The last fifteen years of my life has been dedicated to teaching, coaching, and instructing others how to be better versions of themselves. Looking back, I thought I knew it all. But as the years flew by, ... Continue Reading
Stop the Clock: The Permanent Daylight Saving Revolution
Last weekend’s time change was my last and I urge you to do the same. The time change affects our daily rhythms and affects our productivity. The week after a time change has been found to lead to ... Continue Reading
You Need to Be Strong: Investing In the Currency of Health
“If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.” - Bret Contreras Strength occupies an interesting cultural space. While many of us respect it and see it as ... Continue Reading
Volume and Intensity: 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
My Women Only BJJ Class Experiment – One Year Later
The numbers in my women only Brazilian jiu jitsu class have been slowly, but steadily, growing. So far, four women have made it to their one-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, I asked them ... Continue Reading
Glassman vs OCT: CrossFit HQ and the Kevin Ogar Tragedy
When Kevin Ogar suffered a catastrophic spinal injury at the 2014 OC Throwdown, one thing became certain - litigation would ensue. With a life-changing paralysis injury and a lifetime of medical bills that ... Continue Reading
Go Big: 15 Challenges for Serious Athletes
Every year people try to go further than they have before. That’s the nature of humanity. The same drive that took us first to the moon and now to Mars is also the same drive responsible for someone going ... Continue Reading
5 Steps to Move From Trainee to Athlete
What qualities decide whether you are or aren’t an athlete? I don’t know if our industry reminds us what it means to be an athlete or elite athlete, or whether it matters. If we look to the Greek and ... Continue Reading
How Arm Balances Can Cure Your Fear of Being Upside Down
Most of us are afraid of something. For me, it’s being upside down. I barely passed swim class in high school because I was scared of diving headfirst. Even in a simple yoga pose like downward dog, I ... Continue Reading
Tough Lessons From My Teacher: Learning to Value Our Learning
Recently I heard the sad news that one of my high school teachers passed away. I was fifteen when I started her Honors U.S. History course, and it was not long after that I started fantasizing about ... Continue Reading
4 Techniques To Instantly Improve Your Freestanding Handstand
You’ve been working on your handstand for a while now. You’ve spent countless hours on line drills, hollow bodies, and shoulder mobility. Most of your training sessions consist of lots of time upside down ... Continue Reading
The Decline of Physical Literacy in Kids: What Can We Do?
Many people look to weightlifting as their last chance for sporting salvation. They assume there will be few athletic skills needed, but that they can still get strong. Parents may remember “that big ... Continue Reading
A Step-by-Step Approach to Successful Fat Loss
Like everything in life, when it comes to dieting, sometimes less is more, and being efficient when making diet adjustments stands to benefit any athlete or competitor. The fewer changes an athlete must ... Continue Reading
Westside Grappling: Applying the Conjugate Method to BJJ
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been referred to as human chess for a good reason. What makes BJJ difficult to grasp is the unlimited number of possibilities that occur in order to win a match. Your ... Continue Reading
Breaking Your Fall: Gait Mechanics for Injury Prevention
This winter I’ve treated more patients who have been injured, some rather seriously, due to slipping on ice. Sure, anyone can have bad luck and slip on a sleek surface, but you can increase your odds of ... Continue Reading
Announcing the Top 10 Fitness Blogs of 2015!
Wondering where to find the best fitness blogs? Well, guess what - you helped us figure it out! You nominated twenty blogs. Our judges looked them over and scored them. And now, the Top 10 Fitness ... Continue Reading
12 Reps – The Breaking Muscle Digest – Vol. 1, Issue 4
We're back with twelve more interesting, inspiring, and informative articles and videos chosen with love just for you, our loyal reader. We went heavy on the mobility and flexibility information ... Continue Reading
The Benefits of Training Like a Strong(wo)man: A Study
A 2015 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared a conventional strongman training program to a typical resistance training program. This was done to determine any ... Continue Reading
5 Ways to Develop the Fighting Spirit in Youth Athletes
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 ... Continue Reading
3 Reasons Your Shoulders Need Help (and 3 Ways to Help Them)
Imagine the entire state of Washington lining up at the doctor’s office. That’s about how many people visited the doctor because of shoulder injuries in 2006. That year saw 7.5 million total ... Continue Reading
4 Weeks to Master the Tuck Pop Up
Many have tried to master the muscle up, and many have failed. The muscle up is a rare breed. It requires both pulling and pushing power as well as a tremendous amount of core strength and coordination. ... Continue Reading
Swimming Basics: A Beginners’ Guide to the Backstroke
Like the spoiled youngest child in the family, the freestyle swim stroke gets a lot of attention despite having some pretty awesome siblings. Let’s be honest, it is a powerful yet graceful stroke that ... Continue Reading
Don’t Always Take the Green Run: 5 Lessons From the Slopes
One of the benefits to living in Colorado is my weekly venture up the Rocky Mountains. There’s something awe inspiring about being out in nature and finding a little relief from the merry-go-round of work ... Continue Reading
Is Fasted Cardio Superior for Weight Loss or Just a Fad?
The fitness industry is constantly jumping from trend to trend. As coaches we need to develop core values based upon scientific principles and stick to them. When new stuff comes up, we need to think about ... Continue Reading
