Shawn Wayland, Author at T NATION

Tip: Research Update – Time Under Tension

Shawn Wayland — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 12:00:00 +0000

TUT and Rep Tempo: Slower Isn't Better Time under tension (TUT) refers to how long the muscle is under strain during a set. For size gains, most think you need around 60-90 seconds of TUT. Most lifters pay attention to rep speed to increase TUT. For example, they may do a biceps curl where they

Read the full article at Tip: Research Update – Time Under Tension

Tip: Double Your Strength Gains

Shawn Wayland — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 17:00:00 +0000

Are the weights feeling heavy? Is your body feeling sluggish? Well, just change the way you think to overcome these feelings and crush your workout. Sounds a little woo woo, but it turns out that much of our physical performance depends on the mind, which is great news because it means we can start controlling

Read the full article at Tip: Double Your Strength Gains

Tip: How to Fight Late-Night Cravings

Shawn Wayland — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:00:00 +0000

About to wreck your diet or give in to a late-night indulgence? Drink a protein shake and eat low caloric density foods before giving in. Step 1 Start with a lower-carb, filling protein shake. When you're hungry, a protein shake can usually hit the spot and satisfy the hunger. Step 2 If it doesn't, then

Read the full article at Tip: How to Fight Late-Night Cravings

Tip: Choose Your Own HIIT

Shawn Wayland — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0000

The Power of Choice It's time for cardio. It's your second interval training workout for the week and your motivation as you approach the treadmill is low. The workout planned seems awful. You're dreading it. What do you do? Easy. Just choose your intensity level, no matter what the workout plan says. You may end

Read the full article at Tip: Choose Your Own HIIT

Tip: In Defense of the Partial Squat

Shawn Wayland — Fri, 25 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000

Good Partials, Bad Partials If you're a serious lifter you probably get heated just thinking about those who don't squat with a full range of motion. Partials are a blacklisted movement in the lifting community. And it's no wonder. The quarter-squatter seems to be the PR-seeking ego lifter who's never squatted to depth (parallel or

Read the full article at Tip: In Defense of the Partial Squat

Tip: Gains Stopped? Do Less, Not More

Shawn Wayland — Sun, 06 May 2018 17:00:00 +0000

When your progress in the gym stagnates and your performance starts to decline, your first instinct is to go harder or do MORE. Depending on your situation, that may be the answer, but oftentimes it's counterproductive. The plateau or drop in performance may be because you've already pushed too hard and need to back off

Read the full article at Tip: Gains Stopped? Do Less, Not More

Tip: Build Your Shoulders. Don't Destroy Them.

Shawn Wayland — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:00:00 +0000

"Abnormal" Pain Is A Red Flag It's not uncommon to have aches and pains here and there. Muscles are sore. Joints may ache. Overuse injuries can occur. The early sign of things going awry is pain, but lifters and athletes have high tolerances for pain. The smart ones know how to differentiate normal pain from

Read the full article at Tip: Build Your Shoulders. Don't Destroy Them.

Tip: Ginger, Pain Relief, and Performance

Shawn Wayland — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:00:00 +0000

The use of NSAIDs, like aspirin and ibuprofen, by athletes and lifters is incredibly high. Most athletes are pretty beat up. But long term use of NSAIDs isn't exactly healthy. Luckily, ginger works in a similar manner to reduce inflammation, but without the severe side effects. The Study A systematic review analyzed dosing, timing, and

Read the full article at Tip: Ginger, Pain Relief, and Performance

Tip: The Core Squat

Shawn Wayland — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Take two groups of guys and have them do back squats. Both groups will use the same weight, bar position, foot position, and do the same number of reps. Now, how can you make one group get much greater activation in the core musculature? Answer: Change how the weight is loaded. This leads to drastically

Read the full article at Tip: The Core Squat

The Truth About Kinesiology Tape

Shawn Wayland — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000

A lot of top athletes use kinesiology or kinesio tape. Many of them even have endorsement deals with the various makers of the tape. Yes, these folks are incredible athletes, but that doesn't mean the tape is contributing to their abilities. Or does it? You've probably seen everyone from Olympic athletes to CrossFitters using K-tape

Read the full article at The Truth About Kinesiology Tape