April 21, 2021

Top Tips for Beginner Weightlifters

The first time you step into a gym can be very intimidating and confusing. Free weights everywhere, Machines that look like death traps, and a lot of people with headphones in that obviously don’t want to be bothered. 

Where do you start?

How do you do it safely? 

How do you not look like a newbie?

These are questions that every person ponders when they first start weightlifting.

Looking back to when I first started lifting, I realize that there are a lot of things that make me shake my head at, and wonder to myself “What was I thinking!?”. Clearly, I wasn’t

I usually come to the same conclusion that I simply just didn’t know what I was doing. I made a lot of mistakes, and it makes me think of all the people that are starting out who may be making those same mistakes. 

Below are my top tips for beginner weightlifters influenced by my mistakes as a beginner, and if I had a time machine, would go back and do differently.

Tip #1: Forget Everything You Think You Know

There are a lot of people in gyms who believe they have enough knowledge to do it for a living. Usually, they are wrong. Because of this, a lot of bad information tends to seep into peoples minds, and gets stuck there. 

Over time it turns into concrete, and you find people all throughout gyms doing things they shouldn’t be. If you want to see changes in the gym, and become stronger and healthier, it’s sometimes best to forget everything you’ve been told, and seek advice from someone who has the knowledge and experience to help you reach your goals.

Always going into something new with an open mind is going to give you an advantage later on down the road. This is applicable to almost anything in life!

Tip #2: Learn the Basics and Progress Them Slowly

This has got to be the number one thing that keeps people from being consistent over a long period of time. If you are brand new to weightlifting, and are starting out with Barbell Back Squats, or Barbell Deadlifts like so many people do, then there is a massive problem here. While I am a huge advocate of the big barbell movements, they should only be performed after you’ve learned how to properly squat, hinge, and press. 

There are great alternative exercises to all of the big barbell movements that will keep you safe, and lifting for a long time to come. 

Below are just a few of my favorite moves to perfect before someone moves on to the barbells.

Back Squat: 4 Point Squat, Goblet Squat, Split Squats

Barbell Deadlift: Good Mornings, RDL, SL RDL

Barbell Bench Press: Push-Ups, Floor Press, Flat DB Press,

Tip #3: Forget about your Ego

This is a tough one for me personally, and really hits home. I was the biggest ego lifter out there. Each workout was about getting more and more weight on the bar. 

After time, the extreme stress I was constantly putting my body under began taking its toll. This is because I was never giving my body the rest it required. As a result, all of my lifts started getting weaker and weaker, even though I was working harder and harder. 

The human body is incredible at adapting to stress, but at a certain point it just can’t keep up. This is where intensity sometimes has to take a back seat in order to allow your body to recover properly. This is also when the risk of injury can be significantly higher than normal. 

Deload!

The term “deload” gets tossed around a lot in training circles, but most people are either unsure how to properly program one, or they just don’t understand the importance of them. 

Deloads give your body a chance to recover from the constant stress that working out places on it. A common mistake made while deloading is going too far in the other direction, and putting your body under almost no stress. They should still have a certain level of toughness.

An example of a good deload could simply be doing less sets than normal. If you normally do 4 sets of Squats per workout, do only three on your deloads. What you don’t want to do is something like 60% of your one rep max for 3 sets of 3-5 reps. Generally, 60% of one rep max can be completed for 10-15 reps per set. 

Although, it may seem like good idea, you’re mostly just wasting time. A deload should still be challenging but not to the degree your typical workouts are.

Tip #4: Ask for Advice

One thing I have found in gyms is that most people don’t mind helping out. Even the “gym bros” I mentioned earlier who always have headphones in, generally don’t mind answering questions. Most people would prefer a “newbie” ask for advice instead of just going with what they think they know, and getting hurt. 

The training community is generally very accepting and willing to help. Be careful who you take advice from, though. Just because someone may have a good physique doesn’t mean they necessarily should be giving advice to others. 

And on the flip side, I’ve met casual gym goers who have more knowledge than professional trainers. Find people you trust, and soak in all the knowledge you can.

Take Action!

There are many things I wish I could go back and do differently. Learning these  lessons earlier on in life would be one of my first do overs if I were given the chance. I could’ve avoided injuries, frustration, and wasted time. 

If you are just starting out in the gym, or have been working out for years, these top tips for beginner weightlifters will aid you for many more years of training to come.

If you found this article helpful or informative, please check out our other articles HERE

For more fitness, health, and lifestyle tips, check out our YouTube channel HERE

And, as always…

Small steps, BIG results! 

Brandon Knight

Brandon started working out as an athlete in high school, striving to push his limits and reach his full athletic potential. As he spent more and more time working on his own goals, he found a passion in the science of strength & conditioning, and using that new-found knowledge to help others. Brandon is exceptional at giving his clients the extra push to get stronger in a safe manner, while going above and beyond to making sure they feel comfortable and safe.

March 25, 2021

Top Women in Strength Sports

Strength training equipment and gyms started to gain in popularity in the 1960s with a big leap throughout the 1970s. It was in 1977 when the legendary Pumping Iron documentary was released following the training of legends such as Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as other greats from the “Golden Age”. 

But strength training dates back much further into history than just the 1960’s and 1970’s. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese and Scottish, as well as others had some form of strength training for their warriors. Obviously strength training has evolved into much more than it was in ancient times. 

A New Era

One thing that has grown in the strength world is the involvement of women. Women have been documented as exercising since the times of the ancient civilizations listed above, but real strength training wasn’t a popularized thing among women until the last 20-30 years, with a great influx over the past 10-15 years. 

Today you can walk into just about any gym and find women throwing around chalk, and blasting Metallica. But, there is still a long way to go before women’s strength training and sports becomes as popular as it should. 

Below are just a few of the top women in strength sports, and really pushed the boundaries for what we thought was possible.

Donna Moore

Donna Moore was the first strong woman I remember watching and my personal favorite strongwoman. She has won the 2016, 2017 and 2019 World’s Strongest Woman competition, as well as wins at the Arnold’s Strongwoman competitions in 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

Donna has set numerous world records including an incredible 171kg (377lbs) Atlas Stone Over Bar record set back in September of 2020 at the age of 40. Donna is also one of the only women to ever successfully lift the legendary Dinnie Stones!

Andrea Thompson

2020 was a rough year for most people. Not Andrea Thompson, though. Andrea set three world records in 2020 which included:

• 281kg (621lbs) elephant bar deadlift
• 135kg (297.7lbs) log lift
• 290kg (638lb) deadlift for the strongwoman deadlift world record.

Andrea just turned 37 years old in 2020, but with fellow strongwoman Donna Moore staying strong in her 40’s, I expect a few more records from Andrea before her career is over.

Rhianon Lovelace

Rhianon Lovelace is a little bit of a unicorn. While small in stature she brings a very rare blend of strength, power and quickness that is completely unmatched in male or female strength sports today. 

In September of 2020, Rhianon won the first ever Pound for Pound World’s Strongest Woman, and many believe (myself included) she is pound for pound the strongest person on planet Earth today regardless of gender. A few of Rhianon’s accomplishments in 2020 included:

• 600lb Deadlift
• Overhead axle press of 202lbs
• 312lb atlas stone
• 800lb silver dollar deadlift (traditional deadlift with bar being raised up 18 inches) 

All four of these lifts were lightweight world records, and both deadlifts were also middleweight world records! She also completed those lifts while only weighing in at 138lbs! 

We’ve already seen some remarkable feats of strength from Rhianon, but the best is yet to come as she is only 24 years old!

Jill Mills

Jill Mills was a bodybuilder who pivoted to the strength world. She dominated the sport for much of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Jill won back to back World’s Strongest Woman titles in 2001 and 2002. She undoubtedly would’ve won more, had she not stopped competing.

Jill was an all around great athlete. She could lift heavy on static lifts, was quick on all moving events, and seemed unbeatable on any overhead lifting events with her broad and perfectly sculpted shoulders. 

Jill did an incredible job blending strength while keeping a physique with very low body fat. A lot of women in the sport today credit their love and desire for the sport to Jill Mills.

Rebecca Swanson

No list of strength athletes would be complete without Rebecca Swanson. Rebecca is simply the strongest woman to ever live. Even though she had a short but successful career in Strongman, most of her success came in Powerlifting where she holds records with:

• 854lb Squat
• 600lb Bench Press
• 683lb Deadlift

Arguably her most impressive moment came in 2006 when she squatted 804lbs while only weighing in at 197lbs! More than four times her bodyweight!

What’s Next?

Strength sports have grown in popularity, and continue to grow with increasing turnouts each year. But, the growth and acceptance of women in the sport is what really fires me up! Strength sports need to grow into something more than just a day of entertainment a couple times a year. In order for this to happen, women need to be encouraged and more accepted throughout the strength world. 

Listed above are just a few of the incredible top women in strength sports that have, or continue to push the boundaries of the sport. If you are reading this and feel the fire in your belly to see what you can really push yourself to become then get into a gym, seek advice from others and be the best you can be!

If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to the Hybrid Fitness YouTube channel, and be sure to check out all the other articles from our coaches.

Please check out our other fitness & health articles here – https://hybridfitnessgym.com/articles/

And remember…Small Steps, Big Results.

Brandon Knight

Brandon started working out as an athlete in high school, striving to push his limits and reach his full athletic potential. As he spent more and more time working on his own goals, he found a passion in the science of strength & conditioning, and using that new-found knowledge to help others. Brandon is exceptional at giving his clients the extra push to get stronger in a safe manner, while going above and beyond to making sure they feel comfortable and safe.

February 11, 2021

3 Exercises to Increase Your Push-Ups

Why Push-ups?!

If you’ve ever been in a gym or watched a Rocky movie, you’ve definitely seen someone doing push-ups, and for very good reason. Push-ups not only increase core strength, but shoulder strength, stability, and pressing power of the pectorals and triceps, as well! All without having to load the movement with added resistance, making it more joint-friendly!

In hindsight, push-ups appear like a pretty straightforward thing to do. Simply just lower your body to the floor and push back up, right? Well if you’re one of the countless people who have tried and failed at this, then push-ups can quickly become frustrating, and far more difficult than expected.

Push it to the Next Level

If you’re reading this in hopes of completing your first push-up, then head over and check out our article on how to get your first push-up -CLICK HERE-.  BUT, If you’ve already mastered the art of achieving your first push-up, and want to start repping out multiple at a time, you’ve come to the right place! 

In this article, I’m giving you my top three exercises to increase your push-ups. Let’s go!

The Exercises

Resistance Band Push-Ups 

Another great way to assist push-up production is by adding some resistance to the Push-Ups already being done. To do this simply grab a resistance band with each hand and loop it across your upper back. Then get into the high Plank position and remember these few Push-Up techniques 

• Hands are underneath your shoulders
• Body is in a straight line (no sagging in the hips)
• Lower your chest to the floor slowly
• Return to the starting position by pushing yourself back up 

To begin, start with a light resistance band and perform as many reps as you can before your form begins to break down. Also, be aware that the added tension across your upper back can cause the lower back and hips to sag quicker once you start to fatigue. 

DB Floor Press

DB floor presses are high on my list of not just exercises to help with push-ups, but high on the list for almost any kind of pressing exercises. To do a DB floor press, lay with your back on the floor with a DB in each hand. Then press both DBs towards the ceiling. Lower your elbows back to the floor in a slow and controlled manner. There are a couple things to keep in mind while doing this pressing exercise:

• Keep elbows at a 30-45 degree angle off your body
• Keep shoulders and lower back against the floor
• Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way back up
• Use a weight you can control 

This exercise will do a great job at increasing lockout power in the triceps which is where most people will fail on Push-Ups. 

Plank 

Something often overlooked when it comes to push-ups is core strength. Having a strong core will help protect your back when doing push-ups. To begin kneel onto the floor and place hands directly underneath your shoulders. Move onto your toes and remember the couple golden rules of planks below:

• Brace your core to keep your hips from sagging towards the floor. 
• Keep hands directly underneath your shoulders
• Breathing! Don’t hold your breath. Continue breathing at a controlled rate 

Hold this position for 20-30 seconds while starting out. Once you can hold this for a full minute move from being on your hands down onto your forearms and begin again at 20-30 seconds. 

Bonus Tip!

To further intensify the plank and further assist your push-up goals, mix in some plank up-downs. To do this start in the high plank position form earlier and slowly lower yourself to the low plank and then return to the high plank by extending one arm at a time. Repeat this as many times as you can before your form begins to digress. 

Wrap-Up

Gaining the strength to increase your push-ups can be just as frustrating as getting your very first push-up. The exercises above will assist any push-up goals you may have, but always remember that consistency is key. Get into the gym, stay consistent, and be patient. With determined and consistent effort you WILL improve!

If you enjoyed this article, swing over to our YouTube channel to check out our latest videos here – Hybrid Fitness YouTube Channel

Brandon Knight

Brandon started working out as an athlete in high school, striving to push his limits and reach his full athletic potential. As he spent more and more time working on his own goals, he found a passion in the science of strength & conditioning, and using that new-found knowledge to help others. Brandon is exceptional at giving his clients the extra push to get stronger in a safe manner, while going above and beyond to making sure they feel comfortable and safe.