I was working with one of my clients on his deadlift recently. And after he completed a nice set of five reps, I commented that the weight was 235 lbs. Another gym member, who overheard our conversation, then asked my client if he was “powerlifting.” No doubt, the deadlift is a powerlifting exercise that’s used to measure strength at competitive …

The Stiff-Leg Deadlift is a great functional exercise that strengthens the glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings for activities like running, jumping and skating, as mentioned previously. It can be done with either dumbbells or a barbell. Muscles involved: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus (buttocks) and Erector Spinae (low back). Action: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your …

In the traditional gym setting, the leg curl is often considered a staple of lower body strength training. It’s an isolation exercise (a single joint movement), knee flexion, that’s used for strengthening the hamstrings. I believe this exercise is useless because you never use this particular muscle action, isolated knee flexion, lying on your stomach, in everyday activities and sports. …

I was recently contacted by a client I trained a few years back who said she’s been doing steady-state aerobic exercise everyday for 40 minutes (skating along the bike trail by the beach) and that she’s beginning to gain weight. How could this be since aerobic exercise burns calories? Athlete/scientist, Art De Vany theorizes that too much aerobic exercise increases …

The step up is a great exercise that works every muscle in the leg. It’s an excellent way to develop leg strength for running and jumping because the independent leg action closely resembles the movement patterns of those activities. Step ups can be done with a barbell, dumbbells or simply using your body weight. Muscles involved: quadriceps (thigh), hamstrings, hip …

I like Mike Boyle’s definition in Functional Training for Sports. He says that “functional training is best described as a continuum of exercises that teach athletes to handle their own body weight in all planes of movement.” We humans perform a wide range of movements (walking, running, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, starting, stopping, etc.), which take place in all three …

The most effective training you can do for fat loss is intervals. The main reason is that intervals are more metabolically demanding, which means you to burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after you finish exercising, when the muscles are busy repairing, recovering and replenishing themselves. As many of you know, the term “intervals” refers to exercise …