Strength Training Articles

Tired of dealing with lower back pain and stiffness?

You’re not alone. Eight out of 10 people experience lower back pain in their lifetime and for those who train, it can be a debilitating feeling.

In this article we break down our top five exercises that you can start implementing today to help address the underlying causes of lower back pain and stiffness.

How much is poor Bench Press technique costing you? 🤔 It could be way more than you think. In this video, you’ll learn how to Bench Press with proper technique with tips for lifters of all experience levels.

In this video we’re answering one of the most common questions in Olympic weightlifting... How do you fix Bar Crash in the Clean?

In this video we break down our teaching progressions for how to Clean, the first part of the Clean & Jerk with demonstrations by American Record Holder Wes Kitts.

In this video we’re answering the question, where should the bar make contact (with the body) in the Snatch & Clean.

In this video, we’re giving you a license to become a JACKED weightlifter and reasons why bodybuilding and accessory exercises are critical for your long term success. If your weightlifting program doesn’t include accessory exercises that challenge you in a variety of strength training domains, you’re leaving serious gains on the table.

In this video we're sharing THREE of our best tips to help you squat properly which should lead to a PR Back Squat! At the end of this video are three of our favorite lower body accessory exercises you need to be doing for stronger legs… These are non-negotiable!

We are proud to welcome Carolyne Prevost to the Barbell WOD Team! Carolyne finished in 12th place overall at the 2019 CrossFit Games and was crowned Canada’s fittest woman the same year.

She started CrossFit in 2013 and has quickly made a name for herself as one of the sport’s rising stars. She joins the Barbell WOD team from Toronto, Canada where she trains at her home gym CrossFit Colosseum. We couldn’t be more excited to work with Carolyne as we know she’ll be a force to be reckoned with for years to come!

Hitting a 9 minute core workout is hard enough but to do it alone is brutal. Hit play and get after it with us!

Did you know that poor posture could have a negative impact on your training?

Fair to say that most of us spend a significant time hunched over our phones scrolling Instagram or working on a computer. Over time this can add up resulting in rounded shoulders, a slouched back and forward head posture that can lead to muscular imbalances and put you at increased risk for injury.

Luckily we’ve found a solution! Fix (and prevent) poor posture by including these exercises in your warm up or post training accessories.

How to do double unders. The end. Double unders aside, there are three things that, looking back, would have been very helpful to have known when I first started out on my five year adventure into the world of competitive fitness.

Did you know that Creatine is one of the most researched and evidence-backed legal supplements available to athletes? Numerous studies have demonstrated the safety of long-term use and it has been shown to increase muscle mass and strength, as well as enhance recovery.

Strengthening the knee and surrounding structures is so important to your lower body health and function! Targeting the muscles and other structures around the knee can help to reduce the risk of injury and pain at the hips, knees, ankles and even feet. Try these three exercises so you can continue running, lifting, football or whatever way you like to move, for many years to come!

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay at home order, we have released two home workout programs that are designed training with minimal access to equipment. All exercises can be scaled to bodyweight only. Included are more than 50 workouts that you can do to increase strength, fitness and stamina from the comfort of home!

Assigning your grip width is the FIRST step you should take when learning how to Clean. Your grip width is ultimately going to dictate where the bar makes contact in your power position and what your front rack ultimately ends up looking like.

Rotator cuff injuries commonly occur in people who repeatedly perform overhead movements, whether it is for work (such as carpenters, painters, mechanics) or athletes (Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit and tennis, for example). Improper technique with repetitive movements can put excessive stress on tendons. These injuries often lead to tendinitis in one or multiple rotator cuff muscles. Avoid a trip to the doctor by using four physical therapy exercises that improve the flexibility and strength of the shoulder musculature!

In a perfect world, you would be able to train year round as hard as you possibly could and never get hurt but training at the ragged edges of your ability can come at a price. As a result, surgery may be necessary to get you back to baseline or give you another shot at achieving your athletic goals. Here are five strategies you can implement to help you optimize your recovery after surgery.

We are often asked to try out and review several products during training. Over the years, we’ve picked out our favorites and tend to lean towards the same products, even as a team. Below are some of the key items that most of us carry in our gym bags to help us get through training sessions and competitions.

Having a bruised pubic bone from Snatching is painful AF. Once you have one, it feels like it will never go away. Naturally as humans, we will try to avoid pain and snatch technique will suffer. How do we even get those darn bruises? Here’s a little info regarding how they happen and how to prevent them.

Experiencing discomfort in your wrist while Snatching or feel like your turnover is too slow? Nicole Lim and the California Strength Weightlifting Team weigh in on whether or not you should release your hook grip when receiving the Snatch overhead.

Any exercise that requires an overhead component is largely considered a core exercise. To improve stability in your overhead movements like Snatch and Jerks, we can apply unstable components to specific movement patterns in order to increase our kinesthetic awareness. One method in particular that I have found to be a huge help over the years are perturbations.

Demonstration Videos Included

Everyone can Snatch, everyone can Clean but only champions can Jerk. - Ivan Abadjiev

Looking for a sure fire way to determine which Jerk variation is right for you? In this week's Technique Talk, we break down the similarities and differences between the Split, Power and Squat Jerk variations in an all out assault on demystifying one of the most technical movements in Olympic weightlifting.

We’ve all been there. Some days our hands are just raw from training. After training 4 to 6 days a week for 5 years on top of a full time job where I’m constantly washing my hands, I’ve managed to take pretty good care of my hands so that I have minimal tears or discomfort when I’m lifting. Here are a couple tips that have helped me along the way.

Think your weightlifting program is perfect? You've accounted for volume, intensity, exercise selection and have lined up your periodization to peak at the perfect time; but wait.  Have you added mental reps into the equation? All your blood, sweat and tears could easily be for not if the mental side of training is forgotten. Don't worry, we have you covered!

Online programs are EVERYWHERE... But like anything, there are better programs than others and there should be no higher determining factor than results.

In 2012, there were 3,332 registered female USA Weightlifting members compared to an astonishing 8,600 female members today. Now, why has there been so much growth in what has traditionally been such a “masculine” sport?

Just found weightlifting?  Tried it for the first time?  Love slamming bars? 

Here are a few tips on how to keep the gainz train rolling...

If this is your first weightlifting meet, I would not worry about making a weight cut.  Instead, go into the competition feeling comfortable and ready to focus your energy on making all of your lifts.  If you are planning a weight cut, make sure to bring plenty of fluids as well as a nutrient dense snack to replenish your body before the competition begins.

Leg strength, leg strength, leg strength... and great shoulder mobility and terrific overall stability.  These three things are required for anyone who looks to compete in Olympic weightlifting using the Squat Jerk technique. What the Squat Jerk may remove in technical complexity (compared to the more common Split Jerk), it more than makes up for in brute strength and physical requirements.

A satirical article written by the always enthusiastic Nicole 'Littlest' Lim.