Stronger By Science publishes articles on topics like lifting technique (squat, bench, and deadlift), body composition and hypertrophy, programming, nutrition, prehab and rehab, and cardio.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our Complete Strength Training Guide or the How to Squat, How to Bench, and How to Deadlift guides.
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This is a bench press tweak you should know about. Learn how to optimize your bar path for a bigger bench. It makes a bigger difference than you realize.
Cuing sitting back vs. down in the squat may change how the squat looks, but muscular demands are pretty similar through the range of motion that overlaps.
The squat has several mechanical advantages over the deadlift, so why can’t your squat catch up with your deadlift? It comes down to one key difference.
You are not perfectly symmetrical. As long as an imbalance isn’t causing pain, muscular symmetry is not worth worrying about. Probably.
How do you fix the sticking point in the squat? You don’t. Here’s what you can do to make sure you’re in the best possible position to complete the lift.
Blood flow restriction work makes you stronger than heavy training alone and is easy to recover from. Read up on the science of BFR and how to implement it.
What You’re Getting Yourself Into: 1,900 words, 6-13 minute read time Key Points: Your hip structure will impact your strength and comfort in the conventional and sumo deadlift much more than factors like height and limb lengths. There are no factors that make either the conventional or the sumo deadlift inherently easier or harder. It’s more a matter of individual strengths and weaknesses. Hip extension demands are nearly identical between the conventional and sumo deadlifts.
What you’re getting yourself into 2,100 words 7-14 minute read time. If you’d rather watch than read, there are both a video and a graphic covering the same information at the end of the article. Key Points 1. In general, the body utilizes single-joint muscles before two-joint muscles really kick in. This makes movement more efficient. 2. At the bottom of the squat, overactive hamstrings make the movement unnecessarily difficult, so squatting in a manner
Proper elbow position: A quick fix and the secret to a bigger bench press.
What you’re getting yourself into ~2,400 words. 6-10 minute read time. Key points: 1) When you miss a squat, it’s not because one muscle or muscle group failed – they all failed sequentially; what you perceive as your limiting factor is just the last thing that failed. 2) The quads are “maxed out” earlier in the movement than the hip extensors. 3) When you don’t purposefully rely on your quad strength and don’t try to
What you’re getting yourself into: ~4200 words, 10-15 minute read time There’s a graphic and video at the end with the bulk of the information if you’ve given up on reading like the youths these days (*shakes cane*) Key Points If you assume similar mechanics, bar position makes little difference in the challenge presented to the quads and hip extensors. The major mechanical differences arise because the quads are most challenged at the bottom of
What You’re Getting Yourself Into: ~6,100 words, 15-25 minute read time. However, it’s arranged topically, so if there are topics that don’t interest you, feel free to skip over them. Key Points: 1. Performance varies across the menstrual cycle in some women, related to severity of premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, while purely physiological variables are largely unaffected. 2. Contraceptives largely don’t impact performance or trainability, but can affect emotional and sexual well-being in some women
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