Athletes tend to have a "go hard or go home" mentality that makes a practice like meditation seem alien, if not useless. But pushing yourself to the limits on a regular basis is even more of a reason to ... Continue Reading
Why Your Hydration Rule of Thumb Is Wrong
Proper hydration is critical for endurance athletes. Unfortunately, actually meeting that goal is not so easy. As reported in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, ... Continue Reading
Why You Lost in the CrossFit Open and How to Win Next Year
The 2015 CrossFit Open has come to a close, and the CrossFit community is on the brink of the next stage in the season - Regionals. Of the quarter million individuals who registered and competed in this ... Continue Reading
Heal Your TMJ Disorder With 3 Simple Posture Exercises
If you have been dealing with symptoms of TMJ disorder, you can’t afford not to read this article. In my training, I was taught that TMJ disorder is caused by bad posture, but I have been skeptical until ... Continue Reading
5 Sneaky Ways to Exercise During a Long Day at Work
So, you're pressed for time or too tired before or after your workday to exercise? Maybe there was a point in time when you were exercising regularly. But now you're at a place in your life where family, ... Continue Reading
Why These 7 Do-or-Die Motivational Memes Are Misleading You
Facebook is a cheap form of self-therapy. A psychologist’s dream - or nightmare. Knowingly or not, I believe this is the case for everyone, and I include myself in this generalisation too. ... Continue Reading
What These 7 Misguided Motivational Memes Should Really Say
Facebook is a cheap form of self-therapy. A psychologist’s dream - or nightmare. I include myself in the group that uses Facebook this way, too. I find my Facebook wall plastered with ... Continue Reading
Testing Your Maxes: Smart Strength With Charles Staley
Note: Charles is here on a weekly basis to help you cut through the B.S. and get to the bottom of the biggest questions in health and training. Post your questions via social media or in the comments ... Continue Reading
Control Your Athletic Destiny With Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy. That’s a scandalous topic, isn’t it? While some people scoff at the idea of replacing hormones as we get older, saying we should “run on our own steam” or “age gracefully,” I ... Continue Reading
The Only 4 Training Variables You Need to Plan Your Own Workouts
Programming for yourself can be a tricky business. It seems like there is an infinite number of variables to control and consider. But the truth is there’s not. There are only four. The ... Continue Reading
The Health-Promoting Power of Joy (And How to Obtain It)
“Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun.” A recent reading of this observation by renowned ... Continue Reading
Money Is Not an Obstacle: The Simple Path to Sponsorship
What I do for a living is help people learn how to connect with opportunities and identify the value they can offer in return. It’s called sponsorship, and it’s a much misunderstood and misused ... Continue Reading
The True Meaning of Physical Therapy: You Are Not Your MRI
It’s can be pretty terrifying when your doctor calls you up and tells you the results of your MRI or advanced imaging are in. You rush over to him, eager to find out if there is something to explain your ... Continue Reading
How to Prevent Fear of Heights From Throwing You Off Balance
Balance is odd. It's the result of complex interactions between the visual, vestibular, proprioceptive, and exteroceptive systems, as well as the motor cortex, brain stem, and a handful of reflex arcs. ... Continue Reading
Lessons From Pavel: Strength As a Skill and the Value of Practice
As I sat on my bed in my crowded room, I could hear Pavel Tsatsouline’s voice in my head as I read through The Naked Warrior. This book was the first time I was introduced to the idea of strength being ... Continue Reading
5 Supplemental Exercises to Develop a Stronger Deadlift
The deadlift lies at the root of all primitive movement patterns. When our ancestors faced immovable boulders or had to heave saber-toothed cats from the ground to over their shoulders to carry their prize ... Continue Reading
What Are Plyometrics? How the Pros Use Plyos
What are plyometrics? Plyometrics in simple terms means jump training. Plyometrics enhance our explosiveness, power, and body control. They teach us how to stretch our muscles before we contract them as we ... Continue Reading
Be a Debbie Downer: Using Negatives in the Bench Press
There is a love affair with the barbell bench press. The exercise elicits a level of excitement second to none. The "how much can you bench" question has been around for all time, it seems. But unless ... Continue Reading
C2 Rowing Plans and Drills to Improve Times and Technique
C2. Erg. Rower. Rowing Ergometer. This simple piece of equipment has tested the resolve of even the most hardened athlete. Whether using it to train for open-water rowing, as a general conditioning tool, ... Continue Reading
3 Exercises to Reverse the Effects of Poor Posture
We are often commanded to “stop slouching” and understand this to be a bad habit. But do you know why? Poor posture creates several repercussions - both physically and mentally. In this article, I ... Continue Reading
Bouncing: It’s Not Just for Kids
For almost twenty years, I was a trampolinist. And the typical response I got when telling people that was, “Is that even a real sport?” With all the dignity a teenager can muster, I would inform ... Continue Reading
The C2 Rower: Training Plans and Technique Drills From Champions
C2. Erg. Rower. Rowing Ergometer. This simple piece of equipment has tested the resolve of even the most hardened athlete. Whether using it to train for open-water rowing, as a general ... Continue Reading
For Parents: The Truth About Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Knee aches and pains are expected in an athlete’s training, but how does an athlete or parent know if the pain is a normal part of conditioning or if it is something more? This article will explain ... Continue Reading
12 Reps – The Breaking Muscle Digest – Vol. 1, Issue 11
We've got news this week - you may have noticed that the layout of the workouts on the site has changed. All the weeks of a training program are now easily accessed with a click of your ... Continue Reading
