You may have heard that holding your breath while you lift weights is dangerous. Critics of the Valsalva maneuver—the technical definition for holding your breath while lifting weights—say it increases your risk of fainting, aneurysm, stroke, and blood vessel damage, and that there’s no evidence that it helps you lift more weight. This is why…

Here’s Why You Should Start Rucking (Especially If You Hate Cardio) – Legion Athletics 0 Home / Blog / Podcast / Here’s Why You Should Start Rucking (Especially If You Hate Cardio) Written by Michael Matthews Evidence Based  Put some weight in a backpack. Put on the backpack. Walk.  That’s rucking in a nutshell.  While…

Full-body workouts at home have a number of benefits:  They allow you to train every major muscle group several times per week They tend to be less fatiguing than body-part splits (where you do multiple exercises for a single muscle group, like your chest). They’re a fun way to break up the monotony of training…

How Alison Used Thinner Leaner Stronger to Lose 30 Pounds and 9.4% Body Fat – Legion Athletics 0 Written by Michael Matthews “I have more energy and I am so dedicated to the workouts and nutrition” How many months’ progress do your pictures represent? What were your stats for each picture? Week 8 (31.9% body…

Q&A: Mouthguards, Compression Clothing, and Skipping Breakfast – Legion Athletics 0 Home / Blog / Podcast / Q&A: Mouthguards, Compression Clothing, and Skipping Breakfast Written by Michael Matthews   I’ve churned through over 150,000 emails, social media comments and messages, and blog comments in the last 6 years. And that means I’ve fielded a ton…

Building your own home gym is more convenient, time efficient, and (potentially) cheaper than going to a commercial gym. That said, building a home gym can also be a confusing, expensive ordeal if you don’t know what to buy. You can easily spend north of $10,000 on equipment you don’t need or, more likely, make…

Iodine is an essential mineral that has myriad effects in the body, primarily by supporting the health of your thyroid gland. Specifically, it helps your body produce optimal levels of thyroid hormones, which have a significant impact on your health, body composition, and mood.  While iodine deficiency isn’t common nowadays, it still occurs. And when…

Sam Visnic on Mobility and Massage For Happier Joints and Muscles – Legion Athletics 0 Home / Blog / Podcast / Sam Visnic on Mobility and Massage For Happier Joints and Muscles Written by Michael Matthews   “Hey bro, we’ve been stretching for an hour, can we start lifting now?” “Yeah right! We’ve only stretched…

Put some weight in a backpack. Put on the backpack. Walk.  That’s rucking in a nutshell.  While rucking is simple, it’s also one of the most underrated kinds of cardio you can do: It burns a boatload of calories It boosts your cardiovascular fitness It’s easy to recover from It’s versatile (you can do it…

The story of the bench press starts in 1899 with a strongman and wrestler named George Hackenschmidt. Also known as “The Russian Lion,” Hackenschmidt was known for inventing new exercises to help him prepare for wrestling matches. One such exercise involved getting into a position known as the “wrestler’s bridge,” then gripping a barbell and…