Why You Can’t Combine Exercises To Get The Best Of Both
Multi-joint exercises, sometimes called “compound exercises,” are great for strength and muscle building because those exercises work many muscle areas at once. Single-joint exercises are a great way to supplement these because those target areas that don’t get targeted as much during multi-joint compound exercises. However, other “compound” exercises - which are usually just disparate exercises put together either in a circuit using the same weight or mashed into one movement - aren’t good for maximizing your effort because they are limited by the weakest area involved in the exercises. Because our lower bodies tend to be stronger than our upper bodies, we cannot progress properly if our lower body lifts (deadlift, squat, etc) are limited by how much we can lift during our upper body lifts (bench, overhead press).
Burpees - Friend or Foe?
Burpees are one of the most love/hate exercises in existence. At the same time, they're not nearly as useful of an exercise as many would think. Are they useful for your goals?
What Are Supersets and How Should We Use Them?
Supersets are a workout method in which multiple exercises are performed back-to-back with minimal rest. This means saving time and increasing workout efficiency. At the same time, there are plenty of ways to do them wrong, decreasing the effectiveness of your workouts.
Which Is Better - Machines or Free Weights?
It's commonly believed that free weights are superior to machines for building muscle and strength. This isn't always the case, and I dig into why.