training

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...

I’ve been enthralled by PAP ever since I heard about legendary Canadian Sprinter Ben Johnson squatting 600 lbs for 3 reps ten-minutes prior to his infamous 1988 Olympic 9.79-second world-record performance in the 100-meter sprint. Although Ben’s gold medal was later stripped due to a positive...

Over the past few weeks I’ve heard the “Magic 30%” number tossed around on two different occasions in terms of the training load that maximizes power production, so I figured it was time to write an article on this topic. The theory is that we should train athletes with explosive movements at...

YOU HAVE TO WORK TO KNOW WHAT WORKS Most lifters float aimlessly in and out of gyms without a plan, goal, or strategy. Most haven’t experimented nearly enough with their training in order to have the slightest clue as to what works best for them. They stick to the same routine year round...

When it comes to my training, I trust him implicitly. I’ve been following his work since 2011 and have been a fan ever since, and we teamed up this past year to prepare me for my first powerlifting meet in May and then my bikini show in October. After I competed at the OCB West Coast Florida...

So you wanna get more chin-ups, eh? Please allow me to assist you in achieving this feat. There are many ways to go about it, so rather than just naming my favorite method, I’m going to cover a variety of the most popular methods and techniques used by lifters and coaches to increase your...

By Bret Contrerass In this article, I’m going to teach you how to go about progressive overload – the most important law in strength training. Perhaps you’re new to lifting and you’re wondering exactly what progressive overload is. Well, progressive overload simply means that you’re doing more...

It’s funny how a big PR can immediately turn an average or lousy day into an amazing day. Showing up to the gym is easy. Going through the motions is easy. But consistently getting stronger month in and month out is very challenging. It requires intelligent training, sound nutrition, and ideal...

We know a lot about the physiological part of training, nutrition and recovery. You may think that if you optimize these factors you will have optimal progression and gains. People don’t often think as much about sleep, circadian rhythm, life outside the gym, and especially about stress. A...

By Bret Contreras When I was in graduate school, I was a pretty busy guy. I was teaching high school mathematics during the day and attending grad school at night. I started reducing my training frequency, volume, and duration and noticed that it didn’t impact my strength levels too much. This...

Pro Bodybuilders For bodybuilders, keeping a log is not so important. Strength is critical for muscle growth but it’s not everything. Doing what many bodybuilders do and utilizing “instinctive training” can deliver excellent results over time. Once sufficient strength is built up, they don’t...

"Why am I not getting stronger?" Probably because you're breaking the rules. Follow these eight rules and save yourself years of frustration and weakness. 1. Train Consistently Consistency is the name of the game, and the lifter who trains week in and week out will experience steady gains in...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... There is no "best training program" for everyone. What works great for others in the gym may work terribly for you. Likewise, what has worked very well for you may not do jack for someone else. You must develop the confidence to abandon the training programs that...

Many strength coaches recommend a slow eccentric phase while strength training. They suggest a slow and controlled “tempo” while lowering, with the view that this might cause greater strength gains. Some other coaches go one step further, and also recommend using a slow tempo during...

By Bret Contreras Eat, Lift, and Condition to Lose Fat and Maintain Muscle By Marc Lewis and Travis Pollen With summer just around the corner, fat loss and concurrent muscle preservation is on just about everyone’s mind. The trouble is, there’s a whole lot of gimmicky — not to mention...

BY BRET CONTRERAS, PHD, CSCS Yoga and Pilates are excellent forms of exercise that have numerous health benefits. I encourage you to give each a try to see if you enjoy the training. This article does not attack Yoga and Pilates methodology, it attacks the marketing tactics used by some of...