First workout of the year and I had the pleasure of doing horizontal ring chin-ups (also known as inverted rows). This is a great exercise—if it’s done right! Three key points: brace the core, set the shoulder blades to start, and pause in the top (contracted) position. It’s natural for your range to diminish a…
A great exercise to pair with incline or standing presses is the subscapularis pull-up—also known as a lean-away pull-up. To perform it, pull yourself up to the bar, then push your body away from the bar as you lower down. Keep your core braced and control the descent all the way to the bottom. Give…
Dips on rings significantly increase stabilizer muscle activation. If you include a training phase with ring dips and then switch back to parallel-bar dips, don’t be surprised if your strength gets a noticeable boost. That said, ring dips are highly advanced and not for everyone. Beginners should master ring push-ups before attempting dips to build…
This is a great time to increase the number of push-ups you can do. Let’s say your goal is to hit 20 strict push-ups, but right now you can only manage about half that. Try this… Do 4 sets of 5 reps with 3 minutes of rest in between. That should be fairly easy given…
As 2019 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at our most popular and impactful articles of the year. These posts sparked conversation, challenged the norm, and offered practical strategies to help you train smarter. Here are the top 10, plus a bonus: 1. Heavy Hip Thrusts Are Dangerous One of the most…
That’s 15-year-old Joseph struggling with chin-ups in the first part of the video. The second part shows the results of just five sessions of eccentric training. So how did we improve his performance? Take a look at his program: A1. Mid-Grip Barbell Bench Press: 5 x 5 @ 5-0-X-0, 90sA2. Standing Rope Face Pull: 4…
Here’s a way to make push-ups more challenging: place your hands on a wobble board, elevate your feet on a step, and wear a weighted vest to increase the load. Aim for a full range of motion and keep the wobble board level by bracing your core throughout the set. In the video below, my…
Transitioning from bent-knee to straight-leg push-ups can be a daunting task—especially for many female clients. But with the right approach, it’s absolutely achievable. Watch one of my clients in action and learn the smart, progressive way to build upper-body strength and confidence on the floor. ➡️ Check out Push-Ups: 21 and Counting for the full…
Grade 9 was quite an experience—a new school, new classmates, and new teachers. But one teacher stood out more than the others: Mr. Carter, our physical education teacher. Think of him as a military sergeant in sweats. By the end of the school year, he had whipped us into shape—and his secret weapon? Push-ups. Lots…
Many strength athletes are creatures of habit. They do the same thing day in and day out. They get big, they get strong, and sometimes they get bored! A great way to cure boredom is to set a challenge. Forget about adding more weight to the bar. Do something different. In fact, forget the bar…