When designing programs for the general fitness athlete—especially those who attend group classes consistently—it’s essential to critically examine not just how but why you structure your programming the way you do. On the surface, it might seem straightforward: write...

In strength training, most of us default to the classics—squats, deadlifts, bench press—big bilateral lifts that hit multiple muscle groups and move serious weight. And for good reason: they’re incredibly effective for developing overall strength. But if your goal is...

Our brain is a marvel — a sprawling network of roughly 86 billion neurons firing off messages, emotions, and thoughts at lightning speed. Much of this activity happens below the surface, automatically, as a way to conserve energy for more demanding decisions and...

As Memorial Day nears and the echoes of “Murph” begin to ripple through the gym, a common question arises: “Why are we doing this?” The answer is deeply personal. For some, it’s in memory of a loved one who served. For others, it’s the physical challenge—1 mile run,...

At Black Flag Athletics—and honestly, at any gym that cares about helping people train smarter—you’ll probably hear coaches mention the nervous system from time to time. Maybe it’s something like, “That’ll light up your CNS,” or “This workout is pretty demanding...

In today’s training world, we’ve got gadgets and gear for just about everything—knee sleeves, wrist wraps, toe spacers, minimalist shoes, special mouthpieces—you name it. But ironically, the one piece of equipment that gets abused the most is also one of the most...