It is unbelievable the number of exercise options available to you. No matter your training goals, there are a plethora of movements you can implement in your program. What follows is a list of ... Continue Reading
Beyond the Body: How Fitness and the Brain Serve Each Other
As an athlete, you know that the mental state you bring into the gym has a huge impact on your performance. But it goes the other way, too. How you are and what you learn in the gym can impact your life as ... Continue Reading
Find Purpose in Training and Life (Athlete Journal 50)
I made a New Year’s resolution at the beginning of 2014 to be more positive about situations. The second half of 2013 was definitely a rough point for me. School and a few other things in my life weren’t ... Continue Reading
In Over Your Head: Pro Advice for a Better Overhead Squat
The overhead squat. Delight to some. Nemesis to many. What's it good for? Why should you do it? And what are the secrets that will make it work better? Read on for all the answers. A Reason to ... Continue Reading
The Lifting/Longevity Paradox (Athlete Journal 107)
As I watch older lifters struggle with orthopedic issues, I often wonder: If my sole or primary objective was to feel as good as possible at age eighty, would I still lift as hard as I do? That’s a ... Continue Reading
What Forefoot Running Actually Means
Running is weird. Considering that you learn to do it as a child with no coaching at all and that running itself is hardwired into us and was a major reason for our survival as a species, most of us just ... Continue Reading
Science Says Imagery Is a Powerful Psych-Up Tool
We’ve all seen powerlifters, strongmen, and fighters screaming and shouting or being slapped prior to competition. There are many ways to get fired up, and we know it works. That leaves many athletes ... Continue Reading
7 Ways to Build Real Self-Esteem in Youth Athletes
Getting away from the participation ribbons and trophies (specifically referencing the child who never makes practices/games until the day when ribbons and trophies are handed out), the false encouragement ... Continue Reading
Using Powerful Body Language Can Increase Your Actual Power
You may have heard that smiling can make you happier. What if acting more dominant can help you lift more weight? Recent research suggests that your body language changes the body’s physiology to increase ... Continue Reading
The 4 Undebatable Fundamentals of Training
Do you ever get fed up of the constant bickering on the Internet about how best to train? Honestly, it makes me laugh and cry in equal measure. I feel that you can separate the protagonists out into three ... Continue Reading
The Value of Competition (Athlete Journal 36)
My Brazilian jiu jitsu and my strength and conditioning continue to progress nicely. This week I was a little pressed, which is typical, but I still had five good days of BJJ and got in all three of my ... Continue Reading
Why I Hope to Lose All My Clients
I once had a boss (We’ll call him “Norm”) who, while in every way was a horrible boss, did say one thing that made sense and stuck with me. He said that his goal as a boss was to “lose every single one of ... Continue Reading
Why Everyone Needs a Training Camp Experience
Ever wondered what it would be like to wake up and have no responsibilities other than to just go and train? Sure, you can use some vacation time and try this at home, but you know that your regular life ... Continue Reading
Contest: Design the Breaking Muscle T-Shirt
After many, many requests we are finally going to do it! Breaking Muscle T-shirts for both men and women will be a reality, but first we need a great design idea. After much discussion about who to ... Continue Reading
A CrossFitter’s Guide to Interval Weight Training
Several years ago while cruising Gym Jones’ website, I stumbled upon Pat O’Shea’s interval weight training (IWT) concept. The methodology he presented instantly resonated with me because it offered a ... Continue Reading
Sports Drinks Show Minimal Effect on Tennis Players
Sports drinks are used to improve performance in pretty much every sport, but this practice has been called into doubt in recent years. In a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports ... Continue Reading
The 6 Most Important Things Martial Arts Taught Me About Life
When I think of the word martial arts, I think of that old song Kung Fu Fighting. I think of the kid in my neighborhood who thought he was a ninja and would play incessantly with nunchucks and throwing ... Continue Reading
Stability for BJJ: Why You Need It and How to Get It
The word stability is everywhere. You see it in articles talking about the benefits of stability training or giving suggestions on how to improve stability through various exercises. What you rarely see ... Continue Reading
The Fitness Existentialist: It Starts With You
There is a piece of advice that I give to all of my clients before they embark on a journey toward newfound health and fitness: Don’t tell anyone about what you are doing. Why? Fitness ... Continue Reading
5 More Tips for Achieving Your Goal Physique
In the previous installment I discussed five tips in the pursuit of a better physique. Know your genetics. Work hard. Shore up your nutritional intake. Have a plan for your goal. ... Continue Reading
School and BJJ: A Not-So-Vicious Circle (Athlete Journal 49)
The past seven days seemed to fly by. It feels like just yesterday I wrote my journal entry for last week. I’m going to take this as a sign that I had a good week. Time flies when you’re having fun, ... Continue Reading
How to Train Smart Before, During, and After Pregnancy
Pregnancy seems at first to have a distinct beginning and a distinct end. You make a baby, you carry a baby, you deliver a baby. Voilà – it all takes ten months max. That’s what I used to think, but ... Continue Reading
The Absence of Logic: Possible Versus Likely (Athlete Journal 106)
A few years ago, I was having dinner at my local Outback when I overheard the following in the booth behind me: “My trainer says that if you eat too much protein, it’ll turn to fat.” Did you ... Continue Reading
The 10 Best Exercises for Police Officers
The long shifts and odd schedule make finding time to workout as a cop very tough. I’m always asked, “What are the best exercises for police officers?” And when I tell my answers, I’m usually met ... Continue Reading
