Why strength for beginners? Why do we recommend strength-based training for new lifters? There are many different directions one can go in when they start training, and lots of them are going to get you results. But we feel that focusing on strength is a good first step for any new lifter....

READ MORE

Mobility Work What is Mobility work? Should I do it? "Mobility work" is usually used as a general term for doing warmup exercises before you get under the bar and can include things like stretching, foam rolling, band exercises. These exercises focus on increasing the range of motion at a...

READ MORE

Warming Up Working as a coach, I very often find that folks are not sure about the right way to warm up for lifts in the gym. Sometimes they will just load up the weight and go for it, other times they will take way too many warm up sets and tire themselves out. In today’s post I am going to...

READ MORE

RPE and RIR RPE and RIR are two common terms in the lifting world right now, and understanding them can help you to understand different programs and methods better. You can also apply them to your own training right away. What do RPE and RIR stand for? RPE stands for Rate of Perceived...

READ MORE

Progressive Overload Progressive overload is a core concept in strength training, and in practice is the main driver for strength gains over the long term. So what is it? I have read some complicated descriptions of Progressive Overload, and they can be helpful as you make your way...

READ MORE

Maxing Out When can I max out? I used to think about this all the time, it’s what I lived for. I essentially maxed out every week for longer than I care to admit. And still, as a coach, I have lifters ask me very often when they can max out. Newer lifters want to “know where they’re at”...

READ MORE

Picking A Program Now it’s time for the really fun stuff. It’s time to choose a program. I’m going to go through what I consider to be the most important things to keep in mind when you are picking a program as a beginner. These are things I wish I had thought about when I was just getting...

READ MORE

Beginner Series: Goal Setting Setting goals for yourself is one of those things that seems so obvious, but often gets overlooked. Usually you know what your general goals are before you get into the gym: get stronger, feel better, be healthier, etc. But once you are in the gym and starting...

READ MORE

Beginners Series: Just Get Started There are many things I wish I could go back and tell myself 10 years ago, when I was brand new to lifting and training. Looking back at old training logs and diet plans, I can’t help but cringe. What was I thinking!? I spent a lot of time worrying about...

READ MORE

Why Pump Training WON'T Make You Massive You should not chase the pump! When training we want to look at the big picture. So what do we mean by pump training? Well, don’t solely train with the pump in mind. Honestly, this is what a lot beginners or bros(we didnt want to say it) do, they...

READ MORE