Joe Weir 
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The latest tips I've posted to TipDrop.
| Always weigh your plates and mark the weight on them! Olympic plates are typically accurate to within 2%. At the extremes you could have 2 45lb plates that weight 44 and 46lbs! Over time that constant uneven loading can cause problems in your training. Tip Credibility: 49 |
| When buying plates try and find used ones for sale. They will be cheaper and probably in just as good a condition as brand new ones. The usual price for basic (new) Olympic plates is approximately $1/lb. Tip Credibility: 49 |
| Plates: Know what type of barbell you have or will purchase. "Standard" plates & bars have a 1" diam. hole while "Olympic" plates & bars have (approx.) a 2" diam. hole. Olympic barbells will not work with standard plates and vice versa. Tip Credibility: 49 |
| Otherwise known as a hunchback, it's common with people that sit at desks and/or use computers extensively. It limits thoracic mobility and can lead to back pain. Thoracic extensions and conscious posture habits (sitting straight) are the best cure. Tip Credibility: 56 |
| Anderson Squats can be a good way to develop your explosive starting strength. This type of strength is especially valuable in strength training. It not only helps to get the weight moving but will also get it accelerating. Tip Credibility: 56 |
| Plate pinches are difficult when it comes to steady progression. If you find yourself stuck at a certain weight try switching to 2 handed plate pinches or use a small piece of chain, draped through the centre hole of the plate, as a way to micro-load. Tip Credibility: 48 |
| Grippers are most beneficial when treated like strength training. Doing hundreds of reps will only serve to wear out your gripper and your hands. Instead use moderate rep ranges for easy-difficult grippers (5-10) and low (1-5) for the challenging ones. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Some think that a grip is a grip and don't differentiate between the different types of grip. There's a big difference between pinching grip and crushing grip. Pinching relies on thumb abduction but crushing relies on the larger muscles of the forearm. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| If you want serious crushing grip strength, or a firmer handshake, grippers are your answer. I recommend CoC, IronWoody, or Heavy Grip if you're serious about it. There are other brands too, stay away from department store grippers, they're fairly weak. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Two of the main benefits of Anderson Squats: 1)Core activation must be done quickly in order to support and accelerate the barbell from a dead stop 2) The performance benefits of the stretch shortening cycle are negated by deloading the bar. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Stand sideways in front of a mirror. If your belt buckle is aiming at the floor, your butt is shoved back and your stomach out, chances are you have APT. Prolonged sitting can lead to APT. A typical fix is to perform an ab exercise called 'Dead Bugs'. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| A common problem with deep squats. Typical advice is "stretch the hamstrings" however that's not usually the problem. Instead of stretching, check your hip mobility. If you can perform a deep bodyweight squat without rounding, check stability. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Focus on the function of the core. Situps and crunches aren't core training. Rotational (woodchops), anti-rotational (pallof press), dynamic (jackknifes) and also static (planks and side planks) exercises are a neccessity for a super strong core. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Circuit training can be a great tool for fat loss. It involves using multiple exercises in succession with short rest periods. It's more than just a cardio workout and can be a much needed change of pace from the usual stationary bike or eliptical. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Nuts contain protein and also contain fat, which (regulated) is essential in any diet, and especially helpful when trying to maintain a calorie surplus. A slice of bread with peanut butter is also a good quick snack as it has protein, carbs, and fats. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Paul Anderson was a great powerlifter. In his training he implemented movements that involved deloading the barbell. Front and back squats can be turned into Anderson Squats by lowering the barbell onto pins between the eccentric and concentric movement. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| If you get low back discomfort or pain from squatting check for lumbar flexion (lower back rounding) as you descend deeper into a squat. Lumbar flexion is not a good thing and the answer may lie in increasing your hip mobility or lumbar stability. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| You'll need 3 things: Hockey Puck, Eye Bolt & Nut, Drill w/ bit for the eye bolt.
Take your hockey puck, drill a hole in the centre. Make sure it is a tight fit for the bolt. Push the bolt through the puck, thread the nut on and you've got a hub. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Great wrist developer! Put a brick lengthwise on a table (overhanging the end of the table), stack bricks crosswise on the supported end, grip the brick with your fingers on the underside and thumb on top. With a straight wrist lift it off the table. Tip Credibility: 6 |
| Grip strength is often the most overlooked and under appreciated aspect of strength training. Strong hands improve your gym performance but also everyday activities. Remember there are three types of grip; pinch, crushing and supporting. Train them all! Tip Credibility: 6 |
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