Once upon a time, I could not do one pull-up. Heck, I couldn’t do a push-up, either. I used to ask my mom to write me notes to get me out of gym in school, since I dreaded the very thought of Phys. Ed. I ... Continue Reading
How to Train for a Mud Run
As life becomes more and more sanitized we’re seeing more and more extreme activities become popular as people seek out new thrills. It seems funny to me that a few years ago MMA was seen as an “extreme ... Continue Reading
Women In Weight Sports, Part 1: How It All Started
The topic of women participating in competitive sports, especially those deemed suitable only for men, has always been controversial. One might expect such an attitude to the hyper-masculine weight sports. ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Chris Duffin, Entry 27 – Supporting the Team
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
Holiday Recipe Contest Countdown: 10 Days Left!
The holidays are right around the corner, and we know there are lots of delicious and healthy paleo recipes floating around out there. If you plan to make one - or several! - you can enter our holiday ... Continue Reading
Pregnant Athlete Journal, Week 8: How Relaxin Kicked My Butt
I’m in my eigth week of my first pregnancy and honestly, I’m not sure what to expect. I have no morning sickness and I’m still teaching three classes per week, although I have noticed that I’m way more ... Continue Reading
Improve Your Sprinting By Lifting Heavy 10 Minutes Prior
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a very real phenomenon that is not well-understood. The theory goes like this: Want to perform your absolute best in a sprint? Then you should lift heavy a few minutes ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Andrew Read, Entry 27 – The Accident
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. Journal Entry 27 - The Accident I would ... Continue Reading
The Vital Role of the Kiai, Grunt, and Otherwise Noisy Exhale
If you’re around my age, you might remember the old Saturday Night live skit, “At Home with Monica Seles.” In the skit, much fun was made of the way the former tennis great would emit loud grunts on the ... Continue Reading
How to Choose the Right Doula (Birth Coach) for You
So you’re expecting a baby and you’ve decided you want a doula. In an earlier article I discussed what services and support a doula offers. In this article I’m going to help you learn the questions you ... Continue Reading
Frogman Workouts Start Today: Strength Training + Swimming
Today marks the beginning of our new Frogman Workouts from Coach Hannah Caldas. Ever wondered what it would be like if you swam instead of ran in your workouts? Tried carrying a kettlebell underwater? ... Continue Reading
Dear Coach: I’m Pregnant and Squatting Hurts My Knees!
Dear Coach, I'm in my third trimester and I want to do lots of squats to prepare for childbirth but I think I have bad knees. It hurts my knees to squat. Is there a different way I can do lots of ... Continue Reading
Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 33
Every Sunday we post the "Sunday Seven" so you can quickly see the 7 most popular articles of the week. We've got an interesting mix of topics this week, including coaching tips, sexism and gender roles, ... Continue Reading
Choke: A Movie, a Verb, a Way of Life
In an ongoing effort to educate myself about the roots of the martial art I love, I recently watched the 1999 documentary Choke. In academese, you could say that Choke is a historical document, a primary ... Continue Reading
“Dear Coach”: 7 Questions We’ve Answered
Every week, our coaches offer their advice on reader-submitted questions. Here are 7 topics we've covered, including nutrition, ripped hands, kettlebells, and more. If you have any questions you'd like to ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Charles Staley, Entry 20 – Seeing Improvement
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
How To Do The Perfect Kettlebell Snatch
Here we are at the end of my series - the final movement of the six basic kettlebell exercises. The snatch. The snatch is one of those exercises that seem shrouded in myth. Perhaps the most common ... Continue Reading
12 Reps with Zen Gray, Fitness Coach and Motivator
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to our newest feature - 12 Reps. In each appearance of 12 Reps, our coaches, writers, and occasional guests will be answering the same twelve questions each time. Go "into the ... Continue Reading
Your Workouts: Balancing Your Plan vs. How You Feel
About a month ago, I was nearing the end of a planned training cycle. I was training very hard for a judo tournament, and after eight weeks, my metal game was shot. Between the stress of my job, family ... Continue Reading
Alpha-Male Style Cardio Training
Cardio sucks. But it’s got to be done. Unless you’re competing as a heavyweight strength athlete and don’t care about excess blubber or you’re one of those genetic freaks with a metabolism so speedy it ... Continue Reading
Announcing the “Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief” Giveaway Results!
Last week we reviewed Katy Bowman's excellent book, Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief. If you have chronic problems with foot pain, or if you're just interested in the effects of footwear on your ... Continue Reading
Rehab Your Back Injury With Swimming, Not Surgery
As a swimmer I am biased when I say there is very little for which swimming isn’t beneficial. But even thinking objectively it is a fairly accurate statement. I recently covered the benefits of swimming as ... Continue Reading
The History of Weight Sports: How They Evolved Since 1900
Today we speak of the standard weightlifting, powerlifting and strength exercises. But how “standard” are they? How did they get to be standard? In the beginning there was the age of the ... Continue Reading
My Name Is Valerie, And I May Be Sexist (But I’m Working on It)
As a woman in the male-dominated sport of grappling, I have experienced sexism of every stripe: the angry, defensive kind; the flagrant, that’s-right-I-said-it-and-I-don’t-give-a-sh*t kind; the casual, ... Continue Reading
