Fred Ormerod is a freelance coach, army reserve medic, nurse, master’s student, and massage therapist. He’s spent a decade working in healthcare and five years coaching in one of Edinburgh’s leading training facilities.

Here he explains everything you need to know about foam rolling based on science and his experience as a massage therapist and coach.

Is Foam Rolling Necessary?

Honestly, most of my athletes don’t foam roll. Most of them train often enough that simply running, performing a dynamic warm-up, or their sport induces enough of a circulation boost to outdo the positive effects of a foam roller.

If they get injured, they come to me or my team to fix the problem in the clinic. (That being said, if something is causing you an abnormal amount of pain, see a professional!!)

Studies show that foam rolling before your sport might also hinder performance, especially if your sport required sprinting and/or jumping. This is because increased muscle-tendon stiffness is more advantageous for explosive movements.

So is foam rolling necessary? In my opinion, no. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any benefits.

To understand how to use your foam roller correctly, you need to understand the science behind your muscles. And know how not to use it.

Foam Rollers: Not For Tendons, “Knots,” or Back Cracking

A big mistake people make is foam rolling their tendons. Tendons are very stiff and strong. They also tend to have very poor circulation (which is why they often take so long to recover). Because of this, foam rolling is going to do very little for them and it’s going to f*cking HURT!!

Some people enjoy the sensation of a foam roller and pain (aka masochists). More often I hear people enjoying the relief from a back crack when lying on a foam roller. (I admittedly do.)

The Truth About Back Cracking

Spinal manipulation (back cracking/popping) is rarely anything more than a change in pressure in the joints of the spine. It sometimes creates temporary relief by affecting the parasympathetic nervous system and how neurons pick up pain signals.

Further research is needed to confirm the positive outcomes of spinal manipulation. Most of its benefits are reportedly due to “anti-nociceptive reflexes” from the body, the same way that hot or cold therapy produces shock proteins that help immunity and recovery.

So essentially, the positive outcomes from manipulating the spine come from a response to damage.

To get a proper stimulus in this sense, the action needs to be high velocity and low amplitude. It’s best performed by a registered chiropractor rather than yourself in the corner of the gym.

Not for Knots

“But Fred… I have a huuuge knot in my shoulder that feels better when I foam roll!”

The definition of “knots” varies across the literature in the medical/sports world. Some consider them a build-up of lymph (the clear fluid you see at the edge of a cut or scab).

Others consider them to be areas of muscle tension that are “hyperechoic,” meaning they bounce back lots of sound waves during an ultrasound.

In my experience, what people consider “knots” are simply tight areas along the edge of defined muscle groups.

Usually, it’s a tight levator scapula, the tendon that attaches to the shoulder blade. If your levator scapula sits under contraction for hours (from driving, sitting at a desk, etc.) it becomes inflamed, possibly hypoxic (lacking oxygen), and sore.

Giving it a good prod with a massage gun or massage ball temporarily improves circulation, but the clicking/popping sensation is just the tendon rubbing over the bone and other tendons/muscles around it.

The ultimate cure (after the symptom relief from medication and/or massage), is movement and training the area properly. Not rolling around in pain.

Best Uses for Your Foam Roller

Like I mentioned before, foam rolling comes with a few benefits that speed up your recovery process (or at least make you feel like it).

1. Increasing Circulation

To improve circulation via foam rolling, I recommend doing 2-4 second passes over a selected muscle for 1-3 sets for 30-120 seconds per set.

This replicates a technique in massage called effleurage, or “flushing.” Effleurage gives a slight boost to the circulation of your blood and lymphatic system.

This circulation temporarily reduces the interstitial space between muscle fibers (where the chemicals that cause DOMS reside), reducing the feeling of soreness.

Here’s a video of me and one of my team members performing effleurage on a boxer before and after a fight:

2. Improving Mobility

I use foam rollers with athletes who need help mobilizing certain areas.

For example, when you lay on the floor with the roller up your spine to just under the cervical spiny process (the bony bit at the bottom of your neck/top of shoulders), it becomes much easier to dissociate the neck for mobility drills.

This is a great drill if you suffer from neck pain. I even used it myself when I suffered from whiplash.

For thoracic and lumbar mobility, I recommend wall rotations. Kneel next to a wall, and hold a foam roller between the inside of your outside knee and the wall. Keeping upright, open out your chest/arms to touch the wall behind you.

3. Fixing Squat Patterns

Foam rollers are a great tool to improve your squat form. Hold the roller (either length- or width-ways depending on the desired outcome) between your knees, perform a full, deep, controlled, slow squat.

If you’re up for a challenge, try it with your heels raised. This helps you reach a full range of motion if you struggle to squat without knee valgus/varus (knees falling in or out).

4. A Cushion While Lying on the Floor

I know an athlete who buys every gadget going: sauna bag, EMS, massage gun, coffee roaster, phones, apps, the list goes on and on.

He told me the best use for his (stupidly expensive) foam roller is using it as a cushion while he lies in his sauna bag on his living room floor, so he can watch TV at the perfect angle.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s a very good use.

Your best bet for improved mobility and recovery is to build longer, stronger muscles through a complete range of motion.

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Ryan Tomanocy is a CSCS, certified CrossFit Level 1 trainer, and USA Weightlifting sports performance coach. Here, he explains how the bulking and cutting method works, lays out the harmful side effects of this hyped-up approach, and provides an alternative solution (which he uses with all of his clients).

How Bulking & Cutting Works (In Theory)

As bodybuilding became increasingly popular in the 60s, bulking and cutting rose to the top as the BEST way to get muscular and lean when bodybuilding became increasingly popular in the 60s.

Today, nearly 60 years later, it’s still the most popular approach. (Just talk with just about any gym-goer at your local Planet Fitness, Crunch, LAFitness, or other neighborhood globo-gym and if you don’t believe me.)

So how does it work? During a bulking phase, you consume a calorie surplus to enter an anabolic state so your body is able to build muscle tissue. Because bulking often encourages eating just about anything you can get your hands on, your fat mass inevitably increases. This is why the cutting phase follows.

Cutting involves eating at a calorie deficit to create a catabolic state in the body, which leads to weight loss.

And that’s the gist. In most circles, bulking phases last around 4-6 weeks while cutting phases last 6-8 weeks.

Sounds simple and glorious, right? In theory, heck yeah!

However, modern research shows bulking and cutting can cause some real, lasting problems – particularly if your overall goals are health, longevity, and performance.

If you want to feel good, have loads of energy, be active and engage in your beloved hobbies for a long time, maintain a healthy relationship with food, manage stress, stay lean as you age, and have the vitality to play with your kids and grandkids, then bulking and cutting is NOT the best approach.

The Dark Side of Bulking and Cutting

Impact on Mental Health

Recent research shows that bulk and cut cycles are often linked with severe mental health disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity states “engagement in bulk and cut cycles was associated with the stronger drive for muscularity across the sample, and more severe eating disorder and muscle dysmorphia psychopathology among men and women.”

Simply put, folks who engage in bulking and cutting are more likely to have an eating disorder. This is no bueno.

In my experience coaching hundreds of clients, working back from an eating disorder is a long and challenging road with possible serious ramifications on health, fitness, and performance.

The bulk and cut diet pushes many athletes down a frightening path, not to mention the other serious physical and performance-related impacts outlined below.

Impact on Physical Health

Physically, bulking increases your fat stores, making it more challenging for you to lose weight in the future. It also decreases your insulin sensitivity. This means your cells become less responsive to insulin and therefore require more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. This puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and other gnarly diseases.

It doesn’t stop there: sub-optimal insulin sensitivity over longer periods of time also challenges your body’s ability to gain muscle (the complete opposite of the goal of a bulk)!

On the cut phase side, losing weight quickly (over 1 pound per week as most bulk and cut dieters aim for), both increases cortisol and decreases testosterone production in your body.

Essentially, bulking and cutting cycles cause a cascade of changes in your body, raising levels of stress and maiming your ability to maintain and grow healthy muscle tissue.

As far as performance goes, aerobic endurance and maximal oxygen uptake often suffer during bulking, while strength drops off during the cut phase.

Risk of injury also dramatically increases as body mass fluctuates significantly: up during a bulk, and down during a cut.

Health Effects Summarized

Bulking:

• Increased risk of developing disordered eating
• Increased fat stores and number of fat cells
• Potential future weight gain
• Decreased insulin sensitivity
• Increased risk of the following diseases and conditions:
• Cardiovascular disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Sleep apnea
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Stroke
  • Depression

Cutting:

• Increased risk of developing disordered eating
• Increased cortisol production
• Decreased testosterone production
• Decreased strength levels and greater risk for injuries
• Potential decrease in resting metabolic rate

Ultimately, the severe weight fluctuations from bulking and cutting that we often see celebrated on Instagram and across social-media-land are closely linked to an increased risk of poor health and metabolic syndrome.

Placing the health risks aside, adjusting your nutrition and training to the degree required to perform a bulk and cut is HARD. It requires a lot of time, planning and effort to execute, let alone do it successfully.

In my honest experience, folks often find themselves at the same weight and shape they were before they ever bulked and cut. Or they jump into a “dirty bulk” (mass gainer shakes, no limits, eating everything in sight), gain weight, and fight forever to get lean again.

The Clean Gain Method: Bulk & Cut Altnerative

Don’t worry, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

You CAN get muscular, lean, AND have a healthy relationship with your nutrition that supports your health, fitness, and performance goals long-term. WITHOUT bulking and cutting.

The key is to establish nutrition habits you feel good about, are consistent with, and allow you to make progress in the gym, whether your primary goal is aesthetics, strength, athletic performance-based, or something else!

As a performance and nutrition coach, I focus on getting my athletes to this point at a slight caloric surplus. We monitor this together every 4-6 weeks without stressing about MyFitnessPal, Whoop, or any other fitness tracker.

I usually recommend the “Clean Gain” method for most of my athletes.

Again, the focus is promoting a healthy, long-term nutrition approach where you see the results you want (weight loss, muscle gain, sports performance, etc) and avoid the severe weight fluctuations and adverse effects associated with the popular bulk and cut approach.

How To Use The Clean Gain Method

If you want to gain muscle:

1. Establish a longer-term period of muscle gain, 8-12 weeks, and mark an end date on your calendar.
During this time, prioritize nutritious foods and avoid processed foods and added sugars.

2. Increase calories moderately (250 to 500 calories). This prevents excessive weight and fat gain.

3. Follow a structured strength and conditioning program you enjoy and stay consistent (ideally under the eyes of a qualified performance coach).

4. Assess progress at the 8-12 week mark when your calendar reminder from Step 1 indicates!

5. If you’re happy with your progress, reset your calendar reminder for another 8-12 weeks and continue.

If you’re not seeing results:

6. If you’re not gaining muscle at 0.25% to 0.5% of your total body weight per week, increase your calories by 250 and reassess in four weeks. Once you’re gaining at the appropriate rate, start back at Step 1.

If you want to get lean:

7. Decrease your calories moderately (250 to 500 calories) and aim to lose 0.5% to 1% of your body weight per week and reassess in four weeks.

8. Once you’re leaning at the appropriate rate, set your calendar reminder for four weeks at a time and when you’re ready to gain again just start back at Step 1.

9. If you reach a weight and level of body fat you want to maintain, set your calories at a slight 250 surplus and schedule your calendar reminder 6 weeks out to reassess. This gives you the surplus needed to live a fun and active lifestyle AND allows for strength and muscle gain while minimizing any accumulation of fat.

10. If and when you’re ready to start gaining again, just return to Step 1!

Now, there are many caveats to this advice. The most common answer to health, fitness and performance questions is: “It depends.” (I’d be wary of any coach, trainer or guru who speaks in absolutes!)

The bulk and cut diet has worked for some, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only approach. And it’s certainly not the best approach.

Find a performance coach who answers your questions in a way you understand and helps you find the best starting place and approach for your lifestyle.

Coach’s P.S. If you made it this far and my article resonated with you, I want to gift you a complimentary resource to help you get started on your Clean Gain journey! It’s my Sexy Shopping List and it’s FREE for you if you click HERE!

It lays out the categories, approved foods, and healthy snacks I use with my clients. Keep on your fridge, throw it in your purse or wallet, or take it with you on your next visit to the grocery store. I normally reserve this resource for my private clients, but if it keeps you from suffering the effects of the bulk-and-cut trend, it’s all yours.

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Most people are at least somewhat familiar with the lat pulldown machine. Maybe you used it before, or maybe you hit your head on it a couple of times (yes I’m looking at everyone over 6ft tall, myself included). So what makes this machine so popular, and how can it help you develop strength and/or physique?

Dr. Matthew Styf, PT, DPT is a certified clinical orthopedic specialist and S&C coach based out of Massachusetts. He brings a unique viewpoint to the strength training community as both a coach and physical therapist with extensive experience helping athletes/patients return to their desired activities. In this blog, he explains the importance of strengthening lats and how to use the lat pulldown to crush your fitness goals.

Know Your Lats: Anatomy, Function, & Strength Benefits

The lats originate along the lower thoracic spine. A huge mass of fascia (tissue that holds your muscles in place) attaches it to your lower back and pelvis.

Because your lats run from these origin points and attach to the upper humerus (your upper arm bone), they’re responsible for a lot of arm movements. It primarily pulls the arm closer to the body, rotates the palms to the floor, and pulls the arms behind the body.

Basically, every time you use your arms to pull your body weight, you’re engaging your lats. Think pull-ups, swimming, deadlifts, or any rowing exercises. You get the gist.

There’s no other exercise that isolates and strengthens your lats like the lat pulldown. It’s not just bodybuilder and gym bro work – overhead athletes, such as baseball pitchers, need lat strength and flexibility and benefit from including more lat pulldowns in their training.

Lat Pulldown 101: Get Your Grip Right

A supinated grip (palms up) is the most disadvantageous because the rotation is the wrong way. This inhibits the lat from actually maximizing its contraction and force production.

In general, the wider the grip, the more the part of the lat that brings the arm back to the body works. The more narrow the grip, the more the part that extends the arm backward works.

Lat Pulldowns For Every Fitness Goal

But before you commit to the most common way to perform a lat pulldown, think about your training goals. There might be a better outcome to work on in your current training cycle to help reach your goals.

For example, here are a few variations targeting different goals:

• For bigger deadlifts: Add a straight arm (banded or cable) pulldown in a slightly hip hinged or forward-flexed (at the hips) position.
• For fewer lat strains for overhead athletes: Add a single-arm neutral grip lat pulldown with a tempo component on the way back up.
• For less neck and shoulder pain: Don’t pull the bar behind your neck when sitting.

Your lats look great when developed, but don’t forget their functional components in everyday life. From sports performance to lifting heavy boxes, there are few things stronger lats won’t benefit. Heck, they even help protect against lower back pain!

Whatever your goal, strong lats help get you there. Try adding more lat pulldowns to your current training and crush your goals in less time!

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Joseph Lucero, owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman coach with years of practical S&C experience in high school, collegiate, and professional settings. Here, he provides a thorough guide on the back squat and adjustments that address common struggles.

Nothing Compares to the Back Squat

If you’ve been strength training for a while, you probably know about Tom Platz. If you don’t, time to pay attention, rookie!

Tom Platz is an American bodybuilder known for his leg development and use of the back squat.

A quote by Tom mentions:

“Nothing compares to the back squat. Why do an inferior movement like the leg press when you can do the back squat?”

No disrespect to the leg press. I think every movement has a time and a place! But if you are looking for a movement to improve your leg density and/or leg strength, look no further than the back squat.

The back squat is a multi-joint movement that is metabolically demanding, so it’s not for the faint of the heart.

With a few suggestions and tips on the back squat, your leg day will reach new levels with a much more successful and enjoyable experience for building size and or strength!

Squatting Anatomy: It’s All About Those Hips & Knees

It’s important to note that the idea of the squat is to go from depth to standing, meaning you extend both the hip joint and knee joint.

You need to consider which muscles aid the barbell squat with performing extension, specifically in the hip and knee joints.

For the hips, you’re mainly working your gluteus maximus, with a little help from the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

The maximus helps with the extension of the knee, while the medius and minimus help stabilize the upper leg for better mechanics.

For the knee joint, you’re working the various fibers of the quadriceps muscles.

First, you need to perfect your form before making any adjustments.

How to Back Squat: Performance Guide

After working with many athletes and understanding common mistakes, I developed a step-by-by guide that ensures perfect form through every part of the lift.

Getting Set Up

1. Set the barbell to shoulder height. When you grip the bar, position your arms parallel to the ground.

2. Use a grip that’s compatible with your shoulder mobility. If you grab the bar too narrow, it could stretch you into a position that’s bothersome. A narrow grip is also the reason your elbow and or biceps feel fatigued and exhausted from the barbell squat.

I suggest you start shoulder width apart, or perhaps a fist size wider.

Coach’s Tip: If you continue to struggle with the grip of the bar, try these banded dislocation exercises to help you improve mobility and ability of the shoulder and the chest:

Bar placement with the back squat can have a major impact on the displacement of resistance for this exercise.

Those who use a high bar tend to become more “knee” dominant while those with a low bar are more “hip” dominant. Do whatever fits your goals.

4. Once you establish either a high bar or low bar, it’s time to “create a shelf” by retracting your scapula and keeping your upper back tight.

This secures the bar to avoid form breakdown. In addition to the shelf, keep your elbows underneath the bar to secure it even more and promote better posture.

5. After securing the bar, unrack the weight. Get your feet beneath your hips, lift the bar off the j-hooks, and two steps back.

6. When stepping backward, take a small step initially. The second step is only used to adjust your stance for the squat.

Do not continue to step any further back. The further you step back, the further you have to bring the weight back to the rack.

7. Stance has an influence on where resistance is displaced.

If you want to be more quadricep dominant, choose a closer stance.

If you’re looking for more hip engagement, stand wider and perhaps place your toes outward. (This technique is commonly used by athletes who compete with static strength, such as powerlifting and strongman.)

8. Once your stance is set, get your elbows underneath the bar to support the load.

Elbow placement helps with regulating posture and improving your ability to secure the load of each rep.

To secure the bar, place your elbows underneath the bar and imagine your elbows pointed down to the ground. If your elbows move backward or do any jerking motion besides pointing downward, the weight might not be secure. This might lead you to lose posture and control of the lift.

9. When performing the squat, some suggest facing forward or facing upward. Ideally, to flatten the spine and promote better posture, it’s said to face ahead and slightly downward 45 degrees.

This type of head placement flattens the cervical spine (your neck’s vertebrae). This position of the upper vertebrae influences the rest of the spine to stay flat and more rigid throughout the lift.

Performing the Lift (Descending & Ascending)

10. Before you begin with the descending phase of the squat, it’s best to “brace your core.” To do this, take a deep breath through your belly and increase the pressure in your abdominal cavity.

This makes your lower back more rigid, meaning tighter and with better posture. Bracing your core works much better in conjunction with a lifting belt as well.

11. When bringing the bar downward, make sure your hips move downward and slightly back to help displace weight on the “midfoot.”

This means bringing the resistance downward and aligned with the midfoot so the weight is evenly displaced between the knee joint and hip joint.

12. The last phase of the lift is ascending with the weight to lockout. The heavier the load, the more likely you’ll experience a “sticking point” where the movement slows down and you get weaker.

As you continue your working set, strength diminishes as well as technique. Use a few key points below to “fix your squat” to get the most out of your lift (and prevent injury).

Fix Your Squat Form

Adjusting and fixing your squat form is paramount to improving performance.

Common struggles I see among athletes are bad posture, properly descending, locking out, and valgus knees (knees shifting inward).

If any (or all) of this sounds like you, check out these key points and variations to improve your ability back squat:

If you struggle with bad posture:
Variations such as the goblet squat, wall-facing squat, or cross-armed front squat help with poor posture. Lift submaximal loads with the perfect form as a either warm-up or a focus on squat day to further improve your mechanics.

If you struggle with the descending motion:
The descending motion of the squat requires good posture and the ability to displace weight on your midfoot.

If you struggle with this, using a movement such as the “box squat” teaches you to sit back into your hips and displace the load more properly.

Another variation that helps with the descending motion is a tempo-based squat. Bring the weight downward slowly (within 5-6 seconds) and focus on aligning the bar correctly on the midfoot.

If you struggle with lockout:
The dead squat (aka Anderson squat or pin squat) improves the last half of your lift.

Set the pins at your sticking point. You can either go for a heavier weight to improve your mechanics, or you can use a lighter weight to learn how to be forceful off the pins and encourage explosive power through your sticking point.

If you struggle with valgus knees:
Valgus knees are the inward motion of your knees during the ascending motion of the lift.

If your knees shift inward and hit a sticking point on your ascension, you might lose the lift.

The best way to fix this is to strengthen the muscles that regulate the outward motion of the knees, aka the “abductors.” Many athletes do movements like clam shells or the abduction machine, but it’s important to work your adductors as much as your abductors.

Having a balance of strength between these two opposing actions harmonizes the lower body for better squatting mechanics in the future.

Just as Tom Platz said, really nothing compares to the back squat when looking to develop the strong, beefy legs of a beast.

Follow this performance guide, make any adjustments needed based on your struggles/goals, be consistent, and go get them gains!

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Marc Lavallee has trained Canadian military units in the Search and Rescue Technician (SAR-Tech) program along with members in their active duty and selection phases. He currently coaches for a policing agency. Here he examines the differences between different triceps extensions based on anatomy gives advice on what variations to include in your programming.

Best and Worst Tricep Exercises

I love this exercise because of the variety it offers from different attachments (rope, straight bar, V-handle, EZ bar, etc.) to how it’s performed (straight sets, drop sets, single-arm, and many more).

My least favorite triceps exercise is dumbbell triceps kickback. Let me explain.

Why You Should Avoid The Dumbbell Triceps Kickback

If you think of the position of your arm, gravity, and the action being performed in this movement, it starts to make sense. It’s a super ineffective exercise.

Your upper arm is positioned parallel to the floor, your elbow is bent at 90 degrees, and the dumbbell is just hanging down.

In this position, essentially zero force is applied to the triceps and it remains this way for the first third of the exercise.

Your 20 lb dumbbell feels like 3 lbs at the start of the movement and progressively gets more difficult. Gravity pulls the dumbbell down more and more as you reach lockout.

If you’re like most people, you’re at your weakest when trying to lock out your elbow with your triceps. And this movement places the maximum amount of force at this position.

The Classic Cable Press Down is King

Cables reign supreme for certain exercises and a lot of triceps work. This is because the force placed on the acting muscles is continuous throughout the entire range of motion.

When you grab the attachment, pull in your elbows, and lift the weight off the resting stack, you’re loading your triceps with the weight on the cable.

Unlike the dumbbell triceps kickback, the exact same tension is applied throughout the movement (even at lockout).

Positioning Your Triceps Is Key

Many athletes (my younger self included) focus way too much in the mid-range positions, likely because this is where most people are at their strongest and can display strength easily.

The other two ranges (lengthened and shortened) often get neglected or sprinkled in very infrequently.

If you want to actually be strong (and not just showy strong), you need to gain strength in all three positions. This decreases the possibility of overuse injury and gives you a more well-rounded, holistic strength that goes beyond the gym.

Lengthening

To get your triceps into a lengthened position, consider its anatomy. Think about the origin and the insertion points (essentially where the triceps attach to your bones).

An arm overhead position with the elbow fully flexed at the start of the triceps exercise is a lengthened position. You can do this with dumbbells or cables.

Again, I recommend using cables for constant and equal tension on the triceps throughout the entire movement.

Mid-Range

To hit the mid-range position, come from an overhead (lengthened) position to position your arms in front of you.

These exercises include diamond pushups, any cable press down, a close-grip bench press, and dumbbell triceps extensions in a supine position.

Again, this puts you in your strongest position, allowing you to progressively overload with heavier weights quickly.

But remember, although this position is the easiest way to display strength, spending too much time here leaves the lengthened and shortened position lagging behind.

Shortened Range

If lengthened was overhead and mid-range is right in front of you, then how do you get your triceps in a shortened position?

This is achieved by moving your arm(s) across your body.

Using a cable, do a crossover pattern for your triceps extensions. Lying on a bench, use one dumbbell, bend your elbow, and cross your arm across your torso/face with the dumbbell finishing beside your ear.

Programming Triceps Extensions

To add a little variety and hit all positions in one workout, try using one cable exercise, one bodyweight, and one dumbbell exercise. For example:

• Standing Cable Overhead Triceps Extension 3 x 10-12/per arm
• Diamond Push-ups 3 x 8-12
• Lying Single-arm Cross Body DB Triceps Extension 3 x 8-10/per arm

You do not have to hit all three ranges in a given workout. But you should aim to hit one position each workout and possibly hit all three ranges within a week.

Or, swap a shortened range for one training cycle and a lengthening position for the next phase.

Don’t stress yourself out trying to hit all these different positions in one workout or that you’ve missed one or two in that week. Just try to be as consistent as possible and soon you’ll have big, juicy triceps that are strong in every position!

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Fred Ormerod is a freelance coach, army reserve medic, nurse, master’s student, and masseuse. He’s spent a decade working in healthcare and five years coaching in one of Edinburgh’s leading training facilities. Keep reading for his top tips on how to use the leg press machine to your advantage.

Leg Press: Friend or Foe?

The leg press is an exercise with mixed popularity.

It’s much maligned by functional athletes and many strength athletes as being “not as good as a squat” for strength development and lower body hypertrophy.

There are also a lot of risks associated with poor form and heavy loads on the leg press. Many gym-goers load the machine heavy enough to stimulate their legs, but allow their lower backs or hips to arch away from the seat, which damages the erector spinae and glutes.

I’m sure you’ve seen a video somewhere of a leg press warrior strapped up and barely flexing the knee with an overloaded machine.

To those in the know, the leg press is often not considered a good metric of strength, and, to be honest, justifiably so.

But when you know what you’re doing, it does have its uses. And it can be a magnificent tool for putting some serious muscle mass on your hams, quads, glutes, and calves.

Best Uses for the Leg Press

1. Isolation Training

Using different positions on the leg press board is a great way to isolate or activate specific muscle groups in the lower body, either as a warm-up, pre-fatigue, or accessory movement.

• Wider higher foot stance gleans more glute, hamstring, and adductor activation.
• Narrower, lower stances, fatigue the quads more.
• Straight legs and flexing at the foot in a calf raise hits the gastrocnemius and soleus of the calves.

It’s also possible to replicate a hack squat on some leg press machines by raising the seat, but it’s much easier to do this on a smith machine or an actual hack squat machine.

2. Increasing Training Volume Without Overloading Central Nervous System (CNS)

Another major advantage of using the leg press is the amount of training volume you’re able to do without destroying your CNS.

For example, my squat one-rep max is 200kg, making a rough 10-rep max 154kg.

My total volume of one set of squats is 1540 kg, which honestly sounds horrific.

However, the maximum load on the leg press at my gym is 450kg. I can press this for 10 reps at a relative perceived effort (as long as I’ve had my Weetabix and the pre-workout has kicked in that morning).

The total volume of work put through my legs on the leg press is 4500kg.

Not only is this terrific for my ego, but that volume of training (which might be even more so if I apply eccentric overload training protocols) is basically guaranteed to build muscle and strength in my lower body.

And let’s be honest… no one cares about your one-rep max back squat on the beach when your quads are bursting your board shorts.

Increasing the volume of training (and arguably making it simpler and safer to reach absolute rep failure on the leg press than with a squat) improves local muscular endurance over 6-, 11-, and 16-week training periods.

3. Advanced Recovery Training

This might come as a surprise, but the leg press is actually a brilliant tool for recovery.

By adding more weight than can be lifted, it’s a useful tool for applying isometric training protocols. Especially if you can adjust the seat in different positions.

Isometric training allows for greater muscle fiber recruitment than normal eccentric-concentric training. It also removes any risk of pain an athlete might be experiencing through certain ranges of motion (since they’re not moving).

The leg press machine can also be used to great effect for eccentric overload training (EOT).

EOT allows you to load up to 140% of your normal one-rep max onto a movement. By only performing the eccentric phase (the down bit of a leg press – where muscles elongate) of a movement, you can improve strength gains, range of motion, and hypertrophy.

If trained for a period of time, it can be repeated more often with less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This is known as a “repeated bout effect.”

These loading patterns should be done progressively and conservatively, for both isometric and eccentric overload training.

Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your Leg Press

When going heavy, make sure your back is supported properly by the backrest so that undue tension is not placed on your lower back. (This is also achieved by using a sensible load.)

1. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for your lumbar (lower back) to pull away from the board, this might even be the aim of the movement – but understand why you’re doing it and do it safely.

See my article on reverse hyperextension and the benefits of loading up the lower back: What’s a Reverse Hyper & Why Should You Do Them?

2. Feel for the muscle groups that are working.

Knees and ankles are flexed and glutes and hamstrings are stretched at the bottom and vice versa at the top as your quads contract.

I suggest playing around a little with the suggested foot positions above to see what works for you. Take a picture or video to help you remember for next time.

4. Use a buddy. EOT is a great training method but is difficult without a friend or two to take the load on the concentric phase of the movement.

5. Think about your brace. Creating pressure and stability in your abdomen makes it easier to press through your lower body.

6. Don’t compare your leg press max with someone’s squat max. They are not the same thing.

If you’re intentional and follow the tips above, you can reap some major benefits from using the leg press machine. I challenge you to add it into your training plan a few days a week and watch your legs explode over time!

Just don’t be put off by the intense DOMS in the first week or two!

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Sari Terranova is a total supermom, CPT, and nutrition coach who introduces women and youth athletes to the power of weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and functional strength training. Keep reading for her complete guide to hammer curls for beastly biceps.

Because Strong Arms Are Sexy. AND Necessary.

Strong arms not only look good, but they’re also necessary for functional everyday movements. We all need to be able to lift, carry, push, and pull – just ask any parent who lugs around an infant car seat.

There are dozens of bicep curl variations, from Zottmans to spider curls, but one of the most popular deviations from the standard is the hammer curl.

What makes the hammer curl different? Grip. The hammer curl requires a neutral grip rather than a supinated (palms-up) grip. This activates the forearm as well as the upper and outer bicep, giving you balanced size and strength gains. No Popeye arms here!

Hammer Curls vs. Traditional Bicep Curls

The arms are comprised of over twenty muscles, but the biceps get the most glory as they are superficially located and tend to be the most visible.

Traditional bicep curls primarily work the biceps brachii, which is partially responsible for elbow flexion and rotation of the forearm.

Hammer curls are unique as they isolate the brachioradialis (forearm) and the brachialis, the long deep muscle hidden beneath the bicep, which is actually a much stronger driver of flexion than the biceps brachii.

Targeting the brachialis not only increases overall arm strength, but also increases upper arm thickness and props up the superficial bicep muscle. Because of this, hammer curls are your best bet to get that sought-after bulge and chiseled look.

How to Perform the Hammer Curl

You can perform the hammer curl from either a seated or standing position, and as a unilateral or bilateral movement.

Performing the curl from a seated position further isolates the targeted muscles and limits momentum cheat. Another alternative is to set the bench at an incline to increase the range of motion and target the upper bicep.

Performing from a standing position engages the core and may allow for heavier weight as more muscles are recruited to assist.

Start with the dumbbells at your sides, palms facing each other. Keep your shoulders erect and your arms close to your body. Then bend your arms at the elbow and pull the weights up until your thumbs are close to your shoulders.

Pause at the top and then slowly lower the weights to starting position.

If performing as a single-armed movement, alternate sides or complete all reps per side (a good choice for correcting imbalances) before switching to the other side.

Points of Performance

While curls are simple, they are often performed incorrectly. The easiest way to cheat yourself of the benefits of any type of curl is to execute them with poor form or inappropriate weight.

Follow these cues to squeeze the most gains out of your hammer curls.

Get a Grip

The hammer curl is defined by the neutral grip, but that doesn’t mean there’s only one way to grasp a dumbbell.

I find that using a thumbless grip for curls grants a stronger mind-muscle connection and greater muscle activation.

Gripping the dumbbell in the middle or closer to the front of the weight can also make an impact. You may find that if your grip strength weakens, you can bang out a few more reps on your last sets by shifting your hands forward so the front end of the weight rests on your index finger and thumb.

T-Rex Arms

Keep your upper arms and elbows pinned to your sides throughout the movement.

If your elbows are moving away from or in front of your body, this is a sign that the weight is too heavy. The only part of your body that should be moving is from your elbow to your fingertips.

Slow Tempo

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” In other words, slowing your tempo yields faster results.

If you are simply chasing a pump, by all means bang out your reps and go, but playing with tempo on the concentric (lifting the weight to your shoulder), eccentric (lowering the weight to starting position), and mindfully pausing at the top and bottom of the movement can all impact your gains and ability to break through plateaus.

Coach’s Tip: To better understand tempo training and get the most out of your hammer curls, check out my other blog: Understanding Tempo Training For Maximum Strength Gains

No Momentum Cheat

There’s always that one dude in the gym trying to curl dumbbells that are way too heavy and using his entire body to heave the weight up.

This is ineffective at best and can result in injury at worst. Don’t be that dude.

Choose a weight that’s challenging on the last reps, but that you can still lift with integrity – elbows at your sides, shoulders back, no rocking.

Hammer Curl Variations

This makes hammer curls a convenient exercise you can perform at home, in the gym, or on the go.

Cross-Body Hammer Curl

The cross-body hammer curl is very similar to the standard hammer curl, but in this variation, you lift the weight across your chest to the opposite shoulder instead of straight up and down.

There is not any definitive evidence that would indicate a clear advantage of one variation over another, although some suggest the cross-body curl may have a slight edge in targeting the long head of the bicep. It really comes down to personal preference and the muscle activation you feel.

Chest-Supported Hammer Curl

The chest-supported hammer curl employs an incline bench to eliminate momentum cheat and deltoid activation, helping you zero in on the forearm and brachialis.

With a dumbbell in each hand, straddle the incline bench and rest your chest on the upper portion of the bench. Your arms should be hanging perpendicular to the floor, palms facing one another.

Keep your upper arms and elbows close to your body and raise the dumbbells to your shoulders, pausing at the top, and then lower them slowly. Extend your arms fully at the bottom of the movement but do not lock out your elbows or let go of the tension (no dead arm float!) before you flex the weight back up.

Banded Hammer Curl

Resistance bands are great tools for hammer curls and make it easy to do them anywhere – throw them in your luggage, stow a couple in an office drawer, bring one to the park when you take a walk – get that pump on the go! They also make a great warm-up for pull days.

Stand on one end of a long loop resistance band with the band bisecting the bottom of your feet. Gripp the upper portion of the band with a neutral grip and bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, hands in front of your body.

There should be a semicircle of the band hanging between your hands (the lower you grip the band, the higher resistance you will have, and the longer this semicircle will be). Adjust your grip to the desired resistance and complete the movement as you would if you were holding dumbbells: shoulders back, elbows pinned, pause at the top, controlled tension at the bottom.

Preacher Hammer Curl

The preacher hammer curl set-up is unique. Although fixed in place, your elbows are placed in front of your body, allowing for maximum isolation of the brachioradialis and brachialis.

Adjust the seat to the preacher curl bench so that the backs of your upper arms lie flat on the bench from your armpits to your elbows.

Start with your elbows flexed, palms facing one another, and dumbbells up near your shoulders. Slowly lower the weights, keeping the backs of your arms pressed against the bench. Fully extend your arms, but keep a slight bend in the elbow (don’t lock out) and maintain tension throughout the movement, curling the weight back up to starting position.

This movement can also be performed unilaterally.

Cable Hammer Curl

The cable machine offers a variety of setups for the hammer curl, from forward to away facing, bilateral or unilateral, various grip attachments, and even preacher curls.

Cables provide constant time under tension, are easy on joints, and allow you to use fractional weights so you can consistently and safely employ progressive overload.

I prefer to use the rope attachment for bilateral forward-facing curls and single-arm away-facing curls, but it’s fun to experiment with different setups to shake up your arm day routine once in a while.

They say that in life, sometimes you’re the hammer, and sometimes you’re the nail. I’m going to recommend that you incorporate one of the above variations into every arm day workout, and BE THE HAMMER!

Happy Hammering Heroes!

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Jack McCormick is a coach and trainer with nearly 14 years of experience. He’s worked in various fitness settings from college sports performance to tactical S&C. Here, he explains why core strength is essential and guides you through four exercises for strurdy, stable, noticeably stronger abdominal muscles.

Understanding Your Core = Strong Abs

After 15 years in the industry, I believe that “core” is up there with “functional” as one of the most popular terms that carries an ambiguous definition. It changes depending on who you ask. Ask five different people “what is your core?” and you will probably get five different answers.

But if you get five different answers, how do you know if you’re actually training your core?

For that reason, I’m going to tell you what ACTUALLY makes up your core muscles. Once you understand your core & how it works, it’s easier to know what exercises actually strengthen your abs. (Hint: it’s not 500 crunches every day.)

Your Core Muscles & Their Function

I always go with Mike Boyle’s (2010) definition of the core:

“Core stability is the ability to create movement in the legs and arms without compensatory movement of the spine or pelvis, and in the broadest sense allowing force to move from the ground through the hips, spine or scapulothoracic joints without energy leaks (p. 85).”

Basically, your core muscles are the ones that create and resist motion at the spine.

The primary muscle groups and their actions are:

-The rectus abdominis (flexion of the vertebral column and posteriorly tilting the pelvis)
-The external and internal obliques (laterally flexing and rotating the vertebral column)
-The transverse abdominis (compress abdominal contents)

Developing Real Core Strength

Textbooks tell you that all muscles act concentrically (shorten) to create movement. But your core muscles’ ability to resist movement, not just create it is where the magic happens.

When you practice resisting movement with your core, you’re practicing effective energy transfer, which strongly reduces your risk of injury.

To develop real core strength, you need to do exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles that surround your spine (specifically your lumbar spine) that resist movement.

So how do you do that? If you break down the different patterns the spine moves, it becomes a game of “plug and play:” Do an exercise that creates a force on the spine in a specific pattern and resist it.

There are four main patterns your spine primarily moves: extension, flexion, lateral flexion (side bending), and rotation. Understanding these patterns and doing exercises that resist them gives you a strong, stable core.

Core Strengthening Pattern 1: Resisting Extension

Extension of your spine is bending backward or creating an excessive arch in your back.

One of my favorite ways to resist extension of the spine is by doing a dead bug with a stability ball.

Doing this creates an “extension moment” on your spine as your extremities lengthen and shorten. Contracting your abdominals and creating stiffness resists your spine from extending, thus creating an “anti-extension” effect.

Core-Engaged Contralateral Dead Bug

1. Lay on your back with your hips and knees both bent at 90 degrees, heels level with your knees up in the air. Raise your arms straight up toward the ceiling.

2. Create a neutral spine by “bringing your ribs down toward your pelvis” and bracing your midsection, as if preparing for a punch in the stomach.

3. Place the ball between your knee on one side and the hand on the opposite side.

4. Give a gentle squeeze to engage your abdominal muscles.

5. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth as if you are blowing out birthday candles through a straw. This forceful exhaling helps engage the deeper transverse abdominis.

6. As you exhale, raise the non-engaged arm overhead and down toward the floor and extend your non-engaged leg out towards the floor as well.

7. Do not let your arm or leg rest on the floor. Control the motion. The lower you get your extremities to the floor while keeping your spine neutral, the more you should feel this in your abdominal muscles as you resist your spine extending in the presence of a changing lever at your hips and shoulders.

Start with eight reps on one side, and then eight reps on the other.

Core Strengthening Pattern 2: Resisting Flexion

Flexion of your spine is bending forward or creating an excessive rounding of your back.

I like to train anti-flexion with carries and isometric holds in the double kettlebell front-racked position.

Having a kettlebell on each side of a front-racked position creates a flexion force on the spine where the weight is pulling your torso down and forward. Getting into the double front-racked position, squeezing your armpits, and focusing on just “being tall” effectively engages your core musculature and resists flexing your spine forward.

Double Kettlebell Front-racked Carry

1. Select two kettlebells of light to moderate weight. If you can’t do a double kettlebell clean comfortably, set them up on a box so you can get into the double front racked position safely.

2. Squeeze your armpits to engage your lats, and create a triangle from your hand to your elbow to your shoulder. The kettlebell should rest in the nook created between the shoulder and hand, pressed up against your body.

3. Keep your wrists neutral (i.e. not bent or extended)

4. Think, “make yourself tall.” Then, walk comfortably and slowly as if you are trying to balance a glass of water on top of your head.

5. As you walk, pretend your abdominals are a coat of armor you’re trying to breathe behind. Don’t hold your breath, but as you take shallow breaths in and out, try not to lose the stiffness created by your abdominal brace.

Doing carries for distance enhances the challenge because you’re introducing a reflexive contralateral (opposite) hip stability demand with each step. This makes it a lot harder to maintain a neutral spine.

A good place to start is with 20-30 seconds for an isometric hold or 40 yards for the walk.

Core Strengthening Pattern 3: Resisting Lateral Flexion

Lateral flexion is your spine bending to the side in one direction.

Suitcase carries are a great way to improve your ability to resist lateral flexion (and they strengthen your shoulders). The key to the suitcase carry is to create a tall posture with level shoulders and not “rest” the weight on your side.

Having a weight in one hand forces you to shift your center of mass. Maintain a tall posture with a neutral spine, and don’t allow your shoulders to tilt to one side.

Suitcase Carry

1. Hold a light to moderate weight in one hand. It needs to be heavy enough that you feel your obliques on the opposite side of the weight when maintaining a neutral spine.

2. Hold the weight just barely off your side (don’t let it “rest” on your leg). This slight alteration can make a major impact on doing the exercise correctly.

3. Just like the double-racked carry, focus on creating a coat of armor at your torso. Take shallow breaths in and out without losing that pressurized cylinder from your ribs to your hips.

Coach’s Note: In this exercise, you might feel your quadratus lumborum (a muscle at the side of your low back) active on the opposite side of the weight. That’s because this muscle assists with lateral flexion.

Also, if you have a history of back injury, I recommend starting with something more conservative, like a side plank.

Core Strengthening Pattern 3: Resisting Rotation

My favorite exercise to resist this pattern is the tall kneeling anti-rotation press out.

Start in a tall kneeling position for this exercise. This takes your feet and lower legs out of the equation and forces you to activate your glutes to extend your hips and keep a neutral spine.

Tall Kneeling Anti-rotation Press Out

1. Position a cable column about chest height while kneeling on the ground.

2. Align yourself so the column is positioned straight off to your side.

3. Start with a light weight on the column. Anywhere from 10-20 lbs is good.

4. Grab the handle with your outside hand and cover it with your inside hand.

5. Pull the handle to the middle of your chest and “make yourself tall.”

6. Anti-shrug your shoulders down so you’re not overly active in your upper traps.

7. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale like you’re blowing out candles, press the handle straight out in front of you in a controlled manner. Hold for about half a second, and then bring it back in.

This exercise engages your deeper abdominals to keep your spine from rotating towards the cable column.

Start with eight reps on one side, then face the other way and repeat.

Putting It All Together

Resisting spinal patterns is the key to a strong, stable core that reduces the risk of injury and enhances performance.

There are a lot of different movements that resist these four patterns, but these four are my go-to. Try adding them to your workout routine for a well-rounded, noticeably stronger core.

1. Core-engaged contralateral dead bug: 2 sets of 8 reps on each side

2. Double kettlebell front rack carry: 2 sets of 20-30 second hold, or 40 yard walk

3. Suitcase carry: 2 sets of 15-20 second isometric hold on each side, or 20-30 yard walk on each side

4. Tall kneeling anti-rotation Press Out: 2 sets of 8 reps on each side

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are my own and not those of my employer. This article was written on my own personal computer and not as part of any work done for my employer.

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Marc Lavallee is a tactical fitness coach with experience training Canadian military units in the Search and Rescue Technician (SAR-Tech) program. He currently coaches for a policing agency. In this blog, Marc shares his go-to exercises for steady shoulders and a strong, secure grip.

Don’t Let Grip Strength Hold You Back

Police members go through yearly shooting qualifications and recertifications. Some of these tasks require rapidly emptying multiple mags as quickly as possible, and if you’ve ever done this before, you know the forearm pump comes super quick if you’re not conditioned for it.

Shooting with a massive muscle pump in your forearm affects shooting accuracy and, ultimately, the ability of police members to pass recertifications.

That being said, I’m very experienced in working with athletes to improve their grip strength and endurance. I found the easier and most effective way to a stronger grip is with a simple tri-set of carries.

Keep It Simple, Stupid

A quick Google search gives you a big list of exercises for grip and shoulder strength – barbell wrist curls, barbell wrist extensions, and Turkish get-ups to name a few. While these movements are great, they’re not always the most efficient and effective tools for busy athletes crunched for time.

When it comes to increasing grip strength, I prefer KISS: Keep it simple, stupid.

Use exercises like deadlifts, rows, pull-ups/chin-ups, dead hangs, and carries with kettlebells or dumbbells. These are far more efficient at increasing grip strength since you’re able to use much heavier loads that challenge your grip.

Tri-Set of Carries: The Strong Grip Go-To

Use what you have access to at your facility, whether it’s kettlebells or dumbbells. I recommend going about 25 yards (there and back) before switching the carry.

1. Overhead double KB/DB Carry

2. Rack position double KB/DB Carry

3. Double KB/DB Farmers carry

If your gym facility lacks space, do these carries for time, holding each carry for 30 seconds.

This simple tri-set doesn’t take long, but it does pack a powerful punch in the grip and shoulder department. Tack it on as accessory work at the end of a workout and see how much stronger and able-bodied a better grip can make you feel.

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Fred Ormerod is a freelance coach, army reserve medic, nurse, master’s student, and masseuse. He’s spent a decade working in healthcare and five years coaching in one of Edinburgh’s leading training facilities. Keep reading to find out his recommendations and tips for athletes following a vegan diet.

A Vegan Diet Can (and Does!) Work For Athletes

Vegan diets work for athletes across the sports spectrum. There’s a long list of high-level athletes who are reportedly vegan, including:

• Colin Kaepernick (football),
• Tim Shieff (parkour),
• David Haye (boxer),
• Venus & Serena Williams sisters (tennis),
• and Barny Du Plessis (bodybuilding).

I know lots of coaches (myself included) who are thrilled to get new clients who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Such a lifestyle choice requires more creativity, intention, and planning.

The obvious concern for most people is that strict vegan diets are often lower in protein (the key ingredient in muscle synthesis), as well as other essential micronutrients.

As long as you’re conscious of what you’re putting into your body and make a plan to get all of your macros/micros, building muscle as a vegan athlete is no problem at all.

Are You Getting Enough Protein?

When protein is more available for synthesis, it’s easier for your body to build, repair, and maintain muscle. Though this can vary between individuals, exceeding this amount is not always beneficial. I recommend tracking your protein intake starting at 1.8g and working up over time to see what works for you.

But how do you know what works best for you? Consider cost, digestive comfort, muscle gain, satiety, and taste. And, most importantly, you need to ask yourself, “What are my goals?”

Do you want to be a bodybuilder? A strength athlete? An endurance athlete? Or just be ripped enough that you’re happy taking your top off at the beach?
Once you understand your goal, it’s easier to build a plan around your eating.

If your goal is just to establish a solid body composition, you’ll likely see results when you’re just starting your vegan diet (even if you don’t hit your protein target every day).

If your goal is to gain some serious muscle, you need to be a little more conscious of hitting your protein target.

Vegan-Friendly Snacks for Extra Protein

Should you hit a muscle-building plateau on your way to winning the Olympia, then protein intake is one of the first places to look.Most of my athletes aim for at least 1.8g per kg of body weight. Those trying to put on muscle realistically aim for 2g+ per kilo of body weight.

If you’re struggling to hit your protein goal, check out the table below for some high-protein vegan foods that make delicious snacks.

Common Vitamin Deficiencies In Vegan Athletes

Cutting out a source of nutrition can lead to nutrient deficiencies if you’re not careful. I provided a list of the most common deficiencies among my vegan clients.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, try supplementing with the recommended food source. It might also be in your best interest to get a blood test to see if you’re deficient in any essential vitamins. And of course, see a doctor if anything unusual is going on!

Supplement Your Success

Studies show that creatine and beta-alanine supplementation is effective in vegan athletes, just as it is with non-vegans athletes. And in case you’re wondering – yes! Most creatine is vegan-friendly, but check the label just to be sure.

Creatine:

Creatine improves short-term performance of high-intensity exercise, muscle hypertrophy, and maximum strength. It also increases plasma volume (for a better pump) and glycogen storage (for longer training) while reducing oxygen consumption during submaximal exercise (meaning less fatigue from cardio sessions).
Loading creatine provides the best results in athletes who might naturally have lower creatine stores (vegans). So taking 20g per day for 3-7 days followed by 3-5g per day after is a good way to ensure creatine saturation.

Coach’s Tip: Creatine powders are a much safer bet when going vegan as many capsules are made from bovine products.

Beta-alanine:

Beta-alanine improves output on intense training sessions by reducing fatigue in activity lasting more than 60 seconds.
Like creatine, it is best loaded, especially if you want to avoid the feeling of itchy skin associated with pre-workouts. Divided doses of up to 4-6g per day every day for 2-4 weeks are recommended, followed by daily doses of 2-5g to maintain levels.

Vegan Athlete Sample Meal Plan

Here’s a suggested meal plan to give you an idea of what a typical day of eating looks like as a vegan athlete trying to gain muscle. Of course, change to your taste and specific protein requirements, but generally following this plan provides you with enough protein to feel full and gain some muscle.

6 Tips For Muscle-Building Success As a Vegan

To sum things up, these are the top tips for success I recommend to any vegan athlete.

1. Plan. Understand what your body needs (1.8-2g x body weight in kilograms of protein per day). Knowing what/how much you’re going to eat and how much makes life so much easier.

2. Take the time to experiment. Once you have a plan, let the results follow in time. Remember that building muscle isn’t as simple as just eating protein. It takes training, a holistic nutrition plan, and proper rest to build up over time. See what works and what doesn’t. There’s no rush.

3. Supplement. Supplementing protein works well for some, but not others. Find one you like and it will help tremendously. More than one shake or scoop doesn’t hurt either.

4. Play chef. Building a greater repertoire of recipes helps you meet all nutrition targets. Make food you like to eat and it won’t be a chore if you need to eat more of it to reach your goals.

5. Give yourself breaks. Let yourself take breaks where you don’t focus on food so much. I call these “hedonic breaks” and they massively help with adherence to a long-term plan.

If you’re having to eat what feels like huge amounts of food to hit a protein/calorie target, give yourself a week every 6-8 weeks where you eat less or more intuitively off plan. One week off isn’t going to make a huge difference to your muscle mass, and it helps you stay in muscle-building mode for longer.

6. Snack. Adding snacks to your day helps add up the protein count as well as makes digestion easier.

Though it’s not always as simple, building muscle is perfectly possible on a vegan diet. As long as you understand your goal, plan your meals, stay aware of common deficiencies, and train hard, following a vegan diet poses no threat to your muscle-gaining ability.

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