What It Actually Means to ‘Tone’ Your Muscles
Photo: BearFotos (Shutterstock) The word “toning” is something of a joke in many fitness circles, because it’s a word that’s thrown around when people mean other things. Sometimes it’s a…
The Difference Between Pushing Yourself and Overtraining Syndrome
Photo: lzf (Shutterstock) As a marathon runner, I know what it’s like to push your body to its limits. I know the desire to tack on one extra mile when…
How to Do Front Squats Without Hating Them
Photo: baranq (Shutterstock) To start with, I used to hate front squats, too, so I don’t want to hear any “but they hurt my wrists” business, OK? Front squats are…
11 of the Most Underrated Exercises You Can Do in the Gym
Grip training, just as a concept, is criminally underrated. When your hands are strong, they won’t be your weakest link when you’re doing a deadlift, or a series of pullups,…
17 of the Most Underrated Squats You Should Try
There are two common ways to place the bar for back squats. Either you squeeze your traps together (the muscles at the base of your neck) to make a little…
10 of the Most Overrated Exercises (and What to Do Instead)
I almost can’t decide if burpees are underrated or overrated. Everybody hates them, and yet they’re in so many workouts. What earned them a spot on this list is that…
What Is a ‘Women’s Bar’ and When Should You Use One?
Photo: Chris Graythen (Getty Images) The mythical “women’s bar”: It is a real type of barbell, but unless you compete in one specific strength sport, you probably have some misconceptions…
Does It Matter Which Way You Face the Plates on a Barbell?
Photo: Jordan Jovkov (Shutterstock) Most people new to the gym don’t give much thought to which direction the plates face on a barbell. But serious lifters have very strong opinions…
When You Should Use Barbells Instead of Dumbbells (and Vice Versa)
Photo: ArtRoms (Shutterstock) Dumbbells and barbells, the two workhorses of free weight training, each have subtly different advantages. Dumbbells are small; you hold one in each hand. A barbell is…
Boostcamp Puts All of Reddit’s Best Free Workouts in One Slick App
From L-R: Bodyweightfitness, nSuns, Fit at Every SizeScreenshot: Boostcamp There are a ton of great free workout programs out there, and they’re not too hard to find, especially once you…