Key Points: Do barbell back squats work your hamstrings? Depending on who you ask, you are bound to get different answers. My answer? Not really. The idea that your hamstrings are important for your squat has been around for decades, but is slowly losing ground as new research disproves it. Sure, your hamstrings contribute to … Read more
Key Points: *** The squat and the deadlift are two of the most popular strength training exercises in the world. Based on millions of workouts in our workout tracker StrengthLog, they are the second and third most trained exercises, surpassed only by the bench press. While squats and deadlifts work much of the same muscles … Read more
Leg presses and squats are two of the most common and effective exercises for training your leg muscles. But which is better? Is one of them better for building muscle, gaining strength, or improving your sports performance? In this article, I’ll compare the leg press and the squat and try to help you decide which … Read more
How do you get stronger in the squat as an advanced lifter? In this post, I’ll outline an advanced squat program and explain how and why your training should differ from the beginner’s and the intermediate’s. Before we get into the details of the training program, let’s recap our definitions of what an advanced lifter is. How … Read more
“Don’t judge a person’s strength by looking at their arms. Look at their butt!” Your gluteal muscles, or simply glutes, are one of your largest and strongest muscle groups. The glutes have long been eye-catching symbols of youth, virility, and also – strength. Since the glutes sit at the center of your body, they are … Read more
How do you get stronger in the squat as a beginner? In this post, I’ll outline a simple yet effective beginner squat program that will give you the biggest gains and the best start to your squat training career. Squat Training for the Beginner Squat training for beginners is simple, yet it is often messed … Read more
Madcow 5×5 is a workout routine for intermediate lifters looking to gain strength and muscle quickly. The program has three full-body barbell workouts per week, where the weights increase on a weekly basis. In this article, you’ll find an outline and description of the Madcow 5×5 program. This program is 100% free in our workout … Read more
In this post, I’ll outline an intermediate squat program designed to increase your squat strength and build bigger leg muscles. I will also explain how and why your training should differ from the beginner’s. Are you still a beginner? Check out our beginner squat program. If you’ve left the beginner phase behind, read on. (Note that … Read more
Powerlifting is all about getting stronger in the big three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. While these exercises are great for increasing your strength and muscle mass, they are not the only exercises employed by powerlifters looking to boost their total. In this article, we’ll go over 20 of the best and most … Read more
Your legs hold some of the largest and strongest muscles in your body. They provide your base of support and your means of transportation, and are as such paramount in all sports and activities where you stand on two feet. In terms of muscle symmetry, your leg muscles round out your physique by giving you … Read more