Your shoulder mobility often determines the quality of your barbell back squat. If getting under the bar feels tight, awkward, or painful, that’s not just “bad shoulder mobility,” it’s your body telling you something is wrong. While setting up your barbell back squat, you need to: Create tension through your upper back Lock the bar…
Kyle Kirkwood likes to travel light. Give him a percussion gun to stay loose during the week and a single pair of sunglasses he may or may not lose by the post-race press conference, and the IndyCar driver says pretty much good to go. On the track, though, when he climbs into his No. 27…
Most lifters learn to judge progress by the number on the bar. Add weight, complete more reps, and the workout feels productive. That mindset works well early on, but anyone who trains consistently eventually realizes that performance isn’t perfectly predictable. Sleep quality, stress, travel, nutrition, and accumulated fatigue all influence how strong you feel on…
Bikini Masters competitor Megan Ewoldsen proves that it’s possible to be a busy mom and still win bodybuilding trophies, but the inspirational fitness influencer has recently taken to Instagram to share six tips that she wished she’d known sooner, as relates to getting the most from her time in the gym. Fortunately, the bodybuilder has…
Many people dismiss planks as too dull or too easy. With other effective core exercises to choose from, planks often get thrown in the gym trash. Besides increasing the amount of time you hold it, it’s hard to make progress without tying yourself up in knots. To progressively overload a plank, you need a way…
Most lifters view strength as if it were all about the muscles. Bigger chest and glutes, and more “time under tension.” And sure, muscle matters. But strength doesn’t start there; it starts in your brain. The brain sends the command, the muscle carries it out, and the clearer that signal becomes, the stronger you get….
Tiffany Stratton announced a return to competitive bodybuilding recently, but that doesn’t mean the WWE Superstar is taking her sights of the women’s world championship. To ace both ambitions, Stratton has mastered her methods for scouting the perfect gym and eating healthy while on the road, but after all this prep, she’s also looking forward…
The front rack position sets up key lifts, including the front squat, push press, clean and jerk, and power and hang clean. When you have it there, you realize this position creates internal pressure that feels like no other exercise. That’s why Dan John calls this core internal pressure anaconda strength. But to get it…