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    Blog Posts by Breaking Muscle

    • Why Baby Food is a Great After Workout Snack for You, Baby

      By Breaking Muscle | Healthy Living – Sun, Sep 9, 2012 5:51 PM EDT

      by Stephanie Greunke

      With the endless list of post-workout nutrition options out there, who would think to look in the baby food aisle? Turns out those little jars of fruits and vegetables aren't just for diaper-clad babies in high chairs. If you've witnessed a shredded bodybuilder downing Gerbers after a workout, you know it's a funny sight. So why turn to Stage 1 purees to recharge? There are a few reasons.

      1. Nutrient Profile : Just like real food combinations, baby food combinations can provide a good balance of the three macronutrients: carbs, fat, and protein. Although your body's post-workout (PWO) needs vary based on the type and intensity of exercise you do, PWO nutrition pretty much boils down to the right balance of carbohydrates and protein. So how much of each of those nutrients is in a typical jar of baby food? Let's look at the nutrition facts for three varieties of baby food, paying special attention to their carb/protein profile:

      Earth's Best Apples

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    • Best Female Athletes? Hint: They Smack Balls

      By Breaking Muscle | Healthy Living – Sun, Sep 9, 2012 5:31 PM EDT

      By Mindith Rahmat

      I went to a private all-girls high school where softball and volleyball players were the elite athletes. Although other sports were also popular, the volleyball and softball players were usually the ones receiving scholarships and setting records. They were the crème de la crème. Many of them went on to play at the collegiate level, and I know a few who went even further.

      Today, women's sports at the college level are more popular than ever, and softball and volleyball remain among the most popular of them. According to "Women in Collegiate Sport," a long-term study conducted by Professors Acosta and Carpenter of Brooklyn College, volleyball and softball rank second and fifth in the top 5 list of women's varsity sports, respectively. Though gender roles are always debatable, there's just something about these two sports that seems to draw the best of the best female athletes.

      In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning

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    • How a 300-year-old Russian ‘Kettlebell’ Helped Her Overcome a Chronic Back Problem

      By Breaking Muscle | Healthy Living – Sun, Sep 9, 2012 4:39 PM EDT

      By Andrew Read

      Like many women, Rebecca gained weight during pregnancy. As a new mother she didn't have time for endless gym workouts. Her problems were compounded by back pain so severe she couldn't even play with her kids anymore. Spinal surgery was starting to look like the only solution. A kettlebell, used to weigh grain in Russia now a strength-training method.

      What made this hard even for me is that I've been Rebecca's friend for more than 20 years. And so I offered to help the only way I know how -- with physical training centered on kettlebell training.

      Kettlebells have been around for more than three hundred years. They're literally a bell shaped hunk of iron, with a round ring atop. The originated in Russia where they were picked up and placed on a scale to weigh crops. More recently, though, they've made their way around the world to become a staple in many training regimens, with celebrities such as Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Lance Armstrong, and Matthew McConaughey using them to get in silver screen shape.

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    • Parenting an Athlete: It’s Life on a Razor’s Edge

      By Breaking Muscle | Parenting – Sun, Sep 9, 2012 4:18 PM EDT

      By Danette "Dizzle" Rivera

      As the parent of two young athletes I often ride a razor's edge. The blade get most dangerously sharp at those moments when I'm trying to figure out when to push them or not. It's a call that complicated enough when you realize they're good at something. When you realize they may be great at it, it feels like juggling knives.

      My oldest daughter Maya became a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo being primed for the national team by her world-class coach. "Olympics some day, Maya!" he yelled during especially grueling workouts. She was twelve. At that age the competition separates girls with natural ability from athletes with life-changing potential. I monitored her closely during the elite training. Was this fun? Is this what she wanted? At the time, it was.

      Kicks to the head in Taekwondo matches are legal during the competitions in which she participated. On a couple occasions, I watched my girl get kicked hard enough to send her to her

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