Strength and Physique

Incline Lateral Triset for the Side Deltoids

2025-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Inspiration for My Training Articles

2025-05-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

Q: I was impressed by how you highlighted the importance of training techniques. The focus on 'High Tension Exercises for Muscular Growth' really stood out. It provides a unique perspective that can inspire many to improve their routines. Great job!

I'm curious, what sparks the inspiration for your articles? Your ability to resonate with fitness enthusiasts is noteworthy.

Warm regards,

Lewis @ Steel & Grit Co

My Answer: Thanks for the praise. Well I've been training and working out for a long time, 30 plus years at this point. Much of my knowledge and research started out with muscle mags, books and the occasional VHS tape and testing out the exercises and programs in the gym. This was all pre-Internet. I still have a decade's worth of muscle mags from the 1990's.

Eventually websites like T-Nation and Bodybuilding.com came around, and I ended up writing for these sites. Because of my knowledge base from muscle mags and books, I wrote about much of the training knowledge I found in them.

Nowadays fitness enthusiasts don't read, magazines or online. They prefer to watch YouTube videos or Instagram or even listen to podcasts. I think that's fine, because teaching exercise technique is better on a visual medium as opposed to a literary medium.

Gripzilla Tornado Review

2025-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Pull Workout at the Park

2025-01-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilding Calisthenics

2024-11-20T10:28:00.003-08:00

Walking Kettlebell Lunges

2024-11-16T09:18:00.005-08:00

Laterals for Side Deltoids

2024-06-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

Accommodating resistance cable rows

2024-03-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Upper Chest Plate Raises

2024-02-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

Four Biceps Curl Variations

2023-12-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

Push up Variations for the Chest

2023-11-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

Toss and Catch Exercises for Fast Twitch Muscle Fiber Growth

2023-11-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

Rear Delt Row to Kickback

2023-10-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

Unilateral raises for the shoulders and chest

2023-08-09T07:31:00.005-07:00

Upper Body Flow

2023-06-29T12:48:00.002-07:00

Body Weight Quad Blasters: Deadman's Raise, Beggars Knees Squat

2023-05-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

Should kids lift weights?

2023-05-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Hi James!

Thanks for answering my previous questions! (I don't respond on your website as 'Blogger' wants me to log in with my Google details which I'd prefer not to do. A shame they don't offer user accounts themselves) I really enjoy reading your blog and watching your youtube channel.

I was wondering what your view is on children strength and weight training? Can any of your programmes or exercises be used by them? My son is 10 and he's pretty active in sports. His body type is the same as what mine was at that age, a classic ectomorph. I waited till I was 18 before starting weight training, with the view in previous decades being that one should wait till their body is fully grown before commencing weight training.

That view seems to have changed, with many doctors and scientists saying there is no evidence to prove that weight training for children stunts their growth or is detrimental. There are still some medical experts who think weight training shouldn't be done by young people whose bones and growth plates haven't fully developed. In the middle of both views are medical experts who say that lifting weights isn't safe but calisthenics are.

I were wondering if it were safe for my ten year old son to do barbell squats or sissy squats, bench press or dips, and pull ups.

What's your take on it?

Best regards and thanks!

Kalwant

Leeds, England

My Answer: While there is no evidence that weight training stunts growth, certain exercises can make you shorter, albeit temporarily. This applies to both kids and adults. Exercises that place axial load on the spine (barbell squats, deadlifts, shrugs, overhead press, etc.) can exaggerate kyphosis and lordosis, making you shorter.

So there is some truth that calisthenics would be "safer" than weights, since with bar calisthenics such as pull ups and dips have you hanging from the bar(s) to stretch the muscles and decompress the spine.

A combination of calisthenics and weight exercises is safe for your son, as long as he's properly supervised.

Telle Cable Exercises

2023-03-10T09:06:00.008-08:00

Q: Hi, how are you? I'm sending you this email to ask you if you have a copy of Beyond 2001 or Tellekinetics?

They are impossible to find but you seem to know the material inside and out!

I was wondering if I could pay you to scan and upload these books for me?

I know it's a lot to ask but you really are my only hope.

Thank you!

Ander

My Answer: Ander, I do NOT have a copy of Beyond 2001. I know it seems like I have a copy because of all my videos on Telle's exercises, but I don't have a copy of the book or video tape. I learned of Jerry Telle back in 2001, when he wrote articles for the defunct Dolfzine. He submitted some of these same articles to T-nation, but they've been purged from the site.

Who do I know that does have Beyond 2001? Other strength coaches at the time had copies, so give them a try. Charles Poliquin had a copy, but of course he's passed away.

Low Cable Exercises

2023-02-28T12:37:00.005-08:00

Kettlebell Leg Lift, Romanian Deadlift Press Out

2023-02-21T07:59:00.007-08:00

Q: Another hello from England! I was always led to believe that narrow grip tends to build more back thickness and wide grip builds more back width. Because of this, I've normally done a varied grip range; wide grip, medium grip and narrow grip lat pulldowns/pullups. Taking your HTE 2.0 programme with the rep range 10-8-6-15, I would go wide grip lat pulldown for 10, medium grip for 8, narrow grip for 6 and then wide grip for the flushing 15. As my grip goes from wide to narrow, I can naturally lift more weight as your programme calls for.

I noticed that in your HTE 2.0 programme, you've specified pull-ups, V-bar pulldowns and seated cable rows for back exercises. The latter two are more narrow grip exercises. Is there a reason why you've gone for these two exercises as opposed to a standard lat pulldown bar? Or am I reading too much into this?

Best regards!

Kalwant

Leeds, England

My Answer: Yes you are reading too much into it. The seated cable row with a V-bar handle is more of a back thickening movement. The V-bar pulldown, however, both widens and thickens the back.

The V-bar pulldown is a pure hypertrophy movement (aka Shotgun movement), which is why I recommend it for the HTE 2.0 program. As long as you perform a full range of motion, you will feel a stretch of the lats at the top of the movement and a full contraction at the bottom.

The wide grip pulldown is a "pivot point" movement to develop back width beneath the shoulders. The reason for this is that lat pulldowns stretch the lats and work the teres major. Working both back muscles gives you a wide shouldered V-taper, as opposed to the look of width and thickness only in the lats.

Hack Squat Hacks for the Home Gym

2023-02-17T09:40:00.004-08:00

Isometric Push Aways

2023-02-11T08:19:00.001-08:00

Plate Exercises as Finishers

2023-01-23T13:10:00.007-08:00

Heavy Kettlebell for Biceps

2022-10-25T13:37:00.003-07:00

Q: Hi there mate, I am into strength, fitness and physique. My equipment is a pair of push up handles. I use them for push ups in the hopes of deepening and defining my chest muscles. I seem to think they are better than the standard bench press with weights and bar. The handles are the York variety. Do you recommend them? Also are kettlebells the best equipment for increasing size of the biceps?

Many thanks for your time,

BARRY C.

My Answer: Well Barry, push up handles and kettlebells are great tools in helping you get a great body. Do I recommend them? I only recommend these tools as additions to a toolbox. You build a house with many tools, right? You can't build a house with just a hammer alone, but you do use the hammer more often than other tools.

Same thing with free weights. To build up the chest, you'll be hammering away with bench presses. Push ups are just the finishing touch. In The Articles I go over a method that uses both bench presses AND push ups to get thick, striated pecs.

Now I consider kettlebells to be a "hammer" for your biceps development. All curling movements are just fancy supplementary tools compared to kettlebell moves, which are your bread and butter when it comes to big biceps.

To answer your question: yes, kettlebells are the best equipment for increasing the size of your biceps. BUT you are asking the wrong question. You should ask, "What program is the best for increasing the size of the biceps?"

What different tools do you need to build your biceps? You cannot build your biceps to their fullest potential on kettlebells alone. Anybody who's read my article Direct Assault: The "Case" for Arm Training should know this. I devote a whole chapter in The Articles to selecting effective biceps movements.

RELIFE Dip Station

2022-09-12T14:30:00.005-07:00

RELIFE Sports sent me their dip bar station for review. Very easy assembly with a connector bar between the stands for extra stability. The dip stand is light weight and portable, so you can bring it anywhere to do a full body workout:

Dips
Leg Raises
Staggered Dips
Tucked Planche Dips
Wide grip supinated V-Bar Dips
Pronated V-Bar Dips
Vertical grip Triceps Extensions
Tucked Chin Rows
Australian Pull ups

Check out the RELIFE Sports website for this equipment and more:

https://www.relifesports.com/product/dip-bar-station/

https://www.relifesports.com/