strength

Let’s face it, most of the quality nutrition information that comes out of the bodybuilding community is geared towards bodybuilders. But the problem is strength athletes don’t necessarily need to eat like that. In fact, most strength athletes would benefit from NOT eating like the typical “bro”...

It would be almost impossible to boil strength down to a single measurable in order to even suggest being “stronger” then an NFL athlete. Strength is a vague term that is often hard to define. However, in the gym we look at strength in numerical terms, most commonly weight and reps. If you...

by: Kyle Hunt When I first got into training it was bodybuilding that had my attention. I used to read all of the popular bodybuilding magazines – Flex, Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development, MuscleMag, etc. I even read Arnold’s massive Encyclopedia to Modern Bodybuilding cover to cover...

It’s simple: There’s a LOT that contributes to strength beyond muscle mass. Now, it’s impossible to pin down exactly how much muscle mass influences strength because that would require a 20-year training study that would be utterly unfeasible to carry out. However, we can get ourselves in the...

The most reliable way to make progress is to do more. It’s certainly not the ONLY way to make progress. Exercise selection plays a role, intensity plays a role, frequency plays a role, proper periodization plays a role. But the primary contributor – hands down – is training volume. It’s been...

As we age, the general belief is that muscle loss and increased fat gain are inevitable. This is false. In this article, you'll learn how to continue building muscle mass as you age. You’ve probably had an older friend or relative tell you that after you hit your late thirties, everything goes...

To get better at performing chinups, you need to do more chinups. It would be best if you actually did the thing, which some people miss. But when doing more doesn’t improve performance, it’s time to train smart. This is where these four chinup accessory exercises come in. Chinups are one of...

Several news aggregators have recently picked up the results of a new study published in the “Journal of Nutrition.” The study suggests that eating just one cup of leafy vegetables a day could boost muscle function and strength, courtesy of the nitrates they contain. The researchers examined...

It's rare that PhD-types look at a bunch of studies and come out with some specific recommendations. They could demonstrate how a bunch of cats – when held upside-down from a height of two feet and then dropped – landed on their feet a thousand times in a row, but they still wouldn't jump to...

You probably know that vitamin D plays a role in the health of your bones and your immune system, along with reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and MS. You might also know that low levels are associated with lower testosterone levels and that women with less than adequate...

A muscular body looks good and is often a goal for many weightlifters. Clothes look (and feel) better, and compliments from others are a constant confidence booster. Not to mention, looking and feeling strong is priceless. However, the benefits of muscle mass reach beyond aesthetics. “Your...

HOW SHOULD I DO MY REPS? I never get asked that question. That's a shame because how you do your reps plays a huge part in stimulating the gains you want. Think about it. The workout itself is nothing but a long group of repetitions spread over different exercises. The basic unit of your...

Bending down to pick up a barbell in front of the body places great demands on your ankles, hips, and spine to get into the right position that's conducive to spinal integrity. I rarely have clients deadlift with a straight bar. There are plenty of safer alternatives for non-powerlifters that...

Let's look at the three types of core strength: Isometric: Holding a certain position for time with tension. Anti-Rotational: Being able to resist an external force trying to pull you out of position. Rotational/Moving: Being able to maintain controlled bracing with movement. Failure to...

Let's face it, if I gave you the choice of either growing bigger muscles, or getting bigger and stronger, you'd choose the latter. Lucky for you, an essential component of getting bigger muscles is getting stronger. This is a universal law of training no matter what type of program you follow...

When an athlete is looking for gains in explosiveness, it generally comes down to two things: Choose better parents or get stronger first. Too bad the first option is out. This leaves us with the second. If you want to get faster, jump higher, and be more powerful, get stronger first. But after...

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...