squat

The squat is one of the most effective exercises as developing size and strength for the lower body. It’s also one of the most dangerous exercises that can be performed when it’s done incorrectly or if you don’t have a spotter. If you are coming out of the hole and get stuck without reliable...

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...

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...

After years in the iron game, PRs get harder to hit. There comes a point where you can't just go to the gym each day and pull a new personal best out of your butt. If you're an advanced lifter you'll need a better strategy and maybe a "trick" or two to continue to up your poundages. If you're...

Barbell back squats are arguably the king of all leg exercises, with the barbell front squat close behind. Back squats are part of the powerlifting big 3, but the front squat and the various front squat variations, although less load, is used because of the reduced stability; they have better...

Working out from home? Experiment with ways to mimic the angles and positions you normally get at the gym but using the equipment you have available. "But I don't have a lot of equipment or heavy weights!" It can still be done. In fact, let's eliminate ALL excuses and pretend like you only...

The squat-stance deadlift combines the best elements of conventional and sumo. It basically has no sticking point. Unlike the other two styles of deadlift, it has even tension throughout. This deadlift style has incredible transfer– squat to deadlift and deadlift to squat. Each time you train...

It's time to ditch the squat rack. If you want strength and size gains, picking stuff up from the floor is the way to go. You'll develop bigger lats, arms, abs, glutes, and legs in the process. That's what the Cronus squat – named after the king of the Titans – is all about. Think of a Zercher...

WHICH ONE IS BETTER? For over a decade now, fitness pros have been arguing about unilateral and bilateral training. As a fresher, unilateral means "one side" or "one limb." Think of a one-arm dumbbell bench press. Bilateral means using both arms or both legs, like a standard barbell bench press...

With all the cool shiny gym “toys,” it is easy for you to get sucked into needing to use them all to get a great full-body workout. In reality, you don’t need much space, a lot of time, or multiple pieces of equipment to get a great training. Just take this full body landmine workout for...

Adding in a calf raise after every squat rep is a small tweak that can make a big change to the intensity of your squat workouts through more lower-body muscle involvement. COACHING TIPS Squats work great "as is," which is why we don't always add in the extra calf raise. But we do like to...

BIG UPS I get asked a lot of questions from trainees. Here are the four most frequent: How can I improve my bench? How can I lose fat while gaining muscle? How can I improve my vertical jump? Coach, why does it burn when I pee? Okay, I'm kidding about that last one, but the first few really...

Squats are vital for building tree-trunk legs. But if you want to develop the most impressive quads possible, you'd better start rethinking your definition of squats. The classic versions (back and front squats) fail to effectively hit all the muscles that make up the quadriceps. That's where a...

Research on split squats and lunges shows that an upright torso position – where the shoulders are above the hip – is more quad-dominant than a more forward leaning torso position – where the shoulders are more above the leading foot. This is relevant because a Smith machine squat involves the...

SQUATS AND SHOULDER PAIN The squat is a staple. It's foundational to many other lifts. If you've experienced any increased shoulder pain from doing it, you're already be aware that squatting and shoulder health are related in some way. How exactly are they connected? And how can we fix what's...

It's not every day you see tree-trunk legs on a guy who's over 6'2". The truth is, it's difficult to build enough mass to disperse over such a long body. A tall guy can spend years developing himself and he'll often pale in comparison to a shorter, more compact lifter who's done the same thing...

Functional Exercises for Legs and Glutes What does it mean to have strong legs and glutes? Well, it involves more than just being able to move a lot of weight. Real-world strength and resiliency are about being stable under load and having the capacity to move big weights outside the typical...

In this article, we'll show you the benefits of kettlebell workouts and the best kettlebell exercises to try. 4 Benefits of Kettlebell Workouts Kettlebell training helps improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination. It’s also great for targeting your core muscles, especially...

Visually, the squat pattern is simple. However, neuromuscularly and biomechanically it's actually very complex. It requires a number of precisely executed components to lock the movement in. Some of these include: Set the hips back without bending over. Spread the knees apart but not...

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...