If there’s ever a time not to draw in your navel, it’s during exercise. Despite the long-held belief that “sucking in your gut” strengthens your core, this practice can actually reduce stability, weaken your lifts, and increase injury risk. Unless you’re using it as a motor re-education method for injury rehabilitation, you should abandon it…
Achieving a well-balanced and aesthetically pleasing chest can be a challenge, especially when it comes to targeting the often elusive inner part of the upper chest. Many individuals find themselves with a well-developed lower chest but struggle to fill in the gap in the inner upper area. If you’ve been tirelessly working to correct this…
When it comes to squats and deadlifts, you can analyze knee mechanics in great detail—or keep it simple. Let’s take the easy route: While individual structural differences play a role, the key is maintaining a neutral spine and a braced core. Old Rules and New Trends For years, lifters have been told not to let…
When it comes to counting reps, how you do it can make a difference in both performance and motivation. According to Charles Staley, creator of the Escalating Density Training System, counting down is psychologically easier than counting up. Knowing how many reps remain keeps you focused on the task ahead rather than dwelling on what’s…
If there’s ever a time not to draw in the navel, it’s during exercise. In fact, this act should be abandoned altogether unless there’s a specific reason to do so (e.g., as a motor re-education method during injury rehabilitation). Drawing in the navel, or the act of “sucking in your gut as if you’re putting…