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The Silver Dollar deadlift yet again has a new top dog. On May 1, 2022, Ben Thompson pulled a 557.2-kilogram (1,272.5-pound) Silver Dollar deadlift during the 2022 World Deadlift Council (WDC) World Silver Dollar Championships in Paisley, Scotland. Thompson’s figure was enough to notch the overall victory and the new all-time Silver Dollar deadlift world record. A Silver Dollar deadlift is a partial deadlift where the barbell stands on top of 18-inch platforms.
Given that this was an online-only competition, Thompson shared his result with footage of the feat a week in advance before the final deadline. The World Deadlift Council (WDC) tabulated the final results — with Thompson on top — on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
“We have to wait until next Sunday for results but I think with a number like this, you can guess how defending the title of ‘silver dollar deadlift world champion’ went.”
Thompson’s elite Silver Dollar mark surpasses the previous top number by 17.2 kilograms (37.9 pounds). He tops Sean Hayes, who pulled 560 kilograms (1,235 pounds) during the 2022 Strongman Corporation Canada King & Queen Of The Throne in early April 2022. Hayes exceeded that weight by a tenth of a kilogram during the WDC competition, but it ultimately did not hold thanks to Thompson’s lofty strength achievement.
Both Thompson and Hayes wore lifting belts and wrist wraps for their respective pulls. However, Hayes was barefoot, while Thompson wore a deadlift suit and was in his socks. He also used an overhand grip. The two did not share their body weights for the respective pulls.
Note: Thompson listed his pull as 1,270 pounds while the WDC qualified it as 1,275.2 pounds.
Here are the individual top-10 results from the competition, which was Open. While Thompson’s record sits comfortably in first overall for the Men, there were a few other noteworthy marks by division and class:
2022 WSDC | Male Open
Ben Thompson — 577.2 kilograms (1,272.5 pounds) | World Champion | Overall World Record
Sean Hayes — 560 kilograms (1,234.6 pounds)
Jason P. Kohler — 558.4 kilograms (1,231 pounds) | Masters 40+ World Record & 115 KG World Record
Adam Colorado — 556 kilograms (1,225.8 pounds)
Darryl Burns — 461.30 kilograms (1,017 pounds)
Tyson R. Delay — 457.22 kilograms (1,008 pounds) | 90KG World Record
Kirk Ondracek — 426.76 kilograms (940.8 pounds)
Blair Clow — 424.11 kilograms (935 pounds)
Ulice Payne — 408.7 kilograms (901 pounds)
Shawn Pope — 406 kilograms (895.1 pounds) | U23 World Record & 100KG World Record
Here are the results for the women’s portion of the competition. Gemma Black’s (92KG) world record Silver Dollar deadlift pull of 320 kilograms (705.5 pounds) stands on top:
2022 WSDC | Female Open
Gemma Black — 320 kilograms (705.5 pounds) | World Champion | 92KG World Record
Breaking the Silver Dollar deadlift world record aligns with Thompson’s previous expectations. The competitor entered the 2022 WSDC as the defending champion, likely knowing he’d have to blow by any of his previous stats to have a chance even to repeat.
With no other recorded professional competitions, Thompson appears to focus on his work with the Silver Dollar deadlift exclusively. His Instagram is rife with videos of him training the movement from the movement’s usual 18-inch platforms on a consistent basis.
It certainly seems that ambition has paid off. The Canadian athlete can now stand as a reigning two-time Silver Dollar Champion and is the sole owner of the overall Silver Dollar world record.
Searching for a good keto sandwich option, no bread required? Well look no further than these low-carb, grain-free meat and cheese roll-ups. Who needs bread or a tortilla when you have all this deliciousness? After all, the best part of sandwiches isn’t the bread. It’s what’s inside that really matters.
And these keto roll-ups aren’t your average lettuce wrap! Nope, these feature crispy cheese on the outside with savory fillings, perfectly paired with some of our favorite dipping sauces. Enjoy them warm for an easy work-from-home lunch or after-school snack. Chilled, they’re great for lunchboxes or hitting the trail. A sandwich roll-up is a nice break from trail mix when you’re on a long hike. Throw them in an insulated lunch bag with a lightweight ice pack, and you’re good to go.
This recipe suggests making them in an oven, but a toaster oven will also work. Use the ideas below as inspiration to come up with your own meat, cheese, and sauce creations!
Keto Sandwich Roll-ups with Dipping Sauce Recipes
Makes: 3 roll-ups for each recipe variation (1 serving)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Arrange your slices of cheese on the pan. Layer the pepperoni or salami along the center of the cheese with a leaf or two of basil and sprinkle it with Italian seasoning. Place the sheet pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese starts to crisp on the outside edges.
Remove from the oven and quickly and carefully roll the cheese up diagonally until each one is in a cylinder rolled-up shape. Use a spatula to prevent burning your fingers.
Once the cheese slightly cools, slice in half and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning, then dip into your favorite Primal Kitchen marinara sauce!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Arrange your slices of cheese on the pan. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken breast, celery, Ranch Dressing, and Buffalo Sauce to taste. Place a dollop of the chicken mixture in the center of each piece of cheese.
Place the sheet pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese starts to get crispy on the outer edges. Remove from the oven and quickly and carefully roll the cheese up diagonally until each one is in a cylinder rolled-up shape. Use a spatula to prevent burning your fingers.
Once the cheese cools slightly, slice in half and garnish with sliced green onion. Dip into Buffalo Sauce or Ranch Dressing!
Tips
Watch the cheese slices carefully. If they cook in the oven for too long, they risk either burning or becoming too gooey to be able to shape properly.
Try out any other combinations you like in terms of cheese, fillings, and dipping sauces!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
After a career of excellence, James “Flex” Lewis — winner of seven 212 Olympia titles — is retiring from competitive bodybuilding. On May 13, 2022, the 38-year-old Lewis announced the news in the first episode of his podcast, Straight Outta the Lair. Not soon after, Mr. Olympia President, Dan Solomon, confirmed the reveal in a post on his Instagram profile.
Lewis makes the official announcement starting at 22:10 in the video below:
“[Bodybuilding’s] been something I’ve been doing since I was 19,” Lewis says on the podcast. “There’s really no easy way to say this, but it’s time. Bodybuilding has served me very well. It’s opened amazing doors for me. It’s time for me to hang up my posing trunks. It’s been an amazing road. One that I’ve been very blessed to say I’ve accomplished more things than I ever imagined.”
A Living Legend
Lewis has been a competitive bodybuilder for nearly two decades in some capacity. According to Muscle Memory, Lewis made his professional bodybuilding debut during the 2003 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) British Championships. At quite the start of a career, he captured first place while featuring in the Juniors division.
From there, Lewis’ career would soon snowball into something incredible.
In 2007, Lewis notched his Pro Card while winning the overall British title. Later, he debuted at the 2008 IFBB Europa Supershow, where he won first place in the Lightweight division. After a few attempts over the next few years, Lewis would win his first-ever 212 Olympia title in 2012. That year also saw the champion bodybuilder “flex” on his competition and take home victories in the prestigious IFBB British Grand Prix and IFBB Prague Pro.
At his peak, Lewis was a top fixture in the Lightweight bodybuilding scene. Even as it shifted from 202 to an eventual official 212 classification, it seemed as if Lewis never lost any steam. A run of seven consecutive 212 Olympia titles (2012-2018) is proof as much of his unique achievements.
Here are some of Lewis’ more notable career results:
In 2018, Lewis announced his intentions to compete in the Men’s Open division. He would take the entire 2019 season off to build mass but eventually had to withdraw from the 2020 Mr. Olympia because of an undisclosed injury. The year 2021 was to mark his return, but then he and his wife placed their focus on the incoming birth of their child.
When the cons outweigh the pros, you really have to assess things.
Lewis did not discuss his plans for his individual future now that his competitive bodybuilding career is over. Considering the announcement is still fresh, it’s understandable. That said, he seemed to place a lot of weight on the sport’s rising stars to thrive for years to come.
In other words, Lewis wants to help leave professional bodybuilding in a better place than he found it.
“As an athlete, a champion, there’s a lot more work for me to do off-stage to help athletes be represented,” Lewis says. “To do what they don’t really want to do, and that’s get health checks. And, also, open more doors for these athletes in various different divisions and with various different sponsorship opportunities. My work is not done, and it will never be done. It is just done on-stage.”
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When it comes to lifting incredible amounts of weight, Shahram Saki should get comfortable in the spotlight. The Iranian powerlifter’s latest mark might be his most outstanding strength achievement yet.
On May 12, 2022, Saki shared footage of himself squatting 510 kilograms (1,124.36 pounds) during a training session. While unofficial because it occurred outside of a sanctioned competition, Saki’s figure surpasses Daniel Bell’s current all-time raw w/wraps record of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds). Bell achieved that feat during the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Kern US Open. Both athletes typically compete in the 120-kilogram-plus division.
Notably, some might find the depth of Saki’s squat questionable. He doesn’t — or barley does — reach the powerlifting competitive standard of below parallel (or getting his hip crease below the plane of his knees). As such, it potentially would not have counted in a full power meet.
A Powerful Profile
It’s been an eventful few weeks for Saki, to say the least.
Before notching this unofficial record squat w/wraps, the Iranian athlete recorded a 1025-kilogram (2,259.7-pound) total during the 2022 Iran Bodybuilding Federation (IranBBF) National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships in late April. That number gave Saki the highest total in Asian Powerlifting Federation (APF) history.
In the same competition, Saki broke the APF records with a squat of 440 kilograms (970 pounds) and a bench press of 235 kilograms (518.1 pounds). These three respective records surpassed Ray Williams’ 425.9-kilogram squat (939.1 pounds), 229.9-kilogram bench press (507 pounds), and 1008.4-kilogram total (2,223.3 pounds) from the 2015 APF Asia-Oceania Raw Championships.
Here’s a complete record of each of the three sanctioned competitions Saki has under his belt:
Shahram Saki (120KG+) | Career Results
2017 World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) Amateur European Championships (Amateur Open) — First place | W/Wraps
2021 IranBBF International Classic Club Powerlifting Championships (Open) — First place | Raw
2022 IranBBF National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships (Open) — First place | Raw
Meanwhile, here are Saki’s all-time competition bests. Notably, they are all from the 2022 IranBBF National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships:
Shahram Saki (120KG+) | Top Career Stats
Squat — 440 kilograms (970 pounds) | APF Record | Iranian Record
Bench Press — 235 kilograms (518.1 pounds) | APF Record | Iranian Record | PR
At the time of this writing, Saki has not announced any formal plans for his next sanctioned meet. The main updates that the athlete provides are of him capturing a usually staggering strength accomplishment on his Instagram. His feed has almost entirely consisted of heavy squats in recent weeks, which makes sense with his latest mark.
While Saki’s next competitive appearance is up in the air — for now — there is one thing to note for sure. If he can transfer over this massive squat from training (while getting more depth), he might soon be able to call himself a World Record holder.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
With her latest strength feat, some might point to Shelly Stettner as a consummate example of perseverance. On May 10, 2022, the 71-year-old athlete squatted 106.6 kilograms (235 pounds) for a three-set, three-rep PR during a training session. Per her social media, the squat is a part of her ongoing training for the 2022 Powerlifting America (PA) Classic Sub-Junior, Junior, and Master Nationals on June 18-19, 2022, in Orlando, FL.
Stettner completed the set while wearing knee sleeves and a lifting belt. Her bodyweight for the lift was roughly 60 kilograms (132 pounds). That lines up as the athlete has competed in the 63-kilogram weight class throughout her career.
Stettner does not complete the filmed set without resistance. While powering through the session, she does take somewhat extended pauses between each rep. However, considering the weight is only roughly 15 pounds less than her all-time competition best of 113.5 kilograms (250 pounds) from the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Arnold Masters of Iron Pro. That she finished three sets of three reps of this weight is impressive.
Age is a Myth
Stettner’s powerlifting story could be a testament to her willingness to try new things. She didn’t pick up a barbell for the first time until April 2016, when she was 64-years-old. Years later, at the age of 71, she has seven sanctioned competitions to her name, with six victories and merely one second-place finish.
“I like many did believe getting older meant getting weaker and losing muscle. This is a myth!”
Here’s a record of some of Stettner’s more notable career results to date:
Shelly Stettner (63KG) | Notable Career Results
2019 USAPL Michigan Rookie Rumble (Masters 3, 60-69) — First place | Raw
2020 USAPL Motor City Summer Showdown (Masters 3, 60-69) — First place | Raw
2021 USAPL Raw Master’s Nationals (Masters 4, 70+) — First place | Raw
2021 USAPL Virginia Pro (Masters 4, 70+) — First place | Raw
2022 USAPL Arnold Masters of Iron Pro (Masters 4, 70+) — First place | Raw
Naturally, like with anyone, it took some diligence during her training for Stetner to build up noteworthy strength. Here are her all-time top stats:
Stettner seems to be in the final stages of her training before the 2022 Master Nationals next month. The athlete has clearly been hard at work rounding out her different lifts. Her Instagram is appropriately rife with extensive footage of herself completing squats, bench presses, and deadlifts in recent weeks.
Only time will tell whether Stettner’s dedication will pay off with another win. Though, if she can dip her toes into professional powerlifting at her age and thrive, anything seems possible.
The 2022 PA Classic Sub-Junior, Junior, and Master Nationals will take place on June 18-19, 2022, in Orlando, FL.
Today I’m sharing Amber’s story of making her way from vegan to pescatarian to keto—and, ultimately, to health!
Have you improved your health, tackled a fitness goal, or overcome obstacles with the help of the Primal Blueprint? Inspire others by sharing your success story with the MDA community. Contact me here.
Hi, Mark! I wanted to share how putting the steps provided in your book into practice has changed my life. Thanks for reading.
I was already 20 pounds overweight when I gave birth to my son in 2016. During pregnancy I put on another 40 pounds, which put me in the obese category. I let myself indulge in every craving (mainly strawberry shortcake) and paid no attention to the scale. I was overly confident the weight would fall off after delivery, but when it didn’t, I started to think this was just my new normal.
Six months later I joined a gym. On day one I stepped on the scale, and when the number was displayed I was completely mortified. I had zero muscles in my abdomen, and they often had to create different exercises specifically for me as I could not participate in their regular classes. I was embarrassed but determined, and after 11 months I was down 30 pounds and feeling proud.
However, I was hungry most of the day. In an effort to drop the weight, I had “tinkered” with diets. At the time, I was on a vegan diet that quickly turned into a pescatarian diet. One day, my gym announced they were moving locations and could no longer provide daycare for my son. Just like that, my gym days were over. I tried to “will” myself to the gym at 5 a.m. but it NEVER went well. I could barely keep my eyes open let alone do a proper workout.
I let the membership expire and quickly noticed the weight coming back. I could not understand how this was happening. I thought I was making healthy meals. A normal day went like this:
One piece of sourdough toast with avocado and some juice.
For lunch I would make vegan nachos comprised of a starch-like substance to substitute for cheese along with black beans, rice, lettuce, and tomato served over chips.
For dinner I would make yet another dish with beans or fish with gnocchi.
It went on like this for the next two years, and abruptly white wine enters the picture. Wine became a constant in my life and—surprise!—I started gaining even more weight. I was tired all the time; I went to bed at 8 and yet woke up exhausted.
At age 32 I thought for the first time that this was not any way to live life. I decided to address this extreme exhaustion with my doctor. She ordered labs, and when the results came back (sparing you the details) everything was elevated to “red” in EVERY category. I was shocked and ashamed.
My doctor explained a “new” diet she heard remarkable things about called keto. She said I should investigate it and recommended I lose the weight ASAP. I shrugged it off and told her I was a pescatarian and I would figure it out. I left and tried to be better. This means I had one less glass of wine and that was it.
At the time, my son was enrolled in a program that incorporated in-home visits from specialized teachers in the area. About a month after my visit to the doctor one of the teachers I had first met a year prior was coming over. She rang the doorbell and said, “Hello again,” which I thought was odd, as I did not recall meeting her. She then said, “I think we met last year,” to which I replied, “No, I don’t think so”—then it hit me! She was 90 POUNDS HEAVIER when we met. My jaw dropped and she said, “Yeah, I lost quite a bit”. As the session neared the end, I asked her how she did it and she replied “I did keto, you should try it”
Yet again, I rolled my eyes and said, “We are pescatarians, but I’m glad it worked for you.”
Looking back, I can see the pattern of little “nudges” pointing me in the right direction, but it wasn’t until a Joe Rogan podcast when one of the guests mentioned keto that I thought hmm… maybe there is something to this.
The guest mentioned your name and I quickly googled to find out more. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I knew I had to try something different. My first step was to introduce the idea of a meat-centered diet to my husband—whom I had spent so long convincing to get rid of meat altogether. I found Butcher Box and explained how ethical their standards were and that if we went back to meat-eating, we would do it “the right way”.
I then purchased your book The Keto Reset Diet. I listened to every word and followed every suggestion. I downloaded a “keto” app that required me to add all the meals into it, then it would calculate my net carbs. I made the decision to make the change and did it. I bought a Peloton bike to exercise at home and stuck with it.
The first picture you see was taken on August 9th, 2019 the second was taken on April 1st, 2022. I am 5’9, and my starting weight was 193 and my end is 140. I have since bought two more of your books and countless Primal Kitchen food products. I am having no trouble at all keeping it off and maintaining a healthy weight thanks to your techniques. I have told friends and family about your books and encouraged them to try. I have now become one of “those” keto people.
Thanks so much, Mark!
You’re very welcome, Amber! I’m glad you found something that worked for you. And thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Many gym-goers are well aware of the pull-up, but struggle to perform their first rep. While it may be fairly easy for some, for others, it is a much longer journey that can be shortened by spending time building the strength of the back musculature.
This is where the lat pulldown, sometimes called the front pulldown, comes in. It’s equally effective for beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters because it can be performed with a variety of attachments and requires minimal equipment to execute. Here’s how to get the most out of this fundamental back-building exercise.
Because the lat pulldown uses a cable machine, it provides a great opportunity for muscle development. Master the basic movement, and then you can manipulate your body position and bar attachments to target your back muscles in a variety of ways.
Step 1 — Grab the Bar and Sit Down
Credit: martvisionlk / Shutterstock
Attach a wide bar to the pulldown cable attachment. Take a seat and adjust the kneepads to keep your lower body locked into place. Stand up and take hold of the bar wider than shoulder-width using a pronated grip (palms facing away from you).
Keep hold of the bar with slightly bent arms and use your bodyweight to descend into the seat. Shift your thighs under the pads and firmly plant your feet on the floor.
Form Tip: Stand with your thighs as close to the pads as possible before descending to help you better get into position smoothly. Locking your legs beneath the pads helps to provide stability and can reinforce a strict upper body position.
Step 2 — Pull the Weight to Your Chest
Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock
Remain in an upright position and create a very slight arch in your lower back, opening your chest towards the ceiling. Pull your shoulder blades together and down. Engage your core and pull the bar until it is underneath your chin or touches your chest without using any momentum.
Your torso should remain mostly stationary throughout the entire rep. Rather than just thinking “pull using every muscle available,” a great cue is to think about pulling your elbows out to the sides and down into the floor.
Form Tip: Imagine you are wearing pants that have back pockets and think about pulling your shoulder blades back and down towards those pockets. This scapular retraction and depression helps to engage more upper back muscles.
Step 3 — Raise Your Arms, Lower the Weight
Credit: Slatan / Shutterstock
Once you have reached the bottom, raise your arms under control, remaining seated. When your arms are fully stretched, release your shoulder blades from the pulled back position. Don’t shift or swing your upper body while your arms move.
Form Tip: When ascending back to the top of the movement, it is common to see people moving too fast. By not controlling the weight, you decrease stress on the back muscles and allow arms to take over. Take the time to feel your back muscles as they slowly stretch and fully lengthen. This body awareness creates a sense of mindfulness and helps you to use your back muscles more effectively in this and other exercises.
Lat Pulldown Mistakes to Avoid
While your lower body is set in place, your upper body is unsupported and simple mistakes in technique can reduce muscle activation and overall effectiveness.
Pulling the Bar Behind Your Neck
While behind the neck pulldowns are technically an exercise variation and not necessarily a “mistake,” it’s important to know that the movement can put you at risk of shoulder injury.
Credit: Zoriana Zaitseva / Shutterstock
Due to the positioning of the shoulder joint, you may find yourself with some discomfort and irritation of the shoulders. (1)(2) Avoid this movement altogether and keep the bar in front.
Avoid It: Lifters often use the behind the neck pulldown thinking that it targets the back muscles differently. However, research has shown that this variation is no more effective at training the lats than your standard lat pulldown, yet has a higher potential for injury. (3)
Gripping the Bar Too Wide
Some lifters use an extremely wide grip, often at the extreme ends of the bar, in the hopes that it will help to build wider lats. Unfortunately, “wide grip = wide lats” doesn’t pan out.
Credit: NDAB Creativity / Shutterstock
Research has shown that the wide-grip variation is not more effective than the standard lat pulldown for training your lats. (4)
Avoid It: Maintain a standard grip, slightly wider than your shoulders. To build a wider back, focus on performing the exercise properly, contracting the muscles, and achieving a complete stretch.
Swinging Your Torso
Some lifters perform the lat pulldown like a fish out of water, with their whole upper body swaying back and forth. In some cases, you will even see their lower body come up off the seat. This is not the way to get results.
Credit: SofikoS / Shutterstock
Avoid using any weight that causes you to sway excessively. This instability of your torso will displace stress from the muscles you want to target, which will take away from the effectiveness of the exercise.
Avoid it: Engage your core musculature and flex your abs while imagining being “stuck in the mud.” You want to be so stable that if someone tried to shove you from any angle, you remain in position.
Benefits of the Lat Pulldown
The benefits of the lat pulldown begin with its simplicity in set up and potential to be progressed (made more challenging) or regressed (made easier) beyond simply increasing or reducing weight.
Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock
Pulldowns can help to improve a range of qualities in the upper body such as muscular strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscular endurance, and performance.
Constant Tension
The use of the cable places a significant amount of stress on the muscles due to the constant tension being placed throughout the entire range of motion. This makes it an invaluable exercise for lifters working to build size, because a greater amount of time under tension has been shown to stimulate more muscle growth. (5)
Beginner-Friendly
The pull-up and chin-up will always reign as kings for upper body vertical pulling exercises, but the lat pulldown can still be a great exercise for lifters new to training. You may not be strong enough to perform a pull-up, but the lat pulldown will assist in developing your back musculature as you become stronger over time.
The lat pulldown places relatively less demand on your body, which means you can train with a considerable amount of volume by increasing your sets and reps each week, making it a great exercise to build muscle and strength in your back.
Muscles Worked by the Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown works a host of muscles on your back, including the large lat muscles and the entire upper back.
Credit: Nikolas_jkd / Shutterstock
This pulling movement, like most back exercises, also provides some stimulation to the forearms and biceps.
Latissimus Dorsi
The lats are the wide muscles on either side of your back. They have two functions — to bring the arm in closer to your body when it is out to the side and to bring the arm closer to the body when it is out in front. The path of your elbow and upper arm follows both of these movements, which is why pulldowns hit target the lats efficiently.
Upper Back
The trapezius, rhomboids, teres, infraspinatus, and posterior deltoid work together to form the upper back musculature. They control a variety of movements at the scapulae (shoulder blades), including raising and lowering, pinching together, extending, and pulling downwards.
Biceps Brachii
The biceps are recruited during nearly all back exercises, particularly pulldowns as the weight is lifted and your arm bends and straightens at the elbow. “Lifting with the arms” can occur when your elbows are bent too quickly and the biceps move the weight, rather than lifting with your back muscles by focusing on moving your upper arm at the shoulder.
Forearms
The forearm muscles, specifically the wrist flexors on the palm-side of the arm, are heavily activated to secure your grip to the bar while lifting and lowering the weight. Some lifters may have their grip strength become a limiting factor when pulldown weights get excessively heavy. Progressing gradually, or considering lifting straps, should help to avoid the problem.
Who Should Do the Lat Pulldown
A number of lifters can make use of the lat pulldown within their programming due to its versatility, simplicity in its set up, and ability to provide a significant amount of tension on the majority of the back muscles.
Training for Muscle
You would think by the name of the exercise that it would specifically target the lats, yet, most people are surprised that research has shown it actually trains the majority of your back muscles very effectively. (6)
Not only can you use relatively heavy weights, since this exercise recruits almost every major muscle group in your back, but you also don’t need to use multiple exercises within your workout which makes the lat pulldown an ideal, time-efficient choice.
How to Program the Lat Pulldown
To maximize muscle development and strength, a variety of rep ranges can be used on the lat pulldown. However, you should never use a weight so heavy that it takes away from executing the exercise properly.
Too many lifters pile on the weight and swing their torso to get it moving, thinking they’re overloading their back when all they’re doing is stressing their joints, not their muscles.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition
To maximize muscular hypertrophy, training within a close proximity to muscular failure in the six to 12 rep range for three or four sets is the most effective way to program this exercise.
Light Weight, High Repetition
The use of the cable machine creates constant tension, increasing the muscle-building stimulus. This can be further exploited at the end of a workout to fully exhaust all muscle fibers. Using two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps will serve you best.
Lat Pulldown Variations
The lat pulldown is a highly adaptable exercise that can be used in a variety of ways by simply attaching a different handle or attachment.
V-Bar (Neutral-Grip) Pulldown
The neutral-grip variation uses a V-bar attachment to allow your palms to face each other. This adjusted grip position provides you with a mechanical advantage which allows you to lift more weight.
This is a great variation to use for working the surrounding muscles of the scapulae through a full range of motion while strengthening your back in the process.
Supinated-Grip Pulldown
The supinated variation uses a standard long bar with your palms facing you. The key difference with the supinated lat pulldown is that it trains the biceps more than the standard pulldown, with the lats being trained more in the standard movement. (7)
This can be seen as a similar relationship between the pull-up and chin-up, with the chin-up emphasizing the biceps and the pull-up emphasizing the lats
Single-Arm Pulldown
Attaching one single handle to the pulley and training each arm individually allows you to identify any muscular imbalances between sides of the body. By focusing on each side independently, you can strengthen and correct any differences.
The free movement of a single handle also allows you to use a variety of hand positions, either neutral (palm facing you), supinated, pronated, or rotating during the movement. Each hand position will slightly alter muscle recruitment and can reduce stress on elbow or shoulder joints.
Lat Pulldown Alternatives
Once you have built a solid foundation of strength on the lat pulldown, your back will be better developed to progress into more advanced exercise alternatives. It is important to note that the lat pulldown can still be used within your workouts, but the order of priority may change.
For example, you may perform more challenging exercises earlier in your back workout when your strength, focus, and energy is higher and train pulldowns later in the workout.
Pull-Up
The goal of successfully performing a pull-up (or chin-up) should be on every lifter’s mind since it works the entire back, can be done nearly anywhere, and is so easy to progressively overload.
Mastering this fundamental bodyweight exercise can benefit any lifter or athlete.
Assisted Pull-Up
The assisted pull-up, either with a machine or using resistance bands, is a great exercise to transition from pulldowns to full pull-ups This exercise allows you to practice the correct positioning of the upper body and reinforce technique that will be required when performing a pull-up.
Use this exercise to focus on feeling the back musculature throughout the eccentric (lowering)and concentric (lifting) portions of the lift while also practicing your ability to engage your core and keep your torso stable.
FAQs
Is there a “best” pulldown attachment to use?
All of the variations of the lat pulldown are very effective exercises that should be used across multiple phases of training. To maximize overall back development, it would be a good idea to rotate one or two of these variations into each phase of your programming.
This will help decrease any muscular imbalances that may occur when solely focusing on one exercise, but can also help you identify any weak points that you may have when using certain variations.
How long until I will be able to perform a bodyweight pull-up?
Every person will progress at their own ability based on a number of individual factors, so there is no set timeline to achieving your first bodyweight pull-up. However, if you are incorporating a combination of the above pulldown variations into your workouts, this will give you the best opportunity at finally achieving that bodyweight pull-up or chin-up faster.
While the pull-up may be considered as the ultimate goal, once you feel that your back is strong enough, starting with the chin-up alternative will allow you to practice the same general technique involved in the pull-up, but it is relatively easier to perform due to the slight mechanical advantage using a supinated grip.
Perfect the Pulldown
The lat pulldown is a reliable back-builder, perfect for beginners and advanced lifters. It should be a staple in any back routine, whether you’re on the way to your first pull-up or can knock them out by the dozen.
References
Pagnani, M. J., & Warren, R. F. (1994). Stabilizers of the glenohumeral joint. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 3(3), 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1058-2746(09)80098-0
Durall, Chris & Manske, Robert & Davies, George. (2001). Avoiding Shoulder Injury From Resistance Training. Strength & Conditioning Journal. 23. 10. 10.1519/00126548-200110000-00002.
Sperandei, S., Barros, M. A., Silveira-Júnior, P. C., & Oliveira, C. G. (2009). Electromyographic analysis of three different types of lat pull-down. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 23(7), 2033–2038. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b8d30a
Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., Wiik, E., Skoglund, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2014). Effects of grip width on muscle strength and activation in the lat pull-down. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 28(4), 1135–1142. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSC.0000000000000232
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
Ronai, Peter. (2019). The Lat Pulldown. ACSMʼs Health & Fitness Journal. 23. 24-30. 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000469.
Lehman, G. J., Buchan, D. D., Lundy, A., Myers, N., & Nalborczyk, A. (2004). Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study. Dynamic medicine : DM, 3(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-5918-3-4
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
If a first-timer puts themselves on the map during the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), they’re likely going to need a tentpole event. That seems to be no problem for strongman Kim Ujarak, who will make his WSM debut in late May.
On May 10, 2022, Ujarak powered through an intense deadlift ladder of…
330kilograms (727.5 pounds)
350kilograms (771.6 pounds)
370kilograms (815.7 pounds)
390 kilograms (860 pounds).
He completed each pull from a conventional stance (a necessity by strongman rules) while wearing a lifting belt and wrist wraps. Ujarak had minimal rest between each pull, only stepping back and taking a short breath while two people added additional weight to his loaded barbell.
Notably, the second step of Ujarak’s deadlift ladder — 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) — eclipses the final weight of the 2022 WSM’s Deadlift Ladder event by almost 10 kilograms (22 pounds). Ujarak did not confirm whether he planned his training session with that closing figure in mind.
“Tough weights after the last four weeks of very tough training. That’s the last heavy deadlift until Worlds!”
Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly a potential great omen of his chances during the Qualifying Round event.
Ujarak at a Glance
At 29-years-old, Ujarak is a relatively new competitor in the international strongman sphere. According to Strongman Archives, here’s the Greenland native’s record of international strongman competitions to date:
Kim Ujarak | International Strongman Results
2018 Burn Showdown Battle of the North (Open) — Seventh place
2021 Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic (Open) — 10th place
Despite his international inexperience, Ujarak can point to some worthy accolades.
In October 2021, during the inaugural 2021 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, Ujarak won the Log & Deadlift Rep Championships on the Men’s side. He notched that victory by log-pressing 140 kilograms (309 pounds) six times in a minute.
The highlight of Ujarak’s career thus far might be his status as the five-time reigning Greenland’s Strongest Man (GSM) Champion (2017-2021). Since Greenland only began its strongman competitions in 2017, that technically means Ujarak is the country’s only-ever champion.
The WSM Lies Ahead
It was announced that Ujarak was part of the 2022 WSM roster in late March 2022. It will mark his first appearance in the prestigious competition. He’ll try to make a name for himself amongst some of the sport’s active greats like reigning champion Tom Stoltman, 2020 champion Oleksii Novikov, four-time winner Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015-2016), and the victor in 2019, Martin Licis. Names like Chance “Trey” Mitchell and Adam Bishop could also be in play.
If Ujarak is to surprise his competitors with a quality performance, he’ll need to do well during the Qualifying Round. His deadlift ladder training session is an excellent step toward that goal.
The 2022 World’s Strongest Man will take place on May 24-29, 2022, in Sacramento, CA.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
When it comes to the bench press, only one other lifter can match Julius Maddox’s unique mix of strength and focus. On May 10, 2022, the powerlifter again showed why he’s one of the top two bench pressers on the planet when he logged a 361-kilogram bench press (796-pound) for a new PR. The mark exceeds his competition best of 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds) from the 2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown III — the current all-time world record — and is the second heaviest bench press ever caught on camera.
This bench press is particularly noteworthy because it places Maddox on the precipice of history.
While Maddox is the current world record holder, he has never completed an 800-pound bench press, be it in training or a sanctioned competition. The powerlifter has had two previous attempts at the towering mark — in June 2021 and June 2020, respectively — but wasn’t able to lock out the rep on each occasion.
According to his Instagram post, the powerlifter still has his eyes on the ambitious prize.
“I’ve missed this weight 10-plus times. Hearing my little girls ask me when I will hit 800 pounds is enough for me to lay it all on the line,” Maddox writes. “This is bigger than a title for me. It’s about the long-lasting impact I leave for my kids and family. The times they fall on hard times and need some motivation!”
Motivating Perseverance
At the time of this writing, only one person, Daniel Zamani, has ever bench-pressed 800 pounds. The Iranian athlete crushed a 365-kilogram raw bench press (804.7-pound) during a February 2022 training session. Zamani also donned a lifting belt and wrist wraps for his staggering press.
Since Zamani’s figure occurred during training, it is not the official record. Notably, Maddox and Zamani were to square off in a bench press battle for supremacy at the 2022 Iron Wars V in January, but that fell through for undisclosed reasons.
Before this new one-rep PR, Maddox recently completed a 318-kilogram bench press (700-pound) for a four-rep PR in late April 2022. That he put himself on the 800-pound doorstep a few weeks later might signify that he isn’t messing around trying to notch this stellar achievement. Since Zamani left the door open for someone to beat him to the 800-pound mark in a sanctioned meet, it seems like Maddox doesn’t want to waste any time.
Maddox has not announced his next competition at the time of this publishing. That said, per Maddox’s overall competitive history, it will likely be a bench press-only meet. More importantly, in all probability, it’s where he’ll try for his 800-pound glory.
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