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
New Methods of Myofascial Decompression (Cupping) for Athletes
The most challenging part of myofascial decompression (MFD), better known as cupping, is the bruise marks. Almost everyone, athletes included, is left with circular marks from the negative pressure of the ... Continue Reading
It’s Called Yoga ‘Practice’ For a Reason
“Do you have to be flexible to do yoga?” This is a common question I get asked as a yoga teacher. I often get this as a reason for why people won’t try yoga. Let’s just clear something up right away. You ... Continue Reading
Strongman Training Good For Testosterone
I’ll start this article with a preface. I love strongman-style training. And no I don’t necessarily mean the common competitive movements; I mean the idea of it. Doing things my dad did on the farm has an ... Continue Reading
Where CrossFit Fails: Training vs. Testing
This is a rebuttal to Josh Bunch's article, It's CrossFit and It's Going to Hurt: I’ve read Josh Bunch’s article on CrossFit several times now. What I took away from the article was that there is a ... Continue Reading
Pushing the Envelope: How Each Generation Builds the BJJ Evolution
Photos provided by David Brown Photography. Last summer, I went to my college reunion and waxed nostalgic with a bunch of old friends about a significant time in my young adulthood. Many of the ... Continue Reading
5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 4 – Play Time
Welcome to the fourth part of this five-part weekly series on sandbag training. This installment will focus on the use of sandbag training specifically for that often overlooked element of exercise and ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Patrick McCarty, Entry 4 – 3/20/2013
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
Advice for BJJ Beginners – From MMA and BJJ Pros
I recently began teaching a women’s only Brazilian jiu jitsu class at Titans MMA in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now that I am a purple belt, I feel as though I can offer quality guidance to new students due to ... Continue Reading
A Little Laughter Goes a Long Way: Yoga Pose for Joy
Smile! Living certainly has challenges, but it also has a beautiful and bright side. Too often we lose track of what can be our greatest healing method: humor. Comedy. Smiling. Laughing. ... Continue Reading
3-Day Strength Program for Kickboxers, MMA Fighters, and Grapplers
I can remember reading a book years ago, can’t even remember what it was, but in it the main characters were trying to solve a crime. One of the things that was explained was that often police work is all ... Continue Reading
The Truth Behind ‘No Pain, No Gain’ in Weight Lifting
Does the old adage "No pain, no gain" have any validity? The answer is that it depends. It really depends on the type of pain and the type of gain you are talking about. Let's look at the pain ... Continue Reading
How Length of Round, Period, or Play Can Change a Sport
When you grow up with sports, either playing them or watching them, you never question some parts of the game. You think the game will never change, or more likely, you don’t think about the game in that ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Chris Duffin, Entry 43 – Killer Band Work
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 First Foods for Paleo Babies and Toddlers
I was in Babies 'R' Us a few weeks ago to get a new car seat and it suddenly struck me that having babies has become really complicated. All babies really need is food, some form of butt covering to ... Continue Reading
My Athlete Child Is Going to College – How to Keep Her Active
My oldest daughter Maya is graduating high school in a few short months. Then in fall, she will be off to a scenic college many hours up the coast. By herself. Without me. I suddenly get flashbacks to my ... Continue Reading
7 Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery
Rest and recovery are critical components of any successful training program. They are also the least planned and underutilized ways to enhance performance. You may not be aware there is a difference ... Continue Reading
Para-Athlete Cleuton Nunes Attacks CrossFit Workout 13.2
Imagine you are 29 years old. Imagine you are the Taekwondo Pan American Champion. Imagine you are a happy dad, living life doing what you love. Now imagine you wake up and the world as you know it no ... Continue Reading
The People You Think Are Naturally Good Are Actually Just Practicing
Do you know someone who is just naturally good at something? They just get it and it doesn’t seem to be difficult for them at all. They seemed to pick up the skill as soon as they started trying. Well, ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Andrew Read, Entry 40 – The Last Week
Click here to read other journal entries and articles by Andrew Read, and look for his new journal every Monday as he trains for Ironman Melbourne. Athlete Journal Entry 40: The Last Week One ... Continue Reading
Take Out the Trash: Why Athletes Should Stop Talking Smack
The most notorious trash talker of all time is Muhammad Ali. Ali was never short on words - words for his opponents, words of prediction, and sometimes he just wanted to wax poetic to entertain the masses. ... Continue Reading
Weight Training Basics for Runners
Despite what some people think, weight lifting and running go hand and hand. For runners, strength training is a key component in boosting performance. Adding the strength you get from a weight lifting ... Continue Reading
Understanding Our Adrenal System: Dopamine
We’ve learned the basics about the dynamic duo, norepinephrine and epinephrine. We know they play an important role in the fight or flight response, and we also know when they aren’t produced in the right ... Continue Reading
Injury-Proofing Your Body With the Functional Movement Screen
During the 2007 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons suffered seven devastating season-ending injuries. In 2008, the team had a complete turn-around, suffering only one minor injury in the post-season. What ... Continue Reading
