Tausi Insider

Setting Up for the Deadlift Watching powerlifters deadlift is a great way to learn about technique. Everybody has their own quirks, and when you see enough different examples, you’ll get ideas for things you could do differently in your own workouts. But an awful lot of powerlifters approach the bar in weird ways. Why does he hold his arms out like that? Why does she wiggle her feet? In this video , Meg Gallagher explains her own setup, which involves an unusual motion she calls “ T. rex arms” to help her engage her lats. Then she goes on to narrate and imitate the setups of two other powerlifters with very different styles. It’s a great introduction to the idea of finding your own, personal, best way to approach the bar. https://www.tausiinsider.com/7-of-the-best-videos-to-start-or-perfect-your-deadlift/?feed_id=328972&_unique_id=642a733d54676

Photo : Andrey_Popov ( Shutterstock ) Who doesn’t love a superset? Pairing two exercises saves time in your main workout, provided the routine allows. And if you’d like to do a quick bit of extra work at the end of the day, a superset is an efficient way to fit it in. So let’s look at a few perfect pairings you can add to your next workout. But first, a little background: To do a superset, you simply do a set of the first exercise, then, while those muscles are resting, you do a set of the second exercise. You can take a brief break before repeating the pair, if needed. Repeat for the desired number of sets. Most of the supersets in this list are ones that would work well as a finisher, providing a little extra volume at the end of your workout. Try three sets of each exercise for 8-12 reps. By the way, I’m only including things on this list that are easy to set up together , because nobody wants to run back and forth between the cable machine and the squat rack. I’m also main...

Photo : platinumArt ( Shutterstock ) We lift to grow and strengthen our muscles, so it’s natural that a lot of us find bodybuilders’ piece-by-piece mindset appealing: Y ou focus on the specific muscle that you want to work, and make sure that you feel it working. But what happens if you do a glute exercise but you don’t feel it in your butt? Or you do a lat pulldown but you only feel it in your biceps? Here’s a guide. You may not always feel a muscle, even if it’s working Here’s the most important thing to know: you don’t have to feel a muscle for it to be working. Say you’re doing a pullup: Your lats are working whether you feel them or not. The lats are the upper back muscles that bring your arms closer to your torso, so a pullup simply cannot happen unless your lats are getting engaged. Or take squats . A barbell squat works your quads, your glutes, and a lot of other muscles besides. But when you’re doing a heavy squat, your brain is processing a lot of information. It’s f...