ARTICLES

Performance-focused content designed to support athletes and coaches alike. From training tips to coaching insights, our articles offer clear, practical guidance to help you train smarter, recover better, and perform at your best.

Archive
Tom Hibbert Tom Hibbert

Favourite Weighted Jumps

Jumping with bodyweight alone won't cut it. These are Tom's 6 favourite weighted jump variations – plus why and how he programs them for strongman and athletic populations.

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Carly Smith Carly Smith

7 Things I Learned from Louie Simmons

Louie Simmons changed strength training forever. These are the 7 lessons from the Westside Barbell legend that shaped how I coach – from max effort days and GPP to why weak things break.

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Carly Smith Carly Smith

Kymira Infrared Clothing for Strongman

Better recovery and performance just by getting dressed? Tom Hibbert tested Kymira infrared clothing with his strongman athletes. Here's how it works, what the research says and when to wear it.

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Tom Hibbert Tom Hibbert

Training Session Duration

Session creep is real - could it be costing you results? Here's why 55 minutes beats 90, backed by research and three coaches who between them built world champions.


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Carly Smith Carly Smith

Belt Squat Uses for Strongman

Louie Simmons called it the Swiss Army knife of lower body training. Here's exactly how strongman athletes should be using it.

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Carly Smith Carly Smith

16 Reasons a Strength Athlete Should Use a sauna

Saunas have been around for thousands of years so they have stood the test of time and today they stand up to high levels of scientific scrutiny. For the majority of the year you can find me in one 3-7 times a week. I recommend my athletes do the same and for good reason.

Here are 16 reasons a strength athlete should use a sauna frequently throughout the year.

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Tom Hibbert Tom Hibbert

6 Exercises I Never Prescribe & Why

We all have an exercise toolbox, and in that toolbox are many movements at your disposal. Exercise selection is both a science and an art. For instance, if I want to hammer a nail into a wall, I can use a sledgehammer. It'll work for sure, but there is a danger it could work too well. There are some tools I just don't go near with my athletes though, as they have too many drawbacks.

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Tom Hibbert Tom Hibbert

Plyometrics in Strongman

Most strongmen are leaving serious performance on the table — and they don't even know it. Tom Hibbert reveals the plyometric system he uses with his athletes to build explosive power, improve overhead lifts, and win timed events. If you're big but slow, this is the article you've been missing.

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Strongman Tom Hibbert Strongman Tom Hibbert

5 Rules for Log Press Beginners

Most people approach the log press like a barbell with handles. It isn't. The athletes who progress fastest aren't the strongest ones in the room - they're the ones who understand why their heels need to leave the floor, why the crash pads are holding them back, and why pushing their head through is the single most common reason a log press fails at maximum weight. These are the five rules I apply to every beginner I coach, from executives to elite strongmen.

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Strongman Tom Hibbert Strongman Tom Hibbert

Grip Training for Strongman

Grip training for strongman is the most underrated area of the sport — and one of the most poorly trained. I've yet to meet an athlete with a grip that's too strong, but I've coached plenty who've failed a farmers walk they could easily deadlift because their fingers peeled apart. This guide covers everything: anatomy, programming, moving events, assistance work, and GPP. If you want to compete at a high level, this is where gains are being left on the table.

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Technique & Fixes Carly Smith Technique & Fixes Carly Smith

Front Squat Mobility: A Coach's Guide to Fixing Your Front Rack Position

I see so many strength athletes lacking the basic mobility requirements to achieve a front rack position with a barbell, so naturally I've learned how to deal with this problem. Poor front squat mobility is one of the most common limiters I work with — and I'm not a coach who solves one problem by creating another. Discover my guide to front squat mobility.

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Strongman Tom Hibbert Strongman Tom Hibbert

How We Built an Axle Press World Record at the Arnold Classic

We now sit at 39 world records and titles and every single build-up is different. I don't get bored with world record preps. In fact, alongside world title challenges, they're my ikigai or raison d'etre. I live for them. I get a huge amount of gratification from achieving them with my athletes.

There are principles I follow to make the situation easier. One of them is to remain calm. After so many world record attempts, it's second nature to me. Fight or flight as a coach is not useful — it paralyses you from thinking straight and making the right decisions.

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Recovery & Health Tom Hibbert Recovery & Health Tom Hibbert

Red Light for Strength

Red light therapy is gaining real traction among strength athletes, and not without reason. Used well, at the right wavelength and dose, it becomes a surprisingly practical tool for better recovery, greater workout density and long term performance gains. Read more.

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Coaching & Business Tom Hibbert Coaching & Business Tom Hibbert

Talent Spotting for Strongman

Strongman is becoming big business. In 2025 Mitch Hooper reportedly earned over $200k and World’s Strongest Man winner, Rayno Nel, netted an impressive $155k. With this in mind, is it possible to scout out future strongman champions? If I were to hunt down the future strongman champions here is what I would look at.

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