Let’s be honest: if you’re reading this, you probably already have a tub of white powder sitting somewhere on your kitchen counter, looking vaguely like an illegal shipment. Creatine monohydrate is the undisputed king of sports supplements. It has been studied more than your favorite "influencer" has studied their own...........reflection. If you think creatine is just a simple "muscle builder" for 20-year-olds trying to squeeze out an extra rep on the bench press and bust an

Barry (B-Dogg) asked recently: "Dan, why am I doing these exercises? What are they actually doing? why do we repeat them?" It's a fair question. So here's some fair answers. At Thorpe Performance, we don't throw exercises into a program because they're trendy, because some influencer with a six-pack and a ring light says they're "optimal", or because we enjoy watching people suffer (although the jury is still out on that one). Every exercise has a job. Some build strength. So

Optimize your effort: How to look past the numbers on the page and unlock the real power of your routine. By Dan Thorpe | For the Strength in Depth Podcast - listen to the Audible version here Part 1: The Question "What are the optimal sets and reps for my goals, and how much rest do I actually need between them?" To answer this, we have to look past the surface of the workout. Past arbitrary recommendations, We have to look at the biological "why" that dictates every rep you

Two brilliant books explain this perfectly: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and The Chimp Paradox by Prof. Steve Peters. Both basically say this: You’re not one person; you’re two minds trying to share one body. System 1 AKA The Chimp System 2 AKA The Human Let’s break them down in simple terms. System 1 / The Chimp - Your Fast, Emotional Brain This part is: fast impulsive emotional comfort-seeking reactive habit-driven This is the part of you that says: “Biscuits

Why is the Chin-Up Such a Pain at First? The chin-up has a very different learning curve compared to most exercises. Unlike the bench press or squat where you start light and build up, the chin-up begins with a supramaximal load—your bodyweight. That’s right, the “weight” is you. Imagine being asked to learn the bench press, but you had to start with more than what you can lift for even one rep. You’d have to think long and hard about how to even attempt such a feat (and hope

Understanding the Basics of Fat Loss You're Not in a Calorie Deficit: I know it’s annoying, but a calorie deficit is non-negotiable. It’s fundamental. To lose mass (and fat is the mass you want to lose), we need to consistently use more energy than we take in. You're Too Aggressive: Yep, we know we need a calorie deficit, which means less food. But most people go overboard and cut out too much. No, this doesn’t cause starvation mode (it doesn’t exist). However, hunger, bad mo

By Dan Thorpe – Thorpe Performance Alright, let’s cut through the noise. You’ve seen the over hyped manufacturing. You’ve seen the...

Ready to Level Up? Introducing STRONGLIFE – Semi-Private Personal Training Sessions! the personal attention of 1-on-1 training with the...

Unlocking Maximum Gains: The Power of Full Range Training Not all training is created equal. There’s a big difference between going...

Don't Be All Show and No Go The Comprehensive Benefits of VO2 Max and Muscle Mass on Health and Well-Being VO2 max, or maximal oxygen...

The Power of Tension When it comes to building muscle, there's one variable that stands head and shoulders above the rest: tension. This...

Strength and conditioning is the art and science of enhancing an athlete's physical performance through tailored training programs. It...

In the ever-evolving world of fitness competitions, a new challenge has emerged, captivating the attention of athletes and fitness...

How you feel is a lie. How you feel and how you perform are 2 different things. Your body is more resilient than you realise. Just...

1/3rd of the time your training can really suck 1/3rd of the time you can feel great. 1/3rd of the time it'll feel okay. And that's...

Disturbance in the force The goal of training is to cause disruption, a disturbance to homeostasis, whether that's to muscles or entire...

I started lifting training & weights nearly 20 winters ago. Here's a few thoughts. 1. Consistent effort is the most important variable,...

I think one of the most important things I do as a coach is.... Shut up. People don't need motivators, I think most people are motivated....

Why do I train the way I do. My training enables me to do all the stuff I want to do. I'm like a kid in a sweet shop. I'm uber focused,...

Stack the universe in your favour Law of averages - if I show up in a positive environment/attitude/outlook/demeanor more often than not,...