Is it better to look good or be strong? Many people take up bodybuilding to look better, training to build and sculpt their physique rather than add functional strength. Strength athletes, on the other hand, train to lift heavy without worrying about what their muscles look like, because aesthetics simply isn’t the top priority. …
Q: I’m a powerlifter who wants to know if using leg drive will help me bench press more weight. Some powerlifters dismiss it; others think it’s the Holy Grail. What gives? If leg drive isn’t the Holy Grail, it’s sitting right next to it on the kitchen counter. Here are the three most important …
After giving birth to six children, full-time mom Edna Boehmer, like so many women before her, spent hours on cardio machines trying to lose weight. She looked thin, but not healthy and strong. She lacked the toned curves and strong physique she desired. Then, a friend introduced her to weightlifting and hooked her up with […]
Q: I’ve been powerlifting for three years, and I’ve seen new powerlifting programs popping up faster than pills at a Charlie Sheen party. How do I know if one will be effective for me? “If you break the law, you get thrown in jail,” my mentor, close friend, and world champion powerlifter, the late Fred […]
To outsiders and newbies, the bench press is just one of those macho lifts you do to impress people. A good bench, though, requires mastery of a number of subtle points of form. Lifting for maximum weight calls for a few small but important refinements in the position of your fingers, hands, elbows, shoulders, and […]
You believe that you’ll recognize the most important moment of your life while it’s happening. But maybe it won’t be what you expect. And maybe you won’t realize its impact until after it occurs. Katherine (Kat) Portillo earned a Master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in December of 2011. She won an […]
Q: Is reloading (also known as “deloading”) a good idea or just an excuse to kick back? Why do you think most NFL teams have a light, non-contact practice before game day? It’s to give their players a chance to rest their bodies—and their minds—before the big game. Same goes for lifting. …
Q: I’ve heard it’s not a good idea to train powerlifting with single reps. Is this true? When I was growing up, a bouncer from the local kick-n-stab bar used to hit the pig iron after slamming down some malt liquor 40s in the parking lot. He said he created this alcohol-fueled workout because it […]
In recent years, chronic shoulder pain has begun rivaling lower-back pain as the preeminent pain complaint among the active population. Considering how prevalent back pain is, that’s some sad and surprising news. But here’s what’s worse: In the case of the shoulder, trends are starting to show that active people are getting hurt more than those who live a purely […]
For the past few years, I’ve been seeing more people pushing this idea that everyone needs to be doing the big compound lifts multiple times a week. And why not? After all, more is better, right?More money is good. More sex is good. More protein is good. More squats and deadlifts must be good too, […]
A devotion to fitness has always underpinned Danica Patrick’s racing success.I first interviewed her for a magazine back in the early 2000s, when she was helming a car owned by Bobby Rahal and David Letterman in a developmental open-wheel racing series—the minor leagues, basically. Even then, she knew her track success would go only as […]
Let's take a trip back in time. How far? Back before the gym was cluttered with dudes with camera crews, and stick figure lifters who strain harder for a selfie than they do during a set of squats.Back then, before the … [Read More...]