Bodybuilding is a unique sport. Competitors' "skills" are displayed by the physique they bring onstage. Several factors help determine the winner of a bodybuilding contest — definition, symmetry, ... Continue Reading
Showmanship on the Sand: The Rise and Fall of the Original Muscle Beach
Venice. Los Angeles, California. You duck between family reunions and skateboarding teenagers. The bustling boardwalk is lined with street vendors, hot dogs, and performers doing everything from juggling ... Continue Reading
The Benefits of Staying Active During the Holidays
Even when armed with the best tips for the holidays, the “most wonderful time of the year” can still be stressful. Studies report that 89% of people report seasonal stress stemming from concerns such ... Continue Reading
Nutrition and Strength Training Guidance for Trans and Nonbinary Athletes: New Study
Whether you’re a long-time gym lover or just someone who’s trying to get a grasp on the best nutritional strategies for your body, you might have some trouble finding training advice or nutrition guidance ... Continue Reading
Best Tips For the Holidays, From the Experts
The holiday season can be an enjoyable time of year. Taking in the festivities, chowing down on delicious food, spending time with family members and loved ones — you know the routine. However, the ... Continue Reading
Why Do Strength Athletes Use Smelling Salts?
Have you ever caught a whiff of something gnarly in the weight room? No, not that. Something that smells like the air itself is burning. Take a look around and you might find a hardcore powerlifter capping ... Continue Reading
Every Winner of the Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition
For the first several decades of bodybuilding's existence, competitions existed mainly for men, with contests laden in the male honorific — Mr. Universe, Mr. America, and, of course, Mr. Olympia. Fifteen ... Continue Reading
Every Winner of the Bikini Olympia
It’s hard to imagine Olympia weekend without the now-infamous Bikini Division, which rewards beauty, poise, and intense muscular conditioning in women. But before 2010, women's competitors had three ... Continue Reading
Every Winner of the Classic Physique Olympia
Everybody loves a vintage comeback. In bodybuilding, the Classic Physique division, which debuted in 2016, was established to promote bodies that harken back to the Golden Era of bodybuilding from the ... Continue Reading
Exclusive: Inside Team China’s Youth Weightlifting Industry
Back in June, Hillary Tran went a little bit viral. By posting an Instagram Reel — as of Oct. 2024, it’s up to 4.8 million hits — showing some of Team China’s youth athlete development camps in action, ... Continue Reading
Ronnie Coleman’s 3 Best (& Worst) Bodybuilding Tips Ever
They call him “the King” for a reason. Ronnie Coleman, eight-time Mr. Olympia winner and purveyor of household staples like “Yeah, buddy,” had one of the best physiques to ever grace a bodybuilding ... Continue Reading
5 Science-Based Hacks for Muscle Growth That Actually Work
Building muscle is a marathon, not a sprint. That said, there’s no reason you shouldn’t look for every possible avenue to speed things up on your journey. These five tips for muscle growth are ... Continue Reading
Best and Worst States for Building a Healthy Lifestyle
From childhood through adulting, we often hear phrases like “make healthy choices.” It’s useful advice when you have or can create the healthiest choices for you. And yet, the unfortunate reality is that ... Continue Reading
Jay Cutler’s Top 10 Bodybuilding Tips of All Time
When Jay Cutler speaks, we listen. The star of the Men’s Open division in the late ‘00s cemented his legacy in bodybuilding by dethroning all-time great Ronnie Coleman and, shortly after, becoming the only ... Continue Reading
The Best Training Technique to Gain Strength + Build Muscle After 40
If you're pushing (or have pushed past) 40, want to build muscle or increase strength, and aren't doing blood flow restriction, you're screwing up. Why is BFR particularly potent for middle-aged gym ... Continue Reading
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Calf Exercise Was Super Weird, but It Worked
There's a deleted scene in Pumping Iron (1977) that shows seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger bent over a piece of equipment, mounted by a sweaty, scantily clad bodybuilder, bouncing up and down. ... Continue Reading
1,000 Reps a Day: Frank Zane’s Legendary Ab Workout, Explained
At his peak, Frank Zane had perhaps the best abs in bodybuilding. His world-renowned midsection and mastery over the stomach vacuum technique helped Zane bag an Olympia three-peat in 1977, '78, and ... Continue Reading
Interview: Chris Bumstead’s Secret Weapon to Win the 2024 Olympia
Chris Bumstead has an ace up his sleeve. The five-time champ of the Classic Physique division is gearing up to defend his title at the 2024 Olympia on Oct. 10-13. After so many years at the top of his ... Continue Reading
Why Chris Bumstead Can’t Build More Muscle
Chris Bumstead has a problem. The reigning and five-time champion of the Classic Physique bodybuilding division at the Olympia was long considered nearly untouchable: Bumstead, 29, first claimed ... Continue Reading
How To Build Muscle After 40 + Tips From PhD Bodybuilder Dr. Eric Helms
“How do you build muscle after 40?” is the question I posed to Dr. Eric Helms. After listening to him discuss the implications of aging on his bodybuilding career in a Dec. 2023 episode of the Iron ... Continue Reading
For Some Olympic Athletes, Getting a Medal Through TSA Is the Hardest Part
Ever since she won a medal at the 2020 Olympics, Kate Vibert has been embroiled in a beef with the Transportation Security Administration. “[The medal] almost always gets flagged when I’m going ... Continue Reading
How Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Train? A Chronicle of the Austrian Oak’s Favorite Workouts
It’s far from the most controversial thing in the sport to say: Arnold Schwarzenegger is the greatest bodybuilder of all time. A seven-time Mr. Olympia, Arnold helped push bodybuilding into the mainstream ... Continue Reading
Here’s How to Get a Six-Pack, According to Transmasculine Personal Trainer Devon Spears
Growing your biceps is one thing. You do a bunch of curls, you eat the right things, and...voila. (OK, no, it's not that simple. But it's easier than getting a visible six-pack.) International Sports ... Continue Reading
“Quadrobics” Is Trending: Here’s What It Is, Plus Opinions From Expert Trainers
I'll admit it: I'm skeptical. Trends rise and fall as fast as the wind changes on social media. Quadrobics is a new exercise trend catching fire across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. As of May 8, ... Continue Reading