Most people aren’t nearly as advanced as they think they are. When it comes to lifting, most of us can thrive on the basics. Simple progressive overload (adding a bit of weight to the bar and/or a few extra reps each workout) is all most people need for increased muscle growth. Assuming you’re also eating …
4 Intensity Techniques for Increased Muscle Growth Read More »
Last Sunday, we hosted the Powerlifting Fundamentals seminar at 212 Health & Performance in Rumford, Rhode Island. It was my first ever “solo” seminar and it was beyond awesome. Great turnout, great energy and great lifting. During the lecture portion, I spoke about training philosophy and program design. I preached the importance of choosing the right …
Stack.com – 3 Barbell-Only, Full-Body Workout Programs for Any Fitness Goal Some people love their gym filled with shiny new equipment, juice bars and Eucalyptus-scented towels. They want to feel like they’re at the spa and would rather sweat in the steam room than on the gym floor. Well, that just ain’t for me. And …
Stack.com – 3 Barbell-Only, Full-Body Workout Programs for Any Fitness Goal Read More »
The Pull-over is an old-school bodybuilding exercise that was favored by greats like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman for its back-and-chest-building benefits. It’s pretty versatile, and just a few tweaks to your arm and elbow position can completely transform how this exercise hits your muscles. But there are a few problems with traditional Pull-overs, specifically …
Bodybuilding.com – 2 Pull-Over Variations Your Back Day Needs Read More »
“[I]f you want to really build strength and muscle, you need to crush each rep as explosively as you can with perfect form. Lower the weight under control, but always lift each rep with maximal effort like you’re trying to blast it through the roof.” This is a direct quote from a past article I …
The hamstrings might have it worse than any other muscle group in the body. They sit below the waist and on the backside of the body. Unless you’re running around in a Speedo, no one’s going to see your hamstrings at the beach. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore your hamstrings. Far from it. Strong …
SheerStrengthLabs.com – 3 Exercises That Get You Herculean Hamstrings Read More »
I consider myself a bench press guy. I’m built for it. I’ve got T-Rex arms and have always been better at pressing than pulling. And while the bench press is one of my favorite exercises, I’d be lying if I said the simple push-up wasn’t a fantastic exercise for building upper body strength and muscle. …
Everybody wants a bigger bench press. And if you want a big bench press, you need big triceps. And if you want big triceps, you’d better read my latest article on Stack.com. Don’t be fooled by the skinny, polo-and-Vibrams-wearing trainer who says that arm exercises aren’t “functional.” Avoiding direct arm work is a surefire way …
A few weeks ago, I was training a client and had a funny interaction with my co-worker Steve. I was explaining to the client the difference in rep ranges for building strength and building muscle. “To build muscle,” I said, “you want to stick with high reps, like 8 to 12 per set.” Steve guffawed …
My 3 Favorite Set and Rep Schemes for Fast Muscle Gains Read More »
On October 11, I’ll hit the platform at the RPS Power Challenge in Everett, Mass., for the seventh meet of my powerlifting career. I’m shooting for a 1500 total and a double bodyweight bench press. In March, I went 8-for-9 with a 1435 total at 198 and won Best Lifter, which was a nice comeback after I …
