strength

Strength is a seductive temptress and I have no shame in proclaiming my love for her. But like anything in life that gets your juices flowing, to truly understand strength you must consider both the stuff you like and the stuff you don't like. Here are 6 very interesting things about strength...

When you hear the term "ego lifting" you probably think of one-fourth squats, curls that use everything but biceps, and bench presses that double as the spotter's deadlift workout. As a T Nation reader, you know better. However, you can easily fall prey to a more subtle version of ego lifting...

Nothin' but the Truth! During your time in the gym, you've probably noticed that the same training questions are discussed amongst athletes and fitness buffs day in and day out. You know the questions I'm talking about: "What exercises will shape and tone my muscles because I don't want to get...

There are volume proponents and intensity proponents in the strength world. The Volume proponents argue that doing multiple sets is the optimal way to train, while the intensity guys insist that one set taken to the limit is more than enough. The fact is, both philosophies will build muscle and...

WHAT'S THE BEST NUMBER OF SETS FOR STRENGTH? I watch the way people in the gym lift. In a lot of ways, I'm like a gym version of Jane Goodall or the late Dian Fossey. They watch(ed) primates, I watch primates. They observed primates picking ticks off each other, I observed primates picking tics...

You hear a lot of "rules" about exercise programming. Problem is, many of them aren't rules at all; they're just myths and misconceptions. Here are the top five: 1. A Good Program is a Balanced Program It's sounds sensible, but it's actually not true. A good workout plan isn't about balance...

WHAT'S THE BEST NUMBER OF SETS FOR STRENGTH? I watch the way people in the gym lift. In a lot of ways, I'm like a gym version of Jane Goodall or the late Dian Fossey. They watch(ed) primates, I watch primates. They observed primates picking ticks off each other, I observed primates picking tics...

Love it or not, squatting is an effective way to build muscle and strength, and it’s a non-negotiable part of any serious workout routine. One squat variation that’s worth your attention is the single leg box squat. Overall box squat variations are fantastic for many reasons, but the three main...

Are you training for bodybuilding purposes or for powerlifting purposes? Knowing the answer will make a world of difference in how you squat. Or at least it ought to. Here are the foundational differences between squatting for powerlifting purposes (increasing your 1 RMa) and squatting for...

Experience and education are both important for lifting. But if you're a stubborn asshole, neither will make a big enough difference to help you progress. Ego and personal biases are man's biggest enemies when it comes to training. It's possible to overcome them, but a lot of guys would rather...

THE SKINNY FAT EPIDEMIC There's endless information on how scrawny people can build muscle and even more information on how chubby people can lose fat. But what if you're struggling with both? Lacking muscle and carrying excess adipose tissue makes a person skinny fat, and it's an epidemic...

The year was 1966, and after effortlessly defeating Helmut Riedmeier to gain the title "The Best Built Man in Europe," 19-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger was anticipating yet another bodybuilding victory at the NABBA Mr. Universe Pageant. Upon his arrival in London, the massive youth was swarmed...

You know what is not the only thing that will give you wings, so will lat pulldowns. Here, we are diving into the ten best lat pulldown variations to add muscle and strength to this visually appealing muscle. Whether you’re a gym newbie or a seasoned lifter, these variations target your...

POMEGRANATE AIDS THE PROSTATE AND INCREASES MUSCLE STRENGTH Punicalagin is a type of polyphenol found in pomegranate and pomegranate juice. You might not have heard of it before, but punicalagin supports the male urinary tract and reproductive system in the following ways: Promotes healthy...

You’ve probably witnessed it at the gym: someone pushing or pulling a sled, often called a prowler, up and down the floor until they collapse in a heap. If you’re unlucky, you might see someone suffer from the infamous “prowler flu, and nobody wants to clean that up. But have you heard of the...

The debate around meal timing for making gains in the gym has been raging for eons, and many people choose to chug down a protein shake following a workout to get those all-important nutrients into their system as fast as possible, but another school of thought believes that as long as you eat...

With a myriad of machines and exercise devices to choose from, those odd-shaped kettlebells in the corner of the gym may yet to have peaked your attention, but a recent review of scientific studies has confirmed the benefits of kettlebell training, to get your sweat on, could be a superior...

If time weren’t an issue and you had all the time in the world to workout, then being ripped would be easy, correct? But we don’t live in an ideal world where we have all the time to do what we want. The other side of the coin is that putting off your workout or taking as long as you want would...

Numerous exercises claim to improve core strength, often dominating social media, each asserting to be the ultimate solution for core gains. While some of these claims may be true, others are not. However, the Ab Rollout, a tried and tested exercise, stands out for its proven effectiveness...

In Olympic Weightlifting competitions, the snatch is the first lift contested. Plain and simple, it’s described as one movement to move the bar from the floor to overhead. It’s a feat of power, strength, stability, and mobility. It takes time and dedication to enhance all of these qualities that...