Conjugate Iron

If you've been reading my stuff for a while, you must be aware of my unconditional love for the squat. The benefits are profound. And there are many ways you can do it. I've broken down how variations of the regular squat can help build your athletic base. But I haven't really analyzed the differences in depth and how they can serve various aspects of sports. Different depth ranges in squats have their benefits and that's what this article is about. I'm not writing this as a competitive powerlifter or as a powerlifting coach. But as a strength coach. That being said, powerlifting will make a few "surprise appearances" in this article. It's inevitable since one of the 3 lifts is the squat. Before we start, let's set this point of reference. A parallel squat or "legal" depth if you're competing, is when the crease of your hip is in line with the top of your knee. Anything below that is considered a deep squat. Some federations won'

ORIGINS The floor press is my favorite variation. Historically the first one too. Thanks to the great George Hackenschmidt who decided to press the bar above his chest instead of pressing it overhead at a time when a bench didn't yet exist.  Hackenschmidt could press 165kg/363lbs from the floor around 120 years ago. Wrap your head around this, as I’m doing the same. Before this turns into an article about Hack I’m going back to talking about the exercise itself. From a personal standpoint, the floor press is one of those exercises that have helped my bench go up through the years. It has accompanied me through hard times, when chest and shoulder issues were making it difficult for me to bench with full ROM. When my constantly aggravated elbow screamed as I was trying to bring the bar down to my chest, it was there for me. I rotated it with the teams I was part of and I prescribe it in people's programs consistently. ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION The floor press is one of those

I started deadlifting around mid 2010. I just loved the idea that picking something up and putting it back down was all I had to do, it was raw and simple in it's concept, yet not simple at all in technique. This was a sports event? Sign me up!  Up until late 2015 I'd been pulling conventional. After I hurt my back in October of that year and went from a 530lbs pull in competition to a 135lbs pull in a few weeks time, I knew I had to switch things up.  I didn't want to switch to sumo. Not because it was "easier" or because Jakabol gym was full of strongmen that moved serious weights conventional. It was because until that point my back felt bullet proof. And conventional stance really looked like the way one well... Stands.  So it was a matter of me being stubborn. But not as stubborn as the pain in my lumbar spine. I didn't waste any time and started experimenting with the sumo stance after a failed meet December of 2015 where I benched ok but walked out befo

How can you be objective when you write about a man you've admired since childhood? In what way do you present him to others who may not know him? Son, worker, wrestler, strongman, movie appearances, trainer, motivational speaker, weight lifter, husband, father. George Tromaras was all that indeed.  I've been slowly and methodically adding to the article you're reading for nearly 12 months. I tried to make a tribute video but the resources were insufficient unfortunately. Some clips I didn't have the rights to and were taken many years ago so the resolution wasn't good enough.  Some pictures were not suitable for wide screen and I didn't want to have a mixed selection of images just so I can make a video. Bottom line it would just not present him in the way he deserves. So I decided to write about him instead. There will be a plethora of photos at the end of this article which will help establish a better visual concept of the man and his legacy.  I felt the nee

As if spending most of 2022 releasing my e-book wasn't enough, I decided to finally tackle my Biomechanics studies via the London College of Canada. Because, who wants to take a break, right? This was something I've wanted to do since 2019 and then it became even more attractive in 2020 when during the lock down I started taking several online assessments on biomechanics and the musculoskeletal system and successfully passing all of them.  So a few weeks after Conjugate Iron was released, I managed to take some of the profits and invest on an online Biomechanics course which I'm currently in the middle of. And before this introduction deviates towards an endless brag instead of the actual subject of this article, I want to thank those who supported me and move onto talking about the amazing abilities our bones possess.  Let's begin. I'm not going to expand on the bone itself as much since the article needs to stay around the resistance training realm. Also, the more

I love pressing weight overhead. As a teenager, I had a barbell at home and a total of 80kg which I'd clean from the floor with terrible form, shaking and wobbling. It fascinated me. Then press it up while having a mini stroke. It was the end result of all kinds of ways the strongmen of old would use to bring a dumbbell, barbell or any other type of implement above their head.  Here are some variations that I've incorporated into my training through the years and still rotate whether I'm getting ready for competition or just training throughout the year.  1. Standing barbell press Considered my many to be one of the truest tests of strength. Old school exercise, I like to have my grip at around shoulder width. This way my triceps stay aligned with my forearms. Don't be surprised if your bench goes up while you're incorporating these into your training. You use your triceps to lock the weight above your head and it's a much longer range of motion. So much tricep

Enhance your bench press (10+ variations) Here are some exercises you can add to your arsenal in order to have fun and hit the chest and triceps from different angles. I hope you’ll find something out of this small selection, which I’ve personally used and still use after many years. It’s not set in stone, you can always change something, retract one and add another one of your own preference. Enjoy! 1. Floor press My personal favorite variation. Historically the first one too. Thanks to the great George Hackenschmidt who decided to press the bar above his chest instead of pressing it overhead. Hackenschmidt could press 165kg from the floor around 120 years ago. Wrap your head around this, as I’m doing the same. Before this turns into an article about Hack (working on that as well) I’m going to get back to the benefits of the floor press. Your bench press lockout demands serious tricep involvement. And there’s nothing better than this ingenious variation. Make sure every step is slow a

The squat is my favorite exercise. Here are some of the variations I’ve used through the years and still do to this day. 1. Box squat I wrote a whole article on the box squat and it’s immense significance on muscular development, balance and explosive strength for multiple sports. This variation is the safest one, if executed correctly. And can be done by literally everybody who can sit on a chair or anywhere else. If you can sit, you can box squat. Not to mention I’ve used it in so many of my online clients programs. You can do it with a barbell, a kettlebell in front of you or two hanging from the sides. Use a dumbbell in the exact similar way, both resembling the goblet squat.  You can do it with bands and chains as well. It’s incredibly important to NOT swing back as you sit down. Maintain the posture you would if you were descending during a full squat. The only way you’ll have proper results as far as the weight goes into your full squat, is to do it without swinging back and for