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Hi, budec! :D It's interesting that you say you feel as if you are using more arm than back on your exercises. That may be exactly what you are doing The muscles that will add bulk to your back are attached to your shoulder blades and your upper arm. If you aren't getting those...

Hiya, Volatile! :D It's possible that Bo Sox is right. Even with the best of form, more load on the bar means more load on your lower back. I think Jake's advice is great. No matter how knowledgable one is about form, it's virtually impossible to "see" what you are doing...

Hi, double e, and welcome! :D I'm not sure I understand your question. Worse in what way? And do you mean seated or standing or prone leg curls. So many variations on a theme...

Sounds like you've got it right! [x]j, you are right, that is the third (and best) way to do them: RDL (Romanian Deadlift) also known as Keystone DLs.

This does get rather confusing, especially when you are getting conflicting advice. There are two ways to do this exercise, one which includes flexion and extension of your lumbar spine (the bending and unbending of your back) and one where the motion is almost exclusively at the hip joint...

Very few people need to reach the floor on these. You are probably still getting too much motion in your lower back. Try starting your SLDL from standing position. Keep your lower back locked up tight and lower only until you can't get any further without bending your lower back. There is no...

:D Not strange at all! reverse hypers straightened out my back problems. Doing purposeful flexion with great consiousness can be a very healing thing. I just think keeping it separate from DL's is the safest thing for most lifters. Kate

:D Scott! Are you a power lifter by any chance? It isn't politics... it is, as it has always been for me, establishing your primary goal and weighing risk vs. benefit. There is a definite benefit to a PLer who may suddenly be swaying with hundreds of pounds across his/her shoulders, to...

these work best for me, too! Some things that really help me with form: 1) The proper name is stiff LDL not straight. 2) This is primarily a hamstring exercise. The lower back should not be doing any of the pull (although it will work very hard at stabilizing). 3) Stick those glutes...

Hi, guys! :D First of all, I think "good" posture is extremely difficult while sitting... sitting really isn't "natural". It has very little to do with the primary function of the musculoskeletal system, which is motion. I think your friend is correct in theory. A...

A good safe squat has more to do with learning and practicing good form than it does with strength. All of my training clients learn to squat, even if it with tiny pink dumbbells. ;) Most clients will switch to leg press when they aren't training with me anymore, but by then they have...

Most likely you will be stronger than the maxes you tested for, especially your first few times through. This is a nice "gift" you can put to good use several ways, including beginning your second cycle an increment heavier or extending the next cycle. The main thing that drives...

Hi, MO75, and welcome! "1) How did you calculate the differences in weights between workouts one and two, two and three, and so on? It seems to be around 5%, would that be a correct guess?" Probably close enough. There are exact numbers posted in the FAQs. I think 3 to 6% of 5 RM...

Gentlemen! Your faith in my advice is both flattering and humbling. Please do remember that I am not a licensed practitioner of any sort, and if I were, I wouldn't be so bold as to diagnose something without first getting my hands on it. In general then: this type of injury is often caused...

:) My right hip was screaming after a few weeks of deep squatting. Admittedly my form was new and my right hip has always been the first to complain. It's quite possible if I'd stuck with it, I could have nailed the form, gotten stronger... maybe even improved the mobility in my hip. I...

Hi, Manic! :D Thanks for bumping that thread on this subject. I did deep squats for a short while, when a proselytizing powerlifting friend tried to get me to compete. I couldn't move but about half the weight (admittedly variations on a known exercise can be more difficult to learn than...

Well, kinda sorta.... TOO wide a grip definitely focuses on the front delts, as John Steel has discovered. (Be glad you were smart enough to figure this out without experiencing pain or injury as so many of us do ) There isn't an optimal bench position for everybody although every body has...

Hiya, Richard! :D Whenever I answer a question related to lifting, I start by thinking about two things: A. What is my primary goal? and B. Does the benefit outweigh the risk? If your primary goal is to be a strong freeweight bench presser, then yes, you lose a lot by using the smith...

:D Hiya, Gladiator and welcome! Typically, in RM range for 15's, I'll get 12 reps on the second set, for tens about 8. You can try using rep speed as an indicator of "doneness" on that second set. When the rep speed is noticably slower than your first rep of the set, you are done...

I'll blame this double post on my computer....