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Illustrated headshot of Beth Skwarecki

Beth Skwarecki

Senior Health Editor

Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor and has been writing about health, fitness, and science here since 2015. Beth was the recipient of the 2017 Carnegie Science Award in science communication, and has written two books: Outbreak! 50 Tales of Epidemics That Terrorized the World (2016) and Genetics 101: From Chromosomes and the Double Helix to Cloning and DNA Tests, Everything You Need to Know About Genes (2018). She has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has worked as a bioinformatics analyst, and has taught college-level courses in biology, environmental science, and nutrition.

Beth is also certified as a personal trainer and coach, with qualifications as an ACE-CPT, IKO kettlebell instructor, and USA Weightlifting Level 2 coach. She has competed in powerlifting, weightlifting, strongwoman, kettlebell sport, grip sport, and odd lift competitions (USAWA). Olympic weightlifting is her current focus. Her best front squat is 101 kilograms, and the lift she’s most proud of is a 510 pound Dinnie deadlift. Beth has also run races ranging from a 2K to a marathon. Beth has a 100% win rate in Wordle and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

MORE BY Beth

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Why You Should Keep a Paper Training Journal (and How to Set One Up)
 
yogi stretching her ankles in a squat
The Best Calf and Ankle Stretches to Help You Squat
 
Garmin screenshots: the workout as I set it up, my pace and heart rate graphs, my split times. (Numbers are repeated and discussed in text of article)
I Tried the ‘Sugarcane’ Workout, and Now I Understand Why Nobody Does It
 
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How Fitbit’s Readiness Score Works (and Whether You Should Pay Attention to It)
 
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How to Make Google Show You the Good Search Results Again
 
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Why It Matters If You Have ‘Dense’ Breast Tissue
 
pistol squat
Why Pistol Squats Are So Hard (and How to Do Them Anyway)
 
screenshots of strava's analysis and mapping tools
Despite Its Drawbacks, Strava Is Still the Best Running App
 
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The Pixel Watch 3 Is Great for Casual Fitness Tracking
 
three barbells next to each other, showing the rings
Why You Should Pay Attention to the Smooth Rings on a Barbell
 
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How to do a Norwegian 4x4 Workout (and Whether It's Worth the Hype)
 
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How to Get Fit Without Spending a Ton of Money
 
screenshots of Fitbit app showing zone settings and zone minutes
What Are ‘Zone Minutes,’ and Why Does Fitbit Sometimes Double Them?
 
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If Your Sewing Machine Isn't Working, Check These Common Issues
 
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How to Strength Train Faster, According to Science