strength

WHY THE LEG PRESS? Before you start droning on about how the leg press doesn't transfer to sports performance and how it doesn't build strength, let's draw some distinctions here. There's a difference between strength and hypertrophy. There are plenty of guys who look perfectly average who can...

1. EARN THE RIGHT TO TRAIN WITH HIGH REPS One of the first things most people learn in the gym is that "low reps, heavy weight" equals strength, and "high reps, light weight" equals definition and cutting. Anyone who reads this website knows that weight training goes way beyond the above...

TIME OFF: PLANNED AND UNPLANNED There are three situations where a serious lifter would take time off from training: A planned deload to help reach peak performance or to recover from overtraining. A short planned break (vacation or trip). An unplanned layoff (sickness or injury). Deloading...

Impressively rounded delts impart a dominant aesthetic. And you only get this look with significant hypertrophy of all parts of the muscle. If your progress has stalled despite progressive overload, consider landmine loading. Why? Because of the semi-constrained bar path, variable resistance...

Are you a person to exercise on vacation? If you are, then this is for you. Summer vacation is a great time to mix up your workouts because you haven’t the gym to fall back on. When time and equipment are limited, it is time to get creative and train with this short sharp high-intensity training...

PLUG YOUR STRENGTH LEAKS Are you aware of the "strength leaks" phenomenon? If not, imagine that your body is a tube and water is being poured into it. The water going in is the force your muscles are producing (e.g., feet pushing on the floor in a squat) and the water coming out is the amount of...

LESS REST FOR SIZE, MORE REST FOR STRENGTH? The advice regarding inter-set rest periods has long been that rest and intensity are inversely related. In other words, if you did a lighter weight, higher-rep set, you rested for anywhere from 45 seconds to a minute. If you did a lower-rep heavy set...

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...

The farmer's walk builds muscle ridiculously fast, slashes body fat, increases strength and performance in the big lifts, and has very little risk of injury. A heavy farmer's walk will quickly fry your back, shoulders, and grip while making your lungs feel like you've guzzled a gallon of...

There’s probably no need to tell you that dumbbell rows are near the top of the list when it comes to helping build a massive back, as well as blow up your biceps and improve your grip strength. But did you know that a combination of different unilateral dumbbell row variations each serve a...

Performance Meets Muscle Gain Whether your goal is to build a solid physique or become a well-rounded athlete, training in a way that supports both performance and muscle gain is very possible. In fact, it’s a necessity for longevity and optimal results. Here are six ways to make it happen...

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...

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’s a chance you’ve walked into a gym and seen those weighted round balls in the corner more than likely gathering dust. That neglect ends now. These colorful weighted balls are med balls, and when incorporated into your daily workout routine med ball training exercises will supersize your...

Ever since former Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick created his vision out of a jiu-jitsu belt and parachute webbing, suspension trainers like the TRX have become commonplace in gyms and homes worldwide. It’s convenience—an entire gym in a bag—arguably created the fitness phenomenon of taking your workout...

There are some exercises, no matter how many times you do them, never get easier. One prime example is the single leg deadlift. The reduced stability and tension on one leg make this challenging for all lifters. It is easier to be strong on two legs but harder to be stronger on one leg. The...

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...

Landmine training was invented long before the barbell attachment was created—unofficially—when the first gym bro stuck a barbell in corner and created a T- Bar rows variation long ago. For lifters who have shoulder mobility issues, landmine training is an excellent method to lift overhead...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... There's a lot more to getting strong than lifting heavy things for one rep. That will just lead to stagnation. Accumulate volume. Take your 3RM and train it until you can do 5 reps with that weight. Use supplemental lifts to add volume, fix weaknesses, and...