strength and conditioning

Bro, do you row? Almost every type of athlete, from elite weightlifter to weekend warrior, could greatly benefit from more pulling. Here are a few reasons: Improved Scapular Retraction: Due to the ... Continue Reading

Depending on who you ask—this can be a controversial topic. But in reality, it’s straightforward. Before we get into exactly what you should, and shouldn’t be doing, let’s take a step back and consider the ... Continue Reading

A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the concept of periodization and its function in organizing training programs, particularly for eliciting athletic performance gains. The ... Continue Reading

The classic dumbbell pullover is an exercise bodybuilders have been doing for ages. Back in the Golden era they were credited with building bigger lats, pecs, and serratus. Many top bodybuilders also swore ... Continue Reading

Specificity is a core principle in sport science. It’s the degree of association between training and performance outcomes.1 If you’re a powerlifter this means that the training you do should be focused at ... Continue Reading

Before I get into what tempo is good for, let’s talk about reading tempo. “What does @3131 mean?” Before I explain that, you need to understand the difference between the concentric and ... Continue Reading

Now say that three times fast! Welcome back everyone to another episode of Breaking Down Your Workout Library. Thanks to the team at Breaking Muscle, I’ve been guided to produce another breakdown of one of ... Continue Reading

Today we will be covering the strict press. In Chinese weightlifting, strict presses are completed a bit differently. As demonstrated above, the standard strict press starts from the clean position and ... Continue Reading

A simple squat is one of the most effective exercises for building muscle, and also incredibly functional in how it translates to our daily living. Despite its relevance, it definitely takes detailed work ... Continue Reading

Abs respond to heavier weights because of their muscle fiber makeup. In order to get deeply etched abs, they also need to undergo some hypertrophy training. The rules on this are clear and, like every ... Continue Reading

The trap bar deadlift is an incredibly effective exercise. It is a kind of squat/deadlift hybrid lift. Obviously, you deadlift the bar off the floor with it in your hands but the movement pattern is closer ... Continue Reading

Someone asked me a question while I was dropping in at another gym back home in Virginia recently that got me thinking: "How much time do you spend in the gym to look like that?" It's not a bad ... Continue Reading

Most of us have muscular imbalances—a weaker arm, shoulder, leg, etc. If you find yourself constantly doing the classic barbell movements (barbell bench press, deadlift, and back squat) then you might be ... Continue Reading

In a first of its kind study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine1, data from a nationally representative sample of US adults were used by investigators to link low-to-moderately frequent ... Continue Reading

Photography by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas Photography by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas Consider what it would look like to scale up a mountain, reach the peak, then descend. Now ... Continue Reading

If you’ve haven’t been working out with a suspension trainer, or you only use the one at your gym/house sporadically, you are missing out. If you’ve haven’t been working out with a suspension ... Continue Reading

This is a great workout for general fitness, fat loss, or muscle building. It’s perfect for those seeking maximum calorie burning and variety within their current program. It's demanding and ... Continue Reading

When it comes to cardiovascular health, weight loss, or overall health improvements, cardio seems to always get the spotlight. I get it, it is good for you and, for the most part, everyone can do it in ... Continue Reading

Professional IFBB bodybuilder, Ben Pakulski, said, “Set the goal to build muscle, not for the muscle but for what it will make of you to achieve it.” I heard this on a recent episode of The Renegade Radio ... Continue Reading

Photo by Bev Childress During our lifetime, the human body is constantly undergoing visible and invisible changes. Spiritual, intellectual, and emotional changes are among the most prevalent due to ... Continue Reading