Category: Training

While many think of weight training simplistically as any activity where weights (or some form of resistance) is being lifted, this is somewhat simplistic.  Rather, it is useful to look at different categories of weight training based on their goals and how they are implemented.

I’d note that while I’m going to discuss each type of weight training as a distinct entity, it’s better to think of them as overlapping zones (some call this the rep continuum).  For example, the low end of what is typically considered the hypertrophy range (perhaps 5 reps) is often considered the top of the maximum strength range.

What Defines the Categories of Weight Training?

Each of the different types of training is usually defined by what are often called acute training variables (acute here refers to the individual set or workout).  There are a number of different variables that coaches and trainers usually use to define training, including repetitions per set, the number of sets, the rest interval between sets and the load (intensity), to name just a few.… Keep Reading

Note: This was originally published on April 1st so please chill.

This was originally going to be a piece about Weight Training Numerology but I’m not done finalizing  (and I need to save something for the next E-book for Clickbank anyhow).  So instead I’m going to talk about some Alternative Training and Diet Theories, ones that I can guarantee (or DOUBLE THE MONEY YOU PAID FOR THIS ARTICLE BACK) you’ve never seen before.  I know it’s common to say that there are no new ideas in training or nutrition but I intend to DEMOLISH that belief today.

Most of them were developed to one degree or another back in my 20’s when I had a training partner who was, to put it simply, as much of a jackass as I am.  We’d sit around in-between work sets and banter and dream this stuff up.   Of course we were joking….or were we (we always wanted to submit these ideas to MuscleMag International because, frankly, they will publish anything)?… Keep Reading

It’s not uncommon for folks who are weight training to suddenly get the urge to get into endurance activities.  More specifically they decide that they either want to ride a century bike event (100 miles), run a marathon (26.2 miles) or do one of those Tough Mudder events.  This raises the question of how best to combine weight and endurance training for those types of events.

Generally the explicit goal here is to be able to complete the event but not sacrifice too many of the hard earned gains from the weight room.  And that will be my primary focus in terms of the recommendations I’ll make.   That is, these are folks who primarily weight train and just have some desire to do one of these events.

I won’t explicitly be talking about the role of weight training for high-performance endurance athletes although much of the information will more or less apply to them.… Keep Reading

So I know I promised a video to wrap up my reposting/rewriting of the Training the Obese Beginner series but, honestly, it was just going to be pointless ranting and I seem to have lost the fire in my belly to do it right now (to be honest I think I just didn’t want to deal with the shooting, editing and transcribing part of it).   So here’s some actual new content instead.  Today I want to talk about surviving indoor aerobic training.

While we can probably argue until the end of time what the “worst” part of training is, I imagine that most would be willing to put indoor cardio (especially of the steady state/aerobic type) right up there near the top.

And while certainly one way to avoid the issue is to either take the no-cardio or intervals only approach, I don’t think either are ideal.  The simple reality is that whether it’s for fat loss, general fitness, or for endurance athletes who live somewhere where it’s cold, doing longer duration indoor cardio of some sort is usually a necessary evil.… Keep Reading

The upright row is an exercise that has gone in and out of fashion.  Used for decades, they became unpopular in the 90’s and beyond due to safety concerns.  But much of that issue had to do with how the upright row was done.  So today let me answer a question that I see/get a lot which is: are upright rows safe?

My hair isn’t actually as crazy as it looks.  The thing on the top of my head is part of my rack.

A Comment on Exercise Selection

In recent years, what have been come to be called the “exercise police” can be found online.  While some are just folks making technical nitpicks, many are the ones proclaiming that a given exercise “is” or “is not” dangerous.  The problem here is that it’s simplistic to look at any given exercise in this fashion.

Rather, it’s better to look at exercises in terms of their pros and cons or perhaps in a risk:reward sort of way. … Keep Reading