A lot can happen in three years. That’s about how long champion powerlifter Charles Staley has been writing journals here at Breaking Muscle. In that time frame, Charles has taken two world titles and ... Continue Reading
Use EFT to Achieve Success in Your Fitness and Nutrition Goals
In my previous articles on EFT, we’ve discussed how you can increase motivation and desire to achieve your goals, how you can instantly improve on any exercise, and how you can use EFT to help with pain ... Continue Reading
Blood Analysis: Unlock the Body’s Secrets to Reach Peak Performance
In a recent article in FastCompany, Brian Kamenetzky shared how professional teams are looking to reduce injuries by predicting them. An approach that I strongly agree with. To predict injuries, you ... Continue Reading
My 4-Week Program for Achieving Handstand Happiness
Click on a week to go directly to any of the four weeks of programming: Week 1: Balance, Handstand, and Core Week 2: Walking and Core Week 3: HSPU, Pressing, and Core Week 4: Putting it all ... Continue Reading
Research Reveals Training Habits of Champion Skiers
If you’ve ever wondered how an Olympic gold medalist or world champion trains, you’re in luck. A recent study in PLOS ONE followed a collection of world-class elite endurance athletes to find out what ... Continue Reading
Six Weeks Isn’t Much Time (Athlete Journal 2)
Exhausted, sluggish, yet still breathing. I finally get to enjoy a rest day, after weeks and weeks of hard work. My previous twelve-week training cycle culminated in a 63lb gain across my three lifts, yet ... Continue Reading
Seminar With Rafael Mendes (Athlete Journal 52)
Hey guys, guess what? This is entry number 52, which means I’ve been journaling for Breaking Muscle for a whole year! I remember when I got the email that said I was chosen to be a jiu jitsu ... Continue Reading
5 Mental Health Secrets for Better Workouts (Athlete Journal 109)
Your mental climate during workouts is one of the most significant factors (if not the most significant factor) that will determine the level of success you’ll experience. What follows are a few of my ... Continue Reading
4 Power-Enhancing Suspension Training Progressions for Cyclists
Suspension trainers have been around for quite a while, and have gained popularity in recent years. This has lead to an assortment of different types on the market, from simple gym rings, to adjustable ... Continue Reading
3 No-Nonsense Ways to Build Fitness Through Swimming
I grew up at a time when we didn’t have all the information in the world at our fingertips, just a press of a button away. If you wanted to know something, you either went and found someone who knew all ... Continue Reading
Strength Training and Diabetes: Do Genes Make a Difference?
Insulin is responsible for shuttling glucose into muscles, so athletes with a family history of metabolic disorders may be at risk for several problems related to exercise. In a recent Journal of Strength ... Continue Reading
Stop Playing Through Pain: How to Safeguard Youth Athletes
Some people might applaud the concept of playing a sport through pain and injury, considering it to be “hardcore.” As parents, coaches, trainers, and young athletes, where do we draw the line with ... Continue Reading
Return on Investment: When to Prioritize Weakness and Strength
We all have been taught from our earliest days that we must work on our weak points. This is true no matter what our endeavor, whether it be our school work, our job, our relationships, or of course, our ... Continue Reading
7 Exercises to Maximize Hand, Wrist, and Forearm Strength
It is extremely important not to neglect working your forearms during your exercise routines. The hands, wrists, and forearms should be prioritized while warming up and while working out. Below, I will ... Continue Reading
3 Ways to Use the Kettlebell Swing for Overspeed Eccentric Training
In an earlier article, I discussed Verkohshansky’s depth jumps and how his research was the starting point for modern-day plyometics. In this article I will describe the mechanisms of plyometrics. I'll ... Continue Reading
7 Markers of a Solid Strength Program
I’m often asked to write individual strength programs. However, I take on very few of such requests, because when I write one of these programs, it is exactly what it says it is – individualized. This ... Continue Reading
Folate, Alcohol, and Saturated Fat Benefit HDL Levels
We know that HDL is good for you, but we know less about what affects it. In a recent Nutrition and Metabolism study, researchers examined this substance in greater detail than ever ... Continue Reading
Time to Refocus (Athlete Journal 37)
Keeping my focus is something I have mentioned several times in previous athlete journals. It plays a huge part in your success or failure in competition. I am positive that many of my wins have come from ... Continue Reading
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect – Or Does Nature Trump Everything?
Remember back to your school days when you were finding it hard to get better at a sport or musical instrument, yet one of your friends made it look simple? Your parents probably did one of two ... Continue Reading
Women and BJJ: How to Stay on the Mats During Your Menstrual Cycle
I’m fortunate in that my menstrual cycle doesn’t affect my life in a significant way. It certainly doesn’t affect my BJJ training, but some women aren’t so lucky. A few months ago, a woman on ... Continue Reading
5 Strong Female Role Models to Inspire the Next Generation
I have always seen it as a tragic commentary on our culture that not one, but a whole herd of Kardashians are famous. They have their own shows, clothing lines, perfume - you name it. It defies logic ... Continue Reading
The 3 Keys to Obstacle Course Racing Success
Obstacle course racing (OCR) is growing in popularity year-on-year. With this growth in participation comes an increase in the number of people training specifically for OCR events. However, I often see ... Continue Reading
How to Maintain Yoga’s Lineage in Modern Times
There’s a picture circulating around the Internet that shows an iceberg, both the exposed and submerged parts. As you might already know, the majority of the iceberg is below the surface, thus the old ... Continue Reading
More Squats and Fewer Kegels: What Your Pelvic Floor Really Wants
"Suggested tattoo for trainers, therapists, and athletes: Tighter does not equal stronger. It’s just tighter.” - Katy Bowman A few years ago, Katy Bowman kicked up a dust storm when she offered not ... Continue Reading
