Articles
I Don’t Want to Be Too Muscular!
Want to start barbell strength training but concerned about getting too big/bulky/muscular? If you answered yes, this article is for you.
Speed of Descent in the Squat – How to Get a “Bounce” at the Bottom of Your Squat
How fast should you descent when you squat? How do you stand back up from the bottom of a squat?
Here’s why you shouldn’t descent too quickly and how to get a “bounce” at the bottom of your squat
Where to Look While Squatting
Does it matter where you’re looking at when squatting? Yes, it does. The direction of your eye gaze definitely impacts your squat efficiency.
Read on to understand how gaze affects form, and how to break bad habits of looking in the wrong place.
Why (And How) To Video Your Lifts
If your phone has a camera and you aren’t using it to record your training sessions, you’re missing out. Filming your lifts can be an invaluable tool for improving your training. Here’s why and how to video yourself.
How to Secure Your Deadlift Grip
Is your grip slipping on the deadlift? Usually, your grip is the first thing to go when the weight of your deadlift goes up. In this article, we discuss the various deadlift grips, their advantages and disadvantages, and when you should use them.
Do You Need a Coach?
Are you working towards being a better lifter or athlete?
If you are, here’s how a coach can be beneficial throughout your entire lifting career.
Is Training Before Taking a Break a Waste of Effort? 3 Reasons Why It’s Better to Train
Should you train just before going on holiday? Or just stop now and restart when you get back? We address your concerns about losing gains, and how to minimise detraining and make the best use of planned breaks.
Stop Yanking Your Deadlift off the Floor
Yanking your deadlift off the floor usually results in undesirable “slack”. Read on to understand what slack is, how to set up properly for the deadlift, and how to identify and avoid slack before you pull your deadlift off the floor.
Lessons Under the Barbell – Doing Hard Stuff Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
If there’s anything I’ve learnt after having trained under the barbell for almost 2 years, it’s the notion of progressive overload. Here’s what it taught me about navigating through adulthood as a young adult, affecting my overall perspective about dealing with challenges and how I perceive personal growth.
Programming 101 – Loading Protocols
Getting to the end of your Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression and wondering how to adjust your programming to continue making progress? In this article, I will reveal the trade secrets that helped me become the strongest Indonesian Starting Strength Coach (SSC).
How Long Should I Take Between Reps?
It seems reasonable to pause and catch your breath just before the final rep. But this common mistake makes the set harder than it needs to be. In this article, we explain why this is so, and how you can beat it.
How Fat Can You Get – The Skinny Men Tournament
Tired of being skinny stick insects, Atul and I embarked on a competition to gain weight. During the process, I learnt some lessons and realised that there are a few parallels between training and our pathetic attempt to gain weight.
Barbell Strength Training Is Seen as Dangerous and Risky. But Is It Really?
to the layperson, barbell strength training is perceived as dangerous and puts one at high risk of injury.
In this article, we discuss if that’s really the case.
The Difference Between Barbell Strength Training and Powerlifting
They both use heavy barbells. So powerlifting and barbell strength training are the same thing, right? Well, not really. In this article, we explain how they’re different and why it matters.
My Doctor Told Me to Never Lift Anything Heavy
When I was 15, I was diagnosed with imperfections of the lumbar spine, resulting in chronic back pain. For years, I blindly followed my doctor’s advice and avoided heavy lifting. But avoiding the issue won’t solve it – thankfully, I realised that the best cure for a weak back is to make it stronger.
How to Find Your Press Grip
Is your overhead press stuck? Has progress stalled? Somehow can’t press more? Before you delve into a press training program, first start with how you’re pressing. To make sure that you’re pressing as efficiently as possible, pay attention to what happens even before you start to press – that is, how you set your grip.
Happy 5th Anniversary, Hygieia! Our Annual Review and Plans for ‘22
It seems like it was only yesterday that Hygieia opened its doors… and we’re now celebrating our 5th anniversary! A very big thank you to everyone for your ongoing support. Our growth has been totally organic and we couldn’t have come this far without you.
How have we changed? I’d like to share what we’ve been up to, and where we’re going.
Rpe – Rate of Perceived Exertion or Really Poor Excuses?
RPE is a polarising topic. Some lifters deem it unreliable or useless, because it relies on individual “feeling.” Others like it, because you can calibrate stress to ever-changing performance conditions.
So, is RPE as simple as using your “feeling” to determine intensity? Is it the answer to programming for fluctuations in human performance? Let’s dig in.
So, is RPE as simple as using your “feeling” to determine the intensity?
Is RPE the answer to programming that allows for fluctuations in human performance?
Let’s dig in.
Barbell Plate Maths – What Plates Should You Load on the Bar to Get to the Weight You Need?
How do you decide which plates to put on the bar, to get to the weight that you need? Most people take that weight, deduct the weight of the bar and divide the remainder by 2. If you’ve been doing that, stop right now and read this article.
Being Skinny to Fat: Why Am I Losing My Six-Pack?!
Calling all you skinny guys – want to gain mass and muscle, but worried about losing your six-pack? Here’s why your six-pack doesn’t matter, and why you should be practical about it.
Strength Training for Osteoporosis – How Stressing Your Bones Actually Makes Them Stronger
“How can someone with osteoporosis lift heavy weights without getting compression fractures?”
“Lifting weights is too extreme! If you’re older, shouldn’t you be doing something gentler like swimming or walking?”
In this article, we address why lifting weights, when carefully supervised, is actually ideal for treating osteoporosis.
Curious How Much Do You Need to Bench Press in Order to Be Able to Do a Push-Up?
Ever wondered how much you need to bench press in order to be able to do a push up? Here’s my attempt to find out.
Overthinking the Small Things? First, Get Your Priorities Right.
When’s the best time of the day to train? When’s the best time to have a protein shake? Does it even matter?
She’s 66 and a Powerlifting Record Holder
Singapore’s national newspaper, The Straits Times, interviews Patricia about osteoporosis, her training and breaking national powerlifting records.
FRAGILE! Handle With Care
Throughout my coaching career, some clients have been incredible teachers for me.
Here’s to the newbies who are terrified about beginning their training – this is how you can work effectively with your coach to achieve your goals.
Can You Be Too Strong? When Is Strength Too Much of a Good Thing?
For the longest time, we’ve been going on about the virtues of strength training. So aiming for strength is great. It’s true that the stronger you are, the better. But is there such a thing as being too strong? Can one actually be too strong?
Hip Drive: The Most Misunderstood Piece of Starting Strength’s Squat Movement
“Why do you teach people to squat like a stripper?”
This is probably the most commonly asked question about the hip drive in the squat. I recently met a guy at a commercial gym, who, when he found out that I’m a Starting Strength Coach (SSC), asked exactly that. To clear the air once and for all, here’s why.
So You Wanna Be Jacked? Maybe You Should Get Strong First
You want to get jacked. What’s the difference between bodybuilding programs and strength training? And why should you choose one over the other? Bodybuilding and strength training are intertwined. Read on to find out why you must first get strong to gain muscle.
Iron Plates vs Bumper Plates: Why Does Iron Feel Heavier Even With the Same Weight?
You’ve always used bumper plates. But one day, all the bumper plates in the gym are taken. No biggie – weight is weight, right? So you use iron plates instead. But as the weight gets closer to your working weight, you notice that it feels harder than usual.
Does it make a difference which plates you use? Turns out it does and here’s why.
The Tortoise and the Hare and Its Application to Your Fitness Goal
As a coach, I regularly encounter clients who want to get strong fast, and achieve their physique, body weight and body fat percentage goals ASAP. While there’s nothing wrong with setting optimistic goals, they need a better perspective on time and feasibility.
I explain how, using lessons from the familiar childhood bedtime story, The Tortoise and The Hare.
What I Learned From Constantly Failing My Diet
If you have been following Hygieia’s social media pages, you might remember me documenting my attempts to gain weight, but failing. I felt that something was off, but didn’t know what.
Only after consulting with an experienced dietician did I figure it out. I also realised that having the right professional in your corner makes a real difference. Here’s what I learned.
How Long Should I Rest Between Sets? Take the Time for Proper Recovery and Faster Progress
Do you regularly fail sets that aren’t too heavy? You’re probably not resting enough. To complete all the sets in a workout, you need to fully recover between sets. What’s the optimal amount of rest time between sets? Here’s how to find your sweet spot.
Why and How to Keep a Training Log – Serious Lifters Track Their Data for Better Progress
Training logs are a must-do for tracking your workout data. If you come to us with a training problem, having a training log can be extremely helpful. Because your log records your training history, an experienced coach can have a better idea of what’s going on from your workout data to help diagnose the problem. Here’s why and how you should keep one.
Cheating Depth and a Lesson From Master Yoda
The population census conducted in hell revealed that the most prevalent “squat-sin” amongst the participants was cheating (depth) when they think that they might fail the next rep. Coach Marvin shares his wisdom in preventing this embarrassing issue.
Getting Back to the Gym – How to Start Training After a Long Break
Right now, strength gyms in Singapore are being forced to close from 8th May until 13th June. No prizes for guessing why. So if you don’t lift barbells for a few weeks, what’s going to happen? Will you lose all your gains? Will you be a weak puddle of mush when you finally get back under the barbell? Here’s how to get back to strength training after a break.
How to Never Mentally Give up a Rep – Stop Being a Coward
The timer goes off – it’s time to go for your PR. Palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy. You’re nervous. You’ve never lifted this weight before. That last warm-up felt unusually heavy. And you start to doubt yourself: “If that last warm-up already felt so heavy, can I really lift the weight on the bar?”
Here are 5 ways to mentally prepare and push through a heavy lift.
The Patient’s Dilemma
Ever been told by a doctor that you should avoid lifting weights, running, *insert physical activity here* because of your back, neck, shoulder or knee pain? At the same time, that same doctor recommends that you should strengthen the muscles around the structure that’s causing the pain as it’ll help stabilise the joint. So what should you do? You’re not alone in this dilemma – Coach Marvin had the same experience when he was diagnosed with a spine degenerative condition and was told to avoid his favourite sport. Here’s why the advice given by the doctor isn’t always sound.
How to Warm Up for Barbell Lifts – Improve Your Performance With the Optimal Warm-up Routine
Most of us have a clear training routine. You know that you’ll walk into the gym, change into lifting clothes, put on lifting gear and head to the rack. You know that you’ll start your training with squats, and you know the exact numbers for your working weight, sets and reps.
But what about your warm-up weights? And how many sets or reps? Actually, how much warm-ups do you even need to do?
Your Complete Guide to Lifting Belts
If you’ve been lifting for a while, you know that weightlifting shoes are essential. What about weightlifting belts?
We usually hear a range of reactions from lifters, from “Nah, I’ll wait till I’m able to lift X kg before I start using a belt!” to “I see guys who wear a belt for their entire gym session, so do I need one too?”
Belts are important if you’re serious about lifting. Here’s a guide to why you might need one, and what to look out for.
How to Get Strong and Ripped Training Once a Week and Eating(Mostly) What You Want
Tired of spending hours upon hours in the gym training hard? Frustrated that you can’t reward yourself with a nice meal after a gruelling training session for fear of getting fat? Here’s how you can get strong and ripped training once a week and eating (mostly) what you want.
Training at Hygieia – What to Expect When You First Start Training
To our new clients, hello and welcome! This article will summarise what you’ll be doing in the first few months of training with us, along with what you might experience during that process.
If you’re considering joining us, you’ll find out more about our training methodology principles and what to expect when you join us.
An Interview With Shaun: The History of Hygieia
Happy 4th anniversary to Hygieia Strength & Conditioning! This month marks the 4th year since Hygieia opened its doors. Usually, we’d commemorate every anniversary with a BBQ outside the gym to thank everyone for their support, but COVID restrictions have prevented it this year. Instead, to mark the occasion, Patricia, one of our clients, interviews our founder Shaun about the history of Hygieia.
Survival Reaction in the Squat – The Chesty Edition
A heavy bar is loaded on your back. You start descending, bending your knees and hips so that your hip crease dips below the top of your patella. You try to get back up, but darn, it’s heavy! Here comes your natural instinct to survive – raising the chest up, in the hope that the bar will follow. Even worse, you might start looking up! Because you’ve got to look up to go up, right? Well, well. If this is you, please read this article to understand how your survival reaction is detrimental to the lift.
Latihan Barbel adalah Obat yang Ampuh
“[S]aat ini tidak ada bukti yang pasti bahwa latihan kekuatan – atau program latihan dan diet lain – akan memperpanjang masa hidup secara signifikan. Tapi dengan bukti ilmiah yang banyak, walau memiliki kelemahan, secara kuat menunjukkan bahwa kita bisa mengubah arah penurunan.” [Bahasa Indonesia translation of Barbell Training is Big Medicine]
Why You Need Weightlifting Shoes and How to Buy Them
In barbell training, shoes matter. Here’s everything you need to know about weightlifting shoes, the essential gear for barbell training. We’ll tell you why you need a pair of weightlifting shoes, what to look out for, and how to buy them.
How to Set Up Safely for the Barbell Lifts
Learning to squat, press, bench, and deadlift; there’s no lack of tutorials showing you how to do each one of those correctly and safely. However, safety is not only dictated by your form or whether or not you are choosing the correct weight on the first day, but also knowing how to set up your equipment correctly. Here are some guidelines for your reference.
Kekuatan & Barbel – Fondasi Kebugaran
Jika saya mendapatkan satu dolar setiap kali seorang klien atau atlet bertanya mengapa mereka harus melakukan squat dan tidak bisakah mereka melakukan lunge saja, atau pertanyaan-pertanyaan serupa dengan variasi latihan berbeda, saya mungkin mendapatkan cukup uang untuk membuka gym yang telah idamkan. Jika saya menambahkannya sebanyak pertanyaan serupa di forum, saya bahkan mungkin bisa membayar sewanya. [Indonesian translation of Strength & Barbells by fellow Starting Strength Coach, Michael Wolf]
Why Some Lifters Pass Out After Deadlifts, and How to Avoid It
You’ve probably seen those viral videos: a lifter pulls a heavy deadlift and everything looks awesome. He puts the bar back down on the floor, stands back up, looks around like he’s confused, then suddenly, boom! He’s passed out flat on the floor. Read on to understand why some lifters pass out after deadlifts, and how to avoid it.
How Strong is Strong Enough?
You’ve been training for a while, and you noticed how much you’ve progressed. Your numbers have indeed been going up, but are you strong enough? Before worrying about whether or not you’re strong enough, take a moment and think about why you started strength training in the first place.
How to Rehab Muscle Strains or Tears – Rehab, Not Rest, Will Speed up Recovery
If you’ve strained or torn a muscle, most doctors will tell you to take some painkillers and rest the affected area. But extended rest and waiting for the injured muscle to heal on its own means that its recovery will be slowed down and the muscle fibres don’t heal back properly. Find out what you should do to speed up your recovery and lower the chances of injuring the muscle again.
Daily Application of Markovnikov’s Rule
The more we accept that we are weak and trying to hide from the hard physical effort, the more vulnerable we get. The best way to break the vicious cycle of getting weak is to expose yourself to the challenging physical effort.
3 Tips to Speed Up Your Workout – How to Save Time in the Gym While Still Making Gains
It seems like there’s never enough time in our busy lives. Do you rush to the gym, then rush to complete your lifts while your mind is constantly thinking about how little time you have left before you’ve got to go back to work or to pick your kids? Within the time you have, how can you be more efficient while still maximising your strength gains? Here are 3 things that you can do to speed up your workout and still continue to make gains.
How to Organise Community Events in Times of Lockdowns – My First Online Powerlifting Competition in My Lifetime
Usually, I use my Saturdays for writing an article. But this is what I have done today, Saturday 28 November 2020: I took part in a Powerlifting competition. Powerlifting is how I stay fit. I try to take part in at least one powerlifting competition per year....
The Barbell, The Teacher (Part 4) – Ignoring Distraction to Achieve your Goals
Previously, we saw that acquiring Patience, Hard Work and Practice will improve your training as well as various aspects of your life.
Now in Part 4, we get to the final lesson of Focus, which, when taken together with the other three, can transform who you are when applied.
The Five-Second Rule
Have you heard of the five-second rule? Have you noticed yourself or seen anyone giving up on their lifts, although it looked relatively easy until they gave up?
If you are guilty of such a crime, don’t worry! You are not alone! The majority of the lifters belongs to Team “Let it go!”
Bro science tells us that there are only two kinds of lifters in this world – lifters that are strong and lifters who let it (the bar) go.
The Barbell, The Teacher (Part 3) – Committing to Consistency and Excellence
While barbells are the best way to get strong, the improved physical capabilities isn’t the only benefit.
In Part 1 and Part 2, we saw how Patience and Hard Work can positively influence your life, by encouraging you to forgo short term gratification for long term benefit, and training up your ability to stick with doing hard things.
Now in Part 3, we’ll look at the lesson of Practice and how it helps you get better in just about anything you want to do.
The Barbell, The Teacher (Part 2) – Becoming a Better Version of Yourself
The apparently simple process of barbell training will teach you life lessons that are useful both inside and outside the gym.
In Part 1 of this article series, we learned the lesson of Patience — how you should use it to train consistently and get strong slowly, instead of looking for unrealistic shortcuts.
Now in Part 2, we’ll look at the lesson of Hard Work, and how it helps you become a better version of yourself.
The Barbell, The Teacher (Part 1) – Lessons with the Power to Change your Life
The barbell – it’s simply a piece of machined steel, a useful tool to get you strong when used correctly. But if you immerse yourself and commit to training, you will find that it does more than just get you physically strong.
The barbell and the process of training teaches you many lessons, and develops uncommon character traits that will positively affect your life outside the gym.
Foolproof Back Tweak Fix
Earlier this month, I had a bad back tweak from squatting. It was terrible. I was limping for almost a week. At one point, it was so painful to wake up from bed; I was shaking for minutes whenever I stood up.
However, within 7 days, I resumed my normal daily activities. Here’s the details of how it happened, why it happened, and what I did to recover.
Stop Wasting Your Time in the Gym
If you’ve been training at a commercial gym for a while, pause, take a look around and observe the regulars. You’ll realise that most of them are performing or look exactly the same as they did a few months (or even years) ago.
Now, take a moment and review your own training. Have you been making steady progress or have you been going around in circles?
The Unspoken Rules of Strength Gyms
You wouldn’t want to piss the gym staff or potentially the other gym users, would you? Of course not. You are nice that way.
So here it is, the UNSPOKEN RULES of the strength gyms.
Going to the Gym to Lose Weight? Why Training Only for Appearances Is a Bad Idea.
Exercising to lose weight? Instead, improve your strength to improve your health. Check out other great reasons for going to the gym and bigger goals to train for.
Kekuatan adalah Uang di Tabungan Anda
Massa otot di tubuh Anda seperti uang di tabungan. Keduanya dapat diraih dengan perencanaan yang matang, dan keduanya merupakan salah satu hal terpenting yang Anda bisa capai – jika Anda berpikir jangka panjang.
Why Do Old People Fall Down (And What You Can Do About It)
According to the Health Promotion Board, about one-third of elderly Singaporeans aged 60 and above have fallen at least once. We’ll discuss why strength is important in maintaining balance and why “balance training” doesn’t work.
Getting My Mom to Train
I love my parents, and I bet you do too. My goal is to increase their quality of life – to be physically independent and enjoy whatever they want to do for the rest of their lives, however long that may be.
Here’s my advice on how to convince your parents to start strength training.
Embracing the Discomfort of Training
Training isn’t meant to be comfortable – it never was, never is and never will be. If you’re serious about your training and want to make progress, you must shed the mindset of ‘working within your comfort zone’ and start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Gyms: Are They Necessary?
In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of gyms when it comes to training, not exercising, and how your mindset and outlook inevitably impact your view of gym culture…
Road to Becoming an SSC – Part 5
Hello, my name is Marvin, and I am a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) based in Singapore. I am proud to say that I am one of only five people in Asia with this credential…
Who’s Stronger? Absolute Strength Versus Relative Strength
Who’s Stronger?
Lifter A, 50 kg bodyweight – Deadlifts 150 kg
Lifter B, 80 kg bodyweight – Deadlifts 200 kg
Road to Becoming an SSC – Part 4
Hello, my name is Marvin, and I am a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) based in Singapore. I am proud to say that I am one of only five people in Asia with this credential…
Planning for Your Future
Just like there are questionnaires and tests to gauge if you’re on the path to be financially ready for retirement, there are a multitude of simple tests to find out if you have sufficient strength for your golden years.
Road to Becoming an SSC – Part 3
Hello, my name is Marvin, and I am a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) based in Singapore. I am proud to say that I am one of only five people in Asia with this credential…
Road to Becoming an SSC – Part 2
Hello, my name is Marvin and I am a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) based in Singapore. I am proud to say that I am one of only five people in Asia with this credential…
Squat Depth – How to Get It Just Right?
In the 19th century fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, a little girl named Goldilocks tastes three different bowls of porridge and finds that the perfect bowl…
Start Small, Be Consistent, Keep Going
Remember the New Year’s resolutions you made a few months back? You had big plans to overhaul your life starting the moment the clock struck 12 on the 1st of January 2020…
Road to Becoming an SSC – Part 1
Hello, my name is Marvin and I am a Starting Strength Coach (SSC) based in Singapore. I am proud to say that I am one of only five people in Asia with this credential…
Strength and Older Adults
Strength is something that everyone loses as they age – this is an irrefutable fact and occurs whether you like it or not. One does not appreciate the role that strength plays in their life until they find themselves in a situation whereby they lack the strength to perform simple activities of daily living. Getting a weak older adult stronger is like handing the keys to their independence back to them. But how does an older adult with aches/pains/injuries and no training experience get stronger safely using barbell training? Here’s a brief look at it’s done.
Steps on Managing Training Around External Stress
There will be times in life whereby your training schedule gets disrupted by life stressors – it could be anything from having a new baby to work deadlines. Since life happens and disruptions can’t be avoided, how can you best manage training around external stressors?
Hygieia Strength & Conditioning’s 2019 Year End Review
First of all, we at Hygieia Strength & Conditioning would like to thank you, our clients. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you, thank you for your continued…
Get Strong in the New Year
This new year, instead of the usual and popular New Year Resolutions of losing weight/fat or exercising more, have you considered getting stronger?
Consistency is Key
Oh boy, what a boring title! The content of this article could potentially be boring, as with the message that I’m trying to send across. What is said here is not a secret…
Strength Training and Sports Performance
Do a quick search for “sports specific training” or “sports performance training” online and you’ll find a plethora of websites marketing programs that…
Strength Training and Older Adults
According to Singapore’s Department of Statistics, 13.7% of the resident population in 2018 are aged 65 years and over (Wong, 2018, pp.14). Thanks to advancements in…
Losing Weight and Strength Training
Every once in a while, we get people walking into the gym and asking if strength training can help them if their goal is weight loss. Almost all of the time, they’re…
Training and Travelling
You’ve finalised your flights, booked your hotel and ready to go on your well-deserved holiday. Here’s how to plan your training around your travelling schedule.
The Gloves Don’t Work, They Just Make It Worse
If you’re new to lifting weights and deadlifts are part of your training (as it should be), you’ll probably notice calluses forming on your palm just below the junction…
Patience in Strength Training
Over the past few years that I’ve been a strength coach, I’ve worked with with dozens of lifters and brought most of them through to the end of their Novice Linear Progression…
How to Start Squatting
If you’re able to squat to proper depth (hip crease below the top of your kneecap) with a barbell on your back, this article isn’t for you. If you’re able to do a bodyweight
Bar Placement in the Squat
An increasing number of people are realising the benefits of strength training and as a result, more people than ever are getting under barbells and squatting…
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