Fitness
Eccentric vs. Concentric Movements: How Each Phase Shapes Your Training
Every lift has two halves: the way up and the way down. The scientific terms for these two phases are the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. Most people focus on just getting the weight up, but the truth is each phase stresses your muscles differently. And each drives unique adaptations. Understanding how concentric and eccentric movements work can change...
How to Build a Strong and Resilient Posterior Chain
The posterior chain is your body’s powerhouse. It’s where real strength comes from – not big arms, a sculpted chest or carved abs, but what’s behind you. It’s responsible for some of your most important daily movements: standing tall, picking up heavy things, sprinting after your kids, or just walking with good posture. If your posterior chain is weak or...
Trap Bar vs Conventional Deadlift: Which is Best (And Why It Matters)
The deadlift is one of the best exercises you can do for building strength. But there’s more than one way to deadlift. Two of the most popular variations are the conventional deadlift (done with a straight barbell in front of you), and the trap bar (or hex bar) deadlift. Both lifts can build strength and muscle, but they feel different...
Training for Strength vs Power: How to Optimize for the Right Objective
Strength and power are often lumped together. But they’re not the same thing – and knowing the difference will make a big impact on your results. Strength is about how much weight you can move. Power is about how fast you can move it. One’s not necessarily better than the other. But depending on your goals, whether that’s lifting heavier,...
How Negative Reps Can Help You Break Through Strength Plateaus
5 min read
How to Strengthen Your Lower Back: A Guide to Core Stability and Resilience
There’s one area that many athletes and fitness enthusiasts overlook until it becomes a problem: the lower back. Your lower back plays a major role in almost everything you do. It supports your posture, helps you transfer power from your legs to your upper body, and stabilizes your spine when you lift, run, twist, or jump. If it’s weak or...
10 Safer, Easier or More Efficient Deadlift Alternatives
Are your resistance training workouts doomed to fail if you can’t (or don’t want to) deadlift? Not at all. While the deadlift is a cornerstone lift for strength and hypertrophy, it’s not essential for everyone, all the time. Whether you're nursing an injury, working around equipment limitations, or looking for something fresh, there are effective alternatives that replicate the benefits...
12 Ways to Achieve Progressive Overload
If you’ve been working out for a while, chances are you’ve heard the phrase progressive overload. It’s one of the most foundational principles in strength and hypertrophy training. But for some, the classic approach (progressively adding more weight each time you work out) may not work. The good news? There are many ways to progressively overload your muscles beyond just...
Zone 2 Cardio: The Easiest Way to Improve Cardiovascular Health and Longevity
Zone 2 cardio is perhaps the most effective, yet underappreciated, form of exercise for long-term health and performance. It represents a sweet spot in aerobic intensity; challenging enough to drive meaningful physiological adaptations, yet sustainable enough to do frequently and enjoyably. If you're looking for the easiest and most accessible way to improve your heart, metabolism, and brain, Zone 2...
The Texas Method: The Best Way to Set New PBs in the Gym?
Many new lifters hit a wall after a little while. You might have strong early results, possibly following a beginner program like Starting Strength, but eventually the progress you see from these beginner-friendly routines slows down. The Texas Method offers a way to build on that early progress, for those who are still relative novices, with a goal of developing...
The Mind-Muscle Connection: Does It Really Work?
What if I told you that you could use your mind to lift more and get better gains in the gym? If you’ve ever watched a legit bodybuilder train, you might have noticed that they have a deliberate, almost meditative focus on every rep. This is the mind-muscle connection (MMC): the intentional focus on a specific muscle during an exercise...
Top 12 Muscular Endurance Exercises to Increase Strength & Stamina
A lot of people neglect muscular endurance when they train. As a result, these people tend to have poor functional strength compared to their size and 1-rep max. This is important because better muscular endurance and functional strength mean lower risk of injury, better performance in other athletic activities, and just feeling better and more mobile throughout the day. Anyone...
Cardio Before or After Weights? What the Science Says
Should you do cardio before or after lifting weights? It’s a debate that’s been waged in gyms, online forums, and locker rooms for decades. Some swear by warming up with a run. Others are terrified that a minute on the treadmill at the wrong time will make their gains disappear. The truth is, both sides have a point. But the...
