Category: Strength Training

6 Best Exercises to Build Bigger Calves (and Tibialis)

Legs 15 min Read

Last updated September 2026 If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you feel like your calves are lagging…

The Serious Guide to Core/Abs Training

Core 9 min Read

Last updated September 2026 So you want a stronger core? You’ve found the right article. Scrap your sit-ups. Can…

How to Get Started With Strength Training

Strength Training 12 min Read

If you’ve found this article, you’re probably already aware of the benefits of strength training, but you may not…

Strength Training for Runners: Why You Need It

Strength Training 5 min Read

As a runner, you’ve probably heard that lifting will make you slower, add weight or leave you overtrained. The…

Knee Pain When Running: 5 Exercises to Fix It

Strength Training 10 min Read

If you’re a runner with an achy knee, you’re far from alone, and the good news is that strength…

The 6 Best Exercises to Build Bigger Forearms

Arms 11 min Read

Last updated September 2026 These six exercises are the missing pieces in your arm routine. Forearms are often an…

What Does a Weightlifting Belt Do?

Strength Training 11 min Read

You’ve probably noticed the strongest lifters in your gym wearing a weightlifting belt. You know it helps them lift…

What is Sarcoplasmic & Myofibrillar Muscle Hypertrophy?

Strength Training 10 min Read

Last updated September 2026 In a medical sense, hypertrophy is defined as the increase in bulk of an organ…

6 Best Horizontal Pulling Exercises to Build Back/Lats

Back 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Rows. Horizontal pulling exercises are rows. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a dumbbell, kettlebell,…

Newton’s First Two Laws Applied to the Deadlift

Deadlift 7 min Read

Why should physics matter when you’re trying to pull a new deadlift PR? Because the bar on the floor…

6 Best Vertical Pulling Exercises to Build Back/Lats

Back 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 These are the lat builders. Vertical pulling exercises take your lats through a huge range…

The 6 Best Quad Focused, Knee Dominant Exercises

Legs 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 For the upper body, we split exercises into vertical and horizontal pushes and pulls. The…

6 Best Hip Dominant Exercises to Build Glutes/Hamstrings

Legs 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Hip dominant exercises are the movements that build your glutes and hamstrings. They’re also called…

The 6 Best Exercises to Grow Your Biceps

Arms 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 If you want big arms, you need direct biceps work. Compound exercises like rows and…

6 Best Exercises to Grow the Medial (Side) Delt

Arms 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 One of the muscles that makes the biggest difference in your physique is one that…

6 Best Vertical Pushing/Pressing Exercises for Shoulders

Arms 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Vertical pressing is the technical term for pushing weight overhead. You probably think of it…

6 Tips to Strengthen Weak, Painful Wrists

Strength Training 8 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Over years of training clients, I’ve had many complain about wrist discomfort. Pain. After just…

10 Gym Etiquette Rules Everyone Should Follow

Strength Training 7 min Read

Good gym etiquette keeps everyone safe, keeps equipment available and makes the gym a better place to train. Whether…

The 6 Best Exercises to Grow Your Triceps

Arms 13 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Your triceps make up about two-thirds of your upper arm, so if you want bigger…

Build Bigger Biceps With These Barbell Curl Cues

Arms 6 min Read

A while back I wrote about why it’s so hard to add inches to your arms, but I never…

Your Strength Training Has Left This Muscle Weak

Strength Training 6 min Read

Last updated September 2026 It’s called strength training, so it makes you strong, right? For the most part. But…

6 Best Horizontal Pushing/Pressing Exercises For Your Chest

Chest 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Horizontal pressing is the technical term for something you’ve been doing your entire life: pushing…

The 6 Most Common Deadlift Technique Mistakes

Deadlift 8 min Read

The deadlift looks simple: grab the bar, stand up, put it down. There’s more going on than that. This…

Are Deadlifts a Back or Leg Exercise? Back Day vs. Leg Day

Deadlift 10 min Read

Last updated September 2026 I’ve heard this topic come up a lot over the years, and I still see…

5 Deadlift Cues to Stop Using (and What to Say Instead)

Deadlift 6 min Read

After writing 7 Squat Cues to Stop Using, the deadlift companion piece was overdue. These five cues are outdated,…

How to Get a Defined Chest

Chest | Strength Training 7 min Read

Last updated September 2026 My cousin is still early in what will be a lifetime of strength training. His…

10 Rules to Lift By

Strength Training 7 min Read

We asked our coaches for their top rules to lift by. Some are advice for beginners; some took us…

How Much Strength Training Should A Beginner Do?

Strength Training 5 min Read

There’s no single right answer. It depends on your current fitness, your goals, how well you recover, your schedule…

4 Reasons You Should Strength Train to Lose Weight

Fat Loss & Nutrition | Strength Training 4 min Read

Most people think cardio is the key to weight loss. Cardio has real benefits, but if you only do…

If You Could Only Do Three Exercises…

Strength Training 8 min Read

Last updated September 2026 I’ve told you which exercise to do if you could only choose one. Then I…

If You Could Only Do Two Exercises…

Strength Training 6 min Read

In If You Could Only Do One Exercise, we picked the single strength exercise that gives you the most…

If you Could Only Do One Exercise

Strength Training 5 min Read

Last updated September 2026 If you could only do one exercise in the gym, what would it be? Which…

6 Exercises That May Be Wasting Your Time (Depending on Your Goals)

Strength Training 6 min Read

No exercise is useless. But plenty of exercises are a poor fit for what you’re trying to achieve, or…

4 Tips for a Bigger Deadlift

Deadlift 5 min Read

There’s no truer test of strength than the deadlift. Picking something heavy off the floor is as simple as…

5 Techniques to Boost Your Low Bar Squat Max

Squat 6 min Read

“Practice the way you want to play.” But a max squat isn’t play. These five techniques helped me reach…

4 Reasons Low Bar Squats Are Better Than High Bar Squats

Squat 7 min Read

Last updated September 2026 There’s a reason (actually four) that most powerlifters use the low bar squat in competition….

6 Best Accessory Exercises for the Low Bar Squat

Squat 14 min Read

Last updated September 2026 The low bar squat lets you lift some serious weight. To get great at it,…

The Serious Guide On How To Conventional Deadlift

Deadlift 21 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Most people’s conventional deadlift is anything but conventional, so I’ve written this guide to fix…

The Serious Guide on How to Low Bar Squat

Squat 28 min Read

Here it is. Low bar squats are our specialty. No one teaches it like we do.  Everything you need…

The Serious Guide on How to Bench Press

Bench Press 18 min Read

If the bench press hurts your shoulders, it’s because you haven’t read The Serious Guide to the Bench Press….

How to Use an Earthquake Bar to Improve Shoulder Stability

Chest 7 min Read

Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body. That range of motion is great for pressing and…

The Best Bar Path for Your Bench Press

Bench Press 6 min Read

Last updated September 2026 One of the first things I learned after becoming a strength coach is that strength…

How to Set Up Your Home Gym for Strength Training

Strength Training 12 min Read

If you’re serious about strength training and you have the space, budget and motivation, a home gym is one…

How to Perfect Your Bench Press Setup

Bench Press 7 min Read

Last updated September 2026 The bench press is the most popular test of strength in the gym. How many…

The 6 Best Accessory Exercises for The Conventional Deadlift

Deadlift 15 min Read

Last updated September 2026 A great conventional deadlift takes strength through your whole body, so your deadlift is only…

6 Best Accessory Exercises For Your Bench Press

Bench Press 17 min Read

Last updated September 2026 The bench press is the most common exercise in any gym. Walk into your local…

The 5 Best Exercises To Learn The Conventional Deadlift

Deadlift 12 min Read

Last updated September 2026 The conventional deadlift is usually the hardest of the big three lifts to learn. The…

The 5 Best Conventional Deadlift Variations To Increase Your 1RM

Deadlift 6 min Read

The deadlift starts at the hardest point of the lift. There’s no build-up and no easing into it: you…

How To Do Band Assisted Low Bar Squats

Squat 6 min Read

Bands can make the low bar squat harder (band resisted) or easier (band assisted). Both create variable resistance. The…

How To Use Chains For Low Bar Squats

Squat 6 min Read

There are two ways to use chains with the low bar squat. One is the chain-suspended squat. The other,…

How To Do Band Resisted Low Bar Squats

Squat 6 min Read

Band-resisted low bar squats are a fresh way to train your legs, and another way (along with chains) to…

Why Low Bar Squats Hurt Your Wrist And Cause Pain

Squat 8 min Read

Last updated September 2026 If your wrists hurt when you low bar squat, you’re not alone. It’s one of…

Should You Use a Box When You Low Bar Squat?

Squat 5 min Read

Sometimes. A box is a great tool for two jobs: teaching the low bar squat, and reinforcing a strong…

How to Do Chain Suspended Low Bar Squats

Squat 5 min Read

Chain suspended squats are one of our favorite low bar squat variations. The bar hangs from chains at a…

Why Low Bar Squats Hurt Your Low Back

Squat 6 min Read

A lot of lifters already deal with some low back pain, and the squat shouldn’t add to it. With…

How Deep Should I Go In A Low Bar Squat?

Squat 6 min Read

Squat depth is one of the most argued-about topics in lifting. Competition standards vary by federation and by who’s…

Why Low Bar Squats Hurt Your Hip Flexors & Cause Pain

Squat 7 min Read

Do you feel a pinch in the front of your hips at the bottom of your low bar squat?…

Why Low Bar Squats Hurt Your Shoulders & How To Fix Pain

Squat 6 min Read

Last updated September 2026 One of the biggest adjustments when moving from high bar squats to low bar squats…

Why Low Bar Squats Hurt Your Knees and How to Fix it

Squat 7 min Read

Done well, the low bar squat is one of the best things you can do for strong, resilient knees….

The 4 Components of a Perfect Low Bar Squat

Squat 7 min Read

Last updated September 2026 There are a million moving parts in the low bar squat. Anyone who has tried…

3 Sides to a Great Low Bar Squat

Squat 5 min Read

Film a squat from the front, the side and behind, and every great low bar squat shows the same…

6 Signs Your Squat Needs Work

Squat 6 min Read

Last updated September 2026 Squat every day. Don’t skip leg day. Squats are king. Squats are mega trendy these…

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Squat

Squat 6 min Read

The squat is one of the best exercises there is. It builds serious leg strength, it’s a basic human…

What Is a Barbell Gym? How Strength Gyms Are Different

Strength Training 5 min Read

Tallahassee has more strength-focused gyms than ever, and that’s great news for anyone who wants to lift. Gyms today…

4 Reasons To Stop Doing Pull-Ups

Back 6 min Read

Last updated September 2026 They say you must do pull-ups. They say pull-ups build the biggest lats. They say…

7 Squat Cues to Stop Using (and What to Say Instead)

Squat 7 min Read

Everyone knows they should squat, but far fewer people know how to squat well. A big reason is that…

Progressive Overload: The Most Important Strategy for Getting Stronger

Strength Training 7 min Read

There are countless ways to train and just as many “gurus” giving advice. Tune out the noise. If you…

The Best Exercise for Learning the Squat: Goblet Squat to a Box

Squat 6 min Read

Your heels come off the ground. Your chest collapses. Your knees hurt. If your squat needs work, the fix…

How to Build Big, Wide, Thick Lats

Back 7 min Read

Last updated September 2026 I talk to people all the time who can’t build a big back. They can’t…

2 Band Exercises That Will Grow Your Glutes (and Why Squats Aren’t Enough)

Legs 7 min Read

Squats are great, but if you’ve been squatting for months and your glutes still aren’t growing, you’re not alone….

The Real Reason Your Grip Is Weak (and How to Fix It)

Strength Training 6 min Read

Deadlifts slip out of your hands. Jar lids win. Your handshake could be firmer. If you’ve been told to…

How to Use Lifting Straps the Correct Way

Strength Training 10 min Read

“If you use lifting straps, you won’t build a strong grip.” You’ve probably heard it. It’s only half true….