May 21, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

When Can You Have TOO Much Training Variety?

I’m known as the Mad Scientist of Muscle for a reason…I come up with a TON of unique exercise and training techniques on a regular basis.

Oddly enough, even though I have a TON of unique exercises, I have training sessions where I do nothing but basic stuff and don’t even TRY to come up with new twists on anything. Sometimes, I just take an exercise I know and hammer away at it. Some the most effective programs I use (including my Muscle Explosion program), have phases where there is almost NO variety at all! Specifically, in the Muscle Explosion program, I have a 5 day phase where you’re doing just ONE exercise the whole 5 days!

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May 16, 2013 by Monica

How to get most out of your Creatine – what form, dose and supplementation strategy?

Creatine is one of the few dietary supplements that have a very solid scientific support for its efficacy in increasing strength, explosive performance and muscle mass. So the question in not whether it is effective, but rather how to supplement it to reap maximal effectiveness?

There are several theories on how to take creatine; some say your should load and then lower the dose, while others say you can get good results by a low dosage regimen without loading. Yet others say you should cycle the creatine and take breaks from it in between cycles. And then we have the issue of dosages and how to ingest it. In addition there is a lot of confusion about the myriad for creatine forms that claim to be superior over the golden standard creatine monohydrate. Are the new fancy creatine-super-duper formulations really worth their price? Let’s review it all here and see what the research is saying.

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May 6, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Side-Lying Dumbell Pallof Press (no cables required)

The regular Pallof Press is done on a cable machine, standing perpendicular to the pulley so that the cable is pulling directly to the side. You hold the cable handle with both hands in towards your chest, then push your hands out away from your body, increasing the torque on your anti-rotational deep core muscles as you do so.

But what if you don’t have a cable machine to do this with?

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April 23, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Side Step Goblet Squats for Lateral Movement Pattern Leg Training

The Goblet Squat is one of the best way to teach (and learn!) a proper squatting movement pattern. Instead of having a barbell on your back (which does require more technique, strength and flexibility than you might think, even at lighter weight), the goblet squat forces you into proper body position while also developing the frontal core support musculature.

This version of the Goblet Squat includes lateral movement to help develop the abductor muscles, specifically the gluteus medius and minimus.

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April 8, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Progressive Resistance Daily Specialization For Targeting Weak Lifts and Bodyparts

The idea for this new version of Daily Specialization Training came to me as I was re-reading the famous story of Milos of Crotona in ancient Greece, who lifted a calf (a baby cow…not the calf muscle!) every day until that calf grew into a bull. I’m sure you’ve heard this one! This is an elegant example of the power of long-term, progressive resistance.

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March 27, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Explosive Leg Raises – Build POWER and Explosion in Your Core

The hanging leg raise is a GREAT lower abdominal exercise. But it does have a few disadvantages – the most prominent is that it can put a fair bit of pressure on the lower back at the bottom of the rep.

This variation of the leg raise is one I came up with for increasing explosiveness in the abs and hip flexors but also serves to overcome the issue of tension in the lower back – you basically blow past that point in the range of motion!

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March 12, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Dumbell Swing Drop Sets – Great Cardio and Posterior Chain Training

The Swing is a classic movement that targets almost every major muscle group in your body, though most specifically on the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back). It’s one of the single best exercises you can do in the gym!

This exercise is often done using kettlebells, though you can also use dumbells very effectively as well, if you don’t have access to kettlebells, which is the version I’m going to focus on here…especially since it’s not often you find enough kettlebells in one place to really do a drop style of set like this. Dumbells, absolutely.

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February 25, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

How to do the Floor Barbell Bench Press on a Bench – the Perpendicular Bench Press

If you’re familiar with the floor press, this is a “bench” version of that, basically. If you’re not familiar with the floor press, it still is, but I’m going to tell you what the means

The floor press is a bench press done laying on the floor. The reason it’s useful is that at the bottom, your upper arms rest on the floor, which allows you to take tension off the pecs so you’re starting with zero elastic tension at the bottom of every rep. This helps work the muscles harder because of that missing assistance.

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February 11, 2013 by Nick Nilsson

Dumbell Side Rolls – Great Hip and Core Training for MMA and Martial Arts

This is an excellent martial arts, MMA or wrestling exercise…especially useful for those who have exert explosive rotational power when lying on the ground. You’ll be using the gluteus medius and minimus muscles (the abductors of the hips), to roll from side to side while holding a dumbell at your chest.

And while this would seem to primarily hit the core hard, you will get a good hip workout out of it as well.

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January 10, 2013 by Will Brink

Your Foam Roller On Steroids!

The Rumble Roller Takes Soft Tissue Work To The The Next level

Like many people, I have my fair share of aches & pains, tight muscles, and hard earned small injuries and such. Like many, I have been using a foam roller for soft tissue work or SMFR (Self-Myofascial Release) work to improve sore muscles, tight muscles, and general recoup. I generally do my foam rolling in the morning for 15-20 minutes while the oatmeal cooks and coffee brews. It gets me ready for a day at the computer also. I also use it at the gym before workouts, a few times per week, and I find doing so reduces DOMS. Foam rolling is often referred to as “the poor mans massage therapist.” In terms of time and $$$ spent, it’s a no brainer in terms of benefits you receive. If you’re not using a foam roller regularly, you should be, like starting yesterday!

Rumble Roller comes in two sizes and firmness

As time goes on, one notices the standard foam roller not as effective, and or, they start to break down, and a replacement needed. Some seem to last longer than others. Enter the Rumble Roller, which takes foam rolling to another level and seems to last far longer than the standard rollers. I was going to make one of my usual videos talking about the benefits of foam rollers, and why the Rumble Roller superior, but coach Charles Staley – who has some great articles here on the BrinkZone – did such a good job of it, I decided to use his vid on the topic. If interested in more information, I purchased both the standard length and shorter smaller (12″x 5″) travel length HERE

Personally, I prefer the standard (blue) firmness Rumble Roller. Highly recommended if you already use foam rollers, not recommended for those new to foam rolling for soft tissue/SMFR work as the Rumble Roller is very aggressive. Watch coach Staley’s excellent vid on the benefits of foam rolling, and why he likes the Rumble Roller over standard rollers in particular.