The internet turned the deadlift into a tribal argument. Conventional versus sumo, real lifters versus “cheaters”, blah blah blah. Meanwhile, the barbell doesn’t care about your ideology. Sumo is recognized in powerlifting competition for a reason. It’s a legal pull, just like conventional. Strongman has different rules and different demands, but that d…

This video wraps up my series on the specialty bars I use at my gym and we’re closing with the most unique one; the Bandbell Earthquake Bar.

The BandBell Earthquake Bar isn’t a rigid steel barbell, it’s a highly flexible composite bar designed to move under load instead of staying perfectly stable.

Instead of loading plates directly on the sleeves, you ty…

If your shoulders hate heavy pressing, the problem might not be the weight; it might be the bar.

For decades, lifters have defaulted to the straight bar for benching and overhead work. It’s effective, no question. But it also locks you into a fixed, internally rotated position that doesn’t play well with a lot of shoulders; especially if you’re over 40, …

This week wraps up the specialty squat bar series. We’ve covered the Safety Squat Bar and the Giant Cambered Bar, and now we finish with the more traditional cambered option: the Buffalo Bar.

Out of the three, this one feels the closest to a straight bar.

The Buffalo Bar (also called the Mega Bow Bar) is a cambered barbell with a subtle arc. That curve ta…

Next up in my video series on specialty bars is the safety squat bar. I believe this beast was originally introduced by Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield. It features a padded yoke that completely eliminates shoulder stress, but the 5” camber makes your upper and lower back work exponentially harder than the regular power bar does.

The safety squat bar is great …

The cambered bar is one of my favorite specialty bars for squatting. The bar has a 14” camber, meaning the load is suspended 14” below the portion of the bar that lies across the upper back and shoulders. This can make the bar less stable, as it is more likely to swing front to back while squatting. In this video, I discuss how to use the position on th…

Squatting high is usually frowned upon, and rightly so. Thankfully, some of the extreme multiply squats we’ve seen over the years have come under well-deserved scrutiny. But there is a time and place to squat high. That place is in your training, not on the platform.

Strength athletes across decades have successfully used partial range-of-motion movement…

The seated dumbbell clean is one of those exercises that people think must be performed incorrectly when they see it. I first learned of it from Louie Simmons’ old Westside Barbell VHS tapes. It is a pretty crude, momentum driven exercise, that delivers results. At Westside it was used to build the upper back, strengthen the external rotators, and make …

Most of what people call a bent press… is actually a side press.And if you don’t know which one you’re doing this video should help fix that.

The two lifts look similar, they came from the same era, and they even share positions. But the intent is different, the mechanics are different, and the way you train them should be different.

In a side press, you …

Before strength training was standardized and specialized, feats of strength and power were often judged by how much a strongman could lift overhead through a variety of exercises. In the early 20th century, strongmen like Arthur Saxon used lifts such as the one-arm barbell snatch to demonstrate not just raw strength, but balance, timing, and total-body…

When it comes to back training, the 1-arm dumbbell row is one of the most neglected and misunderstood exercises out there. It’s far easier to hop on a machine or cable stack than it is to grab a heavy dumbbell, set up next to a bench, and actually support your own body while you move load through space. Machines feel cleaner, more controlled, and less d…

“Glory calls from beyond the wavesA chance for fame and rich rewardHonour waits beyond the graveSo put your back into the oar..” -Amon Amarth

The barbell row has been building thick, powerful upper backs long before machines, cables, or “optimal” angles showed up. It’s simple, it’s brutal, and it works. Done right, it forges strength you can feel everywh…

The inverted row is an often overlooked exercise, but one that I’ve used successfully for many years to not only build strength in the upper back, but as a bridge to success with pull-ups. Pull-ups are an extremely challenging exercise for many people, and inverted rows can be an extremely beneficial assistance exercise for them.

Just like pull-ups, inve…

The Z Press is a great exercise for developing the shoulders, upper back, and trunk. Don’t let the simplicity of its appearance fool you, it is brutally effective and a favorite of strongmen, grapplers, and anyone looking to get push up their overhead strength.

Credit goes to legendary 4 time World’s Strongest Man, Zydrunas Savickas, for popularizing thi…

The 45-degree back raise is a simple and extremely effective exercise for developing the entire posterior chain. It belongs to the same family as staples like the good morning and Romanian deadlift. If your gym has a 45-degree bench, don’t let it sit unused; it’s one of the most underrated tools for building real strength.

Strong lower back, glutes, and …

The face pull is one of the most valuable yet under-coached movements in strength training, mainly because you’re not “smashing weights bro” when you perform it. This exercise reinforces the muscles that keep your shoulders healthy, your posture strong, and your pressing balanced. When performed correctly, it trains the rear delts, external rotators, mi…

If you’ve spent any time in modern gyms, you’ve probably heard someone warn you away from the behind-the-neck press. The truth? The behind-the-neck press isn’t the problem. Soft lifters are. When I started frequenting gyms in the late-80s to early-90s virtually everyone I saw regularly performing this lift had something in common; jacked and strong shou…

The floor press strips the bench press down to its essentials. No arch, no leg drive, no worrying about the perfect setup. Just pure upper-body strength built through a controlled range that builds a strong lockout and works a common weak point-the 90 degree elbow position. If your bench has been stuck or your shoulders need a break from full-range work…

The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is more than a hamstring exercise, it is a hinge pattern that hits everything on the backside from the base of the skull to the calves. When taught correctly, it builds strength through the posterior chain, and teaches lifters how to load the hips instead of the spine. Every good pull, jump, and sprint begins with a powerful …

I see it in the gym all the time, someone’s working hard under the bar, but their squat just isn’t clicking. It’s not always a strength issue; sometimes it’s a few small details that throw the whole lift off. In this video, I share three easy adjustments that may have an immediate impact on your back squat.

Because Abs Deserve Iron Too

Somewhere along the way, lifters got scared of their own spine. “Don’t flex!” became gospel, and the ab wheel, crunch, and sit-up were exiled in favor of planks and hollow holds that look impressive but never build real midsection power. The result? Strong people with weak abs, and a torso that can brace but not move.

The trut…

We’ve all heard the rule: never rotate while hinging. Keep your spine locked neutral, move straight up and down, and whatever you do-don’t twist. The problem is real movement, whether it’s on the mat, the field, or just in daily life, isn’t that rigid. We rotate. We shift. We generate power through spirals, not just straight lines. So in this video, I’m…

The medicine ball sit-up is one of those simple but extremely effective movements that most lifters overlook. By lying back over a soft medicine ball so the lower back can extend, you place the abs in a stretched position before contracting hard through a full range of motion. This not only builds midsection strength, but also helps release chronically …

Most lifters train in straight lines, both hands on the bar, symmetrical stance, perfectly balanced loads. But life doesn’t work that way. You carry one grocery bag, one suitcase, one heavy kettlebell across the gym, and let’s not even get started on athletics and sport movement pattern. That’s where the suitcase deadlift shines. This lift exposes weak …

Some finishers are designed for a pump, others for strength carryover, and Dirty 30s give you both. I got these from Westside Barbell powerlifter Jason Coker (not saying he created them, he is the person I saw present them), this EZ-bar combo strings together three triceps-dominant exercises without a break: skull crushers, bent-arm pullovers, and close…

The 1-arm barbell overhead press is one of those lifts that looks deceptively simple but demands balance, stability, and raw strength in a way that few modern exercises do. Unlike the dumbbell or kettlebell press, the sheer length of the barbell makes this movement feel wild and unruly, it is a test of muscular control as much as pressing power.

A Bit of…

The full contact twist, better known these days as the landmine rotation, is one of the most effective ways to train the body’s ability to generate and resist rotational force. By anchoring a barbell in a landmine-type of device or corner, you can develop powerful hips, a strong torso, and the kind of “anti-whiplash” strength that carries over to throws…

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Kyle did a much better job recapping our chat so I am going to steal his text which can also be found at his post here:

“If you are in any way interested in being healthier and stronger Scott Shetler is a must follow. He has been one of my favorite resources for strength-based knowledge for over a year.

Scott has the energy, passion, and appearance of a 30-yr old combined with the experience and wisdom of a man his actual age which is a fresh 50. His posts are practical, informative, evidence-based, and hilarious. A strength history buff and personal trainer for over 27 years, Scott’s story on what led him into becoming a strength coach is incredible. He’s worked with and learned from legends throughout his career yet still possesses the curiosity and spirit of someone just getting started.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Scott and hearing about his evolution as a coach and athlete himself. As you will hear, he is the real deal - a wealth of knowledge that can apply to any age, fitness level, and/or background.

We discussed his entertaining origin story: training with and learning from Louie Simmons; strength throughout the lifespan; various systems for strength training such as the conjugate method; overtraining vs under recovery; the benefit of variation within a particular movement pattern; getting the most out of a training schedule; the power of 90%; movement snacks; what a week of training typically looks like for him; mobility within strength; barefoot training; focusing on smaller muscle groups; barbell vs trap bar for deadlifts, and much more.

Scott has an incredible paid tier on Substack where he offers specific technique videos and information to get the most out of your training. Furthermore, he recently created an online coaching platform and community that he will be offering through Discord.”

He then goes on to mention some of my links, some of my posts he particularly enjoyed, and gives a well deserved shout out to Conor Heffernan aka the greatest strength historian on Substack!

Thanks again to Kyle for having me on, I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did.

I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled programming here soon, and until then, stay strong and healthy!

Thanks for reading Strength and Health! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If your bench press stalls halfway up or you find yourself grinding endlessly through the mid-range, the pin press is one of the best tools to break through. By pressing from the pins in a power rack, you eliminate the stretch reflex and momentum from the chest, forcing your body to produce raw pressing strength at the exact joint angle where you strugg…

Rack pulls get a bad rap. A lot of lifters dismiss them as “partials” or “cheater reps,” and in fairness, they can be a waste of time if you’re just stacking plates high and moving weight with sloppy positioning. But when you set them up correctly, meaning your body is in the exact same position it would be if you pulled from the floor at that height, r…

The deficit deadlift is a powerful tool for building strength off the floor by extending the range of motion and forcing you to generate more force from a disadvantaged position. For powerlifters following a traditional linear periodization model, it’s an excellent “off-season” accessory to strengthen weak points, develop speed off the ground, and carry…

The kettlebell arm bar is a fantastic exercise for shoulder mobility and health. This is a simple exercise you can do with a light to moderately heavy kettlebell and little floor space.

This is one of those deceptively simple movements that pays off in a big way. It’s not just a shoulder mobility drill; it’s also great for stability, torso engagement, an…

Most lifters train their grip in one direction, crushing strength, and ignore the rotational power that builds strong forearms. The old-time strongmen knew better. They trained the wrists to turn, twist, and resist force from every angle. This simple kettlebell drill, focusing on supination and pronation, builds the kind of wrist and forearm strength th…

Regarded by Pavel Tsatsouline in his classic book, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge, as being the “Czar” of the kettlebell lifts, the snatch delivers a lot of bang for your buck. Yes Dr. Mike, we know the kettlebell snatch will not prepare you for the Olympia stage, but that is not the goal.

The kettlebell snatch is a fantastic exercise for the posterior…

The kettlebell jerk is one of the most technically demanding of the overhead lifts you can learn, but it doesn’t require an advanced degree in neurophysiology either. It’s not just for girevoy sport athletes, this explosive lift builds strength, coordination, and when trained properly, power-endurance that transfers well to just about any athletic pursu…

Most kettlebell lifters either strict press everything until their shoulders tap out and they hit a wall, or they lose their mind trying to figure out the more technical jerk in an effort to put more weight overhead. But in the middle lies a powerful hybrid some purists consider to be a cheat lift: the kettlebell push-press. This movement bridges the ga…

Now that we’ve covered the chair press, let’s stand up and look at the kettlebell press, or strict press. The kettlebell press is one of those lifts that doesn’t need flash to prove its worth. It’s raw, honest, and brutally effective—just you, the bell, and your ability to control it overhead. Please note, the legs must remain straight, no knee dip or l…

The kettlebell chair press is an old-school lift that was once featured in early kettlebell sport competitions and is still worth keeping in your training today. Performed seated—often on a low bench or chair—it isolates the upper body and eliminates leg drive, forcing the lifter to generate pure pressing strength through the shoulders, triceps, and cor…

The Indian Club Mill is a classic rotational shoulder exercise that builds strength, control, and mobility through circular movement patterns. There are two main variations: the Internal Mill and the External Mill. In the Internal Mill, the club swings inward toward the midline of the body before looping behind the shoulder and back to the front, creati…

Linear lifts build strength—the Gamma Cast builds resilience. This old-school circular strength drill hits your shoulders, lats, and core in ways presses never will. If you care about shoulder health, mobility, and longevity, it's time to train in arcs, not just lines.

The Gamma Cast is one of the most effective and underutilized movements for building s…

If you’ve been skipping lateral movement in your lower body training, the Cossack squat is your wake-up call. This single move hits tight hips, weak adductors, and poor ankle mobility all at once—while building real-world strength and stability. Unlike traditional squats that stay in one plane, the Cossack forces you to own your range of motion side to …

Forget the leg curl machine—real posterior chain strength is built through closed chain exercises like good mornings, kettlebell swings, and the glute hamstring raise, or GHR. The GHR hits your hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors in one brutally honest movement. It’s part strength test, part muscle builder, and a staple in the toolbox of lifters who…

The barbell pullover and press is a forgotten gem of physical culture—essentially a bench press without the bench, demanding far more from your entire body. Starting from the floor, you pull the barbell over your chest and press it to lockout, engaging your chest, shoulders, triceps, lats, and core. The bridge variation, where you elevate your hips into…

In this week’s video we’re looking at the “face the wall squat.”

If you're struggling to nail the hip hinge—or if your deadlift feels more like a squat—this drill might be the reset your body needs. The face-the-wall squat is a simple movement that strips away compensation and forces your hips to do what they were built for: hinge efficiently and powerfu…

In this week’s video we’re looking at the good morning, a powerful hinge movement that targets the posterior chain—primarily the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors. Despite its simplicity, it builds serious strength in the muscles responsible for deadlifting, squatting, and maintaining a strong, resilient back. Done with proper form, the good morni…

In this week’s video we’re continuing the 3-part series on joint integrity training utilizing banded exercises targeting the shoulders, neck, elbows, and knees. Specifically we are looking at the exercises for the knees this week.

These exercise use light bands and very high repetitions in order to stimulate blood flow to the targeted areas in order to i…

In this week’s video we’re continuing the 3-part series on joint integrity training utilizing banded exercises targeting the shoulders, neck, elbows, and knees. Specifically we are looking at the exercises for the neck and elbows this week.

These exercise use light bands and very high repetitions in order to stimulate blood flow to the targeted areas in…

In this week’s video we’re starting a 3-part series on joint integrity training utilizing banded exercises targeting the shoulders, neck, elbows, and knees. These exercise use light bands and very high repetitions in order to stimulate blood flow to the targeted areas in order to improve resiliency and strength in the connective tissues. These exercises…

In this week’s video we’re looking at the Bradford Press. The Bradford Press is an old-school shoulder exercise that delivers both strength and stability benefits. Named after Olympic lifter Jim Bradford, this movement involves pressing a barbell from the front of your shoulders to just over your head — but instead of locking out, you lower it behind yo…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at a special exercise for the triceps referred to as the JM Press. This exercise, developed by legendary powerlifter J.M. Blakely, is a combination of the triceps extension and the close grip bench press. In this video we’ll go over the technique as well as some training recommendations to ensure you’re g…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the Hack Squat. This is not to be confused with the popular gym machine exercise that has you sitting back on an angled sled to perform a squat. The exercise featured in this video is the traditional deep knee bend, fully squatting down on the balls of the feet so the hamstrings are resting on the calv…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the Sots press. Named after world champion, and world record holding, weightlifter Viktor Sots. The Sots press is an overhead press variation where the press is done after achieving a full front squat. In this video we are exploring the benefits of the kettlebell variation of this exercise.

Thank you al…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the box squat. This squat variation, heavily popularized by the late Louie Simmons of the Westside Barbell Club, when done properly, will result in massive gains in strength and power, making it an excellent exercise selection for athletes and strength enthusiasts alike. In this video I will demonstrat…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the difference between the lunge and split squat exercises. While there are similarities between these two movements, there are some key differences that need to be addressed and the emphasis shifts to different muscles depending on the exercise you choose.

Thank you all for your support and subscriptio…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at a simple, but extremely effective, full body kettlebell circuit. I am regularly asked by clients, “If I only had 10-15 minutes to train, what could I possibly get done?” This circuit would be an excellent choice!

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In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at a classic feat of strength, the bent press. Many people are practicing the bent press today thanks primarily to Pavel Tsatsouline re-popularizing the lift in the early 2000s as part of his original “Russian Kettlebell Challenge” training plan. In his original book the bent press, along with the snatch,…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the deep knee bend. Before squats were referred to as squats they were simply called the deep knee bend. There were many variations, mainly due to the way the exercise was loaded, but the classic deep knee bend involved standing with the heels close together and toes pointed out. You would lower yourse…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re looking at the pros and cons of rounding the lower back in the stiff leg deadlift. With the popularization of the Jefferson curl exercise, more people are experimenting with rounded back lifting. According to the books I’ve been reading regarding physical culture around the turn of the century, this was a practic…

In this week’s training tip video, we’re exploring the concept of training the sides. This goes far beyond modern abdominal training recommendations. If you look at the books written by the founding fathers of the physical culture movement, many devoted entire chapters to this concept. The muscles that make up the sides of the torso should not be neglec…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the kettlebell snatch and some technical points to make the movement more efficient. This exercise is fantastic for strengthening the posterior chain, improving shoulder stability and mobility, enhancing grip strength, and improving overall conditioning.

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In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the benefits of the reverse hyperextension exercise and machine. This piece of equipment was created and patented by the late Louie Simmons of the Westside Barbell Club in Columbus, Ohio. This is, hands down, one of the best exercises I’ve ever come across for developing strength and improving the healt…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the various grips in the deadlift, and the pros and cons of each.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I sincerely appreciate it! If you have any questions you would like answered in an upcoming Q&A, or specific suggestions for content, please message me.

I hope you enjoy this week’s video, an…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at some important details in the bench press exercise regarding set-up, foot position, and why you shouldn’t bench like a powerlifter unless you are actually competing.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I sincerely appreciate it! If you have any questions you would like answered in an upcomin…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at how to properly brace in the deadlift to protect the lower back and create more power for the pull.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I sincerely appreciate it! If you have any questions you would like answered in an upcoming Q&A, or specific suggestions for content, please message me.

I ho…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the kettlebell swing and how to maximize the hinge motion without turning it into a squat pattern exercise, as many do.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I sincerely appreciate it! If you have any questions you would like answered in an upcoming Q&A, or specific suggestions for content, pl…

In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the pullover. The pullover is one of the forgotten exercises that should, in my opinion, be part of everyone’s training program.

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In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the press. Simply put, if you have a strong overhead press, you’re a strong individual. Today we are going to look at a few details that will help you tighten up your press and hopefully add some more weight to the bar.

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In this week’s training tip video we’re looking at the bottom up kettlebell press. This is an awesome press variation for many reasons. It’s a great way to make a light kettlebell feel heavy. Pressing the kettlebell in the bottom up position is excellent for grip and forearm strength as well.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I sincerely a…

This week’s training tip is for you kettlebell enthusiasts! We’re going to look at how to clean up your kettlebell clean by focusing on some tips I learned from my kettlebell coach, former World Champion, Valery Fedorenko. These tips will lead to a smoother, more efficient clean.

Thank you all for your support and subscription, I greatly appreciate it! …

In this week’s training tip, we’re focusing on the deadlift—specifically the concept of “taking the slack out of the bar.” Because the deadlift begins from a static position, it doesn’t benefit from the stretch-shortening cycle. The tips in this video will help you get tighter and maximize your power at the start of the lift.

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In this week’s training tip we are going to look at a couple of tips to enhance your bench press. It is small details like those presented that can mean the difference between making and missing that new PR!

I hope you enjoy this week’s video, and as always, stay strong, and stay healthy!

This will be the first weekly training tip video for those of you on my paid subscriber list. Each week I will post a training tip video on a variety of topics strength and fitness training related. In addition, if you have any specific requests for content topics, or questions you would like me to answer in upcoming Q&A videos and articles, please mess…