training

The gluteus maximus, often termed the body’s powerhouse, serves as a crucial muscle responsible for both form and function. Beyond its role in shaping the buttocks, this robust muscle plays a pivotal part in various movements, from extending the hips to stabilizing the pelvis. While genetics...

Experienced bodybuilders often meticulously plan their pre-contest training regimen during the off-season. They employ strategies such as split system workouts, carefully calibrated sets and reps, and a diverse array of targeted exercises to maximize muscle growth and strength. Their primary...

So you want to be a bodybuilder! Good choice – their is no other sport that has the potential to improve your body from head to toe so dramatically. At the same time, it will make you far healthier on the inside. But it will only do those things if you do it right. In this article, we provide a...

Fasting is becoming a popular way of burning fat and getting in shape these days. In fact, it’s one of my favorite ways to stay lean all year long… But there’s one major problem with fasted training… Studies have shown that even though it increases fat loss, it also causes muscle loss...

Given a choice between leg day and arm day, which one would you choose? It’s not like training legs is not essential because it is, but nothing gives you instant gratification more than a wicked arm pump. In the mirror by the dumbbell rack, doing endless biceps curls and shoulder raise...

What Is Intra-Workout? An “intra-workout” is a dietary supplement consumed during a workout. Unlike pre-workout supplements that ready the body for training or post-workouts that aid recovery, intra-workouts focus on boosting exercise performance during a workout. Ingredients in intra-workout...

Written by Michael Matthews EVIDENCE BASED BUILDING MUSCLE FacebookPinterestTwitterEmail Behold! Not one, not two, but a camel-load of only the finest, evidence-based training tips this side of Damascus. Don’t do behind-the-neck pulldowns. They’re more likely to irritate your shoulders, and...

The hack squat is a lower-body exercise involving a hack squat machine. It’s a go-to exercise for many gym-goers because it trains your entire lower body without stressing your knees and back as much as other free-weight squatting exercises. What’s more, it helps you develop lower-body...

I started this topic in regards to a unclaimed raffle winning. But I guess I did it improperly. How have you adjusted your training style when you're getting older? You still trying for "PR's" or realizing your not invincible?? There's quite a bit of old farts here like me. I'm 56 while the...

Do you need a better strength training program or do you just need to work harder? Research conducted by scientists at Solent University may help you answer that question. After parsing 18 studies examining how hard people habitually train, the researchers found that when people were told to...

Although getting a pump feels good and can be gratifying in the short term, research shows you don’t need to get a pump to build muscle. What’s more, focusing exclusively on the kind of training that’s most effective for getting a pump—high-reps, light weights, short rest periods, and so...

HOW IMPORTANT IS GETTING A PUMP FOR BUILDING MUSCLE? How Important Is Getting a Pump for Building Muscle? Written by Michael Matthews and Scientifically Reviewed by Dr. Brian Grant FACT CHECKED EVIDENCE BASED Key Takeaways The muscle “pump” refers to the temporary increase in muscle size that...

Yes and no. While scientists are still unraveling the complex systems responsible for muscle growth, it’s clear pump training is effective for building muscle. That doesn’t mean it’s optimal for building muscle, though. You can build muscle effectively without ever getting a pump, as...

Key Takeaways The muscle “pump” refers to the temporary increase in muscle size that occurs when you lift weights, especially when you use higher reps and shorter rest periods. Pump training should never be your primary focus if you want to gain muscle as fast as possible, but it can help you...

by Greg Nuckols What does it take to reach your strength potential? And what do the steps to do so look like? I couldn’t find a complete, accessible overview anywhere, so I decided to make it myself. This article will be the anchor for the website. It’s a comprehensive framework, meant to get...

By Bret Contreras Several years ago, I decided to delve more into the sport of powerlifting. Since then, I’ve competed in 3 competitions, I’ve prepared clients and training partners for competitions, I’ve attended around a dozen meets, I made friends with a bunch of powerlifters and started...

By Bret Contreras I’m going to be quite honest…I love rotary training. I believe it helps bridge the gap between traditional weight room strength and on-the-field power. Any fool will realize that simply increasing muscle mass via heavy compound lifting (let’s ignore performance enhancing...

By Bret Contreras Hello fellow lifters, my name is Rob King and I am the owner of a Canadian (Newfoundland) gym called Heavyweights Training Center (HWTC). Bret’s note: I made an exception for Rob and had a unit shipped to him in Canada, we normally only ship to the US and Europe. At HWTC, we...

By Bret Contreras Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed several popular strength coaches mention that nothing in the research ever drives what they do in the gym. Not to be a dick, but this makes perfect sense, since these guys don’t read research. I’ve delved into the research pretty heavily...

By Bret Contreras I came across this study last week and chalked it up as “interesting.” All research is useful, but often you have to simply file it away in it’s place until more research is conducted. The study was published ahead of print in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research...