You did it: you took the journey and brought your friends and family along – you competed in a powerlifting meet. Leading up to it, you posted training video after training video on social media, snapped ... Continue Reading
5 Mobility Drills to Help You Through Lifting Sticking Points
“No Pain, No Gain!” We have all heard that at some point or another along our fitness or athletic journeys. Pushing through pain is sometimes said to make you stronger, more resilient, and tough. When in ... Continue Reading
Could Your Memories From PE Class Impact Exercise Habits?
Believe it or not, your daily exercise habits are influenced by a lot more than what we tend to believe. For example, every day our exercise habits can be related to our current physical, mental, and ... Continue Reading
5 Things To Do the Week Before Your Weightlifting Meet
After months of tough training, dialing in your technique, failed attempts (and some mild cursing), it’s finally show time. That’s right — it’s Meet Week. As a longtime athlete and performer, I’ve ... Continue Reading
This Is CrossFit Burnout (and How You Overcome It)
If you’re a seasoned CrossFitter, chances are you’ve reached a point where doing “constantly varied functional movements at high intensity” can feel a bit … bleh. You know those days when you walk into ... Continue Reading
So You Wanna Be A Powerlifter? The Peak and Taper
In our previous episode, we talked about the general outline of a program for a powerlifter. In this program, we’ll get a bit more into the nitty-gritty about what it means to ‘peak’ and to ‘taper’ which ... Continue Reading
5 Powerlifting Lessons From a Zen Monk
As a lay zen monk with the Kwan Um School of Zen and long-time lifter of all things heavy, it has thrilled me to see so many articles about the benefits meditation has on the strength athlete. I have even ... Continue Reading
3 Practical Tips for Powerlifters Using Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pretty popular style of diet, so I’m not going to go too in-depth into explaining it. If you have questions, I strongly suggest that you check out this article, which ... Continue Reading
5 Ways to Stay Strong (and Sane) During a Weight Cut
Since my last meet — the 2018 US Open — I’ve been slowly dieting down, from 214 to 202, to prepare to compete in the 181-pound class at the USPA Tribute meet this August. During that cut, I’ve maintained ... Continue Reading
Should Athletes Wear Flip Flops?
If you’re an athlete, you’ve heard the overused lifting cue “find your feet.” Or to start your squat “from the ground up.” Or “grip the floor” when lifting. Or “push through the floor” when ... Continue Reading
5 Useful Strength Training Lessons Everyone Can Benefit From
Alright, maybe the list below is common sense, and maybe you already knew these. Regardless, I felt like this article was appropriate for any strength athlete or lifter who needed a friendly reminder, ... Continue Reading
Why Do I Yawn When I Lift?
You’re psyched up. You’ve had pre-workout coffee, jogged up a sweat, mobilized, done your warm-up sets, hit your working weight, and after your first working set… you yawn. Shake it off. Another set. ... Continue Reading
The Untold History of the Overhead Press
The Military Press is undoubtedly one of weightlifting’s most elusive challenges. Done correctly, and with strict form, the Press can humble even the greatest ego. Done incorrectly, the Press turns into a ... Continue Reading
3 Simple and Effective Methods to Increase Workout Intensity
Most of the time, when I write about programming, I’m trying to argue that less is more. I really believe that optimal training involves balancing work and recovery, and that many lifters underestimate ... Continue Reading
Is the Kettlebell Clean & Jerk the Ultimate Cross-Training Tool for Athletes?
As an athlete, you are looking for an edge. You want to be as fast, strong, powerful, mobile, and durable as you can while staying healthy. At the same time, since you are an athlete and the name of ... Continue Reading
Could Baking Soda Be the Best Workout Supplement You’ve Never Tried?
While this sounds like your grandma’s folksy remedy for a kickass workout, baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate) might actually have application for strength sports, especially metcons, HIIT, and ... Continue Reading
Sympathetic Vs Parasympathetic: Why Every Athlete Needs to Understand the Difference
What if you could will yourself to absorb food better? OK, that sounds like magic, but — and we promise there’s science supporting this — in two minutes and without leaving your chair you can purposefully ... Continue Reading
How and Why Deadlift Cluster Sets Can Improve Your Pull
Earlier this year, I began experimenting with cluster sets in my training. If you’re not already familiar with them, cluster sets are multiple (usually 6-10) sets performed with very short rest (45-90 ... Continue Reading
How “Loaded Mobility” Can Combine Strength With Prehab
Move better, that is the credo. In the endless pursuit of physical mastery, the emphasis on bigger, faster, stronger will run its course for an everyday athlete and sooner or later the priority ... Continue Reading
5 Benefits of the Glute Bridge
Glute training is key for increasing posterior chain strength, power, and performance. While many strength, power, and fitness athletes spend most of their weight training performing squats, deadlifts, ... Continue Reading
Do Compression Boots Actually Do Anything?
If you’ve been a fan of CrossFit for some time, there’s a good chance you’ve seen someone like Annie Thorisdottir or Noah Ohlsen lounging on a chair in a pair of enormous, electric trousers. Of all the ... Continue Reading
6 Factors Powerlifters Should Consider to Maintain Strength During a Cut
Have you ever wondered why most powerlifters don’t look ripped? There is definitely a stigma on our sport that we are the “overweight”, and even sometimes lazy group of athletes. I mean, it makes sense ... Continue Reading
Short Vs. Long Powerlifting Meet Preps: How Are They Different?
My first meet as a professional powerlifter was Boss of Bosses 3, held by Dan Green and Animal Pak in Mountain View, California. It was a hugely important meet to me for personal reasons: besides being my ... Continue Reading
How German Volume Training Can Add Muscle to Your Frame
Building muscle takes a lot of time and dedication — it’s not quite as easy as Hollywood makes it seem. Most people understand this when they step into a gym for the first time. Yet undoubtedly there’s ... Continue Reading