To build true strength that transfers to the platform, beginner powerlifters must abandon touch-and-go reps in favor of deadlift step-backs that force a complete reset between every lift. By controlling the eccentric descent and overcoming static inertia from a dead stop, you ensure every repetition builds the raw power necessary for maximum potential rather than relying on momentum.

When addressing back pain, it is crucial to perform the Bird Dog exercise with the intention of creating static bracing tension through the torso, as the goal is not merely to move but to build tolerance for main lifts like the squat, bench press, or deadlift. Following the Bird Dog pattern, lifters can progress to single-leg hinge variations, starting with the kickstand deadlift and moving to the step-back variation and finally the single-leg RDL, which forces stability through the hip and can be progressed infinitely in loading to build strength.

Many trainees are consistent with their physical presence in the gym but fail to maintain consistency in the mental discipline and specific habits, such as sleep and stress management, required for genuine growth. This disconnect often leads to the "training sins" of ego lifting and program hopping, where short-term gratification is prioritized over long-term, sustainable progress.

This simplistic but highly effective banded warm-up routine teaches lifters how to stabilize the pelvis and keep the rib cage grounded while moving through hip internal and external rotation. By utilizing specific drills, such as the banded deadbug and the 90/90 hip internal rotation, athletes can enhance motor control and address common mobility restrictions that limit their squat performance.

We all want to have periods of weight loss in our lives. Approximately 45 million Americans attempt to diet annually, and fewer than half are successful. Meanwhile, the supplement industry is a multi-billion-dollar market that entices many of us to spend more than we save. 

The Strength Mastery Event is a two-day, hands-on coaching experience designed to help participants master the squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press while learning foundational mechanics such as breathing, bracing, and foot rooting. Attendees work in a small-group setting to receive practical feedback and clear cues, ensuring they leave with improved positions and a training plan they can use immediately.

"God damn it, this place has some fucking voodoo magic on her or something, it feels so fucking good. I feel like I pulled 800 today."

Start your year off right with this free webinar on January 14th at 6:30 p.m. EST. 

Rooting, or grounding, stabilizes the body from the hip or pelvis down to the floor, whereas bracing stabilizes the structure from the pelvis up to the shoulder. Since they are interdependent, performing both rooting and bracing correctly is essential for creating a whole, rigid structure and achieving maximum strength and stability.

If I had to put a number on it, I've spent more than 50,000 hours inside a gym training, coaching, managing, or teaching. If you stack the time end to end, that's over six straight years. 

Jim Otto wasn’t tough because he got hurt—he was tough because he kept showing up anyway. What if that same mindset had today’s training, recovery, and medical support behind it—would the legend be any less, or just harder to break?

Discover how Zercher movements, including the Squat and Deadlift, can be seamlessly integrated into your training program to boost muscle growth and strength. This article evaluates the biomechanics, benefits, and proper execution of these variants to help you train safely and effectively.

"If you work shift work, if you're a first responder, if you're a nurse, if you're a new parent, there are things that you can be doing to improve the amount of sleep you're getting, to improve the quality of that sleep, to reduce that overall cortisol. You don't just have to suffer through it. It's not the cost of doing business, like I chose to do this job, and I made the choice to suffer for as long as I did before I found somebody who could help me write the ship."

So first off remember just because you're doing what is a lat exercise doesn't mean it's necessarily hitting your lats very well. And then also you have the ability to take a certain exercise and bias it towards whatever your goal is very very easily by just adjusting the grip width how you put pressure on your hands and ultimately change that upper arm angle relative to your body.

Time has a way of humbling lifters. You stop worrying about who’s right and start recognizing who lasted. The legends weren’t always popular — they were just consistent long enough for everyone else to catch up. When you’ve been around this long, you realize that respect always arrives late, but it’s the only thing that sticks.

Shaun Kopplin's life pivoted around 2014 when powerlifting became a crucial path, helping him focus and deal with the grief following his brother's death after he had struggled with criminal activity and drug addiction. After time in solitary confinement, he focused on lifting weights to maintain a trajectory that kept him out of prison, eventually founding Wolfpack Barbell and Cream City Clothing.

Consider this: your body can only apply as much force as your grip can withstand. If your hands can’t control the bar, your power leaks before it even transfers through your arms and torso.

 Eating hundreds or thousands of extra calories is often "absurd" because the body can typically only generate three to five pounds of new muscle per year, making massive surpluses unnecessary. Rather than traditional bulking, a "maingaining" approach focuses on keeping body fat levels neutral while progressively increasing strength on key lifts over several months.

The longer we're spending in that stretch position actively lengthening and relaxing those target muscles we are going to be spending more and more time in a lengthened position but also getting further into that stretch position which is going to leave us more mobile than when we started. Now these are going to be more effective for mobility than traditional static stretches as well because we have the external load helping us.

A 385-pound preacher once used a 1,000-pound squat to illustrate life, faith, and teamwork. His message was simple: you can take on a heavier weight when your family, friends, and purpose are solid, because nobody moves their biggest load alone.

Lifters chase novelty because the body adapts, and the mind gets bored. High-volume builds a base, while low-volume refines it. The pendulum keeps swinging because both work — for a while. What matters is not the method but the phase of life you’re in.

Top powerlifter Craig Foster (2298 total) follows an unconventional training philosophy where he rarely lifts heavy weights in the gym, preferring to work up only to his opener in sessions. This approach relies heavily on high-volume work, such as five sets of 10 squats at 50-60% of his maximum, allowing his competitive maximum to exceed his training maximum far.