How we use the barbell and how we can use it better
Racks, benches, bars and platforms dominate the space in most high school and collegiate weight rooms. The iron temple arms race is alive and well. Read more
Tag Archive for: Powerlifting
Squats don’t cure cancer
Squatober is coming to an end and, depending on your social media circle, it is easy to get the impression that the squat is god’s gift to athletes. Furthermore, if you are looking for a test of manhood and mental toughness, just measure how deep one squats. Read more
Getting the Most From Assisted and Resisted Bands
Recently, I was having a discussion with Nick Garcia about velocity and bands, and an interesting point came up—one that I have heard from time to time—and thought I’d address it. When utilizing resistance bands for squatting, they are most often used in one of two ways: as a resistive force or as an assistive force. Each has its own unique stimulus on the body and can be utilized for different means. The purpose of this article is to discuss how and why to use which style of band loading in training for athletes. Read more
GAINcast Episode 24: Strength Training Influences
Modern strength training has come about through the influence of many other sports like gymnastics, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and more. In order to design the best program you can, it is necessary to understand the role each of these influences played and analyzed how it can fit into your plan going forward. On this episode Vern discusses the different influences that have shaped modern strength training, and the positive and negatives each influence brings brought with it. Read more
HMMR Podcast Episode 39: Beast Mode (with Noah Bryant)
Noah Bryant is one of the rare power athletes that achieved success in many sports. In the shot put he was a multiple-time NCAA champion and made Team USA. He has also put up world class numbers in Olympic lifting (210kg clean) and powerlifting (raw 500 pound bench press). He joins the podcast this week to reflect on some lessons learned in his career and how strength needs a strong culture to thrive. Read more
Interview with CriticalBench.com
When I was asked to do an interview with CriticalBench.com last month, I was a bit surprised. The site’s other interviews are with bodybuilders, powerlifters, and strongmen. I didn’t see where I fit in, not just because I can’t lift has as much as they can (I currently can bench only around 110kg), but also because my approach to training is very different. However the interview was quite good and they asked several new and interesting questions about training, about Bondarchuk, and about more interesting topics like the interplay between academics and athletics, transitioning from college to international competitions, and what the hammer feels like. Read more
