“How much ya bench?” Whether it’s your first experience in the gym or you’ve loaded up your best barbell countless times for heavy training, this question always seems to present itself when ... Continue Reading
Gym Memberships on a Budget: Tips for Staying Fit Without Overspending
Studies suggest that staying active can be a good way to cut future healthcare costs. (1) However, the prices associated with even the best budget home gym equipment can be too costly for some, ... Continue Reading
Bodybuilding’s Only Must-Do Exercise
When it comes to building muscle, all roads lead to Rome — the bodybuilding exercises you perform in your workouts are almost entirely up to you. Almost every time someone says you must do this exercise or ... Continue Reading
2 Easy Workouts to Reduce Bloating After Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means packing your plate to the brim with the essentials, and then going back for seconds. And then thirds. When it's all said and done, you're good and ... Continue Reading
Squat Standards
Whether you’ve trained for years on the best squat racks or are still working on your walkout, setting target weights is an important part of increasing strength. You may be wondering, though, how to tell ... Continue Reading
Nutrition and Strength Training Guidance for Trans and Nonbinary Athletes: New Study
Whether you’re a long-time gym lover or just someone who’s trying to get a grasp on the best nutritional strategies for your body, you might have some trouble finding training advice or nutrition guidance ... Continue Reading
Lean Bulking Is Hard — Here Are 3 Tips to Get It Right
On social media, Gen Z calls it the “winter arc” — the period between the end of summer’s warmth and the following spring. It’s typically when bodybuilders embrace lean bulking. If you’re bundling up ... Continue Reading
Top Plant Sources of Protein: Veggie Diet Recommendations from a Dietitian and a Vegetarian
If you’re tired of the same old protein shakes or just want to cut back on meat, you’re in luck — plants are here to save the day. From seeds to legumes, the top plant sources of protein deliver the ... Continue Reading
The Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout Split (and How to Modify It)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a monolith. From his careers in politics, philanthropy, and entertainment to his years as a professional bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger has cultivated a reputation for being ... Continue Reading
Stop Doing Deadlifts if You Want To Build Muscle
At the risk of making four-time World’s Strongest Man Jón Páll Sigmarsson turn over in his grave, I’ll say it: Deadlifts kind of suck for building muscle. Sigmarsson (who passed away in 1993) famously ... Continue Reading
5 Reasons You Can’t Skip Barbell Squats on Leg Day
Barbell squats are a must-do leg exercise. Somewhere along the way, it seems like everybody moved on from what was long considered the de facto lower-body movement. But for (almost) everybody ... Continue Reading
Horizon vs. NordicTrack Treadmills: A Deep Delve Into Specs and Pricing
Owning a treadmill is a great way to get in some cardio workouts from the comfort of your own home. It’s perfect as a supplemental option for days you just can’t get to the gym, or as your go-to standard ... Continue Reading
5 Science-Based Hacks for Muscle Growth That Actually Work
Building muscle is a marathon, not a sprint. That said, there’s no reason you shouldn’t look for every possible avenue to speed things up on your journey. These five tips for muscle growth are ... Continue Reading
How to Bulk: The Ultimate Guide to Gaining Size
“Eat more.” That’s what most fresh-faced trainees hear when they ask the big guy in the weight room how to move up a couple shirt sizes. While not the most poetic way to explain muscle growth, “eat ... Continue Reading
What Are METs on a Treadmill?: A CPT on Who Can Benefit From Calculating METs
There are a lot of acronyms in the fitness world — HIIT, DOMS, ROM, and MET. The first three have to do with a specific type of workout, a form of muscle soreness, and your movement range of a workout, but ... Continue Reading
The Guide to Arm Training for Powerlifters
Powerlifting is a quantitative sport. In some ways, it’s more about mathematics than muscularity. However, modern powerlifting has started to look beyond the amount of weight on the barbell as the only ... Continue Reading
Major Fitness Power Rack Showdown: B52 vs. F22 vs. PLM03
Whether you work from home or are a busy parent with little spare time, there are plenty of reasons to consider building or adding to your home gym. With so many all-in-one home gym options on the ... Continue Reading
Exercise and Mental Health: Statistics and Insight From a Physician
When it comes to improving mental health, there are plenty of strategies to try, but not all are created equal, and some can cause further distress in the long run. Exercise and mental health are a ... Continue Reading
The Leg Day Hack That Increases Hamstring Gains by 50%
50% off? That's Black Friday — 50% extra is Christmas morning. But if you wanted 50% more hamstring gains on leg day, you don't need to stampede over zealous shoppers or spend hours with wrapping paper; ... Continue Reading
Never Start Your Back Workouts With Pull-Ups
Back day is the best day of the week. If you disagree, take a number and form an orderly line. Almost nothing hits better than inflating your lats, traps, and yoke with a skin-tearing pump and crab-walking ... Continue Reading
The “4+1” Protocol for Easy-Mode Calf Gains
I used to take an almost sick pride in skipping calves. Over the course of a decade-plus gym career, I'd find myself putting calf training on the back burner again and again. Why? Training calves is ... Continue Reading
Just Ridiculous: 220KG/485LB Bulgarian Split Squats by Cyclist Robert Förstemann
The biggest, strongest legs in the world may not belong to a bodybuilder — not if German cyclist Robert Förstemann and his almost-five-hundred-pound Bulgarian split squats have anything to say about ... Continue Reading
The Best Training Technique to Gain Strength + Build Muscle After 40
If you're pushing (or have pushed past) 40, want to build muscle or increase strength, and aren't doing blood flow restriction, you're screwing up. Why is BFR particularly potent for middle-aged gym ... Continue Reading
Sedentary Lifestyle Statistics, With Insight From a Board-Certified Physician
What is a sedentary lifestyle? It’s a lifestyle of insufficient physical activity, and it’s estimated that 31% of the global population over the age of 14 falls within this range. (1) Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an ... Continue Reading