Training

Become a Bodybuilding Fan   Only a fraction of a percentage of those who lift weights will step on a bodybuilding stage. And competing on the pro level requires a level of commitment that few outsiders can understand – you don’t just, as the hilarious Planet Fitness commercial says, “Lift things up and put them […]

Strength Sensei 101 Periodization   More insights into the pioneering training methods of Charles R. Poliquin   Periodization can appear to be a confusing concept involving such terms as mesocycles, micro cycles, deloading, and even asymmetric pyramid loading. Let’s take a step back. The two primary forms of stress in the weightroom are intensity (how

Warm up Your Triceps with Pushdowns   John Meadows was one of Charles R. Poliquin’s colleagues who left us too soon. An accomplished pro bodybuilder who trained elite bodybuilders and fitness competitors, Meadows shared many innovative ideas through his writings and social media appearances. One tip to take the “pain” out of triceps training for

  Vary Grip and Hand Spacing During Seated Rows   When performing seated cable rows, gym members will often settle on using just the pulley attachment most commonly found on the machine, such as a V-handle. You can perform many more exercises on these machines to get more from rows. Charles R. Poliquin approached workouts

Strength Sensei 101 Strength Curves: Part 3 More insights into the pioneering training methods of Charles R. Poliquin   Although standard tools in today’s weight rooms, bands and lifting chains were relatively unknown a few decades ago. Then came Louie Simmons. Louie Simmons was one of the most accomplished powerlifting coaches in the history of

Get a Leg Up on Step-ups   Charles R. Poliquin found that many of the elite athletes he started training had one leg much stronger than the other, an imbalance that affects athletic performance and may increase the risk of injury. The Strength Sensei used many exercises to correct this imbalance, with his most popular

Strength Sensei 101 Strength Curves: Part 2   More insights into the pioneering training methods of Charles R. Poliquin   Understanding the relationship between strength curves and resistance curves is critical to developing maximum power and ultimate muscular development. To review, a strength curve reflects how much strength an individual can display at specific points

Rest Longer for Plyometrics   Prescribing the optimal amount of rest between sets is a critical loading parameter Charles R. Poliquin discussed throughout his career. For example, he would prescribe shorter rest periods to promote fat loss and longer periods to promote strength gains. One type of exercise where he said rest periods are often

Strength Sensei 101 Strength Curves: Part 1   More insights into the pioneering training methods of Charles R. Poliquin   Charles R. Poliquin has written extensively about working the muscles throughout a full range of motion, even if this meant using less weight. For squats, he would recommend squatting to where the hamstrings covered the