squats

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...

Enough about the "Big 3" already. As a non-powerlifter and someone who trains non-powerlifters, I get annoyed with the powerlifting mentality that often seeps into the rest of the strength training world that places the bench press, squat, and deadlift on top of the exercise hierarchy as primary...

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...

THE TALE OF TWO PAULS I've competed in both powerlifting and bodybuilding, and each endeavor taught me a lot about the other. One thing that Powerlifting Paul learned from Bodybuilding Paul was how important it is to train muscles and not just movements. That was a huge lesson. Once I left...

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...

FOR ABS, SQUATS AND DEADLIFTS SUCK A few studies have taken the position that multi-joint, free-weight exercises such as barbell squats and deadlifts activate "core" muscles better than isolation core exercises. These studies have led many trainers, coaches and exercise enthusiasts to...

CHANGE, DUMB COMMENTS, AND MACHO CRAP Insanity is often defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In the field of strength development, this concept applies directly to exercise selection. In order to prevent injuries we need to be able to change. We...

We’ve all had those off days. You look at your workout routine and barbell back squats are on the menu. Normally you can’t get enough of leg day, but on this particular workout day, you’re feeling a tweak your shoulder or knee after the previous night’s pick-up basketball game; now back squats...

One of the most overlooked muscle groups in a beginning bodybuilders' training program is legs. They aren't as impressive as the chest and arms, so novices often make the same error and skip exercising them. However, this is a mistake because they don't realize the overall high development...

ollowed squats with 5x5 Slant Board Goblet Squats. These are a perfect complement due to the ability to work your VMO and obtain extreme ROM to target the quads for Hypertrophy. YOU SHOULD DO THESE! They also work the core insanely well. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2vmXyjJpK4

Here are 3 simple tips to building lean muscle. You guys in here probably know this stuff already but a few noob bodybuilders might find them helpful. :) Build Lean Ripped Muscle - 3 Key Tips By John Worthington Despite what the adverts in fitness magazines, building muscle is not the easiest...

Whenever you perform a workout, you’re exposing your body to a challenge- a form of stress. In order to describe and quantify the character and extent of that stress, we use the phrase “loading parameters.” Generally these parameters refer to the load used, the number of sets and reps performed...

You may have heard through the Bodybuilding circles that basic, heavy, free weight exercises increase overall body mass. Perhaps you have heard movements like squats; deadlifts, bench presses etc… induce endogenous hormone production, leading to acute increases in lactate, growth hormone (GH)...

Back squats may the king of all leg exercises, but front squats and deadlifts are certainly legday royalty as well. To improve your front and back squat you need to do it more and intelligently program squat accessory exercises to strengthen all parts of the movement and improve technique...

Maximize your leg size and strength, improve your lift form and work to stave off common injuries with these 20 barbell squat tips. When I first began toying with the barbell squat way back in 1986 I knew nothing about the lift. Bodybuilding magazines featured pictures of Tom Platz squatting...

You’ve probably heard of the squats and milk program. It's been around for over 50 years, and is a very effective approach to packing on muscle mass. On squats and milk, you train 3 times a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – performing a 20-rep squat set, immediately followed by a light...

These 2 quad exercises aren't commonly performed. But for those who choose to learn about them and train them - they reap the reward of massive quads. Most of the "build big quads" workouts I see online are pure fake hustle. They mainly revolve around some combination of these weak movements...

We all know what drop sets are, but do you know what a mechanical drop set is? Find out how to use this technique to build both muscle and strength. Everybody on this site has heard of drop sets, I assume. If not, better break out that copy the "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" by a certain...

For truly massive quads, you've got to hit them hard in the gym. Try these 4 training tricks to start packing on more size and strength! Have you ever noticed how everything we do is in front of our bodies? The anterior muscles like the pecs, front deltoids, abdominals, hip flexors, and quads...

Long before Dan John invented the Goblet squat, there was another anterior-loaded squat being performed called the Zercher squat. Zercher squats were the brainchild of 1930s St. Louis strongman Ed Zercher, who according to training lore, didn’t have a squat rack where he trained. Instead, he...