Biomechanics Academy

Ben Yanes

For coaches, clinicians, and serious lifters who want to think deeply about biomechanics in the gym.

Episodes

  1. Nov 3

    An Honest Conversation About Life as Fitness Creators | Alec Blenis

    Join the deeper conversations happening inside biomechanics academy: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Chapters:0:00 Why this conversation is happening1:49 When fitness stops being interesting4:30 Getting boxed in by a fitness identity6:31 Why the human side matters more than optimization10:54 When more strategies stop working15:05 The race that ended Alec's competitive streak17:58 A PhD rejection and a one-way ticket to Hawaii21:04 The heart scare no doctor could explain24:17 An all-uphill marathon in the Swiss Alps25:25 When running feels too personal to post26:50 Career setbacks vs. facing mortality28:59 Who Alec became after the heart scare31:25 Did moving to Hawaii feel like the right call?33:34 Strategy vs. instinct: Ben's fork in the road34:49 The Way of Zen and going off vibes36:54 Balancing the real you with your content40:40 Handling hate comments: "This isn't real"42:38 What hate comments reveal about you47:00 Turning haters into fans51:33 Curiosity, and why praise is harder to let in54:25 Echo chambers and the guilt of unanswered messages58:12 How Alec inspired Ben to start running again1:01:30 Why running conversations go deeper1:03:00 Adding to people's lives, not just their fitness1:04:51 "Influencer" as a dirty word, and the perfectionism trap1:06:44 Trying to recreate what once felt alive1:08:02 The need to figure everything out1:10:29 Why simple ideas get complicated on social media1:13:12 Sharing questions instead of conclusions1:14:48 Do we actually need answers?1:17:52 Why memes work1:20:05 Angus, comparison, and never feeling good enough1:24:44 What your past self would think of you now1:26:46 Being real so people feel less alone1:30:35 Curiosity vs. therapy in public conversations1:33:16 Do people like me, or the influencer?1:35:04 When people meet your content instead of you1:41:35 Scheming for the next clickable moment1:44:13 Austin and influencer culture1:47:55 Why "I'm a personal trainer" is enough1:49:18 The stranger on the plane1:53:25 Final thoughts

  2. Oct 25

    The Hidden Cost of Becoming Successful

    Join the conversations inside the biomechanics academy with a 7-day free trial: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy 0:00 Introduction: A Different Kind of Conversation1:20 Why Making Fitness Content Doesn't Feel the Same Anymore4:00 When Success Starts Killing Creativity7:15 Why Real Conversations Feel More Meaningful11:00 Letting Go of the Need to Have a Plan13:00 The Problem With Trying to Control Everything17:45 The Death of an Old Identity21:35 Learning to Embrace the Unknown24:00 When Discipline Becomes a Trap27:45 You're Not the Same Person You Used to Be32:00 Why Resisting Your Emotions Makes Things Worse36:30 The Fear of Death and the Longevity Industry39:30 Why Fitness Gurus Resemble Cult Leaders42:00 Conspiracies, Seed Oils, and Oversimplified Thinking47:00 When Being Right Becomes Your Identity52:00 How Success Can Destroy Your Curiosity56:30 What Children Understand That Adults Forget60:00 Rediscovering the Joy of Not Knowing62:30 Final Thoughts: Enjoying the Process

  3. Oct 15

    Progressive Overload Anxiety & How To Fix It

    Like this and want to go deeper with me? Start a 7 day free trial to my private online community here: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy

  4. Sep 17

    9 Muscle-Building Lessons I Had to Learn the Hard Way

    If this helped you think more clearly about building muscle—and you want to learn how to solve training problems for yourself—that’s exactly what I built the Biomechanics Academy for. Try it for free: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy

  5. Sep 15

    The Invisible Variable That Changes Every Exercise

    Want help putting all these concepts into practice? This is what I do inside my biomechanics academy: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UfjauFeHAFk  Chapters: 0:00 The Exercise Variable I Ignored1:01 What “Intention” Actually Means3:20 Your Intention Must Serve a Goal6:54 Internal vs. External Cues9:08 Why Internal Cues Are More Advanced10:42 Why External Cues Are More Reliable16:09 Aligning Intention With Physics19:38 When in Doubt, Experiment20:25 Leg Extension Cueing30:35 Triceps Extension Cueing35:37 Why Cues Matter More in Compound Exercises37:07 How Intention Changes the Bench Press43:35 The Most Important Takeaway46:48 Shifting Quads vs. Glutes on a Leg Press51:00 Changing a Pull-Up With Intention53:35 Why Every Cue Is Context-Dependent55:47 When a Helpful Cue Becomes a Problem58:07 How to Experiment With Exercise Cues59:12 The Biomechanics Academy

  6. Sep 11

    How To Fix Your Program

    Need help fixing all your exercises and applying this? That's what I do inside my biomechanics academy: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy To see video footage of what quality reps actually look like in practice, check this out: https://youtu.be/bh8HEDMaXyY

  7. Sep 7

    Compound VS Isolation (How Muscle Bias Works)

    Ready to go deeper? The Biomechanics Academy is where you’ll find my full courses, live calls, and personalized one-on-one help from me: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Chapters: 0:00 Why “Compound vs. Isolation” Is the Wrong Question 4:20 Why These Exercise Labels Can Mislead You 10:05 What Actually Determines Which Muscles Work 15:56 The First Question to Ask About Any Exercise 23:14 The Hidden Factor Behind Muscle Bias 27:10 Why Grip Changes Which Muscles Work in a Curl 36:04 Why Squats Don’t Train the Hamstrings Like You Think 42:21 Why Overhead Extensions Bias the Long Head of the Triceps 51:43 Why Any of This Actually Matters for Your Training 55:45 How Muscle Bias Changes Programming 58:20 The Biggest Misconception About Muscle Recruitment 1:00:37 The 3 Things That Determine Which Muscles an Exercise Trains 1:03:00 Final Takeaways

  8. Sep 2

    How To Fix Pain

    Need help applying all this? Inside the biomechanics academy is where I help members 1-1, in-depth. Start a free trial today: https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Yji5goqrjAs  Chapters: 0:00 - Intro — A Practical Framework to Fix Pain3:30 - What Is Pain?8:59 - The Problem With Assuming You Know the Cause14:59 - Why Pain Is a Complex Problem17:58 - What Can We Actually Know About Pain?23:58 - You Don’t Need to Know the Exact Mechanism31:59 - The Most Important Shift in Troubleshooting Pain35:59 - Acute vs. Chronic Pain41:01 - Your Relationship With Pain Matters46:00 - Variable #1: Range of Motion47:00 - Variable #2: Load48:08 - Variable #3: Speed50:19 - Variable #4: Intention55:15 - Variable #5: Frequency57:35 - Variable #6: Volume58:41 - Two Real Pain Case Studies59:05 - Case Study #1: My Elbow Pain61:26 - Identifying the Story I Was Holding Onto63:02 - How I Modified My Biceps Training65:26 - Look Beyond the Painful Exercise67:38 - Case Study #2: My Chronic Low Back Pain69:16 - Changing Variables Outside the Gym71:35 - “Calm Shit Down, Build Shit Up”73:00 - The Framework: Observe, Experiment, Iterate74:35 - Final Thoughts

  9. Aug 30

    Why "Functional Training" Isn't Real (How Muscles Actually Work)

    Join a community of people as obsessed with learning biomechanics as you are (free trial): https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3ofbvoV94Us Time stamps:  00:00 - Why “Functional Training” Isn’t Real02:02 - Do We Actually Control Our Muscles?05:28 - Muscles Respond to Force07:16 - What Is Force?09:18 - How to Analyze Any Exercise11:17 - Joints, Torque & Muscle Contraction18:27 - The Problem With “Functional” Training20:09 - Lifting vs. Yoga, Pilates & Functional Training23:05 - Why We Turn Exercise Into Dogma24:51 - Barbells, Dumbbells & Machines Aren’t Special27:38 - The Range of Motion Dogma29:42 - The Real Problem: Blame33:05 - When You Blame Your Body Instead34:20 - “Dysfunction” & Internet Diagnoses37:18 - Stop Controlling. Start Listening.40:02 - The Most Important Lesson41:29 - Biomechanics Academy & Closing

  10. Aug 26

    WTF Happened to Lengthened Partials? (A Strength Masterclass)

    Join the Biomechanics Academy (7-day free trial): https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy  Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZVWM5f4my0c  Chapters: 0:00 — What Happened to Lengthened Partials?2:39 — What Is a Lengthened Partial?3:24 — What Do Muscles Actually Respond To?6:00 — More Tension = More Potential Adaptation8:55 — Why This Is Really a Conversation About Strength12:04 — How Muscle Strength Changes With Length15:01 — Stronger Ranges Allow More Tension17:19 — Why Lengthened Partials Became So Popular18:32 — Were We Just Underloading Lengthened Ranges?19:39 — Cable Rows: A Clear Example22:47 — Calf Raises & Lengthened Partials24:00 — So What Happened to Lengthened Partials?26:45 — The Downside of Training Where You’re Strongest29:43 — When a Good Strategy Starts Working Against You30:00 — Why I Prefer Training a Spectrum of Muscle Lengths33:33 — Applying This to Athletes & Advanced Lifters35:32 — Everything Has Its Place36:21 — Strength Is Not a Fixed Concept37:58 — What Actually Changes Your Strength?42:28 — How Strength Should Actually Be Used43:28 — Closing Thoughts & Biomechanics Academy

  11. Aug 23

    Why Perfect Technique Doesn't Exist

    Join the Biomechanics Academy (7-day free trial): https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Watch on my YouTube: https://youtu.be/47FVVxbP3aUChapters: 00:00 — Why Perfect Technique Doesn’t Exist03:20 — What Do We Even Mean by “Perfect Technique”?05:11 — Technique Only Makes Sense Relative to a Goal08:28 — Why the Same Goal Doesn’t Mean the Same Technique12:14 — Biomechanics Actually Proves Individual Variation19:05 — There Is Only What’s Appropriate for You Right Now20:52 — What Biomechanics Can Actually Help You Do25:32 — The Problem With Searching for Perfection27:23 — How “Perfect Technique” Failed One of My Clients31:00 — Experimentation Is the Path to Individualization32:00 — When a Great Technique Becomes the Next Trap33:30 — How Perfectionism Makes Coaching Worse38:04 — A Practical Guide to Finding the Right Technique42:00 — How to Troubleshoot One Variable at a Time44:44 — The Process: Apply, Get Feedback, Iterate45:05 — Biomechanics Academy + Closing Thoughts

    Why Perfect Technique Doesn't Exist

  12. Aug 19

    The Truth About Biomechanics

    Join the Biomechanics Academy (7-day free trial): https://www.skool.com/biomechanics-academy Link to the YouTube video if you want to comment: https://youtu.be/cNMyEPd4tAs 0:00 The Truth About Biomechanics2:57 What Biomechanics Actually Is6:20 The Mistake I Made With Pain & Injury11:50 How Biomechanics Creates False Certainty16:44 Will Biomechanics Build More Muscle?18:37 Does Biomechanics Make You a Better Coach?20:00 The Real Problem: Information ≠ Application24:18 Humans Are Complex Systems28:05 Why I Stopped Needing to “Know”30:01 What Biomechanics Is Actually For34:30 The Principles for Applying Biomechanics35:30 Description Before Prescription38:17 Goals Before Judgments39:44 Experimentation Over Conclusions43:04 Iteration Over Destination44:30 What Confidence Actually Looks Like45:30 Biomechanics Academy + Closing

  • 12 Episodes

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For coaches, clinicians, and serious lifters who want to think deeply about biomechanics in the gym.

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