If you don’t know where you’ve been, you won’t know where to go! Without a training log, how can you truly gauge progress over time? Start one here. The goal of training is progression. That’s what separates those who train from those who simply exercise to sweat and burn calories without purpose. Doing the same…
Maybe you’ve reached a plateau in your workout. Or maybe your fitness goals seem to stay just out of reach. You’ve heard about “muscle confusion” and think that might be the answer to your problem. Jeff Monaco, director of education for Gold’s Gym, sees people get that idea all the time. But the phrase muscle…
Traditional strength training wisdom often fails when it comes to tapering. Here’s a more effective approach that preserves your hard-earned gains. A common practice in strength training is to work up to a peak load over a number of workouts, and then drop down a bit at the end before starting a new program. Although…
Today’s workout reminded me of a very important lesson: Listen to your body! You’re probably expecting a sermon on how it’s best to hold back a bit in training to make continual progress and reduce the chance of injury. Nine times out of ten that’s true, but not always. Once in a blue moon the…
Q: In your article The Russian Approach to Size and Strength T-Nation Archive, you mention “decrease the load by 5% each set” in one section, but in others, no percentage is specified. When it’s left blank, does that mean the weight stays the same? A: It depends on the sequencing method used.
Legendary bodybuilders like Tom Platz and Robby Robinson built their incredible physiques by lifting heavy for high reps. That was one of the secrets to success back in the day—select a heavy weight and keep lifting it rep after rep until you absolutely can’t lift it anymore. As the Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, once said:…
The push-up is one of the most poorly executed exercises. One major issue is core stability—many people resemble a dolphin “swimming” through their reps. The core must remain tight and stable with a neutral spine throughout every repetition. If form breaks down, the set should be terminated. Another common mistake is inadequate depth. Every rep…
If there’s one constant in strength training, it’s variety. Those who vary their programs will often make consistent progress. What’s common in most programs, however, is a lack of variety! Most trainees do the same thing over and over, not only between routines but also within them. They perform the same exercises and set/rep schemes;…