Over the last five years, heart rate variability (HRV) has grown in popularity as a useful tool for assessing recovery and training readiness. If you’re new to the concept of HRV and how it can translate ... Continue Reading
15 Steps to Nailing Your First Powerlifting Meet
At my first powerlifting competition, I bombed. This means that I wasn’t able to complete at least one attempt of either the squat, bench press, or deadlift. In my case, it was the bench press, which was ... Continue Reading
5 Overhead Press Mistakes, Why They Happen, and How to Fix Them
The overhead press is a compound upper body movement that develops serious strength and mass. Powerlifters, strongman athletes, weightlifters, and general fitness-goers alike will benefit from including ... Continue Reading
The History of Vince Gironda, Low Carb Pioneer and Bodybuilding Great
Entering a North Hollywood gym, a six foot European bodybuilder, soon to become one of the sport’s greatest ever athletes, is told that he looks like a ‘fat f***’. Cue gasps: a young Vince Gironda had just ... Continue Reading
Smash Imbalances and Weaknesses With Functional Symmetry
In case you’re out of the loop: this article describes part of my transition from competing in powerlifting meets to competing in bodybuilding shows. While the outcomes of the two sports are quite ... Continue Reading
4 Benefits of the Trap Bar Deadlift
The trap bar deadlift is a strength movement that has a wide application to sport athletes, lifters, and general fitness. In this article we will dig deeper into four benefits of the trap bar deadlift and ... Continue Reading
How Often Should You Train Arms?
Training the arms is for more than vanity. Sure, having big biceps and thick triceps can improve overall strength and performing in movements like the bench press and pull-ups, but they can also command ... Continue Reading
Op-Ed: These Are the 10 Best Lifts, Fight Me
With the exception of 1-rep max smith machine squats (just say no), just about any exercise can serve a purpose in a well-designed workout routine. But most trainers will tell you that some exercises ... Continue Reading
2 Isometric Training Methods For Stronger Powerlifts
In the never-ending quest to get bigger and stronger, concentric and eccentric contractions get most of the love in the gym, while isometrics get left out in the cold. Because when people think of ... Continue Reading
How to Deal With Fitness Information Overload (3 Rules to Live By!)
As part of my work as a coach, I’m constantly reading — about technique, programming, psychology, diet, and everything else that goes into making a successful strength and physique athlete. I’m lucky that ... Continue Reading
The Untold Story of Louis Cyr, the Original “Strongest Man on Earth”
Who is the world’s strongest man? Nowadays the answer is clear to most strongmen: either the winner of the Arnold Strongman Classic or the World’s Strongest Man competition. But these competitions, ... Continue Reading
5 Tips to Bust Through an Overhead Press Plateau
Are you dedicated to your overhead press? Making sure you’re getting in upper body compound exercises that aren’t just the bench press? Are you sure your form is beautiful—tight core, tight quads, tight ... Continue Reading
Deadlifting for Strength Vs. Size: Small Form Tweaks for BIG Lat Growth
So, if you’ve been keeping up with my articles so far, you know that one of the most important aspects of training for aesthetic development requires strengthening the muscle, not the movement. You can ... Continue Reading
The Underrated Benefits of Using Iso Deadlifts In Your Program
The deadlift can be both one of the easiest and most frustrating movements to progress. For many athletes, the deadlift is usually the lift that progresses the most quickly when first starting out with ... Continue Reading
6 TRX® Exercises Powerlifters Should Know About
While on deployment in 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick created his first version of the TRX® out of a jiu jitsu belt and parachute webbing. He was just that keen to stay in shape with bullets whizzing ... Continue Reading
Are Knee Sleeves Worth It?
Knee sleeves can be worn for a variety of reasons in a day-to-day setting, and in this article, we're going to highlight knee sleeves' efficacy in the gym. We've tested some of the best knee sleeves ... Continue Reading
6 Kettlebell Finishers to Improve Powerlifting Performance
So, you’re a powerlifter. You spend most of your time with barbells, plates, and more barbells. Hey, I feel you: so do I. But eventually, we all hit the dreaded plateau: no matter how hard we try, we can’t ... Continue Reading
3 Alternative Overload Methods to Improve Strength and Muscle Mass
As part of my transition from powerlifting to bodybuilding, I think it’s important to discuss the changes I’ve made in my diet and training. After all, diet and training are the cornerstones of success, ... Continue Reading
5 Steps to Becoming a Great Powerlifting Coach
When I was young and thought about my career, like many, I dreamt of being a police officer, doctor, lawyer, or pilot. Coaching was not something that came to mind. In fact, when I was younger, I was not ... Continue Reading
5 Types of Supersets and When to Use Them
Who doesn’t love supersets? You can pair almost any two exercises together to build muscle, lose fat or bring up a lagging body part. Not only that, you’ll do more work in less time and hit the showers ... Continue Reading
The Pros and Cons of MCT Oil for Athletes (Brought to You by Ample)
It stands for medium-chain triglycerides and it’s one of the most talked about fats in fitness. It’s often sold on its own as a kind of tasteless oil, but over 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is ... Continue Reading
A Free Lifting Program for Golfers (And Why It’s Important)
Tiger Woods raised the bar when it came to how you approach the game of golf off the course. Within 11 years of turning pro, through a combination of flexibility and weight training, which included ... Continue Reading
3 Common Deadlift Errors and How to Fix Them
Ah, the deadlift — a lift loved by many and loathed by some. The deadlift is simplistic in nature, but can become incredibly complex when things are not going swimmingly. Typically, the deadlift is more ... Continue Reading
The Fascinating Untold History of Powerlifting
To me, there is nothing more humbling than watching the powerlifters train in my local gym. Huddled around a barbell, sniffing ammonia, slapping each other's backs and violently screaming as they rip ... Continue Reading