variations

The barbell bench press is the king of the bench press jungle, but the dumbbell bench press is striding with it side by side. Barbell variations allow you to move more weight due to their fixed range of motion, but dumbbell bench press variations offer more freedom of movement. Why does that...

Bodyweight pushups must be the most primitive and basically far-reaching exercises in existence in the world of fitness. “Drop and give me 20” is one of the most hackneyed statements used by people who think they’re being coy with in-shape acquaintances. The truth is, there are plenty of...

As we learned in part 1 of this series, the squat pattern can take on many identities, and the best version is the best version to suit your comfort levels, body type, and individual goals. Depending on the skill level of the individual, the training effect that can be received from squat...

You know what is not the only thing that will give you wings, so will lat pulldowns. Here, we are diving into the ten best lat pulldown variations to add muscle and strength to this visually appealing muscle. Whether you’re a gym newbie or a seasoned lifter, these variations target your...

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...

Have you ever wondered why they call it the Romanian deadlift? It looks similar to the straight-leg deadlift but with a better name. Well, here’s why. It’s called the Romanian deadlift, or RDL for short, because it’s named after the Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad, an Olympic medalist in the...

Barbell back squats are arguably the king of all leg exercises, with the barbell front squat close behind. Back squats are part of the powerlifting big 3, but the front squat and the various front squat variations, although less load, is used because of the reduced stability; they have better...

Dumbbell rowing is essential. But most lifters don't spend a whole lot of time doing it, either because they're making some common mistakes and not getting results or because they're not aware of the benefits. So let's get into those. MISTAKES TO AVOID DURING DUMBBELL ROWS 1. TWISTING The goal...

Every time you turn around, there seems to be another popular diet that claims to either help you build muscle or lose weight. Some actually have some nutritional merit, while many others are all but worthless and perhaps even dangerous. One such popular diet that has gained plenty of attention...

Way back in 2006, physical therapist John Pallof came up with what is known as the Pallof press. This move dynamically trains anti-rotation, anti-low back extension, and posterior pelvic tilt. Not everyone is onboard with the benefits of the Pallof, but sometimes people miss the subtleties of...

If you’ve been around the lifting game for a while, you have heard the term, “you need to row to grow.” Rowing, whether a vertical or horizontal pull, helps build a thick upper back, giving you that much-desired wingspan. But vanity is not all the back is good for because a strong and muscular...

Many lifters need to work on building core strength the right way. They think all those fancy exercises on social media work wonders until they try them. Plus, some sit all working day with a rounded back and then put themselves through more flexion by crunching like a madman. But do you know...

Considering the triceps muscle makes up two-thirds of your upper arm mass, it’s no secret that triceps-focused exercises like certain dip variations should dominate arm day. Triceps dips (or bodyweight dips) are a classic, tried-and-tested exercise known for not only adding strength and size to...

Compound pulling and pushing movements like overhead presses and rowing variations are essential when you want big, strong, and muscular delts. These moves will add size and strength to your delts so that you can look great in those form-fitting shirts. But these compound moves predominantly...

Solidify your core strength and build sturdier obliques by adding these 3 side planking variations into your core workout routines. Read on to learn more. You probably guessed there was another one of these coming sometime in February. If you remember from my last article on the subject, I had...

The barbell bentover row is the mack daddy of all the rowing variations. It strengthens your upper and lower back, shoulders, biceps, forearms, and grip. Plus, being in the hip-hinge position under load for time improves your lower and upper back endurance. Guess what that’s good for? You...

Arm day way of life for most of us. Most new lifters only know a few exercises — and the barbell and the most popular one is this staple and its multitude of variations. One variation that is often left out cold is the drag curl. Why? Because it’s hard. The drag curl unlike a lot of other...

A suspension trainer is a great piece of equipment to invest in. There are various brands out there that all have their pros and cons. I’m not much of a picky person, but I do like the XT Jungle Gym, which I currently use. With suspension trainers you can take a simple bodyweight exercise and...

The split squat is an exercise most lifters love to hate. With the reduced base of support, using less weight than the bilateral versions and the discomfort and soreness it gives you, it’s easy to dislike. Split squat and the various split squat variations fall under those things you don’t want...

Chinups and pullups remain some of the the best performance indicators of your relative body strength, plus they build serious upper body strength and muscle. They also build the upper back strength necessary for keeping a neutral spine while squatting and deadlifting. And let’s not forget...