There is nothing more certain in life than the certainty of death. It's the great equalizer of the world, and it is blind - no matter if a person is rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, good or bad, wise or ... Continue Reading
CrossFit Is Not Going Anywhere
I believe that a few other people have had their say, and expressed their opinions about CrossFit's recent issues on these pages. As someone who enjoyed CrossFit when I first founded Breaking Muscle, and ... Continue Reading
Grand Opening: Getting Back to Making Gains
The prospect of returning to training in a gym again has become a reality for increasingly more people. Or, perhaps, you will be back within a few short weeks and are reflecting on your training and how to ... Continue Reading
Like to Lift? Consume More Protein
What Is Protein? Protein is primarily found in animal and dairy products. Protein enhances muscle mass, strength, endurance, muscle recovery, and power. Decreases inflammation and muscle protein ... Continue Reading
The Bleeding Hearts of CrossFit Affiliates
Let's call bullsh*t on the newfound belief in social justice sweeping through CrossFit affiliates. CrossFit's high school musical of dysfunction stopped being interesting years ago. Let's call ... Continue Reading
Keys to Monitor An Athlete’s Workload
Effective training plans are founded on layers of intricate planning, preparation, and implementation. It is not enough to simply throw a template program at a group of athletes and walk away in hopes that ... Continue Reading
An Open Letter to CrossFit
An Open Letter to CrossFit My name is Greg Walsh. I began involvement with CrossFit in 2003, and was a member, trainer, and manager of CrossFit Long Beach until 2008 when I returned to my hometown of ... Continue Reading
Stop Overdoing Sport Specific Training
Specificity is an overused training philosophy for most lifters. I know this is a controversial statement in strength training communities, but I'm still not sorry for saying it. It's the truth, and this ... Continue Reading
There is no CrossFit, Just Good and Bad Coaching
By now, most people are aware of the backlash against Greg Glassman, CrossFit's founder and CEO, because of tone-deaf, insensitive, and dismissive remarks he has made about George Floyd's death and ... Continue Reading
How Online Coaching Made Me Better
“I can’t wait for the gym to open so I can get off my computer and back to real coaching.” If this is you, I can relate. This pandemic has been a massive nail in the road, blowing out the tire of our ... Continue Reading
Creatine, Not Just For Men or Muscle
Whether you're a man or woman reading this, excellent, it applies to both genders. Are you an aging adult or someone who has experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Yes? Then, keep reading. If you're ... Continue Reading
Unspoken Rules to Size Up Your Session
Here are three things I knew prior to training for competitions or setting a new PR during a session. Here are three things I knew prior to training for competitions or setting a new PR during a ... Continue Reading
Can You Deal With Eustress?
When we think of stress, we are accustomed to concentrating on the harmful types of stress. In our everyday lives, we have to deal with lots of work stress, such as deadlines, low cash flow, high sales ... Continue Reading
Understanding How Carbs Can Impact Performance
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, meaning a larger nutrient class, which (for the most part, must be obtained externally. Carbohydrates are often mistakenly thought of as sugars. Yes, sugar is a ... Continue Reading
Want To Run Better and Longer? Condition and Strengthen
We are built to move. Our brains evolved to process information, integrate that information, and produce the appropriate movement. Two of the most familiar movement patterns that your brain recognizes ... Continue Reading
Does Low Estrogen in Women Impact Muscle Mass and Performance?
When you think of anabolic hormones, what comes to mind first? Chances are, it’s not the hormone estrogen. Still, a few recent studies reported that female sex hormones are vital for muscle mass, ... Continue Reading
The Power of Virtual Training
The power of virtual training is a coach's guide to adopting and implementing this new medium. It's a strange time to be alive and an excellent time to be a coach. We, as trainers and coaches, possess ... Continue Reading
Swing to Win – Kettlebell Swings Better Than Olympic Lifts?
Olympic weightlifting derivatives have long been hailed as the apex exercises for power training in strength and conditioning. There's now evidence that's probably wrong. For most people, most of the time, ... Continue Reading
4-Week Ladder Template to Gain Strength
I have been writing programs, both for myself and others, for over 20 years. I always learn something when I coach someone through a training program, but I also learn a tremendous amount when I run a plan ... Continue Reading
Ultimately, It’s You and Simple Discipline
The basic mechanics of weight loss are simple—calories in need to be less than calories out. You have to eat less than you expend. Yes, the foods you eat, metabolic output, hormone status, stress, ... Continue Reading
Practical Applications for Periodization Theory
A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the concept of periodization and its function in organizing training programs, particularly for eliciting athletic performance gains. The ... Continue Reading
Bill Murray Made Me a Better Lifter
I set a lot of physical goals. I feel like I have to keep from being a fraud given my job. I’ve woken up more days where I was disinterested in following through than not. I don’t repeat affirmations or ... Continue Reading
Discovering Escapability in Olympic Weightlifting
This is one of those topics that rarely come up in discussions of weightlifting technique, but it can prove to be the cause of problems. One of them is that it may inhibit a lifter from making a best ... Continue Reading
Overcome Your Lack of Motivation the Right Way
It’s the old familiar story. You know you should do the thing—eating real food, getting to the gym, mobility work, and yet you fall back into old habits, giving it a miss. Again. You tell yourself you just ... Continue Reading
