“That dog food study was, indeed, infuriating. The craziest part was that dogs eating a raw meat diet fared better than those on the vegan diet, but the researchers decided to conclude that the vegan diet was better anyway.”
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On April 20, 2022, Fergus Crawley put himself in rare company when he became the 184th person to lift the Dinnie Stones in Potarch, Aberdeenshire.
The Dinnie Stones are two granite stones with different weights that athletes pull with the Jefferson deadlift variation (where they straddle the weight and keep it between their legs). The aim is to hold up the stones for as long as they can. They also have the option to farmers carry them as far as possible. The larger Dinnie Stone weighs 188 kilograms (414.5 pounds), while the smaller stone checks in at 144 kilograms (317.5 pounds) for a total weight of 332.5 kilograms (733 pounds).
Check out a video of Crawley’s legendary lift below, via his Instagram profile:
Crawley dons a kilt and lifting belt for the lift. He uses a staggered stance and chalks his grip on the round metal handles of both rocks. Given the triumphant moment, he flashes an appropriate smile to the camera as he finishes the lift.
History of the Stones
According to Liftingstones.org, the Dinnie Stones tradition began in the 1830s when stonemason Robert Dinnie had a job maintaining the Potarch Bridge. He initially attached iron rings to the stones to use them as counterweights on his scaffolding during any work on the bridge.
His son, Donald Dinnie — a 21-time Scottish Highland Games Champion (1856-1876) — was the first recognized person to carry the Dinnie Stones across the bridge’s width in 1860.
Sometime in the early 20th century, around World War I, someone lost the stones. Scottish author David Webster eventually found them next to the River Dee in Scotland, with one of them missing a grip.
Following Webster’s rediscovery, a litany of athletes worldwide made attempts to lift the restored Dinnie Stones. However, they could only manage the feat while wearing wrist straps. In 1972, Jack Shanks was the first person to lift them bare-handed again, more than a century after Donald Dinnie.
In the years since, lifting the Dinnie Stones has almost become a rite of passage for strength sports athletes.
Brett Nicol holds the world record for the most-ever lifts of the stones with over 400 successful attempts as of November 2021. Meanwhile, strongman Kevin Faires possesses the world record for the farthest Dinnie Carry when he took the stones a distance of 25 feet and eight inches during the 2022 Rogue Record Breakers (RRB).
A Dream Comes True
According to the caption of Crawley’s post on Instagram, lifting the Dinnie Stones was the equivalent of him fulfilling a childhood dream. When he heard of the tradition an approximate decade ago, the Scottish athlete made it a mission to one day travel to the site of the stones and join a very exclusive club.
332kg/730lbs of history, heritage, and simply: weight — in my hands as a real symbol of why I enjoy training the way that I do.
Crawley was not the only inductee into the historical pantheon of successful Dinnie Stone lifts. His coach, Jonny Pain, was present with Crawley and also pulled the stones.
About Fergus Crawley
A former accomplished powerlifter turned hybrid athlete (a specialization in strength and endurance), Crawley now regularly performs endurance challenges for charity to raise awareness for men’s mental health issues. As of December 2021, in a partnership with the Movember Foundation, Crawley has raised a total of £100,225 ($132,511) to help this cause.
Crawley’s next formal competition will be the CELTMAN! Extreme Scottish Triathlon, which is part of the XTRI World Tour® — a series of triathlons across the globe in parts of South America, Asia, North America, and European countries like Scotland. Those will begin on June 18, 2022.
Perhaps Crawley’s lift of the Dinnie Stones will act as a catalyst to thrive during the event.
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The pull-up is the meat and potatoes of any back workout. It’s one of the few exercises that nearly every experienced lifter agrees is essential for building a foundation of size and strength. You’ll find it performed and praised by bodybuilders, strength athletes, and traditional sports athletes due to its wide benefits.
This battle-tested exercise is unique since it delivers a stronger back and abs for huge carryover to almost every other major lift. Plus, bigger muscles in the back, shoulders, and arms will improve any physique. All while using only your bodyweight. You don’t need a gym to find plenty of gains.
Pull-ups are a great addition to any strength program. The simple movement of lifting yourself up to a bar will provide a great range of benefits that assist in general strength, posture, and core stability.
Step 1 — Hang From a Bar
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Start hanging from a straight bar with your core stabilized to prevent your body from swaying. Set your hands so they’re a smidge wider than shoulder-width using a pronated (overhand or palms down) grip. To maintain balance and coordination, you can cross one foot over the other at your ankles.
Form Tip: When stabilizing your core, imagine someone is about to punch you in the stomach. The initial flinch of tightening your stomach will place you in an effective bracing position.
Step 2 — Pull Your Chest Towards the Bar
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Take a breath before beginning to pull yourself towards the bar. Pull your shoulder blades together to recruit your upper back muscles. Maintain that squeeze while bending your elbows to raise your body. Exhale throughout the movement. Lean back very slightly on the way up.
When your neck is near the bar, you’ve completed the concentric (pulling) portion of the rep. In the top position, your torso should be angled slightly backwards with your elbows near your ribs.
Form Tip: To improve muscle coordination and muscle fiber recruitment, pause at the top for one or two seconds.
Step 3 — Lower Under Control
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Start the eccentric (lowering) portion of the rep by extending your elbows to lower your body. Breathe in and keep your core engaged. Do not swing to create momentum between each rep. Keep your legs hanging directly down.
Form Tip:To improve the quality of each rep and prevent any swaying, lower yourself over two seconds and pause at the bottom before beginning the next rep.
Pull-Up Mistakes to Avoid
The pull-up is a basic bodyweight exercise, but there are several common technique errors to avoid in order to build strength and muscle while reducing joint strain.
Not Using a Full Range of Motion
The half-rep pull-up is an all too common issue seen in many gyms. Some lifters smash out rep after rep while only descending halfway down before rushing straight back to the top. When it comes to maximizing strength and muscle gains, these half-reps are counterproductive.
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The shortened range of motion reduces the muscle’s time under tension, which can reduce muscle growth and strength development.
Avoid it: Leave your ego at the door and focus on quality reps over quantity. Lower yourself into a fully stretched position before re-engaging your muscles to lift yourself back up.
Excessive Swinging
Stabilizing the body is crucial for minimizing stress on the shoulder joint. If you are trying to build strength and muscle, using an excessive amount of swinging is not going to help and may make things worse in the long run.
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CrossFit training has popularized “kipping pull-ups”, a specific exercise variation which has the trainee deliberately swing the lower body back and forth throughout each rep. This generates momentum which helps to perform high-rep sets and turns the back-building pull-up into a full-body exercise. Kipping is a specific technique used for a specific purpose. It’s also a deliberately learned skill, it’s not meant to be an accidental way to perform basic pull-ups.
Avoid it: Focus on the core-engaging cue explained in step one of the setup. While hanging and before pulling, flex your stomach as if you were about to be punched in the gut. Maintain this ab tension throughout each rep.
Benefits of the Pull-Up
The pull-up is a second-to-none vertical pulling exercise. When performed correctly, it can emphasize the development of strength and muscle across the entire upper body, support overall posture, and help general shoulder and upper back mobility.
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Getting Bigger and Stronger
Because so many muscles are involved in the exercise, the pull-up delivers a serious bang for your buck. This one movement builds muscle through the entire back, shoulders, and arms. Even the abs get a solid workout. It is also a very easy exercise to progressively overload (make more challenging, often with added weight), which makes the exercise ideal for building strength.
Carries Over to Multiple Exercises
The pull-up recruits and builds muscles which play key roles in many other lifts. Strengthening these support muscles translates to improvement in other exercises. For example, strengthening the lats, upper back, and middle back can carryover to the bench press where you need to retract your shoulder blades into the bench to create stability and control when pressing a heavy weight.
Better Grip Strength
While there are specific exercises to build a stronger grip, simply performing the pull-up strengthens your forearms and grip without additional wear and tear that may occur from more grip-focused exercises like the deadlift. Because you’re hanging from the bar supporting your bodyweight during each set, your grip strength is being consistently trained from the first rep to the last.
Muscles Worked by Pull-Up
The pull-up is a compound movement, meaning it involves multiple joints and recruits multiple muscle groups at once. Here’s a breakdown of the muscles worked by the pull-up.
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Latissimus Dorsi
The lats are the largest back muscle, attaching at the upper arm and along the spine near the lower back. They serve two primary functions. First, they bring the arm closer to the body from out to the side. Second, they bring the arm closer to the body from out in front. This is why the lats are heavily activated when your arms begin overhead and pull down and in to raise your body during a pull-up.
Upper Back
The upper back (generally including the rear deltoid of the shoulder, the trapezius, and the rhomboids) functions to control movement of the scapulae (shoulder blades) and to support the shoulder joints under muscular stress, particularly in the bottom portion of the pull-up.
Trapezius
While sections of the traps fall into the “upper back” category, the trapezius is a large muscle on its own and serves a big role during pull-ups. The middle portion of the traps help to pull your shoulders back while extending your elbows behind you while also stabilizing your shoulders when you move your arms.Your lower traps are crucial to many other lifts and are highly activated during pull-ups. (1)
Biceps Brachii
The biceps are composed of two heads: a long head commonly referred to as the “outer” and a short head referred to as the “inner.” Both muscle heads originate at the scapulae and insert on the radius bone of the forearm. The biceps play a relatively smaller, but important, role during pull-ups to complete the top part of the movement. They are more significantly activated and play a larger role in the chin-up variation.
Lower Back
The muscles of the lower back, or lumbar spine, have been shown to be recruited during pull-ups even though they aren’t moved through a significant range of motion. Because these muscles control your torso bending at the hips, they work during the exercise to maintain a stable core position and keep a straight line from your shoulders to your knees or feet.
Rectus Abdominis
The abs are surprisingly worked to a very significant degree during pull-ups. While most lifters are more familiar with the abs’ role in flexing your torso in a curled position, they’re highly activated to maintain a stiff, solid torso. Similar to the lower back, the abs work to prevent bending at the hips.
Who Should Do the Pull-Up
Training for Bodyweight Strength
Many bodyweight training-focused lifters consider the pull-up to be an essential test of strength. Because strength is a skill, if you want to improve your pull-up numbers, you need to get better at the exercise itself. This skill comes from repeated efforts, rep after rep.
Training for Muscle
To increase muscularity, the pull-up should be a recurring movement in your workouts. The activation of multiple muscles combined with a long range of motion provide a muscle-building stimulus that very few upper body exercises can match.
How to Program the Pull-Up
The pull-up can be programmed with a variety of sets, reps, and tempo schemes. The exercise is ideally performed at the beginning of your workout. This will make sure your body has the energy required to perform this comprehensive movement without sacrificing your technique or increasing injury risk.
Weighted, Low Repetition
To maximize basic strength in the pull-up, completing four to six sets in the three to six rep range is the place to start. Use a weight that leaves you with at least two reps left “in the tank” to avoid reaching muscular failure. A rest period of three to five minutes between each set will ensure you lift with maximum effort.
However, to ensure proper technique, you should only add weight once you can comfortably handle moderate to high-rep sets using your bodyweight.
Unweighted, Moderate Repetition
To ensure growth in the working muscles, three to four sets in the six to 12 rep range will increase overall training volume, which is beneficial for building muscle. (2) The multiple sets and reps also allow you to improve your pull-up technique.
Modified Cluster Sets
Some lifters, especially beginners, may not be able to perform pull-ups for multiple sets of multiple reps. Even performing one or two reps may be challenging. This is where cluster sets are beneficial. Cluster sets allow a lifter to perform multiple low-rep “mini-sets” (or clusters) with a heavy weight while avoiding excessive muscular fatigue. You can apply the same technique to bodyweight pull-ups.
This modified cluster set method will have three sets of three reps in one cluster (if you can currently perform four or five reps with good form). Perform three reps, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, perform another three reps, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, and perform a final group of three reps. That entire series is one set. Take two minutes rest before repeating two more sets.
Because three sets of three cluster reps is comparable to performing nine reps in a single set. This will allow you to get stronger, maximize the recruitment of high-threshold muscle fibers (specialized muscle fibers which improve power output), and increase total working volume which can lead to more muscle.
Note: If you cannot perform three reps with good technique, you can use the cluster set method while performing one or two reps per cluster.
Pull-Up Variations
The basic pull-up is staple in many experienced lifters’ routines, but simple variations can be used for specific goals. Even after you’ve mastered the pull-up, you can implement some of these variations into your training.
Negative Pull-Ups
To perform negative pull-ups, you will need to stand on a box or bench under a pull-up bar. Take hold of the bar with a basic shoulder-width grip and jump up to get your chin above the bar.
Take at least five seconds to lower yourself into the stretched position. Once fully stretched, put your feet on the box again, return to the top position, and repeat until you hit your target rep range.
Chin-Up
One of the most basic pull-up variations is simply reversing your grip. By grabbing the bar with a supinated (underhand or palm-up) grip, you more directly recruit the biceps.
This makes the exercise fit very well into a specific arm workout or it can add “extra” arm training to your back workout.
Wide-Grip Pull-Up
The wide-grip pull-up requires grabbing the bar several inches wider than shoulder-width. Pull yourself up as high as possible and lower yourself under complete control.
The different grip changes the arm position overhead, which changes the range of motion and puts the lats, upper back, and biceps under a different angle of stretch, which creates a unique training stimulus.
Pull-Up Alternatives
You might not be ready to complete a full set of pull-ups, which is no big deal because we all start somewhere. The first priority is understanding the prime movers involved in the pull-up and how to strengthen them. The muscles most activated in the pull-up are the lats, mid and lower traps, biceps, and your core. (3) The following exercises will help you build strength in these important muscle groups.
Scapula Pull-Ups
Scapula pull-ups can help strengthen your grip and lower traps which both play a large role in performing the full pull-up effectively.
Start by hanging from the bar with a shoulder-width grip. Keep your shoulders “shrugged” down away from your ears. Without bending at your elbows, pull your scapulae downwards while pulling your body up. It’s a very short but impactful range of motion. Hold for a slight pause at the top and lower yourself slowly by allowing your scapula to “open up” until you are at a full stretch.
To progress, start by increasing the amount of reps done in each set until you can handle 12 to 15. Once mastered, this exercise can be used within your general warm-up sequence before full pull-ups.
Kneeling Lat Pulldowns
The kneeling lat pulldown will help strengthen the lats, core, and biceps. Use a cable machine, kneeling on the ground while mimicking the exact same starting position as you would for the pull-up.
Keep yourself upright with your glutes flexed to provide stability and increase core activation. Every muscle must remain tight from the ground up.
To progress, you can introduce one and one-half reps — one full rep includes pulling all the way down, releasing the weight halfway up, pulling down again, and releasing to a full stretch. This is a great technique that can be used to emphasize the tension placed on the muscles from both the start of the pull-up and the end of the pull-up.
Inverted Row
The inverted row will help to strengthen the pulling strength of your lats, core, and arms while also emphasizing the mid-traps and upper back. A Smith machine is perfect for this exercise since you can easily adjust the height of the bar while also being in a stable, fixed position.
To progress, lower the height of the bar to adjust leverage and increase the challenge. Eventually you can elevate your feet to put your entire body into a more horizontal position.
Banded Pull-Ups
The banded pull-up is a great way to improve your muscle coordination from a neurological standpoint since strength is a skill built on repetition. (4) The banded pull-up is going to allow you to better prepare yourself to perform the concentric (pulling) portion of the movement since the bands will assist your strength in the bottom position.
Attach a resistance band to the top of a bar and get yourself into position with the band supporting your body, either with bent knees or keeping your legs straight.
To progress, make your way up resistance bands offering less resistance until you are ready to perform your pull-ups with full bodyweight.
FAQs
Can I get a six-pack from doing pull-ups?
No single exercise can give you a six-pack. That can only be achieved through a reduction in body fat, fat loss-focused training, and a calorie-controlled nutrition plan.
With that being said, pull-ups may help with improving the final look of your abs because they are heavily recruited during the exercise, as explained in the muscles-worked section. Pull-ups are an awesome and overlooked exercise for training your abs. You can expect a more prominent set of abs once you do get lean enough.
When can I start performing weighted pull-ups?
The exact timeframe can vary from individual to individual since some people are capable of performing pull-ups in a very short time. However, once you can accomplish three to four sets of 12 reps using your bodyweight, you’ve likely built the technique, coordination, and strength to tackle low-rep weighted pull-ups.
How many times per week should I perform pull-ups?
For building strength and muscle, and taking into consideration the recovery ability of the involved muscle groups, performing this exercise twice per week will be the best place to start. (5) Make sure to give yourself at least two or three days rest between workouts.
For the purpose of getting more technique practice and perfecting this movement, you can implement bodyweight pull-ups as a part of your general warm-up for upper body workouts or even for workouts where a back-focused exercise like the deadlift may be performed. The aim for this technique training would be not to fatigue your back muscles, but to mobilize and activate the associated muscles that are going to be used in those workouts..
References
Youdas JW, Amundson CL, Cicero KS, Hahn JJ, Harezlak DT, Hollman JH. Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Dec;24(12):3404-14. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f1598c. PMID: 21068680.
Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, et al. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(1):94-103. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764
Hewit, Jennifer. (2018). A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports. 5. 10.19080/JPFMTS.2018.05.555669.
Ochi, E., Maruo, M., Tsuchiya, Y., Ishii, N., Miura, K., & Sasaki, K. (2018). Higher Training Frequency Is Important for Gaining Muscular Strength Under Volume-Matched Training. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 744. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00744
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8
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Nick “The Mutant” Walker is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to building his strength and muscles. On April 20, 2022, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League bodybuilder destroyed 180-pound incline dumbbell presses for 10 reps.
Check out the set below, via Walker’s Instagram profile:
Walker doesn’t take notable pauses on the lift until the last couple of reps, when his spotter supports his elbows to help finish the set. Walker completed the incline dumbbell presses seated on a weight bench while wearing wrist straps and a lifting belt.
Walking the Walk
Walker boasts an extended, impressive resume of accomplishments in an almost decade-long career. To date, his most significant achievement might be a first-place finish at the 2021 Arnold Classic in the Open division. Notably, he’s only been an IFBB pro since the 2020 North American Championships, where he earned his Pro card with a first-place mark in the Super Heavyweight division.
That apparent late-earned distinction hasn’t stopped the 27-year-old Walker from making noise in the bodybuilding sphere all around. Here are some of the more notable results of his career thus far:
Nick Walker | Notable Career Results
2014 National Physique Committee (NPC) Junior Nationals (Middleweight) — 2nd place
2015 NPC Northeast Summer Classic (Middleweight) — 1st place
2016 NPC USA Championships (Welterweight) — 2nd place
2016 NPC South Jersey Championships (Heavyweight) — 1st place
2017 NPC National Championships (Heavyweight) — 6th place
2017 IFBB North American Championships (Heavyweight) — 6th place
2018 NPC USA Championships (Middleweight) — 3rd place
2018 NPC National Championships (Middleweight) — 6th place
2018 Caribbean Grand Prix Pro Qualifier (Light Heavyweight) — 3rd place
2019 NPC South Jersey Championships (Heavyweight) — 1st place
2019 NPC USA Championships (Heavyweight) — 2nd place
2020 North American Championships (Super Heavyweight) — 1st place | Earned Pro Card
2020 Chicago Pro (Open) — 4th place
2021 New York Pro (Open) — 1st place
2021 Arnold Classic (Open) — 1st place
2021 Mr. Olympia (Open) — 5th place
A Singular Focus
Including these dumbbell presses, Walker’s recent training is related to his focus on the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Walker has previously stated he will not feature in any other upcoming competitions this year save for that meet. His focused competitive thought process is connected to a desire to improve upon a fifth-place finish at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
While it doesn’t appear to be a significant obstacle to his goals, Walker recently changed coaches. Up until early November 2021, Matt Jansen was Walker’s coach through most of his bodybuilding career. Jansen undoubtedly played a significant role in Walker’s recent first-place, Open division triumphs at both the 2021 New York Pro and 2021 Arnold Classic. The two men did part ways amicably, per a post on Jansen’s Instagram profile.
Walker’s new coach, Dominick Mutascio, now has the task of helping the bodybuilder achieve an improved result during his second-ever Mr. Olympia this coming December. Walker will have to overcome many big names when it comes time to step onto that stage, including reigning Open division champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan Hunter Labrada, and perhaps even Shaun Clarida.
What the near future holds in store will likely be related to Walker’s continued progress with his new coach. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
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Training the shoulders may not be at the top of the list for most lifters. It doesn’t even make the list at all for some, and they skip it entirely. But the shoulders (a.k.a. the deltoids or delts) can serve a vital role in many goals.
Whether you want to add more muscle, get stronger, or if you’re only now starting your journey into the iron game, a systematic approach to shoulder training is best. Formulating a solid and effective plan will take some careful consideration of function.
Breaking down the shoulders into separate-but-connected parts, and training them accordingly, is the optimal path for the greatest progress towards fulfilling your specific goals. Below are four options for shoulder training specific to the goals of building muscle, dumbbell-only training, beginner workouts, and pure strength.
If more muscle is the goal, your ego needs to take a hike. Building muscle isn’t entirely about lifting heavier weight for more reps. Yes, progressive overload is a part of the more-muscle equation, but form and function are imperative to your success, especially when it comes to training the shoulders.
Your focus should be on controlling the weight, avoiding any cheating to move the weight up, and getting maximum fiber recruitment and blood flow.
The Wide Delt Workout
Many lifters invariably start each shoulder workout with a heavy overhead press to take advantage of increased strength levels early in the session. However, those same lifters would benefit from starting with work for common weak points or overlooked muscles.
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This more effective approach will help to balance out shoulder mass and pre-exhaust the area, facilitating a greater training effect without the need for super-heavy weights — which can create stress on the joints and, elicit poor form, and shift the focus to strength-building.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise
How to Do It: Grasp a pair of dumbbells and bend at your hips until your upper body is nearly parallel to the floor. Allow the weights to hang straight down, just above your feet. Avoid rounding your lower back. Raise the dumbbells up and out to the side with your palms facing the floor during the movement. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and keep the weights in line with your head. Squeeze your rear deltoids (back of the shoulder) in the top position and then return under control.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
How to Do It: Stand with a pair of dumbbells held at your sides, palms facing your body. Keep a slight bend in your elbow and a tightly braced core. Raise the weights out to your sides until you reach shoulder-height. Return slowly to your sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Machine Shoulder Press
How to Do It: Sit in a shoulder press machine and grasp the handles with either a pronated (palms forward) or neutral (palms-in) grip. Adjust the seat or handle to begin the movement around ear-level. Press up until just before your elbows lockout, then return back down.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Cable Face Pull
How to Do It: Attach a rope handle to a cable pulley set around eye-level. Grasp the rope with your thumbs near the end stoppers and step back with your arms extended in front of you. Pull the rope towards your forehead. Keep your elbows up and out to the sides, in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulders back and return slowly to the stretched position.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Shoulder Workout with Dumbbells
Effective shoulder training shouldn’t be reserved for those who have the latest state-of-the-art technology, the most current training machinery, and the most plush workout environments.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
With just a simple set of dumbbells, anyone can build an impressive set of deltoids without needing any flashy equipment.
Dumbbell-Only Delt Training
Below is a basic dumbbell workout covering all the important bases needed for any solid plan. It hits each deltoid head — front, side, and rear — and utilizes a few unique planes of motion, setting you up for a great workout without the traditional (and expensive) gym equipment.
Seated Dumbbell Press
How to Do It: Sit on a seat with a back pad and grasp two dumbbells. Bring them to shoulder-level with your elbows angled slightly out to your sides. Press the weights up and in, ending up directly over your head. Stop just before your elbows lockout. Return the dumbbells down to the starting position slowly and under control.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
How to Do It: Stand with a pair of dumbbells held at your sides, palms facing your body. Keep a slight bend in your elbow and a tightly braced core. Raise the weights out to your sides until you reach shoulder-height. Return slowly to your sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row
How to Do It: Stand with a pair of dumbbells resting on the front of your thighs with your palms facing your body. Maintain the same hand position while raising the weight up, leading with your elbows. Keep the weights close to your body. Stop when the dumbbells are at shoulder-height. Your elbows should always be slightly higher than your hands. Return down under control.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets
Seated Dumbbell Front Raise
How to Do It: Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand hanging at your sides with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms straight and raise both dumbbells up and inwards, making a slight curve from your sides up to eye-level. At the top, the dumbbells should be close together but not touching. Reverse the movement and lower the weights to the bottom.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Shoulder Workout for Beginners
With the overwhelming amount of information on the web, it’s tough to discern what works and what doesn’t (about everything, let alone shoulder training).
It also seems that everyone has an opinion about how beginners “should” start out whether it’s with the barebones basics, diving right into some complex program, or using something in between. But rest assured, shoulder training doesn’t have to be, and shouldn’t be, all that confusing.
The Basic Beginner’s Shoulder Workout
A beginner’s routine shouldn’t be too complicated, and that’s especially true for the shoulders. The deltoid complex is made up of many smaller muscles that work in concert to function through many planes of motion. Additionally, it can be a vulnerable area when trained incorrectly.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Beginners need to simply focus on practicing proper form and working the muscles through a full range of motion without worrying too much about loading heavy weights.
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
How to Do It: Sit on a bench with a padded back grasping a barbell a bit outside of shoulder-width. Begin with the bar held just in front of your chin and push the bar straight up. Once it passes your head, push the bar slightly back so it’s directly overhead and allow your head to travel between your arms. After locking out overhead, lower the weight under control to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Wide-Grip Barbell Upright Row
How to Do It: Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip six to 12 inches outside of shoulder-width. Stand with the bar resting against your thighs. Pull the weight up by bending your elbows. Lead the movement with your elbows, keeping them higher than your hands. The bar should travel up your body until it reaches mid-chest level. Lower the bar back down slowly.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
How to Do It: Stand with a pair of dumbbells held at your sides, palms facing your body. Keep a slight bend in your elbow and a tightly braced core. Raise the weights out to your sides until you reach shoulder-height. Return slowly to your sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Shoulder Workout for Strength
Building strong shoulders isn’t as simple as hoisting heavier weights with your current routine. It’ll take a bit of a paradigm shift. The goal should be to lift heavier, but only with the right exercises.
Credit: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock
Stronger shoulders are the hub of all upper body movements. A strong and stable shoulder girdle has the ability to support many of the bigger lifts such as bench presses, rows, pull-ups, and deadlifts.
The Strength-Building Shoulder Workout
Take a different approach to strength here. You’ll need to think about big compound movements, developing some speed strength, and using exercises that can add more foundational stability. This plan is designed to do just that.
Standing Push Press
How to Do It: Stand with a barbell at shoulder-height, holding the bar slightly outside of each shoulder. Begin with a stable core, flexed glutes, and slightly bent legs. Begin the movement by straightening your legs to provide a little push. Capitalize on this assistance by also pressing powerfully overhead. Lockout the weight directly above your head. Brace your core again before controlling the weight down to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 5
Rest Time: Two minutes between sets.
Hang Clean
How to Do It: Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip a bit wider than your shoulders. Bend slightly at your knees and hips, allowing the bar to travel down your thighs. Forcefully straighten your entire body while pulling the bar up in a straight line towards your chest. Once it reaches chest-level, quickly bend your knees to drop your body down while fully bending your arms to “catch” the bar on the front of your shoulders.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 5
Rest Time: Two minutes between sets.
Farmer’s Walk
How to Do It: Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and allow them to hang by your sides. Find a straight path and begin by walking as far as possible while carrying the weights. Keep your arms slightly bent and your shoulder blades pinched back to maintain strong, safe posture. One complete round trip — from your starting point, going out as far as possible and returning to the starting point — is one “rep.”
Sets and Reps: 3 x 1
Rest Time: Two minutes between sets.
Muscles of Your Shoulders
The shoulders, or deltoids, are one muscle composed of three separate heads.
Credit: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock
Each head contributes to overall movement, but their anatomical position allows each to be a larger contributor during certain movements, making the shoulder a relatively complex muscle group.
Anterior Deltoids
The anterior deltoids, or front delts, are in front of the shoulder above your biceps. They connect your upper arm to your clavicle. They primarily raise your arm upwards in front of your body..
Lateral Deltoids
The lateral deltoids, or side delts, are located on the central section of the shoulder and are most commonly associated with the “wide shoulder” appearance. The lateral delts connect your upper arm to the acromion process on your shoulder blade. Lateral delts are significantly recruited to move your arm out to the side.
Posterior Deltoids
The posterior deltoids, or rear delts, connect your upper arm to the flat portion of your shoulder blade. They play a key role in moving your arms backwards, especially during pulling or rowing exercises. Because several muscles of the upper back also perform a similar function, the rear deltoids often require (but don’t often receive) specifically targeted training.
How to Warm-Up Your Shoulders
Skipping a warm-up isn’t good for any body part. Sure, you may quickly warm-up your legs, chest, or back, but many lifters have no good reason for simply jumping right into shoulder training without prepping them for the work to come.
The shoulders are a complex, multi-angular group of muscles that require a proper warm-up specific to their needs. Since their function is to lift the arm to the front, side, and back, it’s best to give these movements attention.
A Complete Shoulder Warm-Up
Face Pull: Attach a rope handle to a cable pulley set around eye-level. Grasp the rope with your thumbs near the end stoppers and step back with your arms extended in front of you. Pull the rope towards your forehead. Keep your elbows up and out to the sides, in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulders back and return slowly to the stretched position. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
Standing Dumbbell Press: Stand with a pair of dumbbells at shoulder-level with your elbows angled slightly out to your sides. Flex your abs and glutes for total-body stability. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Press the weights up and in. At the top, the weights should be directly over your head with your arms locked. Return the dumbbells under control down to shoulder-level. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
Band Pull-Apart: Stand with your arms extended in front of your chest, with a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Keep a slight bend in your arms while pulling the band apart until it touches your chest. Hold for one second before reversing the motion under control. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
Well-Rounded, Well-Built Shoulders
No matter if your goal is muscle growth, more strength, or if you need an all dumbbell option or you’re a beginner there’s a shoulder workout designed just for you. Choose a plan, execute with razor-like focus, and finally reach those goals for better shoulders.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On roughly April 20, 2022, the Polish powerlifter pulled an incredible 490-kilogram deadlift (1,080 pounds) during a training session. Notably, Wierzbicki appeared to pull the weight without a lifting belt — though he could potentially have worn one under his shirt — and from a sumo stance while wearing only wrist wraps.
Check out the lift below, captured from one of Wierzbicki’s Instagram stories, which was then reposted by Julian Howard (@worldstrongestfan) on Instagram.
Wierzbicki did not disclose how much he weighed when he completed the lift. According to Open Powerlifting, he has competed professionally in the 110-kilogram weight class since the spring of 2021. In any event, this deadlift was well over four and a half times Wierzbicki’s recent usual competition body weight.
Paving a Road
Wierzbicki has been open on social media in his pursuit of a hallowed mark in strength sports — the 500-kilogram deadlift (1,102 pounds). The only two people to ever deadlift that much weight are 2017 World’s Strongest Man Champion (WSM) Eddie Hall and 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson. Notably, both achieved their legendary pulls from a conventional stance while wearing deadlift suits and lifting straps — which is allowed in a strongman competition.
Given his quick progress of late, Wierzbicki’s entry into the 500-kilogram deadlift club seems inevitable.
During the 2020 National Association of Powerlifting (NAP) Siberian Championships, while competing in the 100-kilogram weight class, Wierzbicki logged the current all-time world record deadlift — a staggering 433.5-kilogram pull (955.7-pound). Roughly eight months later, in November 2020, while wearing wrist straps and a lifting belt, the Polish athlete deadlifted 456 kilograms (1,005.3 pounds) in training, breaking the 1,000-pound barrier for the first time.
The ensuing year, in early November 2021 while competing in the 110-kilogram weight class, Wierzbicki broke the all-time world record for a non-full power meet with a 447.5-kilogram pull (986.6-pound) during the 2021 WRPF-POL Mistrzostwa Polski.
Finally, in what is increasingly becoming a typical deadlift step up for Wierzbicki, he recently pulled 461 kilograms (1,016 pounds) during another workout.
All four of Wierzbicki’s mentioned pulls were from a sumo stance. His latest 490-kilogram deadlift (1,080 pounds) training feat is another massive step toward that lofty 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) goal.
Back and Forth
The 110-kilogram powerlifting weight class appears to have a two-person deadlift tug of war for the record books. While Wierzbicki continues to charge along toward astonishing, seldom-seen numbers, American powerlifter Jamal Browner has generally kept up with the meteoric pace.
In the 110-kilogram weight class, Browner also possesses an all-time deadlift world record — a 440.4-kilogram pull (971-pound) from the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II. Notably, like Wierzbicki, Browner has also previously crossed the 1,000-pound barrier with a 476.3-kilogram deadlift (1,050-pound) during a training session in July 2020. Browner wore a lifting belt and lifting straps for that pull.
While the 500-kilogram mark is still a ways off, the deadlift world record for strictly powerlifters is within shouting distance for Wierzbicki and Browner. The 2003-2004 Iceland’s Strongest Man Champion (ISM) Benedikt Magnùsson holds the current record with a 460.4-kilogram pull (1,015-pound) captured at the deadlift-only 2011 Hardcore Clash of the Titans IV. Magnùsson competed in the super heavyweight class (319+ pounds; unrestricted weight).
Wierzbicki still has to make progress with his conventional deadlift (at least in public), but whenever he decides to compete again, he might beat Browner to the punch and break Magnùsson’s record. Membership to the 500-kilogram club likely won’t follow long after. Talk about killing two significant strength-sports birds with one stone.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
The 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion Eddie “The Beast” Hall has finally paid his boxing debts to the 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor “The Mountain” Björnsson. On April 20, 2022, a little over a month after Björnsson’s victory over Hall in the “Heaviest Boxing Match in History,” Hall honored a pre-match wager — he got a tattoo with Björnsson’s full name. and the moniker of “World’s Strongest Man”.
The complete tattoo reads: “World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Julius Björnsson.”
Hall posted the video on April 20, 2022, but there is no confirmation that is the exact date when he got the tattoo. Check out the clip of Hall’s reveal below, via Hall’s YouTube channel.
Between the YouTube video and a post on Hall’s Instagram, the tattoo announcement has over 1.1 million views at the time of writing. In addition to his new tattoo, Hall addressed to other pre-match elephants in the room, like a $10,000 bet with Larry Wheels and a $200,000 donation to a charity Björnsson would choose. Hall has said he would “eat humble pie” while expressing admiration for his friendly rival. That certainly appears to be the plan now.
“I’m a man of my word,” Hall says. “I’ve done everything I said I was going to do, so [I’m] looking forward to what’s next.”
Björnsson has not disclosed which charity Hall will donate to. Notably, Björnsson agreed that he would match Hall’s donation, regardless. At the time of writing, Björnsson has not posted any official reaction to Hall’s new tattoo. Similarly, Wheels has not posted any public reaction that he received Hall’s bet money.
After getting his tattoo, Hall’s major wish was that Björnsson would eventually agree to a future rematch.
“This means that down the line, the rematch, if it’s there, will happen,” Hall says.
The first fight saw Björnsson defeat Hall by a unanimous decision on Mar. 19, 2022, at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE. In the aftermath, Björnsson said he’d open to a rematch, but only if Hall got his tattoo. With Hall finally honoring his word, a second match between the two legendary strongmen might be in store in the future. Though, for now, nothing is officially in the works.
Hall finished his tattoo address by expressing pride in humility — a strong mindset that seems to have served him well, in more than one facet.
“At least, this is not as embarrassing as being a sore loser,” Hall says. “And I can take a loss like a man, unlike some people, and that’s how I’ll leave this.”
Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about cannabis. Whether you’re wondering if it’s Primal, thinking of experimenting, or trying to cut back, you’ll learn important considerations to keep in mind. Got a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Julie asked:
“I never thought I’d be asking this, but is weed Primal? Is it addictive? I’m a 45-year-old mom of two and ‘partying’ means Netflix in bed. But my state legalized cannabis, and I’m curious to try it. Bad idea or no big deal?”
You’re not alone in asking this, Julie! As laws around cannabis use change, folks who may not have considered using it previously are curious.
The short answer to your first question is Yes…with a caveat. Consumed in its whole plant form, cannabis is Primal. Same holds if you’re consuming the whole plant in combination with other Primal ingredients.
Many times, however, that’s not the case.
For one thing, isolated components (rather than the whole plant) are often used in products such as cannabis tinctures and edibles. You’ll want to check what other ingredients are tagging along. Perhaps any sugar, inflammatory oils, or other non-Primal ingredients are negligible in the context of your overall diet. Still, the answer to “Is it Primal?” could be a No.
Of course, you may be considering smoking it. In that case, there are significant respiratory risks to consider.1
In whatever form—Primal approved or not—cannabis is potentially addictive.2
Proceed with some caution. If you do try, start extra slow and take close note of how it makes you feel—not just in the moment, but the next day. You’ll also want to have an honest conversation with a reputable dispensary employee. During this conversation:
Let them know you’re brand new.
Ask questions.
Explain your desired outcome (e.g., relaxation, better sleep,3 pain relief4).
Ask whether CBD or a particular CBD:THC ratio may be a better fit.
Also be aware that cannabis affects individuals differently, and not all potential effects are welcome.
For instance, while some people use cannabis to help manage insomnia, discontinuing after heavy use can actually disturb sleep.5 While cannabis offers stress relief for some, in others it increases stress and anxiety. Use is also associated with impaired short-term memory.6
If you do experiment, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind: Just because a substance is legal, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy or good for you! So many factors are at play here, including individual considerations, the type of cannabis, the form of administration, and set and setting.
Make sure you’ve researched laws in your area to know what’s allowed, and approach any experimentation with questions, curiosity, and care.
Trey asked:
“How can I tell whether my THC habit has gone from casual to dependence? I only take it on weekends (in the form of edibles), but sometimes I worry. Can you weigh in?”
Anything we use to numb out or to not feel our feelings has the potential to become addictive—all the more so if it creates a direct physiological response in the body and directly influences the brain’s reward system.
One easy way to tell whether something’s addictive is to take a 30-day break. If you can truly “take it or leave it,” taking time off won’t be a big deal. Run your own experiment. Get really honest.
Also ask yourself: “Is using THC making me feel like my most alive, most vital self? Is it helping me form deeper connections with family, friends, and loved ones (connections not dependent on a shared drug of choice)?”
Alternatively, does using THC feel like an unhelpful cycle on repeat? (Usually, we know the answer.)
Look, there’s no one size fits all when it comes to THC. For some people, it can be a substitute for more harmful substances. For some, it can even be a form of medicine (although smoking is NEVER healthy for your lungs).
If you are using THC in such ways, it shouldn’t reinforce habits that aren’t serving you. It also shouldn’t reinforce limiting or negative beliefs about yourself. Put differently, how does “The Day After” feel?
As I mentioned above, you’ll also want to check what else is in that edible. As a Primal Health Coach, I’m also curious what you eat after consuming THC, which brings us to our last question…
Halle asked:
“I eat Primal 80 percent of the time but struggle with the other 20. No doubt, this is due to my weed habit: Most unhealthy eating happens after I’ve been smoking. If I want to cut back but not quit, what do you recommend?”
This one could get tricky depending on your personality and what strategies work for you. For some people, quitting something entirely is way easier than cutting back. For others, making something off limits leads to self-sabotage and consuming more than they were originally.
Finding your best strategy takes experimentation. That said, whether your goal is more moderate, mindful consumption OR quitting cannabis entirely, here’s are 4 powerful, actionable steps:
Add in healthy practices and routines. Eat real, whole, nourishing food, move your body, meditate, create home spa nights, etc. By treating yourself in ways that feel good afterwards (instead of just in the moment or while high), you’ll retrain yourself to relax and decompress using other tools. Most likely, this won’t be a satisfying substitute at first. But with time, you’ll find yourself not wanting to ruin how healthy living makes you feel. Getting high becomes less worth it.
Create clear parameters around use. For this to work, these “rules” have to be non-negotiable. Otherwise, your willpower will run out, and you’ll be back where you began. Are you only going to consume on weekends? Once a month? In what quantity? Decide. Make it The Policy.
Edit your advertising.The messaging you consume online and off has a huge impact. Minimize messaging that supports your smoking habit. Replace it with messaging that promotes a healthy lifestyle. This may mean swapping out the social media accounts you follow and hanging in different circles. It might also mean saying No to certain invitations…and Yes to more supportive ones.
Do what you love! And by that, I mean something other than getting high. Cutting back on cannabis or any other addictive substance doesn’t have to be awful! Focus on creating a life you love at least as much as you focus on cutting something out.
This could mean working with a therapist or sober coach, attending recovery meetings IRL or online, or joining a recovery community.
It could also mean working with a Primal Health Coach as part of your wider wellness plan. As coaches, we can help you get clear on the diet and lifestyle practices that are best for you. We can also support you in following through with change efforts.
If you’d like your own personal health coach, visit myprimalcoach.com. And if you have other questions for me, drop them in the comments!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
By now, it’s probably fair to expect Jamal Browner to manage staggering strength feats during his training. On April 19, 2022, the powerlifter did it again when he squatted 345 kilograms (760.6 pounds) for three reps and deadlifted 410 kilograms (903 pounds) for two reps in training. Both lifts were personal records (PRs) for Browner.
Browner — who competes in the 110-kilogram weight class — wore a lifting belt and knee sleeves during his squat triple PR. He also donned a belt during his conventional stance deadlift double PR.
All things considered, Browner manages both PR lifts with relative ease. He completes his deadlift double with zero rest between reps, and aside from a slight pause between each of his squat triple reps, there’s little sign of an apparent struggle.
Browner at a Glance
Browner has made a name for himself by being one of the strongest active powerlifters in the deadlift. He is a member of the 1,000-pound deadlift club, once pulling a 476.3-kilogram deadlift (1,050 pounds) and a 455-kilogram deadlift (1,003 pounds). Notably, he accomplished both from a sumo stance while wearing lifting straps.
In the 110-kilogram weight class, Browner possesses the current raw world record with a pull of 440.5 kilograms (971 pounds), which was set at the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II.
Recently, during another training session, Browner managed a 432.5-kilogram deadlift (953.5 pounds) from a conventional stance. It might only be a matter of time before he secures a 1,000-pound deadlift in both conventional and sumo.
Here are some of the more notable results of Browner’s career to date:
Jamal Browner (110 KG) — Notable Career Results
2016 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Border Bash Alabama vs. Georgia — 1st place | First career victory
2017 North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) Arnold A7 Bar Grip Raw Pro Challenge — 1st place
2018 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) North American Championships — 1st place
2020 WRPF Hybrid Showdown II — 1st place
2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown III — 1st place
2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown — 1st place
2022 USPA Hybrid Showdown 4 — 1st place
Browner has become a well-rounded powerlifter in an almost six-year professional career. Here are his best-ever marks during powerlifting competitions:
While he continues to push it to the limit during training, Browner has not yet announced his next competition. If recent history is any indication, his next event might be under the eye of the WRPF in the early fall. The next upcoming event that meets those parameters is the 2022 WRPF The Clash on the Columbia on September 3-5, 2022, in Vancouver, WA.
With a formal invitation from the Giants Live organization, he could also elect to compete in the 2022 World Deadlift Championships (WDC). Those will take place during the 2022 Giants Live World Open on Aug. 6, 2022.
However, notably, the 2022 WDC is a strongman competition — meaning athletes can utilize lifting straps, deadlift suits, and lifting belts for their pulls. Strongman events also do not allow Browner’s favored sumo stance. In addition, many of the athletes weigh more than 100 pounds than him. It would undoubtedly be a test for Browner, who has only ever competed raw.
Nonetheless, with Browner continuing to capture new PRs in training, there’s no telling what he could achieve soon.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On April 19, 2022, International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League bodybuilder Shaun Clarida showed his endurance during another pivotal off-season workout. To test his stamina and attain a “muscle pump,” the former 212 Mr. Olympia Champion (2020) crushed 150-pound incline dumbbell presses for a staggering 20 reps.
Check out the lift below — where Clarida is wearing a lifting belt and wrist straps — via his Instagram profile:
Clarida’s thought process behind working out for a massive “muscle pump” isn’t a new concept for professional bodybuilders. To compete at the highest levels of a strength sport that focuses on physiques, the “pump” might even be necessary.
The pump occurs for an athlete when their bodily fluids (mainly blood and water) accumulate in whatever muscle they’re contracting. When lactic acid begins to build up in a working muscle, it attracts water. Meanwhile, your heart accordingly pumps more blood to an area that needs attention — like, say, an activated muscle — to give it the power and strength it needs at that moment. (1)
This influx of fluids ultimately gives muscles that temporary swollen “pumped” look. This appearance is understandably appealing to bodybuilders working on the aesthetic of their bodies in competition, as the pump can make their muscles appear more full and dense.
Research shows that there are hypertrophic (or muscle growth) benefits behind the muscle pump, too. Though, that benefit comes with important caveats.
While athletes can grow their muscles and get stronger by working for a pump, a study maintained that their workout selection must be judicious. The lift must be challenging and extended enough to keep the targeted muscles under consistent tension. Essentially, the athlete cannot allow those muscles to relax during a set. (2)
Likewise, a challenging, high-repetition, low-rest workout shouldn’t necessarily be the sole focus of a routine aiming for a muscle pump. Any athletes with such an aim — such as bodybuilders — might do well to implement their “pump training” after a strength routine that centers around heavier compound lifts, like the bench press. (2)
A seasoned bodybuilding pro, Clarida assuredly understands how to prepare his body for competition. He may well follow his recent pump training by sharing intensive, low-rep strength workouts soon.
The Road to Mr. Olympia
Clarida has spent most of his professional bodybuilding career in the 212 Mr. Olympia division, but by December of 2022, that could change. While the 40-year-old remained in the 212 division during the 2021 Mr. Olympia — where he finished in second place to Derek Lunsford — he did compete in and won the Open division at the 2021 Legion Sports Festival roughly two months prior.
Clarida has not yet clarified where he will compete during the 2022 Mr. Olympia, which will take place on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. With a little under eight months until the competition, there’s likely no rush.
Whichever competitive division Clarida does choose, he probably won’t neglect his muscle pump in training.
References:
Casey, D.P., Hart, E.C. (2008). Cardiovascular function in humans during exercise: role of the muscle pump. The Journal of Physiology. 2008 Nov; 586 (Pt.21): p. 5045–5046.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Contreras, Bret. (2014). The Muscle Pump. Potential Mechanisms and Applications for Enhancing Hypertrophic Adaptations. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2014 Jun; Vol. 36 (3); p. 21-25.
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rotational exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Dec;24(12):3404-14. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f1598c. PMID: 21068680.
You’re not alone in asking this, Julie! As 
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