Exercise guides

The single leg squat (a.k.a. pistol squat) is a challenging, advanced movement that requires single-leg strength, stability, mobility, balance, and motor control. If you are looking to get your first pistol, or just want to continue getting better at them, here is a...

One of the most advanced gymnastics skills is now regularly taught in CrossFit classes: the muscle up. You can do them on a pull up bar or gymnastics rings; you can do them strict or with a heaving full-body kip. That is, if you can do them at all... if you can't,...

Everyone online seems to have a strong opinion about arching your back in the bench press. The reasons and schools of thought vary around the hows/whys, so what’s a novice athlete to do? Anthony Cuevas, an NCSF Certified PT based out of New York started lifting at 14...

Short shorts are the new stinger tanks. Rocking those big tree trunks with canyon deep cuts is so hot. Leg extensions are a bodybuilding staple—they isolate your quads, the front-facing muscle group of your thighs, by flexing (bending) and extending (straightening)...

I have a secret weapon exercise that will get us really close; it has a lot of bang for its buck. It builds massive quads, big glutes, a wide back, and some awesome biceps. Exactly what every athlete needs.

If you’ve ever seen clips of a strongman competition in which an absolute unit is heaving a massive concrete boulder onto a platform, you know how insane and badass it looks. Those guys and gals clearly have a level of superior functional strength that most athletes...

The deadlift is one of the best compound movements to give you monstrous legs and a resilient back, but only if you do it right. Get the most out of your deadlift (and avoid injury) by following these four steps. Remember: deadlifts aren’t dangerous. Get a coach to...

Hitting plateaus in your big three lifts? Try switching it up with these beefy strongman moves to improve your overall strength and help you hit some deadlift, squat, and bench press PRs. Your new total is waiting for you. Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength,...

You’ve heard it before — deadlifts rule. For raw power output, having a massive pull is where it’s at. But why is that the case? And what other deadlifting variations are out there? Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman coach with...

Hitting a plateau with your strength gains? Not seeing the muscle growth you thought you would? Or just getting plain bored in the gym? Using tempo training in your current program is a great way to spice up your workouts by challenging your weaknesses and improving...

Look in the mirror lately and see your shoulders slouching forward? Spent too much time on your phone and came down with a case text-neck? Not to worry – the face pull exercise can help fix these issues by strengthening your upper back and giving you picture-perfect...

Whether you’re looking to build explosive power or you need to work on correcting your posture, the kettlebell swing is for everyone. This ultimate posterior chain exercise can fit into almost any training program and is sure to strengthen your core, glutes,...

Getting a symmetrical physique isn’t just a goal for bodybuilders. Functional athletes deserve to look like they lift and make massive progress too. But how do you know what kind of reliable program works for you? What training structure will net the most reward? Dave...

Some would argue that the snatch is the pinnacle of athletic movements. It requires speed, strength, flexibility, and practice, practice, practice. Moving fast under the barbell is an essential skill to develop if you want to get better at the snatch, because you’re...

You’ve probably seen videos of people getting crushed by a squat due to improper form and loading too much weight. Don’t be that person. The dead squat is the perfect movement to prevent this from happening – it’ll improve your form and increase maximum strength (so...

Doing countless rows, pull ups, and lat pull-downs but not seeing any real improvement in your back size? You might be neglecting the three core movements that are crucial to challenging your lats. Marc Lavallee has trained Canadian military units in the Search and...

Struggle with weak hamstrings? Hips? Glutes? Your entire posterior chain? Join the club. Kyle McGough, CSCS/USAW, is the founder of Hardbody Athlete where he teaches people how to strength train like professional athletes. He’s worked as an S&C coach for The Ohio...

Boost your strength and performance on the mats, be it Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo or wrestling, by mastering these four fundamental movement patterns in the gym and organizing them properly into your training. Cathal O'Brien is a personal trainer and S&C coach...

We know the usual suspects for ab work: sit ups, crunches, toes-to-bar, leg raises, etc. But if you’ve ever felt your ab training was lagging (or just boring), you’re probably missing out on some key ingredients to total trunk strength. Brandon Robb is the founder and...

What kind of accessory work do the big dogs use to get massive bench press numbers? Is something missing from your programming that could give you crazy tricep strength to boost your bench? Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman...