Jesse Irizarry, Author at T NATION

Tip: 60 Seconds to a Better Squat

Jesse Irizarry — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 11:49:49 +0000

It's all about balance. I don't mean in your life, but in your squat. Fix where you apply pressure on your foot and you fix your squat. With this heightened stability, you'll become more adept in the squat pattern. This will allow you to use much heavier weights at higher volumes while putting much less

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Tip: The Modified Belt Squat

Jesse Irizarry — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 17:15:00 +0000

Upper Body Injury? Bring The Legs Up Too many well-meaning lifters resort to isolation-machine leg exercises while recovering from an upper-body injury. Sure, there are times when a shoulder or pec injury is so severe that holding a barbell on the back is out of the question. As a result, a lifter can lose considerable

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Tip: Leg Injury? 2 Ways to Keep Training

Jesse Irizarry — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 15:00:00 +0000

There are endless opportunities to build greater upper body size and strength when recovering from a lower body injury. However, coming up with challenging exercises when weight-bearing lifts are out of the question can be a tall order. And you don't want to have to resort to using all machines and strict isolation exercises. Here

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Tip: The Dead-Start Bench Press

Jesse Irizarry — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 17:15:00 +0000

Medium-grip dead start bench presses build starting strength in the horizontal push pattern. Using a medium grip increases the range of motion and adds another variable to help develop strength from different angles. Cues Bring the bar down controlled and rest it on your chest (or pins) for a half-second without letting the bar sink.

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Tip: The Sumo Deadlift From Deficit

Jesse Irizarry — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 17:15:00 +0000

The sumo deadlift from deficit develops great levels of hip strength. Strong hips usually mean big numbers in primary lifts such as squats, power cleans, snatches, and deadlifts, not to mention help make an impression in your Thursday night Zumba class. The sumo deadlift from deficit isn't discussed nearly enough as a tool used to

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Tip: The Cable Pullover Lat Finisher

Jesse Irizarry — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 20:15:00 +0000

Cable pullovers allow for a great stretch and full contraction of the lats. The added benefit of having your entire back supported by lying on the ground lets you focus on volume without the fatigue accrued by supporting yourself. Remember, big lifts first, then do this low-stress finisher for added volume.

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Tip: The Rhomboid Pulldown

Jesse Irizarry — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:15:00 +0000

Heavy bent-over dumbbell or barbell rows are still best for building an impressive back, but the rhomboid pulldown is a great finishing exercise for adding more volume without taxing you as much as the bigger movements. Use a V-bar or close grip attachment and pull down to your sternum while flaring your elbows out at

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Tip: The Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Jesse Irizarry — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 20:15:00 +0000

The hip thrust can be used as a main lift to build strength and a great posterior chain, but also as an assistance exercise to finish up an already taxing lower-body workout. Since using a dumbbell limits the amount of weight used, focus on maintaining a slower tempo and do more volume. I cue athletes

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Tip: Do This the Day After an Intense Workout

Jesse Irizarry — Tue, 30 May 2017 15:00:00 +0000

Rest Actively Doing crazy-hard workouts is all fine and good to impress your skinny buddy you brought along to boost your ego, but remember there can be no supercompensation – yielding greater size, strength, and overall increased performance – without recovery. Some of the best lifters use active rest workouts to manage recovery and keep

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Tip: Treat Light Weight Like It's Heavy

Jesse Irizarry — Mon, 22 May 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Imagine this. You see a new lifter try to max out on the bench press. He lowers the bar all shaky and unstable, bounces it off his chest, gets it halfway up, and stalls. He squirms for a second under the motionless bar and then suddenly drops the weight on himself. Proprioceptors, like muscle spindles,

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