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Strength Training

I’ve been a strength coach for over a decade with a Masters in Sports Science and Bachelors in Exercise Science. Throughout my career, I’ve trained countless lifters and athletes to become stronger and more fit. Here are some of my favorite coaching and training lessons.

Zercher Squat Guide On That Fit Friend

Zercher Squats: Form, What Muscles They Work, and Benefits

https://youtu.be/IWofyrgYKh4 The Zercher squat is a varaition that separates the men/women from the boys/girls! In all seriousness, though, these are fun and

Sumo RDL Guide On That Fit Friend

Sumo Romanian Deadlift (RDL): Why I LOVE Them for Building Muscle

https://youtu.be/oSWELjYwDkM?si=p59rca6QEfUQu4ke Don't sleep on sumo RDLs. Your hips, hamstrings, and glutes will thank you for adding more of these into

TRX Inverted Row vs Barbell Inverted Row That Fit Friend Article

TRX vs Barbell Inverted Row: Differences and When to Use Each

https://youtu.be/v4zbFQr4LwA?si=CkzIPxSz-_HwrM85 The inverted row is a fantastic exercise for lifters at all experience levels. This exercise targets multuple

1-Rep Max Calculator On That Fit Friend

One Rep Max (1RM) Calculator for Bench Press, Squat, and Deadlift

So you want to find your estimated 1-rep max for your squat, bench press, and deadlift — it's one of the few rights of passage for getting into strength

Incline Dumbbell Curl Guide On That Fit Friend

Incline Dumbbell Curl Guide

The incline dumbbell curl is an awesome exercise for training the biceps through a lengthened position. Due to the setup and arm angle of this exercise, you can

How to hack your RDL for better form

3 Romanian Deadlift (RDL) Hacks to Improve Form

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is one of my favorite exercises to coach. It's like the barbell deadlift; sometimes, it clicks right away for lifters, and other

i can't feel my hamstrings with rdls, what do about it

Not Feeling Your Hamstrings When Doing RDLs? Here’s What To Do

Ever hit the gym to hit Romanian deadlifts, only to feel like you're not truly hitting your hamstrings? Yeah, me too. As a CSCS with a Masters in Sports

Can you train the hamstrings with back squats

Do Back Squats Work the Hamstrings Or Just the Glutes and Quads?

I've spent countless hours in the gym coaching athletes and dissecting countless programs and exercises. The other day, one of my clients asked why we don't

Hatfield Split Squat Guide

Hatfield Split Squat Guide | The Most Underutilized Single-Leg Exercise

I'm going to be honest, I don't love programming and performing barbell back squats year-round. In fact, I find myself opting for other squat variations far

What I Eat In a Day to Stay Lean Year Round Jake Boly

Full Day of Eating: 1g of Protein Per lb & Tips for Staying Lean Year Round

As a strength coach, I often tell my clients that the promised land is when you can eat intuitively to maintain your goal physique. Once you've put in the work

How to Build Fuller Biceps Featuring Austin Current

5 Best Exercises to Build Thicker Biceps (Strength Coach’s Tips)

Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted bigger biceps. Watching superheroes like Batman and athletes like Jerry Rice — yes, kid Jake idolized Rice not only for his

Dumbbell versus barbell bench press and their key differences to keep in mind

Is the Dumbbell Bench Press Better Than Barbell?

Don't press me, bro. I love the dumbbell and barbell bench press for different reasons. Each exercise has a ton of utility for accomplishing upper-body goals,

Leg Press Guide Form Foot Placement and Muscles Worked

Leg Press Foot Placement for Biasing the Quads, Glutes, and Adductors

The leg press is what I consider a staple exercise when it comes to building leg strength and mass. There are countless ways to program the leg press based on

Common Deadlift Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Are You Making Any of These 5 Beginner Deadlift Mistakes?

The deadlift is a seemingly simple exercise from an outsider's point of view. After all, all you're doing is picking up weight from the floor and putting it

Trap Bar Deadlift Vs Barbell Deadlift when to use them and their key differences

Trap Bar Deadlift vs Barbell Deadlift | Use Them Appropriately

The trap bar deadlift versus the barbell deadlift is a fun topic to go back and forth on. Often, beginners see "deadlift" in their names and assume they're the

Close Grip Bench Press Guide Form Benefits and Mistakes

Close-Grip Bench Press Guide (2024) | How To, Benefits, and Muscles

The close-grip bench press is one of my favorite pressing variations when my lockout is struggling or I just need a break from the traditional barbell bench.

Deficit Deadlift Benefits

4 Underappreciated Deficit Deadlift Benefits, Why You Need Them

In my coaching opinion, deficit deadlifts are one of the best deadlift variations for creating positive carryover to your traditional deadlift. I use variation

Why and How the Deficit Deadlift Can Sky Rocket Your Max

How-To Deficit Deadlifts Quick Explainer Set up something to stand on and elevate your feet from the floor. Generally, I aim to do deficit deadlifts from a

Benefits of Doing Trap Bar Deadlifts

6 Underappreciated Benefits of Trap Bar Deadlifts

The trap bar deadlift is awesome for so many reasons. Whether you're a beginner, powerlifter, or sports athlete, you can benefit from doing more trap bar

How to Use Supersets for Muscle Growth

How to Use Supersets for Muscle Growth (Benefits and Drawbacks)

Supersets are a common set and rep scheme used in many programs and, like any training technique, have both benefits and drawbacks to implementing them. A

Kelso Shrugs Are the Best Trap Exercise You’re Not Doing

The Kelso shrug is an underrated exercise for building and strengthening the traps. It wasn't until recently that I started programming the Kelso shrug again

Deadlift Guide How To Perform Them Properly

Deadlift Guide (2024) | Beginner-Friendly From a Coach Who Pulls 500+ lbs

I love the deadlift. In fact, I recently just deadlifted a 585 lb PR and followed that up with a sub 2-hour half marathon. Yeah, that's right, I love the

How I Build Monster Trap Muscles

How to Properly Get Traps Like Bane From Batman

Big biceps and shredded abs are nice, but what about the traps? Why don't they get more love? To me, few things look more commanding on a lifter and athlete

I Never Do Crunches, Here’s How I Train and Build My Abs

Whenever someone asks me about core training there's always an undertone of surprise when I tell them I don't do crunches. In fact, I haven't done a traditional

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Jake Boly

About Jake Boly

CSCS, MS Sports Science

Jake Boly is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of That Fit Friend. He's often regarded as a go-to resource in various performance shoe communities.

He’s been formally reviewing shoes and training gear for over 7 years and has hand-tested over 400 pairs of shoes.

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That Fit Friend

That Fit Friend is designed to share honest feedback and reviews on performance-focused shoes and for various pieces of men’s apparel. Some call it having a passion for great gear, others call it an obsession.

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