I am a fitness and nutrition geek. I know, I’m stating the obvious. Part of being a geek means reading. And in the internet age, that reading includes blogs. There is a plethora of blog articles about fitness and nutrition on the interwebs. Maybe more.? Some of them are horrific, many are just fine, and some are truly outstanding.? I have read my share from all categories.

I recently noticed that I tend to refer to the same articles over and over again, in articles, emails, and on forum posts. Clearly these are the ones that I deem outstanding. Each time I go to refer to them, I have to dig a bit to find it. If only there was some way to mark websites of interest, like in a book…It then occurred to me that others might like to have easy access to these outstanding articles, and so I decided to create my all time top 10 list of great blog articles. But why do a top 10 when you can do a top 11?

(I know, I’ve used that video clip in a blog article before. What can I say? Awesomeness deserves to be repeated).

Back to the article and without further ado, here are my favourite training and nutrition articles from the internet, sorted by author’s last name:

1. The Science of Nutrient Timing by John Berardi. This is an article that I’ve sent?more times than I can count. I like it for many reasons, but primarily because it makes sense. It’s actually in two-parts. Give it a read if you are a nutrition nerd or are wondering what you need to do to shed a few pounds. If this speaks to you and you are looking to lose some weight, consider picking up John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition, which I believe is the best nutrition guidance out there.
• Part 1
• Part 2

 

2. Does it hurt by Michael Boyle. This article is brilliant in its simplicity, yet somehow the concept is very hard for some people to accept or follow. Anyone who has an injury and plays a sport or trains should read this article often. It is training gospel in my mind. Read it.

 

3. Load vector training by Bret Contreras. This might actually be my favourite article of them all, but I think part of the reason is that it appeals to my inner geek. I mean, it’s about vectors! If you’re even a little bit of a geek, then you owe it to yourself to read this article. And if you’re not, but you are serious about training, then you should also read this article. It’s a different way of looking at and classifying exercise that I think is both brilliant and necessary. Trust me; it’s worth the read.

 

4. The Hierarchy of Fat Loss,by Alwyn Cosgrove. I’ve sent and posted this link innumerable times. It’s that good. What matters most in terms of losing fat? Nope, no sneak preview. It’s too good an article for you to skip it. Read on.

 

5. Shoulder savers by Eric Cressey. Simply put, this is a fantastic article about training in a manner that is safe for your shoulders. If you have shoulder issues, or train anyone who does (translation: if you train people), then you need to read this article. Consider it mandatory reading. And lucky for us, it comes in 3 parts – it’s just that full of great information.
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

 

6. Ladies and Lifting: How Serious Strength Can Build a Sexy Physique by Neghar Fonooni. This one is for all women who want to know whether it is better to use the elliptical for an hour or tone with light weights. Or for women who shyly look into the weight room, wondering if they will get too big if they go in there. If you are a woman who works out, or know a woman who works out, please read this article.

 

7. Personal Training Post Pregnancy Clients: Top 5 Things to Know by Cassandra Forsythe. Cassandra has lots of great articles, but I include this one in the list because it is an important topic that can be puzzling for many women who may not have an informed resource to provide an adequate answer about training post-pregnancy. The article is intended for personal trainers, but is a great resource for those training themselves as well. Did I mention that Cassandra has a PhD in Exercise Science and Nutrition and is a Registered Dietician? Just in case you were wondering if you should take her word for it. You should.

 

8. How to tell if your trainer knows what they’re doing by Molly Galbraith. I love this article, and not just because I pass the test as a good trainer. I love it because there are not-so-great trainers out there, and without extensive knowledge of training, it can be tough to tell the difference. But the difference between good and bad can be the difference between success and injury. In other words, it’s important. If you have a trainer, or are thinking of hiring a trainer, please read this article.

 

9. Goblet squats 101 by Dan John. I had the pleasure of seeing Dan John present last summer at the Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, where he was possibly the best speaker of the 3 day event (maybe tied with Charles Staley). If you’ve been at a Perform Better Summit, then you know that is saying something (If you haven’t then you really should – but then be sure to comment that it would be nice if they had more women speakers). The beauty of Dan’s teachings is its simplicity. This article is a prime example of that. If you teach squats, or have ever had difficulty with squatting, or have ever wondered about your squat form, then read this article.

 

10. Why emotional dieting leads to never-ending dieting by Leigh Peele. I love this article because it focuses on the mental and emotional side of weight loss. We absolutely need to continue the conversation about eating well and exercising as weight loss tools, but there is more to it. Truly. If you’ve struggled with weight loss but are motivated to succeed, then give this a read and hopefully take a new perspective away from it.

 

11. 6 Exercises for low back pain by Elsbeth Vaino. Oh no you didn’t. Oh yes. I did. I included my own article in my top 11 list. Probably I should be more humble, but well, I’m not. And besides, adding this provides an excuse to add the Spinal Tap video to the article. I won’t apologize for that. Truthfully, I believe it’s an important topic, and the advice in it is both simple and sound. Give it a read if this is a topic of interest to you.

There it is. My list. Are any of these on your list of favourites? If so, let me know which one(s). Or have I missed some great ones? Undoubtedly. If you have favourite articles that I missed, please share in the comments section below.

[Updated June 2015 to fix broken links. It’s three years later; but I’m not sure I would change any of the entries on the list. Thoughts?]

Elsbeth Vaino, B.Sc, CSCS is an engineer turned personal trainer in Ottawa.

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