The barbell row, like the barbell squat, deadlift and bench press, is often touted as a key compound movement, essential for building muscle. However, one of its main downsides is that the strength of the muscles in your lower back can be a limiting factor, especially if you’ve done squats or deadlifts earlier in the […]
3 Day Workout Splits for Hypertrophy
If you want to use a 3 day workout split for hypertrophy, but you’re not quite sure what muscle groups to train on which days, this page will show you what to do. Since you’re Googling around for advice about 3 day workout splits, I’m going to assume a few things are true about you. […]
Muscle Confusion: Does Changing Workouts Mean Faster Gains?
Muscle confusion is based on the idea that muscle growth is best achieved by “keeping your muscles guessing” and constantly switching things up. Some workout routines recommend varying your exercises on a weekly basis, while others tell you to change things every day. By continually mixing things up, your body is forced to respond. The […]
Over 50? Here’s Why I Don’t Recommend the 5×5 Workout
If you’re over the age of 50, and want to build muscle and get stronger, there are better weight training programs out there than the typical 5×5 workout. To be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with doing five sets of five reps at the age of 50 or beyond. Nor is there a single best […]
Should You Train a Muscle Once or Twice a Week?
If you want to gain as much muscle as you can as quickly as possible, training a muscle just once a week is not ideal. When you hit a muscle twice a week, it tends to grow faster compared to training it once a week. Assuming you’re doing the right things in terms of diet […]
4 Day Workout Split: Upper/Lower Hypertrophy Program
Of all the training programs I’ve used over the years, the upper lower split is one of my favorites. It’s a 4 day workout split that’s simple, flexible, and can be used by beginner, intermediate or advanced lifters alike to achieve many different goals – building muscle, getting stronger, or even just retaining muscle while […]
Why I Don’t Do Metabolic Resistance Training
Some say that metabolic resistance training, or metabolic training for short, is one of the best ways to build muscle, torch fat and improve your overall fitness… all at the same time. Your metabolism will be spiked, fat will be incinerated and metabolic forces that work day and night to change your body will be […]
Time Under Tension Myths Debunked
Time under tension, or TUT for short, refers to the amount of time your muscles are working during a set. By taking longer to lift and lower the weight, you make your sets last longer. This in turn is supposed to speed up muscle growth. In fact, most research shows that slowing down each rep […]
Eat Big to Get Big? Why You Can’t Eat to Grow
When it comes to diet and exercise, I have made a great many mistakes over the years. Perhaps the biggest was spending far too much of my late teens and early twenties carrying around too much fat. My main goal was to gain as much muscle as humanly possible. And I believed (wrongly as it […]
Lean vs Ripped vs Shredded: How Long Does it Take?
When someone asks how to get shredded, it usually means they want to drop some fat, so that you can see the shape and outline of their muscles. Truth is, there’s more than one level of leanness. Most people can get cut without too much of problem. But not everyone can get shredded. Even just […]