upper

You stroll into the gym fired up to train your upper body, but all the benches are taken, the dumbbell rack is a war zone, and cable stations are backed up like it’s Black Friday. Before you consider bailing out, take a look in the corner. There it is: one lonely kettlebell waiting just for you...

Natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and coach, Jeff Nippard is never afraid to admit that his physique is a work in progress, and explains that when it comes to shoulders, he has found that shrugs “just haven’t done much to grow them over the years.” To that end, he’s switched it up to focus on...

Two-time Olympia Figure champion Erin Stern is a busy bodybuilder and coach that likes to get the most out of her gym time, so when it comes to a back and shoulder focused workout, the landmine is her go-to for making explosive gains. “If I had to pick just one piece of equipment for a gym, it...

Alex Roberts Advanced Back Training - 5 Alternative Upper Back Exercises you've heard the terms before: barn-door back, lats like wings, big and wide. The back sure gets its due when it comes to nicknames and bragging rights, but how many of us really focus on training our back with any...

As we move into our 40s and beyond, staying mobile isn’t just about flexibility, it’s about preserving strength, preventing injuries, and ensuring we move through life with ease and confidence. Joint pain, muscle stiffness, and nagging aches aren’t simply a byproduct of aging; they’re often the...

If your push-day workouts feel stale, it’s time to shake things up. Standard barbell presses and machine work can build muscle, but repeating the same movements weekly leads to plateaus and gaps in strength development. To maximize chest, shoulder, and triceps gains, you need variety—fresh...

If you ever have seen someone with a huge set of traps and shoulders, their instant dominance, power, and masculinity shine. When it comes to building them though, it can be a bit difficult. “First, it’s important to target your trap muscles from a variety of movements that include loaded...

There is a great scene in the film Alice in Wonderland where Alice and Chesire the Cat meet at a fork in the road. Alice says to the Cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat. "I don't much care...

Let's face it... The average gym member shuns most barbell and dumbbell exercises. Outside of dumbbell curls and barbell bench press variations, these primary muscle building tools are avoided like the plague. We also know the average gym member also isn't seeing much in the way of results. If...

Quentin Lake recently explained to M&F that focusing on his lower body allowed him to come back from injury in order to become an LA Rams Captain. But in his quest to become the total package of speed and strength, this player puts just as much effort into his upper body workouts too. Here’s an...

There are many cool and highly effective strength exercises and it’s impossible to do them all. Between all the variations of deadlifts, presses, rows, squats, and carries, you should never run out of ways to challenge yourself in the gym. But here’s the thing—progress isn’t always about...

Danalinn Bailey was a highly successful IFBB pro during her active career, amassing numerous trophies including the hallowed first place for women’s physique at the 2013 Olympia. Now the bodybuilder and coach is empowering women with her own brand of fitness, and in a recent Instagram post has...

ou probably don't need dozens of movements to develop strength and size - you just need the six very best ones. This is all killer, no filler! Everyone can benefit from getting stronger. But for an athlete, there’s a lot more to physical success than being strong in the weight room. If you’re a...

Secrets of the Trainers How do celebs build superhero bodies so fast? No, it's not always with anabolics. Get the answer here and try this program. When a Hollywood actor bursts onto the big screen with some new muscle, there’s always a lot of hoopla surrounding what he did to obtain that look...

Suspension training often gets a bad rap because you’re using just bodyweight, and there is no cold, hard steel in your hands. Plus, measuring progression using regular free weights is easy, but not with suspension trainers, where doing more reps is usually the best form of progression. So, some...

There are the top seven upper back exercises that should make up the core of your upper back training. For some reason unbeknownst to me or probably anyone else (with the possible exception of those TV psychics who, for a small fee, will tell you that your wife is cheating on you with the...

You want to be powerful, right? Not just the kind that looks awesome but the type that transfers to daily movements—whether you’re on the field, in the gym, or leaping a building with a single bound. That’s where the Med Ball Rotational Side Throw comes in. It’s not about throwing a ball against...

The standard pushup is a body-weight classic exercise that never goes out of style. But like most classics, the occasional update doesn’t go astray. The Spiderman Push Up is the answer if you want to spice up the pushup. This exercise is more than just a cool name—it’s for anyone looking to...

A popular and true saying has been floating around the weight room for a while: You got to row to grow. It doesn’t matter if it is vertical or horizontal, and it doesn’t matter what equipment you use. You must train your posterior delts, upper back, and lats hard and heavy as your wings depend...

It's the best training split for a lot of people, but not everyone. Here are the pros and cons. This upper/lower split allows you to hit everything hard twice per week. There’s a minimal negative carryover from each workout. “Negative carryover” is when one workout will negatively affect the...