Strength is associated with muscle mass. It is expected of a bigger, more muscular guy to be stronger than a smaller dude. And yet sometimes “wiry”, skinny brahs display extreme strength rearranging the architecture in the craniums of the spectators. Why? Why are some skinny guys so strong? “Skinny boy” strength is the product of […]
Does height affect muscle growth? Height neither decreases nor increases one’s muscle-building faculties. The perception that shorter men build muscle faster and more efficiently than taller people is the result of muscle mass distribution in relation to the surface area. Shorter people have to fill out a smaller space to look like they lift. Hence, […]
Short answer: Compound movements like squats and deadlifts require а strong mid-section and spinal erectors. The job of those muscles is to stabilize the spine and allow efficient transfer of the force generated by the legs, hips, and back to the bar. The abdominals and the trunk muscles are the pillars keeping the “edifice” together. […]
Does grip training increase forearm size? Pure grip training is not the most effective way to stimulate forearm growth because it focuses on the finger flexors (flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis). Maximal forearm hypertrophy requires wrist work over a full range of motion. In addition, grip training is heavily dependent on tendon strength […]
Are weighted push-ups as effective as the bench press? The bench press works. It has built a great number of strong and muscular upper bodies over the years. It’s also one of the three power lifts, and despite the effort of some strength organizations, the overhead press will not negate the royalty status of the […]
Will lat pulldowns help with pull-ups? Yes. Lat pulldowns can be beneficial to one’s pull-up performance because they strengthen the lats, the upper back, the rear deltoids and the arm flexors – the primary movers in pull-ups and chin-ups. The lat pulldown comes with a great technical advantage too – it’s a scalable exercise that […]
FAQ: What are feeder workouts? Feeder workouts are frequent pump training sessions designed to massively accelerated the hypertrophy of a specific body part. The modern originator of the feeder template is Rich Piana who uploaded several videos on the subject. According to Rich, feeder workouts should be done the day after a hard training session […]
Short answer: Professional bodybuilders and the amateurs imitating them in the gym often perform partial reps, especially when working the shoulders and the chest. Why? The official explanation behind this strategy is that partial repetitions ensure constant tension on the targeted muscle group and therefore hit the area harder. However, a good argument could be […]
Short answer: Together squats and deadlifts offer a very powerful formula that can result in decent development of the upper leg as they allow the lifter to overload the quads, glutes and hamstrings with progressively heavier loads. Nonetheless, naturals promised miracles will have to readjust their expectations as the promoters of 5×5 routines and the […]
Short answer: Theoretically, 5×5 routines are not inherently bad for building an aesthetic physique. But the poor nutritional advice, the unnecessary hype, the elitist attitude, the false claims, the egos of the coaches, the broscience and the needless glorification of barbell strength surrounding the 5×5 method often play a number on people who don’t know […]
Short answer: The shoulders participate actively in pressing and pulling exercises. Many lifters develop decent deltoids without doing isolation work or dedicating a special day to the muscle group. But the high market share of the shoulder in big compound lifts does not make direct work obsolete. In some cases, extra focus on the area […]
Short answer: Biceps curls are a very potent and mighty functional exercise. The 5×5 sycophants demonized it with an ulterior motive in mind – to dress their “revolutionary” barbell routines as superior for naturals. But curls are and will always be the go-to biceps builder. When implemented properly into a routine, curls are not a […]