Essays & observations

Writing on lifting, coaching, and learning to see.

Essays on biomechanics, coaching, pain, programming, and the process of learning how to think for yourself in the gym.

Written by Ben Yanes · The Modern Meathead

Three questions that can help you understand any exercise

When an exercise feels confusing, painful, or impossible to connect with, these three questions give you a place to start.

Biomechanics 7 min read August 2026

Latest writing

Three starting points in a growing library.

3 articles

Biomechanics

When an exercise feels confusing, painful, or impossible to connect with, these three questions give you a place to start.

7 min read Read →

Biomechanics

Why a 90-degree angle tells you where an exercise is heaviest, what it’s actually loading, and how to change it when something feels off.

6 min read Read →

Pain & Coaching

Why asymmetry is so easy to blame for pain, why that explanation can feel so convincing, and what’s actually more useful to do next.

9 min read Read →