press

Confidently going sleeveless isn’t just about the arms. The shoulders have to look right too. Big and round delts complete the look that all athletes and fitness minded people desire. That’s why Frank Sepe and Don Saladino offered this high-volume session for your next shoulder day. Lateral...

Years ago I saw strongman competitor Derek Poundstone doing 100-rep work and asked him why he was doing it. One of his main reasons? Mental toughness. Different kinds of work in the gym require different mindsets. A 20-rep set of squats – with a maximum load for that rep range – is brutally...

Here are some reasons to give up bench pressing. The barbell bench press is one of the most popular exercises. “How much do you bench?” is casually thrown around in gyms around the world. The bench press has been the symbol of strength for a long time. Think of it as the mile for the runner. It...

Some lifters go into full panic mode when every flat bench is occupied on Bench Press Monday. However, the savvy lifter never worries because there is plenty of space on the floor. Because there’s no reason to fret or lose your temper when you’ve got the best press you’re not doing, the barbell...

The barbell bench press is a rite of passage lift for most lifters. The first two exercises people usually do are the bench press and biceps curls. And then the love affair begins. The barbell bench press allows you to build upper-body size and strength which is great for performance and the...

The shoulder is a miracle joint. It’s a shallow ball-and-socket joint that provides a ton of mobility with the muscles surrounding the joint providing the stability. This allows us to press, pull, and throw with abandon. However, there is one drawback. The shoulders get banged up. Like, a lot...

Landmine training was in vogue long before the landmine attachment existed. Old-school lifters jammed the barbell into a corner to do T-bar rows and they still do. Now thanks to the minds of creative coaches, landmine training is a great way to train your muscles from multiple angles and...

Close your eyes and picture the chest development of legends like Arnold Schwarzennegger, Franco Columbo, and Lou Ferrigno in their prime -- or modern day freaks like ALLMAX’s own Steve Kuclo, Josh Wade and Ryan Watson. What do each of these incredible athletes have in common? All of them...

Let me guess, you find yourself like the millions of others in the modern world waiting in line on Monday for the bench press? Ready to kill your pecs into oblivion? Twenty plus sets and a boatload of intensity techniques ready to go? Kill it! You think to yourself – it’s going to be brutal...

German Volume Training isn’t rocket science. There’s no elaborate formulas to figure out, and no advanced training techniques to be mastered. GVT is built around three simple, core principles: One - Two Exercises: You perform only 1-2 exercises per body part, that’s it. Stick with heavier...

Here is a ranking of the best exercises for building a better chest based on personal experience and the training articles of top IFBB pro bodybuilders. This is not necessarily a determination of exercise order, but the exercises that are most effective for muscle fiber recruitment and targeting...

How to Build a Workout Routine Step #1 - Determine Your Training Split I suggest training 3 to 4 days per week. This is the best place to start. Many lifters live by the belief that more is better. More might be better for you, but how will you know unless you construct a 3 to 4 day protocol...

Let’s get the science out of the way; the pectoralis major is comprised of a clavicular and a sternocostal head, or better known as the upper and lower pec respectively. When flat benching, both heads are stressed evenly. The anterior deltoids also come into play, and the triceps are used during...

Strength Training vs. Muscle Building for the Beginning Lifter During the initial stages of training, there is very little difference between working out to build strength and working out to build muscle. Both goals will require a substantial addition of strength for key compound exercises such...

Barbells get all the love, but what happens when every bar in your gym is being used by some bro hitting biceps curls? Can you still make sweet, sweet gains without the big three barbell lifts? In short, yes. In fact, too many lifters neglect dumbbells altogether, relegating their gains to...

If you have ever missed a bench, the number one limiting factor that I’ve found is tricep strength. I know others will argue about lat strength, shoulder strength and so on, but tricep strength – or the lack thereof – has always stood out to me as the biggest limiting factor, especially when it...

405 is seen by many as the ultimate goal for squats and deadlift, and not just the bench press. By the way, it’s 405, not “4 plates.” God, I hate that term. It sounds like you’re loading the Hammer strength machine. It’s FOUR OH FIVE. “4 plates” is a light day at the buffet for me. More on that...

Of all the reasons Arnold Schwarzenegger is considered a legend – and there are certainly many – the Arnold Press, a shoulder exercise named after the Austrian Oak, is one that every gym rat has performed. As a guy who has loved the gym for as long as I can remember, that’s a definite sign of...

When it comes to working out there are very few exercises that are more popular than the barbell bench press. It is a staple when it comes to building a strong upper body and a massive chest. Here are 10 ways to improve your pressing power. Some of these tips will allow for an instant increase...

Bench press Monday is a global institution in just about every commercial gym. So is bench press Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… You get the picture. Weekend warriors and all-round keyboard tough guys commonly speak as if a 300 pound bench is easily performed by every other gym rat. The reality is...