Here’s a throw back to the past. This post about lifting strategy is the second post ever written on Project Swole. The point of it is I was getting back into training seriously after some time off, and I was going to use this site as a training journal. After a short time I realized the site would be better used as a repository for the knowledge and experience I’d gained as a personal trainer, and through 14 years of research and training experience as I’d started my fitness journey around 1993.
This isn’t much more than an outline of my personal thoughts and strategies towards gearing up for a workout, training, and then post workout recovery. If this post has inspired or helped even one beginner athlete, then I can consider my goal accomplished.
Interval Training is simply one of the most efficient forms of cardio you can perform, if not the most efficient. You can get pretty much ALL the benefits of longer-duration cardio but without the long duration. Moreover, you don’t get bored, you don’t spend all your time doing it, and you don’t have nearly the risk of overuse injuries.
Let’s take a look at how we can choose from the most efficient forms of cardio to elevate conditioning while working towards strength goals.
Think you are too Swole to do yoga? Think again fool! If you are Swole, you NEED yoga for strength athletes!
Studies indicate that yoga combats common ailments of modern man such as depression, osteoarthritis, and stress. By fighting off these diseases, we have a better chance of recovering from intense workouts and illness.
Yoga’s benefits were realized by many Eastern civilizations hundreds and even thousands of years ago. The hardest part is knowing which style of yoga to choose, so here are 7 common forms of yoga for strength athletes. Choose the one that best fits your lifestyle, or try them all.
Every serious lifter would love to have massive Popeye-level forearms. Forearm size adds to an already good physique, and forearm strength increases all of your pulling lifts and then some. The problem that most people have is that they aren’t sure how to attack their forearms – they lack the knowledge of the best forearm exercises for muscle growth. Either that or they are not as consistent as they need to be with their forearm training.
For strength, we need to train our forearms with heavy loads such as deadlifts, farmer carries, and heavy barbell shrugs. For size, we need to train with consistency and volume, leveraging the occasional isolation exercises like hammer curls and wrist curls.
Forearms should be trained just as often as any other muscle. It shouldn’t just be something you work on every couple of months whenever you are bored. Take your forearm training seriously, and you will be on the right path to adding some size and strength to them.
Bodybuilding is a great way to sculpt and tone muscles, but the strain that it places on the body is sometimes too much to bear. Injuries are not uncommon among bodybuilders, and lower back pain is one of the most common problems experienced by lifters everywhere.
If you’re experiencing lower back pain, you don’t have to stop your workout routine. However, you should remember these tips that will help you manage your back pain and heal quickly. Warming up, stretching properly, and maintaining strict form will go a long way, but try these tips when all else fails.
Here is our list of the second 5 of our favorite 10 ab exercises that you can use to get 6-pack abs. Perform these exercises on a regular basis, mix them up, use different speeds, tempos, angles, and positions to get a full workout. Always try to mix it up from workout to workout.
That is quite enough out of me for now. Go ahead and read about the 5 exercises and then figure out how to work them into your routine.
Box jumps are a great exercise for your legs, and can be performed on just about any variable flat surface. They hit your posterior chain – calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings – pretty hard.
Box jumps can be used for cardio workouts, neural activation training (NAT), high-intensity resistance training (HIRT), and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) circuits. They are often used in CrossFit WODs (Workout of the Day) and are a staple exercise in plyometric training. Plyometrics have a wide range of athletic and real sporting applications; they are used, for example, to increase jumping ability, leg strength, hip drive, and explosiveness.
Box jumps are a simple movement. They require you only to jump from one flat surface up onto another flat surface, then either step or jump back down, depending on the purpose of the exercise. These are our tips for performing them safely and effectively.
Generally speaking, while working out the primary concern of bodybuilding is to develop a toned upper body, to the extent that aspiring bodybuilders sometimes forget to pay much attention to their legs. And if they do train legs, it is pretty much the bare minimum and a half-willed effort – leg press and leg curls, for example. Sometimes we need to consider home leg exercises to get some extra reps outside of a gym.
Many beginners focus so much on a toned set of abs or bowling ball shoulders, that they skip out on leg day and forget to include their squats and deads throughout the week. This greatly affects the symmetry of the body. So to obtain that perfect physique you dream about, you will need to include leg workouts too.
For today we will focus mainly on home leg exercises and primarily use only body weight.
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It occurs when the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes, becomes inflamed. This condition can be debilitating, but the good news is that there are ways to manage and alleviate the discomfort.
Here are five tips to help you deal with plantar fasciitis and get back on your feet.
Choosing the right health insurance can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options, policies, and confusing terms. It’s easy to feel lost in a sea of choices, wondering which plan is best for you and your family. But don’t worry—our list of 10 practical tips will guide you through the decision-making process and help you make an informed choice with confidence. Whether you’re new to health insurance or just looking for better coverage, these tips will point you in the right direction.
This guide will walk you through ten essential tips to help you make an informed decision when selecting health insurance, ensuring you get the best coverage without unnecessary expenses.
Diet trends have become increasingly popular as people seek new ways to improve their health, manage weight, and align their lifestyles with personal values. Whether it’s veganism, keto, paleo, or intermittent fasting, each of these diets can have a profound effect not only on overall health but also on oral health. While many of these diets are promoted for their health benefits, it’s important to understand how they may impact the health of your teeth and gums.
Understanding the potential benefits and risks of each diet can help you make informed choices that protect your smile while supporting your dietary goals.
There is nothing more satisfying than a strong back. While bulging biceps, pecs, and quads might seem sexy, they aren’t nearly as effective at increasing strength and stability as robust rhomboids, lats, and traps. However, not only is it easy to inefficiently train the back, but it is incredibly easy to injure those muscles (and the tissues around them) and end up with back pain due to improper technique and inaccurate exercises.
If you want a rope-covered back but you don’t want chronic back pain, here are a few common mistakes you should avoid – and if you are already laid low from a back injury, here’s how you can recover and prevent them in the future.
Should Athletes Train Individual Muscles or Only Sports Movements?
Personal trainers have to know how to train people from all walks of life. I’ve seen bodybuilders, strength athletes, middle-aged men, obese housewives, trained athletes, newbies, weekend warriors, and about 100 other types of people and athletes. No one routine can be designed for everyone. Sport-specific movements might be prescribed for some athletes, while others might need a beginner’s routine, while others might only want to focus on powerlifting movements like bench, squats, and deads. We need to always be aware of the athlete’s goals when designing a workout routine.
Even in sport-specific niches like football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, or with other athletes such as powerlifters, bodybuilders, strongmen, and Olympic lifters, there is no one-size-fits-all training routine. You can’t take a baseball pitcher and train the pitching motion for 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. It just won’t work. So how do you train athletes who only need a small variety of movements to be successful at their sport?
Today, a majority of people have experienced some kind of lower back pain. Acute, chronic, local, or pain that is going all through your glutes’ muscles and legs to your foot. All of them are very intensive and they limit us in our everyday life.
So, what causes it, why, and how should you solve lower back pain? Aside from adding a few of the best lower back exercises to your workout routine, here are some additional tips and tricks that can help you prehab and rehab a sore lower back.
Intravenous (IV) therapy has been gaining popularity as a means to promote wellness and recovery. This treatment involves directly infusing vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients into the bloodstream, providing immediate benefits. Unlike oral supplements that must pass through the digestive system, IV therapy directly absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream, ensuring maximum efficacy and faster results.
Key Takeaways:
IV therapy can help boost energy, facilitate hydration, and enhance overall wellness.
Common questions include its benefits, safety, and the process.
Research supports the use of IV therapy in recovery and performance enhancement.
Hydration and nutrient absorption are key aspects of effectiveness.
Let’s see how much we can learn about the usefulness of intravenous therapy in one article.
Who doesn’t want bigger, stronger arms? Almost everyone who lifts weights will, at some point, do exercises for their biceps and triceps. Unfortunately, doing the same old curls and push-downs won’t produce the results you want so we need a fresh list of the best arm exercises that are probably not even in your routine today.
The triceps comprise 2/3 of the size of the upper arms. So while you may have fun building raging biceps, a more triceps-focused routine will probably get you where you need to be quicker. And as a side effect, stronger triceps translate to a stronger bench press if you’re into that sort of thing.
If you are stuck in an arm-building rut, use the following six exercises to breathe life back into your workouts.
In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle has become more crucial than ever. Among the various ways to stay fit, going to the gym stands out as one of the most effective and accessible options. Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds, build muscle, or simply improve your overall well-being, the gym offers a structured environment where you can work towards your fitness goals. But the benefits of going to the gym extend far beyond just physical appearance. From boosting mental health to fostering a sense of community, hitting the gym regularly can have a profound impact on various aspects of your life.
More often than not, we typically start going to the gym because we want to look better. However, exercise offers much more than simply looking good. Regular exercise not only strengthens muscles and increases flexibility, but it can also lower stress, blood pressure, and mood while increasing happiness levels – as well as possibly helping prevent certain diseases or illnesses.
Here are five compelling benefits of going to the gym that can inspire you to make exercise and fitness a regular part of your routine.
Participation in sports does not demand from you a high skill level. You just need to start an activity that you enjoy doing. Fitness classes keep your motivation level higher, and you feel improvement in your body with time. Finding the right fitness class can make all the difference in your workout routine, whether you’re a beginner looking to get started or a seasoned athlete seeking a new challenge.
With so many class options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the best fit for your skill level and goals. So let us break down six types of fitness classes that cater to every level of experience, ensuring that you can find the perfect match to help you stay motivated, improve your fitness, and have fun along the way.
Staying fit and in shape while traveling can be challenging, I get you. When I was traveling in Southeast Asia, I could only find member and personal training gyms.
That said, it’s entirely achievable with the right strategies. Whether you’re navigating bustling cities, relaxing on a beach, or trekking through remote landscapes, maintaining your fitness routine helps you feel energized and ready to make the most of your journey.
This guide offers practical tips on how to incorporate exercise into your travel plans, make healthy food choices, and stay motivated, ensuring that your adventures leave you feeling just as strong and healthy as when you started.
If you’re an exercise enthusiast, it might be hard to wrap your mind around the many benefits of low-impact exercise. Far too many fitness junkies believe that your workout needs to be high-intensity every single time. While there are countless benefits associated with high-intensity exercise, it’s not the only form out there.
Low-impact exercises are especially useful if you’re recovering from a recent injury. They also serve you well when training for a vigorous event. Incorporating low-impact exercises into your workout regime helps condition your body, repair muscles, and give your body the rest it needs to recover. Want to learn more about some of the best low-impact exercises for overall health and strength? Keep reading!
