Sometimes it seems like we are going to the gym and putting in the work, but don’t get stronger. When I talk to people about their training, 9 times out of 10 it is something quite simple that they are not doing. Be honest with yourself – what out of the list below are you […]
When you’re committed to a strength regimen, injuries can feel like major setbacks. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a gym enthusiast, injuries can disrupt your progress and dampen your spirits.
It is vital to protect your back when deadlifting, or doing any exercise in a bent-over position – such as bent-over row, clean, snatch. You need to maintain a tight, flat back position. However, many people struggle with this, especially if a lift starts from low down on the floor, like a deadlift or a […]
Staying consistent with your training is one of the toughest tasks out there – for all but the most dedicated gym rat/student/young PT who has all the time in the world to spend in the gym. Life happens. Shit happens. Work gets really fucking busy! Other responsibilities distract you, you fall out of routine and […]
It is impossible to do something perfectly AND learn from it. If it was ‘perfect’, what have you learned? And yet I see many lifters expecting to be able to do a new drill or a new weight lifting technique perfectly (or near enough) first time. Chasing perfection basically means that you are trying to […]
Many people come to me to improve their squat technique. There are so many of you out there who want to squat more weight (yay!) but you have plateaued at a particular weight, or the weight seems to be increasing at a glacial pace. When I meet someone who has plateaued for a long time […]
Imagine a wet noodle deadlifting 100kg! Knees, hips, back all moving from side to side and collapsing over. I’ve seen quite a few ‘wet noodle’ deadlifts in my time. They are more common in women, because women tend to be more mobile and curvy (e.g. narrower waist relative to hips).
I meet a lot of lifters who want to go to max all the time. I understand the temptation. You are on a roll, on the steep part of the strength curve, and you want to see how far you can push it. PBs are exciting, they are something to celebrate! But going to max […]
Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of people using a deadlift stance that is too wide. This limits the amount of weight you can pull off the floor and in some people can put unnecessary strain on the knee ligaments. I often get clients coming to me who have been lifting before and want to […]
At our last powerlifting team training session, I had the athletes doing sets of 4-6 reps on the bench press at 85% of max. It’s quite tough! One of my athletes did her first set, ably spotted by her training buddy. Rep 5 was a bit of a grinder but she managed it. I was […]