Before diving into the ways in which yoga will increase your performance, let me first lay out a few guiding principles in how to approach yoga postures in the context of strength training: ... Continue Reading
How Do You Roll: Gymnastics vs. Parkour?
You first learned to roll when you were just an infant. Whether you remember it or not, learning to roll was a fundamental movement that came before learning to crawl, walk, jump, or run. Even though it ... Continue Reading
How to Lift Like a Girl, Build a Better Body, and Be More Awesome
You’ve already seen why lifting like a girl is a great way to build a better body and be more awesome. Now it’s time for you to discover how to Lift Like a Girl. Lifting Like a Girl hinges on four ... Continue Reading
Understanding and Growing the “Wings” of Your Upper Body
Breaking Muscle author Willow Ryan wrote an article on your "wings," specifically the development of the serratus anterior muscles. Some readers asked about how to develop this area, so let's look into the ... Continue Reading
Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 61
Every Sunday we post the "Sunday Seven" so you can quickly see the 7 most popular articles of the week. This week: weightlifting belts, kids and muscle, five awesome supplements, flexibility, yoga, and ... Continue Reading
Great Expectations: The Truth about Gender Stereotypes in Grappling
News flash: Men and women are different. (Also, water is wet.) But it can be inaccurate, not to mention detrimental to gender relations, to take stereotypes about gender differences at face value. (Did I ... Continue Reading
How and Why to Run Hill Sprint Intervals
Many people today are leaning more towards interval training to augment their conditioning programs - and for good reason. Interval training allows for many positive aspects when done safely and ... Continue Reading
CrossFit, Martial Arts, Meditation, and More: 10 Videos by Coach Traver Boehm
Traver Boehm is a CrossFit coach, acupuncturist, performance nutrition specialist, and martial artist. In other words, he knows a lot of stuff, and fortunately he is generous with his knowledge. Here are ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Charles Staley, Entry 45 – Back On Track
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ever wonder how a world-class coach actually trains? Wonder what it's like to train as a "mature athlete?" Welcome to the athlete journal of Charles Staley. A big believer in practicing what ... Continue Reading
Injury Prevention: The Most Important Goal in Every Training Session
I was a teenager and coming off my first bodybuilding competition. I vividly remember that day when I was in the gym training heavy. I was doing barbell shrugs, but deadlifting the weight off the floor ... Continue Reading
Meditation: It Does A Body Good
There’s a lot of benefit in simply doing nothing, and it's not just for the mind. It turns out there’s scientific proof that meditation does a body good. For example, a 2011 study published in the ... Continue Reading
Good Swings Are Fast Swings
Despite what Conan says, the best thing in life isn’t to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women. The best thing in life is when something ... Continue Reading
5 Tips for Successful Sparring in Martial Arts
I have done muay Thai for more than ten years at this point in my life. During that time I have been exposed to the many different types of people that train in the art. From cooperate business people, ... Continue Reading
Science Examines Yoga’s Powers of Preventative Medicine
With everything going on in health care today, people are turning more and more to alternative medicinal practices and prevention. Often science-minded people like myself take a little more convincing ... Continue Reading
Little Fish in a Big Pond: A Lesson in Competition and Humility
I just spent the weekend working as a Technical Official at the Canadian Senior Weightlifting Championships. As with most such events there were the usual high points plus some disappointments as the ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Pat McCarty, Entry 14 – 5/29/2014
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the athlete journal of CrossFit trainer and masters athlete Patrick McCarty. Patrick competed in the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games in the 45-49 age bracket and has his sights set on ... Continue Reading
Bodyweight Strength and Conditioning Circuit for BJJ
I’ve been training Brazilian jiu jitsu for almost five years now so I forget how intimidating it can be for someone just starting out. I teach a beginner women’s jiu jitsu class at Titans Fitness Academy ... Continue Reading
What to Pack and How to Train While Traveling
So I was sitting there in an airport lounge. I was enjoying my final minutes of freedom before being stuffed into a seat designed for a guy about two thirds my size for the next half a day while I travel ... Continue Reading
Why Yoga? 5 Ways Yoga and Sports Go Hand in Hand
I’m honored to be writing about my love for yoga, meditation, and sports for Breaking Muscle. Growing up I was a competitive athlete. When I wasn’t in school or sleeping, you’d find me at the gym, soccer ... Continue Reading
Science Says Meditation Improves Both Health and Performance
One of the ways I have helped many athletes is by teaching them to stimulate their relaxation response through techniques like meditation. After training combat athletes for years, I found that many of ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Chris Duffin, Entry 52 – Putting Weight On the Bar
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of world champion powerlifter Chris Duffin. Follow Chris as he trains and competes in various events over the coming year. Chris's journal will be posted every ... Continue Reading
5 Reasons Every Kid Should Grow a Little Muscle
Originally I had intended to write this article about the benefits of strength training and muscle development during childhood. In fact, I actually wrote most of the article and then I realized it was ... Continue Reading
Tiffany Brooks: Blazing the Way for Women in Men’s Pro Baseball
The thing about pioneers is that they have to try harder than everyone else. When you’re one of the first at something, the spotlight is always on. It seems that proving yourself never stops. The reason ... Continue Reading
When Stress and Genitals Collide
Does stress affect men and women differently? The answer may surprise you. The journal Current Directions in Psychological Science recently published an article that sought to answer this question by ... Continue Reading
