KOA BLOG
TOOLS TO BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE
Stay updated with Jared Kirven's latest insights on science-backed training methodologies, athlethic development and injury resilience.
What Your Tendon Actually Wants
Tendon pain tends to run a cycle. It hurts, so you back off, it settles, so you go back, and then it hurts again, and that loop keeps running because rest brings the pain down without changing capacity. This post covers what a tendon actually is, the continuum tendinopathy moves along, what the research says tendons respond to, and the loading I use at each stage.
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The Gap I See in People Taking GLP-1s
More and more people tell me they just started or have considered taking a GLP-1, and I always ask the same question: has anyone explained the lifestyle changes that should go along with it? Usually the answer is no, and left unmanaged, a real share of what comes off on these medications is muscle, not fat. I get into what some research shows, who needs to pay the closest attention, and how I program training and protein around a GLP-1 so my clients keep their strength while they lose the weight.
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Why “Just Rest It” Is Bad Advice, and What I Do Instead
Rest until it feels better" is advice I hear constantly, and in my experience it's usually the wrong call. Most injuries don't need a shutdown, they need a plan built around smart, dosed loading instead of a total stop. In this post I break down what the research actually says about training through injury, and the exact framework I use to decide what stays in a program and what gets pulled.
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High School Athletes Don’t Eat Enough: 3 Simple Ways to Fix It
High school athletes aren’t underperforming because of bad training. They’re underperforming because they’re under-fueled, and fixing it is a lot simpler than most people think. In most cases, just eating consistently and getting enough quality calories can immediately improve strength, speed, and overall performance.
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Acute to Chronic Workload Ratios: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
Learn how to use the Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR) to manage training loads, prevent injuries, and keep athletes healthy while progressing.
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Why CNS Splits Make the Most Sense for Athletes
Discover why organizing your training around central nervous system demand, rather than just muscle groups, can be a game-changer for athletic performance and recovery.
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Functional vs. Non-Functional Movements: And Why It's Time to Rethink That Mentality
Challenge the traditional concept of 'functional' vs 'non-functional' exercises and discover why a bigger, stronger muscle is a better-functioning muscle, regardless of how it got there.
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Adaptation vs. Preparation
Explore the crucial difference between training for adaptation and training for preparation, and why both are essential for long-term athletic performance.
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