Where being strong is a lifestyle
More and more women are hearing about barbell hip thrusts as a way to build their glutes without ending up with huge quadriceps. Many of us find it insanely satisfying to see our glutes transformed and feel the sheer power of lifting a lot of iron with our hips. I assure you that even most guys aren’t doing the hip thrust, and when they see you crushing it they’ll be intrigued as they try not to look. Rest assured that {Read More…}
I often hear people say they want to “maximize” their strength-training workouts. The translation of this statement is usually “my workouts aren’t giving me what I want.” If this is you, you’re smart to think you should be doing something differently to build muscle or lose fat. But what is that “something?” You can improve your workouts – and your body composition– by changing an almost endless array of variables. Here are just three ways to start seeing better progress immediately. Avoid Ineffective {Read More…}
When we think of a cut, attractive physique, we think of a V-shaped upper body with defined shoulders and upper back. But even if you have lovely back and arm muscles, if your rear delts aren’t sufficiently developed it will look like something’s “missing.” But there are plenty of reasons to train your rear delts, and train them correctly: Counteract tight chest muscles and rounded shoulders (poor posture) Help protect your shoulders and rotator cuffs from injuries Increase your strength {Read More…}
In the New Year, I challenge you to up the ante with your pushups! Being good at pushups is a worthy goal that deserves some of your time because they build a sculpted, strong upper body. But more importantly, being able to do pushups on your toes – or more difficult full pushups – makes you feel good about yourself. It means you worked towards something important, followed through, and achieved it. Pushups primarily use your pectorals, triceps, and anterior {Read More…}
There are so many measures against which we hold ourselves. If you can’t hold a plank for 2 minutes then you’re a wimp. If you can’t deadlift extraordinary loads you’re not strong. If you don’t look like a fitness competitor/model you’re not thin enough. It’s desirable to have goals – of course. It’s healthy to “reach for the stars.” But some of these strength standards – and comparing ourselves to others – only serve to make us feel inadequate. The {Read More…}
Ever since I started periodizing my training, I’ve had to grapple with entire weeks of backing off the weights. As those who lift smartly know, you can’t go hard every single day. There need to be lighter intensity weeks cycled in so that your joints can recover from the stress of hard training. I went hard nonstop for years because I hate backing off the weights. Having to lift lighter during my usual routine makes it very hard for me {Read More…}
