T Nation: Strength Training Tricks: What Works?

There’s no shortage of cues that supposedly increase strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Some of them are true strength hacks, but plenty of them are hoaxes.

In order to get to the bottom of what works and what doesn't, I asked six experts for their takes. Here's the SparkNotes version:

• For the squat, engage your lats, use the Valsalva maneuver, and descend quickly while maintaining control.

• On bench press, squeeze the bar hard and “pull it apart.” Warm up thoroughly beforehand, but avoid excessive static stretching.

• Before you pull your deadlift, “bend the bar” to create tension. Also experiment with touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth and locking your knees out as soon as the bar passes them.

And here's the link to the full-blown write-up:

https://www.t-nation.com/training/strength-training-tricks-what-works

Strengtheory.com: How to Prevent Muscle Strains

I'm a big fan of killing two birds with one stone.

Well, let me qualify that. I mean, I don't really love to kill birds. But when it only takes ONE stone to kill TWO, that just kind of gets me going.

Anyway, last semester, I did just that. I was tasked with writing a literature review of an injury for my athletic training class.

Rather than rehash ACL's or some other boring injury like everyone else, I took it as an opportunity to write about something a lot of people actually care about and could benefit from learning more about.

The topic I chose was muscle strain injuries. Anecdotally, just about everyone has suffered one, however serious. In fact, just this fall, I had one myself of my pec. It wasn't anything serious, like the guy below's, but still, it lingered annoyingly for months.

Powerlifter Scot Mendelson sporting a complete pec tear

How did I injure my pec? According to the research, just like every other idiot male age 20-40: bench pressing (without warming up).

After submitting the paper to my professor, I decided to refine and send it over to my friend Greg Nuckols, who was gracious enough to host it on Strengtheory.

In this version, my goal was to delve deeply into the science of muscle strains -- both the mechanism (cause) and the prevention -- but in simple enough terms for anyone to understand.

Without further ado, here is the link:

http://www.strengtheory.com/how-to-prevent-muscle-strains/

If you've ever had a strain or wish to prevent them in the future, be sure to give this a read!

Creative Solutions for Creating Balance from Asymmetry

Guest Post By Daragh Crowley

What the heck was Daragh having me do here? Read to the bottom to find out!

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Try standing on one leg and doing a squat without shifting your pelvis or rotating. Tricky, right?

Now stand on both legs, activate your pelvic floor, squeeze your glutes on both sides, and tighten your lower abdominals. Then lift one foot, and try the squat again. Better?

On the first go-round, maybe, maybe not. But with practice, an optimally aligned single-leg squat is certainly within most of our grasps.

The thing is, if you're an amputee like Travis, you don't have the luxury of standing on both legs while engaging your pelvic floor, glutes, and abs. You see, Travis was born without a femur in his left leg. Although he ambulates well with the aid of an above-knee prosthesis, he doesn’t have the benefit of feedback from two feet touching the ground.

Boost Your Fitness, Boost Your Confidence

Guest Post by Mathews McGarry

“Your mind and body are powerful allies. How you think can affect how you feel. And how you feel can affect your thinking.” (WebMD - Mind-Body Wellness)

This statement should be remembered by each one of us and constantly repeated so we always hear its echo. The Mind and the Body are one and they produce a reciprocal effect on one another. Improving your physical condition greatly affects your mental health and even the simplest physical activity can build up your confidence and mental toughness.

Side Quest Podcast: Coaches Corner: A Discussion On Nutrition

Confused about nutrition?

You're not alone.

Luckily, a few of my trainer friends and I recently jumped on the Side Quest Podcast to clear the air on exactly what you need to know -- and don't need to know -- about nutrition.

Listen to the episode, Coaches Corner: A Discussion On Nutrition, here:

http://www.sidequestfitness.com/podcast/coaches-corner-nutrition

Or get it on iTunes here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/side-quest-podcast/id927795072?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4