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I am spoiled as I have trained in a lot of well-equipped gyms over the last forty of my fifty-three years. I know what I want out of a gym, and I have developed pet peeves that drive me nuts. Some might think my pet peeves are trivial, but I expect a gym owner to maintain equipment and provide...

My journey has seen many changes since starting to lift weights around 12 years old, spanning as one of the strongest powerlifters of all time to now training in my 50s. These changes included everything from programming to my mentality towards lifting. It has been a mental journey every bit as...

Some athletes shock you. One day they are performing extremely well, absolutely crushing their training sessions, and you are sure they will peak come competition time. But then something goes wrong. Either they fail or just do not have a good performance. I have seen many of these struggles...

Most American men will die from heart disease. I’m trying very hard not to be one of them. As such, I research heart-healthy strategies that go beyond exercise and diet. I’m talking about chemical solutions: supplements that destroy plaques, energize the heart, shrink oversized ventricles...

You are reading this, which makes it safe to assume you have been dean to the iron. All of us start for varied reasons, and we will learn more from starting, both about the Iron Game and much more about ourselves. How I came to lifting is different from most. I did not grow up playing sports...

I would have used the term "masters competitor," but I hate that term. It just sounds old. It IS old, but I don't like to remind myself that I'm old. Most guys over 50 don't want to, either. In my mind, it might as well be called "geriatric training." Not many of us feel old, per se, because we...

When most of us think of the hormones in the body that are responsible for building muscle, usually testosterone, growth hormone (via IGF-1) and insulin come to mind. These are the “big three,” so to speak. By no coincidence, these are the same three hormones we find bodybuilders manipulating...

Recomping is a buzzword like "main-gaining," both thrown around a lot within the fitness industry. Recomping can signify pursuits that might not align with reality, but can still be a goal worth chasing. However, there is a big misconception about what it involves and for whom it is a worthwhile...

Bodybuilding and powerlifting are complimentary. You're selling yourself short if you’re not studying and learning from both disciplines. Now, in the case of extra workouts, we’re not really sharing between disciplines — we’re combining them. That’s because extra workouts are already used, and...

I walked into a weight room for the very first time in July 1999. It was the beginning of football two-a-days, and I was about to begin my freshman year of high school. At 135 pounds, I looked and felt out of place. I remember watching a senior that everyone called “Jonesy,” who was jacked and...

Creatine is a substance that naturally occurs in muscle cells, helping to produce energy during high-intensity exercise or heavy lifting. Chemically, it's a combination of three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. The body synthesizes creatine primarily in the liver and kidneys, and...

This complete guide explores everything you need to know about ashwagandha. Learn how supplementing with this herb can help you reach your fitness goals. What is Ashwagandha? Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb from Ayurveda (an ancient branch of Indian herbal medicine) that is extremely...

Anabolic Steroids: A Story That Needs To Be Told Several things made me quit using anabolic steroids, the last of which was precipitated by four guys breaking into my house and putting a gun to my head and my dog’s head, but I’ll get to that later. I knew at least ten people who died young due...

The Key to Long-Term Progression For most of us, long-term improvements in strength will depend on two distinct factors: muscle mass and neurological factors. One without the other will only lead to reduced results. Yes, technique also plays a key role, but that should be something you are...

Plus How Natural Bodybuilders Should Train Nothing wrecks natural lifters faster than training like steroid users. Here are the scientific reasons why, plus how to train instead. Steroid Users and You If you’re a drug-free lifter, it’s highly likely that you’ve been duped steroid users. They...

This article aims to shed light on how understanding and leveraging GLUT-4 can optimize muscle building through a combination of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications, supported by current research findings. Introduction to GLUT-4 Glucose Transporter Type 4 (GLUT-4) is one of the...

The never-ending debate is: “Calories in versus calories out is all that matters!” “Hormones are the sole cause of weight gain because #stress!” I want to dive down this rabbit hole today and set the record straight. The facts are, when it comes to weight management, caloric intake and...

Unless you’re an athlete where it’s advantageous for you to have more body mass, chances are you want to be a bit leaner. How lean you get depends heavily on your diet, along with some other key factors. Today I want to give you the exact blueprint I use with my clients to help you get lean AF...

The Truth About Hormones and Overeating Here are the cold hard facts about insulin, leptin, cortisol, and thyroid hormones. Hormones are often blamed for fat gain or the inability to lose fat. They do play a role, but they’re not independent of overeating. In short, a lot of the hormonal...

What is Pulse Feeding? By Brian Batcheldor Optimising Protein Intake – Introduction In the sports nutrition arena, optimizing protein intake is considered paramount for enhancing muscle growth, recovery, and performance. This means utilizing a diet, protocol or product that results in maximal...