March 2012: 7 Technique Mistakes of the Intermediate Lifter We all drop the ball. Some of us more blatantly than others. In the gym, I’ve noticed within the sea of “good” and “bad” lifters, there are a percentage among the “good” lifters who could do with a couple of prompt cues that would take their […]
March 2012: Powerlifting in the Offseason? I remember back in the mid 90’s training at Westside barbell. I was one of very few bodybuilders who were allowed to train there, because Louie knew I loved Powerlifting and plus I think Louie just liked to beat up on me. There was another bodybuilder training at the […]
This article is about making the all-time best exercises for building a bigger back even better. It’s a favorite subject of mine, one that requires an appreciation of the dedication and resourcefulness needed to sculpt an impressive body, especially by those that didn’t win the genetic lottery. This stuff doesn’t get studied. It’s not taught […]
The Smith machine is about the most misunderstood piece of gym equipment. Admittedly, it can make for dangerous and unnatural squatting and pressing, but with just a few tweaks it can also be an excellent hypertrophy tool while providing a nice change of pace from the usual routine. So why do so many people have […]
January 2012: The Dirt on Deadlifts It’s definitely the most primal test of manhood out there. Nothing like getting down and seeing how much weight you can pick up off the ground like a real brute. That’s why the deadlift is one of my top 3 favourite exercises of all time. When we deal with […]
“The shoulders make the physique,” is a pretty common bodybuilding expression. Given the opportunity to revise it, I would add, “and if your deltoid development resembles Larry King’s, your shoulder workouts require serious pain tolerance, tenacious grit, and a healthy dose of creativity.” Okay, it might not be the most elegant piece of prose ever […]
Inflammation is big business. With an aging population seeking to live a long and pain-free life, pharmaceutical companies are hard at work developing drugs to combat the many faces of inflammation. But this stuff isn’t just for old folks – young bucks looking to get bigger and stronger can benefit as well. Inflammation is the […]
As the creator of the Mountain Dog training system, even I’ll admit that it can be a little brutal. I’ve received hundreds of hateful emails and profanity-laced text messages over the years from readers and clients telling me that Mountain Dog leg training left them too sore to walk up a flight of stairs or […]
Although the title of this article says “Mountain Dog style,” that isn’t entirely true. The crux of what you’re about to read was inspired by (stolen?) from an American physicist born in 1879 that had this topic all figured out. He was a bright guy, even winning a Nobel Prize in physics. You may recognize […]
July 2011: 6 Ways to Increase Performance As strength and conditioning coach I have been blessed to be around many sports; from boxing, rowing, football, ice hockey, and even Greco-roman wrestlers. I have learned a lot over the years and have made a ton of mistakes, but through each mistake yielded another learning experience and […]
Last week a young lifter asked me to spot him on a set of lying triceps extensions. He had the bar loaded with what I’d consider a moderately heavy weight – about 140 lbs. plus the EZ bar. At first glance, his arms didn’t appear big enough to match this load, but I thought maybe […]
It’s been two weeks since Dave and I laid a massive beat down on our legs. I couldn’t wait for Round Two. I arrived in London, Ohio about 30 minutes early, so I stopped at a McDonalds for one of those fruit and nut packages. I’d already had a few organic eggs and a Metabolic […]
May 2011: The Implementation of Tri-Phasic Periodization for Strength and Speed Gains At Southeast Missouri State University our strength and conditioning department implements a block style training system with most of our athletic teams. By far one of the most impressive means we have implemented within our system has been something called tri-phasic periodization. Cal […]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiuOZ9YrVYY
The leg press is like Olive Penderghast in the movie, “Easy A” (or for you more classically educated meatheads, Hester Prynne in “The Scarlet Letter”) in that her reputation has been sullied, perhaps unjustly and disproportionately. For some reason, leg presses are regarded as a mediocre exercise with little direct application to sport. Plus, you […]
January 2011: High Intensity Cardio Many people have asked how I feel about cardio, and what they should do. Do you go intense for short periods? Do you go low intensity long duration? Do you not do it at all? Well as always, nothing is that simple. It depends on your goals, your genetics, and […]
I believe it was Bertil Fox who mentioned his arms measured 16 inches when he was 16 years old, 17 inches when he was 17, and 18 inches when he was the ripe old age of 18. From there, I can’t quite remember how his growth accelerated, but I can certainly remember mine. Using Bertil’s […]
Chest training has always been a challenge for me. It’s not because my genetics sucked (as with back), or because of the pain involved (as with leg training). For me, the hardest thing about chest training was simply staying healthy: I’ve had so many pec strains over the years that were a breath away from […]
Question: How many people at your gym have big, thick, nasty legs? What about on-stage at the last bodybuilding contest you attended? While I can’t speak for everyone, I can say that in the last several shows I’ve been to, there hasn’t been many. Why is this? Is the ability to build impressive wheels something […]
In my early days of competing, I modeled my leg training after Tom Platz as he had the best legs in the world. Not surprisingly, the Eagle’s training philosophy served me well back then and continues to do so today. For my back training, I tried to emulate the great Lee Haney. I performed a […]