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Hypertrophy · Strength Training · Program Design · Rehabilitation
Updated thoughts on optimizing hypertrophy training
The ever-evolving nature of science creates a never-ending obligation to reevaluate our prior training practices and recommendations against recent developments in the field. This obligation only increases when you write about these opinions publicly. Before we head into the Canada Day long weekend, I thought I’d take a quick look at a few recent studies […]
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Complex Analysis, Simple Solutions
I recently had the opportunity to speak to an audience of strength coaches and athletic therapists regarding optimizing nutritional and exercise strategies to enhance connective tissue adaptations. One component of this talk was to highlight a relatively complex analysis of the Achilles tendon structure and how this work produced an ultimately simplistic exercise prescription (i.e. […]
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New approaches in connective tissue rehab
I was a physiologist by training before I was a physiotherapist. I spend more time now managing patients with connective tissue injuries than I do looking down a microscope, but I haven’t lost sight of the influence that these types of experiments can have. While I may no longer be at the “bench” (at least […]
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How bodybuilders train
It’s no secret that I’ve advocated for the use of mixed repetition ranges for the optimal development of strength and hypertrophy, contrary to the rather rigid fixed hypertrophy guidelines that abound. Unfortunately, while I’ve been able to make a case based on the scientific literature for why loading variation is ideal, my practical arguments have […]
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Hypertrophy Principles
I know it’s been quiet on the site the last little while, and no, I haven’t just been slacking off and enjoying those last few days of summer. I’ve been wrestling with what I feel are some larger concepts relevant to the development of strength and hypertrophy, and hope to push some big posts out […]
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Is light the new heavy?
The recent study that training at 30%-1RM promoted hypertrophy to a similar extent as 80%-1RM (1) has definitely generated some discussion, and I’ve written some of my initial thoughts on it in another post. If you haven’t read the original article, or my thoughts on it, definitely set aside some time if you’re interested in […]
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What’s more important?
My family always had dogs, so the concept of dog training wasn’t foreign to me when I got my own, however being a kid at the time I don’t think I was nearly as involved in the process as I should’ve been. Only as an adult have I realized the amount of behind-the-scenes work with […]
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