Editorial Staff

Muscle Fiber Typing for Program Design   The Strength Sensei’s views on tonic and phasic muscles   One of the pioneers of functional training is Professor Vladimir Janda. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1928, Janda contracted polio at the age of 15 and was unable to walk for two years. Janda became a neurologist and exercise […]

Wear Lifting Shoes to Squat Deep   Long before the Kneesovertoes Guy, Charles R. Poliquin was preaching about the benefits of full squats. He believed that heavy, hamstrings-covering-calves provided maximum strength and growth stimulation. He also thought these squats would help prevent muscle imbalances that increased the risk of chronic knee pain, particularly from conditions

3 Steps to Healthy Shoulders Resolving the most common causes of shoulder pain   The bench press is the most popular weight training exercise, no question. Unfortunately, those who perform it year-round at a high level often develop shoulder pain. Sometimes a short layoff is all that is needed to get your training back on

Discover the Power of Heavy Supports Overcoming strength plateaus using partial movements   Success leaves clues, and if you want to get super strong, follow the clues left by Chuck Sipes. Sipes captured the 1959 IFBB Mr. America title, followed by the 1960 IFBB Mr. Universe. In 1967, he took second in the IFBB Mr.

Know Your Barbells   What type of barbell should you use for bench presses and power cleans? Because each barbell has qualities that can affect performance, you should have a special bar for each lift. Olympic barbells can be divided into three types: weightlifting, powerlifting, and multi-purpose. A weightlifting barbell must be flexible to minimize

Build Better Biceps with Rotational Workouts   Designing workouts to build bigger and stronger biceps   Charles R. Poliquin believed that training success requires systematically and uniformly developing strength throughout the entire body. Besides improving athletic performance, this approach is critical for preventing injuries and achieving maximum muscular development. Everyone has their favorite exercises for

Check Your Weights   Each sport has a particular rite of passage. A figure skater will step onto the ice with their blade guards on, a basketball player will throw an air ball at the foul line, a punter will fumble a perfectly good snap, and a baseball player will miss touching a plate running

The Strength Sensei on Aerobics   Clearing up some misconceptions about energy system training   Charles R. Poliquin was not a fan of steady-state aerobic training, and not just because he didn’t like activities that train you to run away from a fight. Another issue was that the Strength Sensei did not believe aerobics was