Most lifters have heard of a 5×5 workout arrangement. Two legendary strength coaches, Bill Starr and Mark Rippetoe, popularized this training method. It is simple, easy, and often quite effective. 5×5 involves performing 5 sets of 5 reps on a given exercise (squats, bench, etc) as your main working sets for the day. 5 reps seems to be an ideal…
Workout programs can be confusing. How often do I train each lift? How intense should I go? What percent of my 1RM do I use? Should I do 5/3/1 or The Cube or The Shut-Up plan? How many exercises do I need for each body part? How does training change when your goals change? What does the latest exercise science…
I wanted to share some recent features that may interest you. I recently wrote a guest post on psychology today discussing my thoughts on assessing and improving your physical wellbeing, available HERE. I was also on the podcast “Cut The S#!t Get Fit” with host Rafal Matuszewski, available HERE. Finally, there has been some debate recently about whether or not…
Sometimes I struggle with how I feel about my fitness level. I started working out seriously when I was 14, did my first true powerlifting competition when I was 19 (22 years ago), and I have competed in about 50 meets over the last 2 decades. I have now been retired from competitive lifting for 3 years. When I look…
I woke up today and experienced an epiphany. It was a thought seemingly so simple, yet ultimately so impactful. As my eyes opened and my mindset switched, this is what I discovered. Powerlifting, at its core, has only one goal: To move the weight from point A to point B. I used to think there was something more to powerlifting,…
Powerlifting is awesome, but it is not for everybody. If you are thinking about taking up the sport, this is what you need to have. A barbell – Powerlifting consists of the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. Those lifts are contested for a 1 rep max. If you want to be a powerlifter, you have to practice those…
I have met some amazing female powerlifters in my last two decades in the sport. I am not just referring to phenomenal women lifters such as Jennifer Thompson or Sioux-z Hartwig Gary, I am talking about amazing people. It takes a special kind of person, with a special kind of strength, to break the mold, cast aside old stereotypes, and…
I always like the fall. It is back to school time, summer is over, and most people focus on establishing new positive routines and polishing up those behaviors that are important to them. I think it is important for serious lifters to do the same. If lifting, if being strong, is important to you – you need to become a…
The Olympics is in full swing with the first week typically dominated by swimming and gymnastics – two sports that America (my home country) seems to excel at. Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time – his medal total alone would be very competitive if he were his own country, and as an individual, it is unprecedented. …
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a simple chart you could look at that would provide guidance as to how many reps you should train with and what kind of weight you should use for each competitive lift? You have probably seen Prilepin’s chart – which attempts to do that, but there are 4 big problems with Prilepin’s chart.…
