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How to Bust Through Training Plateaus

When I was new to strength training, I used to constantly chase one rep maxes. I was enjoying the beginner gains phase of my lifting career by adding weight to the bar almost every single workout. This was one reason I fell in love with powerlifting early on: it was exciting and empowering to see such rapid improvement.

However, as any experienced lifter knows, I wasn’t able to sustain this rate of progress forever. It started to take longer and longer to set new PRs. My workouts became more grueling and I had to work harder to eke out smaller gains. Eventually, my progress seemed to stall altogether. I hit my first training plateau.

It seems many of my friends and readers are experiencing similar frustrations, because I’ve been getting a lot of questions about plateaus. After working with hundreds of clients over the years, I have learned that when progress stalls at the gym, people are usually making at least one of these mistakes:

  1. Chasing too many conflicting goals at once.
  2. Always performing the exact same number of reps.
  3. Never switching exercises.
  4. Only focusing on barbell lifts and neglecting assistance/accessory/supplemental exercises.
  5. Not following a structured training program.

I’m going to share my top strategies and solutions to overcome all five of these roadblocks below. Addressing just one of these in your own training can make a significant difference for your results, making your training much more enjoyable.

Get clear about your goals

When asked about their goals, many people say they want to get stronger on their big lifts, and lose weight and build muscle, all while training for a 10k race. This kind of shotgun approach to training is a recipe for lackluster results and frustration. For best results, pick one goal to focus on at a time.

Although the bulk of my training centers around certain core principles, I always tweak programs depending on individual client goals. I want all my clients to build strength, but the client who is training for a powerlifting meet needs more specificity and intensity than the client who just wants to feel better on a daily basis. I believe everyone should perform some cardio, but clients who want to lose weight may need more than clients whose priority is to build muscle.

It’s important to have a clear focus so we know what’s important right now and what can wait. We can’t do all the things all the time at the gym. Instead, choose one major goal for every 3-4 months of training. In addition, I rarely recommend clients chase the same goals all the time because this also leads to plateaus, frustration, boredom, and burnout. Instead, most people should shift gears at least a few times per year.

If you’re not sure what to focus on, try picking your goals based on the season. Winter and spring are great times to focus on fat loss as you get ready for the summer. When the weather is nice, cut back on gym time so you have more freedom to be active and spend time outdoors. In the last third of the year, prioritize building strength and muscle to capitalize on the extra holiday calories you’ll be consuming. Structuring your training in this way can help you make steadier progress over the long term.

Sometimes it’s your diet, not training, that’s causing the plateau. If your primary goal is to lose fat, your results are heavily affected by long-term diet adherence. You can’t out train your diet if you’re consuming more calories than you need. On the flip side, some people don’t eat enough to support their goals. If you want to get big and strong, you need to eat lots of high quality foods to support intense training. Consuming a high quality protein source and some carbs around your workout time can make a world of difference for your performance at the gym.

Train in different rep ranges

Almost every time I talk to a new client who’s been stuck in a rut, they’ve been doing the same number of reps for a long time. Whether you use 5×5, 3×10, or are constantly trying to hit 1 or 2 rep maxes, you won’t make progress indefinitely. Eventually, you need to make a change to introduce some novel stimulus to your training.

What that change looks like depends on what you’ve been doing. If your training looks like mine once did – lots of heavy, low rep sets – try building strength in higher rep ranges. If you’re doing a lot of higher rep sets, try reducing the reps and moving heavier weights. I like to change reps every 4-6 weeks to avoid excessive fatigue or plateaus. However, some people (mostly newer trainees) can get away with longer periods of time.

When I write programs for my clients, I select reps based on an alternating linear periodization model I learned from the coaches at Strength Faction. Here’s how this works:

Let’s say my client is about to start a four-month block of training. In month one, we start by performing six reps on their big lifts to lay a solid foundation. The next month we drop the reps down to three. My client should be lifting significantly heavier weights on the same exercises. In the third month, the reps jump back up to five. If my client can move the same or heavier weights for the additional reps, we’ll know they’re making progress. Finally, I reduce the reps to two in the final month. This is where all the hard work my client has put in over the last three months really pays off. Performing only two reps gives them the chance to set new PRs and move some serious weight.

I’ve found this to be the best approach to ensure consistent long term progress for the vast majority of my clients. You get stronger, your training stays interesting, and you are less likely to get injured or stuck in plateaus.

Switch exercises

No one can make steady progress on the same exercise forever. If you aren’t seeing strength gains, or if an exercise is leaving you excessively sore or tired, it may be time to cycle it out of your workouts for a while.

Don’t perform every exercise you know each time you go to the gym. I see this most commonly when people are trying to build muscle. For example, their chest day includes flat bench, incline bench, decline bench, flyes, and pushups in a single workout. What happens when their progress at the gym slows or they stop building muscle? They have no fresh exercises left to substitute. It’s better to leave a few exercises out of your regular rotation so you can cycle in new things when you hit a plateau.

What if your goal is to build strength on specific exercises? Won’t taking a break from these exercises hurt your progress?

When I was first getting into powerlifting, I spent over a year following the Westside Barbell method. Most of the Westside training focuses on exercises that are similar to, but not exactly the same as, the big three powerlifts. Building strength with these alternative exercises can help improve technique, improve your weak spots, and make you a more well-rounded lifter who is less prone to injuries.

Instead of just doing the same big lifts all the time, try building strength with these same-but-different options:

Instead of back squatting, try…

  • Barbell front squat
  • Barbell zercher squat
  • Safety bar squat
  • Box squat (could be back, front, zercher, or safety bar)
  • Heavy dumbbell or kettlebell squats
  • Heavy single leg movements like step ups, split squats, and lunges

Instead of bench pressing, try…

  • 2 or 3 board press
  • Barbell incline bench
  • Barbell floor press
  • Close grip barbell bench press
  • Heavy dumbbell pressing variations

Instead of deadlifting, try…

  • Switching stance (sumo vs. conventional deadlift)
  • Rack pulls from different heights
  • Block pulls from different heights
  • Trap bar deadlift
  • Heavy kettlebell deadlifts

Don’t neglect other exercises

Once you’ve been lifting for a while, it’s difficult to get stronger or build muscle using only the big barbell lifts. If you want to avoid injuries and see steadier progress, include plenty of dumbbell, kettlebell, cable, bodyweight, and even machine exercises. I group these other exercises together and call them “assistance training”, because while they aren’t the main focus of your workout, they support you as you work to achieve your goals.

On numerous occasions, I’ve met with new clients who want to build strength but who aren’t doing much in the way of assistance training. They’ve spent a lot of time practicing with the barbell but they can’t perform a quality RDL, lunge, row, or dumbbell press. It’s amazing how much progress they make just by introducing a handful of targeted assistance exercises to their workouts.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of my favorite assistance exercises to help you get stronger on the three powerlifts.

If you want to build a stronger barbell squat, try…

  • Dumbbell and kettlebell squats
  • Single leg exercises like step ups, split squats, lunges, single-leg squats
  • Glute bridges and hip thrusts using a variety of implements
  • Leg curls
  • Core exercises like dead bugs, planks, and other anti-core movements

If you want to build a stronger barbell bench, try…

  • Dumbbell pressing: flat, incline, decline, floor press
  • Lots of upper body pulling, especially horizontal rows of all kinds
  • Pushups
  • Tricep isolation work like cable pushdowns, close grip pushups, and skullcrushers

If you want to build a stronger deadlift, try…

  • Other hip hinges like Romanian deadlifts, pull throughs, and kettlebell swings
  • Lots of upper body pulling, especially horizontal rows of all kinds
  • Grip work, especially loaded carries
  • Glute bridges and hip thrusts using a variety of implements
  • Core exercises like dead bugs, planks, and other anti-core movements

Read more: Core Training Beyond Crunches

Follow a structured program

I’ve included a ton of information about goal setting, program design, exercise selection, and training philosophy in this blog. If you feel overwhelmed, or simply want to ensure you’re doing the things you need to do to keep making progress, you are best off following a structured training program. Hiring an in-person coach or an online trainer is the best way to get a program uniquely tailored to your goals, likes and dislikes, and resources. When you work directly with a coach, they can also tweak your program as you go if you aren’t seeing the results you want.

Getting in shape is a long game. Practicing patience, regularly re-assessing, and taking a big-picture approach to your training can keep workouts fun and help you push past the inevitable training plateaus.

Looking for a training program? I created Full45 to help you get strong and see renewed progress even if you have minimal access to equipment and little time to train. Check it out to grab your copy for three months of structured done-for-you-workouts.

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How often should I switch exercises?

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about exercise selection.

How many times should I repeat my workouts before switching exercises?

Do I need to change things frequently to confuse my muscles?

When I do make changes, how do I know what to do?

I have strong thoughts on this topic based on my years of experience training clients and observing my own growth in the weight room. Let me set the record straight for anyone who’s confused.

Why I don’t like to switch exercises all the time

Think about your first experience with a challenging exercise, like a deadlift. Did you walk into the gym and nail it right away? Of course not. It probably took you many weeks just to figure out how to perform the exercise correctly. As you refined your technique, you felt more confident and gradually added weight. Building a truly impressive deadlift takes years to accomplish.

Learning new exercises requires time, energy, and patience. You won’t be able to push yourself very hard when you’re learning. This is why my clients repeat the same workouts many times before I change their exercises. It’s a myth that your muscles need constant variation to “keep them guessing.” If you’re constantly switching things up, you’ll never actually put in the work necessary to improve.

You need to build proficiency in an exercise before you can truly reap its benefits. Most of the initial progress we make when learning something new at the gym comes from nervous system adaptation. First, our brains must figure out what body parts to move in what order. Only then can we start to recruit more of our muscle tissue to move heavier loads with better speed and control. You need to reach this second stage to see noticeable gains in strength, size, and performance.

Another way to think about this comes from the super smart guys at Strength Faction. They believe exercise proficiency helps you effectively express your training intentions. For example, let’s say you want to get stronger using squats. If you can’t squat well, you’ll never be able to handle heavy enough loads to build strength. The same goes for other goals such as increasing power. Jumping for power development does you little good if you don’t know how to land safely.

Repetition leads to mastery. The more we practice an exercise, the better we get. The better we get, the more energy we can devote to pushing our physical and mental limits. This is where the magic of progress happens.

You need lots of practice to get strong and proficient with complex movements, such as barbell deadlifts.

When should I switch exercises?

For best results, you should follow a long-term, structured workout program. I typically write programs lasting three to four months. Each program focuses on a big-picture goal like fat loss, building muscle, returning from an injury, or training for a race.

Within this larger framework, my clients’ workouts change every four to six weeks. This is the sweet spot to get the most out of each exercise. However, some people can repeat the same workouts for eight weeks and still see progress. This is especially common with newer trainees who aren’t as experienced with strength training.

Before switching exercises, ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I still making progress with this exercise? If so, I recommend leaving the exercise in your program until progress stalls. Remember progress comes in many forms: adding weight, performing more sets or reps, taking less rest, using better form, etc.
  • How is my recovery? If you’re feeling great during and between workouts, you still have room to push yourself and grow with your current plan. If you’re feeling excessively sore and tired or you start dreading your workouts, it’s probably time to switch gears.
  • Is my primary goal fat loss? If you want to lose weight, you don’t want to become too efficient in the gym. I still recommend prioritizing strength work, but you can introduce a bit more variety with your assistance and conditioning exercises in the latter parts of your workouts. If your primary goals are building strength or muscle, you’re better off spending more time with the same set of exercises.

Here are few things to keep in mind when selecting exercises or making changes:

  • Understand why every exercise is included in your workouts. I never change exercises purely for the sake of novelty; every change is intended to to help my clients get another step closer to their goals. This ensures they get the most bang for their buck with limited time in the gym.
  • Don’t change everything at once. I often keep the main strength exercises consistent throughout a client’s program. Try changing the set and rep schemes instead of the exercise itself. For example, we may do sets of five rep squats one month and sets of three rep squats the next month.
  • Look for small changes. Often, you only need a small tweak to see renewed progress. Here are some ideas for changing your current exercises:
    • Use a different variation of the same exercise. Perform a front squat instead of a back squat or a dumbbell floor press instead of a dumbbell bench press.
    • Use a different implement. Use a kettlebell squat instead of a barbell squat or a cable row instead of a dumbbell row.
    • Change the tempo. Use slow eccentrics, fast concentrics, and isometric pauses.
    • Change the range of motion. This works well for barbell exercises like bench press and deadlifts.
  • Use conditioning to scratch your itch for variety. Conditioning is a fancy word for high intensity interval training, or getting your heart rate up. Most of my clients do some conditioning at the end of their workouts. This is a perfect time to have some fun with gym toys like medicine balls, sleds, battle ropes, and cardio equipment. For most people it’s less important what tools they use for conditioning than how their heart rate is affected.

Read more: Improve Your Conditioning With Finishers

two people use battle ropes to get their heart rate up at the end of a workout
Use conditioning finishers to add more variety to your workouts.

Focus on the basics.

I strongly believe you will see better results – no matter what your goal – if you focus on mastering a small handful of compound movements in the gym. All of my clients squat, hinge, press, pull, and carry. Nobody knows how to do these things perfectly right off the bat, so we spend lots of time learning, practicing, and perfecting different variations of these fundamental skills. Over time, my clients build confidence and a strong foundation which allow them to push past their limits and crush their goals.

Read more: What Should I Do When I Come to the Gym?

If you look at the workout programs of the biggest, fastest, strongest, and leanest people, you will see these same basic movements. The biggest difference between them and you is they’ve been training for longer and may have more resources at their disposal.

Don’t be fooled by fit people who post flashy training tools and crazy exercises on social media. Most likely they are spending the bulk of their training time away from the camera focusing on the same compound movements you do. The basics may not be sexy or sell supplements and gadgets, but it’s what works.  

Looking for a workout program to take the guesswork out of all of this? Check out Full45. It’s a three month, twice-weekly training program you can complete using the equipment at a basic gym like Planet Fitness. Full45 is the perfect program to get you started on your strength training journey or to help you bust through a plateau.

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13 Ways to Find More Time for Exercise

If you’re reading this in December when it’s first published, you likely have a million things on your plate. Between work parties, get togethers with friends, family obligations, gift shopping, and year-end reflection, there never seem to be enough hours in the day. Many people find it incredibly tough to maintain their sanity, get enough sleep, and take care of themselves during the holidays.

One of the first things we drop when times get tough is regular exercise. Unfortunately, when we stop moving every day, we usually feel worse. I know when I stop checking the training box I have less energy, struggle to focus, and I often feel overwhelmed with things I would normally be able to handle with ease.

To help you stay consistent with exercise during this stressful time, I’ve compiled my top 13 ways to find time to train even when your schedule is incredibly full and chaotic. Because not every tip here works for every person, focus on the ones that make the most sense for your lifestyle, goals, and priorities.

Read more: Plan Ahead to Eat Right and Exercise Over the Holidays (Or Any Stressful Period)

1. Schedule workouts like meetings.

A great way to make sure you exercise is to schedule your workouts the same way you schedule a meeting or doctor’s appointment. This is especially important if other people have access to your calendar. If you don’t protect your training time, someone else can snatch it up from under your nose.

I rely on this tip year round because managing my calendar is essential to control my time during the week. If I don’t block off my workouts, that time can quickly disappear. Scheduling my workouts reminds me to keep those times free.

Read more: How to Make Time for Exercise

2. Train in the morning before work.

I’m a huge fan of early morning workouts. Exercising first thing helps me start the day physically and mentally refreshed. People who hit the gym in the morning are often the most consistent exercisers because fewer obstacles interfere with their training. If you leave your workout for the end of the day, a million things can pop up and distract you from the gym. If you get training out of the way first thing in the morning however, you can check the box before you head off to tackle the rest of your daily obligations.

Now, if you absolutely hate mornings or have a hard time getting out of bed, this idea probably won’t help you. However, if you’re already an early riser, consider adding a workout to your morning routine.

3. Train during the work day.

If you have lots of obligations before and after work, training during the day may fit best into your schedule, especially if you belong to a gym right by your workplace. My gym, for example, is located in the heart of downtown Chicago and some of our busiest hours of the day are 11am – 2pm. Many people drop in for a quick workout over the lunch hour and then eat their afternoon meal at their desk. You may need to shorten your workouts to make this work (see tip #8 below).

4. Join a more convenient gym.

Sometimes, it’s tough to work out because we have to travel a long way just to get to the gym. Joining a gym closer to work or home can dramatically cut down on your commute, reducing the total amount of time you have to commit to every workout.

The closest gym will not always be the nicest or the cheapest. However, when time is a valuable or limited resource, changing gyms may be worth the upgrade or downgrade. If you’re incredibly busy, every little bit of saved time makes a difference.

5. Train at home.

What if you still have trouble making it to the gym? Working out at home is a great solution for many people. Home workouts can range from simple bodyweight drills and exercises performed sporadically throughout the day to longer, complete workouts. You can perform some of your workouts at home even if you still hit the gym on a regular basis. Training at home is also a great solution for anyone who needs to work out very early or very late and doesn’t have access to a 24 hour gym.

If you want a complete 4 month home training program, check out my Workout From Home Toolkit.

You don’t need any equipment to train at home. However, purchasing a few small pieces of equipment like bands, kettlebells, and powerblocks can greatly expand your repertoire of possible exercises. Those of you who have extra space or train exclusively at home may want to consider investing in a bigger gym setup (with things like a power rack, benches, full sets of weights, and cardio equipment).

Read more: 6 Cheap Things You Need to Build a Great Home Gym

6. Combine exercise with other activities.

If you’re incredibly short on time, you can do double duty with exercise and other tasks. One of the best examples of this is making your daily commute more active. If possible, walk or bike a portion of your trip to work. In Chicago where I live, it’s often faster to bike to work than to drive or wait for the bus.

Another great way to sneak in extra exercise is to move while you’re watching TV. One of my clients made a deal with himself to only watch sports games while walking or running on the treadmill. If sports aren’t your thing, do something similar with your favorite show, movies, or podcasts. If you’re really into the media you’re consuming, your workout seems to fly by.

One additional idea is to make your home time more active. If you work from home or tend to sit on the couch for hours every evening, set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and do something physical every 30 – 60 minutes. Do a set of pushups, squats, or jumping jacks, or walk up and down a few flights of stairs. It may not seem like much, but every little bit of activity adds up when you’re pressed for time.

7. Train fewer times per week.

It’s not always possible to train as many times as you may like during the course of the week. If you are constantly missing workouts, you may want to dial back your commitment.

There is something powerful about setting ourselves up for success. If you plan to train five times per week but only make it to the gym three times, you view that as failure. But if you only plan to train three times, the same number of workouts is a success. We feel better about ourselves when we meet our expectations and we’re more likely to stick with a realistic and attainable plan.

You can get great results training two or three times per week if you are consistent and follow a well-balanced program. Save the high frequency training for a time of year when you don’t have as much on your plate.

Read more: I Only Have Two Days to Train. What Should I Do?

8. Shorten your workouts.

Similarly, if you constantly struggle to make time for exercise, it may be helpful to focus on shorter workouts. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a full hour of uninterrupted time to have an effective workout. You can get a lot accomplished with short workouts ranging from 15 – 45 minutes.

Sometimes shorter workouts can even lead to better results. When you’re forced to maximize your gym time, you waste less time resting, on your phone, and socializing with your gym buddies. Short workouts force you to come in with a plan, work hard, and then return to your busy life.

9. Utilize circuit training.

If you’re used to long workouts, it’s tough to know what to cut from your routine. The good news is you can cover all your bases with minimal training time using circuit training. I love circuit workouts for people who have 30 minutes or less to train. They are also a great option for people who frequently travel and need some flexibility based on space and availability of equipment.

Here’s how circuit training works:

  • Select a handful of exercises, preferably one from each major movement group (squat, hinge, press, pull, core or loaded carry).
  • Set a timer for however long you have to train and complete as many rounds as possible before the timer goes up.
  • Take as little rest as you can while still using good form and challenging weights.

Read more: Training on the Road

10. Follow a program.

Every day you show up to the gym without a plan, you are wasting precious time. I frequently see gym goers wandering around trying to figure out what to do next. This is not only incredibly inefficient, it keeps you from getting the best possible results.

Following a set training program helps you get the most bang for your buck at the gym. Set clear goals before you start a program. If you want to run faster with less pain, you probably shouldn’t be following a bodybuilding program. If your primary goal is to look and feel better, you likely don’t need to beat up your joints with a punishing crossfit routine.

There are thousands of quality programs available on the internet; doing some research ahead of time will keep you safe and help you make the fastest progress toward your goals.

Looking for a done-for-you workout program? Check out Full45 here.

11. Sign up for an event.

Some people are motivated by external commitments like races or meets. If this sounds like you, sign up for an event to kickstart your training. Once you’ve put money and pride on the line, you may start to take your workouts more seriously.

Be sure you have enough time to adequately prepare for the event you sign up for. If you’ve never run a race before and are struggling to stay consistent, a 5 or 10k is much more realistic than a marathon. If you want to enter a powerlifting meet, pick one at least 12-16 weeks in the future.

12. Recruit a workout buddy.

It’s tough to make changes by yourself. Humans are inherently social animals and we always do better with external support. So when we recruit others to help us in our journey, we are much more likely to see things through.

There are many ways you can enlist the help of an accountability buddy. For example:

  • Work out with a friend or coworker.
  • Check in with another gym regular, even if you don’t actually work out together.
  • Take a group exercise class.
  • Join a running, cycling, or swimming group.
  • Join a Facebook group for people with similar goals and interests.
  • Join a group coaching program.

Read more: The Power of Accountability and Community

13. Hire a trainer.

One of the best things I ever did for my own training was to invest in a coach. Before I started working with my trainer Bryan, I would make all kinds of excuses later in the week for why I didn’t need to work out. Bryan called me on my BS and instructed me to complete five strength training workouts every week. I quickly stopped making excuses and found time to complete those extra workouts. While not everyone needs to train five times per week to see results, the extra accountability and expectation provided by a coach can be a game changer for consistency.

Most commercial gyms have trainers on staff. Often, you can get a complimentary session with a trainer before making a commitment to  ensure the trainer and you are a good fit. If you don’t have access to an in-person trainer or frequently train at home or on the road, online training is a great alternative. You can learn more about my online training program here.

Want to learn more? I created my 4C System for those who want to improve their exercise consistency. If you’ve struggled to stay consistent with exercise, sign up for this totally free 5 day email course using the box below.

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Can’t back squat? Try these front-loaded squats instead.

I lost 70 lbs and built strength using traditional barbell exercises like conventional deadlifting, bench pressing, overhead pressing and back squats. I loved this training style and assumed my clients would too.

However, I quickly learned that barbell lifting is not a good fit for many people. I was blessed with good mobility and no past injuries, but many of my clients were not so lucky. Forcing clients to use the barbell led to frustration for everyone. I began to experiment with other ways to load all my primary movements.

Since my first year as a trainer, I’ve become much more conservative about programming barbell exercises. The barbell exercise I program least frequently is the back squat.

Back squatting is touted as the holy grail of lower body training, but it’s not a good fit for most people. You need lots of core strength and good upper back and shoulder mobility to hold a bar on your back; in my experience, few people possess all three of these. This means it’s incredibly easy to slip into bad habits and squat with poor form. Additionally, because you can naturally support more weight on your back, people frequently overdo the weight. This can lead to breakdown of form and injuries, especially in the knees, shoulders, and lower back.

If you can’t back squat, what should you do instead? Front-loaded squats are the solution. Holding a weight in front of you forces you to use your core, back, and other stabilizing muscles just to stay upright as you squat. Keeping your arms in front of you reduces the mobility demands on your upper body, making it easier to use proper form and maintain good posture. Front squats are self-limiting and prevent you from using more weight than you can truly manage. Training intensely with less weight means you’ll get stronger without the excessive wear and tear on your joints.

I’ve listed my four favorite front squat variations below.

Goblet Squat

Goblet squats are the first weighted squat I introduce with all my clients. They are easy to perform and versatile. Even the strongest trainees who have used a barbell for years can benefit from heavy or high rep goblet squatting.

All you need to perform a goblet squat is a single dumbbell or kettlebell. Keep the weight tight against your chest throughout the movement. If you’re holding a kettlebell, try to rip the handle apart in your hands. If you’re holding a dumbbell, try to squish the weight between your hands. These cues will help you maintain upper body and core tension, which will allow you to squat more weight with better form.

Because it doesn’t require much equipment, goblet squatting is a great option for people who frequently travel or train at a bare bones gym. Unfortunately, these gyms can limit stronger trainees if they only have dumbbells up to 50-75 lbs. If you find yourself in this situation and want to make your goblet squats more challenging, try using one of the following intensity techniques:

  • Add more reps: If you’ve never performed 20 rep sets of squats, you’re in for a treat.
  • 1.5 reps: Squat all the way down, come halfway up, go all the way down, and then come all the way up. That’s one rep.
  • Eccentric focus squats: Go really slow on the way down and stand up explosively. Start with a three second descent, but feel free to challenge yourself with even longer times.
  • Pause squats: Add a pause in the bottom of your squat. Start with three seconds and add time to increase the difficulty. Be sure to maintain tension and good posture during the pause.

Double front rack kettlebell squats

Double front rack kettlebell squats are another easily accessible front squat variation. I often use these as a progression for clients who have a good grasp of goblet squats but still aren’t ready for a barbell. They also work well later in the workout as a vehicle for extra volume and endurance work. You’ll need access to multiple pairs of kettlebells of increasing weights to progress this exercise, so it won’t be a good fit for readers who train at standard commercial gyms.

To perform this exercise, rack a kettlebell in each arm. Aim to keep your forearm and wrists vertical like a rocket ship about to launch. Holding weights in the front rack provides a great additional challenge for your core, upper back, and shoulders. Check out this video to learn more about the front rack position.

Zercher squats

Zercher squats require you to hold a barbell in your elbow pits. Zerchers may seem awkward at first, but many of my clients love them and claim they feel great on their joints. I’ve helped numerous clients successfully Zercher squat even when all other barbell squats were painful. If you want to return to barbell squatting after struggling in the past, or if your upper body mobility prevents you from front or back squatting, give Zerchers a try.

To perform Zercher squats, set up a barbell in a power rack just below your elbows. Most people like using a bar pad or towels wrapped around the bar, especially as the weight gets heavier. Place your feet directly under the bar and slide the bar into your elbow pits. Point your knuckles toward the ceiling, make a fist, and keep your arms pulled as tight to your chest as you can. Maintain this position as you unrack the bar, complete your set, and return the bar to the rack.

Barbell front squats

We’ve finally come to my personal favorite squat variation, the barbell front squat. Front squats aren’t for everyone: they still require a good amount of upper body mobility and core strength and can be unpleasant for those with sensitive skin or boney shoulders. If you can’t perform these without pain or discomfort, stick with one of the earlier squat variations.

There are three ways to hold the barbell during front squats. The traditional clean grip setup only works if you have great upper back, shoulder, and wrist mobility. If you’re too tight, try using a crossed-arm setup or lifting straps to help you secure the bar. Check out the video below to see each of these methods in action.

During 2018, I substituted front squatting for all my barbell back squatting. I love that I can challenge myself with heavy loads without straining my shoulders, lower back or knees, like I sometimes did when back squatting. In addition, because I’m holding the bar in front of my body, I have to be much more diligent about moving well and activating the right muscles. Since I made this switch I’ve noticed less shoulder and knee pain, more muscle definition in my legs, and a dramatic improvement in my squat form.

Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter, you don’t have to include barbell back squats in your workouts. If you love back squats and they feel great, keep doing what you’re doing. However, if you can’t seem to use good form or if back squatting leaves you feeling beat up, it’s time to try something new. Work your way through this progression or use a mix of all four front-loaded squat variations. You can build impressive levels of strength, muscle, and endurance in your lower body without ever putting a bar on your back.

Are squats still giving you trouble? Check out this blog post I wrote to troubleshoot common squat mistakes. 

And if you really want to take your squat (and deadlift) training to the next level, you need to download your FREE copy of my mini ebook Squat and Deadlift School below.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.

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You Should Care About Getting Strong

I’m on a mission to help everyone I work with get strong.

Getting strong is not the first goal most people mention when they come to see me. Lots of people want to lose weight and get lean. Others want to increase energy, return to training after rehabbing an injury, get through the day with less pain, or simply develop a consistent exercise routine.

Although I always prioritize the individual client’s goal, the vast majority of their plans are centered around building strength. Over the years, I’ve seen that getting strong helps people achieve just about any health and fitness goal.

If you’re weak, it’s tough to handle the intensity or volume of workouts necessary to noticeably change your body. Getting stronger helps you increase your energy levels because you won’t get so exhausted performing daily tasks. Strong bodies recover faster from injuries and are less likely to experience pain in the future. And getting stronger helps with consistency because it’s fun and empowering to see all of the amazing things your body can do when you start regularly lifting heavy stuff.

You don’t need to put multiple plates on the bar – or even lift bars at all – to experience these benefits. Strength is relative to each person. What’s heavy for my clients in their mid twenties looks very different than what’s heavy for my clients in their sixties. But no matter your age or how long you’ve been working out, everyone can get stronger in their own way.

If you’re not convinced that getting strong matters for you, please read on.

Getting stronger improves every other physical quality.

Are you interested becoming more powerful to help you dominate your rec sports or golf game? Getting stronger helps with this.

Are you a runner or triathlete trying to shave minutes off your best race time? Building physical strength is one of the best ways to do it.

Many new clients want to increase their flexibility. In many cases I find they actually lack strength and neuromuscular control, not range of motion. Once I get them on a well-rounded strength training program, their flexibility almost always increases without any extra stretching or foam rolling.

Talk to any great strength and conditioning coach for young athletes and they’ll tell you they prioritize building strength over just about anything else. This is because getting stronger elevates all other physical qualities including speed, agility, conditioning, power, and mobility and flexibility.

Trying to improve any of these skills with a weak client or athlete is a recipe for lackluster results or potential injury. Strength is the base upon which everything else is built.

strong runner race weight lifting
Getting stronger has helped my marathon runners set big PRs.

Getting stronger can help you feel better and reduce the risk of future pain and injuries.

These days, it’s rare to meet a new client who doesn’t suffer from some kind of joint or muscle pain. Knee pain, shoulder pain, and low back pain are the most common, but I’ve seen just about every imaginable combination of pain and injuries in the hundreds of clients I’ve worked with over the years.

If a client is dealing with persistent or intense pain, I always refer them out to a physical therapist or physician. But many people just need to improve their movement quality, add in more regular exercise, and build some strength.

I can’t tell you how many clients have dramatically decreased their pain levels just by consistently following a safe, smart, strength-focused training program. The quality of life increase you could experience if you start lifting weights cannot be overstated. You’re also much less likely to injure yourself in the future when you learn how to control your body and counteract hours of sitting or repetitive movements.

Getting stronger makes daily life much easier.

A couple years after I started lifting, I began to notice some surprising changes. I was able to move with ease, control, and confidence no matter what I was doing. As someone who used to always feel slow, clumsy, and weak, this was a huge change in the way I carried myself and showed up in the world. This transformation happened because I was getting stronger and building a new and powerful connection with my body.

I notice my quads and glutes engaging as I bike or climb stairs. I feel my arms, back, and core muscles turn on when I’m carrying grocery bags in from the car. I know which muscles to fire when I’m attempting to safely pick up a heavy box from the floor. After years of strength training and building these mind-muscle connections, I now feel strong doing just about everything. I use the movements I practice in the gym to aid the movements I do in my daily life.

There are so many daily tasks that get easier when you’re strong. Here are just a few common examples:

  • Lifting a heavy suitcase into an overhead bin on a plane.
  • Carrying all your groceries in one trip. Bonus points if you have to walk up multiple flights of stairs like I do.
  • Carrying kids or pets. They can both be quite heavy!
  • Moving heavy boxes or furniture
  • Climbing flights of stairs
strong strength muscle women lifting training
Being strong feels awesome.

What to do next

You can’t know all of the positive benefits getting strong will have on your life until you try. Here are a few resources I’ve put together to help you get started on your strength training quest:

I’m New to the Weight Room. Where Should I Start?

Just Getting Back in the Gym? Start Here.

Design a More Efficient Workout

5 Ways to Lift More Weight

Strength Training for Special Populations:

Why Musicians Need Strength Training

What Runners Must Know About Strength Training


Squats and deadlifts are two of the best exercises for building strength. If you want to get better at these great lifts, you need to download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift school.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.

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Why Musicians Need Strength Training

Before I began working in fitness, I had a past life as a classical musician. I spent over a decade  practicing, rehearsing and immersing myself in the world of orchestral brass playing.

Physical activity was an essential part of studio life in Michael Mulcahy’s trombone studio at Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music. Professor Mulcahy, an avid swimmer, would have everyone in studio class explain what exercise we planned to do each week. During my four years at Northwestern, at least five people in our studio (including myself) lost a substantial amount of weight and got in great shape. My classmates used to joke that we were on a mission to become the fittest trombone studio in the country.

strong musician trombone strength training
Me and some of my NU classmates

Professor Mulcahy’s emphasis on physical fitness was a crucial part of his successful studio. But I want to take his message a step further and explain why musicians not only need exercise in general, they need strength training in particular.

What do I know about this subject? I noticed substantial improvements in my own playing when I lost weight and started lifting weights on a regular basis. I’ve also worked directly with many musicians. My very first training job was working with more than 20 of my Bienen School of Music classmates during my final year at Northwestern. I’ve also trained a number of musicians in person and online since I became a full-time trainer.

Isn’t Strength Training Bad for Musicians?

When I was immersed in the music world, I would sometimes hear that strength training was “bad” for musicians. I was skeptical of these notions back then and now, after working for almost 5 years in the fitness industry, I can explain why they are inaccurate. Here are a few myths and then the facts:

Strength training will diminish the fine motor control I need to play my instrument.

The image of the clumsy, bulky meathead is persistent in popular culture. In my experience, strength training often has the opposite effect. If you spend several months following a smart, structured, and safe training program, your body awareness will increase dramatically. You will have greater mastery over your nervous system and more control over the way you move. This will enhance, not take away from, your technical skills.

Strength training will make me big and bulky, which will negatively affect my performance.

Getting big or adding muscle doesn’t happen by accident. It requires many months (and years) of consistent hard work coupled with plenty of extra calories. Following a simple strength training program centered around basic compound movements will not add substantial size to your body if you aren’t eating enough calories to build lots of muscle.

An ideal training program is designed to improve your overall movement quality. This means including mobility work, choosing appropriate exercises for your body and your goals, and using loading schemes and modalities which feel good. If you do these things consistently, you will feel and move better, not worse.

Cardio is good enough.

Research shows that all people can from benefit from some kind of regular strength training routine. Lifting weights provides benefits you simply can’t get from other forms of exercise, including increased bone density, development of different energy systems, and increased physical strength. You may think you don’t need these things, but they go a long way toward making your everyday life – and your playing – more comfortable and less exhausting. Getting stronger makes everything else easier and this also applies to playing your instrument (as I will discuss more below).

overweight musician trombone strength training
Before I started lifting weights, I had much more difficulty moving and playing my instrument for long periods of time.

Benefits of Strength Training for Musicians

Now that I’ve cleared up these common misconceptions and explained some of the positives of strength training for musicians, let’s take a look at some additional benefits.

Improved Posture

Posture is at the core of good technique for all musicians. If you can’t maintain good posture, your playing suffers. This is true for both wind instrumentalists, who depend on easy breathing, as well as string players and percussionists, whose performance is more physical.

Poor posture doesn’t just keep you from sounding your best, it can lead to nagging aches and pains. Before I lost weight, I used to experience excruciating lower back pain after sitting in long rehearsals. When I started getting stronger, my back pain all but disappeared. This was a huge game changer for me and made long rehearsals and performances much more enjoyable.

What musician wouldn’t want to comfortably play for longer periods of time? With a smart strength training regimen, you can build the physical foundation for more solid posture and see significant benefits in your own playing.

To improve your posture, include plenty of anti-movement core exercises in your workouts. You should also spend time specifically building a strong back. Pay particular attention to your upper back using exercises like face pulls.

Counteract Repetitive Motions

Repetitive movements are required to play most instruments. If you don’t do anything to counteract these movements on a regular basis, you can end up with a nasty case of tendonitis or other overuse issues.

Here are a few tips to help you stay strong and balanced:

  • Always perform a dynamic warmup before exercising. If you feel particularly tight and stiff when you wake up, perform some of these drills before your morning practice session or rehearsal.
  • Focus on compound movements that use lots of muscles and joints (squat, hip hinge, push, pull, loaded carry). You may want to avoid isolation exercises that only focus on one joint, especially in the upper body (curls, tricep exercises, shoulder raises, etc.).
  • Musicians may want to prioritize core training and back training. These two areas have the biggest payoff to help you feel and play your best.
  • If you have shoulder issues, be cautious about overdoing pressing exercises. Ask yourself whether or not you need to do overhead pressing movements. If you’re going to bench press, learn to pack your shoulders. On all other pressing movements, practice reaching and don’t allow yourself to shrug.
  • Skip any exercise that hurts. Do not train through pain.
  • Use a full range of motion whenever possible. If you’re struggling to own a particular range of motion, add in some CARs in between sets of strength exercises. Check out this great article from my friend Tommy to learn more about CARs.

Increased Focus, More Energy, Better Sleep

During my freshman year of college, before I started exercising on a regular basis, I had a serious energy management problem. I got plenty of sleep each night but I still felt exhausted during the day. I used to drink three cups of coffee in the dining hall at lunch just so I could stay awake during my afternoon seminar. I also frequently found myself dozing off during long rehearsals. As you might imagine, this was problematic to my musical development.

The first thing I noticed when I added regular exercise into my routine was a dramatic increase in my energy levels. I no longer needed my lunchtime coffee just to stay awake during the afternoon. I fell asleep easier and woke up feeling refreshed. All of this led to much more focused practice sessions throughout the day.

Regular cardio and strength training sessions will help you sleep better and have more energy and focus during the day. These benefits alone can make a dramatic positive impact on your playing.

Mental Parallels to Music

One of the more subtle benefits to strength training is the helpful analogue it provides to your musical journey. Just like improving your playing, getting stronger is a long game. To keep seeing improvements you have to be consistent, focused, patient, and curious about the way your body works. There are endless parallels between refining your physical skills in the weight room and refining your musical skills in the practice room.

It’s healthy to have hobbies outside of music, and it’s an added bonus when those hobbies help you grow as a performer. I found strength training to be a fun and fulfilling release. I loved pushing myself out of my comfort zone and seeing my physical and mental growth in the weight room. I loved then taking these wins with me to become a stronger, more relaxed, and more confident musician.

What to Do Next

I hope I’ve convinced you to give strength training a shot. Here are a few additional resources to help you get started:

Design a More Efficient Workout

I’m New to the Weight Room. Where Should I Start?

Just Getting Back in the Gym? Start Here.

If you want more specific guidance, please fill out an application for my online training program. Together, we will work to create a fitness program tailored to your individual experience, goals, and resources. I’ve worked with dozens of musicians and have a proven track record of helping performers of all kinds feel better so they can perform better.

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Plan Ahead to Exercise and Eat Right Over the Holidays (Or Any Stressful Period)

The last few months of the year are anything but relaxing for many people. Despite the bombardment of seasonal advertisements promising joy, togetherness, and peace, this is the time of year when many of us feel the most unhappy, overwhelmed, and stressed.

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, many people start to feel down in the dumps. Motivation to exercise and eat healthy wanes accordingly.

Additionally, holiday events and family time can create tons of extra stress. Even if you adore the holidays, you may still worry about purchasing gifts for your list, managing seasonal obligations, and making healthier choices amidst a never ending supply of drinks, sweets, and fried foods.

Regular exercise and healthy eating are often the first things to go when you’re stressed and short on time. The good news is, since you’re already aware of this risk, you can take steps ahead of time to make your life easier as you move into the fourth quarter.

Here are three steps I recommend you take now, before things get crazy:

  • Adjust priorities. For most people, the last quarter is a bad time to chase a fat loss goal. You will drive yourself crazy trying to avoid every tasty treat that crosses your path between October and December. Rather than setting yourself up to fail with too much restriction, change course and try to maintain your physique or use extra holiday calories to build strength or muscle.

Read more: Seasons of Lifting

  • Ask, “What does success look like for me?” We all have different struggles. For me, success during the holidays means avoiding binging. For you, it may mean staying consistent with your exercise regimen, even when you’re traveling. Yet another person’s vision of holiday success includes keeping their drinking under control. Determine what is most important to you so you can prioritize the behaviors and strategies that get you where you want to go.
  • Manage your minimums. I learned this phrase from Precision Nutrition and I think it’s especially relevant in this context. What are the bare essentials you must do to keep yourself on track? Once you’ve figured these out, direct most of your effort into knocking them out consistently. Everything else you do is just an added bonus.

Below, I share specific strategies for managing training and healthy eating during the fourth quarter (or any other period when you’re under a lot of stress). Just remember to focus on the things that matter most to you. You don’t need to do everything I’m suggesting here to stay on track this holiday season.

stressed out holidays
Don’t let this be you come October, November, and December!

How to exercise over the holidays

Do less, but do it consistently.

I’ve written about this over and over and over, but it bears repeating here: you do not need to spend hours and hours each week exercising. This is especially true if you’re just trying to maintain your current level of fitness during a period of stress. You’ll see better results by being consistent through the end of the year than you will by occasionally following the “perfect” workout plan and giving up by December.

You also don’t need a full hour for a great workout. If you only have 30, 20 or even 15 minutes to exercise, you can still do something worthwhile. When you release yourself from the need to train for long periods of time, you may actually find more time during the week for exercise.

Plan ahead.

Sit down with your calendar for the remainder of the year and determine how many workouts you can realistically commit to every single week. For most of you this will be just two or three workouts.

You should also consider the length of time that works best with your schedule. For example, if you have to train over your lunch break but can’t be away for more than an hour, you’ll do better with 20-30 minute workouts than 45 minute workouts.

Whenever possible, schedule your workouts into your calendar the same way you do with any other obligation. This helps protect your time and demonstrates to yourself you’re committed to training.

Read more: 13 ways to find more time for exercise

Get creative when you’re away from the gym.

Many people struggle to come up with workout ideas and inspiration when they’re away from their regular gyms. I wrote an entire article about training on the road. Check it out for lots of ideas about modifying your workouts when you’re traveling this holiday season.

How to eat healthy over the holidays

Plan ahead.

When you’re overwhelmed and stressed out, the last thing you want to do is spend precious time cooking food every single day. If you’re not already batch-cooking some of your weekly meals, now is a good time to start. Here are two approaches you can use:

  1. Set aside a few hours on the weekend to prepare as many full meals as possible.
  2. Prepare some items to use in multiple dishes. Make a batch of shredded chicken in the slow cooker, roast a pan of veggies, hard boil a dozen eggs, prepare a bunch of quinoa in the instant pot, etc. You could also chop up raw veggies to throw into soups, eggs, salads, and stir frys throughout the week.

Read more: How I learned to cook (and you can too)

Use a delivery service.

Not everyone has the time or desire to grocery shop or cook all of their meals. If this sounds like you and you have the means to hire a delivery service, you’ll save a ton of time and hassle. You can find services that send you raw ingredients, fully cooked meals, and everything in between. Do some research to decide which option makes the most sense for you.

healthy eating thanksgiving holidays christmas

Make healthier choices when eating out.

It’s unrealistic to expect to eat only healthy home-cooked meals this time of year. If you’re eating out at a restaurant, attending an event, or simply navigating the buffet at family Thanksgiving, try following these tips:

  1. Prioritize protein and veggies and be sure to eat some with every meal.
  2. Take just one plate of food, and try to use smaller dishes when possible.
  3. Eat slowly and stop when you’re 80% full (not stuffed).
  4. If you’re going to eat junkier foods (sweets, fried foods, etc.), make sure it’s something you really enjoy. Don’t eat the store-bought cookies just because they’re there.

Read more: How to eat healthy when you’re eating out

Be mindful of alcohol.

It’s common to reach for a drink when you’re feeling stressed. However, some people lean more heavily on alcohol during the holidays than the rest of the year. Alcohol flows freely at holiday parties and family gatherings, and it’s tough to say no.

If you know you have a tendency to drink more than you’d like, try following one of these strategies:

  1. Decide ahead of time how many drinks you’re going to have and stop once you hit this number. Recruit an accountability buddy at the same event to help keep you honest.
  2. Drink a virgin drink (like soda water with lemon or coke zero) to make it seem as if you’re drinking. Some of my clients feel peer pressure to drink at work gatherings, and this strategy makes it easier to fit in with the crowd.
  3. If you’re drinking as a response to stress, try to find alternative releases. Go for a walk, take some deep breaths, converse with a friend or loved one, read a book, exercise, meditate, take a bath, journal…the list goes on and on. Experiment to find what works for you.

Read more: 3 Strategies to Successfully Navigate Holiday Eating

With everything else, do your best.

You can’t do everything all at once. When dealing with lots of stress, your exercise and eating routines can easily fall by the wayside. It’s important to focus on the most important things and forget about anything not essential to your success.

Adjust your priorities and figure out what success looks like for you. Determine the one or two things which will make the biggest difference. Nail these as consistently as you can and do what you can to manage stress in the rest of your life, then try to relax and enjoy the season. If you prepare ahead of time, it’s much easier to thrive through a stressful period.

If you’re worried about staying in shape through the end of the year, I’ve got your back. Fill out an application for my online training program and we’ll work together to create a plan to keep you on track without losing your mind.

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How to Train Hard at a Bare Bones Commercial Gym

I fell in love with powerlifting during my first year of serious strength training. I read everything I could get my hands on from guys like Louie Simmons, Dave Tate, and Jim Wendler. I loved lifting heavy and spent lots of time at grungy, powerlifting-centric gyms. These gyms were loud, covered in chalk, and owned all kinds of cool equipment I never saw at other gyms.

powerlifter deadlifting 315 in a grungy basement gym
Me circa 2013

I also developed an unfortunate attitude about “hardcore” training. I believed my way of training was the best and only way to get results. I looked down on people who didn’t train for strength or, god forbid, belonged to a gym without barbells. I read articles making fun of these gyms and nodded in agreement, patting myself on the back for knowing better.

Over time, my attitude toward commercial gyms has done a complete 180. Two main factors contributed to this change. First, I started dating my boyfriend who was a longtime member of Planet Fitness. I had to stop making fun of him when I started going with him to train. I expected to see lots of ridiculous behavior from members and staff alike, but all I saw was a bunch of normal people doing their best. In my years of visiting multiple locations, I’ve never once heard the notorious lunk alarm used.

Second, the longer I worked in the fitness industry, the more I realized the value of doing what you can with what you have. Not everyone has access to a fully equipped gym. Some people can’t afford fancy gyms or travel too much to justify the cost. Some train at bare bones gyms out of convenience. Still others resonate with Planet Fitness’s marketing – their gym is a “safe space”, free of the macho swagger which is still widespread at many other gyms.

Who am I to judge the decisions people make for themselves? The most important thing is to find a workout routine that fits with your life, challenges you appropriately, and keeps you moving toward your goals. And thankfully, most people can see great results training at a bare bones commercial gym without any barbells or heavy weights. This post is all about how to have effective and challenging workouts with limited equipment.

Learn to use the tools at hand

Before we discuss how to modify your training, let’s review the equipment you will have at your disposal at a typical low budget commercial gym:

Dumbbells

Just about every gym has a set of dumbbells. These are incredibly versatile and can be used to train every movement and muscle group. Dumbbells provide a solid alternative to barbells if your gym doesn’t have the latter.

Most hotel gyms only have dumbbells up to 50lbs. At bare bones commercial gyms like Planet Fitness, dumbbells are typically capped at 75 lbs. Lack of access to heavier weights forces you to get creative with your training when you get stronger (more on this below).

Straight bars and EZ bars

Most commercial gyms have a handful of light fixed-weight bars lying around. You may be able to use these to load a variety of exercises depending on your strength.

Cable Stacks

Cable stacks are the tall towers with movable pulleys located in the center of most weight rooms. The pulleys can be set to multiple different heights and hooked up to a variety of different attachments. Most cable stacks are also attached to either seated low row and lat pulldown benches. I use cable stacks all the time with my clients, especially for pulling and core exercises.

Weight Machines

Weight machines allow you to train a particular muscle or movement. Most weight machines are single-use, meaning they can only be used to train one thing. For example, if you want to train your legs and your back on the same workout, you’ll need to use multiple weight machines.

Machines are a great choice if you’re new to lifting or out of shape. They can be problematic, however, if you try to force yourself into a machine that isn’t built well for your unique body. Be smart and never push past pain.

Smith Machines

Smith machines use attached barbells which move up and down. I recommend avoiding smith machines for traditional barbell exercises like squats, benching, and deadlifting unless you are a very experienced lifter. You can, however, use the smith machine to perform bodyweight exercises like hands-elevated push-ups, inverted rows, and even pull-ups.

I recommend doing a brain dump of all the exercises you know and use regularly for each movement or muscle group. You may be surprised just how many exercises you can do with this limited list of equipment. Keep this list on your phone or in your training notebook. Be sure to have a few alternatives in case the equipment you normally use is occupied.

What to do when you run out of weight

Perhaps the biggest challenge to effectively training at a bare bones gym is the lack of heavier weights. Below are some of my favorite strategies to increase difficulty without increasing weight.

Learn new exercises

This seems like a no brainer, but if you’re only using the same 20 exercises month after month, you can make your workouts more interesting by trying to master something new.

The pull-through is a great exercise to learn if you train at a gym without barbells. 

Perform more reps at the same weight

If you’ve never tried to push yourself with high rep sets, you’re in for a big challenge. I regularly have clients who train at bare bones gyms perform sets of 20 or more squats with the heaviest weights available.

Group similar exercises together

I often program supersets with non-competitive exercises, such as pairing a dumbbell RDL with a dumbbell bench press. However, you can make exercises significantly more challenging by pairing similar exercises together in bigger sets. For example, one of my coaches used to program dumbbell RDLs, pull-throughs, and 45 degree back extensions into one giant set. Because these exercises are so similar, each exercise was more challenging than if it was performed by itself.

Increase time under tension

Time under tension refers to the total amount of time you spend during a set loading your muscles and joints. Any technique that drags out a set longer than normal increases the time under tension.

  • Rest-pause sets, also called clusters, are a great tool to keep intensity high while doing more work. You could perform six challenging reps of an exercise, pause for 20-30 seconds, perform three reps, pause for another 20-30 seconds, and perform a final two reps to get to 10 total reps. This would allow you to use significantly heavier weight than you could for a normal set of 10.
  • 1.5 reps force you to do 50% more work for each rep. A 1.5 rep squat has you squatting all the way down, coming up halfway, going all the way back down, and then coming all the way back up.
  • Ratchet sets are similar to 1.5 reps but with more steps. For example, you could do a ratchet set squat where you go all the way down, come up ¼, go all the way back down, come up ½, go all the way back down, come up ¾, go all the way down, and finally come all the way up.
  • Drop sets are another tool to get more out of a set. Perform a set number of reps with one weight, then drop to a lower weight and perform more reps. I usually use 2-3 drops, but you can do as many as you want.

Other considerations

I always recommend following a program. You won’t get the best possible results if you regularly show up to the gym without a plan. A good program is flexible and takes any limitations of your gym into account.

Read more: What should I do when I come to the gym?

Your workouts will go more smoothly if you use equipment located in the same area. Don’t walk back and forth across the gym to perform supersets if you can avoid it. Groups of exercises which use the same equipment or only need dumbbells (which you can move anywhere) are ideal.

Keep moving. You won’t need to take as much rest if you aren’t performing heavy, neurologically demanding exercises. Reducing your rest intervals is another way to progress from week to week and increase the intensity of your workouts.

Read more: 4 ways to get the most out of your workouts

Finally, don’t neglect conditioning. Your gym may not have fancy toys like kettlebells, battle ropes, or sleds, but you can still reap the benefits of higher heart rate training. Perform intervals on cardio machines or using bodyweight exercises like squats and pushups.

Read more: Improve your conditioning with finishers

Your membership to a gym without barbells isn’t an excuse for poor results. With a bit of creativity, you can continue to grow and challenge yourself in any gym setting.

If you want some help creating an effective workout for a bare bones gym, you’re in luck. I created Full45, a done-for-you program to take you through three months of strength training workouts using only the equipment found at Planet Fitness. Learn more and grab your copy at this link.

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5 Ways to Lift More Weight

When I was new to  lifting, I used to test my 1 rep max every single week. This worked well for a while; I was able to set new personal records all the time, which kept me motivated and excited to train. I was in what’s called the “beginner gains” phase of strength training when pretty much anything you do in the gym (no matter how stupid or reckless) helps you get stronger.

Read more: You should care about getting strong

Eventually, I grew out of this phase and was no longer able to add weight to the bar every week. Constantly trying and failing to set new personal records left me feeling beat up and frustrated. I needed a new strategy to help me get stronger and reconnect with my love of lifting.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many clients who were in a similar position. After a few months or years of lifting on their own, they found they couldn’t progress past training plateaus and set new personal records. Yet they continued to push themselves to the limit, beating up their bodies and feeling upset and confused as to why they weren’t getting any stronger.

If this sounds like you, you should know there are safer and more productive ways to train. Below, I explain five strategies you can use to bust through training plateaus and see renewed progress.

Read more: How to bust through training plateaus

Improve your technique

If you’re struggling to improve your performance on a particular exercise, the first thing I would suggest is that you make sure you’re actually performing it correctly. How is your set up? Are the right body parts moving at the right time? Are the right body parts staying still? Your answers to these questions can dramatically impact your performance.

In order to get strong, you should spend lots of time honing your skills at lighter weights. Check your ego at the door and make sure you can properly execute an exercise before adding more weight. Record yourself and watch the videos to get external feedback and keep yourself honest. If you’re uncertain what proper form looks like, consider hiring an in-person or distance coach who has experience helping people get strong.

Many times, choosing a different variation of an exercise can instantly improve technique. For example, performing a deadlift from blocks instead of the floor can allow you to pull without rounding your back. Not everyone is cut out to perform the standard barbell lifts. If you aren’t competing in a powerlifting meet, you don’t need to back squat, deadlift from the floor, or bench with a barbell. Your ideal exercise variation could utilize other gyms tools like dumbbells, kettlebells, a trap bar, or a landmine. Get creative and try out different options.

Rack pulls are a great alternative for people who struggle to deadlift from the floor. 

Create tension

High intensity lifting necessitates creating and maintaining high levels of internal tension. You can’t just casually walk up to a heavy bar and expect to move it without first supporting your joints and creating an environment in which your muscles can produce maximal amounts of force. If you don’t create tension when you lift, you won’t perform at a high level and will potentially set yourself up for injury.

One of the most important ways to create the necessary tension to lift heavy is by breathing and bracing. Imagine that you’re wearing a thick lifting belt around your waist. Before you begin a rep, take a deep breath into your belly. Push out against your imaginary (or real) belt with your core muscles all the way around your stomach, sides, and lower back. You will hold the low belly breath and all the core tension throughout the entire rep. Exhale and reset only after you’ve completed the rep. This strategy will help keep you stable so you can safely produce more force.

Once you’ve created tension in your core, you need to create tension in the rest of your body. When you’re deadlifting, for example, set up to maximize engagement in your upper back and hamstrings. In a squat, create tension in the outside of your legs by spreading the floor apart with your feet. In a bench press, drive your feet into the ground to create tension in your legs. You must also create tension in your upper back and stability in your shoulders by packing your shoulder blades together.

If you’re having trouble with these concepts, use variations, drills, and assistance exercises to force yourself to create more tension. I like band resisted deadlifts and straight arm pulldowns to create more upper back engagement in the deadlift. Add pauses to squats and bench presses to learn to stay tight in the most challenging position of these lifts. Dead bugs and other core exercises can be performed in between sets of heavy lifting to practice bracing your core.

Read more: Core training beyond crunches

Warm up properly

Here are 3 different warm-up strategies to help you move more weight:

  • Always complete a 5-15 minute dynamic warm-up before you lift weights. Make sure to mobilize your hips, shoulders, back, and ankles. Below is a quick and easy warmup I use with many of my clients who work desk jobs. 
  • After your dynamic warm-up, complete a superset of one power exercise and one core exercise. Power exercises help prime your nervous system for heavy lifting and core exercises encourage you to produce tension. I prefer anti-core exercises rather than crunches or sit-ups.
  • Complete several ramp-up sets before you get to your working weight on your big lifts. This becomes more important the more weight you’re trying to lift. You need to work your way up to big numbers to properly prepare your nervous system, muscles, and joints to handle heavy loads.

For example, if your 1 rep max was 225, your ramp-up could look like this:

45 x 5-8

95 x 3-5

135 x 2-3

185 x 1

200 x 1

225 x 1

I like to keep the volume higher (usually 3-5, sometimes as high as 8 reps) with earlier ramp-up sets. As you get closer to your working weights, cut down the reps. If you are completing higher volume at a lower intensity (5×5 vs 3×3), you will need fewer ramp-up sets.

You’ll need to find your sweet spot for ramp-up sets – too many and you’ll accumulate too much fatigue too soon; too few and you won’t have properly prepared your nervous system. Generally speaking, men will perform better with less work close to their 1 rep max and should perform fewer ramp-up sets than women.

Don’t test yourself all the time

The vast majority of people should not be testing your personal records on a regular basis. Instead, spend plenty of time training at higher volumes (3-8 reps). This helps you practice good form and build the base of strength you’ll need to truly push yourself once in a while. Training at higher volumes and lower intensities also helps keep your joints happy. Noone wants nagging aches and pains to inhibit their lifting sessions or affect their daily lives.

If you’re serious about getting strong, you should be following a periodized program that has you progressing from higher volume, lower intensity, to lower volume, higher intensity in an intelligent manner. You can buy done-for-you programs or directly hire coaches you respect. I recommend working with someone who has a proven track record of helping clients, not just themselves.

Use supplemental and assistance exercises

After you’ve left the beginner gains phase of lifting, you won’t be able to continuously build strength through your big lifts alone. To keep getting stronger, you need to diversify your training and address weaknesses through other exercises, rep ranges, intensities, and modalities.

I assign some of my strength clients supplemental strength exercises. A supplemental lift looks very similar to the big lift and targets a specific technical flaw. For example, a client with a sticking point halfway up their deadlift may perform rack pulls starting at the same height as their sticking point. A client who tends to fall forward in their back squat may perform good mornings, zercher squats, or front squats to build more core and lower back strength.

All of my clients perform a variety of assistance exercises. We pick assistance exercises based on a number of criteria:

  • Has the client trained all the major movement patterns: squat, hinge, press, pull, single-leg, and carry?
  • Does the client need some balance between bilateral (2 arms or legs) and unilateral (1 arm or leg) training?
  • Does the client need to build strength or size in a particular muscle?
  • Does the client need to train in a different rep range to develop a different energy system or build endurance?
  • What exercises or training styles are fun for the client?

Read more: How often should I switch exercises?

If you’re experiencing frustration at your lack of progress in the gym, try implementing 1 or 2 of these changes in your training. Check your form, create tension, and program intelligently by warming up up properly, using a variety of rep ranges and intensities, and filling in the gaps with assistance work. Patience, intelligent training, and hard work will help you push past plateaus and build levels of strength you never thought possible.

Squats and deadlifts are two of the best exercises for building strength. If you want to get better at these great lifts, you need to download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift school.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.

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Awesome Gym Tool You Should Use: Dumbbells

There are many differences between gyms. Depending on where you train, you will hear different music, interact with different kinds of people, and have access to vastly different equipment. Some gyms forbid deadlifting or don’t have any barbells; others encourage you to drop weights, chalk up, and make as much noise as you want. Bigger gyms provide many gym toys, whereas smaller gyms have a more bare-bones setup.

Despite these differences, there is one thing you will see in almost every single gym: a rack of dumbbells.

you can get a great full body workout using only a rack of dumbbells
Dumbbells are among the most common and most versatile gym tools.

Dumbbells are an incredibly versatile and powerful tool to help you achieve just about any goal. You can use dumbbells to load every major movement pattern and train any muscle. You can find a dumbbell variation of just about every exercise if you find yourself at a hotel gym or prefer to train in a small home gym with minimal equipment. They are easy to use and provide a safer alternative to barbell exercises.

This week’s blog, the latest in an ongoing series on awesome gym tools you should use, is a love letter to my favorite piece of exercise equipment. Keep reading to learn my five favorite dumbbell exercises. I frequently use these exercises to help my clients move well, build strength and muscle, and lose fat.

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

I teach the goblet squat to every single one of my clients. Holding a weight in front of your chest teaches you to stay tall and create tension in your core as you squat. It’s also a great option if you lack access to or don’t like using a barbell. I’ve found goblet squatting feels much better on cranky knees, shoulders, and low backs than barbell squatting.

If you’re using a heavier dumbbell, it’s important to get into position properly. Stand the dumbbell up on a bench. Place one foot on top of the bench, then place the dumbbell on top of your thigh. You will now be able to easily cup your hands under the top of the dumbbell. This is much safer than bending over to pick a heavy dumbbell up off the floor and heaving it to chest height.

Once you’ve gotten the dumbbell into position, stand with your feet about hip width apart. Adjust your stance as necessary. Think about spreading the floor apart with your feet as you sit back and down. Continue spreading the floor apart as you drive back to the top of the squat.

Don’t be afraid to work to very heavy goblet squats. Many trainees will be able to work up to 100lb + dumbbells after some time practicing this exercise.

Read more: Can’t back squat? Try these front-loaded squats instead.

Dumbbell Bench Press

My favorite dumbbell pressing exercise is the dumbbell bench press. Just like goblet squatting, bench pressing with dumbbells provides a pain-free alternative to barbell pressing. Benching dumbbells is a great way to work up to your first barbell bench press if you aren’t yet strong enough to move the 45lb bar.

To get in position, start by sitting on the end of a bench with two dumbbells on your legs. Use gravity to take the dumbbells with you as you lie back into position. If you’re using very heavy weights and training with another person, have them hand the weights to you instead.

You need to pack your shoulders before you begin your set to ensure your shoulders stay in a safe and stable position. To do this, pull your shoulder blades together behind your back. They should remain in this position throughout the entire set.

Initiate each rep by lowering your elbows toward the floor in a controlled manner. Always keep your elbows directly beneath your hands. Most people feel and perform better when they keep their arms within 45 degrees of their sides. Complete the rep by pressing until you’ve locked out your elbows.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

My preferred dumbbell hip hinge variation is the dumbbell Romanian deadlift. This is one of the first exercises I use to teach new clients how to hip hinge. It’s also a fantastic exercise to build a strong posterior chain or add muscle to your butt and hamstrings.

Start standing in a tall and tight position with feet about shoulder width apart. Keeping your chest tall, unlock your knees and reach your hips behind you. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs as you reach into the movement. Once you’ve gone as far as you can with a flat back (for most people this will be dumbbells at or just below the knees), drive back to the top and squeeze your butt hard.

It’s ok for the dumbbells to move from your sides to your front, but always keep them close to your body. If the dumbbells get too far out in front of you, they can pull your spine into a rounded position.

Dumbbell Bent Over Row

Dumbbell bent over rows work your back, arms, grip, and core. Like all the other movements on this list, they can be heavily loaded to build strength or used with higher rep schemes to build muscle.

Set up with one arm and leg on a bench. Try to keep your bench hand directly beneath your shoulder. Don’t shrug or sink toward the bench. Your back should be flat, not rounded. Your other leg will be placed off to the side and out of the way as you row.

You can also use a 3-point stance if you don’t have access to a bench. Place one hand on a box or dumbbell rack and both feet on the floor. Your back should still be flat.

Each rep begins with a straight arm. Think about pulling your elbow up and back toward your hip until your upper arm is even with your side. Hold for one second, then slowly lower the weight back toward the ground. If you can’t control the movement or have to use lots of extra body motion, you’re using too much weight.

Dumbbell Single-leg exercises: Step ups, lunges, split squats, single-leg deadlifts

I couldn’t pick just one single-leg exercise to load with dumbbells, so I’ll present them all as options. You can watch the following video to learn the steps I use to progress clients from least to most challenging single-leg exercises.

All of these exercises work well loaded with a dumbbell in each hand. If grip strength is an issue, you can also hold one dumbbell in front of your chest in the goblet position.

I also use dumbbells to load single-leg deadlifts. Start by holding one dumbbell in each hand before progressing to holding a dumbbell in one hand (which is more challenging for your balance).

Anything shown with kettlebells works the same with dumbbells.

Whether you’re a brand new trainee or an experienced lifter, dumbbells are a fantastic option to load almost any exercise. Dumbbells are relatively safe, easy to use, and available at nearly every gym. I encourage you to add some dumbbell exercises into your training program.

Looking for a workout program that uses dumbbells and doesn’t require any fancy equipment? Check out Full45, a 3-month done-for-you strength training program consisting of twice weekly workouts that take 45 minutes or less.