There was this gym I sometimes trained at as a teenager in Oxnard, CA. It claimed it was hardcore—graffiti on the walls, Slayer on the speakers, a chalk bucket collecting more dust than use. But it wasn’t Metroflex. It was Midlife Crisis Headquarters. Not a temple of strength. More like a last stand for guys…

Josh on why grip training is non-negotiable. A strong grip isn’t just for twistin’ off jar lids or showin’ off at the family reunion arm-wrestling table.It’s the silent foundation behind deadlifts, carries, the field of play and fighting’ off a rabid raccoon with a garden hoe. Problem is—grip usually gives out first. Then comes Lester…

by- Josh Bryant Tom Haviland, Josh’s long-time client. As my late mentor Dr. Fred Hatfield said, “There’s good, better, and best. And strongman training is the best.” That wasn’t motivational fluff. That came from a man who held world records, coached champions across multiple sports, and backed every word with data, sweat, and blood. Strongman…

Josh, 14 years old, getting ready to do the Mexican Two-Step. The year was 1995. Coolio was king, CK One was cloudin’ every mall hallway, and I was about to earn a Ph.D. in “flow”—taught by Professor Gilbert. Half Puerto Rican, half Okie, and half outta his damn mind. He claimed to do construction in…

Hey Josh, is hypertrophy training really necessary for strength? My powerlifting coach says it’s just for weak-sauce mirror monkey Matildas? IFBB Pro Joe Mackey pulls 910—with Josh’s coaching in his corner. When we talk about hypertrophy around here, we’re talking about strength potential. Performance. Moving real weight—not shaking it on stage like some Chippendales reject…

by: Josh Bryant We’ve already covered the Seven Granddaddy Laws of Training.We’ve hit the Fitness-Fatigue Model like a sledgehammer to a cinder block. We’ve explored training adaptations like we were prepping for a PhD in pig iron. Now let’s pretend the Law of Individual Differences doesn’t exist.  That everyone’s the same. That a 260-pound fullback…

by: Josh Bryant Josh Bryant–Bench Press Tips The bench press has always been more than a lift—it’s been a timeless measuring stick for manhood. On the yard, a big enough bench was your get-out-of-laundry-pass and ticket into slinging pig iron with the heavy hitters on the yard. In high school, it earned your place in…

by: Josh Bryant When I was in high school, I worked at a hardcore gym—a breeding ground for iron legends, local lunatics, and the occasional life coaching  lesson buried under 45s. My best friend Adam and I trained there every day, side by side, soaking up wisdom from old heads and some of the most…

by: Josh Bryant NLP Anchoring – Create Your “Go” Switch Every time I hear Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash, I’m transported—right back to the 2003 USPF meet in Austin. Not some dungeon gym… a polished hotel ballroom, lit up with clean lines and focused intensity. That’s what I listened to warming up as I became…

by- Josh Bryant Josh smashes the great Tyrus Hughes with cluster sets. Some chase nirvana in a monastery. I found mine behind an Allsup’s, sipping pre workout coffee out of a Styrofoam cup, watching the sunrise over a gravel lot—thinking about pain, purpose, and why most lifters train like poodle dicks. This isn’t just another training tip.  This is about training with purpose…