What would your life look like if you had the freedom to do whatever you want? Would it be all relaxation and goofing off? Spontaneity and fun? Probably not. In fact, it would probably involve a greater ... Continue Reading
The Sixty Year Fitness Challenge
For all our advances in medical technology and understanding of how the human body works, we don’t seem to be getting any healthier. In fact, the first generation in American history with a shorter life ... Continue Reading
Physical Illiteracy: The Costs of Being Less Human
Welcome to the first episode of The Socially Conscious Squatter. The concept of this show is built on the philosophy that most of our community problems stem from not respecting our nature, chiefly, our ... Continue Reading
The Classical Model for Physical Literacy
CrossFit, SoulCycle, and many other group-class fitness brands have exploded in popularity over the last decade. Part of the success these brands have enjoyed is owed to the fact that each of them fulfill ... Continue Reading
Endurance, Imagination, and Presence
There are two choices to make when faced with society’s problems, or your own. You can sit and talk about how horrible and sad they are, or you can get about the business of doing something about them. ... Continue Reading
The Endless Pursuit of Mindful Movement
In the pursuit of mastery, most coaches and trainers choose to specialize in a particular discipline, sport, or modality. But Jenn Pilotti took a different approach, letting her natural curiosity guide her ... Continue Reading
Healthy Food Doesn’t Have to Suck
The rules of eating well aren’t complicated. We all understand the basic principles of portion control and macronutrient ratios, but for many of us, creating meals based on those principles just doesn’t ... Continue Reading
You Don’t Have to Fall Apart at 30
Everybody knows that nobody moves enough anymore. From our morning commutes to our desk jobs, to the backup cameras in our cars, we have created a world where every new piece of technology seems to ... Continue Reading
Statistics Don’t Win Games
Turn on the TV or the radio right now, and call up your favorite sports station. I guarantee that within minutes, you’ll hear someone spouting off a list of statistics about a team or player that’s meant ... Continue Reading
Deadlifts, F-Bombs, and Authentic Weirdness
The world of strength training tends to be filled with burly, bearded, serious-looking men who scowl and grunt as they quote chapter and verse about why you should lift, train, eat, and live a certain way. ... Continue Reading
The Fitness Technology Inside Your Head
Do you have a closer relationship with your heart rate monitor than your actual heart rate? When’s the last time you went for a ride or a run without something stuck in your ear? Are you using technology ... Continue Reading
What’s Wrong With How We Run
When you grow up as an undersized kid who’s determined to play football, you’d better find an advantage and find it quick, or you’re going to get destroyed. For David Weck, his stature and a botched elbow ... Continue Reading
Daily Movement With Passion and Purpose
If you’re new to trying to get in shape, the ocean of options available to you can be daunting. There are hundreds of different implements, machines, protocols, and programs, all claiming to be the best ... Continue Reading
Back Pain: The Hundred Billion Dollar Scam
If I told you that there was an enterprise that charges its customer base $100 billion annually and fails to deliver what it says it’s selling, you’d wonder how it could exist. If I then told you that the ... Continue Reading
The Gym in the Palm of Your Hand
Andrea DuCane has an astonishingly diverse background, with experience in everything from dance, to martial arts, to aerobics, to Pilates, before she found the kettlebell. She details why a perpetual focus ... Continue Reading
The Brutal Simplicity of Fitness
If you’re not having fun with your training, you’re going to quit. So have fun! That’s the sort of simple, no-BS message that dominates the fitness philosophy of Rob MacDonald. You might know him better as ... Continue Reading
Kung Fu and Kettlebells
Every good thing in your life is about relationships, and that includes fitness. Nobody can illustrate this point better than Dr. Chris Holder, head strength and conditioning coach at Cal Poly, and a ... Continue Reading
The Masters Athlete Experience and a 2017 CrossFit Games Preview
In the aviation community, there is a saying that there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots. There is perhaps no better example of this unity of experience and ... Continue Reading
From a Hospital Bed to Elite Strength Coach
What are they going to say about you at your funeral? It may seem like an abstract question, but for Brett Bartholomew, it’s one he tries to answer with his actions every single day. Brett has coached ... Continue Reading
The Fittest Mom on Earth
Val Voboril is a perennial fan favorite at the CrossFit Games, and it’s not hard to see why. Her trademark perpetual smile and indomitable attitude seem to defy even the most grueling workouts. In a sport ... Continue Reading
The 12 Labors of Michael McCastle: Achieving the Impossible
Georges Hébert was a groundbreaking physical educator from France in the first half of the 20th century, whose influence on the art and science of human movement is still felt today. “Be strong to be ... Continue Reading
Biomechanics, Balance, and Boldness
Every good coach and trainer considers themselves, to some extent, as a student of human movement. But few people can touch the level of devotion and study of David Weck, inventor of the BOSU ball and ... Continue Reading
The Tribe of the Kettlebell
We all understand that the tool matters far less than what you do with it. Few people exemplify that altruism more than Sean Griffin, founder of Chicago Primal Gym. While his passion and tool of choice is ... Continue Reading
The Mindful Path to Clean Eating
Most athletes put hours of thought and research into meticulously planning every workout and training cycle, but then taking care of the nutrition side of the house becomes a chore. At the same time, we ... Continue Reading