Welcome to the training lab blog

The Training Lab is the knowledge hub for online Strength and Conditioning content. We have curated articles designed to empower you to Be Your Best inside and outside the weight room.

This isn’t some fitness blog trying to sell you a cheap diet or a new magic pill. Our writers are sourced from the top minds in the strength training industry. The Training Lab is a forum to share knowledge within a vast network of coaches and athletes around the globe.

Above all, we are here to bring performance to the people.

Subscribe to receive the latest articles

Latest

Swipe to see more →

Want to Be a Better Powerlifter? Try These Strongman Moves

Hitting plateaus in your big three lifts? Try switching it up with these beefy strongman moves to improve your overall strength and help you hit some deadlift, squat, and bench press PRs. Your new total is waiting for you. Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength,...

Using Bodybuilding Methodology for Injury Rehab

As most athletes know, injuries come with the job description. Working with a physical therapist can make all the difference in the world. But did you know some bodybuilding training concepts make for excellent prehab/rehab principles? Fred is a strength and...

5 Steps for Building a Bigger Bench Press

Let’s face it: bench press has never felt like your thing. It’s always hard, even “light” weights feel impossible, and you don’t seem to progress on it like you do with other lifts. If you really want to hit a new bench PR, you’ll need to attack it from some different...

Get Faster & More Explosive with Overspeed Training

What is overspeed training, and why should you do it? If you want to be a faster, stronger, and more efficient athlete, consider using these overspeed exercises and techniques in your next strength workout. Brandon Humphrey is a kinesiologist and personal trainer...

Understanding HRV Trends: A Beginner’s Guide

HRV is among the buzzy fitness metrics to surface with wearable tech in recent years, but there are good reasons — understanding your heart rate variability in the context of your nervous system is a huge indicator of your overall health. But the terminology and data...

Keys to a Killer Kettlebell Swing

The KB swing not only looks cool, but it also packs a powerful punch of strength & conditioning benefits when done correctly. Master your technique and reap the benefits of this mighty movement with this step-by-step guide. Jack McCormick has been a coach and...

Why The Deadlift Is King of All Lifts (Plus 6 Variations)

You’ve heard it before — deadlifts rule. For raw power output, having a massive pull is where it’s at. But why is that the case? And what other deadlifting variations are out there? Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman coach with...

Lunge Technique, Tips & Variations For a Plump Posterior

Although they seem simple, lunges are draining and make your legs feel like they’re on fire. The burn they produce can make even the strongest athletes shudder. Adding modifications and understanding how/why they are benefitting you might make them a little more...

Strength Training for Fencers

Whether you're a professional, sub-elite, or hobbyist, you'll become a better fencer by doing some strength training. Even a simple strength training program can help you become a quicker, more explosive, and injury-free athlete. Chris Van Nostrand is the founder of...

Friends Don’t Let Friends Skip Leg Day

Do you and your gym buddies have scrawny little chicken nuggets for legs? Shame on you all. Leg workouts are essential and guess what? Everyone knows you’re skipping them. Maybe you need a little convincing on why exactly you should keep yourselves accountable to hard...

Filter blogs by category or search for a topic

Friends Don’t Let Friends Skip Leg Day

Why Strength Training Belongs in Your Rehab

Athletic injuries are common, but too often the physical therapy world falls short for active individuals. Why should you be working on progressively loading your tissues in a rehab setting and what kinds of exercises are beneficial? Dr. Matthew Styf is a clinical...

Sprinter taking off using starting blocks to start his run on running track in a stadium. Athlete starting his sprint on an all-weather running track.

The Secret to Sprinting Faster: Work on Your Start

Don’t let your starting speed be the reason why you’re late to incepting a ball, getting a steal, or losing a race. Truth be told, it’s not always the person with the fastest foot speed that gets the win, but the one with the most efficient, explosive start....

Football quarterback about to throw a pass during team practice with clouds in background

9 Best Shoulder Exercises for Quarterbacks, Pitchers, and Other Strong-armed Athletes

What if I told you that you could have a faster, farther and more ferocious throw by adding in a few simple exercises to your current training program? Whether you’re a pitcher, quarterback, or any other strong-armed athlete (like javelin thrower or volleyball...

3 Ways to Manipulate Fatigue for Bodybuilding Success

All athletes deal with fatigue, but bodybuilders need to use it to their advantage as much as possible. How do you know if you’re working hard enough in the gym and hitting your growth potential? Do you even pay attention to your rest intervals? Joseph Lucero,...

Home Gym Build 101: How to Start Your Iron Oasis

The pandemic may have quieted down, but for so many athletes having easy access to a home gym is now a no-brainer. It’s just so convenient for those days when you can’t make it to your gym because life gets in the way. But there’s so much equipment out there....

Soldiers helping man to climb wooden wall

Get Military Fit: Training That Goes Beyond the Army Fitness Test

Passing the Army Fitness Test is a solid standard of fitness, but you’ll have to go a step (or two) further if you actually want to be a good soldier. You need the strength of a beast, the endurance of a runner, and the resilience to withstand hours of hard work in...

Happy Confident Fitness Female Doing Pistol Squats in Gym Interior Beautiful Woman in Athletic Outfit Making Exercises. Sport and Trainings Concept

How to Get Your First Pistol Squat

The single leg squat (a.k.a. pistol squat) is a challenging, advanced movement that requires single-leg strength, stability, mobility, balance, and motor control. If you are looking to get your first pistol, or just want to continue getting better at them, here is...

Intro to Wave Training For Olympic Weightlifting

Do you struggle with your warmup lifts looking like trash until you hit like 70%? Do your eyes glaze over when coach says something like, “your PVC pipe technique should look the same as your 90% technique.” Cool, it never does. Brian Chambers is the owner and head...

Most popular

Mobility 101: A Complete Guide

Mobility is hot topic, and vital for anyone spending time in the weightroom.

The ability to have full range of motion in your muscles and joints is one of the most important aspects of training. Improving your mobility can help you workout for longer, reduces joint pain, and can reduce the risk of injury.

In this guide you’ll learn more about mobility, who it impacts, why you should be focusing on it no matter what your age or training history, and how to tame common mobility hot spots from head to toe.

Olympic Weightlifting 101: A Complete Guide

In this article, Mike Dewar shares a basic template on how to build an Olympic weightlifting program geared toward the beginner and intermediate lifter.

Mike covers everything from the 8 goals of an Olympic Weightlifting program, how to build your own 4 week program including full sample sessions, the 5 key variables in Olympic Weightlifting, and 30 exercises perfect for beginners.

10 ways to build an unstoppable engine for competitive crossfit

To succeed in CrossFit, you need the ability to repeat near maximum efforts with as little rest as possible.

It’s not enough to simply have a high one rep max or a large unbroken set of muscle-ups. How many reps at 90% of your max power clean can you do in 8 minutes?

In this article, Todd Nief gives us a full breakdown of the 10 ways he helps Crossfit athletes build an unstoppable engine for competition.

How to Zercher Squat: One Exercise to rule them all

We all want that golden ticket. The one-size-fits-all exercise and perfect program. You know – the one that makes us look like the Hulk as long as we follow that program to the T.

Well folks, that all sounds great. But in reality, we know there is no one-size-fits-all exercise, program, food, or supplement… PERIOD. However, coach Ryan Leibreich has a secret weapon exercise that will get us close; it has a lot of bang for its buck. It builds massive quads, big glutes, a wide back, and some awesome biceps. Exactly what every athlete needs.

4 scientifically proven ways to develop explosive power

Building athletic power is one of the most desired, if not the most desired, quality in athletic performance today. It’s as important for the athlete training for the sport of life as it is for a D1 high performance athlete.

The question is…how do we optimally train it?

In this article coach Joel Smith, a long-time D1 S&C coach, gives us the lowdown on creating explosive power in the weightroom. From Olympic lifting to plyometrics, this is your one-stop guide on all things athletic power.

Nervous system training 101: The creation of superhuman strength and athleticism

Consider the following: pound for pound apes have double the strength of a human being.
They can also jump about 30-40% higher than top human jumpers.

How is this possible given their similar amount of muscle mass?

Our simian friends have an interesting piece of their brain and spinal cord that allows them stronger muscle contractions: less grey matter.

TrainHeroic Instagram: For Athletes, By Athletes

Looking for some Monday motivation? How about a new training session to shake things up a bit?

TrainHeroic’s Instagram is for for athletes, by athletes. We share news and notes on the latest in the strength game, valuable training insights and tips from thought leaders in the fitness game, exercise guides, sample training sessions and more.