I once overheard a nationally recognized running coach tell a yoga teacher if she was going to continue running she had to give up yoga. I’ve been running since I was a little girl and am a Road Runner ... Continue Reading
Breast Augmentation and the Athlete: What Women Need to Know
One of the most popular articles I ever wrote for a website was for my own blog and was about breast augmentation. I wrote about my experience of choosing the surgery and, in particular, my perspective on ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Valerie Worthington, Entry 5 – Losing and Winning and Losing
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of world-class grappler Valerie Worthington. Follow Valerie as she trains and competes in various events over the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition season. ... Continue Reading
Five Reasons the RKC Isn’t Just About Kettlebells
Despite what people think the RKC is not about kettlebells. It seems to be somehow impossible that something called the Russian Kettlebell Challenge is not about kettlebells, but it’s the ... Continue Reading
Music Transmitted Through Your Skull Makes You Swim Faster
I know some people who would rather die than be separated from their music during a workout. In fact, most people enjoy exercise more and claim to have better performance when listening to music, but does ... Continue Reading
Dear Coach: Can I Do Kettlebells, Body Pump, HIIT, AND Yoga?
Dear Coach, I workout with kettlebells regularly and am considering adding a body pump class to my training schedule. How can I do both since both involve lifting weights, and I thought it best to ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Travis Holley, Entry 3 – 4/18/12
Schedule of CrossFit Athlete Journals: Mondays - Ingrid Kantola Wednesdays - Travis Holley Sundays - Michael Winchester Travis Holley - Athlete Journal 4/18/12 (Read Travis's Bio ... Continue Reading
Raw Mama: Is a Raw Diet Okay During Pregnancy?
During my second pregnancy, I experienced some extreme dietary aversions. I remember being overwhelmed at a concert by the faintest smell of fried onion rings. The mere sight of uncooked poultry made me ... Continue Reading
Time to Get Chilly: 3 Ways to Use Cold Therapy for Increased Recovery
In the quest for more performance humans will try just about anything. In the days of the early Olympics athletes consumed bulls testicles in the belief it gave them strength. Early marathon runners drank ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Julie Warren, Entry 2 – My Dog Ate My Bike Trainer
EDITOR'S NOTE: Julie is one of two athletes we will be featuring as they train for their Ironman events. Julie is just beginning her five months of training for Ironman Canada. Schedule of ... Continue Reading
CicLAvia – How One Bike Event Does the Impossible
Photos provided by Danette "Dizzle" Rivera. It seems impossible that The City of Angels, where we act like cars are the angels, would ever allow ten miles of streets to be completely free of cars ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Ingrid Kantola, Entry 9 – 4/16/12
Schedule of CrossFit Athlete Journals: Mondays - Ingrid Kantola Wednesdays - Travis Holley Sundays - Michael Winchester Ingrid Kantola - Athlete Journal 4/16/12 (Read Ingrid's Bio ... Continue Reading
The 8 Types of Athletes: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Champ?
I have been around the strength/fitness and sports industry for quite a while. In the early to mid 1970s, it was junior high and senior high school sports participation. I went on to be a so-so track and ... Continue Reading
3 Simple Ways to Heal a Stiff, Sore, or Injured Neck
In a previous piece, Preventing Common BJJ and CrossFit Injuries, along with my friend Sam Kressin of Embodied Strength, I discussed the most common injuries in these two sports - cervical strain and low ... Continue Reading
Gwen Sisto: A True Story of When Olympic Weightlifting Meets Juggling
For Gwen Sisto not weightlifting has never been an option. She was first introduced to the sport as a child, when her brothers read a newspaper article about a local Olympic weightlifting team and started ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Michael Winchester, Entry 8 – 4/15/12
Schedule of CrossFit Athlete Journals: Mondays - Ingrid Kantola Wednesdays - Travis Holley Sundays - Michael Winchester Michael Winchester - Athlete Journal 4/15/12 (Read Michael's Bio ... Continue Reading
Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 4
Every Sunday we post the "Sunday Seven" so you can quickly see the seven most popular articles of the week. This week's top articles cover injury and recovery in BJJ and CrossFit, coaching/training tips, ... Continue Reading
Competing Against a Friend: Balancing Respect and Competition
In a previous story I wrote about how at the PanAms I competed (and lost) against a highly accomplished, highly experienced grappler, Hannette Staack. What I didn’t mention is that in addition to being the ... Continue Reading
10 Articles to Read if You Call Yourself a Martial Artist
My first real introduction to the world of fitness and athletics was through martial arts. I started in stick-fighting and Wushu, and eventually wound up in muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I was and ... Continue Reading
Announcing: “Dear Willow” and “Dear Coach” Columns
Ever wish you could just ask your favorite coaches a question and get a personalized answer? Well, now you can here on Breaking Muscle! The coaching/writing staff wants your questions! Ever ... Continue Reading
The Magic Number 10: Balance Volume and Intensity In Your Endurance Training
No matter how you cut it, there’s only three ways you can make training harder: Train more. (Volume) Train harder. (Intensity) Do more in less time. (Density) No matter how you ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Valerie Worthington, Entry 4 – ‘Twas the Week Before the Abu Dhabi World Pro
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of world-class grappler Valerie Worthington. Follow Valerie as she trains and competes in various events over the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition season. ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Travis Holley, Entry 2 – 4/11/12
Schedule of CrossFit Athlete Journals: Mondays - Ingrid Kantola Wednesdays - Travis Holley Sundays - Michael Winchester Travis Holley - Athlete Journal 4/11/12 (Read Travis's Bio ... Continue Reading
CrossFit Wannabe – One Mom’s Fitness Dilemmas and Their Simple Solutions
Photos provided by Miguel Tapia Images and CrossFit LA. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said “Yes, life is hard to bear, but do not pretend to be so delicate.” To my mind, these words sum ... Continue Reading
