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Top 9 Resources for Strength, Conditioning, Fat-Loss, and Muscle

I’m no guru — just passionate about the pursuit of strength.

There are a lot of valuable resources on the web, so I’m going to take a moment to point some out.

1. Testosterone Nation: T-nation.com

This is the primary website that I have followed over the years. It has a strong base in bodybuilding, but also provides significant resources for athletic training, powerlifting, nutrition, and all things related to Strength and Conditioning.

The magazine has new posts regularly and a library of archived posts with information that can take your training to the next level. It is funded by the Biotest supplement company, but the free content makes the advertisements worth it.

It is definitely geared towards men, as some of the articles have scantily clad women, but the majority of the content provides superior information.

2. EliteFts.com

Elite fitness training systems is a Powerlifting website. It is run by some of the biggest baddest powerlifters in the country. They sell a wide array of high quality training equipment and provide good business practice. I have spent hundreds here on strength training tools (dip belt, blast straps, fat grip, etc) I have been very pleased with the results.

The articles are written by coaches, powerlifters, and personal trainers.

3. Crossfit resources

Crossfit has been highly influential in the “people who train for purpose” scene. They are very in tune with exercise physiology and nutrition. While the intensity of some of their workouts may or may not be safe for certain individuals, people who are serious about taking their training to the next level will appreciate the value that crossfit has to offer.

Some of the articles written for crossfit have been a fantastic inspiration for me, especially relating to lifts such as the Turkish Get Up and many more.

4. DragonDoor

This is a mainly a strength based website strongly influenced by kettlebell training. Flexibility, power, and strength resources are what you will find here. Keep in mind that most kettlebell exercises can be done with a dumbell or barbell as well. The training philosophy provided will help you become a strong, tough athlete with a lot of power, endurance, and injury prevention.

5. Power Athletes Magazine

At Power Athletes Magazine, you will find everything from modern day gymnastics training to techniques of old time strongmen. All of these training methods apply significantly to the development of strength and power.

6. Beast Skills

If you want to be a badass, you need Beast Skills. This is authored by a guy who is super passionate about strength and provides very valuable resources on how to develop the strength and skill to achieve amazing feats with your body.

7. Iron Magazine

This is a bodybuilding website, but I’ve found that there is a lot of valuable content for anyone in the weightlifting scene. You will find exercises, routines, and discussions about all things related to the iron game.

8. Strong Lifts

Authored by another passionate, knowledgeable writer, this site has evolved from a simple blog into a hub for safe and effective weight training. You will find great resources on technique with videos, effective exercise programs, and nutritional information. For a real focus-on-the-basics about weightlifting, you need to check this site out.

9. ExRx.net

With a huge exercise database containing videos showing proper technique, you can also learn a lot about muscular anatomy, physiology, and everything else related to strength training. This is an extremely valuable resource that is simple and easy to navigate.

The knowledge is out there, its your choice to seek it.

I want to say that my knowledge of strength training is very strong, but even I know I have lots to learn. I hope that the resources I have provided for you will help you gain greater perspective and inspiration.

You haven’t reached your potential yet, and if you’ve plateau’d — you just need to learn more and apply it.

Good luck!

Physical Fitness by Dre Sports & Athletics
A very famous strongman from the old days
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Heavy Lifting for Fat Loss

Maximal Effort Lifting for Fat Loss Benefits

When are people going to realize the flaws of excessive cardio? I prefer to maximize my efforts.

Lifting heavy objects is good for man, woman, child. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Strength and balance are relevant for everybody.

Heavy Lifting Promotes Anabolic Response

Anabolism is construction — the growth of cells in the body. Consider that Weight Lifting promotes a beneficial response in multiple systems. Upward growth, anabolism, enhances circulation, muscle tone, and central nervous system development.

Worked 100 years ago, and today.

Both men and women receive beneficial hormone responses following weight training. Growth hormone promotes healthy normal function of vital organs and structures in the body.

You may not burn much fat during weight lifting. The majority of fat loss occurs in the hours and DAYS following a weight training session. Heavy weight lifting forces the body to adapt, to build, to construct.

Physical Fitness by Dre
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How is Bodybuilding a Gateway Sport?

Bodybuilding… everyone has an opinion.

It make sense though. A bodybuilder’s purpose is to put their physique on display and be judged for it. Requirement: tan and trunks.

I never considered myself a bodybuilder, even though the benefits to appearance are relevant. The bodybuilding movement has generated hundreds of millions $ and brought public support for people looking to get buffed.

The average “bodybuilder” is NOT hard core.

What I consider a bodybuilder:

  • Lifts weights with the intent of improving body appearance.
  • Is influenced by bodybuilding media, magazines, and websites.
  • This is what a lot of bodybuilders WANT to look like:

Does Ryan Reynolds have the ideal male physique?

  • This is a Professional Bodybuilder:

RARE & EXTREME bodybuilder. Most bodybuilders look NOTHING like him. 

  • Trains split body parts, exercises biceps and isolates small muscles.
  • Is anywhere between 100 lbs and 300 lbs
  • Uses weight machines often, bench presses often, and uses high reps (12-15).
I have seen guys who weigh 160lbs wearing a bodybuilding.com branded clothes. That’s fine, because bodybuilding is a pursuit of appearance through muscles — not just the “final result.” Success is gained through size and symmetry, and ultimately as a stimulus from consistent weight training.

What are the Limitations of Bodybuilding?

  1. Bodybuilding promotes a strong culture of vanity and external objectification.
  2. Bodybuilding doesn’t attempt to enhance functional fitness.
  3. Bodybuilding success is impossible to quantify (minus income, do you have what it takes to be sponsored?)

Conversely, perhaps there are many benefits…

The benefits of Bodybuilding on Weightlifting and athletics

Images of physiques are dime a dozen. Every man has compared his stomach to the ripped tan juiciness of unrealistic proportions. Many guys will be compelled to visit a gym. And they will gain value from it

Benefits of Bodybuilding for New Trainees

  • Encourages use of free-weights
  • Utilizes basic and compound exercises in a healthy range of motion
  • Helps trainees gain confidence in the weight room
  • Opens up doors to other styles of training and athleticism

Even if bodybuilding is a motivator, the lessons learned straining under iron stay with you for a lifetime.

Final observation

I have seen a lot of guys start out by bodybuilding, and as a result went on to become stronger athletes as they modified their training styles.

Whether or not you want to ski better, jump higher, hit harder, or move faster, consistent weight training will definitely support that.

The most important thing is to focus on what you’re passionate about, not on external perspectives.

Good luck.

Physical Fitness by Dre Sports & Athletics
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How to use a Weighted Vest for Accelerated Fat Loss Results

Does anyone use a Weight Vest?

Many individuals and organizations recognize the benefits of using a Weighted Vest.

  • Football teams
  • Fire Fighters

They have to be ready at any time.

  • Infantry
  • Basketball players
  • Olympic athletes
  • People seeking the best results in least time

The Benefits of Weighted Vests

All of the benefits derive from the fact that you are carrying an additional load, and therefore the body is stressed to adaptation.

1. Burn TONS of calories. FAT LOSS MANIA?

It increases metabolic rate both during and after activity. More importantly, you can burn tons of calories from FAT. If being lean and conditioned is your goal, a Vest will help.

2. Improved Core Strength

The core is more than a place where you find Six Pack abs. Actually, a strong core is necessary for the good kind of force and power in sport. Aside from that, core strength is related to the health of other joints in the body (in particular your lower back). Did I mention abs?

3. Enhanced Bone Density with Regular Use

This is exciting to me! The proof is out there — people who regularly engage in load bearing activities can make improvements in bone density. It’s important for people of all ages to promote a healthy skeletal system.

Using a Weighted Vest

Training with a weighted vest is all about your goals. For people in high level athletics, you should seek out resources beyond the scope of this blog. But for Fat Loss friends, read on.

My Weighted Vest Fat Loss Strategy

Goal: Increase overall physical condition and decrease body fat % in a sustainable way.

Plan:

  1. Take a morning 2.5 mile walk at least three times a week.
  2. Empty stomach aka “fasted cardio” to maximize body fat as a source of metabolic energy.
  3. But I will consume an amino acid supplement (BCAA’s) in order to preserve lean mass.
  4. Stop by Starbucks to get caffeinated.
  5. Finish the 2.5 mile walk and consume morning breakfast before work.
Discussion:

Ready to roll!

  • A 270 lb man burns 350+ calories during this trip.
  • That is how much I weigh with the vest on.
  • With two months of usage, the vest alone could burn 3 lbs of body fat, not even considering nutrition.
  • If the Vest actually boosts metabolic rate beyond standard calculations, the fat loss should be greater.

This is an investment in pure conditioning.

Everything I do with the Vest will make me more efficient and powerful without it. This is taking it to the next level. Stay tuned for more…

Physical Fitness by Dre Sports & Athletics Weightloss Now
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High Performance Hamstrings: The Top Exercise for Knee Strength and EXPLOSIVENESS

Who knows where it all began?

Most people give credit to Russian elite Olympic athletes for discovering the true benefit of this exercise.

By the 1980’s, the famous mind in sports Dr. Yessis brought the exercise to America.

He called it the…

Glute-Ham-Gastroc Raise.

This exercise remains popular among many advanced athletes who require explosive force to out-perform the competition.

Powerlifters claim that the Glute-Ham Raise have helped them achieve dead lifts off the ground over 700+ pounds.

Basketball players to jump higher…

Soccer players to bulletproof their knees against ACL tears…

And the Gym-Rat to develop the strongest most aesthetic lower body of all the men in his town.

Benefits of The Glute-Ham Raise:

1. Lengthens hamstrings WHILE strengthening.

Understand that many people have tight hamstrings. You may be one of them. The benefit of the Glute-Ham Raise is that you can lengthen the muscle while simultaneously strengthening it. As a result, you decrease the chance of injury during sport.

In Sports-Physiology language…

The [Russian] hamstring curl could potentially be an effective exercise to strengthen the contractility of the hamstring both isometrically and isokinetically. Such a strategy may be able to increase the working range of the muscle in relation to its length-tension curve, and prevent fibers from reaching a length where they are susceptible to tearing. Source.

2. It is a Bodyweight exercise

A worthy definition of strength is being able to move your body through space at multiple angles and leverages. Whether or not you will ever be forced to perform a Russian Leg Curl in day-to-day life, your hamstrings will be ready for any sort of lifting or explosiveness.

3. Helps you Jump Farther/Faster

Pure athletic capability. You’ll be able to fly above your competition.

Female Athlete training on a specialized Glute-Ham Machine (most athletic training facilities will have this machine, while commercial gyms will NOT have this machine)

4. You can pick up greater loads off the ground.

The Glute-Ham does a great job as strengthening the hamstrings around the knee area. As hamstrings and glutes are the primary movers in load lifting activity, there should be a direct carryover with regular practice of this exercise.

5. All athletic activities on foot will be improved, along with Joint Health.

Don’t underestimate the power of a well developed pair of hammies.

A pilot study on the Russian/Nordic Leg Curl showed these beneficial results:

There was a significant increase in vertical jump height (pre=51.0±4.8cm, post=54.4±6.3cm, p=0.04), a significant reduction in quadriceps Peak Torque (pre=204.6±21.9 N.m., post=181.5±19.9 N.m., p=0.01), a significant decrease in hamstring Position of Peak Torque (POS) from full knee extension (pre=32.5±7.4°, post=26.2±8.6°, p=0.01) and a significant hamstring POS difference between limbs (dominant=33.8±9.5°, non-dominant=24.9±6.5°, p=0.01). Source.

6. Hamstring development is aesthetically pleasing.

When your pants fit right, even straight dudes take a peak at your posterior chain. And if you’re female… good luck keeping the men away.

Performing the Glute-Ham Raise / Russian Leg Curl in a typical Commercial Gym

It is possible. The mechanics of the exercise will be different depending which method you utilize. However, all forms will benefit the posterior chain — particularly hamstrings and calves.

It’s taken me quite a while to be able to demonstrate this. This style, on a lat pulldown machine, really emphasizes hamstring and calf development — I can literally see the difference from before I trained this way.

How to Even BEGIN Training this Advanced Exercise…

If you are lucky enough to have access to a Glute-Ham-Raise Machine, you can go ahead and start training on it.

However, both the “Natural” way and the “Lat Pulldown” ways are extremely difficult. If you could do one good rep without any prior experience, I would be greatly impressed.

Various Strategies to Assist You:

1. Focus only on doing the eccentric portion of the exercise (WARNING: You will be sore in places you’ve never been sore before)

2. Use a broomstick to help you get up (saw this in a Youtube video).

3. Have a Partner assist you at the bottom of each rep.

4. Use your hands to Push-Off the Floor to gain momentum to complete the rep.

5. Keep trying trying trying.

If its Good Enough for Elite Athletes, its Good Enough for You.

But are you up to the Challenge of the Russian Leg Curl?

Don’t even try… unless you seek to earn the hamstring development of high performance athletes.

Good luck.

Physical Fitness by Dre