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How to Do the Deficit Deadlift to Boost Pulling Strength

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Most deadlifters know the frustration of pulling with all your might, only to have the bar stubbornly stay on the floor. If that sounds familiar, there’s an exercise you need to try: the deficit deadlift. By increasing the range of motion, the deficit deadlift helps you build explosive power from the ground up, boosting your overall deadlift performance. Plus, it’s fantastic for adding mass to your legs and back, reducing your risk of injury, and even improving athletic performance. In this article, you’ll learn exactly how to do the deficit deadlift, understand why it’s so effective, explore the best alternatives, and more. Key Takeaways A deficit deadlift is a deadlift variation where you stand on an elevated surface to increase the range of motion. The main benefits of deadlifting with a deficit are that it enhances regular deadlift strength, boosts athletic performance, and may protect against hamstring and ACL injury. Deficit versions of the sumo, Romanian, and stiff-leg d

Transform Your Pear-Shaped Body: Exercises & Diet Tips

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If you’ve been told that reshaping a pear-shaped body is impossible, you’ve been misled.  Yes, genetics and hormones influence where you store fat, but they don’t mean you’re stuck with it forever.  With the right diet, exercises, and workouts, you can transform your pear-shaped body and create a more balanced, proportional look.  In this expert guide, you’ll learn everything you need to do in the gym and kitchen to make it happen. Key Takeaways Excess fat is the primary cause of a pear-shaped body, but genetics and hormones play a large part in where your body stores that fat. Spot reduction is a myth; you can’t lose fat from your thighs, hips, and butt by doing exercises that train those body parts. The best way to reshape your pear-shaped body is to maintain a calorie deficit and focus on compound exercises that burn a lot of calories and build full-body muscle. A calorie-controlled, high-protein diet combined with the right pear-shaped body workouts will maximize fat loss

What Does ‘PR’ Mean in the Gym? All You Need to Know

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You may have heard weightlifters talking about hitting a new “PR”, but what does a PR mean in the gym? And why do people suggest hitting PRs is the gold standard of progress?  PR stands for “personal record,” and it represents your best-ever performance in a specific exercise. There are several types of PRs in the gym, too, and each provides a different way to track your gains. But the common thread is this: if your PRs are going up over time, you’re getting stronger, bigger, faster, or fitter. In this article, you’ll learn about all the types of gym PRs, why tracking them benefits progress, how to set and break a PR, and more.  Key Takeaways In the gym, a “PR” or “personal record” represents your best performance in a specific exercise, whether it’s your heaviest lift, most reps, or longest run. You can set multiple types of PRs—weight, rep, RPE, and volume PRs—all of which help you gauge improvements in strength. Since strength gain is a proxy for muscle growth, tracking PRs

How Daniel Lost 27 Pounds & Dropped 10% Body Fat in 6 Months

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In 6 months of Legion body transformation coaching , Daniel lost 27 pounds, 10% body fat , and gained muscle and strength. Like many people, Daniel wanted to lose fat and build muscle , but he had grown frustrated with his lack of progress under previous trainers. He also felt they didn’t provide the education he needed to understand the process. That all changed when he found Legion coaching . Here are his results: Daniel’s Journey Daniel had the commitment and drive to work hard, but the conflicting information online left him confused and unable to stick to one plan, which stalled his progress. He wanted more than just physical results—he wanted to understand fitness better and learn what truly worked. The Legion body transformation coaching program was a game-changer for Daniel. He said, “I’ve dealt with so much BS and judgment. It’s like having someone who’s never played basketball try to teach you, versus learning from Kobe.” Daniel consistently asked his coach ques

Does Exercise Variety Maximize Muscle Growth?

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Many old-school weightlifters claim highly varied exercise programs , like the kind bodybuilders follow, are a waste of time and energy. Instead, they swear by a simpler formula for building muscle: Squat, deadlift, bench, and press heavy weights. That’s it. I disagree— and so does science . For example, a recent study comparing how different lower body exercises affect muscle growth found the following: The leg press was better for growing the vastus lateralis (outer quad) than leg extensions , while leg extensions trained the rectus femoris (front of the quad) harder. Standing calf raises grew the gastrocnemius (the largest calf muscle) more effectively than seated calf raises, which provided slightly better results for the soleus (the calf muscle found deeper in the lower leg). In short, variety is important for an exercise program because it helps promote balanced muscle growth. Here’s how to put this into practice: Create or follow a program cente