Understanding the reasoning behind a sluggish start to a training session, slowed and/or diminished improvements in training, or an overall staleness in one’s fitness can sometimes be an elusive process. ... Continue Reading
How Weightlifters Can Benefit From Squat Walkouts
There are few things worse than hitting some heavy back or front squats, only to unrack the bar and feel overwhelmingly depleted even before you begin your descent. I know because I have been there, plenty ... Continue Reading
Rotate 1 Minute a Day for a Healthier Spine and Improved Performance
Disclaimer from the author: If you are experiencing even slight discomfort, I highly recommend consulting with a practitioner well versed in helping prevent or heal orthopedic injuries. Even if you have no ... Continue Reading
The Cold Hard Truths About Ice Baths and Muscle Recovery
Ice baths, or cold water immersion (CWI), have long been used by high level strength and power athletes to enhance recovery from high intensity matches and training sessions. Although the exact mechanisms ... Continue Reading
Should Weightlifters Do Behind The Neck Jerks?
The behind the neck jerk is a viable training option for both beginner and advanced weightlifters. This jerk variation improves works to improve: Leg drive in the jerk Overhead confidence and ... Continue Reading
Why You Shouldn’t Train Clean Pulls Like Deadlifts
The clean pull, while similar looking, is a very different exercise than the conventional barbell/powerlifting deadlift. Often, lifters attack clean pulls with the same patterning, focus, and end goal as a ... Continue Reading
3 Assistance Exercises To Improve Your Low Bar Squat
Most of us have embarked upon the squatting journey in one way or another, either through the competitive nature of powerlifting, athletics, or general fitness. Have you ever wondered what it must feel ... Continue Reading
Why Cossack Squats Are Great For Weightlifters and Other Strength Athletes
While many lifters today squat, front squat, lunge, and deadlift, we often find our training plans focusing on one singular plane of movement, often neglecting the other Cardinal planes and join ... Continue Reading
Weightlifter Anatoli Ciricu Tests Positive from London; 9th Place Moves to Bronze
In the latest announcement after a series of doping retests from both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, Moldovan weightlifter Anatoli Ciricu has tested positive for the anabolic agent ... Continue Reading
Why You Should Avoid the “Lifter’s Grind” in Training
Sorry for the bad poem, but I’ve heard it helps to use humor to defuse a sensitive subject: Ode to the Grind The deadlifter stood tall and readied themselves for the fight. The challenge a new one; ... Continue Reading
4 Grip Strengthening Exercises Borrowed From Rock Climbers
Whether you're a powerlifter, weightlifter, CrossFitter, strongman athlete, or just trying to open a jar of pickles, you'll never progress if you can't hold onto the bar (or kettlebell, or log, or ... Continue Reading
How Top Strongwoman Competitors Are Already Outlifting Some Male Athletes
I had the pleasure of being the live stream broadcaster for a first-ever event this weekend (August 27th-28th); Strongman Corporation’s Strongest Woman in the World. After watching some of the most amazing ... Continue Reading
4 Resistance Band Exercises to Get You Strong Without Using Big Weights
Trying to get strong or maintain your strength on the road? Maybe you're injured and avoiding weights? Or perhaps you're just bored and looking to mix up your training? Grab one of those giant rubber ... Continue Reading
How to Mentally & Physically Prep for Your Next Personal Record: The 24-Hour Approach
f“Failure to plan is planning to fail.” Like most feats, setting a personal record takes proper preparation over months of sport-specific training, nutrition, focus, and practice. Often, beginners and ... Continue Reading
5 Minute Mobility: This Stretching Routine Is Perfect When You’re Low on Time
Life is short. We are all busy. If you have a few hours a day to train and stretch and get massages, that is awesome! For the rest of us, we are lucky to get 5 minutes a day to improve our ... Continue Reading
5 Tips to Break Through Weightlifting Plateaus
Everyone who trains in one sport long enough will eventually reach a plateau — that point where no matter what you do or how hard you work, nothing seems to improve. It can be frustrating and discouraging, ... Continue Reading
Strong, Stable, Lean: Firsthand Advice on Gymnastics for Big Guys
The 2016 US Olympic Men's Gymnastics team didn't do so hot this year in Rio. But they're (almost certainly) better at gymnastics than you. And if you're anything like me (5'10", 200 lbs), you probably have ... Continue Reading
The One Question to Ask to Figure Out How to Scale Your WOD
Whether you're still in the toddler stage of your fitness career, coming back from an injury, or just building confidence, at some point we all have to ask ourselves, "Should I scale this ... Continue Reading
Explain Like I’m 5: Why Does Working Out at High Altitude Suck?
If you've ever traveled to an area above 5000ft and tried to do a WOD, you already know how much it sucks to try and work out at higher elevations. Everything is hard. Finish times are slower, ... Continue Reading
Faster, Fitter, Stronger: How Sled Pushes and Pulls Will Change Your Strongman Game
Push/pull is a concept that has been a standard in weight training programs for decades. Doing press type work (bench, dips, overhead, etc.) one day and then pulling the next (deadlifts, rows, chins etc.) ... Continue Reading
An Introduction to Programming for Strongman: A 12-Week Plan
Read more about strongman training here. This program is very specific and can be run multiple times, just start over. YOU can’t half-ass this style of training. If you miss days, it does affect ... Continue Reading
How to Embrace the Mental Challenge of Strength Training
As a coach, one of the most powerful tools you can possess is an understanding of your athlete's motivation to perform. You think that the easiest way to get this information is to simply ask them: “So ... Continue Reading
Should You Switch to Liquid Chalk?
Seeing as an awesome perk of my job is getting to drop into gyms around the world, lately I've noticed an uptick in gyms who are no longer using regular old block chalk. Up until recently, I'd ... Continue Reading
What’s Really Threatening the Olympics (and How to Fix It)
As the world settles in to watch its most beloved sporting event, the critics of that event are having a field day – and with good reason. There is a bountiful smorgasbord of things to criticize the ... Continue Reading