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] Read more →

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. Why some lifters pass out after deadlifts, and how to avoid it. Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

  Usually, I use my Saturdays for writing an article.... Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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.  Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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 a few minutes standing up. Here's a detailed story of how it happened, why it happened, and what I did to recover. Read more →

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? Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

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. Read more →

I love my parents, and I bet you do too. My goal to increase my parent's quality of life by being physically independent and enjoying whatever they want to do for the rest of their life, however long their life will be. Read more →

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. Read more →

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... Read more →

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… Read more →

Who’s Stronger? Lifter A, 50 kg bodyweight – Deadlifts 150 kg Lifter B, 80 kg bodyweight – Deadlifts 200 kg Read more →

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… Read more →

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 you can… Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

Giving something that an individual desperately lacks of can make a huge difference to that individual’s life. A thousand dollars can be life changing for someone living… Read more →

There are times when our training schedule and quality are disrupted. Life happens and will disrupt our training schedule and it’s quality... Read more →

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… Read more →

This new year, instead of the usual and popular New Year Resolutions of losing weight/fat or exercising more, have you considered getting stronger? Read more →

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… Read more →

Do a quick search for “sports specific training” or “sports performance training” online and you’ll find a plethora of websites marketing programs that... Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

You’ve finalised your flights, booked your hotel and ready to go on your well-deserved holiday. While researching the location for places to see and things to eat, it… Read more →

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… Read more →

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… Read more →

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 Read more →

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… Read more →