The deadlift is the king of exercises for most raw lifters, in the sense that if you don’t pay your dues and bow before the “king”, your total is going to suffer greatly. However, more so than squats or bench presses, I’d argue that deadlifts take the most out of any lifter, especially when performed […]
16 Best Accessory Exercises for Deadlifts Read More »
Lifters either have a love or hate relationship with the bench press. Some people are gifted with the leverages and natural strength needed to press big weight. Others languish under the bar and curse the lift as their absolute worst. While it’s possible to have a “poverty squat” and a “poverty deadlift”, you’re much more
14 Best Accessory Exercises for Bench Press Read More »
In the sport of powerlifting, the squat and deadlift put the most kilos into your powerlifting total. Yet while practicing your competition squats is the most effective way to improve your squat, accessory exercises for squats can help you address weaknesses, identify and eliminate sticking points, and vary up your training. Sticking point squat accessories
10 Best Accessory Exercises for Squats Read More »
In the iron game, I personally would argue that there are four dominant sports: powerlifting, weightlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding. While bodybuilding is not a sport that strictly involves moving heavy weights (at least not on stage), it is undeniably part of the history of strength sports and their popularity throughout time. Yet among these four
Weightlifting vs. Powerlifting: Key Differences Read More »
Powerlifting is a strength sport of three basic movements – the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. These are powerlifting movements performed in gyms all across the world, and they feature in the repertoires of trainers across the planet. Yet the typical powerlifting lift is going to look a little different from what most
What Are the Main Powerlifting Movements? Read More »
The deadlift is the most metal lift of all. It’s the lift that requires you to be ‘on’ far more than any other lift. And it is (usually) the heaviest barbell lift you can do. It’s also incredibly intimidating once you reach a point where you’re getting closer and closer to your one-rep max, because
What is Deadlifting Good For? Read More »
Legs are absurdly strong if you think about it. Most people’s squats are not limited by how much force they can produce through their legs, but by their back. Most people can leg press, machine hack squat and hip thrust far more than they can actually back squat. Unilaterally, people can squat more than bilaterally
How to Squat: My Personal Guide Read More »
The bench press is the ultimate bro exercise, and it’s pretty much the one barbell movement most gymgoers are familiar with. While the squat ranks up there as well, squats are typically neither as popular nor as well-liked as the bench press. However, outside of powerlifting and bodybuilding circles, a lot of people have pretty
How to Bench Press: My Personal Guide Read More »
I’ve described before that the deadlift feels like home to me, thanks to relatively long arms and a natural affinity for pulling. That doesn’t mean I have any talent in putting big numbers on the bar, but versus my other lifts, my deadlift is definitely a little ahead of the curve. That being said, the
How to Deadlift: My Personal Guide Read More »
You could probably separate most lifters into two camps: those who train with earbuds, and those who train without. I’ve spent many weeks where every training session began and ended with me intently focused on the set ahead, music blaring. Some days, it would be any number of metal albums. Other days, it’d be the
Music or No Music for Training? Read More »
The deadlift is probably my favorite out of the big three, and it’s one of those lifts where people really have a lot of trouble with bad form. I mean that in every sense – people freak out and cringe at even a single second of rounding, and a lot of other people have terrible
Wedge Your Deadlift Read More »
The squat is often seen as a leg exercise, but your quads and hammies are just a single part in a larger equation. To move a lot of weight up from the bottom position, you need to engage and brace your core and upper back, maintain an open chest through strong thoracic extension, and have
You Need to Train Your Upper Back Read More »
