What were you doing when you were 15 years old? I'd guess you were playing a sport(s) and most likely lifting — maybe not seriously lifting with a strength sport in mind — but lifting ... Continue Reading
Dynamic Warm Up – Why (and How) Fitness, Strength, and Power Athletes Should Do Them
Every training session, regardless of goal, ability level, or sport should include a dynamic warm-up. The dynamic warm-up will aid help to develop an athlete’s/lifter’s daily mental preparation and ... Continue Reading
Elbow Tuck and Flare In the Bench Press: How to Find the Perfect Amount
In the last few weeks, the bench press has gotten a ton of attention across the internet and social media. Strength athletes from all walks of life are searching and talking about the bench press more than ... Continue Reading
Study: Volume & Intensity, Not Frequency, Weigh Heaviest for Maximal Strength Gains
Resistance training is composed of major variables like intensity, volume, and frequency when building perfect workout programs. New research published earlier this month explores the topic of varied ... Continue Reading
Two Ways Forward Banded Deadlifts Can Improve Your Pulling Strength
One training modality that's often sought out to support working through sticking points and correcting lifting postures is accommodated resistance. This additional resistance often used in the form of ... Continue Reading
Barbell Shoulder Press & Military Press – Muscles Worked, Benefits, and Sport Considerations
The barbell shoulder press/military press is a compound barbell movement that builds serious upper body mass, strength, and can boost performance for strength, power, and fitness athletes. In this article ... Continue Reading
4 Times You Might Want to Use Partial Reps
Some rules are made to be broken: Like only eat tacos on Tuesday (we’re here for #TacoThursday) and don’t wear white before Labor Day (go ahead and put on those white lifters). Here’s another rule it can ... Continue Reading
4 Signs You Need a New Pair of Weightlifting Shoes
By now, we think we’ve made a pretty good case for why you should invest in a pair of weightlifting shoes. When compared to your plain old Chuck Taylors (which, to be fair, are pretty great for ... Continue Reading
Rep Ranges for Strength, Hypertrophy, and Cutting
In this article we will discuss the key repetition ranges for gaining strength, muscle hypertrophy (general and for strength and power-based athletes), and for cutting phases (aesthetics and/or for sport ... Continue Reading
What Is Hypertrophy? – Definition
In this article we will discuss muscle hypertrophy, a scientific term used to describe the physiological process of new muscle tissue development. Muscle hypertrophy is a key training process for every ... Continue Reading
Hips Or Knees: Which Should Break First In the Squat?
Chicken or the egg, which came first? The knees and hips argument has raged on since the dawn of time, well, at least since we started barbell squatting. On social media and other online outlets, it can ... Continue Reading
3 Benefits of Reverse Hyperextensions
In an earlier article we discussed the reverse hyperextension and provided a thorough exercise guide for strength, power, and fitness athletes and coaches. In the reverse hyperextension exercise guide we ... Continue Reading
Reverse Hyperextension at Home/Without Machine
Reverse hyperextensions are an effective accessory exercise to develop the glutes and hamstrings. Sometimes, however, access to a reverse hyperextension machine is not feasible (training from home, ... Continue Reading
Try These 3 Deadlift Variations to Improve Your Pull
The deadlift is one of my favorite exercises, but it’s also one of the hardest things you can do in the gym. That means the deadlift is pretty tricky to train with high frequency – try to pull more than ... Continue Reading
Heather Connor Is the First Female IPF Powerlifter to Deadlift 4x Bodyweight Raw
American powerlifter Heather Connor, weighing in at 44.1 kilograms (97.2 pounds) at 4 feet 10 inches tall, had a pretty monumental meet this weekend. The 27-year-old took the stage at a USA Powerlifting ... Continue Reading
Is Kratom a Performance-Enhancing Drug?
Kratom is an unusual target in the War on Drugs. A relative newcomer to the American market, kratom hovers in the space between plant-based medicine and prescription drug, and while it’s usually used as a ... Continue Reading
Ben Pollack’s 4 Steps to the Perfect Powerlifting Warm-Up
Warming up is so hot right now, and that’s great, because it’s extraordinarily important to a good training plan. Warming up improves performance, reduces risk of injury, and it only takes a few ... Continue Reading
Why the Belt Squat Could Be Your Secret to Strength Gains
There’s a certain simplicity in a lot of basic barbell movements. Squatting is a natural human movement, so rack some weight on your back and make the muscles that perform the squat get stronger. Picking ... Continue Reading
What You Should Know to Help Avoid a Pec Tear
A torn pec can put an athlete out of commission for weeks or even months, and it doesn’t just happen to powerlifters. After coming second worldwide in the Open, Noah Ohlsen’s performance at the 2017 ... Continue Reading
7 Reasons You’re Not Getting Stronger (and How to Fix Them)
How often do you feel like your progress is slowing, or should be moving faster than it is? In a majority of the cases, you're probably improving in the gym at a fine pace, but then again, maybe you're ... Continue Reading
5 Benefits of Half Squat
In an earlier article we discussed the benefits of and muscles worked in the half squat, a slightly controversial exercise in strength and power sports. Additionally, we then compared the half squat vs ... Continue Reading
Larry “Wheels” Williams Totals 2,275 lbs for New All Time World Record
Larry "Wheels" Williams had a great meet this past weekend at the RPS Powerlifting meet Insurrextion, which was held over the course of November 18-19th. This time last year, we were writing about Williams ... Continue Reading
How to Choose the Perfect Knee Sleeve
Knee sleeves are useful pieces of supportive strength equipment for a variety of reasons. First, they can help keep the knee joint warm, which is a plus for those using longer rest periods. Second, they ... Continue Reading
5 Benefits of Prowler Push
In this article we will discuss the prowler push, a versatile piece of equipment to train muscle hypertrophy, leg strength, metabolic conditioning, and more. We will cover five benefits of prowler pushes ... Continue Reading