
Exercise Variation
Attitudes towards exercise variations in the bodybuilding community are pretty split – some swear by variation while others decry its importance. What’s the science say?
The most comprehensive bodybuilding and exercise science course that’s designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to become a versatile coach, capable of training individuals from all backgrounds and enabling you to establish a thriving business of your own.
The most comprehensive bodybuilding and exercise science course that’s designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to become a versatile coach, capable of training individuals from all backgrounds and enabling you to establish a thriving business of your own.

Attitudes towards exercise variations in the bodybuilding community are pretty split – some swear by variation while others decry its importance. What’s the science say?

Coaches and trainers often preach the importance of the lowering portion of resistance training exercises. Is this really the most important part of a lift?

Many often advocate for using a full range of motion when lifting weights. How important is this? Does science agree with this advice, or is there more to it?

Carb cycling is a popular stategy employed by athletes and bodybuilders in an attempt to improve exercise adaptations and body composition. Does it work?

Many people think training frequency is a closed case in the research, but we actually know very little about the optimum frequency for each muscle group. Let’s get into more detail.

The debate about knee safety during the squat has raged over the past few decades. Let’s dig into what the science says about squats and knee health.

This study found that concentrating on specific muscle groups using the, “mind-muscle connection” can increase muscle activation during resistance training.

This ground-breaking study found that the position of your tongue in your mouth can influence power production in isolation exercises.

Summary Powerlifters and bodybuilders often use lifting belts to prevent injury and improve performance (Finnie et al., 2003). While lower back protection is murky (read

We often think of the bench press as an upper body exercise, but interestingly enough, your leg and core strength can be a limiting factor in max benching.

This study found that subjects were able to make similar gains in muscle size when using light loads vs heavy loads. The caveat is that sets must be taken close to failure for this effect to occur.

This study confirmed a classic gym theory that a wide-grip bench press will target the chest more while a close-grip bench press emphasizes the triceps more.
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Bodybuilders often recommend using the mind-muscle connection to improve muscle activation. Does this practice actually work?

This week we are going to start with this tip. Personally, I have some shoulder mobility issues and wrist pain when trying to position for a front squat. If you have similar issues, this old-school training hack may help you out with this powerhouse exercise that will hammer your quads.

We will go over the effects of whey protein vs. whole food on protein synthesis, and how they help you become more anabolic.

In this episode of the Muscle PhD Live Academy we will discuss shoulder pain while benching and we’ll be answering community questions

Calves are some of the most stubborn muscles to grow for most. If you have done endless calf raises and still see no results, this may be why. You need variety. Try this and see them grow from baby calves into Spanish fighting bulls!

Is it possible to increase calorie burn with post-workout carbs? We’ll look at what the science says about timing your carbs.
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