The world of sports performance is becoming increasingly scientific. Wearable technology, sleep tracking, and cutting-edge recovery techniques have made training programs more data-driven than ever. And while it's easy to blindly apply these new resources to the masses, a marker of a great strength and conditioning coach is the ability to personalize and individualize their approach to each of their athletes. Of course, doing so can be challenging – it's hard to know exactly what each athlete ...

“I don’t want to lift weights, it will make me bulk up!” This is a common mindset in women wary of starting a new training routine. Even a quick Google search will reveal that it's an incredibly popular area of interest on bodybuilding blogs and fitness forums. Women enter the gym to improve a healthy inside and outside, and, sometimes, building a bulky exterior doesn’t align with their goals. The truth is, merely taking the next step in your gym routine won’t automatically result in bigger ...

We've all weighed the costs and benefits of working out when sick: "My throat hurts, so I'll stick to weights and avoid heavy breathing." Or, "maybe a good sweat will break this fever." Often times, it just boils down to, "yeah I feel like crap, but I have a plan I have to stick to." So we compromise and try to push through our workouts, even though we’re suffering (more than normal, that is). After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Well, while forcing a workout when you’re ...

If you have your eyes and ears on the CrossFit® scene at all, you’ve probably heard of the *big* changes that occurred to the competitive season over the past several months. It’s hard to miss the gripes and complaints coming from the internet on the drastic changes (which seemingly came out of nowhere) in the early fall, as they've left many athletes puzzled, confused, scared and maybe even a little angry. As with any change, growing pains are to be expected. But there are some things that ...

When we think about healthy aging, most people picture going to the doctor once a year to get a clean bill of health, maybe minimizing age-related illness or any disabilities that might arise as the years start to add up. Entering your golden years healthy and happy are all that most people can ask for. Well, not if you’re the three-time defending CrossFit Games Champion in the 60+ age group. Dave Hippensteel is just that, and his goal is to crush anything in his path looking to slow him down. ...

CrossFit as a sport has seemingly exploded over the past several years and along with its rise in popularity has come an exponential increase in the level of competition. Athletes are always looking for the next best thing to give them that one percent edge over the rest of the field, and are oftentimes looking for supplements to tilt the scale in their favor. We are frequently asked about supplements; which ones to take, which are safe, and whether they really work? Here we’ll dive into my ...

Are you an athlete focused on functional fitness? If so, and you're anything like me, those feelings of being utterly drained after a WOD, collapsing on the floor, and not being able to walk the next morning are all too familiar. We've all been there. But these feelings of exhaustion and muscle soreness aren’t simply signs of a good workout; they’re your body’s way of telling you that it’s in recovery mode. It’s repairing itself from strenuous activity and the inflammation that’s been caused by ...

We always hear Coach Glassman talk about prioritizing intensity over volume. After all, the more intense your workout, the higher stimulus your body will receive, and the greater physiological adaptation you'll see.  One of the best ways to increase your intensity is to improve your recovery from training. If you haven't recovered from your previous WOD (workout of the day), you won't be able to reach full intensity in your next one. Look at the Games: a major goal of the competitors is how ...