Overhead Cable Curl

An Overhead Cable Curl (also called a High Cable Curl) is a biceps exercise that uses a high cable attachment (generally at shoulder height or higher) to really isolate the biceps muscle for a full peak contraction. The biggest benefits to using the Overhead Cable Curl is that it removes […]


Drag Curls

Drag Curls (also called Body Drag Curls) are a biceps exercise made popular by the late Vince Gironda. Although technically a compound exercise, Drag Curls really isolate the biceps muscle by limiting the amount of help the front deltoid muscle can provide to lift the weight. Drag Curls are also […]


Kroc Rows

Kroc Rows are a dumbbell back exercise named after Matt Kroc (Kroczaleski). Matt is a record holding powerlifter and bodybuilder who has now become a transgender named Janae Marie Kroc (Kroczaleski). Nope, I didn’t make this shit up. As a powerlifter, Matt found at one point that his grip strength […]


Reverse Pyramid Training

Reverse Pyramid Training (also called RPT Training) is when you use pyramid sets and reps during weight training but with the opposite (reverse) set-up used in standard pyramid training. In a reverse pyramid workout the weights you use during your sets will be heaviest on the first set and lightest […]


Pyramid Training

Pyramid Training is when you use pyramid sets and reps during weight training. In standard Pyramid Training the weights you use during your sets will be lightest on the first set and heaviest on the last set. As the weights go up, the reps you do on each set will […]


Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is muscle growth that comes from increasing the amount of sarcoplasm inside a muscle fiber. Each muscle fiber is made up of sarcoplasm and myofibrils. The sarcoplasm is a fluid that contains things like glycogen (stored carbohydrates), water, ATP (energy source), minerals (like calcium), fats, and oxygen-binding proteins […]


Myofibrillar Hypertrophy

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is muscle growth that comes from the myofibrils (inside a muscle fiber) growing in size or increasing in number. Each muscle fiber is made up of chains of these myofibrils surrounded by a fluid (called sarcoplasm) that contains things like glycogen (stored carbohydrates), water, ATP (energy source), minerals […]


Grease The Groove

Grease the Groove (or GTG Training) is a high frequency and volume strength training method. The term is probably best recognized with Pavel Tsatsouline, a well-respected Russian strength coach who is also responsible for the current popularity of kettlebell training. Grease the Groove is often the foundation for programs that […]


Isometric Training

Isometric Training (or simply Isometrics) is when you train a muscle using isometric contractions and exercises. An isometric contraction occurs when the muscle tenses but does not change length (the affected joint angle will stay the same). Examples of this are bodybuilding poses or pushing against an immovable object such […]


Drop Set

A Drop Set is a set extending intensity method that allows a typical weight training set to continue beyond normal muscle failure by decreasing (dropping) the weight and immediately (with no rest) completing another set (the first drop set). A drop set by definition is any set where the weight […]


Rest Pause Set

A Rest Pause Set (used during Rest Pause Training) is an intensity method that extends one set with several additional mini-sets by using brief rest periods between each set. The general set-up for a Rest Pause Set is to do the first set, set down the weight and rest 15-30 […]


Pendlay Rows



Occlusion Training

Occlusion Training (also called Blood Flow Restriction Training or BFR Training) involves using very light weights (20-50% of a 1 rep max weight) along with wrapping straps or bands around a muscle to apply pressure to the veins (similar to blood pressure cuffs) with the goal of restricting (occluding) blood […]


Muscle Fiber Types

There are generally three different muscle fiber types that can make up the individual skeletal muscles in the body. Knowing the different muscle fiber types can help with understanding a certain muscle’s primary function and therefore how best to train the muscle for a particular goal such as strength, growth, […]


Smolov Jr.

Smolov Jr. is a 3 week training program that comes from the original 13 week Russian squat strengthening program called Smolov. Since it is shorter, Smolov Jr. is considered not as taxing on your body and CNS (central nervous system) but the potential gains are generally less as well. The […]