Goals 105: What Now? by Carl Raghavan, SSC | January 02, 2024 At long last, the day has arrived. You stand there overwhelmed with pride at how strong you’ve become. After conquering your strength goals, you ask yourself: What now? Continue reading
Hook grip vs. Straps by stef bradford, PhD, SSC | December 26, 2023 All sorts of things show cycles of popularity and trends, from hairstyles, slang, avocado toast, and even Pantone’s color of the year (it is 13-1023 aka “peach fuzz” for 2024, if you care to know) outside the gym, to things like programming approaches, lifts to embrace or avoid, and equipment inside the gym. Fashions and trends are often harmless, or even fun, but letting them get in the way of making progress in the gym is silly. Continue reading
Cueing: Shoulders Over the Bar by stef bradford, PhD, SSC | December 20, 2023 The beauty of using the basic barbell lifts to get strong is that all of them demand the dynamic involvement and coordination of the entire body. The means the system is trained as whole, as nerve activates muscle to move bones to operate joints against the stable positions held by other muscles and bones as we balance the load through the lift. Continue reading
The Coolest Stuff by Jim Steel | December 12, 2023 I’m as guilty of it as anyone, pining for stuff that you think you have to have. Right now, I am obsessed with buying a hunting blind for my first year of bow hunting. I could get by without it. I could create a natural blind with some brush and branches and saw grass. But that’s not what they do on my favorite hunting shows. They have the fancy blinds, all camo and with quiet zippers and little stools to sit on and rangefinders and all the latest gear. You really don't need any of it, but it looks so cool. Continue reading
The Effect of Arm Angle in the Supine Grip in the Deadlift by Mia Inman, PhD, SSC | December 05, 2023 Efficient pulling mechanics in the deadlift are constrained by three factors: 1) the bar must be placed directly over the mid-foot, and maintain that position during the lift, 2) the body-barbell system must be in balance over the mid-foot, and 3) the efficiency with which the lats pull back on the humerus. Continue reading