Barbell Strength

01/11/2020

Sunday mood.

31/10/2020

"There are two roads to hypertrophy: one is progressive overload, and the other is the mind-muscle connection. And one without the other is insufficient for maximum muscle growth."
- Bret Contreras

We love this quote so much we just had to share it! Thanks to the brilliant minds of today's strength and conditioning field, we are getting a clearer view on which techniques optimize training results, and which don't.

One of these techniques is the concept of mind-muscle connection and its contribution to muscle growth.

The idea behind MMC - which was formerly thought to be complete bro-science - is that by deliberately focusing on a muscle during a lift, we can enhance the activation within it and, in turn, lead it to more growth.

In recent years, researchers have put this hypothesis to the test - and their findings may actually surprise you.

What they found out was that a MMC (or internal cues of attention, as it's better known in the scientific world) actually DOES provide an advantage when the goal is to build muscle.

That's great news for those of us training for aesthetics, but what about strength athletes like powerlifters?

As it turns out, if your goal is to get maximally strong, the MMC might not actually help much.

To find out more about what the mind-muscle connection is and what the implications are for strength athletes, check out our blog titled "Mind-muscle Connection: Fact or Bogus?"

B A R B E L L - S T R E N G T H . C O M

29/10/2020

3 Tips for a Stronger Deadlift

Struggling to improve your deadlift? These tips may help you perfect your technique and move weight safer and more efficiently.

💨BRACING
Breathing & bracing helps us maximize tension during a compound lift. This is not only applicable to deadlifts, but any other full-body lift.
The goal is to increase torso stiffness to improve the transfer of forces between the lower and upper bodies. It will also help reduce shear stress by stabilizing the spine where it needs it most.

➕INTEGRATING
Did we mention the deadlift is a full-body lift? That means your upper and lower bodies must work together to get the most out of this movement.
Instead of just trying to lift the bar off the floor by using your back and arms, use your legs to drive into the ground (similarly to a leg press).

✋SLOW DOWN
New to the lift? There's no need to rush it!
Rest in between repetitions, making sure to reset your position as needed.
•••

❔We would love to hear from you: what are some of the things you find most difficult during deadlifts?

SHARE or TAG a friend who needs to master this big lift 💯

27/10/2020

A solid set of stiff-legged deadlifts as performed by our online member Sahar.

Ladies, take note: lifting heavy is key to getting stronger and developing "tone" in every area of your body.

BUT! Lifting heavy doesn't mean pushing it to the limit in each session. It means a gradual and progressive increase in weight over time.

This is known as progressive overload, and it's one of the main drivers of strength and muscle gains.

For beginners and most intermediate lifters, this can be accomplished as simply as just adding a little bit more weight every time you train.

Of course, there are other ways to achieve progressive overload (that's a topic for another post), but in order to maximize STRENGTH, you'll absolutely need to increase the load lifted as you progress in your training.

Not sure where to start? We can help you out - check out our online training options available on our website (we even got a sample 7-day program waiting for you!)
•
Now go out there and make it happen. Challenge yourself, write down what you did in a session, then make sure to beat it next time around by either lifting a little bit more or for a few more additional reps.

B A R B E L L - S T R E N G T H . C O M

26/10/2020

Starting off the week on BOSS mode.

Who's with us? 👋

25/10/2020

Not sure what to do to make progress in the gym (or at home)?

You can now try out our remote coaching services for a commitment-free period online.

If you've been stuck in a rut or need additional guidance in your training routine, including your own personalized training program, technique feedback and ongoing support from your coach, then online coaching might just be the option for you.

Click the link in our bio or visit barbell-strength.com/online-coaching to claim your sample program.

15/10/2020

Missing the days of sunshine and heavy lifts...

We look forward to opening our doors in Toronto soon!

Stay tuned for upcoming news regarding our new location and services.

In the meantime, visit us at BARBELL-STRENGTH.COM and check out our in-home and online training options available right now. 💪

02/06/2020

10/04/2020

Happy y'all. 💪💪

Love it, live it.

Online/In-person coaching:
[email protected]

B A R B E L L - S T R E N G T H . C O M

13/03/2020

We'd like to inform our regular gym members and class attendees (OneFit, day passes) that we are still open for business, despite the mainstream panic surrounding the COVID-19 virus.

We are aware of the risks and are taking extreme care to make sure all equipment is clean before and after each training session.

As we are a specialty gym, we do not at any point have a huge number of members at our location.

We ask that if if you choose to come train with us, to please wash your hands upon arrival and before leaving, try your best not to touch your face and help us out with equipment cleanliness once you are finished training.

If you are feeling ill, we ask that you postpone your visit until all your symptoms have cleared.

Thank you for your cooperation and we hope to see you soon!

Love it, live it.

Online/In-person coaching:
[email protected]

B A R B E L L - S T R E N G T H . C O M

#

10/03/2020

Focus....

and f*ck s**t up. 💪💪💪

Love it, live it.

Online/In-person coaching:
[email protected]

B A R B E L L - S T R E N G T H . C O M