On my 40th birthday I reflect on the things I learned for each year of my life.
My viewpoint runs counter to much of the current climate, which is dominated by the short-term perspective of a “hypertrophy phase.”
Before there were a bunch of fancy training programs, and after Milo carried the growing cow a bit further each day, there was traditional periodization. Let’s review.
Just like a game of euchre, there is an optimal time to play these trump cards in powerlifting.
In this final collection of footage we’ll share from our April training camp, the three expert coaches demonstrate the proper way to learn and improve the bench press.
This model allows you to assess and modify the training of your athletes based on their daily performance and movement proficiency.
Through our many adventures, Chris Duffin and I trained, went four-wheeling, ate A LOT, and talked about many aspects of coaching and programming.
Starvation Mode is the not-so-accurate term for your body’s reaction to extreme caloric deficits. What price do you pay for rapid weight loss?
I’ve been married for 23 years and have had a wife fluctuate from one extreme to another. Just hear me out.
There are two types of squatters: hip squatters and back squatters. The proper way to execute the lift depends on which technique is best for you.
As a father raising a young girl, I have seen the importance of empowering the next generation of women. Here are my recommendations.
Whether you’re healthy or coming back from injury, try incorporating these things to increase force production and longevity.
If you aren’t considering this factor, your training is suffering.
The Juarez Valley 10 is the ultimate chest finisher — this sequence will have your chesticles swell up like the Himalayas!
Two faces in a crowded zoo, here’s our story: a 14-week play-by-play that prepared us for the rigors of race day.
Growing and progressing is the name of the game. You should do what works even if it isn’t new.
This list and the included video give you what you need to know before, during, and after the meet to help your lifter reach their competitive goals.
Kabuki, mental aspects of training, masculinity, geared vs. raw lifting, RPE — it’s all here in this video with two all-time great powerlifters.
Through a lot of ups downs since 2002, I’ve learned things both the hard way and the easy way. In one quick read, here are 137 of the best things to remember about conjugate.
Brandon Holmes and Marlon Woods open I3 Strength in Performance in Augusta, Georgia for a client base committed to high-level strength and fitness.
If you aren’t getting stronger or making gains, you’re doing something wrong. Your first job is figuring out what that is.
For the next three or four articles, this is our topic: motivation. This first part will explore the construction of meaning, identity, and the origins of motivation.
I am going to describe the similarities between three money management strategies and their application to your time in the iron game.
JL Holdsworth, Swede Burns, and Casey Williams opened their training camp by answering this question.
A disc injury is not a death sentence. You now need to develop into a smarter lifter who is not only focused on PR’s but also on long term health.
Using a number of methods, here’s a look at what I did to correct a host of problems hindering my performance and health.
Get bigger and stronger with these four cornerstones of McRobert’s training method.
In my years of powerlifting, I have seen some really gifted people go nowhere, and some really poorly suited people do very well. Mindset is everything.
Your job is your playing field and you need to prepare your body for game situations through proper training, nutrition and hydration, along with preventative maintenance and recovery.
Was I able to do these things and reach the level that I did simply because I believed?
½ Gym, ½ Off-Site Training leads us here: a full session away from gym grounds. Fit your programming needs within these structures to differentiate skill, meet new people, and have fun.
Instead of thinking of age as a disability or a disadvantage, recognize your experience for what it is: an advantage in achieving physical and mental greatness.
Knowing how to implement proper periodization will set you free from being slave to rigid programs and pre-written training plans.
Screw up your back and being unable to squat or deadlift won’t be your only concern.
Nobody wants to waste hard earned money on equipment they’re not sure about. Use this overview of the SS Yoke Bar and the Rackable Cambered Bar to make your next purchasing decision is an educated one.
A multi-world record holder in the bench press, a successful gym owner, and a successful all-around lifter, Magruder has certainly made his mark.
With a clinic and meet scheduled on back to back days, I was surrounded by influential members of the strength community and made a few discoveries.
The primary question you should ask for your training is this: How can I get stronger while staying injury free? Maximize your results with these general rules.
Chad interviews world-record holding powerlifter Dan Green and his wife Sparkle after a seminar at American Iron gym.
I had a training ego. It drove everything I did — every weight I put on the bar, every lift I took, and the design of every workout. And then one day, my training ego gave up.
Let’s evaluate how to train in the final four weeks leading to a competition. Most importantly, what does it mean to taper and how should you do it?
Please don’t believe the clichés that age is only a number or you’re only as old as you feel. If it were only a state of mind, we all could stay 21 forever.
Training isn’t meant to be flashy — it’s meant to be effective. Resist the temptation of these “hip” techniques and stay on track to bigger PRs on meet day.
Where is your confidence and what are you willing to do to strengthen it?
With your athletes and with your staff, communication is all you have for keeping everyone on the same page. If you won’t talk to them, you won’t understand them, and your program will fail.
Even at the highest levels of coaching and training, there is a need and desire to continuously learn from different people to consistently improve your ability to help your clients get better and improve.
If I left work and went to the bar instead of the gym, would it really make a difference?
You will have the opportunity to learn about any topic in strength training you choose, from execution of the main lifts all the way down to minute details of accessory work.
Young coaches often find a spot late in the summer leaving little time to prepare for the year ahead. Here are the planning and scheduling factors to consider as you construct your program.
Trial and error over time has led me to where my programming is today. This has produced a philosophy that includes a different approach to upper and lower body training.
