In a previous article, I noted how the range of motion of crunches is not conducive to building a strong core . Crunches will only effectively engage the rectus abdominal muscles, while some of the surrounding important core musculature is not addressed. Ultimately, it…

If I had to pinpoint one "tight area" about which many people complain most, it's the hamstrings. I'll often find gym-goers using multiple methods to stretch those stubborn muscles: asking a partner to push them deeper into a stretch, or yanking on th…

My friend Michael was nice enough to write a guest post for me this week! Michael is a competitive weightlifter who has been performing the olympic lifts for a little over 2.5 years. He recently obtained his Honors Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and plans to go on…

What's wrong with this picture? Yes, this model has an incredibly impressive physique, but I'm referring specifically to her posture. Her ribs, in particular, are the first thing I notice. Rib flaring is an extremely common postural fault. I mainly see this in …

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on breathing properly for your lifts. This week, my friend Nate Henry, a competitive powerlifter, wrote a wonderful follow-up article. His strongest lifts include a 523.5 pound squat in competition, and a 535 pound squat in the gym, weig…

Part of assimilating into the "lifting culture" means geeking out over new purchases like shoes, wrist wraps, straps, and belts. It's easy to fill up your shopping cart pretty quickly on Amazon.com or other similar websites. The question is, how much of t…

Several months ago, I wrote an article called " Perfecting Your Push-up ," in which I gave you some insight on how to correct some common flaws in a seemingly simple (yet incredibly intricate) movement. This post will be a sequel to that post, as a solid plan…

You work these muscles 23,000 times a day, on average, but chances are, you're using them incorrectly. In our sleep-deprived, high stress lifestyles, many of us are breathing incorrectly several thousand times a day, everyday over the course of our lives. The core …

Check yourself: as you read this, are you taking deep, full breaths, or is your breath shallow and inconsistent? I've found that my clients have the tendency to forget to breathe as the they lift. They're getting ready for a max back squat and they step under t…

The squat, lunge, bench press and overhead press are all great exercises--they are compound movements that will help improve strength, power, and stability. Unfortunately, I see many people performing this movement on a machine that limits the benefits of these movemen…

Here's a quick little test you can do on your couch to test your squat. Focus on maintaining an upright torso when you stand up from a seated position or when you squat. It's important to reinforce good movement patterns at home so that you can move well in the…

On paper, the push-up seems like a very simple exercise. Surely we've perfected it after all of those years of high school gym class, right? Truth be told, I see a lot of people who execute this exercise incorrectly and inefficiently. While it may seem self-explana…

The most aggravating fallacy I hear is "squats are bad for your knees." No, you know what's bad for your knees? Squatting improperly . Sitting is also really bad for your knees, but that's another discussion entirely. CrossFitter Miranda Oldroyd doing…

Our posture is the foundation of every movement we make. Whether we're sitting, going for a jog, or doing a deadlift, proper spinal positioning is crucial to both preventing injury and the efficiency of your movement. The fact of the matter is that the movements yo…

We've all been guilty of it at one point or another: pounding away hundreds of crunches in hopes of getting a "six pack." The fact of the matter is that many people care about "getting abs" for their aesthetic value rather than focusing on train…