At the risk of making four-time World’s Strongest Man Jón Páll Sigmarsson turn over in his grave, I’ll say it: Deadlifts kind of suck for building muscle. Sigmarsson (who passed away in 1993) famously ... Continue Reading
5 Reasons You Can’t Skip Barbell Squats on Leg Day
Barbell squats are a must-do leg exercise. Somewhere along the way, it seems like everybody moved on from what was long considered the de facto lower-body movement. But for (almost) everybody ... Continue Reading
Merch and Muscles Collide at Gymshark’s LiftNYC Event
British-based fitness apparel and accessories brand Gymshark recently joined forces with reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead, who became a part owner in the company. How ... Continue Reading
Never Start Your Back Workouts With Pull-Ups
Back day is the best day of the week. If you disagree, take a number and form an orderly line. Almost nothing hits better than inflating your lats, traps, and yoke with a skin-tearing pump and crab-walking ... Continue Reading
Italian Weightlifters Are Social Media Stars, but They Blew It at the 2024 Olympics
Whether you’re a fan of weightlifting (the sport), or you just like lifting weights (the hobby), you’ve probably seen Italian weightlifters on your Explore feed once or twice. Over the past few years, ... Continue Reading
Despite 3X Olympic Golds, Lasha Talakhadze’s 10-Year Goal of 500KG Total Is Out of Reach
The disciples who pray at the altar of Lasha Talakhadze speak of the 500-kilogram Total as though it might as well be the Rapture; the crowning and borderline-otherwordly achievement of the closest thing ... Continue Reading
Loredana Toma’s Dream of Weightlifting Gold Died at Paris 2024
If you're only a casual fan of weightlifting — or the 2024 Olympics was your first exposure to the sport — you probably have no idea what happened to Loredana Toma in Paris. But those who know, know. ... Continue Reading
Is Mihaela Cambei the World’s Next Weightlifting Superstar?
On the first day of weightlifting at the 2024 Olympics, I watched Mihaela-Valentina Cambei do something unheard of. Cambei, a 21-year-old Olympic lifter from Romania, put Team China, the world's most ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Gym Etiquette Is Ruining My Life
Barf. I groan as I sit up after another set of dumbbell bench presses, casting the weights down to the floor with as much nonchalance as I can muster: Like I hadn’t just pushed myself to the brink of ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Half Squats Are Better Than Full Squats (If You’re an Athlete)
When Thanos told Iron Man they were both “cursed with knowledge” in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, you probably didn’t think their exchange also applied to you. Most people’s fitness journeys — including ... Continue Reading
Mike Mentzer Was a Good Bodybuilder With (Some) Bad Advice
Mike Mentzer is more famous over two decades after his death than he was during his bodybuilding career. In the back half of 2023, Mentzer had something of a moment on social media after getting caught in ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Ego Cost Rahmat Erwin Abdullah a Gold Medal at the 2024 Olympics
For the last year or so, Indonesian weightlifter Rahmat Erwin Abdullah has lifted world-record weights like the bar and plates were made of styrofoam rather than steel. The 23-year-old dark-horsed a bronze ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Bodybuilder Samson Dauda Told Sam Sulek He Lifts Too Heavy. Dauda Is Wrong.
Ever since Sam Sulek started yapping into his webcam on his gym commute in 2023, he’s rapidly become the Internet’s favorite soundboard. Everybody has their take: Sulek is this, Sulek is that. He’s a good ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Can We Stop Mixing Up the Romanian Deadlift and Stiff-Leg Deadlift?
This is something I see all the time on social media: A well-intentioned but under-informed fitness content creator on TikTok or Instagram or YouTube Shorts demonstrating a Romanian deadlift (RDL) and ... Continue Reading
Opinion: Long-Length Partial Reps Are Overrated for Bodybuilding
At my gym, (and probably at yours, too) there’s an older gentleman who spends his workouts idling on various machines, performing quarter-range-of-motion everything before heading home. Good on him for ... Continue Reading
Opinion: The Sport of Weightlifting Sucks to Watch in 2024
By the numbers, weightlifting is thriving: The 2023 World Weightlifting Championships hosted more competitors than in any year prior. A few weeks after that, Bulgarian prodigy Karlos Nasar set social media ... Continue Reading
Are Bodybuilding Gyms Being Abandoned by the Fitness Industry?
There's the idea of a “true bodybuilder gym.” They are known for having it all: a bajillion machines, handles, gadgets, weights that run heavy, and tons and tons of space to strut, pose, and generally take ... Continue Reading
Relive the 10 Most Iconic Moments From Dubai Fitness Championship History
Since 2012, a small local competition has consistently grown to become one of the premiere fitness competitions in the world. This year in 2022, the Dubai Fitness Championship (DFC) celebrates its tenth ... Continue Reading
2022 Rogue Invitational CrossFit Women’s Predictions
Earlier, we previewed the women’s CrossFit field as a whole for the 2022 Rogue Invitational. As the competition is drawing nearer, it’s time to take a stab at predicting the eventual finish. We'll also ... Continue Reading
Predicting the 2022 Rogue Invitational CrossFit Programming
The fourth iteration of the Rogue Invitational is set to take place October 28-30 at the Dell Diamond stadium in Round Rock, Texas. It’ll feature elite CrossFit athletes like Justin Medeiros, Laura ... Continue Reading
2022 World’s Strongest Man Final Predictions
The 2022 World's Strongest Man (WSM) Final roster was set following the third day of the Qualifying stage. My name is Phil Blechman, and I'm on the ground in Sacramento, CA, covering the 2022 WSM ... Continue Reading
2022 World’s Strongest Man — Group Stage Predictions
The groups for the 2022 World's Strongman Man (WSM) Qualifying Groups have been announced, and speculation about which strongmen will earn their way to the Final is underway. The six strongmen in each of ... Continue Reading
Encanto’s Luisa Madrigal is the Super-Jacked Disney Hero We All Wanted
In Nov. 2021, Disney's Encanto hit theaters. On Christmas Eve, it hit the internet as a sensation after its release on the streaming platform Disney Plus. While many of the songs and storylines ... Continue Reading
Why You Need Self-Doubt in Training (and How to Use It)
As a mindset coach many athletes come to me with the question, “How do I get rid of self-doubt?” Athletes asking this question are usually under the assumption that self-doubt is negative, when self-doubt ... Continue Reading