Simplicity Is King, and Muscle Confusion Is Garbage
In general, you’ll get better results from following a simpler routine more consistently, rather than constantly varying and changing your routine. Fad workout routines based around “muscle confusion” can work, but will generally provide you inferior results to simpler and more consistent routines. Serious lifting athletes rely on ideal the routines and strategies which have been developed over the years, and focus on practicing a small number of movements repeatedly, rather than constantly varying movements.
Why Is The Trap Bar Deadlift Superior?
The trap bar deadlift is a deadlift making use of the specialty trap bar/hex bar. This lift has some unique benefits and disadvantages compared to the traditional deadlift. Interestingly, it’s probably more useful than the traditional deadlift for most people, but that won’t stop most people from continuing to use the straight bar deadlift anyway.
How Widespread Is Steroid Use?
Steroids use is widespread, but certainly not total. Steroid use also carries significant health risks. Different pressures will lead to different levels of adoption - relevance to your sport, legality, and economic incentives all have an impact on how willing people are to use steroids, and how likely they are to be willing to discuss their usage. Still, this should not impact your personal decision-making too much - regardless of whether or not someone else is using, this doesn’t impact what you need to do to make progress in your own training.
The Only Strength Program That Ever Worked
I spent a decade of training that progressed a lot slower than it could have, because it turns out that one of the first strength programs I ever tried is (still) the best program I’ve ever used. I spent a long time trying out every strength training program under the sun, only to come back to this because it kept working. Here’s what sets this program apart from the rest, and why it works so well.
When Do We Physically Peak? (Peaking Part 2)
Olympic weightlifting is the main professional lifting competition, but Olympic athletes cannot be used to assess averages for lifters. The people who make it to the Olympics have genetic and social advantages that make them the best in the world.
The margin of winning at these high levels is so small that even the most dedicated and talented athletes may never make it to the Olympic Games and could quit trying to compete well before their physical peak.
Research in masters lifting has shown that most lifters were physically peaking between ages 30-35, and although their abilities do start decreasing, it’s at a much smaller and slower rate than people tend to expect.
Career peaking is a social construct and should not be used as the only way to measure expected performance and growth.