We all love a crazy, strong squat. The feeling of standing up with plates on your back, we all can agree, is pretty satisfying. And if your goal is to squat hundreds of pounds (or kilos), your training should be specific to that. 

The squat is one of the most fundamentally misunderstood, yet fundamentally important movements one can perform. By making some tweaks to your mechanics and programming, you can be well on your way to hitting that next squat PR. Because - let’s face it - squats are only enjoyable when they’re heavy & healthy.

We all know that Powerlifting is far more of a mental sport than it is physical. Psychology is an integral part of barbell training, and it transfers over to other areas of life. The barbell teaches discipline, satisfaction, work ethic, patience, and grit. It requires sacrifice, quieting the ego, sticking to the plan, and a whole lot of work. It’s a tool for self-empowerment and confidence, one that changes you as an individual and builds character. 

Now, when you can put all of that into your training and then showcase it all on the platform? It’s certainly an event that involves your brain just as much as your body. By knowing what to expect going in & having some tips and tricks to get you through, that mind can be set up for success on meet day. I'll give my own two cents, and some of Ironside's top athletes will be featured with strategies that have helped them on game day.

It’s no secret that Ironside is a major proponent of competing in the sport of powerlifting. Meets are a great experience for anyone who’s serious about lifting. With all of the athletes competing in a couple of weeks (and later this year), there are going to be a lot of competitors on the platform in 2022. As such, meet day nutrition is a valuable topic to discuss.

Meet day nutrition can be difficult to navigate and is admittedly more complicated than your day-to-day routine.

However, it doesn’t need to be OVERcomplicated. With the right tools and information, you can guarantee you’ll be set up for success.

Deadlifts - one of our favorite topics. We all want that strong, badass deadlift. On the quest to said badass deadlift, one may find an *unconventional* (no pun intended) technique used by some lifters: the hook grip.

If you:

• Want to deadlift more weight without tearing a bicep

• Want to FEEL GOOD when pulling and make the lift more efficient

• Want to add more pain to your thumbs, but less all around

…then hook grip is the answer you’ve been looking for.

Strength is a core component of Ironside’s mission. We pride ourselves on being a strength gym with a highly successful Powerlifting team, along with Olympic Weightlifting and Strongman modalities.

But why is strength valued so highly?