If you've been strength training long enough, you may have heard people throw around the term "back-off sets". It sounds technical but it's actually super simple. I'm here to explain what back-off sets are and how to incorporate them properly into your strength training. Back-off sets come after your main lift. Think of them as the work you do after your heaviest effort for the day. For example, if your goal is to hit a heavy single on a squat, deadlift, or bench press, that top set is your...

When you walk into a strength training gym, you may notice a ton of different types of barbells. They all look similar at a glance, but they’re not. I'm going to explain the different types of barbells and how they affect your lifts. Most people don’t think about it. They grab whatever is open and start lifting. That works for a while. Then you wonder why certain lifts feel off or why your setup feels inconsistent. Here’s a simple cheat sheet for the different types of barbells and what...

It’s 2026 and people are still trying to dodge deadlifts. I've heard a lot of excuses: "It's too risky," or "I'm not trying to get too big," they say. Meanwhile, I'm about to bonk someone over the head like Bam-Bam. Deadlifts work well for my caveman brain: Me lift heavy. Me drop heavy. But don’t let this simple exercise deceive you. Deadlifts are a powerhouse movement chock-full of real world benefits, and you’re leaving strength on the table when you leave deadlifts out of your programming....