10 Ways Overweight Men Can Beat Gym Intimidation in the Free Weight Area
Intimidation by the free weight area of a gym is more common among men than you’d think. […]
Why Your Client Struggles with the Back Squat
If you’re a personal trainer who can’t figure out why a client can’t do a parallel bar squat, consider femur length — relative to torso length and also shin length — regardless of client’s overall [...]
5 Exercises to Make Your Waist Look Thinner with NO Crunches
Here are five exercises to make your waist look thinner without crunches, other ab exercises, sucking in your gut or standing a certain way. […]
Why Every Woman Should Have Big Heavy Curves
Every woman needs to work on getting big heavy curves. Trust me, once you have big heavy curves, you will have more confidence than you ever imagined possible. […]
Can Holding Onto a Treadmill Build Up Skinny Legs?
Those who are tired of their skinny legs will try anything that comes to mind to build up some mass. Holding onto a treadmill allows one to “walk” at a high incline and fast speed [...]
Are Squats a Good Exercise for People with Diabetes?
Squats are an excellent strength training exercise for people with diabetes including older individuals. There are many variations of the squat, and which variation the diabetic should do is dependent upon which version he or [...]
How to Boost Testosterone without a Doctor’s Prescription
There are seven ways you can boost your testosterone levels on your own without having to see a doctor. Maintaining a healthy testosterone level is crucial for optimal health and performance. Many men believe that [...]
Both Knees Hurt with Deep Knee Bends: Cause & Solution
Does a deep knee bend or very low squat hurt both knees, even with only your body weight? “There are varied opinions regarding ATG squats,” says Dr. Tom Carpenter, corrective exercise specialist, certified personal trainer [...]
Do You Feel too Fat for the Squat Rack? Solutions
Is something holding you back from squatting in the squat rack because you feel too fat? By the time you’re done reading this article, you will no longer feel too fat to use the squat [...]
Top 3 Exercises to Prevent Back Pain from Shoveling Snow
I’m a 50-something woman and can shovel heavy wet snow like a beast and never feel back pain thanks to 3 exercises. Not only have I been a personal trainer, but I've been lifting weights [...]
Should Men Do Walking Dumbbell Lunges?
Are walking dumbbell lunges great for building a man’s legs or is this exercise only good for toning a woman’s legs? Men shouldn’t write off an exercise just because women are often seen doing it [...]
Best Fat Burning Cardio for Big Muscles
Men with big muscles will want to burn lots of fat to show off those giant muscles as much as possible. Here is how. Additionally, those with big muscles will also want to slash their [...]
Five Squat Exercises for Women Including Postmenopausal
Learn four different squat exercises that ANY woman can choose from to lose weight, improve bone strength and fitness. […]
Back Squat Comparison to Leg Press: Quadriceps Activation
Find out what research says when the back squat is compared to the leg press for activating quadriceps muscles. […]
Should Beginners in Strength Training Do Barbell Squats?
If you're new to lifting weights, don't let this stop you from doing the barbell squat, one of the best strength training exercises around. When I was a personal trainer I had my clients--who'd never [...]
Do Body Proportions Affect a Women’s Squat with a Barbell?
Why is it that some women find back squats easy while others struggle? Some women take to this exercise fairly quickly and are just a natural at it. Then there are those—perhaps you yourself—who just [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Use the Squat Rack for Barbell Curls
Are you a schmuck who uses the squat rack for barbell curls? This isn’t very considerate for those who wish to do squats and rack pulls. Why do people tie up the squatting rack or [...]
One Knee Hurts when Squatting but Not Running, Jumping?
How do you treat pain in one knee when squatting but not when running or jumping? Let’s assume there’s been no traumatic injury to the knee that hurts when you lower down into a deep [...]
Bubble Butt from Squats vs. Natural Fat
It’s a myth that squats will turn EVERY flat butt into a bubble bootie. As a gym-goer for endless years and a former personal trainer, I’ve always been very aware of different kinds of physiques. [...]
Shoulder Pain While Barbell Squatting: SOLUTIONS
There are different kinds of shoulder pain that can be associated with squatting with a barbell across one's back. The first type is a strained feeling, which may occur in one or both shoulders, soon [...]
Fight Aging: Build Your Thigh Muscles
Building thigh muscles will dramatically fight aging. There is an inverse relationship between muscle mass and aging, in that the more muscle mass you have, the slower you will age. The more muscle in your [...]
“Bad Levers” Really CAN Make Squats Difficult; This Is No Myth
"Bad levers" are a freakin' curse for the back squat and deadlift, whether you want to believe this or not. I used to be a personal trainer for a health club. But even long before that, [...]
Why You Should Ditch the Barbell Pad for Squats
The cons of using a barbell pad for the squat outweigh the pros so much, that this article will cover only the cons. Yes, the pad is there on the gym floor, but this doesn’t [...]
Long Femurs vs. Short Shins when Trouble Squatting
Maybe it’s not your long femurs, but your short shins that make squatting troublesome. There’s a lot of stuff out there about femur to torso ratio when discussing the back squat. The “bad levers” of [...]
Back Cracks During Sit-Ups: Causes & Solutions
Find out from a chiropractor, not a layperson or “fitness expert,” why your back cracks during sit-ups and what to do about this annoying and to some people, unnerving response to the exercise. A personal [...]
Barbell Squat vs. Dumbbell Squat for Building Mass: Pros & Cons
Barbell squats or dumbbell squats: which is better for building muscle mass? The barbell squat and dumbbell squat both have plenty to offer fitness enthusiasts. When I was a personal trainer at a gym, I'd [...]
Long Femur, Short Torso Squat Myths About Body Proportions
There’s some false beliefs out there about long femurs, short torsos and difficulty with squats that need to be cleared up fast. It’s bigger than I thought, all this talk about long femurs and short [...]
Barbell Squat vs. Leg Press vs. Hack Squat Pros & Cons of All 3 Weightlifting Equipment
Barbell squats, leg press and the hack squat are favorite weightlifting routines among fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders. So as a former certified personal trainer, I decided to pit the barbell squat, leg press and hack [...]
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” [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
When Smith Machine Squats Are Better than a Free Barbell
There are circumstances under which the Smith machine for squats is better than a free barbell. The Smith machine is actually better for squats than the free barbell -- if you meet certain criteria. There [...]
Five Biggest Squat Mistakes with the Smith Machine
Here are the biggest squat mistakes with the Smith machine. When doing squats with the Smith machine, beware of some common mistakes. Based on my experience as a gym personal trainer, I’ve compiled five of [...]
Afraid To Squat with a Barbell? Tips to Overcome Fear
Fear of the barbell squat can affect men as well as women. When I was a personal trainer at a gym, I had clients who were “afraid” to barbell squat, though “fear” isn’t exactly the [...]
How NOT to Let Long Femurs Prevent a Perfect Back Squat
Don't Let Long Femurs Stop You from a Perfect Back Squat There's a HUGE issue in the strength training world with femur length. I'm a former personal trainer who has long femurs -- great for [...]
Do Barbell Squats Hurt Your Shoulders? Pain Prevention Tips
Here are several simple things you can do to help prevent or eliminate shoulder pain from barbell squats. “Shoulder pain while barbell squatting is a common problem in people with shoulder pathology,” says Joseph Ciccone, [...]
