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
Walking: The Most Underrated Movement of the 21st Century
“Now shall I walk or shall I ride? 'Ride,' Pleasure said; 'Walk,' Joy replied.” -William Henry Davies Originally I titled this article "Walking: The Most Underrated Exercise of the 21st ... Continue Reading
Save Your Back by Switching to Front Squats
The squat has long been the bread and butter of weight lifting programs. It’s easy to see why: it’s hands down the most effective exercise for building strength, speed, and size, and has a remarkable ... Continue Reading
Kettlebells Improve Balance and Job Satisfaction
Yes, you read that correctly. A new study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research assessed the effect of kettlebell training on a group of forty office workers. If it helps, I like to ... Continue Reading
Facing the Pain: Making the Physical Mental and the Mental Physical
Last week I pointed out that it is a lack of balance that leads us to pain, whether it is too much exercise or too little. Balance, though, goes beyond just what we do physically. Balance also refers to ... Continue Reading
All Aboard: Parkour Training Has Arrived
Parkour training has arrived - and it’s time for you to get on board. What began as a small group of French teenagers learning to flow through their city in the 1980s has grown up to become a global ... Continue Reading
Join Me on My Journey to Heal My Adrenal System
I’ve written a lot about neurotransmitters recently and how imbalances in the adrenal system can cause some problems physically and mentally. However, I haven’t delved into how to go about fixing things. ... Continue Reading
How to Deadlift More (Book Excerpt)
The following in an excerpt from Andy Bolton's book "Deadlift Dynamite": I deadlift using the conventional style. I tried sumo once and quickly found I severely lacked the inner thigh ... Continue Reading
Science Says You Should Ditch the Unstable Surface Training
Some of the trends in fitness when the term “functional training” first became popularized were pretty silly. We’ve all imagined, and some of us have even seen, full blown back squats while perched ... Continue Reading
Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 57
Every Sunday we post the "Sunday Seven" so you can quickly see the 7 most popular articles of the week. This week: our monthly OpEd, yoga and surviving cancer, posture, the limitations of barbells, gender, ... Continue Reading
Read about Read: Andrew Enters Spartan Ultra Beast Mode
I must visit Australia. I’ve wanted to for a while, but now I have two Andrew Read-related reasons. As many Breaking Muscle readers know, Andrew is a regular knowledge-dropper in the form of articles about ... Continue Reading
10 Articles to Improve Your Rowing
From outdoor rowing to indoor group classes, rowing has gained in popularity in recent years. If you've ever tried it you know why - it's quite a workout and there's actually a lot of technique to doing it ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Charles Staley, Entry 41 – A Productive Week
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
Dispelling The Myth of the Spiritual Yoga Guru
I recently read a comment stating that you can’t teach a spiritual life unless you practice it. But what does it mean to practice a spiritual life and when do you actually achieve this state? Spiritual in ... Continue Reading
You’re Going to See This Again: Fitness Trends Are Talking and You Need to Listen
Back in the days when I used to get to play with guns a lot, I would often hear the phrase “You’re going to see this again” come out of the mouth of one of my sergeants. That was my cue to quit daydreaming ... Continue Reading
Two New Studies on Static Stretching … Are Completely Conflicting?
Recently I wrote a popular article on passive stretching referencing research that indicated this type of stretching reduced strength. In the article I concluded that passive stretching should be avoided ... Continue Reading
It’s Up to Her: Professional Athlete Phaidra Knight Controls Her Destiny
While her resume is that of a Renaissance woman, there is a common infrastructure supporting all of professional athlete Phaidra Knight’s pursuits: an abiding belief in herself and her capacity to make ... Continue Reading
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: What Is PCOS and How to Treat It With Diet
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is the most common endocrine disorder in women, affecting an estimated 5-10% of women of reproductive age. It was once thought of as being a fertility problem, but it is ... Continue Reading
How You’re Sabotaging Your Posture and Your Time in the Gym
Good posture means maintaining correct alignment of your body in a seated position, while standing, and during motion. Most athletes and active people pay attention to posture during exercise, but after a ... Continue Reading
Why We Prefer Individual Sports Over Team Sports
Of great interest to us in weightlifting and similar activities is why many of us prefer individual sports over team sports. This seems to be true whether we speak of weightlifting, powerlifting, ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Pat McCarty, Entry 10 – 5/1/2013
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
BJJ Needs You: Be Part of the Competition by Volunteering
My metabolism changed when I was about 25. I had always been very skinny in spite of the fact that I never exercised, had a horrible diet, and drank a lot of beer. I was in denial when I noticed the first ... Continue Reading
Stop Sucking and Train More
You know what makes the best so damn good? It’s the hours and hours of endless practice they put into their respective sports. Whether it’s Olympic lifting, running, swimming, or archery, the telling ... Continue Reading
What’s Happening In Your Blood After a Workout
When it comes to exercise, recovery is the name of the game. Being able to recover faster, and having a better recovery routine will make or break any athlete’s long-term success. Understanding this ... Continue Reading
