Todd Bumgardner, Author at T NATION

Tip: Depth Jump Push-Up, Long Response

Todd Bumgardner — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 17:15:00 +0000

Bench Press Specific Plyometrics The agonists (prime mover) in the bench press lockout are the triceps. The muscle that can either slow down or stop a movement is the antagonist muscle, in this case, the biceps. We know we can get around this somewhat with bands and chains but that's just one trick. Let's open

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Tip: The Single-Arm Bench Press

Todd Bumgardner — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 20:15:00 +0000

When I first started coaching, I read a lot about Ethan Reeve, the head strength coach at Wake Forest University. He's not flashy, but he follows sound principles and makes his athletes work, something most need more of. Coach Reeve loves the one-arm bench press. As a standard, he wants his athletes to press a

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Tip: The 5 Bench Press Commandments

Todd Bumgardner — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:00:00 +0000

1. Forget Your Chest The emphasis of the bench press is not on your chest. EMG studies show that the muscles that do the most work are the triceps and deltoids. If you want to develop a big chest, keep the flyes and cable crossovers. But if you want to bench a lot of weight,

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Tip: The 5 Deadlift Commandments

Todd Bumgardner — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 11:00:00 +0000

1 – Know It's Not a Squat A rugby player I train was required to train at his university's weight room this past fall. The strength coach told him that he was to "drop his ass low because the deadlift is just a squat with the bar on the ground." This is a popular misconception,

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Tip: The 5 Squat Commandments

Todd Bumgardner — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:00:00 +0000

1 – Squat for Reps Growing as a lifter means getting outside of your comfort zone. There's nothing more uncomfortable than squatting for high reps. High-rep squats conjoin the best of all worlds – hypertrophy, conditioning, and toughness training. Want to try them? Here's some in-depth plans: Quad Killer The 185 Rep Squat Workout 2

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Tip: Do You Meet These 5 Fitness Standards?

Todd Bumgardner — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:00:00 +0000

Think of this as a template, not a complete prescription. This is a comprisal of the qualities that develop a savage. It's up to you to determine what you need. Here are a few simple screens: Can't deadlift two times your body weight? You need to get stronger. Can't broad jump eight feet? You need

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Tip: 12 Minutes of Singles

Todd Bumgardner — Tue, 30 May 2017 11:00:00 +0000

High volume deadlifting – but not necessarily high-rep sets – can turn you into a monster. If you're not deadlifting on the reg, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. Sadiv Sets Build appreciable deadlift volume without crushing your body by using Sadiv sets: Load a bar with 60% of your deadlift 1 RM. Set

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Tip: Take the 1-Minute Pull-Up Challenge

Todd Bumgardner — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000

The Challenge You've got one minute to get in as many pull-ups (in good form) as possible using a pronated or overhand grip. You can take breaks, let go of the bar, or call your mom and tell her you won't be home for supper... just as long as your chin gets above the bar

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Squat Right for Your Type

Todd Bumgardner — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... A squat loads the hips and legs while limiting movement and undue stress elsewhere in the body. You can aggressively load the squat movement without a bar on your back. Other effective squat variations include: safety bar squats, front squats, goblet squats, box squats, Zerchers, and Andersons. Ask yourself

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New Rules of the Overhead Press

Todd Bumgardner — Thu, 08 May 2014 12:00:00 +0000

Here's what you need to know... If you do an overhead press and your shoulders and thoracic spine don't extend as they should and you can't lock the rib cage down and keep the hips extended, stop your elbows at ninety degrees of flexion in the bottom position. Draw an imaginary line from ear to

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