training

It’s happened to almost all of us at one point or another. You take an extra day off to rest, which turns into a week, then you’re taking 2 weeks off from the gym. Before you know it you’ve been out of the gym for much longer than you'd like to admit. If you’re like most lifters you are looking...

One of the greatest issues facing athletes and weightlifters is the ability to stay healthy while lifting weights and training at a high level. The most common setback I see in the gym is a shoulder injury. If you have played sports at any level or lifted weights for any length of time, you’ve...

So let me guess. You're at the gym each day trying to get bigger and stronger. In fact, almost every free moment of your life is spent obsessing about adding muscle and strength. You read all the magazines, buy all the best supplements and construct workout plans so complicated they make Jay...

Whether your goal is a flat stomach or a chiseled 6-pack, core exercises should always be part of your training plan. Training your core goes beyond the aesthetic value of how your midsection looks. A strong core provides support during your training sessions, improves your posture, and helps...

There are many days when I walk in the gym and I see the same people, doing the same exercises, with the same weights and they look the same as when they did months (or even years) before. It makes me wonder, “How can these people spend so much time in the gym and not be making any strength...

Other than taking too many selfies, many gym-goers are guilty of another lifting sacrilege: lying to themselves. The problem may be that you don’t know you’re actually lying to yourself. Much like the infamous words spoken by George Costanza, “…just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.”...

It is often the case that when someone discovers the gym for the first time and really gets into training they will work out for hours upon end hitting the same body part 3-4 times per week, training 7 days a week. This article will explore the reasons behind over training, it’s easy to be told...

As a strength coach who works with high level athletes and an educator who trains the trainers - I'm always being asked what I think is the biggest mistake trainers, athletes and exercise enthusiasts make in the gym. My answer is always "most don't train the CNS". You see - there are actually...

When you think about building muscle, what types of training come to mind? High volume, high frequency training? Drop sets, extended sets, timed sets? Extended range of motion exercises? Or intra-set stretching? Once you have a base of strength, these methods all work extraordinarily well...

Have you been a regular at the gym for at least six months and haven’t made any real gains in size, strength, or performance? It could be your workout program preventing you from achieving your best results. Read on to see if it’s time to give your training routine the axe. 1. Your Workout Has...

Chest day. It’s the most popular training day of the week. Most trainers schedule chest for Mondays, because they want to start their week off with a muscle group they like training. For men, having a large and powerful chest with striations can make a powerful statement. Obviously, many...

The thing about most articles on the internet that have to do with lifting weights and training hard: They have one goal in mind – always gaining, and never maintaining. It’s ambitious, and honestly, it’s something to be commended. But there’s being a hero, and there’s being realistic. Here’s...

Often, your results depend on how often you’re getting into the gym, what you’re eating outside, and how thoroughly you train. Not rocket science, I know. But for guys who’ve been in the lifting game for a while, we need to take a closer look to see continuous gains. Looking at the bigger...

If you are in your 40s and looking for ways to keep your game strong in the gym or within your field of sports, there are some important factors to consider for performing at your optimum level. Of course, if you have been inactive for some time, you simply need to get started in order to...

Muscle & Strength is proud to bring you a new series of articles that will not only educate and inform the M&S community but provide you with the opportunity to take part. Instead of simply reading this and moving on, we want you to join the discussion and inspire fellow athletes and lifters...

Training splits can be a mystery. With so many available options and possibilities, it's easy to be confused about which splits are effective, and which are poorly structured. If you've ever wondered just why and how training splits are designed, and just what some of the best training split...

The key to designing really effective short, mid, and long term resistance exercise programs is to develop a system that efficiently plans, organises and manages all of the exercise variables. Periodisation can be defined as a system for program design that plans appropriate cycles and training...

There’s a problem with being strong. It’s hard to think of any negatives associated with improving your strength. But it’s important to remember that training for one goal will always come at the expense of other goals. We’ll be the first to say: for 95% of the population, improving overall...

Over the decades, few books have stood both the test of time and the tests done in the gym. The publication rate of new books promising you the key to more muscle and less fat seems to keep up with new Starbucks openings. Which books are worth their weight (pun intended) and your hard-earned...

Contrary to what many entry level personal training weekend certification textbooks say, exercises themselves aren’t the things that should be scrutinized and contraindicated. The people who do them should be. Different skeletal builds or training needs can deem an exercise dangerous depending...