Intel
Strength training explained plainly, with the arithmetic shown. Written by coach Jordan Hoppel.
Is a Personal Trainer Worth It? A Coach's Honest Answer
Is a personal trainer worth the money? A coach of 17 years on who gets the most out of one, how many sessions you need, and when to stop paying.
Personal Training for Beginners in Phoenix: What Your First Month Looks Like
New to lifting in Phoenix? A coach walks through the free first session, the first four weeks with a personal trainer, and small group vs 1-on-1.
How Much Does a Personal Trainer Cost in Phoenix?
What personal trainers in Phoenix charge going into 2027: 1-on-1, in-home and small group prices, monthly budgets, and what to ask before you pay.
How Much Should You Squat? Squat Standards by Bodyweight
Squat percentiles for men and women by weight class, in lb and kg, from 298,005 raw powerlifters since 2015. What they mean if you have never competed.
How Much Should You Deadlift? Deadlift Standards by Bodyweight
Deadlift percentiles by sex and IPF weight class, in pounds and kilos, built from the meet results of 298,005 raw powerlifting competitors. Read them honestly.
The Anti Pull-Up Pull-Up Program: Build Pull-Up Strength Without Doing Pull-Ups
Lat prayers, reverse curls and farmer carries train the grip, elbow and lats behind a pull-up. A free 8-week, 3-day plan with no pull-ups in it.
Why Your Squat Stopped Going Up (A Coach's Diagnosis)
The main reasons a squat stalls: overtraining, under-recovery, a hidden injury or a fatigued nervous system, and why genetics is rarely the answer.
What Is a Deload Week? How to Run One and When You Need It
A deload cuts volume in half and keeps intensity the same. How to run one, and the signs, like poor sleep and stalled numbers, that you need it.
Supplements for Lifters: What a Strength Coach Recommends
Handle the basics first. Which supplements a strength coach recommends, whey protein and creatine, and how to think about caffeine and pre-workout.
Sleep for Lifters: Why It Matters and How to Fix Bad Sleep
Why sleep is critical for training and a coach's practical fixes for bad sleepers: routine, a cool room, a hot shower, less light, and what to eat.
Best Rep Ranges for Strength, Muscle and Endurance
3 to 5 reps for strength, typically 6 to 12 for muscle and 30 or more for endurance, and why closeness to failure matters more than the pump.
Progressive Overload Explained (and What to Do When It Stalls)
Progressive overload in plain terms: add reps first, then weight, how much to add as a beginner, and how to push past a plateau with tempo and pauses.
One-Rep Max Percentages Explained (and When to Test Your Max)
A training percentage is intensity, not effort. See how a 325 lb max turns into working weights, and when a coach tests a true max versus a 3 or 5 rep max.
How to Track Your Workouts: What to Log, App vs. Spreadsheet
What lifters should log, what is not worth tracking, how to tell you are getting stronger, and why an app beats a spreadsheet on data and calculations.
How to Squat 315 From 225: A 12-Week Tempo Plan
An example plan for taking a 225 lb squat toward 315: a technique block, slow 4 to 5 second lowers, one-and-a-quarter squats and a week 13 test.
How to Eat for Muscle: Protein, Calories and Simple Meals
Eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and add 300 to 500 calories over maintenance to gain. Plus complete proteins and quick meals.
How to Choose a Workout Program
Three questions a strength coach asks before picking a program, how goals change the training, and the mistakes that send people to the wrong one.
How Many Days a Week Should You Lift? 3 vs 4 vs 5
A strength coach on choosing 3, 4 or 5 training days, how to split them, and why how fast you recover sets the ceiling on training frequency.
How Long Should You Stick With a Workout Program?
Why a first program needs 8 to 12 weeks, what you miss when you switch after week one, and why early gains are mostly neurological, not muscle.
Creatine for Lifters: Dose, Timing, Weight Gain and Hair Loss
Start around 5 g of creatine a day, or load 10 to 20 g for 10 days. When to take it, why the weight gain is water, and what a coach says about hair loss.
Beginner Lifting Guide: What a Coach Does in Your First Weeks
Who counts as a true beginner, what you need to start, how a coach runs week one, how much weight to add, and which movement patterns to learn first.
Advice for New Lifters: The One-Page Version
A strength coach's one page of advice for new lifters: stay consistent within a sustainable range, don't progress too fast, and never trade form for gains.
How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max (Without Testing It)
Estimate your 1RM from a lighter set with the Epley and Brzycki formulas. Worked examples, a comparison table, and how accurate the numbers really are.
Barbell Plate Math: How to Load Any Weight Fast
Subtract the bar, halve the rest, and fill each side with the biggest plates that fit. A plain guide to loading a barbell, with a chart from 135 to 405 lb.