We’re only as strong as our weakest links, really – so it’s in order for us to give ourselves a once-over to see what needs to be done to get the most out of our workouts and hit the muscles we’re trying to stimulate into solid growth and development.
With that said, you could be a straight...
When it comes to the deadlift, Lucy Underdown is in a class of her own. In 2021, she set a record by becoming the first woman to lift 300kg (661.4 pounds) in a contest setting During last year’s World Deadlift Championship, she became the first woman to deadlift 318kg (700 pounds). Making the...
These days, the deadlift is a fan favorite among gymgoers, and that’s a good thing. It’s not broscience, either. The amount of reach a deadlift has compared to many other lifts is incomparable. It’s one of the most primitive movement patterns ever, but it’s responsible for training so many...
It’s the biggest lift in the gym, and it only takes one step to complete. Who would have thought it had so many particulars to make your reps the most effective? Well, the truth is, it does. Using some of these directives on deadlift accessories will help you break a plateau you may not have...
People aren’t quick to admit that like many competitive sports, there’s an “ideal body type” for weight training success. Anyone can get a training effect from lifting weights, but leverages and skeletal build can help (or hurt) an individual tremendously when it comes to having a mechanical...
Some exercises never get easier no matter how often you do them, and exhibit A is the single-leg deadlift. The balance demands and tension on one leg make this challenging for all lifters the same goes for its variations such as the rack single-leg deadlift.
There are various methods to make...
Exercises with Eastern European names not only sound cool but are also challenging to do. The Bulgarian split squat is exhibit A, the exercise everyone loves to hate. A few months back, I called it by its other name, The rear-foot-elevated split squat, and the internet lost its marbles. It...
There are not many more satisfying things in the gym than pulling a heavy barbell deadlift from the floor. It’s you versus the barbell, and you win. The regular barbell deadlift is not the greatest exercise to build muscle due to a lack of eccentric contraction, but it sets the table for muscle...
Have you ever wondered why they call it the Romanian deadlift? It looks similar to the straight-leg deadlift but with a better name. Well, here’s why. It’s called the Romanian deadlift, or RDL for short, because it’s named after the Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad, an Olympic medalist in the...
The trap bar deadlift is a godsend variation for lifters who can no longer pull from the ground with the barbell. With the weight being more in line with your center of gravity and the elevated handles, the trap bar puts less stress on the lower back and reduces your range of motion; both...
There are some exercises, no matter how many times you do them, never get easier. One prime example is the single leg deadlift. The reduced stability and tension on one leg make this challenging for all lifters. It is easier to be strong on two legs but harder to be stronger on one leg.
The...
There’s no question that the basics of strength training work despite what you may see from time to time on the Internet. The barbell is the ultimate tool for strength and muscle and will continue to work for all who take it seriously. Incorporating the Big 3exercises—the barbell squat, bench...
The Romanian deadlift exercise was named after the Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad, an Olympic medalist in the ’80s and ’90s. Vlad performed this deadlift variation after finishing his Olympic lifting, and some fellow lifters asked him what he was doing. He said he did them to make his entire...
A testament to the strength and power of the human spirit. The will to go deeper, a place within you have never been before. An unexplained spiritual force where you exceed your own expectations. Taking it to another level when it is not about you. Understanding the why and purpose of the...
The biggest disadvantage with banded exercises is after a certain point, they stop getting you stronger. They only come so thick and stretch so far before the possibility of breaking. A breaking band might seem funny in a workout fail video, but when it’s coming at you — not so much.
But when...
Learn which 3 exercises are the best for building a massive back. Each exercise includes the proper performance technique and rookie mistakes to avoid.
If you’re really after size and a whole lot more strength, the truth is, you’ve got to take your focus off the "mirror muscles".
Having well...
You’re reading this because you love to deadlift. You love the challenge of stepping over the bar and gripping and ripping heavy weight from the floor. When lifting heavier weights, little technical hitches can appear that are covered up while you’re working with submaximal weights. And the...
Danny Grigsby Sets New All-time Raw Deadlift World Record
In September of 2021, Danny Grigsby set a world record for a raw deadlift, within the 140kg class, at WRPF’s “The Bucked Up Showdown” by lifting 970 pounds (440 kilograms). It was the second highest deadlift of all time, but Grigsby...
Here, Muscle & Fitness is your hook-up for some of the most captivating stories of strength during the past few days.
Tamara Walcott sets new 641-pound elephant bar deadlift world record
On Friday, March 6 at the Arnold Sports Festival held in Columbus Ohio, the “Plus Size Fitness Queen”...