lower

Q: When I bench-press, I lower the bar to a point near my collarbones. I feel more stretch in my pecs that way, but I keep having problems with my shoulders, and my bench press never seems to progress. What am I doing wrong? A: Your bench-pressing technique is distorted. Done correctly, the...

by Andreas Abelsson Your lower back takes center stage in almost everything you do. Think of it as the command center for power and movement. From running to jumping, lifting to twisting, a strong lower back helps you perform these actions safely and with as much power as possible. This article...

You may know that strength training is a great workout for your muscles and bones, but did you know it can also boost running performance? Whether you use free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, or your body weight, resistance training creates strong, powerful muscles capable of...

The hack squat is a lower-body exercise involving a hack squat machine. It’s a go-to exercise for many gym-goers because it trains your entire lower body without stressing your knees and back as much as other free-weight squatting exercises. What’s more, it helps you develop lower-body...

FAQ #1: Stiff legged deadlift vs. Romanian deadlift: What’s the difference? The stiff-leg deadlift closely resembles the Romanian deadlift, the difference being the bar starts and finishes each rep on the floor and your legs remain straighter in the stiff leg deadlift vs. the Romanian deadlift...

Deadlift vs. Romanian Deadlift: What’s the Difference? There are five main differences between the deadlift and Romanian deadlift: Starting Position The starting positions of the conventional and Romanian deadlifts differ significantly. The deadlift begins with the bar on the floor, while the...

How to Do the Landmine Squat for Stronger Legs The landmine squat is a unique exercise that builds serious strength in your legs while protecting your lower back. By changing the path of the resistance it allows you to squat deeper than a traditional back squat. Set Up the Landmine Squat Load...

Split Squat: Benefits 1. It trains your entire lower body. The split squat trains your entire lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. It also mimics movements we make in everyday life (e.g., climbing stairs, stepping over objects, and running). Hence, the split squat...

A Simple Tip for Olympic Weightlifting Training Robert A. Panariello MS, PT, ATC, CSCS Professional Physical Therapy Professional Athletic Performance Center New York, New York When instructing the non-Olympic Weightlifting athlete who has never performed Olympic Style Weightlifting (OSW)...

Have you seen those “runners” who run on the side of the road, who seem to run solely to lose weight? The pained expression on their face as they struggle with every step because they believe that running is the best way to lose weight. This article is not for them, but if you’re serious about...

How to Fix Lower Back Pain First and foremost, your lower back pain could be caused by any number of issues including – but not limited to – the issues you mentioned. If I had to guess, though, I’d assume your back pain stems from a combination of: Insufficient hip mobility Weak posterior...

Unilateral rows are the bomb because they strengthen imbalances between sides, which leads to better muscle development and stronger bilateral rows. But as the dumbbells get larger and more awkward, progressing becomes more challenging. Enter the Meadows Row, the brainchild of the late John...

Many exercises strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back as a unit, but one exercise often gets overlooked: the glutestring ham raise. The beauty of the glute hamstring raise, aka glute ham raise or GHR, lies in isometric glute contraction and the controlled eccentric muscle...

Don't have access to your favorite upper body gym machines but still want to hit your favorite upper body workout? Check out these band, barbell, and dumbbell alternatives! Getting the motivation to train at home can be tricky. You’re not at the gym surrounded by other people training with the...

We've always preferred to read books written by (or about) strongmen and weightlifters from the early 1900s to the '60s. Back then, they didn't have the Internet or any pre-formed lifting dogma; everybody who trained with weights was basically left to themselves. They found out what worked and...

GROWN MEN DON'T NEED BRO SPLITS You're not 15 anymore. The traditional bro split where you train one body part each workout (usually 5 workouts a week) isn't efficient or effective, especially for an adult with a job who actually communicates with real-live women in their non-pixilated form...

Sometimes we get too comfortable with our regular gym routine, and that includes our gym. One of the biggest drawbacks of being away from your go-to gym is our dependency on more fancy equipment. You don’t have to worry about being creative because of your access to all the gym toys. However...

Squats are your training program's foundation, but are you doing them right? Tour any commercial gym. You'll see shallow, knee-caving pseudo-squats. Hint: That's not how to squat. To optimize muscle growth and allow a lifetime of injury-free training, you may need a few tweaks to your squat...

The GHR: Everything You Need to Know Best Hamstring Exercise? The GHR You’re probably not doing the single most important exercise for building and strengthening the hamstrings: the glute-ham raise. Most people skip it because they just don’t know how to set it up and perform it properly...

I'm trying to figure out why some people still aren't taking curcumin. The only reasons I can come up with are that maybe their testosterone levels and sperm quality are irreproachable and they don't need any help modulating their estrogen receptors, thank you. It could also be that that their...