him to put his joints into an extreme range of motion, and seeing that his form was, overall, better than some of the adults I’ve coached.</p>
<p><strong>Each and every day, the impossible is proven possible.</strong> Athletes are running faster, lifting more, throwing farther. We had an “impossible” <a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/10811107/bernard-hopkins-49-unifies-world-titles-decision-beibut-shumenov" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42205">49-year-old world light heavyweight boxing </a>champion, and an “impossible” <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Ko" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42206">seventeen-year-old professional golf champion</a>, all in the month of April. Science and technology that was once considered the realm of <em>Star Trek</em> is now available for less than $200.00 in your local store. <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/fast-and-female-empowering-girls-through-sport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42207">Social barriers </a>once deemed as huge as the Great Wall of China are broken. What hasn’t been shown to be possible?</p>
<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-worst-thing-you-can-say-to-a-child-athlete/"><img src="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FA_BcZsT11Ho%2Fhqdefault.jpg" alt="YouTube Video"></a><br /><br /></p>
<h2 id="what-to-say-instead-of-impossible">What to Say Instead of &#8220;Impossible&#8221;</h2>
<p>If you are a coach or parent, let’s eliminate “impossible” from our coaching vocabulary. <strong>Instead, let’s try using these terms:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>“Not yet”</strong> &#8211; Hey, today perhaps you can’t do it, but in the future…</li>
<li><strong>“Try”</strong> &#8211; Yoda was wrong. There is try. “Try” comes before “Do.”</li>
<li><strong>“Change this”</strong> &#8211; Perhaps the child has the ability, but there is a lapse of technique that is holding him or her back. It’s not that the task is impossible, but just the current approach is incorrect.</li>
<li><strong>“You can try again”</strong> &#8211; We often learn more from trying and failing than success. Help your children learn from their mistakes, then encourage them to apply what they learned the next time.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>So parents and coaches, watch yourselves.</strong> You may be inadvertently handcuffing your children, and perhaps even yourselves. Remove the handcuffs of your own mind, please.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 1 courtesy of <a href="https://danofearth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42208">Dan Halpin</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 2 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="42209">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-worst-thing-you-can-say-to-a-child-athlete/">The Worst Thing You Can Say to a Child Athlete</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>6 Exercises to Fight Bad Posture in Kids</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/6-exercises-to-fight-bad-posture-in-kids/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids fitness]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/6-exercises-to-fight-bad-posture-in-kids</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>There is a silent plague striking children today. You won’t hear about it on the evening news, and few doctors will talk about it, choosing instead to focus on the general issues of obesity and juvenile diabetes. Yet, this plague is striking more and more children, even ones who look otherwise healthy. I call it f-shoulders. What Are...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/6-exercises-to-fight-bad-posture-in-kids/">6 Exercises to Fight Bad Posture in Kids</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>There is a silent plague striking children today.</strong> You won’t hear about it on the evening news, and few doctors will talk about it, choosing instead to focus on the general issues of <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-ways-you-can-help-prevent-childhood-obesity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41404">obesity</a> and juvenile diabetes. Yet, this plague is striking more and more children, even ones who look otherwise healthy. I call it <em>f-shoulders</em>.</p>
<h2 id="what-are-f-shoulders">What Are f-Shoulders?</h2>
<p>If you look at a child from the side, you will notice that starting at about the mid back, the body takes a curve forward, ending in a head that is held a few inches in front of the collarbones. <strong>Overall, the child’s body is shaped like a lowercase “f.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>The problem has numerous causes.</strong> Too many hours spent hunched over desks in school, furiously bubbling multiple choice test sheets. Too many hours spent hunched over a <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/wired-kids-how-screen-time-affects-childrens-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41405">video game controller</a> or tablet computer of some type, gaming their lives away. Not enough hours spent using their bodies.</p>
<h2 id="ramifications-of-f-shoulders">Ramifications of f-Shoulders</h2>
<p><strong>These habits affect general health as well as athletic performance.</strong> In addition to increased chances of joint pain (specifically shoulder, neck, and low back pain), there are increased risks of injury, as well as decreased performance potential. After all, how can a football player block, or a baseball player swing a bat, or a<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/tennis-elbow-what-is-it-do-you-have-it-and-how-do-you-treat-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41406"> tennis player</a> get the most out of a swing of the racket if his or her back and shoulder muscles are weak and misaligned?</p>
<p><strong>Treating the root causes of f-shoulders is essential.</strong> However, not everyone has available, or is willing to tolerate, a Shaolin monk who whacks their children with a stick every time their shoulders drop out of alignment. As coaches and parents, our best chance of making a positive change lies intreating the musculature itself. Stretching the pectoral region, as well as and strengthening the posterior chain and <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/strength-routines-for-developing-a-strong-and-healthy-upper-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41407">upper back muscles</a>, will dramatically affect what the body looks like and how it performs.</p>
<h2 id="row-row-row-your-kids">Row, Row, Row Your Kids</h2>
<p><strong>For me, no movement hits the posterior chain and muscles in the upper back better than horizontal rows.</strong> What makes rows so awesome is that there are so many different variations. Bodyweight, rope, bar, barbell, dumbbell, banded, machine, cables &#8211; you name it, there’s probably a row variation that exists for it. The row is perfect for working posture because not only does it require retraction of the shoulder blades, but most variations also require stabilization from the lower back and abdominals. So not only do you get strengthening of the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/5-drills-to-help-you-achieve-your-first-pull-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41408">shoulders and upper back</a>, you get postural practice and stabilization practice for the posterior chain. More bang for your training buck!</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22063" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/06/818797763519899801d9o.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/818797763519899801d9o.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/818797763519899801d9o-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p>So what are the best rows for kids and teens?<strong> Here are my recommendations, in order of progression.</strong></p>
<p><u><strong>1. Supported Dumbbell Rows</strong></u></p>
<p>Supported dumbbell rows are perhaps the best way to introduce row to trainees. <strong>The ability to support the non-working hand on the child’s knee or a bench allows for greater safety and support.</strong> I like introducing the supported row early, because for children who do not have the strength to do any of the following rows, this exercise is infinitely and easily scalable, from one pound to Hulk Smash. For kids, there is no reason yet for Kroc Rows or other super-heavy cheated rep rows.</p>
<p><u><strong>2. Body Rows on the Bar</strong></u></p>
<p>What I love about these is that they are scalable depending on the strength of the trainee. You can start with your feet on the floor, your feet on a bench, or even change the difficulty based off of the height of the bar. <strong>One negative aspect is that the hand placement can definitely affect the pull. </strong>If the hands are too wide, getting your body to the bar is difficult. In addition, pull location is important. I prefer to place the hands in between the xiphoid process and the nipples, using an overhand grip and trying to touch the body to the bar. If that still proves difficult, try using a neutral grip (hands facing each other), although this would require two bars or some other type of parallel grip setup. Using a reverse (palms up) grip targets the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-grow-a-pair/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41409">biceps</a> more, but I don’t like the stress on the biceps tendon this position can create.</p>
<p><u><strong>3. Suspended Rows</strong></u></p>
<p>A variation on the body row, the unstable pulling surface adds a fun challenge. I find this is great mixed with other rows, either as a warm-up or as a finisher. TRX or other suspended rows are also the easiest way to mix in one-handed body rows, as the automatic supination of the wrist allows for the greatest strength curve of the arm.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22064" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/06/kidsrow.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/kidsrow.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/kidsrow-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><u><strong>4. Chest Supported Rows</strong></u></p>
<p>This is my favorite movement for introducing bilateral barbell rows. Be careful that the trainee fits the machine. Shorter children could end up with a face full of chest pad, and a bar path that is too high. Of course, the tendency to relax the lower back is obvious here, but still a good introduction.</p>
<p><u><strong>5. Barbell Rows</strong> </u></p>
<p>I love this lift, whether it be <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/pendlay-row/" data-lasso-id="151950">Pendlay Rows</a>, Yates Rows, or anything in between. However I also understand how challenging they can be. Barbell rows are notoriously easy to cheat, and it is notoriously easy to screw yourself up by letting your inner bro take over, sacrificing trunk stability for a few pounds on the bar. Until your child or teen is ready and able to stabilize properly, hold off on this variation.</p>
<p><u><strong>6. Face Pulls</strong></u></p>
<p>These are super easy to do, and a staple of many <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/athlete-journal-chris-duffin-entry-33-rehab-week-three/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41411">powerlifters&#8217; pre-hab and rehab</a> routines. I personally think you should avoid adding these in until the other lifts are mastered, due to limited carryover to real life movements.</p>
<h2 id="rowing-in-your-workouts">Rowing in Your Workouts</h2>
<p><strong>So, what is the best way to incorporate rows into your kids programs? </strong>I like to mix them up with real-life challenges in my kids classes and with personal training clients. I use them about two times a week as the primary lifts. In a recent kids’ class, our students started off with three sets of twenty seconds on the body row. After that they did relay races involving pulling a tire arm-over-arm, then ran the tire back to the starting point. In total, our kids probably did over 100 repetitions of a loaded rowing motion in just those exercises, in addition to our normal <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/featured-coach-roger-harrell-part-2-gymnastics-for-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41412">gymnastic work</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For coaches who are looking at incorporating rows into weight training, keep the total reps in the 50-75 range, with the primary focus on form.</strong> Get those shoulder blades retracted, and keep the trunk stable. I like to keep it in the ten-rep range for kids, not only because it makes the math easy (good for me!), but also because it’s a good number that requires a decent weight. It’s not high enough to make it a rep race, which can cause kids to sacrifice form for speed or reps.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22065" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock94165510.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="390" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock94165510.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shutterstock94165510-300x195.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="sample-program-to-combat-f-shoulders">Sample Program to Combat f-Shoulders</h2>
<p><strong>Here’s an example program with sets and reps that is easy to incorporate with kids. </strong>I limit it to two exercises, in order to keep time down, while also allowing full-body training. This workout focuses on pulling and limits the pushing to allow the body to rebalance itself.</p>
<p class="rteindent1"><strong>1. Dumbbell Rows:</strong> 3&#215;10, 60 seconds rest between sets, no rest between hands.</p>
<p class="rteindent1"><strong>2. Push Ups:</strong> 3&#215;30 second set, 30 seconds rest. (I put push ups here because of the large amounts of stabilization and lat activation needed to do them properly)</p>
<p class="rteindent1"><strong>3a. Bounding Skips:</strong> 4 x 10 meters, supersetted with</p>
<p class="rteindent1"><strong>3b. Standing One-Arm Band Rows:</strong> 4 x 12 (Be super strict on form. Time for swinging and yanking like a judo player comes later.)</p>
<p class="rteindent1"><strong>4. Weighted Step Ups:</strong> 5 x 30 seconds</p>
<p><strong>So let’s get our kids rowing and fight those f-shoulders!</strong> You’ll soon see heads up, chests out, and shoulders back. Your kids will look taller and perform at a higher level. What could be better?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos 1 and 4 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41413">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 2 and 3 courtesy of <a href="http://www.crossfitla.com/cms/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="41414">CrossFit LA Kids</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/6-exercises-to-fight-bad-posture-in-kids/">6 Exercises to Fight Bad Posture in Kids</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>You&#8217;re Not Ronnie Coleman &#8211; Don&#8217;t Be Afraid to Tweak</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/youre-not-ronnie-coleman-dont-be-afraid-to-tweak/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2014 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/youre-not-ronnie-coleman-dont-be-afraid-to-tweak</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Every athlete, and especially every coach, needs to critically evaluate their training in relation to their own goals and their own bodies. If a particular exercise is ineffective or, even worse, injurious for you, then don’t do it. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the UFC’s Jon Jones, the World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw, or basketball star LeBron...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/youre-not-ronnie-coleman-dont-be-afraid-to-tweak/">You&#8217;re Not Ronnie Coleman &#8211; Don&#8217;t Be Afraid to Tweak</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Every athlete, and especially every coach, needs to critically evaluate their training in relation to<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-take-our-goals-from-dreams-to-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40477"> their own goals</a> and their own bodies.</strong> If a particular exercise is ineffective or, even worse, injurious for you, then don’t do it. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the UFC’s <a href="http://jonnybones.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40478">Jon Jones</a>, the World’s Strongest Man <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Shaw_%28strongman%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40479">Brian Shaw</a>, or basketball star <a href="https://www.lebronjames.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40480">LeBron James </a>doing it. You’re not them.</p>
<h2 id="ive-never-worked-out-with-a-guru">I’ve Never Worked Out With a Guru</h2>
<p>About six months ago, I entered my first <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/lifting-is-for-everyone-what-a-powerlifting-meet-is-like/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40481">powerlifting competition</a>. <strong>While I enjoyed myself, I felt that afterwards was a good time to make a change to my workout routine, which had gotten a bit stale after so many years.</strong></p>
<p>After looking around and thinking things over, I decided to go with<a href="https://www.jimwendler.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40482"> Jim Wendler’s popular 5/3/1 program</a>. I spent three weeks doing my due diligence, and starting the first week of December, I began my first monthly cycle, with the idea of re-testing myself after four months. Also, following the advice of writers and coaches who I respect, I decided to run these four months by the book.</p>
<p>The results were mixed, at best. <strong>While my bench press went up appreciably, my squat actually decreased, and my deadlift flatlined. </strong>To say I was disappointed is an understatement. It was then that I decided to re-engage my brain in relation to my own training. I started looking at what has historically worked well for me, and considering what just doesn’t work.</p>
<p><strong>I know I’m perhaps offending some popular and knowledgeable coaches here, but no “guru” has ever written a book on fitness that applies to everybody who reads it.</strong> None of them know my body <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-female-form-embrace-your-genetics-and-find-beauty-in-being-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40483">the way I know my body</a>. I’ve never personally worked out with any of these gurus. And as much advice as they can offer me, none of them live within a thousand miles of me. Therefore, no matter what they may write, they are not writing a workout that is 100% perfect for me. The closest anyone can get is to hit that 90-95% target, with most coaches knowing that the programs they write in a book are most likely in the 80% perfect-for-their-clients range.</p>
<p>The same applies to you. <strong>So, what are some specific areas that you can tweak in a pre-published workout in order to better tailor it to you? </strong>Here are a few ideas:</p>
<h2 id="rep-range">Rep Range</h2>
<p><strong>Different people react differently to certain rep ranges.</strong> If you find that sets of five reps are not the best for you, but instead sets of three combined with back-off sets of ten, then great. If you get the best results for your goals by doing straight sets of eight instead of pyramiding sets of eight, six, and four reps, then make that change.</p>
<h2 id="sets-and-volume">Sets and Volume</h2>
<p><strong>Mistakes in this area mostly happen when people try to follow the magazine workout of their athletic heroes and overtrain.</strong> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Coleman" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40485">Ronnie Coleman</a> (pictured below) may have built himself to the point of doing two-hour leg workouts. Bill Pearl supposedly trained three hours every morning. You’re not them. Perhaps your body needs less volume, perhaps a lot less. Conversely, the pre-fight routine of <a href="https://www.gspofficial.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40487">Georges St-Pierre </a>might not be enough, since he had to be concerned with making a weight class, and not just being fit. In that case, you might need more volume to train the way your body needs.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-21618" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ronniecoleman8xmrolympia-2009-6.png" alt="" width="512" height="341" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ronniecoleman8xmrolympia-2009-6.png 512w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ronniecoleman8xmrolympia-2009-6-300x200.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></p>
<h2 id="exercise-selection">Exercise Selection:</h2>
<p>This is perhaps the most important tweak. <strong>Your body has sustained injuries, tweaks, adaptations, and variations that make it unique, even before you account for your DNA and personal tastes.</strong> Therefore, some exercises can be changed for you as well. I prefer to think of it in terms of movement patterns. There are four basic movements: upper body push, upper body pull, hip hinge, and lower body pushing (squat). I tend to break it down into groups of six for exercise selection, with upper body pushes and pulls being broken into vertical and horizontal movements (yes, there is some overlap, but the concept is a general one).</p>
<p><strong>Basic barbell examples include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Horizontal Upper Body Push: Bench Presses and Variations</li>
<li>Vertical Upper Body Push: Overhead Press and Variations</li>
<li>Horizontal Upper Body Pull: Barbell Row Variations</li>
<li>Vertical Upper Body Pull: Pull Ups</li>
<li>Hip Hinge: Deadlifts, Glute Ham Raises, Hip Thrusts</li>
<li>Lower Body Push: Squats, Leg Presses, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>As long as you exchange exercises within the same category, you’re not going to have a problem. <strong>The only caveat is if you compete in a strength sport or are tested in a certain movement.</strong> You will have to practice that movement as part of preparation for competition. So, switch out those decline bench presses for dips, or step ups for lunges. If you’ve been around the Iron Game long enough, you should have a mental exercise thesaurus. And if not, the Internet has wonderful archives of movements, such as the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/tag/celebrity-workouts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40488">Breaking Muscle workouts page</a>.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-21619" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock106288745.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock106288745.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock106288745-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p><strong>The onus lies on you, as the athlete, to ensure that the system you apply to yourself <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/common-sense-programming-for-the-intelligent-insect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40489">actually is best for you</a>.</strong> You may not have the knowledge of a guru, but blindly following someone who doesn’t know your body as well as you do is not going to result in success. Make appropriate tweaks, and keep your mind critically focused on your training in order to maximize your results.</p>
<p>If you have a gap in your training, and don’t have the knowledge to fill that gap, then research, research, and thoughtfully experiment. <strong>Again, nobody knows you like you know you. </strong>So when it comes to your training, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/beware-of-snake-oil-salesmen-especially-ones-with-science/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40490">don’t shut off your brain </a>just because some guru tells you something.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos 1 and 4 courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40491">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photo 3 by <a href="https://www.localfitness.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40492">LocalFitness</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARonnie_Coleman_8_x_Mr_Olympia_-_2009_-_6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="40493">via Wikimedia Commons</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/youre-not-ronnie-coleman-dont-be-afraid-to-tweak/">You&#8217;re Not Ronnie Coleman &#8211; Don&#8217;t Be Afraid to Tweak</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>To the Class of 2014: Set Fear Aside and Follow Your Dreams</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/to-the-class-of-2014-set-fear-aside-and-follow-your-dreams/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2014 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teens]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/to-the-class-of-2014-set-fear-aside-and-follow-your-dreams</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s graduation time again. Here in Japan, schools have just finished the graduation season, while in the United States graduation is still a month or so off. And while I may not be as famous, or nearly as rich, as Bill Gates or Barack Obama, let me offer some words to the graduating class of 2014. But before...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/to-the-class-of-2014-set-fear-aside-and-follow-your-dreams/">To the Class of 2014: Set Fear Aside and Follow Your Dreams</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>It&#8217;s graduation time again. Here in Japan, schools have just finished the graduation season, while in the United States graduation is still a month or so off.</strong> And while I may not be as famous, or nearly as rich, as Bill Gates or Barack Obama, let me offer some words to the graduating class of 2014.</p>
<p><strong>But before I do that, I want to say congratulations.</strong> Take this moment to enjoy and reflect on the work you have done, and all that you&#8217;ve accomplished. This is your moment &#8211; enjoy it.</p>
<p><strong>Now here’s my advice to hopefully make the next few years more fruitful for you. </strong></p>
<h2 id="choose-carefully">Choose Carefully</h2>
<p>The first thing I would like to give you is a warning. Your childhood years are either finished or mostly finished, and adulthood is starting. <strong>With that, you are about to enter a world where more and more of your choices have consequences.</strong> And by consequences I mean long-term consequences. What you decide to do, and how hard you work in doing it, will directly affect your future success.</p>
<h2 id="follow-your-dreams">Follow Your Dreams</h2>
<p>That being said, I give you an even more strident urging to pursue your dream. Everyone, and I mean every single living soul who has ever or will ever inhabit this planet, has had, has, or will have dreams. <strong>However, most people (and I&#8217;ve read the number being between 80% and 99%) of people <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-take-our-goals-from-dreams-to-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39480">never even get within reaching distance of their dreams</a>. </strong>This is a sad thing, and one that gives me pause. How much more wonderful would our world be if even 50% of people were able to reach their dreams? What inventions have been lost, what advances have been held back, what leaps of knowledge, technology, society, literature, or music have been lost because of unachieved dreams?</p>
<p><strong>What causes this huge percentage of never achieved dreams?</strong> Not everything can be laid at the feet of luck, bad fortune, or being held down by whatever societal pressures you wish to blame. The truth is, failure to achieve dreams most often lies in two realms. The first is cost. The second is fear.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-21143" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock183337736.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock183337736.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock183337736-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="what-is-the-cost">What Is the Cost?</h2>
<p><strong>The reality of the world is that everything has a cost.</strong> Some things, such as televisions, cheeseburgers, or other consumer products, have a relatively simple cost. We use money to measure these items. You want a cheeseburger? Hand over $5.00 and you get a cheeseburger. But, the most meaningful things have &#8220;hidden costs” &#8211; costs that cannot be measured in pure dollar amounts alone.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say you want to become the CEO of a major company<strong>. In addition to the dollar costs of education, you have to look at the costs in terms of the hours spent working your tail off, when others go home and relax.</strong> Hours that could be spent with family and friends or learning how to play a new sport or cook a decent steak are given up in pursuit of becoming a CEO. Are you willing to pay all of these costs, visible and invisible? And is the reward you get from achieving your dream worth this cost? For many people, the reward is not worth the cost. They might be successful in their career, but they lose their health due to <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-turn-stress-into-a-strength/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39481">stress</a> and a busy lifestyle in the mean time. They may not even realize the true cost of their dream until much later – perhaps when it is too late and time has taken its toll.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-21144" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock152222366.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock152222366.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock152222366-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<h2 id="set-fear-aside">Set Fear Aside</h2>
<p><strong>But for most people, the biggest thing holding them back is <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-to-set-fear-aside-and-move-forward-in-a-yoga-pose-and-in-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39482">fear</a>.</strong> Fear of ridicule, fear of failure, fear of whatever. And it starts small. Let’s say you want to be a Major League Baseball pitcher. You know the cost, or at least think you do. You&#8217;ve even made a plan in order to minimize the costs.</p>
<p><strong>But then you hear about how less than 1% of all high school baseball players actually make it to the big leagues.</strong> You read about how the average career of a major league pitcher is less than five years. You hear about a great pitcher who has Tommy John surgery and faces an uncertain comeback. And the fear sets in. You start holding back, you start saying not &#8220;when,&#8221; but &#8220;if.&#8221; Your language changes from &#8220;I will,&#8221; to &#8220;maybe.&#8221; And before you know it, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/failing-forward-7-stories-of-success-through-failure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39483">failure is staring you right in the face</a>. While failure was always a possibility, your own fear either consciously or unconsciously made it a certainty.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-21145" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock162225956.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="514" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock162225956.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/shutterstock162225956-300x257.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
<p>I cannot say to be fearless. Only the insane and the stupid are totally fearless.<strong>Instead, recognize your fear for what it is, and then set it aside. </strong>The old saying is courage is knowing you are afraid, and yet doing it anyway. I would say, not just doing it anyway, but doing it whole-heartedly. Let it be known to yourself, if not the world, that <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-6-reasons-your-success-depends-on-your-failure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39484">if you are to fail</a>, at the very least you can look yourself in the mirror afterward and say you gave it every single thing you had, and held nothing back. You will be pleased to find that quite often, even if you fail to reach your dream, you have reached a higher level than you ever would have reached had you continued to let fear weigh you down.</p>
<p><strong>Cost and fear. Weigh them, measure them, and then go after your dreams.</strong> I can’t wait to see just what wonders your dreams can create.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="39485">Shutterstock</a>.</em></span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/to-the-class-of-2014-set-fear-aside-and-follow-your-dreams/">To the Class of 2014: Set Fear Aside and Follow Your Dreams</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Genie in a Bottle: Anabolic Steroids and Youth Athletes</title>
		<link>https://breakingmuscle.com/the-genie-in-a-bottle-anabolic-steroids-and-youth-athletes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Varnes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2014 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steroids]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://breakingmuscle.com///uncategorized/the-genie-in-a-bottle-anabolic-steroids-and-youth-athletes</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In 1975, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, banned the use of anabolic steroids in athletic competition. This move was followed relatively quickly by other major sports organizations. I was born in 1978, which means that my entire life, steroids have been banned in most major competitions (by the term “steroids,” I mean anabolic steroids, not other forms...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-genie-in-a-bottle-anabolic-steroids-and-youth-athletes/">The Genie in a Bottle: Anabolic Steroids and Youth Athletes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>In 1975, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, banned the use of anabolic steroids in athletic competition</strong>. This move was followed relatively quickly by other major sports organizations.</p>
<p>I was born in 1978, which means that my entire life, steroids have been banned in most major competitions (by the term “steroids,” I mean <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/once-youve-used-steroids-is-it-possible-to-ever-compete-clean-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37771">anabolic steroids</a>, not other forms such as legal anti-inflammatory corticosteroids). <strong>And yet every year, another scandal envelops another sport as some major figure is caught doping</strong>.</p>
<p>The list of athlete names might as well be a list of major record holders: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37772">Lance Armstrong</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37773">Barry Bonds</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_rod" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37774">A-Rod</a>, to name a few. That&#8217;s not even counting non-tested athletes in sports such as professional bodybuilding, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-truth-about-steroid-use-in-crossfit-dont-ever-assume/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37775">CrossFit</a>, and strongman, where many observers simply assume that many if not all competitors are &#8220;roided to the gills.&#8221; <strong>What&#8217;s more, consistently in sports like the UFC, you hear of the increasing use of testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, which is the use of anabolics under a doctor&#8217;s supervision.</strong><sup>1</sup> The market for other legal anabolics is huge, amounting to over $11 billion a year.<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>Is it any question why there are studies showing that somewhere between three and six percent of teens have used anabolic steroids – or, for that matter, that this percentage is increasing by the year?<sup>3</sup> <strong>With the societal pressures to look good, combined with the increased desire to perform as they see their sports heroes do on TV or YouTube, teens face a gigantic temptation to use anabolics</strong>. The potential monetary payoff could be huge, in the millions of dollars. And not all anabolic users are athletes, either, with many using <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/male-body-image-and-the-pressure-to-use-steroids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37776">merely to look good</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For the sake of this article, let&#8217;s use the term &#8220;artificial anabolics&#8221; to mean any chemical substance introduced to the body so as to mimic or artificially increase the levels of blood serum testosterone</strong>. This does not include so-called &#8220;natural&#8221; anabolics, such as sleep, resistance training, and spending time with attractive members of your desired gender. Neither does it include non-anabolic strength assistance substances, such as <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/how-creatine-improves-atp-synthesis-for-both-brain-and-body/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37777">creatine</a>, multi-vitamins, and protein. While there are some in the media who state that even using protein powder or creatine is wrong for teens, I would like to focus on artificial anabolics.</p>
<p><a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/parenting-an-athlete-it-s-a-razor-s-edge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37778">As a parent</a> or coach, you need to take proactive steps to educate youth athletes about the problems of using anabolics. <strong>The reasons are numerous, but here are three of the most important ones:</strong></p>
<h2 id="1-its-illegal">1. It’s Illegal</h2>
<p>Morality aside, most artificial anabolics are illegal drugs if taken without <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/a-question-on-drugs-do-you-uphold-our-double-standard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37779">a doctor&#8217;s prescription</a> (and few medical doctors will write a script for anabolics for a minor, except perhaps to treat delayed puberty). <strong>There should be no reason for a young athlete to risk a criminal record just so they can perform better in their sport or look good for their peers</strong>.</p>
<h2 id="2-its-bad-sportsmanship">2. It’s Bad Sportsmanship</h2>
<p>The debate of whether steroids should be banned or not aside, <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/drug-use-in-sports-can-we-ignore-it-any-longer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37780">every major sport</a> available to high schoolers and younger athletes does not allow the use of artificial anabolics. Even many legal supplements are banned under NCAA or WADA rules.<sup>4</sup> And few universities will take the risk of sullying their reputations by offering a scholarship to a player who has been shown to be dirty. <strong>It doesn&#8217;t matter if the testing is insufficient, They are still playing Russian Roulette with their future athletic chances</strong>.</p>
<h2 id="3-its-unhealthy">3. It’s Unhealthy</h2>
<p>Perhaps most important are the health consequences.<sup>5</sup> While artificial anabolics have benefits and drawbacks for all populations at any age, for teens and younger children the potential drawbacks are more severe and more numerous. In addition to the common side effects &#8211; deepening of the voice, acne flare ups, gynecomastia, and movement of hair (baldness on top, hair growing everywhere else) &#8211; teens risk permanent effects due to the fact that their bodies are not yet physically mature. <strong>The permanent form of the body is not set, and this extra pliability means the effects are greater</strong>. For all users, this includes cholesterol problems and potential damage to the heart and liver. There is also a higher risk of <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/learning-to-recognize-the-signs-of-a-depressed-athlete/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37781">depression</a> once someone does try to stop using steroids.</p>
<div>
<p class="rtecenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-20333" src="https://breakingmuscle.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shutterstock167543876.jpg" alt="anabolic, steroids, youth athletes, unhealthy, illegal, testosterone" width="600" height="635" srcset="https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shutterstock167543876.jpg 600w, https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shutterstock167543876-283x300.jpg 283w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></p>
</div>
<p><strong>For female athletes, the masculinizing effects of anabolics can be irreversible.</strong> Her voice is never going to be anything but a baritone, her bone structure will grow and fix itself into a more masculine shape, but worst of all, the hell played upon her reproductive system by <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/to-t-or-not-to-t-the-controversy-over-testosterone-replacement-therapy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37782">all that testosterone</a> means that the female athlete may permanently render herself less fertile or even infertile.</p>
<p>For the male teen, the long-term effects are just as numerous, and once again, they primarily center around the hell played with the reproductive system. <strong>Teens who use artificial anabolics have a major risk of becoming dependent upon them in order to maintain normal testosterone levels</strong>. Going off the anabolics causes blood serum levels to plunge because the <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/winners-have-more-testosterone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37783">natural testosterone</a> producers (the testicles) have more or less atrophied and are unable to produce what is needed. With that, of course, comes infertility, hormonal imbalances and all the emotional problems related to them, and possibly even impotence.<sup>6</sup></p>
<p>The morality of using anabolics is a Pandora&#8217;s box that will probably never be fully settled. As for adult athletes, it is hard to point a finger or give morality advice. If someone is fifty years old and figures that life with <a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/to-t-or-not-to-t-the-controversy-over-testosterone-replacement-therapy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37784">TRT</a> is better than life without it, I&#8217;m not going to stand in his way. If an adult athlete knows of and is willing to take the professional risks of using a banned artificial anabolic, I&#8217;m not going to go beyond saying, &#8220;Don&#8217;t come crying to me if you get caught.&#8221; But for teen and youth athletes, the risks are higher and longer lasting.<strong> I encourage every parent, coach, and official in teen or youth sports to do their best to make sure that the athletes under their watch do not engage in the use of artificial anabolics</strong>. Check for warning signs, ask questions, and test if needed. You may get some nasty words or looks, but sometimes it’s necessary.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;"><u><strong>References:</strong></u></span></p>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">1. Bleacher Report. &#8220;<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1218734-trt-might-be-legal-but-it-is-still-cheati" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37785">TRT Might Be Legal, but It Is Still Cheating</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014. ng</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">2. Cleveland Clinic. &#8220;<a href="https://breakingmuscle.com/sleep-apnea-causes-and-treatments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37786">Testosterone Replacement Therapy</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">3. Nutra Ingredients-USA. &#8220;<a href="https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2012/09/20/Supplement-sales-hit-11.5-billion-in-U.S.-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37787">Supplement sales hit $11.5 billion in U.S</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">4. NPR. &#8220;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/11/19/165489465/more-teens-take-steroids-to-trade-fat-for-muscle" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37788">More Teens Take Steroids To Trade Fat For Muscle</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">5. World Anti Doping Agency. &#8220;<a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/content/what-is-prohibited" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37789">Prohibited List</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">6. NCAA. &#8220;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/topics/2020-21-ncaa-banned-substances" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37790">2013-14 NCAA Banned Drugs</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. &#8220;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/teens-and-steroids-dangerous-combo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37791">Teens and Steroids: A Dangerous Combo</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11px;">8. NIDA for Teens. &#8220;<a href="http://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/anabolic-steroids" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37792">Drug Facts: Anabolic Steroids</a>.&#8221; Accessed 6 April, 2014.</span></p>
</div>
<p><em style="font-size: 11px;">Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-lasso-id="37793">Shutterstock</a>.</em></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com/the-genie-in-a-bottle-anabolic-steroids-and-youth-athletes/">The Genie in a Bottle: Anabolic Steroids and Youth Athletes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://breakingmuscle.com">Breaking Muscle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
