Back in the March ’98 issue of Muscle Media, strength coach Charles Poliquin introduced a unique form of training that involved flexion of one limb with simultaneous extension of the opposite limb. For example, you would do a dumbbell curl with the right arm while doing a cable pressdown with the left arm. This method…
When you perform unilateral (one side at a time) training, the conventional thinking is that you should start with the weaker side while you’re fresh and then do the stronger side afterward. Many times that strategy works well, but there’s another camp that believes it’s best to start with your stronger side to potentiate the…
What motivates you during a workout? I mean, when you’re about to get under a bar stacked with 45’s that can staple you to the ground at any second, what do you think of? There are a few scenarios that I envision. Here’s one where I forget about technical and go “animal” instead… I’m not…
In strength training, it’s best to coax or nudge adaptation, or so we’re told. The body can only adapt at a certain rate and trying to force adaptation can invite trouble. Well, like many things in life, the greater the risk, the greater the reward! Most coaches will simply say, “Don’t force it,” but that…
We all knew that Jon Snow was coming back to life, but The Formulator too! Who would’ve thought it? The Formulator is a unique forearm exercise tool that locks directly on your hands. It eliminates the thumb as the “weak link” of forearm training. According to the original marketing: “You’ll feel the Formulator difference in…
What happens when guys train with other guys? Often, the weight starts to pile on the bar and form gets thrown out the window! “It’s all you, Bro. I’m barely touching it!” says your training partner while he deadlifts the bar off your chest. Out of a set of ten on the bench press, you…
It’s often a challenge to do double or triple station training in a commercial gym, especially when it’s busy. Trying to pair two or three different exercises from two or three different pieces of equipment is tough. Imagine trying to do multiple station training where you occupy four or more different pieces of equipment? Good…
Legendary bodybuilders like Tom Platz and Robby Robinson were known to lift heavy for high reps. That was one of the secrets to success back in the day. Select a heavy weight and just keep lifting it rep after rep until you absolutely could not lift it anymore. As the Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, once…
Back in 2002, I was paid a visit by a very wealthy 39-year-old complaining about his knees. This individual surfed, skied, ran, cycled… you name it, he did it! He also strength trained religiously with a personal trainer that was well-known in the Greater Toronto Area. But no matter how much money he had to…
In this presentation, I’m going to discuss a new way to plan your strength training programs. I call it the alternating conjugate periodization model, and I think you’ll find it interesting. Look for an article on this topic soon. In the meantime, check out page 101 of my book The Elite Trainer where I devote…