Is the Deadlift Safe for Kids?
Should kids perform deadlifts or is this dangerous? The better question is: Is there anything intrinsic about the motion of deadlifting that would make it harmful to a child’s body? The answer to that question [...]
Best Discipline for Kids: Spankings, Timeouts or Pushups?
What is the best discipline for kids: spankings vs. timeouts or … pushups? Pushups might not be a bad idea, considering that one day, I witnessed a 10-year-old boy discipline HIMSELF with pushups. His infraction? He [...]
Should Men Use Hip Adductor & Abductor “Girl” Machines?
Do men and the hip adductor & abductor machines belong in the same sentence? Who says that men shouldn’t use the hip adductor and abductor machines? Why are the hip adductor and abductor equipment often [...]
Overcome Your Fear of Jogging Outside if You’re Overweight
There are solutions for self-conscious overweight joggers. Solution #1 I’m not going to say just ignore the name calling. To jog through a litany of insults is very stressful. However, if the overweight jogger is [...]
Is Oscar Mayer Bologna Really Healthier than PB & J Sandwich?
The truth about what’s inside Oscar Mayer Bologna... Whoa, moms…be careful when you select Oscar Mayer bologna over PB & J for your kids just because you saw a magazine ad showing some gleeful kid [...]
Tall Women: Top 10 Sports for You Regardless of Body Type
Top sports for tall women of all body types go well beyond basketball and volleyball. Other top sports for tall women of all body types are plenty, sports you’d never think tall would be such [...]
Trekking Pole Fitness: Truth or Just Gimmick Hype?
The human body wasn't born with trekking poles attached, so why should we use them when walking on scenic trails or even challenging hikes? However, the proponents of trekking poles for hiking swear that these devices [...]
Weightlifting Cable Attachments: Benefits of Different Kinds
There are so many different cable attachments for weightlifting. You may be wondering how each weightlifting cable attachment works and how they all differ from each other. Some weightlifting cable attachments are more ergonomic (comfortable, [...]
Super Slow Training vs. Traditional Weight Training
Have you heard of super slow training? This pertains to weight training done very slowly, as in a 10-second release of the weight, after taking 4 or 5 seconds to lift it. Super slow training [...]
Drop Set vs. Superset vs. Pyramid Set
Comparison of drop sets, supersets and pyramids... Drop set vs. superset vs. pyramids: What exactly are these, how are they different and what are the benefits of each? Drop sets, supersets and pyramid sets are [...]
Stair Climber Won’t Make Butt Bigger; Here’s Why
This article clears the air once and for all that your butt will not get bigger from using the stair climber. Whether you worry that the stair climber will make your butt bigger, or whether [...]
How Fast Should You Walk on a Treadmill Desk ?
Find out if it matters how fast you walk when using a treadmill desk. The treadmill desk, in which you walk while using a computer, is the solution to the hazards of sitting all day [...]
Renegade Rows with Pushups: Muscles Worked, Benefits
Renegade rows with pushups is one of the best routines for hammering the entire body at once. I’m a former certified personal trainer and I’ve been doing renegade rows for quite some time. This exercise [...]
Renegade Row Intensity Techniques for Killer Core Workout
There are a number of ways to add intensity to renegade rows, but few people do this! Yes, you can add intensity to renegade rows – many ways! I do renegade rows on my chest [...]
Bent-over Barbell Row vs. T-bar Row for Building Lat Muscle
Find out what a study determined activates more latissimus muscle: bent-over barbell row or the T-bar style! So which is better when it comes to building up the lat muscle, the bent-over barbell row or [...]
Is Lifting Weights Easier for Tall People?
Learn why it’s a myth that lifting weights is harder for tall people. It’s often said that tall people have a harder time with lifting weights, and that it’s easier for short athletes. Let’s assume [...]
Why Strongman Competitors Are So Tall
There’s more than one reason why strongman competitors are so very tall. Isn’t it odd that many champion powerlifters aren’t all that tall, yet when it comes to strongman athletes, it’s not uncommon for them [...]
Why People with Intellectual Disability Should Lift Weights
An intellectual disability should be no barrier to lifting weights at a gym. When I say that people with a mental challenge should lift weights, I’m obviously referring to those who have no medical issues [...]
Women with Long Femurs: Back Squat vs. Kicking
If you’re a woman who’s mad that your long femurs make squatting difficult, here’s a reason to embrace those generous thigh bones! Are you a woman who’s been struggling to pull off a decent squat at the [...]
Women, Short Torso, Long Femur, Sucky Squats?
A smart woman with long femurs relative to torso and/or shin bone length will know this is why the parallel back squat is difficult without a lot forward lean. The back squat is not the be-all [...]
Why the Femur to Torso Ratio in Squatting Is NOT Nonsense
There is solid truth to the claim that a bad femur to torso ratio will make back squats very difficult; learn why this is not a lame excuse! Are you one of those “bro science” [...]
Why You Can’t Go Parallel with Barbell Squats or Even Bodyweight
If you can’t get parallel with squats and fall backwards instead or must hold something in front of you, you won’t like the reason. Many things have been blamed for not being able to go [...]
Why Young Children Squat Easier than Adults
Adults who can’t get parallel with a squat, let alone deep, must realize that one reason children squat so easily is body proportions. Google “children squatting” and hit “images” and you’ll see toddlers in a [...]
Are Long Femurs a Good Excuse for Lousy Back Squat Technique?
Yes, long femurs DO really SCREW up the back squat! It’s interesting that the men in fitness forums who slam those who insist their long femurs screw up their back squats don’t suffer from long femurs themselves -- [...]
Why the Squat Butt Wink Is Bad & Why It Needs to Go
The so-called butt wink in a back squat is bad news and if you have this problem, it needs to be corrected. Many people butt wink when they perform a squat. Many don’t realize they do [...]
Long Femurs: Why Wide Stance Makes Parallel Squats Easier
This article explains in plain English the fascinating reason why a wide stance makes squatting parallel so much easier for long femurs. If you know that long femurs have been hampering your ability to go [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Compare Adult’s Squat with Child’s Squat
There is no comparison between an adult's full squat and a young child's full squat, yet people continue comparing the two when discussing the back squat exercise. As a former personal trainer, it continues to [...]
Short vs. Long Femurs for Hiking
Does femur length really matter when it comes to hiking efficiency? “Long femurs” refers to relative length of these bones to one’s overall height or leg length, and in the world of weightlifting, the issue [...]
3 Exercises that’ll Improve the Back Squat for Long Femurs
Here are three simple and fun exercises to improve back squats if you have the unfortunate levers of relatively long femurs. Bad levers do not mean that you can’t override long femurs by “strengthening your ancillaries.” [...]
Long Femur, Short Shin: Advantage in Leg Extension, Ham Curl
Though a long femur relative to shin is a disadvantage in squats, it’s a biomechanical plus in the leg extension and hamstring curl. The long femur to short shin proportion has been vilified as bad [...]
Being Tall Is No Excuse for Parallel Squat Problems!
Even a super tall NBA star could do an ass to grass squat if he has the right proportions! Do not blame squat problems on being tall. Being tall, in and of itself, is not a disadvantage [...]
Can Femur to Shin Length Ratio Affect the Back Squat?
It isn’t just femur to torso ratio that can create problems with the back squat; shin length relative to upper leg can also mess things up. You’re aware that if the femurs are longer than [...]
Why Elevated Heels Make Squatting to Parallel Easier
Anyone who’s struggled to get parallel in the squat (femur torso ratio) knows that elevating the heels makes this possible, and here’s why. For those with long femurs and short torso who can’t achieve a [...]
Does Sitting, Rising from Chair Mean You Can Parallel Squat?
I could not believe it when a strength training enthusiast chastised another about the parallel squat, in that the one trainee insisted he was not able to squat due to a short torso (and long [...]
Yes, TALL People CAN Have Short Femurs
Super tall men with relatively short femurs have a squat advantage over shorties with relatively long femurs ANY DAY. Many believe that being tall interferes with doing a parallel squat because, allegedly, it's troublesome to [...]
Do Long Femurs and a Bad Squat Mean You’re Weak?
If you’re biomechanically disadvantaged due to femurs that are longer than your torso, find out if this means you’re weak. When a person with long femurs (meaning, femurs longer than their torso, regardless of overall [...]
Causes of the Butt Wink in Back Squatting
It’s a myth that the squat butt wink is caused ONLY by tight hamstrings or tight hips! Want to know what really is behind the cause of the butt wink motion that so many people [...]
Can Short People Have Relatively Long Femurs ?
Short people CAN have a relatively long femur, meaning, their thigh bone is longer than their torso -- even if their overall height is way shorter than average. As a former personal trainer, I am fascinated [...]
Can Long Femurs Be a Disadvantage in Daily Life?
You know that long femurs are a curse for squatting exercises, but does this problem carry over to day-to-day activities? As a former personal trainer and always-fitness enthusiast, this topic intrigues me. If you clicked [...]
Best Way to Tell if Femurs Are Too Long for Back Squat
There’s a fool proof way to tell if your femurs are too long for decent parallel back squats. If you can’t parallel squat, does this automatically mean your femurs are too long relative to the [...]