lower

“I’ve got a monster of a lower-back stretch for you,” says Dr. Mike Wasilisin, founder of MOVEU. “It is stretching your quadratus lumborum.” What is a quadratus lumborum, you ask? You probably know it as your QL, or the deepest of all the back muscles. Located on both sides of your spine, it...

Creatine Grows Some Body Parts Faster Amazingly, creatine works better for certain muscles than it does for others. Take a look at this new science. Creatine may be an outlier, though. Not only has it been shown in previous studies to increase upper body strength more than lower body strength...

The strength of the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings form the foundation of lower body movement. These muscles as a unit allow you to run, jump, hinge, and squat like a rockstar. There are plenty of great exercises, like the reverse hyperextension, that train these important muscles but...

The single-arm row is often thought of as the poor cousin of bilateral rows. Then the Meadows row came along. This row variation allows you to go hard and heavy without being inhibited by big and bulky dumbbells. The late John Meadows, a former IFBB bodybuilder and head coach of Mountain Dog...

With an increasing range of fancy workout machines crowding gym floors, it’s easy to assume that there are more mass building options than ever. Workout machines, various cables, and gimmicky training devices can be fun to use. However, nothing beats gutting it out under the unforgiving weight...

When it comes to lower body exercises, which one is the GOAT? Is it the squat? Barbell squats have been used by lifters for generations to build legs that look like tree trunks and perform like a high-performance machine. Is it the deadlift? Conventional deadlifts are not a pure lower body...

In 2006, ophysical therapist John Pallof showed Eric Cressey and Tony Gentilcore the belly press (now the Pallof Press) when they were both getting Cressey Performance off the ground. And just like that, the Pallof press as you know it was born. The Pallof press, no matter the variation, trains...

The back squat is readily viewed as one of the most simplistic and traditional exercises taught by many strength coaches to new, able bodied clients. The truth is, it’s a bit more complex an animal than people give it credit for. Some lifters may not be able to back squat properly due to their...

One of the more popular “tools” for bodybuilders looking to achieve that peak condition for a contest is that of carbohydrate cycling. While calorie control is the first priority when it comes to your diet, macronutrient manipulation (e.g. carb cycling) is sort of the “next level” when looking...

Outside of the barbell, med balls are one of the best tools to improve power. And one of the most popular med ball exercises to improve power is the med ball rotational throw. Rotational power is key for sports like baseball, golf, and tennis as you must hit or throw a ball powerfully. Plus...

No matter what your gym or athletic goals are, squats and deadlifts oftentimes play a major role in getting stronger, being more powerful, and getting bigger. These core exercises form the basis of almost every lower-body movement. There’s a school of thought that performing hard and heavy...

Squats are the king of all bodybuilding exercises. They build up overall strength and are done by people training at all different levels for all types of goals. When you reach ‘Leg Day,’ it is a given that you will begin with a good number of sets of squats. But is it possible to get the same...

Power Up With Plyometric Training By Andy G Improve conditioning, increase muscle development and propel your physique to new heights! While these moves may seem better suited for the playground, they're actually beneficial to those of us a few years beyond playtime. These explosive...

Thirty minutes may not seem like much time for a lower-body HIIT workout, but if you’re working out with celebrity trainer Erik Bartell, it can be very productive. The military veteran has been making people work hard and see results with his clients as well as followers of the M&F Instagram...

There’s plenty of emphasis from health and fitness professionals on how excess weight affects the body — not just related to appearance, but also in terms of insulin resistance, cardiovascular effects, bone and joint health, cancer risk, metabolic syndrome and other issues — but weight can also...

Triglycerides and cholesterol levels are often measured and reported together in a lipid profile when you visit your doctor. But they’re actually quite different. Triglycerides are a form of fat — the most common one found in the body. Excess calories from the diet are packaged as triglycerides...

If you could use a new core and lower body workout routine and partner to help you get ready for summer, look no further than Erik Bartell. The celebrity trainer has helped numerous people blast fat, build muscle, and get into their best shape. His mission is to help redefine what a “dad bod”...

Go into almost any gym and you’ll see people doing exercises like sit-ups and leg raises. They believe these are the best exercise for abs. But they’re not — it’s crunch exercises. Here’s an experiment. Stand up and hold onto something for balance. Put your other hand on your abs. Now, raise...

If you’re a regular reader of this site, then you probably get more than enough protein in your diet — which is great. High protein intake is essential not only for those who want bigger muscles or a leaner physique, but anyone who’s looking to live a healthier life. But odds are you’re...

One of the easiest body parts to injure is most certainly the lower back, or lumbar back. The word lumbar is derived from the latin word lumbus, meaning lion, which is fitting considering that many weight lifters get injured while performing their lower back workout, trying to unleash their...