Chalk-dusted hands gripping a barbell at the bottom of a deadlift
Black and white portrait of a competitive athlete mid-lift
Athlete performing a barbell clean in a competition gym

Issue No. 47 · February 2026

Where Serious
Athletes
Read.

Training science dissected. Supplement claims challenged. Athlete profiles that go deeper than the highlight reel. No clickbait. Ever.

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The Science Desk

The research exists. The question is whether anyone in the fitness industry bothers to read it. We do — and we translate it without losing the nuance.

Peer-reviewed · Evidence-first · No supplement sponsors

Athlete performing both barbell squats and rowing in a CrossFit gym setting
Peer Reviewed

Training Science

The Concurrent Training Paradox: Why Cardio Isn't Killing Your Gains

Three meta-analyses, 14 randomized controlled trials, and one uncomfortable truth for the cardio-avoiders: the interference effect is real, but it's been wildly overstated. Here's what the data actually says about programming hybrid fitness.

"The interference effect disappears almost entirely when cardio is programmed more than 6 hours from strength work."

Dr. James Okafor, CSCS

Feb 24, 2026

12 min read
Close-up of supplement powder and measuring scoop on a clean white surface

Nutrition Science

Creatine Loading: The Protocol Nobody Follows (But Should)

The 20g/day loading phase has been gospel for 30 years. New pharmacokinetic data suggests a different approach for athletes already at saturation.

Sarah Chen, RD, CISSN

8 min
Athlete resting on a gym floor between training sessions in dim lighting

Recovery

Sleep Architecture in Elite CrossFit Athletes: A 90-Day Actigraphy Study

We tracked 22 Games-level athletes through a full competition cycle. What we found about REM suppression and performance drop-off will change how coaches program deload weeks.

Marcus Webb, PhD

15 min
Locker Room

Athletes at the highest level aren't just physical specimens. They're systems thinkers. We go inside their programming, their failures, and the research that changed how they train.

Athlete profiles · Coaching conversations · Competition culture

Black and white portrait of a competitive CrossFit athlete in a training facility

Three-Time Regional Champion · Age 31

Tariq Osei

StrengthCompetitionLongevity

At 31, Tariq is defying the conventional CrossFit aging curve. His programming philosophy — built on periodization literature most coaches never read — is producing peak performances six years into his competitive career.

"I stopped chasing numbers on the whiteboard the day I started reading abstracts. The athletes who train smart age better than the ones who train hard."

Tariq Osei, on longevity programming
Full Profile · 18 min readread more →
Sports nutritionist reviewing research at a desk surrounded by athletic performance data

Sports Nutritionist · Olympic Lifting Coach

Dr. Priya Nair

NutritionOlympic LiftingEvidence-Based

Dr. Nair coaches three national-level weightlifters and consults for a D1 program. Her evidence-based supplement protocol has become the quiet standard for serious coaches who are tired of industry noise.

"Every supplement I recommend, I've read the full trial methodology. Not the abstract. The methods section. That's where the marketing falls apart."

Dr. Priya Nair, CISSN, CSCS
Full Profile · 14 min readread more →
The Edit

We test what we write about. Gear gets loaded, supplements get analyzed against the actual trial data, and programming claims get run through 16-week real-world experiments.

Gear reviews · Supplement audits · Programming picks

Editors' Pick
Green powder supplement in a measuring scoop against a clean white background
worth reading

Supplement Audit

AG1 Athletic Greens — The Full Breakdown

A $99/month product with $8 worth of evidence-backed ingredients. We ran the formulation against 47 published trials. Here's what works, what's filler, and what you're actually paying for.

4.1

Evidence Score

Olympic barbell with chrome finish resting on a squat rack in a clean gym

Gear

Rogue Ohio Bar vs. Eleiko Sport Training Bar

Both are exceptional. One is better for your specific use case. We tested knurling depth, whip characteristics, and sleeve spin under competition loads.

Rogue

Editors Pick

Rogue $295 · Eleiko $895

Athlete reviewing a training log notebook with a barbell visible in the background
data inside

Programming

Wendler 5/3/1 for CrossFit: A 16-Week Log

We embedded a certified coach into a 5/3/1 experiment for four months. The strength numbers tell one story. The metcon performance tells another, more complicated one.

16

Weeks Tested

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