Strongman has certainly changed a lot since it first graced our TV screens in the 70s. Back when the sport was but a baby, the events were new, exciting, and unpredictable, designed to test both the ... Continue Reading
Why It’s Okay (and Sometimes Good!) to Do Bicep Curls
As competitive athletes, most of what we do in the gym should have a specific purpose. Squats, Olympic lifts, sprints, corrective and mobility training, and accessory work claim a large amount of our ... Continue Reading
4 Ways to Reduce Sitting at Work and Improve Your Lifts Today
Do you ever feel like your coach or trainer is harassing you while you perform squats? “Almost there!” “Get Lower!” “Chest up!” “A little lower!” “No rep!” If any (or all) of these sound ... Continue Reading
How to Design Better Warm-Ups for Yourself, Training Partners, and Clients
Strength and power athletes require high degrees of motor control, force output, and neuromuscular activity in order to elicit maximal performance in training and competition. The role of a warm-up in ... Continue Reading
The 5 Most Important Movements in Strongman Training
A few weeks ago I wrote and we gave away a periodized strongman program that was complex, detailed and comprehensive. It has the athlete training 5 days per week, with an optional events day on Saturday. ... Continue Reading
6 Reasons Why You May Be Collapsing In the Clean
Collapsing in the catch of the clean is a common issue with weightlifters and Crossfitters. In this article, we will discuss the potential technical faults and or strength limitations that may be ... Continue Reading
5 Things Every New Weightlifter Should Do At Weightlifting Meets
Taking the platform at your first (or any meet for that matter) can be a very nerve racking experience. Preparation can set you apart from others, as you will be more apt to come ready, warm up ... Continue Reading
How Much Should You Clean In Relationship To Your Front Squat
Understanding the relationship between a lifter’s clean and how it correlates to their best front squat can help coaches and athletes better determine whether athletes have limitation in strength or more ... Continue Reading
Snatch Extensions Vs Snatch High Pulls
Snatch extensions (sometimes known as snatch pulls) and snatch high pulls are accessory pulling exercises for weightlifters. Both variations, although very similar, have distinct training outcomes and ... Continue Reading
Stop Ignoring Accessory Work
I recently heard Louie Simmons on the Barbell Life Podcast say that his lifters do 80% accessory work! That means for some of the strongest guys in the world, they spend roughly 20% of their training day ... Continue Reading
How Weightlifters Can Benefit From Squat Walkouts
There are few things worse than hitting some heavy back or front squats, only to unrack the bar and feel overwhelmingly depleted even before you begin your descent. I know because I have been there, plenty ... Continue Reading
Should Weightlifters Do Behind The Neck Jerks?
The behind the neck jerk is a viable training option for both beginner and advanced weightlifters. This jerk variation improves works to improve: Leg drive in the jerk Overhead confidence and ... Continue Reading
Why You Should Avoid the “Lifter’s Grind” in Training
Sorry for the bad poem, but I’ve heard it helps to use humor to defuse a sensitive subject: Ode to the Grind The deadlifter stood tall and readied themselves for the fight. The challenge a new one; ... Continue Reading
How Top Strongwoman Competitors Are Already Outlifting Some Male Athletes
I had the pleasure of being the live stream broadcaster for a first-ever event this weekend (August 27th-28th); Strongman Corporation’s Strongest Woman in the World. After watching some of the most amazing ... Continue Reading
The One Question to Ask to Figure Out How to Scale Your WOD
Whether you're still in the toddler stage of your fitness career, coming back from an injury, or just building confidence, at some point we all have to ask ourselves, "Should I scale this ... Continue Reading
Explain Like I’m 5: Why Does Working Out at High Altitude Suck?
If you've ever traveled to an area above 5000ft and tried to do a WOD, you already know how much it sucks to try and work out at higher elevations. Everything is hard. Finish times are slower, ... Continue Reading
How to Embrace the Mental Challenge of Strength Training
As a coach, one of the most powerful tools you can possess is an understanding of your athlete's motivation to perform. You think that the easiest way to get this information is to simply ask them: “So ... Continue Reading
What’s Really Threatening the Olympics (and How to Fix It)
As the world settles in to watch its most beloved sporting event, the critics of that event are having a field day – and with good reason. There is a bountiful smorgasbord of things to criticize the ... Continue Reading
Why Weightlifting Is Good for Kids (and Why It Won’t Stunt Their Growth)
Stereotypes have a way of creeping into many different areas of sport. It's seems that grade school never ends, because jealousy and the need to degrade one sport in order to lift up another comes through ... Continue Reading
Raw vs Equipped Powerlifting
Let’s get one thing out of the way, right away: This article is not a debate over Raw vs. Equipped powerlifting. We’re not taking sides, and we don’t think one is better than the other. Lift in the nude or ... Continue Reading
How to Plan Group Training for Strongman (and Why It’s Important for Your Progress)
While not a team sport, every strongman benefits greatly from a group training day. Weekday training is often done under the supervision of a coach or with a committed training partner and Sundays are ... Continue Reading
Strength Myths: “Weightlifting Is Bad For Your Knees”
One of my favorite parts of being involved in a strength sport is hearing all the ridiculous nonsense that comes out of people's mouths. Apparently weightlifting is terrible because it’s “so bad for your ... Continue Reading
4 Ways to Get More Out of Training Alone
CrossFitters are a particular breed. We want to do our own thing and not rely on anyone else — nah bro, I’ll set up my own bar over here. I’m going RX+! — but we also want to suffer (and succeed) with ... Continue Reading
3 Practical Tips for Busy Weightlifters
Odds are that most of you reading this article have a job, career, family, or other responsibilities that interfere with training. Weightlifting is a very demanding sport, and mixing it together with other ... Continue Reading