Is there really a difference between vertical rows and horizontal rows? Kind of, but also, not really (how’s that for an answer?). Any time you’re pulling weight towards you, you’re using specific muscles on the back of your upper body. Still, muscle recruitment can change quite substantially based on a couple of factors. If you’re just starting out with weight …
Here’s Why You Have Elbow Pain With The French Press (Problem Solved)
Note: While the French press and skull crushers can be considered different exercises (based on how they can be performed), the underlying movement pattern and subsequent stresses on the common triceps tendon are similar enough that, for the sake of this article, I will be considering them one and the same. Few things in the gym feel better than getting …
Why Your Forearm Hurts With Overhead Press (Detailed Info & Solutions)
Forearm pain with overhead pressing: it may be an odd feeling, but it’s certainly not one that’s uncommon. And thankfully, the reasons as to why this odd — but definitely annoying — phenomenon occurs are often relatively straightforward to clean up. After all, no one likes having unnecessary pain or discomfort when trying to become stronger or healthier overall. Forearm …
Why Your Calves Get Sore From Running Uphill (And What To Do About It)
Running or sprinting uphill can be a phenomenal way to challenge (and improve) various aspects of your physical and cardiovascular fitness. But it’s hard to do when it makes your calves chronically sore, tight and feeling otherwise lousy. Thankfully, getting the issue under control (while ensuring it never happens again) is often a relatively straightforward process. Calves are more prone …
Nervous About Going to Physical Therapy? These Pro Tips Can Help
Physical therapy is an incredibly diverse profession, and it can evoke different thoughts and emotions in individuals based on what they’ve heard about physical therapy, what they’ve read, or even what they imagine it to be. And since people go to physical therapy for a near-infinite number of injuries, conditions, or other reasons, the type of treatment each individual receives, …
Cable vs Banded Pull Throughs: Key Differences | Get Better Results
The pull-through is a brilliant exercise that can build a bulletproof backside on those who choose to perform them. Sometimes lifters perform them on traditional gym equipment, specifically with a cable stack, while other times, you’ll see folks perform them with giant rubber bands. But is there really a difference between the two? While they may look pretty similar, there …
Shoulder Pain From the Elliptical Machine: Causes, Fixes and More
Shoulder pain is likely the last thing you were expecting to experience after using a piece of fitness equipment designed to be gentle on the joints and muscles of the body. Nonetheless, if your shoulder has been experiencing discomfort — or pain — after using the elliptical machine, there are typically a few key reasons as to why. Shoulder pain …
One Hamstring Tighter Than the Other? Here’s Your Solution
It’s an odd — and very annoying — feeling to have one hamstring that’s chronically tighter than the other, especially if you don’t know why it’s happening. And if you don’t get to the bottom of the issue, it can plague you (and even worsen) with pain and dysfunction for years to come. Thankfully, by the time you finish reading …
Spanish Squats for Patellar Tendinopathy: How | Why | When (Must Know)
There’s a lot of talk going on these days about Spanish squats being a highly beneficial exercise for treating and preventing patellar tendon-based pain, such as tendinopathy. But does this exercise really live up to the hype? If so, just what is it about this modified squat that makes it such a worthy exercise to perform, and how does one …
Massage Gun vs Shockwave Therapy: A Detailed Comparison
They may seem similar, but massage guns and shockwave therapy are, in fact, two very different beasts. However, many individuals often conflate the two due to their seemingly outwardly similar nature. In actuality, each one has a unique mechanism of action and produces unique therapeutic effects, depending on the condition being treated. Massage guns work primarily through percussion-induced effects (percussion …