(Guest blog by Tom Sheppard, Strength Coach and Author) For physique athletes, whose goals are purely based on aesthetics/hypertrophy, the role that heavier loading plays is controversial. Some will point to the famous videos of Ronnie Coleman lifting crazy pounds even during contest prep, along with training styles such as DC Training or those utilized by Mike Mentzer and Dorian Yates, to illustrate the important role heavier lifting can play. On the other hand, it’s easy to point out a long list of fantastic and successful physiques that have been built without the use of heavier loading or even much...

Guest article written by Tom Sheppard of Phoenix Performance Training. We meet again, avid reader. Welcome to Chapter 2 of this article series on training volume about hypertrophy. In Chapter 1, we covered the main factors that stimulate hypertrophy. After all, we can’t talk about how to train for hypertrophy without knowing what causes it. Now the geeky stuff is out of the way; we can start to get into the more interesting and applicable material.  Knowing how much training volume to do is a difficult thing to decipher. After all, you have successful training programs that use a wide variety...

Guest article written by Tom Sheppard of Phoenix Performance Training. We all want to be jacked. Even those of us who claim to do it for health benefits, performance (in strength sports or other sports), or whatever other reason. Being more jacked gives us more confidence, makes moving house infinitely easier, and helps make the sad head voice go away for a little while. So, considering that just about everyone in the weights room is after hypertrophy in at least some capacity, very few understand what stimulates hypertrophy and even further understand how much work they need to do to...

Powerlifting is not just a form of exercise; it's a test of physical strength and endurance, a challenge of mind over matter. It's no surprise that those who are curious or new to powerlifting often have several burning questions. This article will dive into the essential aspects of powerlifting, distinguishing it from weightlifting and bodybuilding, and providing guidance on how to start your powerlifting journey.   What is Powerlifting? Powerlifting is a strength sport that primarily focuses on three main lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Powerlifting's objective is simple- lifting as much weight as possible for a single...