Sometimes it can be incredibly beneficial to think outside of the box. Want an example? Try performing some of your strength training exercises with a non-centered grip on a barbell or with a bit more weight on one side than the other. You’ll get a workout like you wouldn’t believe and, when performed correctly, make yourself stronger and less injury-prone. …
Straps vs Mixed Grip When Deadlifting (Pros & Cons of Each)
Who doesn’t want a heavier deadlift? More plates, more dates, as they say. Besides, let’s be honest here: lifting heavy weight feels good. Like, really good. You likely know this already, though. What you might not know, however, is whether wrist straps or the mixed grip is best for pulling heavier loads when deadlifting. There are some key factors to …
Becoming the Best Athlete Possible: 50 Proven Tips & Strategies
Life is much better when striving to become the best version of yourself possible. The pursuit of improving any aspect of yourself or your abilities yields dividends far beyond the sole feature or ability you’re trying to strengthen. And one of the most beautiful and rewarding pursuits to go after is becoming the best athlete possible, even if you’re NOT …
Why You Have Sore Abs From Pull-ups (What It Means And How To Fix It)
So there you are, a day or two after knocking out some chin-ups and pull-ups in the gym, when all of a sudden, you realize that your abdominal muscles (abs, for short) are just as sore as your mid-upper back – or perhaps even sorer. What gives? Are pull-ups and chin-ups supposed to make your abs sore, or is there …
Trap Bar Jumps vs Power Cleans: Here’s When to Use Which
When it comes to building explosive power and strength, two particularly common (and highly effective) exercises are often utilized: power cleans, and trap bar jumps. If they’re both incredibly effective, they must be quite similar, right? Yes…and…No. It’s complicated, but there’s a time and a place for each, and I’ll be breaking it down in this article. Trap bar jumps …
Sore Triceps From Lat Pulldowns? (It’s Not What You Think)
There’s nothing quite like banging out some challenging lat pulldowns; it’s such a good feeling. But why on earth would it make your triceps sore? Lat pulldowns are a back exercise, after all. Well, let’s talk a bit about anatomy in this article, and it then will all make perfect sense. I’ll also provide some lat pulldown modifications you can …
Use THESE Dynamic Warm-up Routines For Better Performance Outcomes
If you’re an athlete or active individual, you know that the performance-enhancing benefits of a dynamic warm-up can’t be understated. If you don’t believe me, check out this article of mine that will drop some science bombs for the specifics. This article, however, will present you with four different dynamic warm-ups that I’ve successfully used on my athletes (and myself) …
The Science Behind Better Warmups (Reap Profound Benefits)
Enhanced muscle performance. Better nervous system potentiation. Decreased injury potential. Those are some of the primary benefits you’ll experience when you get when you know how to perform an effective dynamic warmup series. It’s proven by science. So, in this article, I’ll be going over what you need to know about optimizing dynamic warmups so that you can reap some …
When You Should and Shouldn’t Squat Barefoot (And Why it Matters)
Sometimes squatting barefooted could be one of the smartest possible training moves you could ever make. Other times it could be just the opposite. The only thing better than squatting itself is squatting while knowing that the type of squats you’re doing are optimized to give you the results you’re after. Barefoot squatting is ideal for improving foot intrinsics, lower …
Equipment-free Rotator Cuff Exercises (World-class Protocol)
Properly warming up your rotator cuff before a workout or physical activity session is a pretty smart move if you plan on doing exercises or movements that will be using and challenging these muscles. And while there’s no shortage of great exercises and regimens to go through, many of them often require the use of bands or other equipment. This …