lower

Back pain is a common surge on health that threatens to halt our productivity at work and in the gym, but rather than relying on fad treatments, a new study published in The Lancet could bring a sigh of relief to sufferers everywhere. In fact, adults with a history of lower back pain were shown...

Love it or not, squatting is an effective way to build muscle and strength, and it’s a non-negotiable part of any serious workout routine. One squat variation that’s worth your attention is the single leg box squat. Overall box squat variations are fantastic for many reasons, but the three main...

When most people first pick up a dumbbell, they often gravitate toward losing fat, building muscle, and looking buff—what we might call ‘vanity goals.” And rightfully so, these goals can also contribute to improved health. But, for a moment, let’s set these goals aside and delve into the...

Numerous exercises claim to improve core strength, often dominating social media, each asserting to be the ultimate solution for core gains. While some of these claims may be true, others are not. However, the Ab Rollout, a tried and tested exercise, stands out for its proven effectiveness...

Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media, like I do, regularly ogling those elaborate home garage gym set-ups and thinking, “Well, if only I had all that fancy equipment?” But here’s a little secret: your home is a treasure trove of workout gold. Those household items you walk...

When looking to grow a bigger, stronger backside, the barbell hip thruster is a go-to exercise as it targets the gluteal muscles better than any other lower-body movements. “The No. 1 reason most lifters perform barbell hip thrust is it builds more gluteal muscle, strength, and power than just...

One of the most analyzed muscles in the fitness universe are those three muscles on your upper thigh, the hip flexors. Are they weak, or are they tight? There is much confusion about them, and a lot of blame gets laid on them regarding performance in and out of the gym. With a Physical...

How to Do the Landmine Squat for Stronger Legs The landmine squat is a unique exercise that builds serious strength in your legs while protecting your lower back. By changing the path of the resistance it allows you to squat deeper than a traditional back squat. Set Up the Landmine Squat Load...

Have you seen those “runners” who run on the side of the road, who seem to run solely to lose weight? The pained expression on their face as they struggle with every step because they believe that running is the best way to lose weight. This article is not for them, but if you’re serious about...

Unilateral rows are the bomb because they strengthen imbalances between sides, which leads to better muscle development and stronger bilateral rows. But as the dumbbells get larger and more awkward, progressing becomes more challenging. Enter the Meadows Row, the brainchild of the late John...

Many exercises strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back as a unit, but one exercise often gets overlooked: the glutestring ham raise. The beauty of the glute hamstring raise, aka glute ham raise or GHR, lies in isometric glute contraction and the controlled eccentric muscle...

Sometimes we get too comfortable with our regular gym routine, and that includes our gym. One of the biggest drawbacks of being away from your go-to gym is our dependency on more fancy equipment. You don’t have to worry about being creative because of your access to all the gym toys. However...

There’s a movement term that Tim Anderson of Original Strength came up with: good, better, and best. Even when a movement is performed poorly, it is still “good” because all movement beats sitting on the couch. But the amount of times I’ve seen lifters make back extension mistakes throughout the...

The inverted row isn’t a complicated move but there are still plenty of room to make inverted row mistakes. It is easily progressed and regressed depending on the lifter’s experience. That and being an excellent movement for the forearms, biceps, upper back, and lats is why it should be in...

One of the best pieces of muscle-building is that you must row to grow. You may have heard this before, but it bears repeating because too many lifters still focus on the mirror muscles. Training the posterior delts, upper back, and lats must be a priority when muscle and strength are your...

When the bird dog is performed correctly, it checks off many important health and mobility boxes. Improved core strength: Check Better balance & coordination: Check Improved shoulder stability: Check Lower back saver: Check You’re probably getting bored now because the benefits are many and...

Have you heard the term out of sight, out of mind? This can be applied in many gym settings where some beginner and intermediate lifters train the mirror muscles—you know, abs, pecs and biceps—and forget those all-important posterior muscles. That’s where the inverted row comes in. One muscle...

Former M&F cover models Frank Sepe and Don Saladino may be known for their “Sleeveless” workouts, but they are about much more than arm training. They push themselves hard on leg day too. As they do with their other workouts, Sepe and Saladino find ways to make lower body exercises more...

When back pain strikes, you think you’re the only person suffering, but that’s not the case with back pain. In the U.S., many people will suffer from chronic or acute low back pain at some point in their lives. And about 2% to 10% of people who experience low back pain develop chronic low back...

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...