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buloke_barbell

In-person & online strength coaching
Liverpool | Taylor’s Strength Training
Structured training. Real progress. Built around you.
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Strength training develops more than the ability t Strength training develops more than the ability to put weight on the bar.

Every difficult set presents you with resistance and asks you to do something about it. You have to commit to the attempt, apply effort and believe that what you do can affect the outcome.

That is where the connection between physical strength and mental toughness becomes interesting.

Getting stronger isn’t a one-off achievement. Training exposes you to stress, gives you an opportunity to recover and then asks you to come back and do it again. Over time, the weights that once seemed intimidating become weights you know you can handle, and then the process starts again with something heavier.

There is something valuable in repeatedly experiencing your own ability to do hard things and become more capable because of them.

That doesn’t mean strength training is a treatment for mental health conditions, and it shouldn’t be presented as one. But the experience of developing physical strength can reinforce a sense of capability, persistence and confidence in your ability to respond when something is difficult.

That’s one of the things I enjoy seeing in clients. The numbers going up matter, but so does watching someone become increasingly comfortable doing things they once found difficult.

Train. Recover. Adapt. Get stronger. Then keep going.

👍 Follow Buloke Barbell Club on Facebook and find me on Instagram at @buloke_barbell.
🏋️ Interested in getting stronger with structured coaching? I offer online coaching in the UK and Australia.
📧 Email bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com to find out more.

#StrengthTraining #MentalToughness #GettingStronger #BarbellTraining #StrengthCoach
Strength training can become complicated very quic Strength training can become complicated very quickly, but building strength doesn’t require an endless list of exercises.

The squat, press, deadlift, bench press, power clean and chin-up represent six different human movement patterns. Each challenges the body in a different way, and each gives us something we can progressively train and make stronger.

The squat provides a significant whole-body strength stimulus. The press requires tension, balance and coordination from the feet all the way to the hands. The deadlift asks you to produce enough force to move a heavy weight from the floor, while the bench press allows you to handle the greatest loads of the upper-body lifts.

The power clean adds something the slower lifts don’t. You can’t grind your way through it. Speed and technique have to come together, which makes it valuable for developing explosive force production. Chins complete the group by asking you to pull your own bodyweight towards a fixed object.

What makes these movements useful isn’t simply the muscles they train. Together they expose the body to different types of stress while developing strength, technique, coordination and the ability to produce force.

That also gives you a useful way to look at your training when progress slows. Before adding more exercises, look at the movements you’re already trying to improve. Are they still progressing? If not, what is actually holding them back: technique, programming or recovery?

Find the problem, address it and keep training.

👍 Follow Buloke Barbell Club on Facebook and find me on Instagram at @buloke_barbell.
🎥 Want some feedback on one of your lifts? Send me a training video and I’ll happily take a look.
📧 Looking for structured strength coaching? Email bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com to find out more.

#StrengthTraining #BarbellTraining #Squat #Deadlift #BenchPress
A big part of getting better at lifting is learnin A big part of getting better at lifting is learning what to do with your head when the weight starts to matter.

For newer lifters, a simple coaching cue can be incredibly useful. It gives your attention somewhere productive to go and helps block out the doubt, nerves and overthinking that can creep in before a hard rep.

As you gain experience, the mental side starts to change.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is narrow your attention completely onto the lift in front of you. Other times, it helps to picture the rep before it happens and rehearse how you want it to move.

That’s the difference between focus and visualisation.

Focus is about being completely present when it’s time to lift.

Visualisation is about mentally practising the rep before you do it.

Both are useful, and both improve with practice.

The goal isn’t to become more hyped. It’s to become more purposeful.

The better you get at controlling your attention, the better chance you give yourself of staying calm, trusting your training and executing the lift the way you intended.

That mental skill is part of strength training too.

📲 Follow Buloke Barbell Club on Facebook and @buloke_barbell on Instagram for weekly strength training content.

🏋️ If you’re ready to stop guessing and start getting stronger, I’d love to help.

📧 Email bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com to find out more about in-person coaching in Liverpool or online coaching anywhere in the world.

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #getstronger #strengthforlife #coaching
A huge congratulations to Lewis on a new 5RM press A huge congratulations to Lewis on a new 5RM press PR of 49kg. 💪

The extra weight on the bar is great to see, but it isn’t the biggest improvement he’s made.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve seen a real change in the way Lewis approaches his heavy lifts. The panic has disappeared. Instead of rushing to get the set over with, he now approaches the bar calm, focused and with a clear job to do on every rep.

That’s one of the biggest differences between simply lifting weights and learning how to train.

Strength isn’t just physical. It’s a skill. When the weight gets heavy, the goal isn’t to panic or rely on hype. It’s to stay composed, focus on the movement, and execute the lift exactly as you’ve practised it.

Lewis has embraced that mindset, and this PR is the result.

49kg for 5 is a huge milestone and one that’s been thoroughly earned.

Great work, mate. 👏

📲 Follow Buloke Barbell Club on Facebook and @buloke_barbell on Instagram for weekly strength training content.
🏋️ If you’re ready to stop guessing and start getting stronger, I’d love to help.
📧 Email bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com to find out more about in-person coaching in Liverpool or online coaching anywhere in the world.

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #personalbest #overheadpress #getstronger strengthforlife
A lot of gym culture still treats getting lighter A lot of gym culture still treats getting lighter and leaner as the main measure of progress.

But being smaller isn’t automatically healthier, stronger, or better.

Muscle is the tissue that produces force. Building more of it gives you a greater capacity to get strong, which means training hard, recovering properly, and eating enough to support that process.

That doesn’t mean gaining as much bodyweight as possible. The extremes at either end aren’t the goal. For most people, the better place to be is somewhere in the middle, where you can train well, recover, stay healthy, and continue building muscle.

Over time, getting stronger changes how your body looks. Your legs, back, shoulders, and arms grow because they’ve adapted to lifting progressively heavier weights.

Instead of chasing the lowest number on the scales or trying to stay extremely lean, focus on becoming stronger and adding useful muscle.

Build a body that looks capable because it is capable.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #buildmuscle #getstronger #strengthforlife
People spend a lot of time looking for the best tr People spend a lot of time looking for the best training program.

The truth is, the biggest difference usually isn’t the program.

It’s whether you keep showing up.

Miss enough training sessions and progress slows. Keep turning up, even on the days you don’t feel like it, and you’re giving yourself the best chance to get stronger.

Not every workout feels great. Work gets busy. Life gets in the way. Some days you’re tired, stressed, and you’d rather do anything else.

Train anyway.

Strength isn’t built by waiting until you feel motivated. It’s built by consistently putting one training session on top of another.

The basics have worked for decades because they work. Train consistently, recover well, and keep adding to what you’ve already done.

It isn’t glamorous, but that’s how strong people are built.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #getstronger #strengthforlife #coaching
Strength training is a bit like a mathematical equ Strength training is a bit like a mathematical equation.

The result you get depends on what you put into it.

Train consistently, recover well, eat enough, and gradually add a little more weight to the bar over time, and you’ll get stronger. It isn’t complicated, but it does require patience and consistency.

When progress starts to slow, most people begin looking for a new program, a different exercise, or the latest training trend.

Sometimes the better question is: have you changed the left side of the equation?

Have you trained consistently?
Have you recovered properly?
Have you eaten to support your training?
Have you given it enough time?

The barbell is honest. It gives you back what you put into it.

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy coaching. Week after week I get to watch people prove to themselves that small, consistent efforts add up to something much bigger over time.

Keep putting the work in. The results will follow.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #getstronger #strengthforlife #coaching
If you train with a barbell long enough, there’ll If you train with a barbell long enough, there’ll come a day when the weight feels intimidating.

For the first time, you’ll wonder whether you can actually squat it, press it, or deadlift it. Every lifter reaches that point. It’s a normal part of getting stronger.

The mistake is believing that fear means you aren’t ready.

It doesn’t.

What you’re feeling under a heavy bar is rarely an accurate reflection of what you’re capable of. That’s why good training is built on progression, not emotion. You trust the work you’ve already done, focus on one job at a time, and attempt the rep.

Sometimes you’ll make it. Sometimes you won’t.

Either way, you’ve taken another step forward.

One of the greatest lessons barbell training teaches isn’t how to lift heavy weights. It’s how to face something difficult without letting fear make the decision for you.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com

📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool

📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #getstronger #strengthforlife #coaching
A Shout Out to @thisisdaver Dave started trainin A Shout Out to @thisisdaver 

Dave started training with me in January this year with a simple goal: improve his health and build a stronger future.

When I asked him why he wanted to start, his answer was simple:

“I’m just trying not to die.”

Six months later, he’s built a habit of training three times a week and the results speak for themselves.

As part of a structured strength and conditioning program, his squat is up 60kg, his bench press is up 40kg, and his deadlift is up 60kg.

Those numbers are impressive, but they’re not the thing I’m most proud of.

The real win is the person he’s become along the way.

Dave walks everywhere now. He’s constantly telling me how quickly he’s getting around town and how much easier everyday life feels. He’s more confident, more capable, and willing to take on challenges that probably seemed a long way off six months ago.

None of this happened because he found a secret program or a magic exercise. It happened because he made the decision to change and then backed that decision up with consistent effort, week after week.

One thing that’s always stuck with me is that a big reason Dave started this journey was seeing his dad, now in his seventies, still physically capable and active. That’s a powerful reminder that strength isn’t just about today. It’s an investment in the decades ahead.

Dave won’t thank me for saying this, but I don’t reckon it’ll be too long before we see him lining up for a running event.

Mate, you’ve earned every bit of progress you’ve made. I’m proud of what you’ve achieved and excited to see what comes next.

🌐 If you’d like to see what consistent strength training can do for you, visit bulokebarbellclub.com

📍 @taylors_strength Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #getstronger #barbelltraining #strengthforlife #coaching
A lot of people are still advised to avoid squatti A lot of people are still advised to avoid squatting below parallel because it’s supposedly “bad for the knees.”

In reality, when the squat is performed correctly, the opposite is often true.

Humans have always squatted. Kids do it naturally, many adults around the world still rest in a full squat position, and we all squat to some degree every day when we sit down and stand up.

The movement itself isn’t dangerous.

A proper squat is a hips-driven movement. When the hips move back correctly, the glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and back take the majority of the load while the muscles around the knee help stabilise the joint.

That’s one of the reasons full squats have been used for decades to build stronger, healthier knees in strength athletes.

What usually causes problems is poor technique, poor load selection, or trying to force weights people can’t control properly.

Ironically, partial squats are often where this gets worse. Cutting the movement short reduces the contribution from the hips and hamstrings and shifts more of the stress toward the knees while allowing people to overload the bar.

A properly performed full squat builds stronger legs, hips, backs, connective tissue, balance, and bone density all at the same time.
People don’t need to fear squats. They need to learn how to squat well.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #squats #knees #barbelltraining #getstronger
People think coaching is all about sets, reps, tec People think coaching is all about sets, reps, technique, and adding weight to the bar.

That’s obviously part of it.

But one thing I’ve realised pretty quickly building this up is that the people matter more than anything else.

I enjoy seeing people get stronger, but the best part is watching what happens when someone sticks at it for months. They start carrying themselves differently. They become more confident, more capable, and better at dealing with hard things.

Not because training is magic. Because doing hard things consistently changes people.

Everyone’s got something going on outside the gym. Work stress, poor sleep, family stuff, injuries, bad weeks. Nobody walks in feeling perfect all the time.

But they still show up.

That’s what I respect most.

The barbell’s honest. It doesn’t care about excuses, confidence, or motivation. You turn up, do the work, and gradually improve over time.

And honestly, being around people willing to do that every week is one of the best parts of coaching.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #coaching #community #getstronger
Sets of 5 work very well for building strength. T Sets of 5 work very well for building strength.

There’s a reason so many good strength programs are built around them. They let you use enough weight to drive strength adaptations while still getting enough volume and practice with the movement.

I use a lot of sets of 5 with newer and intermediate lifters for exactly that reason.

But as lifters become more advanced, I often start assigning multiple rep ranges within the same exercise.

For example:

A heavier top set for 3-6 repsThen a back-off set for 6-9Then another for 9-12

As the weight comes down, the reps go up.

The heavier work challenges force production and strength. The higher rep back-off sets let you accumulate more quality work, train the muscle harder, and build volume without every set becoming a grind.

It also gives you more ways to progress. Some weeks you add weight, some weeks you add reps, sometimes both.

Simple structure. Clear progression. Hard work done consistently.

That combination works very well for building muscle and strength over the long term.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #hypertrophy #barbelltraining #progressiveoverload #coaching
A lot of people think getting older means slowing A lot of people think getting older means slowing down, being more careful, and accepting that your body just can’t do what it used to.

But most of the time, the real issue isn’t age.

It’s weakness.

As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass, bone density, balance, and the ability to produce force quickly. That’s why simple things start feeling harder than they should. Getting up off the floor. Carrying shopping bags. Climbing stairs. Catching yourself when you trip.

Strength training directly addresses that.

Not with endless cardio or light exercise that never really challenges the body, but by gradually exposing your muscles and skeleton to enough load that they adapt and stay capable.

That’s the important part people miss: your body adapts to the demands placed on it.

If you stop asking it to be strong, it stops being strong.

The good news is that people can make massive improvements later in life. I’ve seen people who never touched a barbell before become dramatically stronger, more confident, and more capable within months of training consistently.

You do not have to accept getting weaker as “just part of aging.”

🏋️ Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #healthyaging #barbelltraining #getstronger #coaching
A lot of people are hesitant to start lifting beca A lot of people are hesitant to start lifting because they think they’re not built for it.

They’ve seen someone pick up a bar and look strong straight away, while they’re still figuring out where their hands go or how the lift should feel. It’s easy to think you’re already behind.

The reality is most people don’t walk into the gym and look good under the bar. It feels awkward at first. Some lifts feel better than others. Progress isn’t always quick.

That’s completely normal.

Strength isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It’s something you build. It comes from practising the lifts, adding a bit of weight over time, and being consistent enough for those small improvements to stack up.

The people who get strong aren’t always the ones who start out ahead. They’re the ones who stick with it and keep training when it feels slow.

If you’re thinking about starting, you don’t need to be confident or naturally good at it. You just need to begin and give it time.

🌐 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #consistency #getstronger #coaching
I’ve got a new website live. It shows exactly how I’ve got a new website live.

It shows exactly how I coach, what you get, and how to get started.

If you want to get stronger, start here.

Link in bio.

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #getstronger #coaching #onlinecoaching
Happy Easter 🐣 Hope you get some time to relax, s Happy Easter 🐣

Hope you get some time to relax, switch off, and spend it with good people.

— Josh

#happyeaster #liverpool #strengthtraining #bulokebarbellclub
Some days your mental health isn’t great. You don Some days your mental health isn’t great.

You don’t feel like training. You don’t feel like doing much at all.

That’s exactly when lifting can help.

Not because it fixes everything. But because it gives you something solid to do when everything else feels off.

You come in, focus on the bar, and for a while your attention is on something simple and real.

On those days, keep it basic.

Get to the gym.
Do your warm-ups.
Start your first set.

More often than not, you’ll start to feel a bit better once you get going. And even if you don’t, you’ve still done something positive with your day.

Lifting gives you structure when your head’s all over the place. A small win when you need one.

You don’t need to feel ready.

You just need to start.

📧 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #mentalhealth #coaching #progress
You don’t notice strength when you’ve got it. You You don’t notice strength when you’ve got it.

You notice it when you don’t.

Things that should be straightforward start feeling harder than they should. You slow down. You work around things instead of through them.

That’s usually the point people start thinking about training.

But it doesn’t need to get there.

Strength is what keeps everything else running properly. It gives you margin. So you’re not operating flat out just to get through a normal day.

You’ve got something left when it matters.

That’s built in the gym.

Not through variety or chasing a feeling. Through doing the same lifts well, consistently, and adding a bit more over time.

It’s simple work.

But it changes how capable you are everywhere else.

📧 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#strengthtraining #barbelltraining #coaching #progress #liverpoolfitness
43kg × 5 on the press for Lewis this week. The pr 43kg × 5 on the press for Lewis this week.

The press looks simple. Bar starts on the shoulders and ends overhead. But getting it right takes practice.

A good press depends on three things working together: the start position, the path of the bar, and the lockout at the top. If those pieces line up, the lift feels smooth and strong. If they don’t, the bar usually drifts forward and the rep gets much harder than it needs to be.

We’ve been putting a lot of work into keeping the elbows under the bar, staying tight through the torso, and sending the bar up in a straight line over the mid foot. That vertical bar path is what lets the shoulders and triceps do their job efficiently.

When the bar finishes overhead, the shoulders shrug up and the bar stacks directly over the shoulder joint. That’s the strongest position to support the weight.

Lewis has been patient with the process and it’s paying off.

Strong press. Big smile. Well earned.

📧 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#press #overheadpress #strengthtraining #barbelltraining #coaching
The deadlift starts before the bar leaves the floo The deadlift starts before the bar leaves the floor.

Most problems people run into happen in the set-up, not the pull. Get the start position right and the lift usually takes care of itself.

Start close to the bar. About 2cm or an inch from your shins.

Take your grip, then bring your shins forward until they touch the bar. At that point your elbows should be even with your knees.

Now lift your chest to set your back rigid.

That cue isn’t about pulling your shoulders back. It’s about locking the back into a strong, flat position so it can transfer force from your hips and legs into the bar.

Trying to pull your shoulders behind you just creates tension that won’t stay there once the weight gets heavy. It also shortens your arms and makes the pull harder than it needs to be.

Keep it simple.

Chest up.
Back rigid.
Push the floor away.

A consistent set-up turns the deadlift into what it should be: a strong, efficient pull from the floor.

📧 Coaching: bulokebarbellclub@gmail.com
📍 Taylor’s Strength Training, Liverpool
📲 Follow @buloke_barbell for coaching and weekly lifting updates

#deadlift #strengthtraining #barbelltraining #coaching #technique
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