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How to Execute Linear Progression Using Dumbbells
Hey everyone! This is a Q & A from our Question Bank: QUESTION I’ve wondered how you could do linear progression on dumbbells, since the increments are bigger than on a barbell. ANSWER I’ll answer...
View ArticleThe Habits of Elite Athletes
The chicken, or the egg? Over the years I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the habits of elite and sub elite athletes. To expand the population size of my observation, the general mind set and...
View ArticleTraining While Under The Weather – Should You?
I’m sure at one time or another you have been under the weather and might have questioned whether you should be training or not. Of course, if you’re really sick where it’s just a struggle to function...
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A Case for Autoregulating Energy Intake During Gaining Phases
Before we dive into this topic, let me state a few key points first. Before attempting an autoregulated gaining approach, it’s critical to have previous experience meticulously tracking energy intake...
View ArticleWhy you have small…..
There are a number of reasons as to why specific body parts for specific people don’t grow as well as others. Many of you completely understand why things work out this way. But many of you out there...
View ArticleThis Old Dog Learns New Tricks! Football Programming Part 1
Stay in your lane! Professing to be an expert in any niche that you either have not already done at a high level or have a ton of experience in is never right. You are only fooling yourself and hurting...
View ArticleBodybuilding When You’re Not A Bodybuilder
If you want to build your body and you are, in fact, a competitive bodybuilder, decisions are easy. Goals are clear and simple paths can be set up to make the most out of your efforts, both in-season...
View ArticleThis Old Dog Learns New Tricks! Football Programming Part 2
As I mentioned in part one of this blog, knowing the context in all aspects of an athletes’ life is important in order to succeed when training them. This is especially true when it comes to a sport...
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Unconventional Cardio Options for Bodybuilders, Powerlifters, or Any...
With the primary goal of acquiring strength or size, a common secondary aim for most lifters is to manage their body composition by way of monitoring nutritional intake and caloric expenditure...
View ArticleMy 6 Favorite “Hacks” in the Gym
This fall will be my 20thyear in the Iron Game. In that 20 years I have tried at least 100 different “Hacks” in an effort to get my training completed when I didn’t have the ideal set up or machine. I...
View ArticleIs Overtraining a Myth?
What follows is an excerpt from my contribution to a roundtable on overtraining in the most recent issue of Alan Aragon’s Research Review, which by the way, is an amazing body of work that spans a...
View ArticleBlood Flow Restriction Training
My current opinion on blood flow restriction training is as follows in the year 2018. I feel that it’s such a valuable tool that all strength athletes should be at least somewhat well versed on how to,...
View ArticleBeginners Don’t Lose Your Mind, Veterans Don’t Lose Your Edge
Now that I’ve been lifting with serious intent for 14 years, and training other people for 13, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern that occurs during the “lifespan” of a serious lifter. Initially,...
View ArticleDon’t Lose Your Head
Many of the e-mails and social media private messages that we get are regarding time off from training. Even many of our competition prep athletes write us during some level of panic, asking us what...
View ArticleMuscle Group Specialization Cycles: Why and How – Part 1
We’re fortunate to live in an era where folks like Dr Brad Schoenfeld and other researchers are consistently working on practical research to answer specific questions that lifters want to know. We’re...
View ArticleI Currently Don’t Love My Training
I am going through a slump right now. I know I should be writing the second installment on blood flow restriction (BFR) training, but instead I am here, getting off track yet again. Plus, I want the...
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Muscle Group Specialization Cycles: Why and How – Part 2
In part 1 of this article I cover the why, as I went through the pertinent information as to when higher volumes might be necessary, and I hinted that logistically specialization cycles might be the...
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Blood Flow Restriction – Part 2
Blood flow restriction training, or BFR training, is an incredible tool, and while a bit more common nowadays it’s still very much misunderstood. A few years ago, I couldn’t use blood flow restriction...
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Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training: Does Exercise Selection Matter?
Be Sure to Check With a Qualified Healthcare Practitioner Before Trying Any Training Tool, Including BFR. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a concept that has been researched for a quite some...
View ArticleLife Isn’t Always Fun; Commitment Makes It Better
com-mit-ted feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; wholeheartedly dedicated. mo-ti-vate provide with a motive for doing something. mo-ti-vated past tense for mo-ti-vate Is it...
View ArticleEmotional Lifting
My intent with every training session is to better my previous session, whether it’s with a singular action of increasing load, sets, reps or a combination of them all. However, the goal is to never...
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Bodybuilding Periodization Made Simple
Brad the powerlifter has had to take a back seat as of late. A lingering rib issue in my right posterior rib cage sidelined me from doing my competition squat and deadlift for quite some time. As a...
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Rational Calves
We all have those genetically weak body part body parts that leave us stumped and frustrated. In my case, it was my high calf insertions. Now before I go on, this isn’t going to be another tutorial on...
View ArticleJust Because Your Program Isn’t Working Doesn’t Mean Your Program Is The Problem
Some people live a life that imposes more stress on them than their training. Some people are the opposite. They have a program that is the largest stressor in their life when it comes to the...
View ArticleWhy Do We Deload?
It seems everyone who trains seriously with weights knows you should deload. Most folks hate deloads and only begrudgingly do them. Others don’t deload at all because they either feel they don’t need...
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The Bodybuilders War Against RIR/RPE Consciousness
Just like many of you, it was love at first rep for me. I goofed around with weights once or twice in my early teens, but it wasn’t until I got my first gym membership that I really found something in...
View ArticleAre You Really Dedicated?
Are you really dedicated? There was a time, over a decade ago, where I was an incredibly “hardcore”, focused, and silently judgmental young bodybuilder. I was completely intent on winning my pro card...
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How Do We Deload? Part 1
In my last blog, I covered the “whys” of deloading. I hope I made it as easy as pie to understand in layman terms. Performing and being able to train at your absolute potential is the goal. However,...
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How Do We Deload? Part 2
This is the continuation of my series on using deloads/tapers/intro cycles in your training. The initial blog was the reason why we deload. Hence the title, “Why do we deload.” In it I outlined the...
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What is Luck and is it Necessary For Success in Competitive Bodybuilding?
Luck. Whether you’re born with it, find it in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or find it in a bottle of golden liquid won for brewing the best Draught of Living Death potion in Potions class,...
View ArticleThe Variables to a Deload/Taper
I present to you the final chapter on my deload series of blogs. In the first segment, I outlined why we must deload. Then in the 2nd and 3rd segments, I showed you how to deload; complete with 14 plug...
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How Much of Your Volume is Actually Effective?
Have you ever wondered why certain athletes can get so muscular and strong on so little volume? There is no doubt that many of these athletes are rare genetic specimens, but often I think there is more...
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You’ve Got Some Nerve: Simple Training Modifications to Decrease Sciatic...
ATTENTION: Intense pain radiating down the leg is usually a RED FLAG and should be checked out by a professional. If you have these symptoms, stop reading this and continue reading it in the waiting...
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The Luxury of Policies and Procedures in Bodybuilding
I’m a big procedure guy. I love the peace of mind that comes with doing something by the book and removing the unnecessary “thinking” from the equation. I just want to focus my efforts on the procedure...
View ArticleSuccess Leaves Clues, But What Clues Does It Leave?
You’ve probably heard the phrase “success leaves clues” before. It’s interesting this specific phrase is a popular “truism”, because most phrases that gain traction have clear meanings: “bodybuilding...
View Article3 Lifting Game Changers
In the weight training world there is a lot of discussion about volume, periodization, recovery, frequency, autoregulation and all the variables needed to maximize the effect of our efforts in the...
View ArticlePlans Aren’t Everything
Every now and again I get the pleasure of coaching, or consulting with an athlete whom has clearly worked hard for their physique. Whether male or female they stand out from the crowd with...
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How to Succeed in Any Training Environment
You are probably familiar with Steph Curry, one of the greatest basketball players of our time. He’s the current all-time career free throw leader, with a 90% shooting percentage at the line. His free...
View ArticleTraining Lessons I Have Learned While In Quarantine
Many things about 2020 have been unprecedented. However, what was truly remarkable was how steadfast people were about their fitness and training goals. Equipment suppliers were loving it. While the...
View ArticleOptimal Bodybuilding?
Optimal bodybuilding? My perspective, there’s no such thing. Let me rephrase it, there’s no such thing as a “static optimal”. Static; lacking in movement, action, or change. Optimal; best or most...
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A Guide to Injury Reduction and Management
It is hard to imagine an athlete going through a career and never experiencing some sort of pain. After all, pain is a normal human sensation just like hunger or thirst. When injury strikes, it is...
View ArticleA Systematic Approach To Working Around Injury Or Pain
By Brad Loomis with commentary from Nick Licameli, DPT Before I get into my system for working around injuries, I need to clarify that I am not a physician or physical therapist. I am not qualified to...
View ArticleFilled with Science, but Unscientific
I hate to say it, but many of my fellow science-interested lifters who throw up #evidencebased in their posts are the perfect ammunition for the eye-rolling bros who view the whole concept of a...
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Struggling with RPE? This Blog is For You
Ongoing learning is a double-edged sword. It is awesome to keep learning and those “ah ha” moments are so gratifying. However, you also realize that you were not quite as smart as you thought you...
View ArticleInstinctive Lifting
At the end of the film Rocky III Apollo Creed says to Rocky in a bit of back-and-forth trash talking, “you fight great, but I’m a great fighter.” You will hear this term a lot in sports. An athlete...
View ArticleCase Study: Persistent Shoulder Pain
Whenever presenting a case study, it is important to understand that it is not meant to be a step-by-step solution for your own individual circumstances. Everyone is different and what helps some may...
View ArticleBrads 2021 & 2022 program
As many of our frequent followers at team3dmj are aware, I have been tossing around the idea of doing a bodybuilding contest prep this year. I have not committed to stepping on stage quite yet, but...
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Broken But Not Busted
Accidents happen in the gym. We’ve all been there. Tripping over a dumbbell you forgot you put down, dropping a plate on your toe, bonking your head on a high cable attachment, the list goes on and...
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Broken But Not Busted – Part 2
My jaw was wired shut for 15 days and 17 hours. Honestly, it was pretty miserable. I slurped all my food through an oversized boba tea straw. I had to sleep somewhat upright, so thank goodness for my...
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Time Saving Training Strategies
Whether you have been training for decades, or are just getting started, there have been/will be times where you lack the time to train the way you would otherwise like to. Personally, I have grown...
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