Human beings are generally driven by one of two motivating forces: fear or love. Companies act out of scarcity (fear) or abundance (love). Relationships can be possessive and distrusting (fear) or ... Continue Reading
2014 Mobility Holiday Shopping Guide
I’m a bit of a weirdo when it comes to the field of mobility and rehab. I believe in a basic approach, and for the most part I eschew the use of complicated tools and techniques. Even so, there are some ... Continue Reading
10 Killer Tips to Boost Your Squat
Squats are lifting royalty for curing chicken leg syndrome’ and building high-performance muscle mass. Squats develop total-body strength, stimulate tons of total body muscle growth, and improve ... Continue Reading
Dealing With Rheumatoid Arthritis Through Fitness
Today, I am writing about something close to me. I am writing about my experience with rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in September of 2014. I began treatment at the ... Continue Reading
A Killer Training Week (Athlete Journal 13)
The craziest thing happened this week: all of my lifts felt amazing! I typically have one day per week where I have a killer workout, but this week the wheels were rollin.’ After complaining about my five ... Continue Reading
How to Manage Your Conditioning Program, Part 2
Watch My Video: Optimizing Your Energy Systems Training Previously, I discussed the importance of managing your training program along with the easiest and most effective ways to use a heart rate monitor ... Continue Reading
Barefoot Basics: How to Regain Your Footing
Natural movement means your body is moving without any alteration from its normal state or function. It also means your body is experiencing full sensory feedback from your surroundings, which is hopefully ... Continue Reading
Back on the Mats During Finals Week (Athlete Journal 62)
Finals week is kicking my butt, but my elbow feels much better and I’m back to regular training again. Finals and a Long Break It’s finals week at the University of Scranton, which is good and ... Continue Reading
Practical, Adaptable, and Efficient: 3 Natural Movement Principles
Using your body is liberating. Yet chances are you know someone who struggles to complete even the most basic, everyday movements without pain. Maybe that person is you. How do we restore these ... Continue Reading
Monitoring and Tracking Your Intensity Quotient (Athlete Journal 118)
A few readers have noticed and asked about my use of the “IQ” notation after each exercise and workout. IQ is my own personal shorthand for “intensity quotient,” or put another way, the average weight per ... Continue Reading
Why One-Hand Swings Are King
Kettlebells are great for many reasons. They provide a kick-ass workout without the need for much equipment or a large space. And nearly everyone I’ve met who uses kettlebells has a story that sounds ... Continue Reading
Coaching the Coaches With James Fitzgerald, Ep 8
In this podcast, Breaking Muscle Radio speaks with world-class strength and conditioning coach James Fitzgerald - many of you know him as OPT winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games. James is also the ... Continue Reading
7 Ways Stress Can Harm Weightlifting Technique
We are all familiar with how difficult it is to learn the technique of the Olympic lifts, or any similar athletic movements. The field events, gymnastics, and martial arts - all are complex and require ... Continue Reading
4 Simple Gymnastics Drills for Strength and Mobility
Gymnastics strength training provides countless benefits to those willing to commit to the process. By focusing on bodyweight progressions, athletes have the opportunity to increase relative strength, ... Continue Reading
Feet Are Our Foundation: 5 Ways to Strengthen Them
Take a stand. Stand tall. Stand on your own two feet. Standing is often culturally referenced as a means of action and autonomy. It’s also something we, as humans, are specifically designed to do ... Continue Reading
2014 Kettlebell Holiday Shopping Guide
One of the biggest benefits of the kettlebell is its simplicity. You can just throw it in the car and use it anywhere. So for this year's holiday wish list, I've picked out some kettlebells and a few nice, ... Continue Reading
2014 BJJ Lovers Holiday Shopping Guide
It’s that time of year again. Santa has asked us for gift ideas for all of the good boys and girls who train Brazilian jiu jitsu. There were so many amazing products introduced this year it was hard to ... Continue Reading
Why Your Approach to Fixing Your Low Back Is Making It Worse
Low back pain is common these days, and one of the first things chiropractors, physical therapists, strength coaches, and back pain sufferers themselves will encourage is stretching out the low back. Often ... Continue Reading
What the CrossFit Games 2015 Changes Mean for You
Bubble athletes, say goodbye to your regionals dreams. There’s a new bubble, and it just moved 28 spots up the leaderboard. In a continuing effort to find the “Fittest on Earth,” CrossFit has ... Continue Reading
Screw Goals: It’s All About Your System
Forget goal setting for 2015. I’m deadly serious. Throw out your vision board and burn the motivational posters. Goal setting for many is a nail in the coffin of their dreams. The Problem With ... Continue Reading
2014 Fit and Female Holiday Shopping Guide
Whether the woman in your life is an endurance athlete, strength lover, or yogi, she has unique needs. Once you go down the fitness path, a whole new shopping cart awaits you. Wondering what to put in the ... Continue Reading
Lessons While Shooting: How to Take Aim in Life and Sport
Last week I shot a shot<strong">gun for the first time in my life. Upon showing up to the shooting range, I was struck by how much the sporting clay course reminded me of a golf course. It was set up ... Continue Reading
Pratyahara: An Ancient Practice for Modern Times
If you can’t see it, smell it, hear it, taste it, or touch it, then it doesn’t exist. That’s the empirical worldview. A view that translates into the notion that the more you can see, smell, hear, taste, ... Continue Reading
Training During the Holidays (Athlete Journal 12)
Another day, another dollar. This week was great. I was already squatting and benching so often before this training cycle that after my first week of being sore due to new rep ranges my body decided it ... Continue Reading
