The lat pulldown can be a reliable and effective alternative to back-training staples like chin-ups or pull-ups. Pulldowns can be useful for novice lifters who may not yet be strong enough to perform ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Front Foot Elevated Split Squat for Size, Strength, and Athleticism
When it comes to building muscle one leg at a time, the Bulgarian split squat, also known as the rear foot elevated split squat, usually gets all the praise and attention. But the real ones know how ... Continue Reading
Split Squat vs. Lunge: Upgrade Your Single-Leg Training
Whether you want to build an impressive set of wheels, boost your strength, or improve athletic performance, your training had better include some single-leg exercises. Indeed, they are invaluable for ... Continue Reading
How to Start Training if You’re Over 40
The gym is for everyone. It’s for bodybuilders working to reach 5% body fat on stage and powerlifters who want to bench press 500 pounds. The gym is also for folks who have some gray in their hair, some ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Clean & Jerk for Total-Body Strength and Power
Is there a feat of strength more visually striking than taking a heavy chunk of metal from the ground, heaving it into the air, and locking it overhead? The image alone, sometimes seen in silhouette, is ... Continue Reading
10 Chest Flye Alternatives to Try During Your Next Workout
The quest for a deep, muscular chest has probably been ingrained deep in human DNA since time immemorial. As such, dumbbell chest flyes were likely the second exercise ever invented, right after the king ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Pallof Press for a Stronger, Healthier Core
Physical therapist John Pallof shared a simple exercise with a few influential strength coaches in the early 2000s. It offered an effective way to challenge core stability in an upright, athletic position. ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Toes-to-Bar for Core Strength and Power
Ask several people to describe the toe-to-bar movement and you’re likely to hear multiple descriptions of how the outcome should be accomplished. That is, actually getting one’s toes “to the bar.” You ... Continue Reading
8 Hip Thrust Alternatives to Build Your Glutes and Hamstrings
Although current social media pages might be filled with so-called “glute girls” who prioritize their posterior in the gym, targeting your glutes and hamstrings isn’t just for likes and shares. A muscular ... Continue Reading
The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced
Pairing your back and biceps in one workout has been a classic muscle-building session for decades. It’s a time-tested approach that’s reliable, effective, and it simply makes sense — the majority of ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Reverse Biceps Curl for Complete Arm Development
For most lifters, a week full of workouts just isn’t complete without some tickets to the gun show. But good arm training goes beyond simply ripping through some biceps curls and triceps pressdowns. There ... Continue Reading
Should You Train the Deadlift on Back Day or Leg Day? What to Know for Results and Recovery
“Doubling up” can be a good thing — A doubleheader at the ballpark, double meat in your burrito bowl, and a double shot of espresso to jump-start the day. But it can also be, well, double trouble — Double ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Split Squat for Single-Leg Size and Strength
When it’s time to train your lower body, barbell back squats get plenty of attention, but single-leg training should spend more time in the spotlight. In particular, it’s worth focusing on the dumbbell ... Continue Reading
The Ultimate Bench Press Workout to Increase Strength and Muscle
The ever-popular bench press has built its reputation over the last few decades as a rite of passage, a trial by fire, and a founding member of the powerlifting "big three." This exercise is all that, and ... Continue Reading
The 4 Best Pull-Up Alternatives for Back Strength and Muscle
The pull-up is what many experienced trainers refer to as the “king of upper body exercises.” Although the common gym narrative is to test your worth by finding out how much you bench press, there’s so ... Continue Reading
Try These Biceps Workouts Without Weights for Muscle, Strength, and Fat Loss
Ask 1,000 random lifters if they desire more muscular arms and very few (honest) souls will tell you “no.” The biceps are among the most visible body parts, and an impressive set of guns will usually make ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Bear Plank for Stronger Abs and Total-Body Stability
Everyone in the gym has their own ideas about ab training. And the majority of people seem to hate it. It’s the one thing most lifters leave to the end of their workout in favor of movements for other body ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Front Squat for Leg Size and Strength
Imagine this: It’s peak hour at your gym and you've spent all day looking forward to attacking some front squats, but the wait for a squat rack is longer than the line at the smoothie bar on half-price ... Continue Reading
Try These 11 Front Squat Alternatives for Powerful Legs and a Stronger Core
The front squat is a staple movement for Olympic weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and countless other strength-focused lifters. However, some find the unique bar position to be a limiting factor because ... Continue Reading
12 Common Deadlift Mistakes and How to Fix Them
To be blunt, deadlifting is awesome. Once you get hooked, you are hooked for life. It is arguably the best test of full-body strength, and the deadlift will never lie to you. You can either grip it and rip ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Kettlebell Deadlift for Lower Body Size and Strength
When a new lifter finally gets a kettlebell in their hands, the swing is typically one of the first exercises they try. But it shouldn’t be. The swing is arguably the most popular kettlebell exercise and ... Continue Reading
8 Overhead Press Variations for Stronger Shoulders
Everyone talks about "International bench day," but there’s nothing quite like pressing something heavy overhead. It’s pretty much the most innate display of strength. When little kids want to impress ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Dumbbell Pullover for Upper Body Muscle and Mobility
Maybe you first saw the pullover performed in low-res videos of Golden-era bodybuilders. Now, it’s common to see in commercial fitness centers, rehabilitation facilities, and home gyms. The dumbbell ... Continue Reading
15 Deadlift Variations for Muscle, Strength, and More
The deadlift is considered by many lifters to be the king of exercises. It could be considered the ultimate display of full-body strength, and it's likely an exercise that recruits the most muscles in the ... Continue Reading
