Learn how to perform the glute ham roller reverse lunge, a single-leg exercise that builds stronger quads and glutes while challenging hip stability. This joint-friendly reverse lunge variation uses a glute ham roller to support your back foot, making it accessible for athletes, powerlifters, and general fitness clients alike. Get step-by-step technique, common mistakes to avoid, and programming guidance from strength coach Brandon Smitley.
Master the single-leg glute ham roller leg curl, a brutal unilateral hamstring exercise that builds serious posterior-chain strength using only your bodyweight. Learn proper technique, the muscles it works, common mistakes to avoid, and how to program it to fix side-to-side imbalances and protect your knees. A must-have hamstring builder for wrestlers, combat athletes, and anyone who has outgrown the standard glute ham roller leg curl.
The glute ham roller leg curl is a simple, equipment-light way to build stronger, more resilient hamstrings without a leg curl machine. Learn how to perform this supine hamstring curl with proper hip drive, the most common mistakes to avoid, and how to program it for wrestlers, combat athletes, powerlifters, and lifters at any level.
Strength training for wrestlers built on bodybuilding splits can quietly make you worse on the mat by adding bodyweight without proportional force, power, or the right energy systems. This complete guide breaks down the physiology behind why bodybuilding training fails wrestlers and lays out four principles — plus a sample 3-day off-season program — to build explosive, sport-specific strength that carries over to competition.
The front rack barbell front foot elevated split squat is one of the most complete single leg exercises you can program — combining deficit range of motion, heavy barbell loading, and a serious trunk and upper back demand. Learn the full setup, front rack options, step-by-step technique, common mistakes, and exactly how to program it for strength or hypertrophy. Whether you’re a powerlifter, a combat sports athlete, or just want stronger legs, this is the split squat variation worth mastering.
The front rack barbell split squat is one of the best ways to load single-leg strength heavier than dumbbells or kettlebells allow. Learn proper setup, cross-arm grip technique, common mistakes, and programming for wrestlers, MMA fighters, powerlifters, and general strength athletes. A complete guide to building unilateral lower-body strength with just a barbell and a rack.
Progressive overload is more than adding weight to the bar. This guide breaks down seven common progressive overload myths and reveals the six real overload variables — load, volume, density, range of motion, exercise variation, and technique — that drive strength, hypertrophy, conditioning, and mobility progress. Learn how to program progressive overload correctly for beginners, intermediates, advanced lifters, and aging athletes with evidence-based coaching from THIRST Gym.
Learn how to perform the feet-elevated crunch, a strict, isolated ab exercise that targets the rectus abdominis while taking the hip flexors and lower back out of the equation. This step-by-step guide from Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym covers setup, technique, common mistakes, loading options, and programming to help you build a stronger mind-muscle connection. Perfect for beginners, lifters, and combat sports athletes looking to train their abs with quality over ego.
No reverse hyper at your gym? These five reverse hyper alternatives — from the loaded 45-degree back extension to the glute ham raise and kettlebell Jefferson curl — let you build a strong, resilient posterior chain anywhere. Coach Brandon Smitley breaks down exactly how to execute, load, and program each movement to drive bigger squats, heavier deadlifts, and better athletic performance.
Discover the best chest exercises for growth in this biomechanics-based guide to building a bigger chest. THIRST Gym coach Brandon Smitley breaks down the five most effective chest exercises for hypertrophy — the dumbbell bench press, cable fly, incline barbell bench press, chest-focused dips, and weighted push-ups — along with the anatomy behind them and a complete programming framework. Learn not just what to do, but exactly how and why each movement builds a fuller, stronger chest.