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On April 14, 2022, the Giants Live organization revealed its roster of competitors for the 2022 Strongman Classic. The event will take place on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. The Giants Live Strongman Classic is a relatively new competition — only dating back to 2020 — but is nonetheless a quality showcase of some of the world’s stellar strength-sports athletes.
This year’s event has locked in 11 of its 12 competitors, while a still-undetermined “wild card” holds the final slot. Giants Live will reveal the wild card at a later date.
2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup
Here are the confirmed competitors for London in early July:
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
Evan Singleton (United States)
Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
Chieck Sanou (Burkina Faso)
Ken McClelland (United States)
Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
Rob Kearney (United States)
Andy Black (United Kingdom)
Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
Spenser Remick (United States)
Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
Unannounced wild card
The 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic Champion, Oleksii Novikov, is back to defend his title. After a disappointing finish at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), the Ukrainian athlete came in strong and beat Evan Singleton by a 1.5-point margin. Chieck “Iron Biby” Sanou rounded out the podium with a third-place result.
Of the five events — including the Axle Press, Hercules Hold, Axle Deadlift, Frame Carry, and Castle Stones — Novikov was only the athlete to notch a top-three finish in four of the five events, helping him to his eventual victory.
There are two notable absences from this year’s competition — the Stoltman Brothers.
The 2021 WSM reigning champion, Tom Stoltman, also didn’t participate in the 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM). He appears to be focusing his current energy on defending his title at the 2022 WSM, which will take place on May 24-29, 2022, in Sacramento, CA.
Even without these two elite athletes in the fold, here are a few names to watch — outside of Novikov — for this year’s competition. Note: Giants Live has not confirmed the 2022 Strongman Classic events.
Chieck Sanou
While he didn’t win, Sanou’s overall performance at the 2021 Strongman Classic was still noteworthy. He won two of the five events outright — the Hercules Hold and Axle Press. On the latter, Sanou notched the current axle press world record of 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds). He also possesses the current log lift world record with a 229-kilogram press (504 pounds) set at the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals.
Sanou does not typically compete in full competitions, usually opting for singular world-record lifts. If anyone can capture first place and break a record along the way, it might be him.
Evan Singleton
The 2021 Arnold UK was Singleton’s last formal competition. A victory there bookended a successful late 2021 run where Singleton had at least a podium finish in four of his final five competitions — including the 2021 Strongman Classic. Seeing as how Singleton fell short by the slimmest of margins last time around, look for him to try and fill in the gap with another opportunity.
Adam Bishop
Bishop might be more of a dark horse, but his competitors shouldn’t take him lightly. In late February 2022, the British athlete most recently finished in third place in the 2022 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM). An overall fourth-place result at last year’s Strongman Classic — where Bishop won the Axle Deadlift event and came in second on the Frame Carry — might be a harbinger of things to come.
“the Sunday comment,
‘Too often, people are too hard on themselves for having these “contradictory” preferences or beliefs. As if they’re upsetting the fabric of reality or something. That’s not how this works. We can be contradictory. We are contradictory. Those contradictions don’t all have to be resolved. They can just be.’
reminds me of Walt Whitman,
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
and William Empson,
life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can’t be solved by analysis.
and Keats’ idea of negative capability, that a poet must be “capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.
It’s taken me decades of living to give up my hope of a rational world ?
and maintain myself in contradictions..”
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On April 9, 2022, reigning 212 Olympia Champion Derek Lunsford recorded himself in the squat rack, among other lifts, on his YouTube channel. Over five sets of 20 reps, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League bodybuilder squatted a total of 100 reps at 315 pounds.
The high-stamina leg workout was part of Lunsford’s ongoing off-season. He’s seeking to defend his title at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. This ambitious lift is undoubtedly an excellent example of what the bodybuilder brings to the table in strength.
Lunsford’s Off-season Legs Workout
Before starting the more challenging part of the workout with the squat, Lunsford elects to warm up some of his leg muscles appropriately.
Research has shown that a proper warmup is vital to an athlete’s squat performance — both before their workout and in how they feel after. Tested subjects who utilized a progressive warmup before squatting saw increased availability of oxygen during their working set and usually felt less fatigue in their legs in the aftermath. (1)
Seated Leg Extension
Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-15 each leg
Lunsford starts the training by performing unilateral leg extensions (working the same number of reps on both legs). He begins the lift with eight plates on the machine and concludes with 14 plates on the final set.
Lying Leg Curl
Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-20
Next, Lunsford proceeded over to the lying leg curl machine. His first set is of the slower variety to recruit (or activate) more leg muscles for his eventual squat.
Studies have shown that an athlete recruiting muscles with single-joint exercises such as leg curls saw more significant strength gains when later performing compound movements like the squat. (2)
After sufficiently warming his legs up, Lunsford turns toward the main squat event. After performing two warmup sets at 135 and 225 pounds, respectively, he dives right in.
Over five sets of 20 reps, Lunsford completes the 100 squat reps rather casually. He doesn’t take any extended breaks and powers right through each set as soon as possible. For the challenge, Lunsford wore a lifting belt and performed shallow repetitions — he kept his legs slightly above parallel throughout.
Once finished, Lunsford’s exhaustion is evident. He lies down on a bench to recuperate and doesn’t mince his words regarding how he feels about his feat.
“As much as it sucks in the moment, these are the days I live for,” Lunsford says. This is why I do what I do, and I love it.”
Leg Press and Standing Leg Curl
Sets and Reps: 2 x 15 (for both movements)
To cap his leg workout while fatigued from the squats, Lunsford finishes with a couple of sets on the leg press and standing leg curl machines, respectively.
I think I need a bucket. I don’t ever throw up during a workout.
Notably, Lunsford is a professional bodybuilder who assuredly knows his limitations. Some studies have shown that most regular athletes needn’t push past their point of muscle fatigue. Once fatigued, most people have already reached their peak muscle activation and will usually only see diminishing returns in strength gains until they recover. (3)
Onward to Mr. Olympia
Lunsford is one of bodybuilding’s more esteemed active competitors. After starting with the National Physique Committee (NPC), here are the results of his IFBB career, per NPC News Online:
2017 IFBB Tampa Pro, 212 division — First place
2017 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 212 division — Fifth place
2018 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 212 division — Second place
2019 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 212 division — Second place
2020 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 212 division — Fourth place
2021 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 212 division — First place
It’s a long road to the 2022 Mr. Olympia in December, but the greater sport of bodybuilding can still potentially look forward to an exciting matchup.
After coming in second place to Lunsford during the 2021 Mr. Olympia, Shaun “The Giant Killer” Clarida may come for the title again. However, while he typically competes in the 212 division, Clarida might opt for the Open division, nixing that matchup with Lunsford. Clarida has not yet clarified his decision for this year’s event.
Regardless of who Lunsford faces off against, the 2022 Mr. Olympia should, as usual, present a thrilling stage for top-level bodybuilders. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will happen on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
References:
Ribeiro, B. et al. (2020). The Role of Specific Warm-up during Bench Press and Squat Exercises: A Novel Approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020 Sep; 17(18): 6882
Sugisaki, N., Kurokawa, S., Okada, J., Kanehisa, H. (2014). Difference in the Recruitment of Hip and Knee Muscles between Back Squat and Plyometric Squat Jump. PLOS One. 2014 Jun
Nóbrega, S.R., Libardi, C.A. (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary? Frontiers in Physiology. 2016 Jan; 7: 10
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The Silver Dollar deadlift world record has a new king sitting on its throne. On April 2, 2022, Sean Hayes pulled a 560-kilogram (1,235-pound) silver dollar deadlift during the 2022 Strongman Corporation Canada King & Queen Of The Throne contest. The competition has several events, including, among others, a log press, but Hayes only participated in the “Silver Dollar Deady” event.
The Canadian athlete’s mark exceeds Anthony Pernice’s previous Silver Dollar deadlift record of 550 kilograms (1,212 pounds), set at the 2020 United States Strongman (USS) Farm Strong Record Breaker.
Watch Hayes’ record-breaking pull below — where he donned a lifting belt and lifting straps — courtesy of his Instagram profile:
While the Silver Dollar deadlift shares similarities with its close, more traditional cousin, its distinction is clear. Whereas an athlete performs a regular deadlift with a straight barbell (or trap bar), a Silver Dollar deadlift is a partial deadlift — an athlete moves the weight starting from 18 inches off the floor.
The modern nickname for the Silver Dollar deadlift comes from its presentation. Athletes often stack and encase weight plates attached to both ends of a barbell, giving the lift a unique appearance. It becomes a partial deadlift because of its starting position that has the boxes elevating the attached barbell.
According to Strongman.org, the Silver Dollar deadlift has deep, differentiating origins. Historic competitors once lifted crates full of actual silver dollars at the ends of their barbells. Over the years, top athletes have strived for identical records and marks, but some deployed different weight variations.
For example, when strongman Tom Magee held the 535-kilogram (1,187.4 pounds) record for over three decades (1983-2017), he filled his crates with bricks. When Pernice set the previous record of 539.7 kilograms (1,189.8 pounds), he encased regular weight plates in his boxes. Notably, using weight plates was also Hayes’ setup for his Silver Dollar deadlift.
A Strong Start
Hayes is a relative newcomer to the professional strongman scene. Per Strongman Archives, the Canadian-born athlete has competed in two events to date. Here are his results from the respective competitions:
2021 Official Strongman Games — Seventh place
2021 Canada’s Strongest Man — Third place
Hayes wrote that he tried to extend the world record further in his Instagram post. The strongman had a third Silver Dollar attempt to utilize and was ambitious by shooting for a 589.6-kilogram pull (1,300 pounds). He didn’t complete the lift.
Alas, despite the miss, Hayes managed to set himself apart. His record lift drew praise from perhaps the greatest strongman ever, Žydrūnas “Big Z” Savickas. Roughly a week after the lift, Hayes shared a recorded Cameo video message for him, sent by Savickas. The strongman legend seemed impressed and told Hayes, “For the future, I wish you more world records.”
Check out Savickas’ entire message for Hayes below:
After capturing the Silver Dollar deadlift world record, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Hayes. The strongman recently said he contracted COVID-19 after the pull. As a result, Hayes temporarily rearranged his training routine to manage his capacity. Whenever he’s back to full strength and can compete again, he’ll do it after capturing the attention of the elite strongman community.
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If you were to challenge someone to get into shape without stepping into a gym, they’d be confused. It’s as if some people still believe you can only build muscle, get stronger, or improve conditioning by lifting weights or using machines. That’s just not true.
Bodyweight training is convenient, can be done anywhere, and can be easily modified to fit nearly any fitness goal. Let’s stop ignoring bodyweight workouts and formulate an effective plan for any goal with modifications, intensity techniques, and detailed explanations of execution.
To build muscle, you need to overload the muscle with the right amount of stress so it will respond by getting bigger and stronger. Utilizing bodyweight exercises to accomplish this will take some creativity, but it’s absolutely possible.
One of the few “compromises” made with bodyweight training is that it can be more difficult to directly target certain muscle groups (particularly smaller muscles like the arms and shoulders). Fortunately, these muscles are sufficiently worked by focusing on larger exercises combined with specially adjusted movement to emphasize the smaller muscles.
Focus on modifying certain bodyweight movements to make them more challenging. Using strict form and slowing down each movement so you feel every inch of the motion is essential to reap the most benefit.
The Bodyweight Bodybuilding Workout
The following workout can be done three times per week on non-consecutive days. For example, you can train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You can also simply replace one or two of your traditional gym workouts with one or two bodyweight workouts.
Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
Start slow and deliberate, and perfect your form on each exercise before making them more challenging.
Bulgarian Split Squat
How to Do It: Place on foot behind you onto a bench or chair. Lower your body straight down until your rear knee is almost touching the floor. To make it more challenging, lower down all the way, drive up halfway, then lower down all the way again, and finally press all the way up. That is one rep.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 seconds between sides.
Feet-Elevated Push-Up
How to Do It: Begin in a push-up position with your hands and toes on the ground. Place your feet onto a bench, chair, or step behind you. Keeping your body straight, slowly lower your chest to the floor, pause at the bottom, and then press powerfully to rise up. To make it tougher, either have a partner place a weight plate on your back or place a band around your upper back while grasping each end with your hands on the floor.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Inverted Row
How to Do It: Lie on the floor facing up under a stationary bar set around hip height (or a sturdy table). Grasp the bar with an overhand grip a little wider than shoulder-width. Keep your body straight and your heels on the floor. Pull your chest to the bar and then return to the bottom position without resting on the floor. For more of a challenge, place your heels on a bench or chair to shift leverage and increase the load on your upper body.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Lying Leg Curl
How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your heels on an exercise ball or a pair of furniture sliders. A towel on a hardwood or tile floor can also work. Put your arms out to your sides for added stability. Curl your lower legs toward you by pulling with your heels. Bring your hips up and keep a straight line from your upper back to your knees. Contract your hamstrings at the top position and slowly lower back down.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Triangle Push-Up
How to Do It: Begin in a full push-up position with your hands and toes on the ground with your hands a bit inside of shoulder-width. With a rigid body, lower yourself down to the floor and then press up slowly and under control. For more of a challenge, place your feet on an elevated box or bench to shift more bodyweight towards your upper body.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 seconds between sets.
Inverted Biceps Curl
How to Do It: Lie face up on the floor under a sturdy hip-height bar as if you were to perform an inverted row. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up and focus on bending mainly at your elbows, allowing your arms to perform a classic curling motion. Squeeze at the top and then return towards the floor.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest Time: 30 seconds between sets.
Bodyweight Workout for Strength
Strength can take many forms and bodyweight training is surprisingly effective for developing power. What’s the difference between pure strength and power? Both cultivate strength. However, power is your ability to move a specific load quickly. Think of Olympic weightlifting or throwing a heavy medicine ball.
Credit: bezikus / Shutterstock
Manipulating your bodyweight is a natural and effective way to build more strength and power, either on its own or to enhance your current workouts. (1)(2)
The Strong and Powerful Bodyweight Workout
Try the following workout to facilitate more strength. You can also insert it into any traditional training program as an additional workout to add a different element or to get you out of your comfort zone with something new. Execute the exercises with proper technique and controlled explosive force.
Plyo Push-Up
How to Do It: Assume the traditional push-up position. Lower yourself to the floor in a slow and controlled manner then rapidly reverse direction applying as much power as possible. You should generate enough power to launch your hands off the floor.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 5
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Jump Squat
How to Do It: Create a solid base by spreading your feet wider than your shoulders. Bend down into a squat position forming an approximate 90-degree angle at your knees. Utilizing your entire body to generate power, jump as high as you can straight up. Cushion your landing by bending legs. Take the time to set up your stance again before the next rep.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Negative Pull-Up
How to Do It: Stand under a pull-up bar on a box or bench. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Jump up to begin with your chin over the bar and your feet off the box or bench. Very slowly lower your body until your arms are fully extended. Get your feet back on the bench and jump up to the starting position for the next rep.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 5
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Depth Jump
How to Do It: Stand on a box, bench, or step no higher than 18 inches. Step off the edge — do not jump off. Cushion your landing by bending your knees and immediately reverse direction to jump straight up. That is one rep. Walk back on top of the box or step and repeat for reps.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-10
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
Bodyweight Workout for Conditioning
While bodyweight training can be programmed for many different goals, it’s most commonly associated with circuit-style workouts to build endurance and conditioning. (3)(4)
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
With anytime, anywhere convenience and the overall simplicity of programming, conditioning workouts using your own body are a perfect combination. Not needing to rotate between different machines or equipment makes bodyweight exercises an ideal choice for circuit workouts.
The Bodyweight Circuit
This workout is done as a circuit — moving from one exercise immediately to the next and the next, for several rounds. However, one of the most important factors is to avoid rushing through the exercises.
Approach each exercise deliberately while using proper form and technique. Once your form starts to deteriorate, terminate the set and move on to the next exercise.
Push-Up: Perform a full push-up with your hands and toes on the ground with your hands outside of shoulder-width. Keep a straight line throughout your body. Use a full range of motion from the ground to lockout.
Squat: With your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, squat as low as possible before standing fully upright. Keep your feet flat on the ground throughout each rep.
Crunch: Lie on the ground facing up with your legs bent and your feet flat. Contract your abs to raise your shoulders slightly off the ground. Keep your tailbone and lower back in contact with the ground.
Walking Lunge: Take a long step forward, descend into a lunge until your rear knee touches the ground. Stand upright while bringing your rear foot forwards. Alternate sides when stepping forward.
Triangle Push-Up: Set your hands inside shoulder-width. Perform a basic push-up keeping only your toes and hands on the ground. Lower to the ground and extend to full lockout.
Jump Squat: Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart. Squat until your hips are in line with your knees. Use your arms and entire body to explosively stand up, jumping straight into the air. Bend your legs upon landing and stand upright before beginning the next rep.
Plank: Begin in a modified push-up position with your toes, elbows, and forearms on the ground. Maintain a rigid body. Tightly contract your abs and glutes for 10 to 15 seconds per set.
How to Do It: Execute proper form for each exercise. Focus on technique, not speed, during each individual movement.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 rounds of 10 to 15 reps per exercise.
Rest Time: No rest between exercises, three minutes rest after each round.
Bodyweight Workout for Beginners
Bodyweight training is one of the most fundamental forms of exercise. It’s not only a convenient way of training; it also enables an individual to harness and control their own body and to develop true total-body strength and coordination. It’s one thing to deadlift a significant load but quite another to perform a set of 20 pull-ups.
Credit: PhaiApirom / Shutterstock
If you’re a more traditional barbell-focused lifter and want to improve your overall performance, bodyweight training will only enhance your capabilities.
The Beginner’s Bodyweight Workout
This workout is designed to develop the fundamentals of bodyweight training specifically. These foundational movements will serve as a backbone for all other exercises and stimulate an improved neuromuscular connection with each muscle group. This will only help to your advantage in performing different exercises, with bodyweight or free weights.
Push-Up: Perform a full push-up with your hands and toes on the ground with your hands outside of shoulder width. Keep a straight line throughout your body. Use a full range of motion from the ground to lockout.
Inverted Row: Set a sturdy bar at hip height and lie on the ground beneath it. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your toes. Pull your chest towards the bar and lower to full extension.
Negative Pull-Up: Stand under a pull-up bar on a box or bench. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Jump up to begin with your chin over the bar and your feet off the box or bench. Slowly lower your body until your arms are fully extended. Get your feet back on the bench and jump up to the starting position for the next rep.
Triangle Push-Up: Set your hands inside shoulder-width. Perform a basic push-up keeping only your toes and hands on the ground. Lower to the ground and extend to full lockout.
Squat: With your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, squat as low as possible before standing fully upright. Keep your feet flat on the ground throughout each rep.
Lunge: Begin with your feet together. Step forward with one foot. Keep your torso upright while lowering your body until your rear knee touches the ground. Stand upright and return to the starting position. Complete all reps on one side before switching legs.
Crunch: Lie on the ground facing up with your legs bent and feet flat. Contract your abs to raise your shoulders slightly off the ground. Keep your tailbone and lower back in contact with the ground.
How to Do It: Perform each exercise with proper form. Focus on perfecting technique before increasing reps. Be sure to perform each movement with a slow and controlled cadence.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15 for each exercise.
Rest Time: 60 seconds between sets.
How to Warm-Up
Just because you’re not “lifting weights” doesn’t mean you can skip a proper warm-up. Before each bodyweight workout, perform a simple warm-up to increase your core temperature and improve blood flow.
Credit: Undrey / Shutterstock
This gets your entire body ready for the work ahead and helps to prevent injuries. Do each warm-up exercise separately and without going to muscular failure.
The Full-Body Bodyweight Warm-Up
Jumping Jack: Begin standing with your feet together and arms down at your sides. Slightly jump up and land with your feet spread apart while raising both arms sideways above your head. Jump up again and land in the starting position. That series in one rep. Perform two sets of 20 reps.
Burpee: Begin standing upright. Squat down and place your hands on the ground. Jump your feet back and land on your toes in a push-up position. Perform one push-up. Jump your feet back in near your hands. Jump straight into the air, bending your knees upon landing. That’s one total rep. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
Lunge: Begin with your feet together. Step forward with one foot. Keep your torso upright while lowering your body until your rear knee touches the ground. Stand upright and return to the starting position. Complete all reps on one side before switching legs. Perform two sets of 10 reps on each leg.
A Return to Bodyweight Training
With the popularity of bodyweight training increasing and its benefits becoming more and more recognized, it has proven to be a significant training method for anyone, no matter their goal.
Most lifters believe they need a fully equipped gym to build muscle, get stronger, or improve conditioning, but the right bodyweight workout can deliver results and add a different element to any fitness workouts.
References
Calatayud J, Borreani S, Colado JC, Martin F, Tella V, Andersen LL. Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Jan;29(1):246-53. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589. PMID: 24983847.
Tillaar RVD. Comparison of Kinematics and Muscle Activation between Push-up and Bench Press. Sports Med Int Open. 2019;3(3):E74-E81. Published 2019 Sep 5. doi:10.1055/a-1001-2526
Archila LR, Bostad W, Joyner MJ, Gibala MJ. Simple Bodyweight Training Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Minimal Time Commitment: A Contemporary Application of the 5BX Approach. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Apr 1;14(3):93-100. PMID: 34055156; PMCID: PMC8136567.
Martins FM, de Paula Souza A, Nunes PRP, Michelin MA, Murta EFC, Resende EAMR, de Oliveira EP, Orsatti FL. High-intensity body weight training is comparable to combined training in changes in muscle mass, physical performance, inflammatory markers and metabolic health in postmenopausal women at high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jul 1;107:108-115. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.02.016. Epub 2018 Feb 19. PMID: 29471132.
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Shaping a tremendously aesthetic physique requires tremendously intense training. It’s evident that 212 Olympia winner Shaun “The Giant Killer” Clarida has no such issues with his commitment. On April 12, 2022, the IFBB Pro shared an intense upper body workout that seemingly attacked every aspect of his arms on his YouTube channel.
As Clarida explains, he does not usually have a wire-to-wire training day devoted to his arms during his off-season. Due to simmering fan support and demand (over 25,000 subscribers on YouTube), Clarida decided to give the people what they wanted and record an arms session.
It’s an inside look into the stellar strength of the 2020 212 Mr. Olympia Champion and the second-place finisher at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
Clarida’s Arms Workout
Clarida doesn’t waste any time diving right in. He starts the video session by working his triceps and taking care of them with appropriate balance right away.
Rope Pushdown
Sets and Reps: 6-7 x 10, double drop sets on final set.
Clarida starts the session with a triceps pushdown using a rope attachment. He says he likes to begin his arm workouts with an isolated, single-joint exercise to warm up his triceps muscles before attempting heavier compound lifts (lifts that engage more than one joint simultaneously). Research shows that single-joint exercises can be a significant boon to muscle growth when applied practically. (1)
Clarida performs two warmup sets, two feeders (or build-up sets that are challenging but aren’t pushing to failure), and three working sets (sets where the athlete pushes close to or reaches actual failure).
Cable Curl
Sets and Reps: 6-7 x 10
Once rope pushdowns are in the rearview mirror, he transitions to a cable machine for cable curls. Like the pushdowns, cable curls allow Clarida to warm up the muscle group before heavier sets. Using D-handles for a more comfortable grip than a bar, he follows the same set and rep layout as the pushdowns.
We’re gonna keep it pretty basic, straight sets here.
Once Clarida reaches the final set, he institutes a unilateral variation — where an athlete does x-number of reps on one side before switching to the other and doing the same. One study shows that unilateral training may lead to balanced, significant strength gains — up to 29 percent increases in tested people over an extended training period. (2)
After finishing his first set of overhead extensions, Clarida does something unexpected — he removes his hoodie to work out in a tank top for the rest of the session.
For you, just for you, all my followers…today only, I’m going to show you a little bit of skin.
Notably, Clarida maintains the single-arm dumbbell overhead triceps extension is his favorite, foundational triceps movement.
EZ-Bar Curl
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
Before Clarida starts this movement to work out his biceps, he notes that he prefers an EZ-bar, which has a unique curl shape, over a straight barbell because it’s easier on his wrists. The bodybuilder starts with 30 pounds on his first set before eventually finishing with 100 pounds.
Underhand Cable Pushdown
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
Clarida wastes no time after his curls and immediately proceeds to a superset with cable triceps pushdowns. He again uses D-handles but with an underhanded grip to isolate the long head of the triceps (the triceps muscle closer to your body). It’s a move he says he picked up from his coach, the late John Meadows.
Taking care of every triceps muscle is important, but the long head might especially play a prominent role in strength development. Past data has shown that the long head is far more of a factor in muscle activation and force than the other triceps brachii. (3)
Clarida then performs cross-body dumbbell hammer curls. In offering more clarity, it’s all a means to keep his workouts simple but effective.
“Let’s stick with the basics. The basics have always worked,” Clarida says.”You’ve got some great machines. I more so utilize that when I am in prep versus now. I feel like now is my growth season for me personally. Compound movements that work the best for me. So barbell, dumbbell work. That’s what I like to rely on mostly during my growth season.”
Overhead Cable Extension
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
Clarida’s last triceps workout of the day centered back with the cables — this time while seated on a bench and performed at shoulder height. Per Clarida’s rationale, he saved this unique triceps movement for a good reason.
“They really open the triceps head, get some of my blood in there and stretch the fibers,” Clarida says. “They’re full of blood, nice and tight. I’m gonna go stretch them out and then get one more big contraction out of them.”
It’s an essential closer for Clarida because of what quality blood flow can do for a muscle. In optimal circumstances, an athlete’s blood flow must match the demands of whatever muscle it is they’re contracting. Anything less, they risk failure and, in the worst-case scenario, might even put themselves in danger of potential injury. (4)
Bisolator Curl
Suggested Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
Clarida caps his arms workout with an apparent set to failure for each arm on the “Bisolator” — an older machine concentrated on biceps and working their peak.
Any athlete seeking to maximize their power output will eventually come around to working on a muscle’s peak. Over time, findings have shown training routines that place merit on working peaks will bear out with the athlete having a more efficient strength foundation. (5)
Mr. Olympia Is Next
One of the crown jewels of professional bodybuilding — the Mr. Olympia event — is still a ways off. Circumstances could change for someone elite like Clarida between April and December 2022. If he’s planning to reclaim the 212 Olympia title from Derek Lunsford, this off-season arm workout certainly doesn’t hurt his chances.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
References:
Gentil, P., Soares, S., Bottaro, M. (2015). Single vs. Multi-Joint Resistance Exercises: Effects on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015 Jun; 6(2)
Green, L.A., Gabriel, D.A. (2018). The effect of unilateral training on contralateral limb strength in young, older, and patient populations: a meta-analysis of cross-education. Physical Therapy Reviews. 2018 Mar; Vol. 23; p. 238-249
Kholinne, E. et al. (2018). The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica. 2018 May; 52(3); p. 201–205.
Joyner, M.J., Casey, D.P. (2015). Regulation of Increased Blood Flow (Hyperemia) to Muscles During Exercise: A Hierarchy of Competing Physiological Needs. Physiological Reviews. 2015 Apr; 95(2); p. 549–601.
Sarabia, J.M., Moya-Ramón, M., Hernández-Davó, J.L., Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Sabido, R. (2017). The effects of training with loads that maximise power output and individualised repetitions vs. traditional power training. PLOS One. 2017 Oct; 12(10)
Today I’m sharing a fantastic success story from Mark’s Daily Apple reader Nic, who accomplished a tremendous physical feat with smart training and nutrition.
Have you improved your health, tackled a fitness goal, or overcome obstacles with the help of the Primal Blueprint? Share your story with the MDA community by contacting me here. Your story will inspire others!
I signed up for the Marathon des Sables (MdS) about a year before the event was to take place in 2022. In terms of race experience at the time of signing up, I had run many marathons but only one 50km ultra race.
For those not familiar, the MdS is a self-sufficient race. There is a nightly Bivouac (to be shared among 8 people) provided by the organisation. Although water is supplied, it is keenly rationed. It is up to you to carry everything else you might need across the 6 stage, 7 day 145-mile course, up and down any Jebels and dunes.
Apart from the required physical ability to complete the race, it then becomes about the planning, training, testing and evaluating what works. Living in England, UK whilst training, there is a distinct difference from the expected race conditions and a lack of available options to replicate training scenarios without extensive international travel; but you focus on controlling the variables you can!
I came across the Primal Endurance audiobook by accident. I had to use up my membership credits to an audiobook subscription, and with a natural interest in endurance running, I chose this book. I was ignorant to the real basis of the book, assuming it was more technical form than taking things back to working on one’s internal aerobic engine. The analogy in the book is adapting your body to be a clean-burning electric engine versus one that burns fossil fuels and generates various nasties as unnecessary byproducts.
Early listening of the book had me fascinated, although slightly skeptical because I am a Vegan. Paleo and Vegan—tricky for sure, but thankfully I am a very basic eater. The more natural the food the better. There is a history of gluten intolerance in my family. Both my Grandfather and Father are coeliacs, so the wheat rejection part of the process really resonated with me and gave me the final push to avoid wheat where at all possible. (Thankfully I am not a coeliac and do not show any intolerance so the occasional accidental exposure is okay.)
The preceding five to six months prior to the Marathon des Sables I aligned more and more to the blueprint set out in the Primal Endurance book, even creating Maximum Sustained Power (MSP) workouts for the gym to condition myself, prior to hitting the sauna for a pass at heat acclimation. Preparing for a multi-day race event presents unique challenges and misalignments with the Primal Endurance methodology. I had to condition my body and mind for the fatigue of multi-day 20+ miles attempts, but I did my best to follow the spirit of the book. (Sorry Mark and Brad!)
A large part of the MdS is managing your nutrition, which is where the Primal Blueprint, I believe, delivered major benefits. If you want to compete over the challenging course, you do not want to be slamming down carbs throughout the race. In the heat and with the other physical demands placed on your body, your want your internal engine to concentrate on circulating oxygen and blood to your limbs to keep moving forward, not on your stomach and other digestive functions. My plan, following the blueprint, was for 100g carbs a day, no more. I would rely upon my aerobic engine to do most of the work. Where I needed to exert myself, I would use the 100g carb allowance to accommodate this.
There is a minimum calorie requirement all competitors must have, which is 2000 kcal a day. The event is over 7 days, so runners must carry a total of 14,000kcal on day one. We were allowed to drop by 2000 kcal a day so that on day two you are carrying 10,000 kcals. Being over 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds, this 2000 kcal a day would really be minimal. Runners can of course carry more food as they wish—at the cost of lugging it for a potential 145 miles!
The strategy for food is simple: you want the lightest weight for the maximum calories. At first, I was considering tasty nut butters. However, I worried that in the heat of the Sahara Desert, this would result in unpalatable tubs of goo. What is peanut butter made from? Nuts. Nuts were to be the answer. You can get a variety of nuts to accommodate your individual nutrition needs: carbs, fat and proteins. I also took a multi-vitamin and some sports greens power to make up for the lack of fresh vegetables and fruit. The high fat content of the nuts streamlined into the Primal Blueprint and the adaption my body had been going through to become a fat-burning beast! The total weight of my food at the start of the event was under 6.5 pounds (17,300 kcals).
Although nutrition forms a large concern to all participants, and rightly so, often overlooked is the form of the runners themselves. Any excess weight (think middle-age spread) is an unnecessary burden on one’s efforts. The Primal Endurance protocol helped me trim off the remaining few pounds I estimated I could afford to lose by going keto and intermittent fasting without undermining my training schedule in the final weeks leading up to the race. I was at 18% body fat before getting on the plane to Morocco. The MSP ethos helped me retain power and strength whilst achieving my lean optimisation.
A final benefit I found by adopting all the above strategies is that the previous need to tape my creaking hips and knees disappeared! Some competitors might have needed the occasional—or frequent—anti-inflammatory or painkiller through their MdS attempt. (Some of the doses I heard runners mention could take out a small mule!) I thankfully found no need to consume any, which I am attributing to the benefits of not creating oxidative damage by the consumption of grains and other beige gloop.
The result: a successful MdS with a time of 37 hours, 48 minutes ranking me a 241 out of 800 other successful competitors. (There was around a 12% withdraw rate for 2022.) I returned home with 14% body fat and a shiny medal.
Outstanding, Nic! Thanks for sharing your story with the Mark’s Daily Apple community!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Krzysztof Wierzbicki isn’t shy about his goals. One day — per a bold, all-caps declaration on his Instagram profile — he wants to deadlift at least 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds). If his latest workout is any indication, he’s well on his way.
On April 12, 2022, the Polish powerlifter reportedly posted an Instagram story of himself deadlifting 461 kilograms (1,016 pounds) for an incredible three reps. The temporary story video is no longer available on Wierzbicki’s profile, but someone did capture it.
Check out the mind-boggling lift below — where Wierzbicski uses a sumo stance and lifting straps, and is without a lifting belt — via the Instagram profile of strongman promoter, Julian Howard:
With over a decade’s worth of experience, Wierzbicki is no stranger to the professional powerlifting community. He’s been a regular fixture and headliner in the Polish powerlifting scene and has seldom fallen short in making his presence known in international competitions. To date, Wierzbicki has captured 24 individual victories. Perhaps most notably, that includes four wins in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships (2013-2014, 2015, 2017).
Wierzbicki is a well-rounded strength-sports athlete, but the deadlift might be most responsible for his reputation. In particular, he’s in possession of one official and unofficial deadlift record.
During the 2020 National Alliance of Powerlifters (NAP) Siberian Championship, while competing in the 100-kilogram weight class, Wierzbicki successfully pulled the current 433.5-kilogram (955.7-pound) raw deadlift record. The next year, during the 2021 WRPF-POL Mistrzostwa Polski, he locked out what would normally be a record with a 447.5-kilogram deadlift (986.6 pounds) while competing in the 110-kilogram weight class.
However, because that latter pull happened at a deadlift-only meet, Wierzbicki did not get the official mark. The distinction still belongs to Jamal Browner, who pulled 440.5 kilograms (971.1 pounds) at the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Hybrid Showdown II — a full power meet.
Wierzbicki’s deadlift has also seen a gradual, quality progression. In 2017, he first exceeded a then-IPF world record when he pulled a 420-kilogram deadlift (926 pounds) while competing in the 120-kilogram weight class. Roughly a half-year later, he pulled his unofficial world record again in training, but for three reps.
By the end of the year 2020, Wierzbickipulled 456 kilograms (1,005 pounds) during training, breaking the 1,000-pound barrier for the first time. He wouldn’t have the nickname “Mr. Deadlift” without a corresponding and appropriate list of achievements to back that billing up.
Should Wierzbicki eventually notch the unique, rare mark of a 500-kilogram deadlift (1,102 pounds), he’ll join some exclusive company.
Only two human beings have ever deadlifted at least that much weight — 2017 WSM Champion Eddie Hall and 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson. Both accomplished their remarkable deadlifts while wearing lifting straps and deadlift suits, and using conventional stances.
Notably, Hall and Björnsson achieved their marks when they were 28 and 29-years-old, respectively. As a result, Wierzbicki could soon claim the distinct honor of being the first person in their 30s and the oldest to pull 500 kilograms.
The Polish athlete is still 39 kilograms (86 pounds) away from the hallowed mark, but that number seemingly gets smaller by the day. Provided he continues his recent pace, it might only be a matter of time before he joins a legendary deadlift club.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On one hand, the deadlift is as simple and straightforward as “pick the heavy bar up off the ground and stand up.” On the other hand, the deadlift is an intricate series of muscular coordinations, involving muscles from your ankles and thighs to your abdomen and lower back to your shoulders, wrists, and hands.
Because the deadlift requires so many muscle groups to work together, it gives you the potential to move significant weights. Putting all those moving parts under all that stress is also a great way to build some serious muscle size and strength.
Here’s a complete guide to mastering the deadlift and using this fundamental movement to build total-body strength and a more muscular back and legs.
Coach Shane Trotter explains an eight-point checklist covering the most essential technique tips to perform a strong, safe deadlift. Take the time to watch the video and then learn more in-depth steps throughout the article.
How to Do the Deadlift
Deadlift technique is sometimes oversimplified to “dip, grip, and rip”, meaning all you need to worry about is getting your body down to the bar, grabbing it, and pulling it up hard.
That succinct three-step approach leaves out more than a few key details that can mean the difference between a good lift and an incomplete lift or, more importantly, a productive lift and one that leads to injury.
Here’s a more in-depth and more useful breakdown of how to get the weight off the floor safely and effectively.
Step One — Approach the Bar and Set Your Grip
Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
Set your feet slightly outside of hip-width and angle each foot slightly outwards. The bar should be above your foot, closer to the knot of your shoelaces than your toes. Pull your shoulder blades back and stand tall, lengthening your spine from the neck down.
Keep your knees very slightly bent. Push your hips back until your hands reach the bar on the outside of your legs. Maintain a neutral, not rounded, posture. Grab the bar with an overhand (palms down) grip. Bend your legs slightly more and secure your grip.
When viewed from the side, your hips and tailbone should be between your shoulders and your elbows, neither too high nor too low.
Form Tip: Because the barbell begins on the floor and weight plates are a standardized height, exceptionally taller or shorter lifters may not be ideally suited for the basic setup. The bar should begin in line with the lower shin. Adjust the bar’s starting position or your starting position using blocks, platforms, or stacked plates either under your feet (if you’re shorter) or under the bar (if you’re taller).
Step Two — Initiate the Pull to Lockout
Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
As soon as you bend your legs and tighten your grip, press through your heels while remaining flat-footed. Your shoulders and hips should rise together; your body move as one single unit. Keep your shoulders pulled back. Engage your back muscles (lats) to prevent the bar from drifting towards your toes as it moves upwards.
As the bar passes your knees, contract your glutes to drive your hips forward while pulling your upper body back. In the top position, you should be standing fully upright with straight legs and the bar should be held against your body.
Form Tip: Because the barbell sleeve sits in the weight plate with a fraction of an inch of extra space, there’s a very slight delay in your body’s force being transferred to the actual load. You can take the “slack” out of the bar by beginning the lift extremely slowly until you feel the first contact between the barbell and the weight plates. It should take a fraction of a second. Follow it with a maximal production of force.
Step Three — Lower Under Control
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
From the locked out position, reverse the process to lower the weight. Push your hips backwards with slightly bent knees. Keep the bar in contact with your legs for as long as possible. As the weight passes your knees, bend your legs more to lower the weight to the floor.
Maintain a neutral, not rounded, back position for the entire lift. The bar should end up where it began, above your midfoot and not in front of your toes.
Form Tip: To perform an additional rep, you can either transition directly into pulling the next repetition (sometimes called “touch and go”) or you can release the bar, stand up, and repeat the entire setup process for each rep. The latter option allows more technique practice and greater power output, while “touch and go” reps can offer greater muscle-building benefit. (1)
Deadlift Mistakes to Avoid
Because the deadlift involves so many moving parts, there are several chances for mistakes to occur. Here are the most common issues to watch for.
Rounding the Back
Likely the most common problem during deadlifts is rounding the back, specifically the lower back. Performing deadlifts isn’t dangerous for your back; performing deadlifts incorrectly is dangerous for the back, just like performing any exercise is dangerous for a key body part involved in that exercise.
A rounded back compromises your ability to stabilize the body and transfer force from the lower body to the upper body. Pulling a deadlift with a rounded back will limit strength production and muscle recruitment, making it not only dangerous but less effective.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Failing to keep a neutral spine also exposes the vertebral discs to more direct stress, which may directly lead to a disc herniation or “slipped disc,” which can cause serious pain and require significant recovery time.
Avoid It: Begin each repetition with a neutral spine. Maintain body awareness to be conscious of any change in posture during the movement. Pinching the shoulder blades back, “puffing” the chest, and tensing the abs are effective cues to hold a strong spinal position.
If you find that you have trouble maintaining tense abs — also known as a braced core — you may need to address the issue by a) practicing bracing your core by deadlifting lighter weights and b) directly training your core more often.
Bending the Arms
Maintaining straight arms during the deadlift allows the strongest grip possible while also recruiting the entire musculature of the arms (biceps, triceps, and shoulders) to support the weight.
Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
Pulling the bar with bent arms will limit overall strength and stability. More importantly, a bent arm puts the biceps muscle under more direct stress while in a weakened position, which can lead to a strain or a biceps tear.
This is one potential drawback to using a mixed grip (grabbing the bar with one hand palm-up and the other hand palm-down). While a mixed grip can reinforce grip strength, the palm-up arm is often in a slightly bent position, making it a higher risk technique.
Avoid It: When gripping the bar, flex the triceps of both arms to ensure straight arms prior to pulling the weight. Because the triceps function to extend the arm, they cannot maximally contract if the arm is bent.
Avoiding Lockout
Shortening the range of motion can reduce the effectiveness of many exercises. With the deadlift specifically, that often comes in the top position. Lifters are sometimes quick to get the weight off the ground and rush to return it back down without fully completing the movement.
Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock
By skipping the lockout position, overall muscle recruitment is drastically reduced. The powerful muscles of the glutes are maximally recruited and fully contracted in the top position. Lockout is also the position which allows the majority of back muscles (lumbar spine, lats, and upper back) to become more highly activated.
Avoiding the locked out position also affects the transition between the lifting and lowering phases, making it more difficult to maintain proper form. This can make the descent of the weight less controlled and bring a higher risk of injury.
Avoid It: Complete each deadlift repetition in a fully locked out position, standing upright with your shoulders back and legs straight. To double-check your end position, squeeze your glutes tightly — pinch a quarter, crack a walnut, or turn a lump of coal into a diamond… choose your visualization.
Benefits of the Deadlift
The deadlift recruits multiple muscles in the upper and lower body, it can (eventually) be performed with seriously heavy weights which helps to develop total-body strength. Here’s why the deadlift can play a role in nearly any training program.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Training for Strength
The deadlift is where leverage, physics, and kinesiology meet to move big weights. It’s not uncommon for lifters to deadlift several hundred pounds within their first year of training, unlike most other exercises. The deadlift is a foundational movement to build a stronger back, legs, and core.
Training for Muscle
The more muscles recruited during an exercise, the greater potential for overall muscle growth. The deadlift significantly activates multiple muscles on the back, as well as the legs, shoulders, and arms. This is why the deadlift often plays a key role in muscle-building training plans.
Muscles Worked by the Deadlift
Because the deadlift requires force to be transferred from the feet through the entire body to the hands holding the weight, there are very few muscles which don’t get worked by a set of deadlifts. Here’s the list of muscles that do.
Credit: Srdjan Randjelovic / Shutterstock
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are stretched in the bottom position of a deadlift, when your upper body is bent forward with bent legs, and contracted as you rise upwards. The hamstrings are responsible for hip extension, or straightening the leg in line with the body. The hamstrings also play a role in knee flexion (bending the leg), which is performed when lowering the weight under control.
Glutes
The glute muscles, being major muscles involved in hip extension, are heavily recruited during deadlifts. Performing the exercise with a full range of motion and complete lockout is necessary for maximum benefit and optimal glute recruitment.
Lats
The latissimus dorsi, or lats, are large muscles of the mid-back responsible for arm movement at the shoulder joint. The lats are recruited during the deadlift to maintain the bar’s position close to the body. The lats primarily act statically, without moving through any significant range of motion. However, they play an essential role in the deadlift.
Upper Back
The multiple muscles of the upper back including the trapezius, rear delts, teres, and rhomboids are worked statically to maintain a strong and stable position when lifting and lowering weight in the deadlift. Similar to the lats, the upper back doesn’t perform a significant range of motion, but the static contraction can be a significant stimulus for strength and growth.
Spinal Erectors
The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are a twin column of muscles running the length of the spine. They play a key role in overall spinal stability and back health. The erectors operate to straighten the back and resist bending forward, both of which are necessary during a set of deadlifts.
Forearms
The forearm flexors and extensors are often overlooked by many lifters, but the deadlift is one of the few exercises to target them heavily. Specifically, the deadlift works the forearm flexors (on the underside of the forearm) to maintain a secure hold of the bar from the moment it’s lifted until it’s put down.
Because the forearm and gripping muscles are not frequently trained, the grip is often the first “weak link” in the movement and many lifters find their forearms fatigue before their legs or back.
Who Should Do the Deadlift
As a foundational exercise, the deadlift is a staple in many beginner programs to help develop a base of strength and muscles. Its benefits are significant enough that plenty of lifters well-beyond the beginner stage keep the deadlift in their workouts for the numerous benefits.
Strength Athletes
The deadlift is one of the “big three” powerlifting movements. For that reason, it’s often tested in strength competitions. Competitive powerlifters, of course, as well as strongmen and strongwomen. CrossFit athletes, more often known for Olympic weightlifting and “metcon”-style events, also rely on the deadlift as a basic test of strength.
Training for Muscle
As an exercise which recruits the back, shoulders, and legs, the deadlift is capable of stimulating growth in some of the largest muscles of the body. Although some of the activated muscles (like the back and shoulders) don’t undergo significant ranges of motion, the overall tension during the set is ample to trigger growth. (2)(3)
How to Program the Deadlift
The deadlift can be programmed in-line with a number of goals. However, because the deadlift incorporates a number of muscles throughout the body, overall recovery is essential for optimal results.
Heavy Weight, Low Rep
Big weights for a few reps is the tried and true approach for the deadlift. Three to five sets for three to five reps, taking three to five minutes between each set for maximum recovery. This workout requires plenty of hard work and yields plenty of strength.
Heavy Weight, Moderate Rep
Crank up the muscle-building potential of the deadlift by hitting four or five sets of six to 10 reps with up to two minutes between sets. This type of workout can make use of the “touch and go” method. Start in a proper starting position and repeat reps consecutively until the set is finished. Be sure to pull deliberately and avoid bouncing the bar off the ground between reps.
One High-Rep Set
Possibly the most intense way to train the deadlift is a workout most often associated with squats. One set of 20 reps, standing upright and completely resetting between each rep. This workout is often called “a widowmaker”. After one session, you’ll understand why. It’s a high intensity approach that builds strength, muscle, and conditioning.
Deadlift Variations
The standard deadlift, called the “conventional deadlift” is typically considered the most basic and effective starting point to deliver size and strength. Certain variations may be more appropriate for certain lifters due to their individual requirements (like injury history) or specific goals.
Sumo Deadlift
The most common alternative to the conventional deadlift is the sumo deadlift. Most distinguishable by the wide stance and close grip on the bar (often hip-width or closer).
The leg position of the sumo deadlift activates more quadriceps into the movement. (4) The body position also allows a more upright torso, which reduces lower back strain making it an effective option for lifters with back problems.
Semi-Sumo (Squat-Stance) Deadlift
A lesser-known barbell deadlift variation, the semi-sumo stance (sometimes called a squat-stance deadlift) is, essentially, a hybrid of the conventional and sumo technique.
The feet are set wider than conventional, but not as wide as sumo. Grip width is inside the legs, unlike the conventional deadlift, but not typically as close as a sumo grip. Semi-sumo allows a slightly more upright torso without requiring excessive hip mobility to get into a full sumo stance.
Trap Bar Deadlift
The trap bar deadlift, or hex bar deadlift, puts the lifter directly in the middle of the weight rather than pulling with a barbell in front of the body.
This dramatic shift in the center of gravity allows overall technique to change and significantly reduces strain on the lower back. It’s typically the most “low back friendly” deadlift variation for any lifter with pre-existing issues.
Deadlift Alternatives
Several simple adjustments to the basic deadlift technique can turn the exercise into a different variation providing specific benefits.
Romanian Deadlift
Maintaining slightly bent legs throughout the entire exercise significantly increases focus on the hamstrings and glutes with relatively less involvement of the core and upper body. (5) This makes the Romanian deadlift a popular and effective leg exercise to specifically target the hamstrings and glutes, especially because the bar isn’t often lowered to the ground in order to maintain tension on the target muscles.
The adjusted muscle recruitment also reduces the potential weight to be moved, making the Romanian deadlift less effective for sheer strength gains.
Rack Pull
The rack pull is performed with the bar starting at knee-level or higher, making the total range of motion significantly less than a full deadlift. One benefit of the shortened range of motion is the ability to move drastically more weight than pulling from the floor.
Combined with increased recruitment of the muscles of the back, the rack pull is an effective exercise for lifters aiming to improve their strength specifically in the top-half of the deadlift’s range of motion, where those muscles are significantly involved.
Single-Leg Deadlift
Performing a standard deadlift while using only one leg isn’t a circus act. It’s a highly effective exercise for building core strength, addressing muscle imbalances, and increasing athletic power. (6)
The single-leg deadlift decreases the lifter’s base of support but increases core recruitment for stability. The output on the working leg is also increased, making it an ideal choice for athletic strength and conditioning programs looking to build functional strength and speed.
FAQs
Why do some lifters drop the weight from the top of a deadlift?
It’s not uncommon to see strength athletes like powerlifters pull a heavy deadlift, lock it out, and then simply release the bar and let it seemingly free fall to the ground. While most strength sports’ rules require the bar to be “lowered under control”, dropping the bar can occur.
Lifting the weight (the concentric phase) is when the muscular force is produced. Lowering the weight (the eccentric phase) is when the muscle is stretched. The eccentric phase has been shown to be extremely useful for muscle growth. (7)
However, eccentrics performed with very heavy weights may also increase the risk of injury due to the stretched position. Unless you’re moving extremely heavy weights, focus on using a controlled eccentric without simply dropping the bar.
My grip fails before the set ends. Should I use straps or a mixed grip?
Your forearms are almost always going to be a limiting factor when deadlifting because they’re simply a much, much smaller muscle group compared to the back, glutes, or hamstrings being used to move the weight.
While grip strength will develop naturally over time, it’s not uncommon to use specific techniques to provide support to the weaker muscle groups in order to better focus on the target muscles. Using lifting straps on your heaviest or most challenging deadlift sets will provide a sufficient balance of needed support without detracting from natural grip strength development.
A mixed-grip should be used only by competitive powerlifters (since lifting straps are not allowed in competition) because it exposes one arm to an increased risk of strain and may lead to postural imbalances.
Is the deadlift good for building muscle or not?
The deadlift puts a number of large muscle groups under tension, which is associated with stimulating muscle growth. (8) However, because not all of these muscles go through a large range of motion, the deadlift isn’t always considered an effective choice for targeting specific muscles.
For example, to emphasize the hamstrings, a Romanian deadlift may be a better exercise choice. To emphasize the back, a pull-up can yield better specific results. However, if your training goals distinguish a difference between “building muscle” and “building body parts”, the deadlift can certainly be an efficient and effective exercise.
References
Krajewski KT, LeFavi RG, Riemann BL. A Biomechanical Analysis of the Effects of Bouncing the Barbell in the Conventional Deadlift. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jul;33 Suppl 1:S70-S77. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002545. PMID: 29489730.
Beggs, Luke Allen, “COMPARISON OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION AND KINEMATICS DURING THE DEADLIFT USING A DOUBLE‐PRONATED AND OVERHAND/UNDERHAND GRIP” (2011). University of Kentucky Master’s Theses. 87.
Carbe, J., & Lind, A. (2014). A kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic analysis of 1-repetition maximum deadlifts.
Escamilla, R. F., Francisco, A. C., Kayes, A. V., Speer, K. P., & Moorman, C. T., 3rd (2002). An electromyographic analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 34(4), 682–688. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200204000-00019
Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020 Feb 27;15(2):e0229507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229507. PMID: 32107499; PMCID: PMC7046193.
Diamant W, Geisler S, Havers T, Knicker A. Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(1):187-201. Published 2021 Apr 1.
Roig M, O’Brien K, Kirk G, Murray R, McKinnon P, Shadgan B, Reid WD. The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2009 Aug;43(8):556-68. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417. Epub 2008 Nov 3. PMID: 18981046.
Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering questions about a rather mysterious supplement called turkesterone. I’ve been getting questions about it lately, specifically regarding its promise for muscle building.
Turkesterone has exploded in popularity, but there isn’t much solid information to go on. Compared to supplements with reams of human research, like whey isolate or creatine or magnesium, you’re flying pretty much blind with turkesterone. I’ve had to sift through animal studies, murky Russian research, and anecdotes to bring you my best take on the compound.
It’s not the final word, but I stand by it for now.
So without further ado, let’s get into the questions.
What is Turkesterone?
Turkesterone is an ecdysteroid, a class of compounds that act as growth compounds in plants and insects. Think of ecdysteroids as cellular growth promoters, a kind of hormone. In insects, they regulate molting, growth, and morphogenesis. In plants, they deter predators. And in mammals, they may stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Several pathways have been proposed for this effect:
First, turkesterone may increase the efficiency of muscle protein synthesis—increasing it by over 100% in in vitro studies (and increasing rat grip strength in vivo).1
Second, turkesterone may increase the amount of leucine a given cell incorporates. Leucine, you may recall, is the most anabolic amino acid around.
Third, turkesterone and other ecdysteroids may bind to the estrogen receptor beta-type, which is associated with bone and muscle growth as opposed to the more classic “feminizing” effects seen with other estrogen receptor types.
Do Turkesterone Supplements Work?
It’s hard to say. There are few if any human studies on turkesterone supplementation, but there are some impressive animal studies on turkesterone and related ecdysteroids. Let’s take a look:
In one, rats who got ecdysteroids were stronger, longer swimmers than rats who received a placebo despite no differences in training/swimming volume.2
Sheep taking the supplement gained bodyweight faster and produced more wool. This suggests that it’s not just a promoter of raw mass gain, but it improves the function of the organism (wool production). Furthermore, among sheep who weren’t fed enough food, the turkesterone had even stronger effects.3
An old Russian study found that giving turkesterone to rats stimulated muscle protein synthesis in the liver about as much as anabolic steroids.4
Turkesterone also seems to improve the resilience of mice undergoing “immobility stress”—the forced restriction of free movement in lab mice. This is basically the most reliable way to trigger a stress response in mice. In normal mice, immobility stress causes the adrenal glands to grow, their immune function to decline, the cholesterol and vitamin C levels to drop, and gut lining to degenerate. In turkesterone-dosed mice, these changes don’t happen as quickly (or at all).5
Now, what can we glean from animal studies in the absence of human studies?
Animal studies are the start of human research. As mammals, we all share similar pathways for muscle gain, growth, and loss. There are differences to be sure, but there are also well-preserved similarities and redundancies.
There’s also a significant number of anecdotal reports from turkesterone users on online message boards and social media. You can’t base public health policy or write studies based on anonymous reports on Reddit, but you can read them for yourselves and judge whether or not you find them credible. Then you can choose to try the supplement or not.
And if you look back at the old Russian research, they reported some incredible results. Unfortunately, I can’t verify them. They’re all unavailable as full studies or even abstracts, and even if they were available they’d be in Russian. The only thing I saw was an unverified list of the results. Still, here they are:
Anti-anxiety
Improved wound healing
Lower blood glucose
Reduced inflammation
Adaptogenic effects
Anti-arrhythmia
In other words, these compounds supposedly do all the “Good Stuff” you look for in a supplement. That may very well be the case, but I can’t verify it.
Is Turkesterone Natural?
Turkesterone is a naturally-occurring ecdysteroid that appears most abundantly in the plant Ajuga Turkestanica. Commercial turkesterone supplements all come from this plant. They are extracts of the plant and as “natural” as any other plant extract you might take.
Does Turkesterone Have Negative Side Effects?
Common (but not guaranteed) side effects include upset stomach, nausea, and diarrhea, usually at higher doses than recommended.
Luckily, turkesterone appears extremely safe and non-toxic beyond even the typical doses consumed by users. Most studies find that benefits start around 10 mg per kilogram of bodyweight, while oral toxicity only appears at 9000 mg per kilogram bodyweight. There is no danger of ever consuming anything close to 9000 mg, let alone 9000 mg for every kilogram of your bodyweight.
All in all, if you can afford turkesterone, you’re interested in gaining lean mass (or any of the other potential benefits), and you’re already training hard and eating well and sleeping plenty and doing all the other things you’re supposed to be doing, I’d give it a try for a month. Try to keep everything else consistent—diet, training, sleep, stress—so you can disentangle any effects of the supplement.
But if you’re barely training, staying up late, and eating poorly, don’t think that turkesterone is going to give you any results. Only try it if you’re doing everything right already.
I’d make a wager than turkesterone might also be helpful for preserving or even gaining muscle when cutting weight, if the studies on anabolism in animals on low calorie intakes are anything to go on.
It looks promising to me. The main downfall is that it’s not cheap and it’s difficult to find high-quality turkesterone you can trust. These products seem to be the best out there: Gorilla Mind, True Nutrition,
Anyone have personal experience with turkesterone? I’d love to hear how it worked—or didn’t—for you.
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For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering questions about a rather mysterious supplement called turkesterone. I’ve been getting questions about it lately, specifically regarding its promise for muscle building.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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