Not long after I got my start in the fitness, people started asking me what the best core exercises were. This was the year 2000 and with droves of fitness customers asking for core training came ... Continue Reading
The Top 10 Olympic Weightlifting Articles of 2014
As any weightlifter will tell you, Olympic weightlifting is a lifetime skill. Mastery of these lifts involves careful consideration of skill development, willpower, technique, programming, and recovery. ... Continue Reading
The Top 10 Mobility Articles of 2014
From foam rolling, to low back pain, to hip dysfunction, our writing team packed quite a mobility punch this year. These articles questioned existing mobility trends and showcased new methods. Here ... Continue Reading
CrossFit Skills Don’t Just Happen: Make a Plan
Are you doing singles unders when the workout calls for doubles? Or perhaps, banded, negative, or jumping pull ups? Does your toes-to-bar technique resemble a Foucault pendulum? There are certain ... Continue Reading
The Top 10 CrossFit Articles of 2014
From the Kevin Ogar accident to the launch of Grid, 2014 has thrown out some questions the CrossFit community. Our expert coaches have been on hand and on point every step of the way to provide insight and ... Continue Reading
The Science of Habit: How to Succeed in 2015
A new year equals a new you, right? Well, not exactly. According to Forbes writer Dan Diamond, nearly forty percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only eight percent of Americans are ... Continue Reading
Learning How to Diagnose New Weightlifting Athletes Is Key
It’s been nearly six months since the Takano Athletics weightlifting gym opened in Woodland Hills, California. One of the unique aspects of the gym is the coaching internship program I implemented from the ... Continue Reading
The Top 10 Kettlebell Articles of 2014
Just when we thought we knew everything about kettlebells, 2014 came along. A range of kettlebell experts wrote articles, including Master RKC Andrew Read, SFGII Craig Marker, and Kettlebell Sport coach ... Continue Reading
How to Figure Out if You Are Ready to Roll Today
What do Gray Cook, Kelly Starrett, and Dan John all have in common? They believe in the power of assessments and establishing baselines. Kelly Starret uses the ten-minute squat test, while Gray Cook uses ... Continue Reading
3 Basic Drills to Improve Your Strength and Movement
Many people are deficient at two fundamental skills essential to being a human - basic movement and breathing. This sounds hard to believe, but I assure you, it is true. You may be suffering from ... Continue Reading
Interview with B.J.J. Trainer, Fitness Specialist, and Pastor Steve McKinney
Steve McKinney is the pastor at Grace Church St. Louis - East Campus and co-owner of Fitness and More in Madison, Illinois. Steve has been the pastor at Grace Church for thirteen years and in the fitness ... Continue Reading
Building Confidence as a BJJ Practitioner (Athlete Journal 63)
It’s been a great week for my jiu jitsu. With school out of the way, I’ve been able to fully dedicate my time to training. This Week's Lessons I learned a lot in classes this week. Frank went ... Continue Reading
A Step-by-Step Guide to a Perfect Jerk
When it comes to Olympic weightlifting, the snatch and clean get the most attention. The jerk just doesn't get the same amount of love. As a trainer, I’ll take some of the blame. My weightlifting teaching ... Continue Reading
Examine Your Operating System (Athlete Journal 119)
I'd like to challenge you to explore your personal system of training. And more specifically, I'd like you to take an assessment of your personal values as they pertain to training. In other words, what's ... Continue Reading
Cutting Weight in Weightlifting: Is There a Better Way?
Weightlifting, powerlifting, and the combat sports are characterized by the fact they give opportunity to athletes of all sizes. In these sports, it is standard practice to cut weight from a bodyweight ... Continue Reading
In 2015: Move Better Than You Ever Have Before
Every time I think I’ve been effective in teaching fitness professionals that movement quality trumps movement quantity something happens to show me things aren’t progressing as planned. Like the ... Continue Reading
3 Reasons You Should Do the Bent Press: The King of Lifts
The bent press was practiced by many old-time strongmen who did not have access to the equipment we have today. It is seldom seen in modern settings, but it is an incredible tool to lift heavy weight ... Continue Reading
Tailor Your Winter Cycling Training Plan Via Heart Rate Zones
Although heart rate training is not as accurate as power-based training, it still provides an inexpensive way to estimate how hard you are working and can help you create a useful training ... Continue Reading
How to Construct an Effective Tactical Training Program
Tactical populations are not being adequately prepared or maintained in the strength and conditioning required for their jobs. Too often, firefighters, police officers, EMTs, military personnel, and others ... Continue Reading
A New Kind of Resolution for 2015
I love the turn of the new year. For me, New Year’s Day beats Christmas hands down. I find the period of reflection and resolution useful, profound, and enjoyable. However, during this time of ... Continue Reading
2014 Endurance Athlete Holiday Shopping Guide
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which means friends and relatives are scratching their heads trying to come up with gift ideas for the endurance athletes in their lives. Rather than ... Continue Reading
How Did the DC Brawlers Dominate Grid?
“The system goes online on August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware 2:14 AM, Eastern time, August 29th.” - ... Continue Reading
Freestyle Swimming: How to Tailor Your Kick to Your Event
The importance of the kick portion of the freestyle swim stroke is a highly discussed topic among coaches and athletes. Views range from those who totally ignore the kick (usually the athletes) to those ... Continue Reading
2 Essential Elements of Safe Yoga Practice (Yoga Teacher Training Journal 5)
The elements of purvanga and pratikriya are some of the most important concepts I have learned so far in my yoga training. I’ve found these principles to be hugely beneficial not only for my yoga practice, ... Continue Reading
