Immediate Home Field Advantage: A Strong Confident Mind

Immediate Home Field Advantage: A Strong Confident Mind

As athletes, we spend a good amount of time in the weight room, working on our physical strength. But how much do we work on our mental strength? The most successful athletes know just how important mental qualities like confidence and perseverance are for competition—do you? Trey McCalla, M.A. Sport Psychology and CC-AASP, explains why a strong mind is crucial for performance—and how to train for it.

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Mastering the Basics

Mastering the Basics

Athletes are competitive people, and often too eager to jump to the hardest lifts, at the heaviest loads, at the hugest volumes—but progressing too quickly can get you into serious trouble. Before you can flip 1000-lb tires like J.J. Watt, you have to first master the bodyweight squat. And I’m talking master—because if you don’t have a black belt in “the basics” of strength training, then you better put down that tire.

 

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Fit vs. Skinny

Fit vs. Skinny

You've seen the t-shirts, right? "Strong is the new Skinny!" "Healthy is the new Skinny!" "Fit is the new Skinny!" At first glance, this seems like a really great trend. Emphasizing the function of your body over its appearance? I am ALL ABOUT that! Positivity trumping negativity? That’s my MIDDLE NAME! But on second thought, this “_____ is the new Skinny!” deal may not be the best thing for us, after all. In fact, I believe that this Fit vs. Skinny dichotomy is borderline harmful—especially to female athletes.

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Butt Talk with Christye

Butt Talk with Christye

All my clients know I'm obsessed with their butts. Not like THAT, but in a (totally normal) clinical focus on the function of their gluteals. My signature catchphrase in the gym is, "SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT!" or "STICK YOUR BUTT OUT!" or basically anything else involving butts. But I've got a good reason to be obsessed with butts! Your butt muscles are not only SUPER IMPORTANT for your performance as an athlete, but also your ability to function as a human. The buttocks, as we know them, are made up of three different glute muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and the gluteus medius. The glamorous glute max gets a lot of attention (and songs written about it), probably since it's the largest muscle in the entire body, but the glute med often sneaks under the radar -- and I'm here to change that.

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