Hex Bar vs Barbell Deadlift
Improve strength, size, speed, and performance with the safest deadlift variation, the hex bar deadlift.
1RM Testing For Athletes – Is It Worth It?
Discover whether one rep max testing truly improves athletic performance in this comprehensive strength coach’s guide to maximum strength assessment for high school and collegiate athletes. Learn proper testing protocols, alternative assessment methods, and how to connect strength gains to key performance indicators like speed, power, and agility. This evidence-based approach helps coaches implement safe, effective strength testing that actually transfers to better sport performance.
The Value In Strength Training For Endurance Athletes
Strength training should be a vital piece of the puzzle to helping endurance athletes maximize their performance.
Close Grip Bench Press Mistakes You NEED To Avoid
Master the close grip bench press with proper hand positioning, elbow mechanics, and bar path techniques that maximize tricep development while eliminating wrist and elbow pain. Learn how to optimize grip width for wrist-elbow stacking, fix common mistakes like elbow flare and improper touch points, and program this essential accessory movement to build lockout strength and dramatically improve your competition bench press numbers.
The TRUTH About Sport Specific Training
Sports specific training is one of the most misunderstood concepts in athletic performance. Learn the truth about what actually makes athletes better, why there’s no such thing as sport-specific exercises in the weight room, and how to structure training that combines sport practice with strength and conditioning for maximum performance improvement. Discover the training specificity hierarchy that separates effective athletic development from marketing hype.
Best Bench Press Exercises Tier List
Discover which bench press accessories actually build serious strength with this comprehensive exercise tier list ranking movements from S-tier to D-tier based on proven carryover to your one-rep max. Learn why cambered bar bench press, floor press, and close grip variations dominate the rankings, while popular exercises like Smith machine pressing and bicep curls waste valuable training time. This guide helps powerlifters and strength athletes program smarter by focusing on exercises that deliver maximum bench press gains.
Best Exercises For Combat Sport Athletes
Discover the best exercises for combat sport athletes training in MMA, wrestling, boxing, and jiu-jitsu. This complete strength and conditioning guide covers essential movements for building grip strength, explosive power, rotational force, and fight-specific endurance that directly transfer to the cage and mat. Learn how to program grip-intensive rows, loaded carries, medicine ball throws, landmine variations, and sport-specific lifts like zercher squats and sumo deadlifts to dominate your competition.
Best Squat Exercises Tier List
Discover the complete squat exercise tier list ranking every major squat variation and assistance movement from S-tier essentials to D-tier time-wasters for powerlifters and strength athletes. This comprehensive guide evaluates pause squats, safety bar squats, belt squats, front squats, Bulgarian split squats, and dozens of other exercises based on their direct carryover to competition squat strength, helping you prioritize training time on movements that actually increase your squat max. Learn which squat accessories belong in your program, which exercises waste your time, and how to structure your squat training for maximum strength gains using evidence-based exercise selection strategies.
How To Build Athletic Muscle
In this guide, we break down how to optimize your training for explosiveness, agility, and functional muscle growth, ensuring you stay fast, powerful, and mobile during your sport.
Best Deadlift Exercises Tier List
Building a bigger deadlift requires strategic selection of assistance exercises that actually transfer to competition performance, not just random supplemental work that looks hard in the gym. This comprehensive tier list ranks the most effective deadlift accessories from elite movements like deficit deadlifts and banded pulls to overrated exercises that waste your training time, giving you a clear roadmap for programming decisions based on movement specificity and actual carryover to pulling strength. Whether you struggle off the floor, at lockout, or simply want to optimize your deadlift programming, understanding which assistance exercises deserve priority in your training will help you break through plateaus and consistently add weight to the bar.