Training Articles RSS
What Type Of Lifting Straps Are Best For Powerlifting
It is no surprise that choosing lifting straps for powerlifting can be a little bit confusing since there are so many different types and brands. Lifting straps come in different materials, lengths, and shape types. There are specific types of lifting straps that are specifically more ideal for Olympic weightlifting,...
Single Prong vs Double Prong Lifting Belt: Which Is Better?
A lifting belt is a piece of equipment that many weightlifters and powerlifters use to help support the lower back and spine during lifts. Many lifters and weightlifters are faced with the decision of whether to buy a single prong or double prong lifting belt. It's important to understand the...
What Size Powerlifting Belt Do I Need?
You need to buy a powerlifting belt, but choosing the right powerlifting belt can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure what to look for. There are many different types of belts, and they vary in thickness, width, and length. Not choosing the right one can lead to...
How Do You Overload A Bench Press? (6 Ways)
There are many programming techniques you can use to get your bench press 1 rep max up. Training with high reps and high volume is a staple part of bench press training with powerlifters. Also, overloading the bench press is a useful part of bench press training as it gives...
How Thick Should A Lifting Belt Be: 6.5mm vs 10mm vs 13mm
Whether you are training for powerlifting, weightlifting, or bodybuilding, lifting belts will help you lift more weight. It does this through increasing intra abdominal pressure so performance exercises like squats and deadlifts become more efficient. Lifting belts come in all styles, shapes, and sizes, so it can be difficult to...
How To Do Farmers Walk At Home (5 Ways)
The farmer's walk or farmer's carry is a great exercise to train grip and core strength for strength athletes and gym-goers. As a strongman exercise, there is normally a specific set of strongman training equipment for this exercise called farmer's walk handles. Many gyms will not have access to this...
How To Do Glute Ham Raise Without a Machine (5 Ways)
The glute-ham raise or nordic curl is one of the hardest but most effective exercises at targeting the glutes and hamstrings. It is commonly used by powerlifters, weightlifters, and other sports athletes. It is traditionally performed on a purpose-built machine called the glute-ham developer or nordic curl machine. But how...
Why Do Powerlifters Use Hip Circles Or Hip Bands
Powerlifters often have a suitcase full of gadgets to support themselves during training. You will often find Hip Circles or Hip Bands to be a very popular type of resistance band that is wrapped around the knees and is used during warm ups or lower body exercises. Not only are...
How To Do Belt Squats At Home
Belt squats are increasingly becoming popular as a lower body exercise in powerlifting, bodybuilding, and strength and conditioning. It is a great way of training the squat movement without loading on the spine. However, many gyms do not have access to a belt squat station. So can you do belt...
How to Deadlift with a bicep injury
Whether you are a powerlifter, strongman or someone who loves lifting heavy, the chances are you probably enjoy deadlifts. The deadlift is one of the most sought after lifts to get incredibly strong at. However, with the heavier weights that come with getting strong with deadlifts, there is a risk...
How to get into powerlifting in your 30s
Powerlifting is a great sport to get into and it challenges you to develop strength you think was beyond your potential. Many people get into powerlifting when they are young. Your teenage years and 20s are the best time to get into powerlifting as it is the easiest age to...
Trim Down AND Get Stronger with IER
Dieting down is a real challenge in strength sports. Your performance is closely related to your recovery, which is closely related to your diet. It pays to be leaner, but it is also a challenging process. You don’t want to be drained during training, but a cut can really challenge...
Staying behind the curve of adaptation
Getting better is rarely a linear process, and handling your training more intelligently can produce better results with less risks. Today we’re going to take you on a brief journey through how you should structure your training. This is a simple principle of training planning that applies to everyone from...
Prehab Basics
The idea of reducing injury risk through intentional exercise, strengthening, and preparation is a long-standing one. The ideas you have about preventing injury probably could do with brushing up, however. It’s a practice that should play a significant part in your training: nothing ruins progress like an injury. This is...
Foam rolling still works!
Foam rolling still works in 2020 In recent times, it’s become pretty cool to hate on the foam roller. While it might look like a giant neon vibrator, this little foam friend is misunderstood. Today we’re going to take a light-hearted jaunt through the science on foam rolling and just...
Basics of Nutrient Timing for Everyone
What should you eat? When should you eat it? Simple questions that are usually met with really, unnecessarily complicated responses. Or a sales pitch! Today we’re going to take a look at the 5 most common areas where you can start thinking about nutrient timing. We’re simplifying things, of course,...
Weekly averages: the key to sustainable progress
One of the simplest lessons – but hardest to implement – is that your body works in weeks, not days. You might be getting caught up in the daily parts of your training and diet when the proper focus is on the long-term. Today we’re going to briefly hit up...
Setting up for the Deadlift
Setting up for the Deadlift is the first step towards getting the deadlift right. We’re getting straight to it, today, because we’ve got a lot to say and don’t want to keep you all day. You’ve read the title, you know this article is going to tell you how to...
fight or flight to rest and digest
One of the least glamorous aspects of taking training seriously is the old-man style of an evening ritual. You might not be looking for an article for the best way to get cosy for bedtime, but today we’re going to explore what evening rituals can do for your training. We’re...
Improving Life-Long Results: LTAD for Strength and Size
The role of long-term athletic development (LTAD) planning isn’t just for Russian children bound for the Olympics. If you’re planning on exercising for more than the length of your new year’s resolution, you need a plan. You either have a good plan or you have a bad plan. If you’ve...
Muscle strength linked to healthy gut bacteria, says new study
Faecal transplants might be the hot new thing in performance enhancement, at least according to a recent study published in the journal of experimental gerontology (the study of ageing, to you and me). Scientists working out of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Boston Tuft's University recruited 29...
Demonstrating Strength
One of the most important distinctions you need to keep in mind for your own training is that building and demonstrating strength are not the same thing. They have significantly different methods and goals, and if you keep this distinction in mind you can make your own training more effective....
The Glute Basics: Effective Butt Training for Size and Performance
Building a bigger butt is all the rage and there’s good reason: butts are great to look at and functionally crucial. Let’s look at what they’re for and then the keys to building your best butt. Why Butts Matter The glutes are some of the most important muscles in the...
Five Success Tips For The Beginner Lifter
Starting out as a beginner lifter can be daunting, especially if you have never picked up weights before. Approaching the weight racks in the gym can be intimidating, but it’s important to remember that everybody has to start somewhere. There can be a wealth of information online when searching for...
Unilateral Exercise: Accessory Exercises for Performance and Longevity
Today we’re discussing why unilateral exercise should be a significant player in your accessory work. We’ll define it, run through why it’s such an important and beneficial choice, then hit you with some of our favourite examples.
Basics of Nutrient Timing for Everyone
Using your hips in the Olympic Lifts
You’re Never Too Good for a Push-Up
Does strength training help you lose weight?
If you’re trying to lose weight, it can be all too easy to focus on cardio work – but pounding the treadmill isn’t the only answer in the pursuit of dropping a trouser size or two. Strength training is a hugely effective way of slimming down. In fact, some experts...
Progress: Getting Past the Weight
Strength and Muscle for Endurance: How to Make it Work for You
Essential Glute Workouts – Get the Perfect Booty!
Whether you are an exercise beginner or a regular gym goer, adding glute exercises to your workout is a great way to strengthen your muscles, build stamina and assist with your overall fitness levels. If you are looking to build and sculpt your buttocks, glute training will ensure that you...
Bad Days: Making the Best of Poor Training Days
When was the last time you had a training session that sucked? It’s probably quite recent, since they get more common the better you get.
Learning to deal with a “bad” day is one of the most important and economical ways of improving your training.
Beginners: Top Tips For Weight Lifting
Weight lifting is not only great for building muscle and toning your physique, it has many other benefits too. Weight lifting can improve your mood, increase your balance and stability and even help lower your blood pressure. If you are looking to start out in weight lifting, there are some...
GPP for strength sports and how to make it work
Strength Goals: How and why
What’s the point of all this strength training?
For many people, knowing that you’re getting better and achieving something notable is a key motivator.
Today we’re going to discuss strength goals – what they are, why they matter, and how they should be approached.
Deadlift Grips and Straps: What and Why?
Shop at Repel Bullies for Wraps, Straps and Supports The deadlift is one of the most important movements for building raw strength in the hips, legs, and back. However, it also requires – and builds – a strong grip. Today we’re taking you through the grips that you can...
Are you Ignoring Power?: How Power Training Can Help Your Lifting
Training Anxiety: Risks and Strategies
oday we’re going to take you through anxiety in training – what it means, why it’s a crucial factor you’re not thinking about, and how to improve harness it.
We’re going to take you through some of the risks of poor anxiety management, but also what you can do to improve it and harness it for the best performance and results!
Adaptation vs Skill: Conflict and Compliments
What Does Healthy Even MEAN?
The art and science of the light training day
There’s a lot of value to training hard – it’s an absolute necessity for getting better.
However, today we’re not talking about that: we’re talking about light days. Why they matter, what you should use them for, and some examples of how to make the most of them.
Reg Ranges are BS...Usually
Today its big science time, you can tell from this highly-detailed graph: We’re discussing the importance of rep ranges and other key factors on gains. We’re going to break down the real simple science of how to weight train effectively while simultaneously cutting through the nonsense you’ll see on...
5 Keys to Athleticism
When it comes to training, it’s easy to get caught up in the specifics of what you’re doing. Taking a step back to take a wider view of your overall development can be difficult, but crucial. The time spent looking at the bigger picture is a great way to stay...
How Can Co-Contraction Exercise Make YOU Stronger and Healthier?
Co-contraction refers to the simultaneous activity of antagonistic muscles. These are muscles that act in opposite directions on the same joint or structures – such as the bicep and tricep, which both move the elbow. The importance of Co-contractions is a seriously overlooked part of health and fitness, even though...
Flexibility and Mobility: Practical Principles and Guidelines
If you come from a classical strength sports background or physique, mobility and flexibility can be a whole new world. Powerlifting, CrossFit, and Weightlifting all have serious mobility requirements for the best performance. This keeps you healthy, helps you get into the best positions, and reduces overall inhibition of movement....
Gaining Muscle and Strength While Losing Weight: A User’s Guide to Your Body!
Gaining muscle and losing fat are the two key goals that make up most of fitness. They’re common and meaningful changes to your body that improve health, confidence, and performance. Choosing between the two is crucially difficult and makes a significant difference to your experience. Cycles of “bulking” and “cutting”...
Progressions in Strength Training: New Methods from Old Wisdom
If you’re familiar with gymnastic strength training, you’ll see serious differences from regular weight training for strength and size. The way that these two compare is interesting by itself – especially when combined – but you can learn a lot from bodyweight training for better strength training and weight lifting....
More Weight vs More Reps: A Simple Outline of Volume and Intensity
How you structure your training around reps-performed (volume) and weight-used (intensity) are key to your physique and performance. Utilising these two variables to your advantage is the essence of good strength training. Today, we’re discussing what they’re for and how you can make use of them for strength, muscle, and...
Can Intermittent Fasting Help You Gain Muscle Mass?
Intermittent fasting is a trend nowadays and it's being used for a variety of purposes from general health enhancement to weight loss to bodybuilding. You probably heard about it from someone you know or saw somebody talk about it on the internet and about how effective it was for them....