If you have been lifting for several years, and you feel like the honeymoon period of your training is officially over, this article will find you well. I want you to stick to barbell training until the last day of your life. I really do. No further convincing on its effectiveness is required on my side. Neither is it on yours, I believe. Instead of looking at barbell training as a tissue for blowing your nose ('do the job - get rid'), I would like to point out three crucial

So far as a coach, I have travelled the world quite a bit over the last 17 years. Having worked in five different countries with professional football teams, a world kickboxing champion, the old, the young, and the in-betweens, I have seen commonalities in simply what makes a place a good environment to be in. I grew up in a culture where a strong work ethic was always highly valued. As a wise man in my home country Austria once said: 'If you're bored, get undressed, and look

The language police are back in town. Kidding aside, I believe it is important to get our semantics right in order to communicate effectively with each other. In today's world where just anyone can claim to be an 'expert' on basically anything (as long as it looks fashionable), I have recently struggled to understand what the term 'strength' actually means, what the factors are that constitute it, and why all of a sudden any form of exercise seems to be classed as 'strength

You have been training for quite a while now, and your volume day numbers have started to stagnate. No matter how many times you keep repeating the same rep range (e.g. sets of five), the needle just won't move. Time for a change? Possibly so. One of the key things for you to stick to your training long-term is that you find new challenges frequently. If a certain type of set/rep scheme runs you mentally dry, it's time to act. I have recently discovered wave loading to be a n

True. I’m not a medical doctor. But I’m a strength coach - which most medical doctors aren't. If we look at the effects of strength training on managing blood pressure, does it become a topic of strength training, a topic of medicine, or both? In the end, it doesn’t even matter. What matters is that we make information transparent to the general public which they might not hear elsewhere. This shall allow them to make an informed decision on how they wish to proceed with mat

Over the course of my career as a coach and lifter, I have come to understand several things. One which stands out for me is that the process of getting stronger draws many parallels to other aspects of our life. In essence, the barbell can become our life teacher, as well as our teacher for life. Whether you have been training for several months, several years, or are thinking about getting started, this article was written for you. Because sometimes, a nip in the bud is all

Getting stronger is a tedious process. If you don't respect the biological laws underpinning slow, incremental increases, then this process is, I'm afraid, not for you. The truth of the matter is that we live in a world where we expect things to happen the way we want within five microseconds. Getting that text, receiving that email, or finding that spot in the parking lot without having to wait for a perceived lifetime. Now is late. Only yesterday is acceptable. But we can

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle muss and function. Across our lifespan, if we do not take appropriate action to tackle this musculoskeletal disorder, our chances of dying from all-cause mortality increases by around 35%. In fact, there is not a single chronic disease in which the loss of muscle mass or strength does not play a crucial role - whether in its pathophysiology, or as an aftermath. Strength training is provenly the most powerful tool we have available

This article was not written to instill fear. It was written to face reality. You have two options: One, you ignore your body and hope that it will somehow get you through life. But as the saying goes: 'Hope is the mother of fools .' When hope leads to inaction, you're on the way to hell. Option two: you start getting stronger. Even when no one is watching. Your strength and muscles are not a matter of an inflated ego. They are your insurance policy for a better and longer l

Disclaimer: The word “success” in the following article does not necessitate being the strongest lifter in the world. It may be tied to an absolute weight on the bar. It may not. The word “success” in this text is dedicated to those who have stuck with barbell training to this day. Whether they’ve been training for three months, two years, or a decade. It is a testament to those who have understood the true value of this work, and have used it to transform parts of their life

If you have ever wondered about the existence of a training program that will turn you into a championship lifter overnight, within a year, or across your lifespan, you have come to the right place. The word 'perfection' stems from the Latin ' perfectiō' - meaning 'a completing, finishing.' The word therefore tells us that a process has developed to such a high level of excellence that it cannot be improved any further. Einstein's definition of insanity ('Doing the same thin

For those of you who have embarked on a strength training journey, there comes a point where you are going to ask yourself the question ' How strong do I need to be? '' In many cases, the answer will be one which confirms your excuse for not having to (or wanting to) get any stronger than what you currently are. After all, you just need enough 'to see you through', right? I think it is a wiser idea to re-phrase the question and ask yourself ' How do I get stronger in my next

In order for us to communicate our training goals in the most efficient way, a definition of terminology is essential. This provides...

On the very first day of your strength training journey, your body is unfamiliar with the kind of stress you are about to experience from...

You have a tough decision to make: lose body fat – or build muscle mass. You are standing at the crossroads and do not know which...

If there is one thing you ever take away from barbell training, then let it be this: pay attention . One of the paramount things to do in...

You have so far figured out that being strong is important. Whether you are new to strength training or have been bending iron for a...

Walk into a standard commercial gym and observe how many people perform a barbell overhead press. You will soon find that you can count...

We have so far figured out that the reason why we lift weights is to get stronger. This may sound as obvious as today being the first day...

Throughout your training career, the rate of progress will show different types of expression. In your very first year of training, you...