Something I’m not shy about: how much burpees suck. You’re gonna get a lot of people saying that they’re the ultimate full-body workout. Let’s get real: they’re the ultimate full-body destroyer. Yeah, they increase your heart rate and work up a sweat. But what’s going on behind the scenes is a high-impact movement that’s rough on your knees, wrist, shoulders, and spine when you don’t have the form down pat (which is a lot of people because it’s multiple core-reliant movements

If your pull ups look like you’re trying to launch yourself into orbit, I’m staging an intervention. You know the look. Legs kicking, hips snapping, shoulders doing whatever they can to keep up. It's called kipping. I also call it a shortcut...a shortcut to wrecking your joints. Approaching maximum intensity and exertion in a workout is great. Love it. What I do not love is watching a herky-jerky vertical dance just for the sake of getting more reps. This type of pull up is s

Coming back to strength training after time off is where a lot of lifters make things harder than they need to be. You think you're able to jump right back in as if the break never happened. I've tweaked enough muscles doing this myself to know that this isn't the way to go. Your strength doesn't disappear when you step away from your training for a bit, but what does happen is your sense of timing, coordination, and familiarity with the bar is lessened. You haven't been goin

Warm-ups before you deadlift shouldn't be negotiable. Maybe you fit in a quick stretch or a couple rushed reps with the bar, but then jump straight to loading plates. Not a good way to start if you want to avoid feeling stiff or out of position. Warm-ups aren't just for cardio. They get your whole body ready to pull effectively. That means opening up range of motion, getting blood moving, and dialing in the positions you need before your heavy sets. There’s solid evidence tha

If your shoulders always feel beat up after pressing, your warm-up probably sucks. A real warm-up for bench press or overhead press has a job. Get your shoulders stable, your upper back engaged, and your joints ready to handle the load. I'm going to give you the warm-up I use every time I'm in the gym for a press. I start with the rotator cuff. External rotations with a resistance band are simple and effective: Anchor a light band to the power rack. Stand outside the power ra