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There are typically two camps when it comes to ab training. There are those who are purely focused on strengthening their abs to hoist more weight and perform better as an athlete. And then some folks are mainly interested in whittling their middle a la Brad Pitt in Troy. But hear us now: You can have both ab definition and strength. 

The first comes by way of a calculated diet for fat loss (mostly). Strength and muscle are forged in the gym, by selecting the right exercises and executing them with picture-perfect form. We can’t train for you, but we can point you in the right direction. And your journey to a stronger, leaner core should start with the cable crunch. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a staunch supporter of the cable crunch, and though we could rest our case there, we’d be remiss if we failed to touch on its benefits: Optimal core tension from the cable pulley, a longer range of motion for a greater muscle-building stimulus, and did we mention Arnold loves the move?

Here’s everything you need to know to start doing cable crunches today. 

• How to Do the Cable Crunch
• Cable Crunch Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Cable Crunch
• Muscles Worked by the Cable Crunch
• Who Should Do the Cable Crunch
• How to Program the Cable Crunch
• Cable Crunch Variations
• Cable Crunch Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Cable Crunch

The cable crunch uses added resistance to train the abs, with a focus on their most contracted position. The movement is strict abdominal flexion with the aim of bringing your sternum and pelvis towards each other. During this exercise, your hips should remain stable and in a fixed position.

Step 1 — Get Into the Starting Position

Attach a rope to the high cable pulley and set the pulley at eye level. Take hold of the rope in each hand as you take about three steps back before kneeling on the ground. Kneel “tall” with your shins on the ground and your thighs vertical. Lean your torso slightly forward.

Pull the rope down until your elbows are roughly at a 90-degree angle to your torso and your hands are in front of your forehead. Hold the weight in this static position throughout the entire set.

Form Tip: Muscles in a static position are always stronger than when movement is involved, so maintaining a stable arm position should not be excessively fatiguing. If your arm, shoulder, or back muscles fatigue before your abs, reduce the weight. Performing the exercise consistently will build strength in the supporting muscles.

Step 2 — Perform the Crunch

Breathe in as you brace your core. Breathe out as you start to flex at the trunk and engage your rectus abdominis (ab muscles) to crunch your upper body forward and down. Your hips and arms should remain in a fixed position and stable as you fully contract the abs.

Don’t allow your hips or glutes to move backwards while crunching because it will reduce the exercise’s effectiveness.

Form Tip: Think about getting your face closer to your knees or your elbows to your thighs. Focus on curling your torso, not keeping your torso straight while bending at the hips.

Step 3 — Return to the Starting Position

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As you begin to rise back up after reaching the bottom position, breathe in slowly and actively contract your spinal erectors (lower back) to “un-curl” and pull yourself up. Being mindful of this will assist in controlling the eccentric (lowering of the weight) and will allow you to lengthen the abdominals while keeping your hips stable. When your torso is upright again, repeat another rep.

Form Tip: Perform this phase of the exercise at a slower speed than the crunching phase, taking two or three seconds to reach the top position. The slower rep speed allows you to focus on maintaining technique and ensures strict form. 

Cable Crunch Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few common mistakes that you will want to avoid to maximize the effectiveness of the cable crunch.

Most problems stem from recruiting the wrong muscles to move the weight or not putting your body in an optimal position to recruit the abs effectively.

Setting Your Hips Too Low

If your hips are too low when performing the cable crunch, you will rely on using your own body as a counterweight to move the resistance. Your hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors will also be significantly involved in an exercise which should be primarily targeting your abdominals.

When you shift your hips back, you’re unable to achieve a full range of motion because your torso cannot fully contract and your torso cannot flex forward far enough.

Avoid It: Ensure movement comes from the spine, not the tailbone. Keep your hips high and locked in place in order to flex only from the trunk. Your glutes should not move closer to your feet during the exercise.

Taking the Wrong Grip 

This may seem too simple, but your hand positioning plays an important role in leveraging your body from an effective position. Your hands and arms can also be a visual guide to make sure your hips are high enough.

Most people will pull the rope attachment down, resting their hands on their shoulders or upper chest. Pulling the weight “in” to your body can encourage you to sit back onto your heels rather than keeping your thighs up straight. 

Avoid it: Keep the rope in front of your body with your arms bent. This encourages your shoulders, core, and entire upper body to be more engaged. Have the knuckles on both hands touching each other with your hands roughly at the height of your forehead. Your hands should remain in front of your face throughout each rep.

Benefits of the Cable Crunch

Not too many exercises require you to use the abs to directly move a weight. However, there are few better ways to train a muscle than against progressively overloaded resistance. The cable crunch allows you to challenge your abs not only by doing more reps, but by gradually lifting heavier each week.

This is exactly the type of training that builds powerful, great-looking  muscles, whether it’s your abs, pecs, or legs.

More Core Strength

A strong set of abs can go a long way in improving your strength potential in many other lifts, such as your bench press, squat, and deadlift. The cable crunch directly trains the rectus abdominis which plays an important role in your ability to brace your core effectively. Stronger abs allow a more stable torso, which allows power to be transferred through to the working muscles.

Longer Range of Motion 

The range of motion in any given exercise is an important factor in building muscle. The cable crunch provides a much longer range of motion in contrast to many other abdominal exercises like standard crunches or sit-ups. With a deep stretch in the top position and a full contraction at the bottom, the cable crunch works the abs through a significant range of motion.

Building Ab Muscle

You hopefully wouldn’t try to build arm size performing 50 reps of curls with no weight in your hand, but that’s how many people approach ab training. While the abs won’t grow inches thicker, they are made of muscle tissue which needs to be developed to look its best. The cable crunch trains your abs against resistance, which stimulates muscle growth and builds a good-looking set of abs.

Muscles Worked by the Cable Crunch

The cable crunch is an abdominal flexion exercise, with no twisting or rotating. This makes it an ideal exercise for zeroing in on the primary ab muscle — the rectus abdominis.

When done correctly, it produces a serious contraction along the entire ab muscle.

Rectus Abdominis 

The rectus abdominis attaches the sternum, the connective tissue of the ribs, and the pelvis. Its primary function is flexion of the spine, or flexing the trunk forward. It also contributes to postural support for your entire upper body.

Hip Flexors

The hip flexors are a series of small muscles found at the top of the thigh around the hip bones, appropriately. They connect the pelvis to the lower back and are responsible for bringing the legs closer to the chest. During the cable crunch, the hip flexors should not be significantly activated unless the hips move improperly during the exercise.

Who Should Do the Cable Crunch

The cable crunch can help any lifter improve their ability to tense and contract their abs. This can only help to sculpt a nice-looking set of abs (once you remove some body fat to reveal the ab muscles), but it also provides a functional benefit improving your ability to perform a variety of exercises.

Training For Strength

Improving your abdominal strength builds a strong core, which is essential for moving big weights in any lift. If you’re losing your squats and deads by falling forwards or not bracing hard enough during presses, cable crunches are an useful assistance movement to support total-body strength.

Training For Muscle 

If you are training purely for aesthetic purposes, the cable crunch is just as useful to you as lat pulldowns, triceps pressdowns, or any other targeted cable exercise. The cable pulley is ideal for constant tension, slightly higher reps, and extended time under tension which can provide your abs with a greater stimulation of muscle growth. (1)

How to Program the Cable Crunch

The cable crunch can be programmed in a number of different ways to benefit your specific training objective. 

Moderate Weight, Moderate Reps 

Performing the cable crunch for three to four sets of eight to 12 reps will provide the most bang for your muscle-building buck. Focus on the strength of your contractions and progressively overload the exercise just like you would for your primary strength lifts.

A steady and controlled tempo will be best-suited, taking your time to feel every inch of your abdominal muscles contracting and lengthening throughout each rep.

Low Weight, High Reps 

Performing the cable crunch for two to three sets of 13 reps or more will allow you to add a greater amount of volume to your ab training and will be most useful at the end of your workout to finish off your abs.

The emphasis is on maintaining tension on the abdominals and providing a continual contraction, which leads to the feeling of being “pumped.” Perform reps steadily without pausing at any point in the movement. Take two seconds when you return to the starting position, no pause at the top, take one second to contract the abs, and have no pause at the bottom. This will complete one rep at 2-0-1-0 tempo. 

Cable Crunch Variations

Here are two effective variations which can be switched out in place of, or in addition to, the standard cable crunch depending on your specific needs and overall workout program.

Standing Cable Crunch

The standing cable crunch can improve your strength and stability throughout your core, while also allowing for a great range of motion. However, that also comes with an increase in the difficulty of achieving maximum contraction in the abs.

The movement is performed by closing the gap between your sternum and pelvis. Avoid thinking about bending straight down. To assist with good form, think about bringing your hips forward as you crunch and looking at your belt buckle.

Machine Crunch

The machine crunch can make it easier to target the abdominal muscles because the machine puts you in a good position. In this variation, you sit upright and the machine will assist in flexing your torso, with your chest and thighs meeting in the middle.

This exercise variation can assist you in developing a greater mind-muscle connection since you can focus on feeling the abs instead of coordinating movement during the exercise. An improved mind-muscle connection can then translate into feeling the muscle working even more effectively during more difficult exercises like the cable crunch.

Cable Crunch Alternatives

In order to be a successful exercise alternative, the primary muscle needs to be the rectus abdominis. The movement needs to involve flexing the spine with a full contraction of the abdominals, and without twisting or rotating the torso.

Floor Crunch

Floor crunches are the most simple alternative that can be used in place of the cable crunch. All you need is a floor and you are good to go.

It’s easy to perform and has an extremely short range of motion. This exercise is most often associated with lifters who are new to training and learning how to perform the fundamentals.

Sit-Up

Sit-ups are a very similar exercise to crunches, but provide a longer range of motion (similar to the cable crunch), which makes them relatively more challenging.

This exercise can be progressively overloaded with the use of a weight held to your chest or over your head throughout each rep. 

Decline Bench Sit-Up

The closest exercise alternative to the cable crunch is the decline bench sit-up due to the significant range of motion and spinal flexion needed to perform the movement. All you need is a bench set to a declined angle.

You can make the exercise more challenging by raising the angle of the bench and/or by adding resistance using a dumbbell or weight plate.

FAQs

Are cable crunches effective at shredding abs?

Cable crunches are effective at building a strong set of abs and they provide a direct muscle growth stimulus.  However, doing cable crunches to get shredded won’t work. No ab exercise can help with that.

The only way to reveal a defined set of abs is to focus on your daily energy balance and make sure that you consistently stay within a caloric deficit. This is generally achieved by a reduction in total calories and/or an increase in your energy expenditure.

Can I injure myself when performing cable crunches?

Performing any exercise with incorrect technique can increase your risk of injury. The cable crunch isn’t as high-risk as the deadlift or back squat, but performing it with poor form can lead to some problems.

If you are not rounding your back properly and fully flexing your abs in the bottom position, you may prevent your rectus abdominis muscles from contracting effectively which can restrict you from training through a full range of motion and will interrupt progress. Involving your hip flexors by excessively sitting back or sitting down can aggravate lower back issues, because the hip flexors are connected to the lumbar spine.

Get Down and Crunch

The cable crunch is one of the few exercises requiring the abs to work against resistance instead of being performed with just your bodyweight. This makes the exercise a high priority for building stronger, better developed abs. It’s time to start practicing this powerful movement and fit it into your next ab workout.

References

1. 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

Featured Image: Skydive Erick / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Cable Crunch for Ab Strength and Size appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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The 45th rendition of the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) is almost here. It will take place on May 24-29, 2022, at Capitol Mall in Sacramento, CA. Thirty of the world’s top strongmen will vie for the legendary Barry Frank Trophy, and to capture the esteemed honor of calling themselves the best strongman in the world. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Reveals Lineup]

The 2022 WSM roster hosts four previous winners, with several more than worthy up-and-comers trying to notch their first-ever title. There will be three days of Qualifying Round events, determining who competes in the two-day Finals. 

Fans who want to view the 2022 WSM in full have two options. They can travel to Sacramento to watch it live or wait until CBS Sports Network broadcasts a television replay of the entire event later this summer in the United States. At the time of this writing, the WSM organization has not announced specific air times and dates.

How to Watch the 2022 WSM

If fans can’t travel to Sacramento and don’t want to wait until CBS airs the full replay, the WSM organization will offer a live show — Backstage Live! Presented by The Beard Struggle — that will air on WSM’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

Terry Hollands — who competed in 15 separate WSM competitions — will host the show. Hollands will recap each day’s events while offering inside access to backstage interviews with the athletes and event organizers. 

If, by chance, fans can attend in person, the WSM organization will have a first-ever Fan Festival that is free of charge to the public. The festival will feature an assortment of food trucks, giveaways, and other special events. 

What to Expect From the 2022 WSM

Tom Stoltman is the defending champion, and he’s looking to become the first repeat winner since Brian Shaw (2015-2016). Meanwhile, Shaw seeks rare status as he’s trying to become the second-ever, five-time WSM champion. Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski is the only five-time champion in the competition’s history.

Look for 2020 WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov and 2019 WSM Champion Martin Licis, respectively, to push for status as the 10th strongman to win multiple championships. 

At the time of this publishing, here is the roster of 30 athletes for this year’s competition:

2022 WSM Roster

1. Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — Reigning WSM Champion
2. Brian Shaw (United States) — 2021 WSM 2nd place
3. Maxime Boudreault (Canada) — 2021 WSM 3rd place
4. Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
5. Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
6. Rob Kearney (United States)
7. Gabriel Peña (Mexico)
8. Kelvin de Ruiter (Netherlands)
9. Kim Ujarak (Greenland)
10. Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
11. Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
12. Shane Flowers (United Kingdom)
13. Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (Australia)
14. Bobby Thompson (United States)
15. Aivars Smaukstelis (Latvia)
16. Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
17. Evan Singleton (United States)
18. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
19. Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
20. Charles “Trey” Mitchell (United States)
21. Mika Törrö (Finland)
22. Manuel Angulo (Chile)
23. Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
24. Bobby Thompson (United States)
25. Kevin Faires (United States)
26. Nedžmin Ambešković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
27. Gabriel Rheaume (Canada)
28. Martins Licis (United States)
29. Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
30. Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)

From the Qualifying Round to the Finals, here is the order of official 2022 WSM events:

Qualifying Round, Day 1 — Tuesday, May 24th, 2022

• Loading Race 
• Deadlift Ladder

Qualifying Round, Day 2 — Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

• Car Walk
• Log Lift

Qualifying Round, Day 3 — Thursday, May 26th, 2022

• Wrecking Ball Hold
• Stone Off

Final, Day 1 — Saturday, May 28th, 2022

• KNAACK Giant’s Medley
• Deadlift
• Flintstone Barbell 

Final, Day 2 — Sunday, May 29th, 2022

• Bus Pull 
• Reign Total Body Fuel Power Stairs
• Atlas Stones

Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram

The post How to Watch the 2022 World’s Strongest Man — Results, Backstage Coverage and More appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Eddie Hall built a career as one of the greatest-ever strongmen, but that doesn’t mean he can’t excel in other sports. What’s clear is that the 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion has an ability that seems to transfer over well to other avenues. 

On May 17, 2022, Hall decided to again test his mettle in the pool as a swimmer when he completed a 50-meter freestyle in 27.06 seconds. Since there are distinctive demands between strongman and swimming as sports, it’s undoubtedly an impressive showcase of Hall’s rare talent.

It also marked a return of sorts to the pool for Hall, who was a champion swimmer as a teenager before pivoting to strongman. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Learn How To Build Strength With Three Key Principles]

Hall completed the 50 meters in a short course swimming pool (or one that is only 25 meters long). That shorter length also means the athlete has to flip around and swim back in the other direction on the latter 25 meters. By contrast, a long course 50-meter freestyle features the full length of the lap on a straightaway swim. That setup is more in line with Olympic swimmers’ standards.

While Hall’s time of just over 27 seconds isn’t necessarily world-class, it is notable considering that swimming is not his usual focus (though his background could play a part). For context, the fastest-ever time on a short-course 50-meter freestyle belongs to Germany’s Nils Rudolph. He achieved a time of 21.76 at the 1990 Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) Swimming World Cup.

According to TopEndSports, the typical modern elite male swimmer weighs around 88 kilograms (194 pounds). With swimming being a sport that would certainly favor a lighter (and more experienced) athlete, that Hall could clock in at just over 27 seconds — despite weighing over 300 pounds — is a testament to his raw athleticism. 

[Related: Deloading 101: What Is A Deload And How Do You Do It?]

A Post-Career of Joy

After notching the peak of his strongman career at the 2017 WSM, Hall decided to retire and focus on other aspects of his life. In addition to a well-maintained YouTube channel with over 2.03 million subscribers (and counting), he’s been very busy across the board showcasing his versatility. 

For reasonably recent athletic examples, in February 2020, Hall set a record on the CrossFit “Isabel” workout with 30 unbroken snatches in a time of 50.9 seconds. It was a mark so lofty that powerlifter Julius Maddox did a staggering 28 unbroken reps in January 2022 and still fell short of Hall’s time. Meanwhile, Hall just finished (for now) a long-standing rivalry with 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson. The two strongman legends decided to settle their differences in the boxing ring with a publicized match around the strength sports sphere.

As he moves forward in his life without competitive strongman, Hall seems to have a desire to stay occupied. Be it in CrossFit, in the ring, or in the pool, it appears this strength sports legend wants to leave a mark and have some fun wherever he can. 

Featured image: @eddiehallwsm on Instagram

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Creatine is an extremely popular supplement with thousands of studies attesting to its effectiveness in humans. It works well in athletes, older people, women, men, teens, vegans and vegetarians, and probably even children. It’s well-tested, safe in normal amounts, and there are very few downsides.

But because so many people use it, creatine also generates a lot of questions. Every time I do a post on creatine, I get more queries in my inbox.

• Does it cause hair loss?
• How much should you take every day?
• Is there a good time to take it?
• Will creatine make you gain weight?
• And is creatine bad for the kidneys?
• What about side effects—anything we should worry about?

Let’s dig right in and answer those questions.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

This is a persistent concern, but there’s not much solid research lending credence to it. The majority of the “evidence” lies in an older study where college rugby players took creatine for a few weeks and saw their dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, rise over baseline. (The placebo control group saw no rise in DHT).¹ DHT is a more active or potent form of testosterone that has powerful anabolic effects. It can also bind to hair follicles and cause them to shrink, reducing your ability to support a dense, healthy head of hair.

However, the creatine group had lower DHT levels at baseline, so it may be that the creatine was simply correcting lower starting levels. Other studies on creatine and testosterone have failed to find any consistent links between creatine and higher testosterone, free testosterone (from which DHT is produced), or DHT itself.

Finally, there are no studies showing that taking creatine causes hair loss. It’s not impossible or even improbable. It simply hasn’t been definitively shown.

Anecdotally, some people notice hair loss after starting creatine, but those are the toughest connections to draw without a control group and good methodology. Would they have lost the hair anyway? Were there other factors at play?

How much creatine per day?

There are two basic strategies people commonly employ.

If you want to speed creatine uptake in the muscles, you can do a “loading phase” of 20 grams a day (split up into 4 doses) for a week before dropping down to 3 to 5 grams a day.

If you don’t, you can just take 3 to 5 grams a day from the get-go.

Both strategies work just fine.

If you have a lot of muscle mass—and thus higher creatine storage capacities—or if you burn through a lot of creatine with intense activity, you might benefit from larger daily doses in the 8 to 10 grams range.

Once you’ve been taking creatine consistently enough at high enough doses to saturate your muscle stores (20 grams a day for 5 to 7 days, or 3 to 5 grams a day for 28 days, to give two common examples), you can probably get away with “cycling” your creatine. Taking days off, doing lower doses here and there. Maybe even taking creatine “as needed” around resistance exercise, when you’re really going to use it. I’m just speculating here, but I think I’m right.

Whenever you take creatine, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water—more than normal. Otherwise it can cause stomach cramps.

Does creatine make you gain weight?

In the first week or so, you will gain water weight as the body stores water along with creatine. This is completely normal and usually subsides after a few weeks. But what about “real” weight? Does it cause real weight gain?

Kinda.

Studies in both older men and older women have found that creatine use increases body mass.^{2 3} In other words, their BMI would have “worsened.”

What’s going on? Is creatine bad, then?

On the contrary, while creatine will increase body mass, creatine has never been shown to cause fat gain. Creatine will likely help you gain lean muscle mass by helping you lift more weight in the gym, maintain higher exercise intensities, and do higher-volume sets. The creatine isn’t directly causing the weight gain, but it is helping to enable it. This is “good weight.” This is the weight you want to gain. In all those “increased body mass” studies, the creatine also increased the amount of weight they were lifting and their performance in a broad range of physical activities. It was making them more robust.

Creatine may make you gain weight, but it’s the good kind of lean mass.

When should I take creatine?

Creatine is more of a long-term supplement. It’s something that you “load” into your muscles and once it’s there, it stays until you expend it with intense activity. This is why many people go through the “loading” phase with 20 grams per day for a week until tapering off with lower doses—they want to speed up the saturation of creatine storage.

However, there are indications that timing your creatine intake can affect how well it works in your body.

One study found that taking creatine immediately after a workout led to better strength gains in the bench press, more lean mass, and lower fat mass than taking creatine immediately before a workout.⁴

Another study using a creatine/carbohydrate/protein supplement found that it didn’t really matter whether you took it before or after a workout as long as you took it close to the workout. Both pre- and post-workout creatine were far more effective than taking it in the morning or night, well away from your workout.

Whatever you do, taking it close to training (before or after) seems to have the best effect.

Is creatine bad for the kidneys?

If you have healthy kidney function, creatine is proven to be safe. Creatine excretion in the urine will rise, but this is considered to be a normal response to increased creatine intake and the sign of a healthy kidney function. Creatine supplementation has never been shown to cause impaired kidney function in healthy people with healthy kidneys at baseline. While there are case studies of renal dysfunction “accompanying” creatine supplementation, these cases were all confounded by variables like preexisting kidney disease, excessive dosing (100x what’s normally recommended), steroid use, and other medicines they were taking.⁵

If you have poor kidney health or function, supplemental creatine may be contraindicated. However, there is a case report of a young adult male with one kidney who was able to take creatine while eating a high protein diet and suffered no health consequences.⁶ Whatever you do, if you’re worried about your kidneys or have impaired kidney function, check with your doctor before proceeding.

Are there any creatine side effects?

Nothing is perfect. There are some potential complications or side effects, but they aren’t inevitable and you can usually avoid them with a few basic tips.

Cramps: Drink enough water and drink less alcohol. Creatine tends to increase water requirements, so make sure you drink enough water and get enough electrolytes. Read all about hydration here. Or just mix Gerolsteiner mineral water with sea salt and the juice from a lemon or lime. For serious electrolyte requirements, you can also make my “better Gatorade” by blending blackstrap molasses into coconut water with some lime or lemon juice and salt.

Gas, bloating, diarrhea: You took too much. Make sure you’re weighing and measuring your creatine doses. Also try taking creatine with some calories, with a meal (how you’d usually get creatine in natural settings).

That’s about it, folks. If you have any other questions about creatine, drop them down below.

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A champion bodybuilder has to have the prerequisite dedicated nutrition to match. 

On May 15, 2022, reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia Champion (2019-2021), Chris Bumstead, posted a video to his YouTube channel outlining an entire day’s worth of eating. The 5,000-calorie-plus diet is part of Bumstead’s ongoing off-season as he prepares for the 2022 Mr. Olympia on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. 

[Related: Here’s How 5-Time CrossFit Games Champion Tia-Clair Toomey Is Eating To Cut Weight]

Bumstead starts the video by saying this is the first time he has shared a “full-day” diet in a while. A quick scan of Bumstead’s YouTube page confirms that assertion, as his last nutritional video was in late February 2022. A new edition came at the continued behest of his 1.75 million-plus subscribers (and counting). 

It’s been a minute, you guys always ask for these, so here we are, doing a full day of eating.

Overall, it’s another detailed insight into partly how the top-notch bodybuilder fuels his performance and builds his muscle.

Meal 1

Like many people worldwide, Bumstead starts his morning with a cup of Joe. Though, this isn’t any ordinary coffee. The coffee has mushrooms (which have adaptogens) and chocolate sea salt (which has electrolytes). The thought process behind the mushroom/adaptogen is that it helps fortify Bumstead’s immune system, which research confirms is one of its main benefits. (1)

After he finishes coffee, Bumstead shifts to a “boring breakfast” — a protein shake. The shake consists of two scoops of his protein isolate brand, a scoop of glutamine for fiber, and he pairs that with two whole toasted bagels. Bumstead says he usually has a couple of eggs on the side, but they started not to sit well with his stomach.

As Bumstead notes, food variety can be integral to maximizing an athlete’s training output. One study maintained that a multi-versed diet is especially beneficial for, say, a bodybuilder who might want to consume more nutrients and calories throughout the day. (2)

Here’s Bumstead’s full breakfast — which comes out to 985 calories and 70 grams of protein — laid out: 

• One cup of coffee (with mushrooms and chocolate sea salt)
• Two scoops of CBUM Itholate Protein and one scoop of glutamine in water 
• Two whole cinnamon raisin bagels (with Ghee butter) 

Before diving into his breakfast, Bumstead notes he’s not eating as much as he normally does. He makes clear it’s part of an experimental  “carb-cycle test” that might let him safely push toward the weight cap he wants and eventually maintain it easier. 

Meal 2

After a short break, Bumstead shows off his mid-morning meal — a solid helping of white rice and ground turkey with olive oil. Bumstead says that he recently started eating as much as 350 grams of rice in one sitting, so he now uses the olive oil for a flavor boost.

Here’s this meal — which consists of 796 calories — as it stands:

• Ground turkey — 185 grams
• Boiled white rice — 300 grams
• Olive oil — 15 grams

Per Bumstead, he usually tries to eat at least three times before he heads to the gym and trains, as he “definitely won’t eat three times” after the fact. That makes it vital to get a good bulk of his calories and nutrition beforehand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Bodybuilder Shaun Clarida Locks Out 150-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses For 20 Reps]

Meal 3

As his final meal before heading out to train, Bumstead opts for a 700-calorie helping of MegaFit’s prepackaged steak and sweet potatoes. The bodybuilder says the combo of turkey and white rice, followed by a steak and sweet potatoes, is an absolute “favorite go-to” in his daily schedule. 

Meal 4 (Post-Workout)

Bumstead rolls with a tried-and-true 1,155-calorie pasta favorite to feed himself after his workout. It also contains 145 grams of carbs:

• Brown pasta — 180 grams
• Ground beef — 100 grams
• Ground turkey — 100 grams
• Marinated tomato sauce — 250 milliliters 

This meal is Bumstead’s densest of the day as it’s roughly 40 minutes post-workout and when his appetite is the biggest. Bumstead’s example lines up with research, which concludes that consuming vital nutrients with quality timing is almost as crucial for potential strength and muscle gains as what an athlete actually eats. (3)

Meal 5

With one more meal to squeeze in before he heads to sleep, Bumstead treats himself to a peanut butter protein bar for a snack before chowing down on another helping of white rice with ground turkey:

• Peanut butter protein bar 
• White rice — 270 grams
• Ground turkey — 290 grams
• Olive oil — 15 grams

On the whole, Bumstead surprises himself. His entire day’s worth of nutrition comes out to 5,203 calories, 666 grams of carbs, 290 grams of protein, and 156 grams of fat.

“This is why it’s probably good to track.”

Per the bodybuilder, that is about 300 more calories than he usually eats. It’s also almost double his typical carb intake, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Bodybuilder Hunter Labrada Powers Through A 495-Pound Banded Squat For 17 Reps]

Mr. Olympia Lies Ahead

Bumstead will undoubtedly continue to use his diet in prep for December’s Mr. Olympia. There he will defend his Classic Physique Olympia title and try to make it four consecutive championships. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

References:

1. Liao et al. (2018). A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide. Chinese Medicine. 2018 Nov; 13: 57.
2. Embling et al. (2021). Effect of food variety on intake of a meal: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2021 Mar; 113 (30); 716-741.
3. Aragon A.A., Schoenfeld B.J. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013 Jan; 10: 5.

Featured image: @cbum on Instagram

The post Check Out Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead’s 5,000-Calorie Day of Eating Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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France is famous for delicious wine, exquisite fine art and museums, and, of course — prolific powerlifters. On May 14-16 at the 2022 Fédération Française de Force (FFForce) Nationals, Samantha Eugenie (63KG) showed she could join the esteemed company of her fellow countrywomen Prescillia Bavoil and Tiffany Chapon.

During the meet, Eugenie captured four separate Junior National Records with a 182.5-kilogram (402.5-pound) squat, a 102.5-kilogram (226-pound) bench press, a 215-kilogram (474-pound) deadlift, and a 500-kilogram (1,102.5-pound) total. The French athlete wore a lifting belt and wrist wraps for her squat, and just wrist wraps and a belt for her bench press and deadlift, respectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Powerlifter Nicolaas Du Preez (125KG) Logs 1037.5-Kilogram (2,287.3-Pound) Total For New PR]

While unofficial because it did not occur during an international competition, Eugenie also exceeded the active International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Junior World Record with her deadlift by five pounds. Chiara Bernardi still holds the current figure with a 210-kilogram (463-pound) deadlift from the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. 

“Wow, I’m so happy, competition PR plus 50 kilograms. Hard work paid off.”

Here’s a complete rundown of each of Eugenie’s stats from the meet:

Samantha Eugenie (63KG) | 2022 FFForce Nationals Lift Stats

• Squat — 182.5 kilograms (402.5 pounds) | French Junior National Record 
• Bench Press — 102.5 kilograms (226 pounds) | French Junior National Record
• Deadlift — 215 kilograms (474 pounds) | French Junior National Record | Unofficial IPF Junior World Record
• Total — 500 kilograms (1,102.5 pounds) | French Junior National Record 

The overall performance marks Eugenie’s first time totaling at least 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) in a full power meet. That follows her recent training output where she actually matched Bernardi’s Junior World Record deadlift in early May 2022. Eugenie also previously attained that deadlift mark in a February 2020 training session, when she was only 17-years-old. All that might be left for Eugenie to do now is to make the new record official on an international lifting platform. 

Since beginning her career in late 2018, Eugenie has built quite a resume as a competitive powerlifter. Amid nine sanctioned meets, Eugenie has come in first place seven times, with another second-place finish.

According to Open Powerlifting, here are some of Eugenie’s more notable career results:

Samantha Eugenie (63KG)| Notable Career Results

• *2018 FFForce Premier Pas FA PL DC BP Grand Est (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
• 2018 FFForce Départemental FA PL DC BP Grand Est (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic 
• 2019 FFForce Eliminatoires Jean Villenave Grand Est (Open) — First place | Classic
• 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
• 2019 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Championships (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
• 2021 FFForce Championnats de France Jeunes et Élite de Force Athlétique (Juniors) — First place | Classic 
• 2022 FFForce Championnats de France Jeunes de Force Athlétique (Juniors) — First place | Classic

*Note: Eugenie competed in the 76-kilogram weight class during this competition

In essence, with her hard work and dedication at a young age, it seems this sort of dominant output was almost inevitable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Powerlifter Agata Sitko (84KG) Breaks Equipped Multiple World Records, Wins European Junior Championships]

On the Horizon

Eugenie’s potentially outstanding summer isn’t over. She will compete at the IPF Junior World Championships on June 6-12, 2022, in Sun City, South Africa. She will likely be a top contender to take home the Juniors title for the 63-kilogram weight class. If her recent performance at the French Nationals hints at any future greatness, that could be a safe bet. 

Featured image: @coeurlymonster on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Samantha Eugenie (63KG) Breaks 4 Junior Records at 2022 FFForce French Nationals appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Greetings, readers! I’ve been so heartened over the past year with the great response to the book Two Meals A Day, which we launched in March, 2021. It’s particularly interesting to note how many new people have been welcomed into the fold of ancestral living via the portal of a mainstream-appeal book about healthy living. My writing partner Brad Kearns and I intended for this book to reach a broader audience outside the existing spheres of Primal/paleo and keto, so we placed the focus on ditching processed foods, emphasizing nutrient-dense ancestral foods, and eating less frequently—pretty simple! We’ve received great comments from readers who then discovered Marks Daily Apple, the many Primal Blueprint book titles, and generally became further captivated by Primal living.

It was also great to hear from many die-hard followers about how this book tied many insights and nuances of Primal living together nicely. It has become a popular gift for family and friends to gently introduce a new and sustainable way of ancestral-inspired eating and living.

Buoyed by this success, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Two Meals A Day Cookbook, filled with over 100 delicious recipes of incredible variety to appeal to a broad audience.

Introducing The Two Meals A Day Cookbook: Mouthwatering Recipes Plus a Great Overview of the Lifestyle

In addition to more than 100 fantastic recipes, the Two Meals A Day Cookbook also contains nine action items that will get you focused and inspired to take immediate action toward your goals, inspired by the original Two Meals A Day book. In this post, I’ll give you a quick overview of this juicy section titled, “Nine Steps To Success With Two Meals A Day.”

The Two Meals A Day Cookbook is available for pre-order at your favorite booksellers. Please visit TwoMealsADaybook.com to take advantage of some great pre-order bonus items, including discounts on Primal Kitchen products, an audio summary of the Two Meals A Day lifestyle, and a sneak peek of some of the great recipes. Just place your pre-order with your favorite bookseller and register for the bonus items at TwoMealsADaybook.com.

Nine Steps to Success with Two Meals A Day

Over the past 16 years at Marks Daily Apple, it’s been an extreme pleasure to interact with you on a deep level to explore all aspects of Primal living. I encourage you to read Two Meals A Day to enjoy a comprehensive presentation on all aspects of healthful eating and complementary lifestyle practices, but I believe you can get the essence of this way of life by carefully reviewing and “owning” the following nine compelling tenants from the book.

These are each covered in detail in the new cookbook, so here is a little teaser to enjoy for now:

DITCH THE “BIG THREE” OFFENSIVE MODERN FOODS

The most important and urgent dietary modification is to eliminate what we call the Big Three problematic modern foods: refined sugars, grains, and industrial seed oils. You will find these offensive ingredients in most packaged, processed, and frozen foods in the supermarket, and in most convenience store and fast-food offerings.

You can experience an amazing health transformation from eliminating these foods that inhibit the burning of body fat and promote carbohydrate dependency, insulin resistance, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes. Cleaning up your diet is the mandatory first step to escaping epidemic disease patterns and unlocking your genetic ability to preferentially burn fat for fuel. Don’t pass Go and don’t bother with any other details until you clean up your diet.

EMPHASIZE ANCESTRAL FOODS

Go Primal! While I strongly support personal preference as the driving force in your dietary choices, we must always honor our genetic expectations for health and choose from the natural plant and animal foods that fueled human evolution for 2.5 million years: meat, fish, fowl, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, and of course the Primal-approved healthful modern foods, including organic high-fat dairy products and high-cacao-percentage bean-to-bar dark chocolate. From this broad list, you can certainly exclude foods you don’t enjoy and emphasize foods and meals that you have discovered work well for you. It’s important to choose wisely in each category, and this is possible even on a budget. To prioritize the most nutrient-dense foods from the Primal list, download Brad’s handy “Carnivore Scores Food Rankings Chart.” You’ll notice things like grass-fed liver, sardines and other oily, cold water fish, pastured eggs, and other budget-friendly items at the top of the rankings!

WHEN YOU EAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU EAT

Today’s epidemic rates of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and all other diet-related diseases and dysfunctions are driven by eating too much of the wrong foods, too often. We’ve all heard plenty of commentary about the hazards of junk food and the wonders of nutritious food, but not enough attention is paid to eating frequency. When we eat and snack throughout our waking hours (even when taking care to consume nutritious foods), we can still inhibit fat burning and fat loss, promote systemic inflammation, overproduce insulin, and dysregulate important hormonal functions.

Of course, we need calories to fuel our bodies for busy days and ambitious workouts, but we have forgotten our magnificent, genetically hardwired ability to store, manufacture, and burn various forms of energy to enjoy active, productive lifestyles. Homo sapiens possess what I like to call “closed-loop functionality.” We can maintain steady energy and alertness all day long, regardless of the type of calories we ingest or how frequently we ingest them. These mechanisms evolved by necessity to survive the rigors of primal life, when there was no guarantee of a “next meal.”

The idea with Two Meals A Day is to naturally and gracefully progress from whatever your starting point is—without any pain, struggle, sacrifice, or deprivation—to enjoying a maximum of two nutritious meals a day with little or no snacking. While my typical daily pattern involves a midday lunch and an evening meal, there are many days where I’ll have only one major meal, paired with an extended fast or a mini-meal at another time of day. This strategy is especially effective when traveling, as I believe fasting during the journey and then immediately synching your meals to your new time zone is a fantastic strategy to beat jet lag.

DO IT THE RIGHT WAY

The comprehensive health benefits and fat loss potential of eating two meals a day is only possible when you are able to burn stored body fat effectively. If you try to jump into aggressive fasting or carb restriction efforts without first establishing the ability to burn stored body fat, you are going to struggle royally and trigger a prolonged fight-or-flight reaction. Eventually, you’ll experience the backsliding and burnout that are so common with ill-advised crash diets. Hence, it’s essential to proceed step-by-step toward metabolic flexibility; adopt a comprehensive lifestyle approach with attention to fitness, sleep, and stress management; and never take on any challenges that make you feel fatigued, frustrated, or discouraged.

A safe and effective way to hone skills of fasting and metabolic flexibility is to simply wait until WHEN (when hunger ensues naturally) to eat your break-fast meal every day. This takes the pressure off having to reach arbitrary mealtime goals, such as the more advanced 16:8 strategy. Even more importantly, the WHEN strategy will reestablish your long-lost hunger and satiety signals, which have been compromised by overeating and the regimented meal patterns that have become cultural norms.

GET YOUR MIND RIGHT

It’s easy to get frustrated, confused, and discouraged when pursuing diet and fitness goals with the typical “struggle and suffer” approach. It’s time to eliminate and reframe self-limiting beliefs, forgive yourself for past failures, and form an empowering new mindset that you deserve exceptional health and the body that you dream of. Believing this deeply (and reaffirming it regularly through journaling, positive affirmations, and making healthy choices) will help you stay focused and leverage small successes into long-term habits.

Strive to appreciate the process and not become overly fixated on results. Changes will come naturally when you feed and care for your body at the highest possible standards of health. If you notice old destructive thoughts and behavior patterns creeping into the picture, you can gently take control of your thoughts and emotions instead of panicking and backsliding.

FOLLOW A FAT-BURNING LIFESTYLE

Healthy eating is only one piece of the big picture. Complementary lifestyle habits can make or break your efforts toward dietary transformation. We have a critical need not only to optimize sleep but to constantly balance stressful daily life with sufficient recovery and down time. The most urgent objective is to minimize artificial light and electronic stimulation after dark. Cultivate calm, dark, mellow evenings so you can transition gracefully into a good night’s sleep. It’s also important to discipline your use of technology to achieve regular downtime from hyperconnectivity. This will allow your brain to refresh and refocus on peak cognitive tasks and renew your appreciation for live social interaction and the simple pleasures of life such as appreciating nature.

On the topic of recovery, devoted fitness enthusiasts must take care to avoid even the slightest whiff of chronic exercise patterns. Emphasize cardio workouts in the aerobic zone, make your high-intensity sessions explosive, precise in technique, and brief in duration. Increase all forms of general everyday movement, including the microworkouts that can be so helpful for dietary transformation and fat reduction.

INCREASE GENERAL EVERYDAY MOVEMENT

Increasing all forms of general everyday movement, especially taking breaks from prolonged periods of stillness, is just as important as following a devoted workout regimen. Calories burned during workouts don’t contribute to fat loss as much as we’d like to believe, but moving throughout the day prompts the genetic signaling for fat burning and appetite regulation. Walking should be the central focus of your movement activity, and you can also engage in dynamic stretching, calisthenics, briefs burst of explosive exercise (microworkouts), and formal movement practices such as yoga, Pilates, and tai chi.

Please don’t feel intimidated by another “to-do list” item of taking long walks or other prolonged cardio sessions to meet a movement quota. A few minutes here and there add up to huge benefits, especially as it relates to getting up from stints at your desk or on the couch. Similarly, while a yoga class can be a blissfully immersive mind and body experience, doing short pose sequences here and there on days when you’re pressed for time can augment your formal classes.

CONDUCT BRIEF, EXPLOSIVE WORKOUTS

Traditional fitness programming tends toward excessive and overly stressful steady-state cardio exercise, or the popular but often exhausting High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol. Research is conclusive that challenging your body with occasional brief, explosive, all-out efforts of resistance exercises or sprints delivers phenomenal fitness benefits. This is the missing link for many devoted fitness enthusiasts!

The trick is to challenge your body with maximum efforts that elicit temporary muscular failure. This will prompt profound genetic signaling to become stronger, faster, leaner, and more resilient. While there are numerous benefits to leading an active lifestyle featuring assorted forms of exercise, you will get vastly more return on investment when you go hard once in a while.

Limit your all-out efforts to less than ten seconds so you can achieve maximum force production throughout the sprint down the track or during a set of aggressive kettlebell swings. Then, take extensive recovery time between efforts—at least a 6:1 rest-to-work ratio (10 seconds of work pairs with 1 minute of rest). While adding explosive workouts is critical to your success, you must also take extra care to avoid overtaxing yourself during these sessions. If you experience recurring muscle soreness after tough sessions, dial everything back a few notches so you don’t have to routinely allocate extra resources to repairing muscle damage.

PURSUE BIG BREAKTHROUGHS!

After you have done the hard work to ditch the Big Three toxic modern foods, emphasize nutrient-dense ancestral foods, and adopt the complementary lifestyle behaviors of excellent sleep, frequent movement, high-intensity workouts, and rest and recovery, you are poised to pursue ambitious body composition and performance goals. Advanced techniques can be very effective when you want to take those often-difficult incremental gains from good to great. To drop excess body fat and keep it off, you need to shock your body with occasional stressors that are brief and deliver a net adaptive benefit. The book contains helpful instructions to put into action things like extended fasting, fasted workouts, sprinting (“Nothing cuts you up like sprinting” is one of my favorite quips ever), and therapeutic cold exposure (watch Brad’s “Chest Freezer Cold Therapy” video for more details).

Remember, you can get a great kit of pre-order bonus items at TwoMealsADayBook.com. Order your copy from your favorite bookseller (links are provided at website) and then complete the bonus item form for instant access to these digital gifts, including a discount code to use when ordering your favorite Primal Kitchen products!

The post Introducing the Two Meals A Day Cookbook! appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Powerlifter Jessica Buettner might be one of the sport’s current household names. She again showed why during a commanding performance at the 2022 Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) Nationals. 

On May 13, 2022, Buettner — who competes in the 76-kilogram weight class — broke four raw Canadian National records with a 217.5-kilogram (479.5-pound) squat, a 107.5-kilogram (237-pound) bench press, a 252.5-kilogram (566.7-pound) deadlift, and 577.5-kilogram total. Buettner performed the squat in a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee wraps. Meanwhile, she did her bench press wearing just a belt and wrist wraps, and her deadlift with only a belt. 

Notably, while unofficial because they didn’t occur in an international competition, Buettner’s marks on the squat, deadlift, and total exceeded the respective current International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Open Classic World Records for her weight class. Buettner posted a video that features all four of her stellar lifts to her Instagram profile:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jess Buettner (@djessicabuettner)

[Related: Powerlifter Hunter Henderson (82.5KG) Crushes 304.8-Kilogram (672-Pound) Squat, Sets All-Time Record W/Wraps]

Here’s a complete overview of Buettner’s stats from this meet:

Jessica Buettner (76KG) | 2022 CPU Nationals 

• Squat (Raw) — 217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds) | Canadian National Record | Unofficial IPF World Record
• Bench Press (Raw) — 107.5 kilograms (237 pounds) | Canadian National Record 
• Deadlift (Raw) — 252.5 kilograms (556.7 pounds) | Canadian National Record | Unofficial IPF World Record
• Total (Raw) — 577.5 kilograms (1,273.2 pounds) | Canadian National Record | Unofficial IPF World Record

Buettner’s dominant performance adds to the champion powerlifter’s growing impressive rap sheet. Since she began her professional career in 2014, Buettner has now won 16 of 18 sanctioned meets. In those two non-first place results, she finished in second place. Plus, Buettner’s win at the 2022 CPU Nationals means she has won four straight competitions outright. That top-notch streak dates back to September 2019. 

In addition to footage of each of her lifts, Buettner shared a highlight video of her performance from White Lights Media. Check it out below: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jess Buettner (@djessicabuettner)

[Related: Strongman And Powerlifter Lukáš Pepř Captures 193.4-Kilogram (426.4-Pound) Strict Log Lift For New Czech National Record]

The Best-Laid Plans

Buettner did not mince her words at her pride over her new achievements. The Canadian athlete had been hard at work for a great deal of 2022 to reach this point, and her efforts were finally visible on a sanctioned lifting platform. With some of her unfortunate obstacles, she’s also certainly no stranger to pushing through adversity. 

“I had a plan and stuck to it, and now it’s time to train for worlds in four weeks,” Buettner wrote. “I never take any performances for granted no matter how well training has been going, mostly on account of diabetes, so it is amazing to get the chance to execute and put it all together on the platform.”

A continued summer season of achievement might be on the horizon for Buettner. As she alluded to, the 2022 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships are right around the corner on June 6-12, 2022, in Sun City, South Africa. As the reigning champion in the 76-kilogram weight class, she’ll defend her title there.

While basking in her victory, Buettner will likely take some appropriate time to rest. Then, in a few weeks, it could be time for this elite powerlifter to add some new world records to her resume. 

Featured image: @djessicabuettner on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Jessica Buettner (76KG) Captures 4 National Records During 2022 CPU Nationals appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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There’s a right way and a wrong way to use every piece of equipment in the gym. You wouldn’t try to do biceps curls with the leg extension machine or use the pec-deck to work your inner thighs. And you wouldn’t wedge one end of a barbell in a corner and do exercises while holding the other end, right? Well, wait a sec on that last one.

By upending the bar and planting it into a pivoting sleeve, you can begin landmine training. This opens the potential for new exercises, unique leverages, and more stimuli for muscle growth that even dumbbells can’t replicate. It also introduces 360-degrees of rotational challenge, making it a top choice for building total-body strength in athletes of any sport or lifters who want to look and move like athletes.

Here are some of the best ways to use a landmine for head-to-toe strength, size, and conditioning.

Best Landmine Exercises

• Landmine Goblet Squat
• Landmine Belt Squat
• Landmine Reverse Lunge
• Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
• Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust
• Landmine Single-Arm Row
• Meadows Row
• Landmine Floor Press
• Landmine Overhead Press
• Landmine Lateral Raise
• Landmine Curl
• Full Contact Twist
• Landmine Hot Potato
• Landmine Clean and Press

Landmine Goblet Squat

The goblet squat, sometimes called a landmine front squat, is one of the most fundamental exercises you can perform with a landmine. By supporting the weight in front of your body, the weight is transferred to your legs through your arms, shoulders, upper back, and abs, while your spine and lower back avoid any significant strain.

The landmine’s natural range of motion being arc rather than a straight line also reinforces proper body positioning by encouraging (a.k.a. “forcing”) your torso to remain upright as you lower to sufficient depth. The bar is held to your chest, which physically prevents your upper body from collapsing forward.

How to Do the Landmine Goblet Squat

Getting into the starting position is often a limiting factor, so it can be useful to begin with the weight on a bench, box, or step. With your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, squat down and support the end of the bar with both hands near your upper chest.

Keep your feet flat and your shoulders pulled back as you stand upright. Be sure to keep the bar tight to your chest, as the bar’s path will be upwards and slightly forwards. Don’t let the weight drift away from you, which could increase strain on your shoulder and elbow joints.

Benefits of the Landmine Goblet Squat

• The landmine goblet squat builds the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes with minimal lower back stress.
• It reinforces basic squatting technique which carries over to other squat variations, making it an ideal option for beginners.
• The movement encourages a deep squatting position, which can help to improve overall hip mobility.

Landmine Belt Squat

The belt squat is a very useful, but very large, machine used to train the legs with heavy loads and nearly zero lower back stress. Rather than supporting a loaded bar across the shoulders or upper back, the weight is distributed almost directly across the stable pelvic girdle with no compression of the vertebral discs.

By combining a landmine with a basic dip belt (more commonly used for dips or pull-ups), you can reap the same benefits without needing to dedicate 25 square feet of gym space to one specialized machine. The landmine belt squat is an excellent addition for lifters dealing with wear and tear on their lower back or any lifter looking to finish their intense leg day with high-rep burnout sets.

How to Do the Landmine Belt Squat

Set up two stacks of steps (using bumper plates is common) with a landmine in the middle. The height of the steps will determine your squat depth. You should be able to reach a deep squat position without the weight resting on the ground, so adjust as needed. Loading the bar with smaller-sized plates, like 25-pounds instead of 45-pounds, will also increase the range of motion.

Stand on the steps and secure the dip belt around your waist. Lower into a deep squat position and attach the belt chain around the barbell near the weights. Pull your shoulders back, brace your abs, and keep your feet flat as you rise out of the squat position. The loaded bar should be suspended by the chain throughout each rep. When the set is over, lower into a deep squat and detach the belt from the weight.

Benefits of the Landmine Belt Squat

• It’s shown to significantly reduce stress on the abdominals and lower back while training the quadriceps and hamstrings as effectively as back squats. (1)
• The belt squat work the legs without involving the upper body to support the weight.

Landmine Reverse Lunge

The landmine reverse lunge is an excellent way to hit the legs without aggravating lower back issues. Your spine is under minimal load, your core is highly activated (which helps to support the lower back muscles), and your quads, glutes, and hamstrings are doing all the work.

Single-leg training is often given a backseat in favor of bilateral (two leg) exercises like squats and deadlifts. However, focusing on each leg individually addresses natural strength discrepancies and allows each leg to do more work in each set than when muscular stress is split between both legs.

How to Do the Landmine Reverse Lunge

Stand sideways to a landmine bar, with your toes under the sleeve and the sleeve nearly touching your shin. Squat down and grab the sleeve with the hand closest to the bar. Stand up with the weight, keeping your palm facing the front of your thigh. Keep your arm locked straight while taking a long step backwards with the foot that’s closest to the bar.

When your toes touch the ground, bend your front leg while keeping your shoulders back and your torso upright. Your rear knee should nearly touch the ground before the weight does. Stand upright while “pulling” your rear leg into the starting position. Repeat all reps on one side before turning around to switch hands and legs.

Benefits of the Landmine Reverse Lunge

• Landmine reverse lunges allow for single-leg training without a significant balance component.
• It targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings muscles with reduced stress on the lower back.
• Unilateral training helps to address muscle imbalances and asymmetries.

Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a classic exercise to train the glutes and hamstrings. The landmine single-leg RDL takes the exercise to the next level by activating more overall muscle — including your traps, upper back, abs, glutes, and hamstrings — due to the powerful combination of bar position, grip, and stance.

Using a landmine instead of a barbell, dumbbell, or other weight reduces the balance component which can otherwise be a limiting factor since the non-working leg is raised into the air completely. The base of the landmine acts as an anchor point. You can increase stabilization by tensing the back, shoulders, and abs of the side holding the weight and actively “pressing” through the barbell against the base.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand sideways to a landmine bar, with your toes under the sleeve and the sleeve nearly touching your shin. Keep your back in a neutral (not rounded) position while bending forward at the waist and pushing your hips back. Your knees should remain slightly bent. Grab the sleeve with a palms-down grip using the hand closest to the weight plate.

Pick the opposite foot slightly off the ground and contract the glutes and hamstrings of the working leg to lift the weight and return to an upright position. Your arm should remain nearly straight and the non-working foot should stay off the ground until the set is complete.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

• The single-leg RDL is shown to more strongly activate the glutes and hamstrings compared to conventional (two-legged) deadlifts. (2)
• The landmine single-leg RDL recruits more upper back, traps, and abdominal muscle, in addition to the targeted glutes and hamstrings.
• It builds more core strength than other deadlift variations due to the asymmetrical load.

Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

The hip thrust has exploded in popularity over recent years. The glute size it helps to build may have also exploded a few pant seams. It’s a lower-body focused exercise that emphasizes hip extension, a movement recruiting the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.

The traditional hip thrust uses a heavy barbell placed across the hip bones, and discomfort can be a limiting factor for many people. Using a landmine makes the exercise more comfortable to perform, since you can get a greater training effect using a relatively lighter weight and because the entire weight isn’t resting directly across your hip bones.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Set up a flat bench parallel to the sleeve of a landmine. Sit on the ground with your back against the bench and the barbell resting in the hip groove of the leg closest to the bar. Plant both feet flat on the floor.

Straighten the leg farthest from the weight, raising it into the air. Raise the weight by pressing through the floor with your working foot and allow your upper back to pivot onto the bench. Keep your core right to maintain a straight torso. In the top position, there should be roughly a 90-degree angle in the working knee, with a straight line from your knee to your shoulders.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Leg Hip Thrust

• The landmine single-leg hip thrust trains the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and lower back very effectively using relatively light weight.
• The movement is shown to help improve sprinting speed. (3)

Landmine Single-Arm Row

Single-arm dumbbell rows can be a reliable back-building exercise, but using a landmine delivers a unique stress by putting the muscles through a deep stretch and an intense “cramp” at the peak contraction which needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

Landmine single-arm rows also have the potential to be loaded heavier than most dumbbells, since the only limit is what you can load on the bar, compared to being limited to whatever dumbbells are available in your gym. This makes the movement particularly useful in home gyms with limited equipment.

How to Do the Landmine Single-Arm Row

Stand with both feet on one side of the barbell, with your toes just behind the weights. Slightly bend your knees and hinge forward at the hips while maintaining a neutral back. Grab the bar with the hand closest to it.

Pull the weight up without twisting your shoulders or rounding your back. Lower the bar to a full stretch without letting it rest on the ground between reps. Repeat all reps on one side before switching arms.

Benefits of the Landmine Single-Arm Row

• The landmine single-arm row trains back muscles as well as involving abdominal stabilizers.
• It allows potentially heavier weights than single-arm dumbbell rowing.
• The exercise offers reduced lower back strain compared to standard (two-arm) barbell row.

Meadows Row

Popularized by bodybuilding coach John Meadows, the Meadows row is a landmine single-arm row performed with a specific body position and pulling angle to maximize stress on the target muscles of the upper back and lats.

Unlike many other row variations, it’s a good idea to wear lifting straps for nearly every set of Meadows rows because the sleeve of the bar is thick and smooth, making it extremely difficult to hold on to. Straps will support the smaller muscles of the forearms and prevent them from limiting the stress applied to your back. To allow an optimal range of motion, load the bar with smaller diameter 10-pound and/or 25-pound plates instead of wider 45-pound plates.

How to Do the Meadows Row

Stand in an athletic or split stance, with your feet set apart similar to a lunge. The weight should be between your feet. Bend at the waist and grab the sleeve with an overhand grip. Brace the non-working arm on the same side leg for increased stability.

Pull the weight by driving your elbow straight up. Don’t allow your torso to rotate throughout the rep. Maintain a neutral spine. Lower the weight to a full stretch. Repeat all reps on one side before switching your stance and switching hands.

Benefits of the Meadows Row

• Meadows rows train the upper back and lats with minimal lower back strain.
• The exercise involves a stable base of support which minimizes cheating, reduces momentum, and increases overall muscular stress. 

Landmine Floor Press

The floor press appears counterintuitive to some lifters. “Lie on the ground and perform half-reps? Why bother?” Well, Negative Nancy, that “half-rep” is a deliberate way to get more triceps recruitment and less shoulder joint strain. It also gives concrete feedback (pun absolutely intended) for consistent depth from rep to rep, compared to some lifters shaving their reps shorter and shorter as fatigue sets in.

The landmine floor press, specifically, requires the lifter to grab the thick sleeve of the bar, which increases forearm recruitment for added stability. This helps to reduce strain on the elbow and shoulder joints.

How to Do the Landmine Floor Press

Lie on the ground with your head near the weight. Bend your legs and plant both feet flat on the floor. Grab the sleeve with the hand closest to the weight, keeping the hand roughly in line with your chest.

Roll onto the shoulder nearest the weight and grab the weight with the opposite hand. Return both shoulders to the ground while pressing the weight to lockout using both hands. Release the second hand and let it rest on the chest muscle closest to the bar. Lower the weight slowly, until your elbow and triceps slightly touch the floor. Pause briefly before pressing to lockout.

Benefits of the Landmine Floor Press

• It trains the triceps and chest muscles with minimal strain on the shoulder and elbow joints.
• The floor press strengthens the triceps which carries over to improved bench press strength.

Landmine Overhead Press

The landmine overhead press may be the best known landmine exercise due to its wide-spread popularity and effectiveness. It’s an extremely useful alternative when shoulder pain or immobility prevents direct overhead pressing.

Like the classic overhead press, the landmine overhead press can be slightly adjusted with various stances and grips to accommodate an individual lifter’s needs and goals. For example, pressing with both hands on the bar while “squeezing” inward attempting to (inefficiently) increase chest recruitment or performing the lift in a half-kneeling position to (efficiently) reduce lower back strain.

How to Do the Landmine Overhead Press

Stand facing a landmine. Squat down and grab the sleeve with both hands. Stand upright while quickly bringing the weight to chest-level. Shift the weight and hold it only one hand. Take a small step backwards with the same-side foot, setting up in a staggered stance for increased stability.

Tense your abs and press the weight upwards, allowing your shoulder to slightly raise when your arm is locked out. Lower the weight to shoulder-level. Repeat all reps on one side before switching your hand and foot position.

Benefits of the Landmine Overhead Press

• The landmine overhead press significantly reduces shoulder joint strain due to the altered pressing angle.
• The exercise is highly adaptable with numerous variations for increased, or decreased, challenges.

Landmine Lateral Raise

The landmine lateral raise somehow looks like it “shouldn’t” be as effective as it is since the extended position looks like you’re standing around, awkwardly holding a random barbell and not doing actual work. But what most people can’t see is the series of non-stop muscular contractions required to move the weight from point A to point B.

The landmine lateral raise has a significantly longer range of motion compared to a dumbbell, cable, or machine lateral raise. Using an increased range of motion has shown to be beneficial for muscle growth. (4) It also manipulates the weight’s leverage to maintain muscular tension and highly activate all heads of the shoulder (front, side, and rear).

How to Do the Landmine Lateral Raise

Begin standing sideways to the bar while holding the sleeve with a palm-down grip in one hand. Your working hand should be near the opposite hip and your elbow should be slightly bent. Brace your core and keep an upright torso. Lift the weight up, allowing the bar to travel in an arc forward and “away” from you.

Maintain the same bend in your arm throughout the set. Keep lifting until your hand is in line with your shoulder. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Don’t allow your upper body to twist as the weight moves during each rep.

Benefits of the Landmine Lateral Raise

• Landmine lateral raises train the anterior, lateral, and posterior (front, side, and rear) heads of the shoulder muscle with emphasis on the side deltoid and minimal joint strain.
• The movement allows a longer range of motion than many other lateral raise variations, making it more beneficial for muscle growth.

Landmine Curl

The landmine curl combines the forearm-building benefits of thick bar training with the biceps-building benefits of traditional curls. Throw in a bar position that makes it nearly impossible to cheat the weight up by swinging your torso, and you’ve got a winner for new arm size.

The landmine curl may seem like an overly specialized, “low priority” exercise, but it’s an efficient and effective way to target the biceps and forearms with one movement.

How to Do the Landmine Curl

Begin standing sideways to the bar, holding the sleeve with a palm-up grip in one hand. Your working hand should be just outside of your leg. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Curl your hand up while keeping your elbow pinned to your ribs. The bar will naturally arc towards your opposite shoulder. Pause briefly when the weight touches your shoulder before returning to the starting position.

Benefits of the Landmine Curl

• The landmine curl trains the biceps and forearm muscles.
• The thick grip reduces strain on the elbow joint.

Full Contact Twist

The full contact twist, sometimes called a landmine twist, is extremely popular with combat sports athletes as well as track and field throwers due to the major rotational core strength it builds. It’s one example of replicating a sport-specific movement in the gym, like a big winding uppercut or hammer throw spin, for real-world strength.

The full contact twist is a total-body exercise improving the lifter’s ability to transfer power from the ground, through their legs, across their core, and deliver it at maximum force through their shoulders and arms.

How to Do the Full Contact Twist

Begin standing facing the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the sleeve in both hands at chest level. Press the weight forward until your arms are nearly locked out. Maintain this slight bend throughout the exercise.

Lower the weight towards one hip. Allow your shoulders to rotate and your foot to pivot as the weight moves. Rotate from the hips, do not bend at the waist. When the weight reaches your leg, forcefully reverse direction to raise the weight back to center and continue smoothly to the opposite leg. Lowering the weight to each side (left and right) is considered one full rep.

Benefits of the Full Contact Twist

• The full contact twist trains the abs and core, specifically the obliques.
• The movement builds core stability which is shown to reduce injury risk. (5)
• It also builds power for sports with a rotational element (various combat sports, shot put, hammer throw, etc.).

Landmine Hot Potato

The landmine hot potato may have the funniest name on the list, but its ability to build core strength is no joke. The goal is to “throw” the weight from hand to hand, quickly catching and releasing it repeatedly. By absorbing force and immediately redirecting the body to produce force, the hot potato teaches the body to build explosive, athletic core strength.

A secondary benefit to this unconventional movement is building shoulder stability by constantly recruiting the smaller stabilizer muscles of the shoulders and upper back.

How to Do the Landmine Hot Potato

Stand facing the bar with your feet wider than shoulder-width. Hold the sleeve with one hand at shoulder-level. Forcefully press the weight in a short motion before letting it go into the air in front of you. Allow the weight to fall back towards you as you catch it with the opposite hand. Brace your abs as you catch the weight and immediately reverse direction, throwing it back to the other side.

Relatively advanced lifters may be able to throw the weight a noticeable distance before switching hands. Lifters new to the exercise should use just enough force to transfer the weight from hand to hand. Increase the distance however your strength and coordination allow.

Benefits of the Landmine Hot Potato

• The landmine hot potato trains the core, specifically the obliques.
• It helps to improve shoulder and upper back health.
• The plyometric nature of the exercise builds explosive and reactive power.

Landmine Clean and Press

The bad news is that the landmine clean and press doesn’t allow lifters to move weights as heavy as with the standard barbell clean and press. You won’t be moving 400+ pounds here. The good news is that you won’t need 400+ pounds because this single-arm exercise can increase overall core activation and more significantly work the individual sides of the back, shoulders, and arms.

The landmine clean and press, like its conventional cousin, requires a degree of total-body mobility and coordination to perform properly. Be sure to practice technique before increasing training load or volume.

How to Do the Landmine Clean and Press

Stand above the sleeve of a landmine with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull your shoulders back and maintain a neutral spine. Squat down and grab the sleeve with an “inverted” grip, having your thumb pointing towards your body and your pinky pointing away.

Quickly stand upright while pulling the bar up and out, until your arm is bent and the weight is at shoulder-level. Immediately press the weight to lockout. Lower the weight to shoulder-level, then reverse the initial movement, lowering the weight to the ground while squatting down. That entire combination of movements is one rep.

Benefits of the Landmine Clean and Press

• The landmine clean and press trains the legs, back, shoulders, arms, and core.
• Like all clean variations, it builds explosive strength.
• The total-body exercise improves conditioning, especially if performed for moderate to higher reps (eight reps or more).

Benefits of Landmine Training

Landmine training is typically found in athletic training programs because it can be used to deliver strength gains, muscle size, and overall conditioning without significant risk of injury from joint strain. These same attributes make the landmine a useful piece of equipment for any lifter, athlete or not, who wants gains without breaking down their joints.

The landmine’s angled movement and leveraged resistance also allows many exercises which cannot be replicated with dumbbells or other free weights. For example, the lumberjack squat moves in an arcing path, which puts your torso into a safe position almost automatically. Barbell back squats or dumbbell goblet squats cannot offer that same degree of technique reinforcement.

How to Program Landmine Exercises

Landmine exercises can be programmed as needed according to the specific exercise, training volume, and overall workout plan. Because the majority of upper body landmine exercises are performed unilaterally, they could replace similar dumbbell movements. Rather than a dumbbell shoulder press, for example, a landmine press would be equally (or likely more) effective.

Generally, landmine exercises would not be loaded as heavy as similar barbell movements. For example, you may deadlift 500 pounds with a barbell, but would be unlikely to use similar weight for a comparable exercise with a landmine. That’s not necessarily a negative, but if moving seriously heavy weights are on your to-do list, landmine training may not be a significant factor in the majority of your training.

How to Warm-Up With a Landmine

The landmine can be used for a general, full-body warm-up as well as for training. Using little to no weight can be a quick, simple, and effective way to get the muscles and joints prepared for any type of intense lifting session. Try this thorough circuit.

• Landmine Goblet Squat: Hold the bar at chest-level, with your feet beyond shoulder-width apart. Squat down while keeping your shoulders back. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Two-Arm Landmine Overhead Press: From the standing position, keep both hands on the bar and press up to full lockout. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Full Contact Twist: From the locked out press position, rotate from the hips to lower the bar to one leg. Keep a very slight bend in your arms as you rotate all the way across and bring the weight to the opposite leg. That’s one rep. Perform four total reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Landmine Romanian Deadlift: Lower the weight to waist-height, holding it in both hands. Slightly bend your knees while bending at the waist until you feel tension in your glutes and hamstrings, then stand upright. Perform four reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Landmine Two-Arm Row: Remain bent at the waist with your hips pushed back. With both hands on the sleeve, row the bar up to your chest before lowering it to a full stretch. Perform four reps before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three complete circuits.

Upgrade Your Barbell Experience

If you still only see the barbell as a two-handed vehicle for moving super-heavy weights on basic lifts, you’re missing out on size, strength, conditioning, and athleticism. Find your gym’s landmine station, pick one up for your home gym, or just stick the bar into a corner, and start getting the benefits.

References

1. Joseph L, Reilly J, Sweezey K, Waugh R, Carlson LA, Lawrence MA. Activity of Trunk and Lower Extremity Musculature: Comparison Between Parallel Back Squats and Belt Squats. J Hum Kinet. 2020 Mar 31;72:223-228. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2019-0126. PMID: 32269663; PMCID: PMC7126258.
2. Diamant, W., Geisler, S., Havers, T., & Knicker, A. (2021). Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis. International journal of exercise science, 14(1), 187–201.
3. Neto WK, Vieira TL, Gama EF. Barbell Hip Thrust, Muscular Activation and Performance: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2019 Jun 1;18(2):198-206. PMID: 31191088; PMCID: PMC6544005.
4. Pallarés, J. G., Hernández-Belmonte, A., Martínez-Cava, A., Vetrovsky, T., Steffl, M., & Courel-Ibáñez, J. (2021). Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 31(10), 1866–1881. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14006
5. Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013;5(6):514-522. doi:10.1177/1941738113481200

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After an approximate one-year absence, Nicolaas du Preez returned to competitive powerlifting, and it’s like he never left. On May 14, 2022, the powerlifter set a new competition PR total of 1037.5 kilograms (2287.3 pounds) during the 2022 Rhino Powerlifting Club (RPC) Elite Raw in Praetoria, South Africa.

du Preez’s final top total consisted of a 430-kilogram (948-pound) squat, a 237.5-kilogram (523.6-pound) bench press, and a 370-kilogram (815.7-pound) deadlift. Notably, since the 125-kilogram South African powerlifter competed in the Raw W/Wraps division, that 430-kilogram (948-pound) squat is also a Raw W/Wraps competition PR. 

Check out footage of du Preez’s successful squat from the meet below, via his Instagram profile:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nicolaas du Preez (@nicolaas_du_preez)

[Related: Powerlifter Shahram Saki Squats 510 Kilograms, More Than The Raw W/Wraps All-Time World Record, In Training]

His new official marks in a sanctioned competition aside, du Preez didn’t leave the 2022 RPC Elite Raw without an unfortunate blemish. On that squat PR, the powerlifter wrote in his Instagram post that he tore his vastus medialis muscle (or lower inner quad) while locking out the rep. 

While the damage appeared to be extensive, du Preez maintains he didn’t notice the injury until it was time to deadlift — likely putting a damper on his strength showcase. du Preez tried to power through with his deadlift despite missing a good portion of his leg strength. However, bad fortune struck again for the athlete. 

“I chose 400 kilograms [881.5 pounds] as my second attempt,” du Preez wrote. “But the quad tear made a proper leg drive really difficult. Also, I tore a lot of skin off both hands, so lockout was soft and premature. I know 400-plus is there at the next competition. I do need to invest more time in keeping my hands tough.”

What a rough turn of events. That du Preez was still able to salvage a total and squat w/wraps PR — despite his quad injury and grip troubles — might be a testament to his fitness. 

Here are du Preez’s final lift stats from the competition:

Nicolaas du Preez (125KG) | 2022 RPC Elite Raw Stats | Raw W/Wraps

• Squat — 430 kilograms (948 pounds) | New Competition PR
• Bench Press — 237.5-kilogram (523.6 pounds)
• Deadlift — 370-kilogram (815.7 pounds)
• Total — 1037.5 kilograms (2287.3 pounds) | New Competition PR

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nicolaas du Preez (@nicolaas_du_preez)

[Related: Powerlifter Agata Sitko (84KG) Breaks Equipped Multiple World Records, Wins European Junior Championships]

What Lies Ahead

At the time of this writing, du Preez has understandably not yet announced his next professional competition. Though he has not confirmed the extent of his injury, he might need some time away from the gym to properly recover.

Whenever du Preez steps onto the lifting platform again, he’ll likely be looking for a measure of redemption. With two new PRs, the 2022 RPC Elite Raw was by no means a failure for him, but in the context of his social media — it seems he believes he can do better. 

Only time will tell whether du Preez’s next turn on the stage sees him show off all the power he thinks he’s capable of. 

Featured image: @nicolaas_du_preez on Instagram

The post Powerlifter Nicolaas Du Preez (125KG) Logs 1037.5-Kilogram (2,287.3-Pound) Total for New PR appeared first on Breaking Muscle.