press

Way back in 2006, physical therapist John Pallof came up with what is known as the Pallof press. This move dynamically trains anti-rotation, anti-low back extension, and posterior pelvic tilt. Not everyone is onboard with the benefits of the Pallof, but sometimes people miss the subtleties of...

There is no doubting most gymgoers’ attraction to the barbell bench press. It is part of the Big 3 lifts for a reason: The barbell bench press, with its stability and relatively fixed range of motion, allows the lifter to move the most weight possible. But through injury or range of motion...

If you do the six major compound movements – the squat, hip hinge, vertical press, vertical pull, horizontal press, and horizontal pull – you're bound to see success. These are the movement patterns every complete workout program contains. Problem is, not every variation is best for everybody...

A FEW FORMALITIES Before we dive right in, there are some important things to consider prior to using this: This is in no way scientific. It's observational. Everyone is different (age, experience, sex, injury history, training style, build, etc.). Therefore, this won't be exact, and that's...

BRING BACK THE BENCH, MINUS THE SHOULDER PAIN Since many lifters focus on mirror movements like presses and curls, a cumulative stress cycle through the shoulders usually results in overuse, pain, and injuries. Front-side shoulder pain is common. But the last thing many diehard lifters are...

The angled deadlift is for intermediate to advanced lifters who have enough experience with the basic pulling and pressing exercises that they're ready for a new challenge. This exercise hits the posterior-chain muscles you'd use in a traditional deadlift, along with the shoulder and arm...

The barbell bench and overhead press are the gold standards for pressing strength and adding size, but when it comes to unilateral training, a necessary but sometimes undertilized training method, the barbell may not be the most ideal option and that’s where the unilateral dumbbell floor press...

The strict barbell overhead press is the gold standard for pressing. The bench press is excellent and gets a lot of attention, but you are stronger in the horizontal plane and have the bench’s stability helping. With the overhead press, it’s two hands on the barbell and two feet on the ground...

Save Time, Build Muscle Build Size and Strength Without the Time Suck Building size and strength isn’t something you can rush, but certain training tweaks can help you get more done in less time. That’s where compound sets come in. What are they? There are disagreements on what a compound set...

The 5 Worst Exercise Machines and What To Do Instead And What To Do Instead Exercise Machines Don’t (Always) Suck Lifters who begin training with barbells and dumbbells scoff at machine training. And sure, many exercise machines don’t suck. The right ones will overload muscles (not joints)...

A FAT BURNING WORKOUT, NOT MUSCLE BURNING Fat loss is simple, but improving body composition – losing fat while retaining or adding some muscle – is a lot trickier. It requires the use of smart nutrition and the best training methods. A lot of people who focus on "fat loss" think of their...

THE WORST KNEE INJURY IMAGINABLE In 2017, while playing basketball, I experienced one of the worst knee injuries you can get: a bilateral patellar tendon rupture. That's a full separation of the patellar tendon on both knees at the same time. The silver lining has been plenty of insight on what...

My friends, it's time for another quickie. If you read my previous quickie article, then you now know three great techniques for busting those stubborn plateaus. This time, I'm reaching deeper into my big ol' bag of tricks to conjure up three training techniques for stimulating great gains...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... Don't discount the leg press just because it doesn't involve a barbell. Every variation can help grow massive legs. The escalating leg press is one giant set with micro-stops. The banded leg press makes the eccentric or negative phase more challenging. The drop...

We've all heard the warnings about it. They say lifters have gotten their necks crushed by barbells which have slipped right out of their hands during the bench press. Maybe this is why the thumbless or false grip is also known as the "suicide" grip. But in spite of the risks, many of the...

NEW WAYS TO BUILD SHOULDERS It can be tough to build shoulders once you're past the newbie phase. Many lifters are tempted to double down on barbell overhead press or add weight to exercises that are already beating up their joints. Doing more of the same and expecting different results is...

Those who are serious about muscle want bolder delts, and arguably the best exercise to do that is the barbell and dumbbell overhead presses and their variations. These work all three deltoid heads (anterior, lateral, and posterior) for improved size and strength. For those who can do these and...

The bench press. It’s one of the original rite of passage exercises that many lifters spend countless—oftentimes too many—hours toward perfecting. When you’re a beginner, you most likely performed two main exercises—biceps curl and bench press. Then, the love affair begins. The bench press is...

Working out with a single dumbbell may sound foolish, but imagine the following scenarios. You walk into the gym, ready to roll, and it is packed, and most of the equipment is taken. This makes completing your current program an annoying challenge. Or the will to train is strong, but time is...

There’s no question that the basics of strength training work despite what you may see from time to time on the Internet. The barbell is the ultimate tool for strength and muscle and will continue to work for all who take it seriously. Incorporating the Big 3exercises—the barbell squat, bench...