2025 Year in Review: Real Talk on Content Growth, Gym Ownership & What’s Next

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Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym recaps the 2025 year across YouTube, the THIRST More Podcast, Instagram, and online coaching, sharing real analytics, business challenges, and what is changing heading into 2026. From hitting YouTube monetization and growing to 6,000 subscribers to navigating a gym relocation due to eminent domain, this post covers the full story behind a year of growth and hard lessons for a working strength coach and small gym owner. If you are a strength athlete, powerlifter, wrestler, or coach looking for honest insights from someone in the trenches, this is the recap worth reading.

Copenhagen Side Plank March

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The Copenhagen side plank march builds adductor strength, lateral core stability, and hip flexor endurance in a single challenging movement. This progression of the standard Copenhagen plank adds a marching component that increases trunk stability demands while maintaining isometric loading through the top leg adductors. Learn proper setup, technique, and programming recommendations to effectively incorporate this exercise into your strength and conditioning routine.

Complete Upper Body Training for Wrestlers: 10 Exercises for Explosive Power

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Discover the complete upper body training system for wrestlers that builds multidirectional pulling strength, explosive rotational power, and wrestling-specific pressing capacity through ten proven exercises designed for dominant mat performance. This comprehensive guide covers power-based movements like medicine ball slams and landmine row-to-press variations, strength exercises including weighted chin-ups and glute bridge floor presses, plus essential accessory work that translates directly to controlling opponents during matches. Learn the exact programming strategies, common training mistakes to avoid, and how to structure full-body training sessions that develop the integrated strength wrestlers need from youth through collegiate competition.

Complete Lower Body Training for Wrestlers: 11 Exercises for Explosive Power

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Discover the 11 most effective lower body exercises for wrestling that will transform your mat performance through explosive power, maximum strength, and sport-specific conditioning. This comprehensive guide breaks down essential movements like trap bar jumps, safety squat bar box squats, and lateral sled drags that elite wrestlers use to dominate opponents and finish more shots. Learn how to program these wrestling strength training exercises for both offseason development and in-season maintenance to take your competitive performance to the next level.

Alternating Hammer High Row Machine

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The alternating hammer high row machine delivers extended time under tension for superior lat development by keeping one arm in a stretched position while the other pulls, eliminating rest periods found in traditional bilateral rowing. This unilateral back exercise builds functional pulling strength while improving rotational mobility and correcting strength imbalances, making it especially valuable for athletes and serious lifters. Learn proper technique, grip options, and programming strategies to maximize your upper back training with this advanced rowing variation.

Single Leg Barbell Zercher RDL

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Discover the Single Leg Barbell Zercher RDL, an advanced unilateral exercise that combines the stability challenge of single-leg training with the unique anterior loading of the Zercher position to maximize glute and hamstring development. This comprehensive guide breaks down proper technique, form cues, and programming strategies for this powerful posterior chain exercise that delivers superior hip stability and functional strength benefits for athletes and serious lifters alike.

STOP Running for Wrestling! Do This Instead for Better Conditioning

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Unlock the secrets to dominating on the mat with this comprehensive guide to wrestling conditioning. Learn how to build the perfect balance of strength, explosiveness, and endurance through four essential training components that will elevate your wrestling performance. Whether you’re an off-season athlete looking to maintain conditioning or preparing for competition, this guide provides actionable strategies to enhance your mat stamina and wrestling success.

Best Exercises For Combat Sport Athletes

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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.