Bret Contreras, Author at T NATION

30 Days to a Big Butt & Great Squat

Bret Contreras — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... Designed intelligently, a 30-day workout challenge can accelerate progress and fast-forward motor learning and muscle gains. The 30-Day Squat Challenge is designed to boost your squatting proficiency. You'll be completing 24 squat sessions in a single month – eight heavy workouts, eight medium and eight light – using back

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8 Laws of Strength Training

Bret Contreras — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 12:00:00 +0000

"Why am I not getting stronger?" Probably because you're breaking the rules. Follow these eight rules and save yourself years of frustration and weakness. 1. Train Consistently Consistency is the name of the game, and the lifter who trains week in and week out will experience steady gains in strength and muscularity over time. The

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Increase Athleticism in 6 Minutes

Bret Contreras — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... The deep squat is an essential movement pattern that you'll lose if you don't perform it regularly. Just squat as deep as you can go with your own body weight. Glute contractions, hamstring stretches, and pec/shoulder stretches can be done daily, especially if you have an office job. Stressed-out?

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4 Myths About Female Glute Training

Bret Contreras — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... Judges of female figure and bodybuilding shows look for a glute-ham tie-in, but most women prefer glutes with a more prominent profile. There is no glute-ham tie-in muscle. If you want to showcase the muscularity of the glutes and hamstrings, hammer them with a variety of hip extension and

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5 Things We Can Learn From Arnold About Building Muscle

Bret Contreras — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Wisdom From The Golden Era At the height of Arnold's bodybuilding career, we didn't really know much about the science of muscle hypertrophy. That's why a lot of old-school bodybuilding wisdom was anecdotal at best. We now have a lot more research at our disposal, and while many Golden Era bodybuilding tactics are called "broscience"

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Is Your Ab Workout Making You Look Fat?

Bret Contreras — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... Bodybuilders often advise women to avoid squats and deadlifts, saying these exercises thicken the midsection. They're wrong. Often, the cause of a bodybuilder's blocky waist is the abuse of drugs. Top level bikini competitors regularly do squats and deadlifts and it hasn't negatively impacted their physiques. Core exercises like

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10 Things Every Lifter Should Try

Bret Contreras — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 12:00:00 +0000

You Have to Work to Know What Works Most lifters float aimlessly in and out of gyms without a plan, goal, or strategy. Most haven't experimented nearly enough with their training in order to have the slightest clue as to what works best for them. They stick to the same routine year round without much

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The Best Damn Posterior Chain Exercises

Bret Contreras — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:00:00 +0000

A Powerful Posterior Chain Louie Simmons has done an excellent job promoting assistance lifts for the posterior chain over the past couple of decades, but articles describing the variations of each movement are rare. Here's a comprehensive progression scheme for the glute ham raise, Nordic ham curl, reverse hyper, and back extension. ▶️ The Glute

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9 Best Deadlift Tips

Bret Contreras — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... To build the deadlift, prioritize the squat for 6 weeks while not pulling heavy at all. Powerlifter Dan Green's number one deadlift tip is to regularly perform the stiff-leg deadlift. Mike Tuchscherer recommends building the deadlift by pausing at the bottom of the lift, around an inch or two

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20 Ways to Train Smarter

Bret Contreras — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 12:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... Do leg presses while wearing Olympic shoes to really target the quads. Position the hands on the outside of the dumbbells when curling. It creates an insane burn in the biceps while saving the elbows and forearms. If dips hurt your shoulders, do band dips where you attach two

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