Low back pain is commonly attributed to a ‘weak core’ or a lack of ‘core stability’, and this leads to lots of advice about ‘activating your core’ as a way to mitigate or prevent back pain. Although these terms are used with a high degree of certainty and confidence, is it possible to accurately define […]
In the late 17th century physician-philosopher John Locke published An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which suggested that the mind was a blank slate at birth and that all behaviors could be attributed to the environment, past or present, they were exposed to. From that point forward, the nature versus nurture debate, i.e. whether behavior is […]
The ability to engage in physical activity is an integral component of the maintenance of health and independence with age. This capacity is typically developed through increased activity, either through manual labor or deliberate exercise. Current recommendations for physical activity vary by age group, with adolescents recommended to engage in at least one hour of […]
While resistance training for the calf muscles is typically the butt of jokes in bodybuilding gym culture, there are some legitimate benefits to increasing the strength of your calf muscles that the bodybuilders may have inadvertently been correct about. The calf contains two main muscles that serve to flex the ankle downwards, an action known […]
Lifters occasionally ask us whether it is “okay” to include snatches or cleans in a training program that is otherwise focused on building strength in the squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift. As coaches, we want to design programs that are best suited to our lifters’ goals. We tend not to recommend lifts like […]
Barbell Medicine values the development of a well-rounded athlete and healthy individual, so while we have a clear focus on strength training, we aim to offer programming that provides a wide base of physical development. To that end, we aim to improve a number of physical characteristics including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, muscular hypertrophy, and […]
Belief that you can perform a task is an essential component to beginning the process of mastery. There are a host of both internal and external motivational factors that can either help, or hinder those beliefs. In this article, we will primarily focus on the relationship between demands and resources. The perceived demands of the […]
In this segment of the How-To Do GPP series, we tackle direct arm training, or “arm work”. In the context of GPP, we train the biceps and triceps, primarily, for general strength and hypertrophy. The purpose of “arm work” during GPP sessions is to apply some additional volume and stress to the arms. Given that […]
Last week’s article made a strong case for embracing variability in movement for active individuals, particularly when learning a new movement. Still, much has been made of the relationship between a lifter’s back position and their risk of injury during exercise. Many coaches, doctors, and Internet experts confidently claim that lifting with a rounded lower […]
Our attempts to understand and explain complex systems commonly involve reductionist analysis, whereby a system is broken down into its component parts for easier understanding. Theoretically, after analyzing and understanding each of the individual components of the system, we can “add” these understandings back together in a linear fashion and emerge with a complete understanding […]