When it comes to breakfast, it's not uncommon to hear things like, "It gets your day started right," and "It's the most important meal of the day," but is it? With the growing popularity of diets like ... Continue Reading
A Guide to Strength Training During Ramadan
Fasting from both food and fluid all day, every day, for an entire month, puts the body under stress. And for many Muslims, that’s the point: the month of Ramadan is for spiritual reflection and devotion, ... Continue Reading
How to Use Resistance Bands to Increase Strength, Power, and 1-RMs
One of the many ways strength athletes can increase their power and force production under the bar is with the use of resistance bands. Bands are an awesome modality to incorporate in programming when you ... Continue Reading
I’m a Night Owl. Here’s What I Learned from Working Out at 6am
During the remaining four weeks at my first job out of college, I embarked on a little experiment otherwise known as “Morning CrossFit”. I had a new gig lined up that I was starting to get excited for, and ... Continue Reading
6 Things That Happen to the Body When You Stop Lifting
Every athlete may encounter a time in their career when they stop lifting, this could be due to injury, temporary loss of love/motivation for the gym, or even a forced resignation due to something like a ... Continue Reading
High Volume vs. Maximum Intensity: How to Choose?
There is a maxim in the coaching world; you can train long or you can train hard, but you can’t train both. There are strongman coaches in both camps, and I will attempt to show you the difference and help ... Continue Reading
Elite Powerlifters Discuss Deadlifting With a Rounded Back
Maximal deadlifts performed with a somewhat flexed thoracic may be one of the few lifts that receives more criticism than bench pressing with a huge arch. Both are highly controversial topics in terms of ... Continue Reading
Diabetes and Strength Training – What You Should Remember
This article does not constitute medical advice. Please see your licensed medical physician for information about how best to manage diabetes in your individual case. It's always a good idea ... Continue Reading
Getting Back in the Game After a Break from Training
A long time client of mine contacted me last week. They hadn’t been to the gym in over a year and had become depressed about it. She had become bogged down by the day to day activities of life, and the ... Continue Reading
What It’s Like to Always Be Hungry from Lifting
Constantly picking up heavy stuff is awesome, but the hunger that comes with it can be...umm...frustrating at times. Why? Well, while we're opening up new windows by working out like improved ... Continue Reading
Cable Pull Through Alternatives for Strength and Coordination
In an earlier article we covered in great detail the cable pull through, and why most lifters and athletes can benefit from them. Whether for glute development, warm up and/or corrective routines, or ... Continue Reading
Romanian Deadlift Alternatives for Muscle Growth and Strength
In an earlier article we discussed the immense benefits the Romanian deadlift can offer weightlifters, powerlifters, functional fitness athletes, and general trainees alike. Whether the purpose is to ... Continue Reading
3 Jefferson Squat Alternatives for Every Athlete
In an earlier article we discussed the benefits of the Jefferson squat, each benefit unique to the stance, loading, and specific movement of this classic barbell lift. Many lifters may have issues with the ... Continue Reading
How Being Stressed Can Impact Your Strength Training
When it comes to strength training, stress can be something of a double-edged sword. We need stress to grow physically. For example, every time we pick up a weight, we're producing a calculated stress on ... Continue Reading
Foam Rollers – How to Use, Benefits, and Best Exercises
Once an obscure tool for self-massage, today it’s rare to find a commercial gym without an area dedicated to foam rolling, and with good reason. When used correctly, foam rolling can be used for myofascial ... Continue Reading
5 Moves to Help Prevent Tennis Elbow in Strength Athletes
There aren't many conditions with as misleading a name as "tennis elbow." Also (and more accurately) known as lateral epicondylitis, it's caused by the overuse of muscles and tendons in the ... Continue Reading
Should You Eat Fat After a Workout?
There seems to be a general aversion to fat consumption post-workout for strength athletes. Although post-workout fat avoidance is not as common as the recommendation to drink a protein shake ... Continue Reading
4 Movements to Improve Your Thoracic Mobility
The importance of thoracic spine mobility — the area of the spine that runs from the base of the neck to just beneath the rib cage — can easily be overlooked. With low back pain being the most ... Continue Reading
7 Tips to Build Muscle in College
To sum up college in one intro to an article is nearly impossible. For most, it's a time in life when you begin to transition from being looked after to doing the looking after. The looking after is ... Continue Reading
Gua Sha Therapy — Does It Work for Strength Athletes?
There are a lot of methods a strength athlete can utilize to help them recover. Besides your typical eat well and get a good night's rest, there are methods that involve soft tissue massage. In ... Continue Reading
3 “Oddball” Events We Need Back in Strongman
While strongman has come a long way over the past several decades, there are a few events that have fallen out of popularity. In this article, I argue for their re-introduction in competition. Fridge ... Continue Reading
The Strength Athlete’s Guide to Building, Strengthening, and Caring for Your Posterior Chain
The posterior chain is a fancy name for the the muscles on the back of the body. Your Traps, Rear Deltoids, Lats, Spinal Erectors, Glutes, and Hamstrings are the engine that drive your athletic movement. A ... Continue Reading
How Do Your CrossFit® Open Scores Compare to These Celebrities?
The CrossFit® Open is in its third week, and we've seen a rollercoaster of ups and downs for many athletes. Possibly the best perk of the Open is comparing your scores to others nationwide, in your region, ... Continue Reading
Why Some Lifters Bleed During Max Lifts (How Common Is It?)
Many strength athletes have either bled or at least seen another lifter bleed during a maximal lift in their career. It's not very common, and tends to happen most when lifters ... Continue Reading