Garage Blog

Want bulging biceps or just to increase muscle size in your upper arms? Preacher curls are an excellent alternative to biceps curls that emphasize engagement of the long and short heads of the biceps brachii. This article details how preacher curls for hypertrophy day can be productive in establishing success in biceps muscle growth.

Athletes who require a fast vertical jump would benefit from refining the technique, skill and strength required in a power jerk. Basketball players, volleyball players, football receivers and even shot putters can add this to their strength training as a way to train explosive power as well. 

Stair jumps are a versatile and impactful plyometric exercise with a key advantage—accessibility. Unlike specialized gym equipment, stairs are available in most stadiums, bleacher stands, or even common areas like schools, parks, or gyms. Whether you're outdoors on public stairs or using a staircase at home, stair jumps are an easy-to-access way to enhance your training.

When you hear Jefferson curl- are you thinking about your arms getting yoked? Oftentimes we hear “curl” and we think biceps, right? But the Jefferson curl is one where no arms are being pumped. Instead, this potentially controversial movement is one where it uniquely works mobility and hypertrophy at the same time. If you are looking to improve flexibility and build muscle in your posterior chain, the Jefferson curl is an accessory movement you might want to consider training.

Nearly every coach, scout, and teammate in the sport of football has one question when it comes to speed—how fast is your 40?

The 40-yard dash isn't just another drill; it's the gold standard for measuring speed in football. It’s the difference between being a prospect who catches the eye of scouts and one who’s overlooked. A mere fraction of a second can separate a good performance from an outstanding one, potentially altering the trajectory of an athlete's career. For players, it’s more than just a test—it’s a moment that can define their athletic prowess and open doors to higher levels of play.

Want to be strong, powerful, explosive, all of the above? Where do we sign up?! Well, if that's the case then you need to make sure you are prioritizing your squats. We squat to improve overall strength. The compound movement that is a squat helps knee extensors and flexors get stronger, more stable, stay healthy and arguably improve mobility. With squatting, you can put a decent load on your body and this in turn stimulates muscle adaptation, which is the whole purpose of training is it not? Aside from leg strengthening, squats also improve trunk control which we know is massive. Having solid dynamic trunk control allows you to be strong for all of your athletic goals. More often than not, there is no reason NOT to squat. But what happens if you can't? What happens if you don't have access or are unable to squat? Do you kiss your leg day gains goodbye?

The incline bench press is an exercise that increases athletes upper body strength. It is incredibly similar to the bench press except for one major difference: where the bench press is done on a flat surface, the incline bench press is done on an inclined surface.

The incline of the incline bench press varies. Some people may wonder, why does that matter?

You probably identify as an athlete of some sort. You are in the gym, on the track or field, on the trails or wherever else your sport takes you (that's why you are here, after all). You train hard, you recover hard, you care about being in shape, performing well, and maybe even maintaining a certain physique. So, you are an athlete and would consider yourself athletic.

In this overview, we dive into the mechanics, benefits, and applications of pogo hops, demonstrating how they can transform athletic capabilities by increasing speed and agility. We'll also explore how to incorporate pogo hops with various tools and variations to maximize their effectiveness.

You care about performance. You want to be strong. You want to look yoked. And because of that you are willing to go hard. You crush the gym. You are committed to your workouts. You bring 100% effort. But has it ever dawned on you that not all progress is found inside the gym? It's true. Your workouts are where you break down muscle. The physical demand of your workout is a lot. Not to mention the component of training that can often be taxing on your central nervous system leaving you fatigued in a way that impacts more than just your muscles. This might sound off, but it's true. Your workouts are what essentially breaks you down. Because of this you won't find all progress there. Rather the progress is found in how you come back from those tough training sessions. Your recovery is key. The better you recover, the more you are contributing to improvements.

Yes, top end speed matters. It matters a lot. Improving top end speed improves acceleration, which is an important part of changing direction. However, putting on the brakes to change direction is important. Having the requisite strength to handle the forces when overcoming inertia is important as well.

Because change of direction is so important, athletes need to train the ability to change direction. And one of the greatest methods to train change of direction is the 20-yard shuttle drill.

A common misconception among runners is that strength training will slow them down. “I don't want to be bulky” is the most often used reason behind not adding strength to your program. But what if you knew that adding strength actually gave you an edge that some other runners don't have. Maybe you need an added kick at the end of a long race. Or perhaps you want to power up a long incline or even more so, not feel totally destroyed after a long down. This is where strength work comes in. Let's take it a step further, what if you are running trails? Is trail strength work different from road running? Yes and no. There is some nuance to this topic, and we are going to dive into the detail