Strength Training & Weightlifting

Every gym has two types of lifters when it comes to warming up: the ones who load 225 onto the bar cold and wonder why their shoulder is barking, and the ones who spend 20 minutes and six plate changes “warming up” before they have done a single working set. Neither one is doing it … Read more

A stalled bench press is one of the most common complaints I hear, and almost nobody diagnoses it correctly before trying to fix it. “My bench is stuck” is not one problem — it is at least three different problems depending on WHERE in the rep the bar stalls, and each one has a completely … Read more

I see this constantly with people who feel like their deadlift or barbell row has flatlined: they assume it is a back strength problem, program more rows, more deadlifts, more back accessory work — and nothing moves. Then I watch them lift, and the bar is drifting out of their hands two reps before their … Read more

I ask every person who walks in and says, “Jordan, I’ve plateaued” the same question: “Show me your training log.” About 60% of the time, they don’t have one. They have a vague memory of what they lifted last month. And that’s where the diagnosis begins to fall apart. The fitness internet loves to hand … Read more

You’ve probably heard the advice: “Lift heavy weight for low reps.” It’s correct. But it’s also useless without a program you can actually follow. Here’s the reality: strength and muscle size are related but not the same. You can add meaningful weight to your lifts over a training block while changing very little about how … Read more

The Problem With “10-20 Sets Per Week” Open Google and search “how many sets per muscle group per week,” and you’ll get roughly the same answer from every fitness site: 10-20 sets. It’s become the de facto standard. The safe answer. The one that won’t get you sued. But here’s the problem: that number is … Read more

I’ve watched hundreds of lifters wince at the bottom of a deadlift, grab their lower back, and say some variation of: “I don’t know what’s wrong. I thought I was supposed to keep my spine neutral.” They’re right that neutral spine matters. But knowing you need a neutral spine is like knowing you need to … Read more

If you’ve been doing lat pulldowns for years and wonder why your back looks flat instead of wide and thick, this is why. You’re probably not training your back for the complete 3D look—you’re only half the equation. Most lifters spend 80% of their back training chasing width while completely neglecting thickness, then get confused … Read more

For the last eight years, I’ve heard the same thing repeated in gyms, fitness forums, and online training programs: rest 60-90 seconds between sets for hypertrophy. It’s been carved into the fitness gospel like scripture. I believed it too. I built my early training programs around it. I told the people I train with that … Read more