strength

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...

Walk into any gym, and you’ll undoubtedly see two types of training being performed isotonic exercises and isometric exercises. Isotonic training include classic lifts that are more commonly performed, with a concentric or “lifting” phase, and an eccentric or “lowering” phase to every rep. For...

The pushup is a strength training staple renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness. But what if you could simultaneously elevate the traditional pushup to target more muscle while improving your strength and mobility? Enter the yoga pushup, an exercise that combines the conventional pushup...

Poor posture isn’t a big deal until it is. Many strength and conditioning experts, who are much more knowledgeable than me, will tell you that poor posture is NOT a big deal, and they’re probably correct. But believe me performing exercises to improve your posture is one of those low-hanging...

Kettlebell training dates all the way back to 18th century Russia, however it still feels like yesterday that you’d be fortunate enough to find a decent set of bells at your neighborhood fitness club. That’s starting to change as kettlebells continue to increase in popularity among mainstream...

Some exercises never get easier no matter how often you do them, and exhibit A is the single-leg deadlift. The balance demands and tension on one leg make this challenging for all lifters the same goes for its variations such as the rack single-leg deadlift. There are various methods to make...

While many of us are laser focused on our workouts, only a minority of gym goers ever take the time take a close look at the equipment that is changing their lives. Former bodybuilder Steven Rinaldi, however, is an exercise innovator, the man behind the muscle, and the brains behind Primal; a...