tension

Build Big Pecs Like This The combo exercise maximizes muscle damage and mTOR activation – two keys to muscle growth. Here's exactly how to do it. This exercise could be the most effective pec builder. There, I’ve said it. Am I committing a cardinal sin by saying the best exercise to build the...

The best mobility drills are ones that work to the point of never having to do them ever again, and that comes with mastery of movement and hitting the "save button" by adding it to your movement library. So what comes after that? An active stability component to the new range of motion or...

The squat is the king of lifts and my all-time favorite exercise. If you told me I could only perform squats for the rest of my days I'd be perfectly content, though I doubt I'd find many training partners willing to join me. However, if the scenario changed to picking just one exercise to...

By Bret Contreras The hip thrust is likely the most rapidly rising exercise in terms of popularity in strength & conditioning. It is performed by physique athletes, strength athletes, and sport athletes alike. Hip thrusts can be performed with bodyweight, barbell, or resistance band loading...

We all want bigger muscles, and to build bigger muscles we need to get stronger – much stronger. Gaining strength through progressive overload ensures that we continue to place more tension on the muscles over time, forcing them to adapt by growing larger. Heavier weights equals greater tension...

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...

Adding a simple resistance band to your row variations increases the concentric tension as you row/pull towards your body, and it increases the eccentric tension as you extend your arms. And that means new gains. Here are five ways to do it: 1. ▶️ Banded Barbell Row (Version 1) In this...

Google the term “biceps curl,” and you’ll get over 20 million hits. There is no shortage of information about this beloved muscle group and its most popular exercise. Think back to your first time in a gym when you didn’t know much about lifting. Was one of the first exercises you performed a...

Working your muscles through a full range of motion is almost always a good idea. It'll develop your muscles to their greatest potential and accelerate your gains. However, there are a couple of things you must consider. It's important to keep tension on the working muscles and increase the...

There are specific exercises where you will have muscular tension from the get-go, like deadlifting from the floor, squatting out of the hole, and the hollow hold exercise. The hollow what? The hollow hold. If you have difficulty feeling the tension in the abs, the hollow hold is for you...

Neck tension refers to neck pain that develops when the muscles in the neck cannot relax, which can lead to soreness, muscle spasms, and headaches. It has numerous possible causes, ranging from joint problems to inflamed nerves. Depending on the underlying cause, people can experience different...

There’s no debate: deadlifts have a seat at the grown-up table. They are one of the best bang for your buck exercises. Compound full body movements that require total body tension and strength form the basis of any high-performance training program. I have a love/hate relationship with...

Does rep tempo have an effect on your gains? If so, which is better, fast tempo or slow tempo? Read this article to find out everything about rep tempo! Let’s say you attend the gym on a regular basis. You have progressive overload, volume, frequency, intensity, exercise selection/order, and...

Learn everything you need to know about the basic science behind building muscle! Then, apply it to your own training and begin building bigger muscles. You want to build muscle, and you’ve seen some workouts and exercises that might get you there. And that’s okay if you just want to hop around...

Barbell benching has been a staple in every bro's split since the dawn of protein shakes and stringer tanks. But, it's time to get your head out of the sand and examine all the options available. The bench press is one of the most popular exercises completed in gyms up and down the country...

There’s no debate: deadlifts have a seat at the grown-up table. They are one of the best bang for your buck exercises. Compound full body movements that require total body tension and strength form the basis of any high-performance training program. I have a love/hate relationship with...

There’s no debate: deadlifts have a seat at the grown-up table. They are one of the best bang for your buck exercises. Compound full body movements that require total body tension and strength form the basis of any high-performance training program. I have a love/hate relationship with...

So you're slaving away in the gym, hour after hour and day after day. You've been hard at work for several months (or years) but now you're hitting that brick wall. You're trying to stay motivated, but it's tough. You just can't see any new way to make gains, you're working with 225 on the...

Creating softball-sized biceps is part science and part art. The science factors in when considering the best exercises, their order, the number of sets, how much weight you should use, optimal rest periods, and even frequency. Fortunately, there's enough research to create some general...

ESB Professional / Shutterstock Wander into any hardcore powerlifting gym and you’ll most likely see lifters donning knee sleeves during their squats. Not to be confused with a knee brace, which is used to prevent or alleviate an injury, these neoprene sleeves slide over your joints to add an...