Surprisingly, or not, the deadlift works the whole back from top to bottom. “But, what about the lats? Do they work during deadlifts,” asked the muscle nerds. Yes, brahs. The latissimus dorsi works incredibly hard when you deadlift. The lats are the biggest muscle in the upper body. When you deadlift, they have the following […]
The biceps and triceps stabilize the elbow joint during deadlifts, but you don’t need monster guns to pull heavy weights because the arms aren’t the primary movers. Below I analyze the functions of the biceps and triceps in a deadlift. THE TRICEPS When you deadlift heavy weights, the bar has to be kept as close as […]
What is Western periodization? Western periodization is a linear progression from high to low reps. Every week the lifter is adding weight to the bar while reducing the number of reps per set. Over the course of 8-12 weeks, the lifter builds up to a single. This is one of the most generic forms of […]
Isolation exercises attract massive hate from the “functional” crowd, but in most cases, single joint movements are simply misunderstood. What are the benefits of isolation exercises? The value of isolation exercises is contained in the term – “isolation“. The main goal of single joint movements is to work on a specific muscle directly. This is […]
Do you need a ton of calories to build bigger arms? Every hypertrophy expert says that being in a “caloric surplus” is fundamental to muscle growth. This has been one of the main reasons for the rise of the natty fatsos – a group of people who underestimate their body fat percentage and think that their […]
Over the last few years, the weightlifting movement has shifted towards powerlifting. Many people are trying hard to improve their squat, bench press and deadlift. I used to be one of those guys. Once I asked a random guy to spot me during a bench PR. He said that my grip is too narrow. “The […]
The 5×5 program comes in two formats: Sets across – keeping the weight the same for all work sets Ramping sets – building to a single work set I prefer the ramping method because it builds just as much strength while saving a lot of joint stress and time. Anybody who’s ever done 5×5 for […]
The sport of powerlifting has become a complete slave to ego mentality, delusions and refusal to admit that something is wrong. Just look at the wide stance monolift squats, and you will understand what I am talking about. Similar performance and rituals show that the main goal of modern powerlifting is not to get stronger but […]
The deadlift has been enjoying more popularity than ever thanks to the rise of the so-called “YouTube powerlifting” – a phenomenon that has greatly contributed to the “do you even squat and deadlift” mentality. Since many beginners look up to the YouTube fitness celebrities, they start to believe that deadlifting is the key to the physiques presented by […]
Your height and bone structure determine your weight class. By default, a tall man cannot compete as a lightweight, whereas somebody who is 5’5″ will fit there perfectly. In order for a tall guy to do well in barbell sports, he has to compete in a higher weight class. The only lift which allows skinny […]
The so-called “noob gains” represent the 5-10lbs of muscle gained during the first 6-12 months of serious training. Those will be easiest and fastest gains that you will acquire as a lifter. Past that point, the progress will slow down tremendously. Noob gains differ from person to person. If you are really skinny, I mean […]
What makes a good squatter? The length of your torso and femurs has a significant impact on your squatting style. The best squatters are lifters with short femurs and long torsos. The illustration below makes a comparison between squatters with short (left) and long (right) femurs. Remember: The bar always forms a straight line through […]