The Right Ways to Load and Unload a Barbell
Loading a bar is easy, right? You just put the plates on; and at the end of the workout, you take the plates off. But if you’ve ever stood befuddled…
How Long You Should Rest Between Sets
A typical strength- or muscle-building workout happens in sets. You lift the weight a certain number of times (“reps”), then you put it down for a quick rest before going…
How to Choose the Best Weightlifting Straps
Lifting straps are an essential gym bag item if you do any serious amount of deadlifting or pulling exercises. (And no, straps aren’t cheating if you know when to use…
Your Athletic Peak Is Longer Than You Think
In the world of sports, young athletes get a lot of attention: High school and college teams are full of strong, fast people. Later in life, the stereotype goes, they’ll…
All the Different Bars at the Gym, Explained
The first step in lifting a barbell is loading weight plates onto the bar. At some gyms, there’s only one type of bar, and it weighs 45 pounds, and that’s…
Your Training ‘Week’ Doesn’t Have to Be Seven Days Long
How many days are in your training week? If you’re like most of us, seven. But this is because we are tools, creatures of habit, small-minded folks who cannot conceive…
No, Light Weights and Heavy Weights Can’t Give You the Same Workout
In the world of exercise, variety abounds. You can lift light weights, or heavy weights, or no weights at all. You can run fast, or run slow, or strap on…
RFK Jr.’s Bench Press Isn’t Actually That Impressive
In videos released this weekend, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—a man who has compared childhood vaccines to the holocaust and is also running for president for some reason—lifts weights on a…
What to Do With a Trap Bar in the Gym
Dumbbells and regular barbells are great, but if you’ve been ignoring that large hexagonal thing in the corner, it’s now time to make its acquaintance. The “hex bar” or “trap…
You Should Be Paying Attention to Those Smooth Rings on the Barbell
Look closely at your barbell the next time you’re in a gym. Much of the surface is roughed up with a diamond pattern. This is called the knurling, and it…