Bookmarks (16) clear filters

Weightlifting belts can be fantastic performance boosters, but they’re very commonly misunderstood—and often misused. Let’s break down what weightlifting belts actually do, and when you’ll really benefit from wearing one.Read more...

To protect ourselves from the coronavirus, the CDC recommends keeping your hands as clean as possible, including using hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol when hand washing is not possible. Liquid chalk, used by climbers and powerlifters to help with grip, often contains a significant amount of alcohol. So can…Read more...

All you need to lift a weight is just yourself, and the weight. But there are a lot of handy things that can help, and I’ve accumulated quite a few of them in my gym bag. Let’s take a tour.Read more...

At most gyms, there’s a cylindrical pad on the floor somewhere near the squat rack. (If it’s not there, check the Smith machine.) When I first started squatting, I needed that pad on the bar—or thought I did. How else would I protect my bony neck? Read more...

The social aspect of exercise can be fun and all, but not all of us are up for chitchat when it’s time to get a workout in. Here’s how you can exude the right keep-away vibes to work out in a public gym with minimal interruptions.Read more...

Fitness tracking is one of the best benefits of an Apple Watch. That extra bit of data might help you focus on a great workout once you’re in the gym, but sometimes we need a little more motivation to actually go in the first place—and there’s no better motivator than money.Read more...

It’s January⁠—which means your gym is swarmed with resolution-havers. And that’s okay! If people want to better themselves, then they’re just as entitled to work out as you are. The downside, however, is that you’re often forced to wait for a free squat rack, bench press or elliptical. Curious where you can find a…Read more...

So you’ve found a new gym and it’s, dare I say, beautiful. There’s new equipment, spotless locker rooms, and actual space to sprawl out without bumping into the lifter beside you. But of course, there’s always a catch.Read more...

If you went home for the holidays and visited a local gym to break a sweat, you probably know by now that not all gyms are created equal. Some are shitty by nature, filled with old, rusty weights and uneven flooring. But even at a perfectly new and well-equipped gym, things can sometimes just feel different, and…Read more...

We’ve all heard the phrase “engage your core” as it relates to lifting. And your core strength is crucial—we’ve written about it in the past—it’s the difference between a crappy deadlift and a great one. Or a mediocre pushup and one with perfect form. Basically, if you’re doing anything requiring some kind of…Read more...

There are a lot of weird things at the gym. If you’re new, everything is mysterious: Is this a 45-pound bar? Why is there a little wheel in the corner with handles on it? As you get more advanced, or move to more interesting gyms, you’ll start to see more things. Chalk. Bars with oddly shaped handles. Straps, wraps,…Read more...

There’s a common expression among fitness subreddits and lifting forums: The day you start lifting is the day you become forever small. In other words, you might not ever feel satisfied after years of hard work or when you reach your goals.Read more...

Spend an hour at the gym and you’ll likely come across at least one type of gym jerk during your workout. Some jerks don’t re-rack their weights, others don’t wipe down equipment, and the worst kind of jerk takes up the only squat rack in your gym to curl for an hour.Read more...

Here’s a topic that generated some spirited discussion in our call for gym etiquette questions: when is it okay to tell someone they’re exercising wrong?Read more...

We asked for your gym etiquette questions, and you answered! Or, rather, asked. A lot. Thanks! Today we’ll tackle a tough question about what to do when somebody is using the equipment you want, and seemingly wasting their (and your) time. Read more...

Despite what you might think, we all need a break from the gym. Sometimes, it’s out of necessity because of an injury. Other times, it’s because you just don’t have time.Read more...