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On June 6, 2022, powerlifter Tiffany Chapon competed raw in the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. After breaking three separate IPF World records on the squat, bench press, and total, she captured her second consecutive IPF World Championship (2021-2022) in the 47-kilogram weight class.
Here’s a complete rundown of Chapon’s stats from her successful title defense:
Total — 426.5 Kilograms (940.4 pounds) — IPF World Record
Chapon eclipsed her own previous World Record squat mark by 7.5 kilograms (16.4 pounds). She beat Hanna Rantala — the previous bench press World Record holder — by half a kilogram. Finally, her final total not only broke the record held by Chen Wei-Ling since 2015, but also beat second-place finisher, Heather Connor, by 29 kilograms (63.9 pounds).
Here’s a full recap video of Chapon’s dominant performance, shared by her on Instagram:
Chapon actually broke and extended the squat World Record on both her first and second attempts. She went for 163.5 kilograms (360.4 pounds) on her third attempt to try and further extend her record but missed the rep. The French athlete has shown more strength in the recent past. During a May 2022 training session, Chapon managed to squat 166 kilograms (366 pounds).
On the bench press, Chapon broke the World Record with a press of 96 kilograms (211.6 pounds) on her second attempt. She ended up forgoing the third attempt so she could save energy for her deadlift.
Finally, on the deadlift, Chapon successfully locked out a rep on each of her three attempts. Her final pull of 170 kilograms (374.8 pounds) gave her a second-place result to fellow 47-kilogram competitor Heather Connor — who deadlifted 185 kilograms (407.8 pounds) for a new IPF World Record.
For most of spring 2022, Chapon appeared to be dead set on defending her 47-kilogram IPF World title. Her social media was filled with constant reminders of this competition being on the near horizon and how thrilled she was to get a chance to compete.
Now that Chapon has successfully repeated as champion, it’d be more than appropriate if she wanted to rest and take a well-earned break. Judging by the sample size of her work ethic and her pure power, it likely won’t be long before she gets a loaded barbell into her hands again.
The question at hand today is whether alternate-day fasting is a viable, perhaps even preferable, option for folks who want to experiment with intermittent fasting. I’ve written about fasting many times here on the blog because it’s one of my favorite tools for managing insulin, blood sugar, appetite, and (possibly) promoting longevity, but I’ve never dedicated a post to alternate-day fasting per se. Time to remedy that.
I call it a tool, but fasting—having regular, distinct periods of little or no food—is the natural human condition. Or at least it should be. As I like to say, physiologically speaking, some of the best stuff happens when we aren’t eating. Fasting triggers desirable hormonal responses, reduces oxidative damage, promotes autophagy, and offers a mental challenge.1 Of course, in today’s food-rich environment, most people eat regularly for upwards of 16 or 18 hours every day. Eating in a 6- or 8-hour window, much less going 24 hours or more without food, is rare.
For the most part, I’m agnostic about the optimal fasting schedule. Whether someone prefers time-restricted eating like the popular 16:8 or 18:6 protocols, a weekly 24-hour fast, semi-annual prolonged fasting of three days or longer, or eating WHEN (when hunger ensues naturally) is a matter of personal taste. They each have pros and cons, but none so compelling that I’d say one is clearly best for everyone. Since a lot of people seem inclined to try alternate-day fasting, it deserves a closer look here.
What Is Alternate-day Fasting Exactly?
There are two broad categories of alternate-day fasting (ADF):
True ADF is where you skip entire days of eating. Eat one day, don’t eat the next. Simple, not necessarily easy. With this kind of ADF, you’ll be doing 36-hour fasts (dinner one day to breakfast two days later) every other day. Maybe even longer.
Modified ADF is where you eat every day but alternate between days where you eat normally and days where you significantly restrict calories. The general rule is to consume 25 percent of your typical daily calories. If you usually eat 2,400 calories, your week would look like this:
Day 1: 2,400 calories
Day 2: 600 calories
Day 3: 2,400 calories
Day 4: 600 calories
Day 5: 2,400 calories
Day 6: 600 calories
Day 7: 2,400 calories
Beyond that, anything goes. You can pair ADF with any way of eating—Primal, keto, vegan, carnivore, even SAD (though I wouldn’t recommend it for obvious reasons). There aren’t any rules about when or how often you eat on your regular eating days, but the idea is to consume the same number of calories you’d eat for weight maintenance, perhaps a bit more. Assuming you don’t go hog-wild, you’ll end up in a pretty hefty caloric deficit even while eating normally half the time.
There are also a few specific variations in ADF:
5:2 fasting is probably the most well-known. This is akin to modified ADF, but instead of eating in a deficit every other day, you pick two days per week, usually non-consecutive, to restrict calories.
Eat Stop Eat, the brainchild of Brad Pilon, is a type of modified ADF where you do one or two 24-hour fasts per week. Once or twice per week, you eat dinner one day and then not again until dinner the next day (or breakfast to breakfast, lunch to lunch, whatever you prefer).
The Every Other Day Diet was devised by Krista Varady, PhD, currently a Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and the author of dozens of scientific papers on the topic of fasting, plus a popular book of the same name. This is your typical modified ADF approach with one notable difference: you’re allowed to eat ad libitum (as much as you want) on the eating days. According to Varady, most people still end up in a caloric deficit and lose weight even with “feast days.” Some readers of her book, The Every Other Day Diet, beg to differ. However, she’s had proven success with this method in her academic work.
Benefits of Alternate-day Fasting
Possible benefits of ADF include:
Lower fasting insulin23 (but inconsistent effects on insulin sensitivity)
Lower triglycerides (plus LDL and total cholesterol if you go for that)4
Reduction in adipokines involved in systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease6
Promoting ketosis
If it sounds like I’m hedging my bets here, that’s because there’s no standardization with how researchers use the term “alternate-day fasting.” There’s a lot of promising data, but it’s hard to generalize from one study to the next when one uses an Eat Stop Eat design and the other uses 5:2 with two consecutive fasting days. The metabolic effects may not be the same.
Researchers are also still trying to tease out whether any benefits are unique to fasting or if they’re mostly due to the caloric restriction inherent in these types of fasting protocols. It’s very much an open question at this point, although I suspect there’s more to fasting than mere calorie restriction.
What about weight loss? Can alternate-day fasting help you lose weight?
Yes. This has been demonstrated in multiple studies using different styles of ADF and different populations. Not to mention all the anecdotal evidence.
The more interesting question is whether you’re likely to lose more weight—or lose weight more easily—with ADF. The available studies seem to suggest that while you might lose more weight with ADF in the short term,7 fasting and regular calorie-restriction dieting (aka “continuous calorie restriction”) eventually even out when calories are matched.8 As for ADF compared to other types of fasting like daily time-restricted eating, there aren’t enough head-to-head studies to draw conclusions one way or another.
“But wait,” you say, “I couldn’t lose any weight when I tried to diet until I started fasting.” I hear this a lot. Just because ADF might not have a strong weight-loss advantage on average doesn’t mean it wasn’t advantageous for you. When it comes to losing weight, dietary adherence plays a big role.9 Many people find it easier to stick to a schedule where they don’t have to restrict food every single day.
Downsides of Alternate-day Fasting?
To do ADF right, you have to track your food, which can be onerous. Folks who don’t want to weigh and measure every bite can try the Eat Stop Eat approach, which doesn’t limit what you can eat on your fasting days (or, more precisely, at the end of your 24-hour fasts).
It’s also not easy to only eat 500 or 600 calories, especially if you want to break it up into multiple meals or snacks. You’ll want to limit fat intake since fat is the most calorically dense macronutrient at nine calories per gram. Once you factor in adequate protein, there’s little room for anything else. I’d suggest eating just one or two meals on fasting days and loading up on low-calorie, non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens. Sipping on bone broth can help stave off hunger too, but there will be hunger, especially at the beginning.
One potential concern is the preservation of lean mass. Across four studies with overweight/obese adults, dieters lost more lean mass on average with ADF than with continuous calorie restriction (regular dieting).10 These studies ranged from 12 to 30 weeks in duration, and participants ate a decent amount of protein. However, none of the studies provided exercise instructions, and it’s not clear whether any of the participants engaged in resistance training.
Bottom Line: Alternate-Day Fasting Yay or Nay?
Overall, the benefits of ADF seem to be in line with the benefits of fasting more generally. From what I can tell, the biggest advantage of ADF compared to daily time-restricted eating or calorie-restriction diets is that some people find it easier to stick with.
The findings regarding lean mass give me pause, but not enough to write off ADF at this point. While the four studies were fairly consistent, there was also a lot of variability between participants. Whenever you’re eating in an energy deficit, you want to make sure to eat plenty of protein and lift heavy things to protect your muscles. That’s just best practice no matter what type of fasting you’re doing. That said, the strict ADF I outlined above lands you in a 33 percent energy deficit, which is pretty big—perhaps too big to be safely sustained long term. We could use more human studies here to tease all this out.
And speaking of best practices, what you eat during your non-fasting days does matter. Even though ADF doesn’t strictly require it, eating the same nutrient-rich, whole foods whether or not you’re practicing ADF just makes sense.
Finally, the same rules also apply regarding who shouldn’t fast: people who are already overstressed and those with high energy needs like competitive athletes, kids and teens, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
All right, what do you think? Yes or no, are you interested in alternate-day fasting? If you’ve already tried it, how did it go?
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The Giants Live Strongman Classic only started in 2020, but it is no less competitive. With 11 athletes already confirmed for the 2022 edition on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, there was still an unknown Wild Card. A little over a month before the competition, a rising strongman star finally rounded out the final 12-person roster.
On June 3, 2022, the Giants Live organization announced that Mitchell Hooper would take the final slot in the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic. The announcement of Hooper’s addition might not be a surprise with recent developments. Once Hooper made the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Finals in his debut, it’s reasonable to assume his star would rise soon after. His Cinderella story of sorts in winning Group 1 of the Qualifying Round was one of the more noteworthy moments during the competition.
Hooper’s spot in this upcoming competition is now a natural step forward.
After the news of his addition was made official, Hooper took to Instagram to explain his potential approach. As a newcomer, he seems to think this competition might be an uphill battle worth the challenge anyway.
“This will be a fun show,” Hooper wrote. “The events aren’t great for me. It’ll expose some of my weaknesses and set a great benchmark to improve upon. The goal — win despite a tough set of events.”
Here are the events that Hooper notes will present an obstacle for him and the other athletes:
2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events
Dumbbell Medley
The Pillars of Hercules
Farmer’s Carry for Distance
Axle Deadlift
Castle Stones
Notably, while the format is different, Hooper might not have too much trouble with some of the events.
For example, the Farmer’s Carry for Distance could bear some functional similarities to the 2022 WSM Car Walk — which Hooper crushed at 11.64 seconds. If the event turns out to be centered on speed — one of Hooper’s strengths — he could be in great shape. Meanwhile, the Axle Deadlift will again be for reps. That could also play into Hooper’s favor, who did well with the somewhat similar WSM Deadlift Ladder while pulling five reps in 31.21 seconds.
Hooper might not be entirely confident now, but a victory definitely isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Whatever result Hooper enjoys in the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic, it assuredly won’t be the end of his strongman ambitions.
Hooper has previously said he’d like to break the deadlift world record of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) during the 2022 World Deadlift Championships (WDC) on August 6, 2022. At the time of this writing, Hooper does not yet have an invitation to the competition. If Hooper does eventually get an invite — as someone who once deadlifted 475 kilograms (1047.2 pounds) while weighing under 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds) — his goal doesn’t seem outlandish.
Only time will tell what the summer holds for Hooper. If his recent burst onto the professional scene is any indication, he’ll likely have no issues securing invites wherever he wants to compete.
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Rauno Heinla is known for his deadlift prowess. The Estonian strongman is one of the few people to have pulled at least 453.6 kilograms (1,000 pounds), which he managed in December 2020. He also possesses the 400-kilogram (881.8-pound) deadlift for reps World Record with six. He set that figure at the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman Feats of Strength series.
Recently, Heinla might have captured his most impressive deadlift feat yet.
The 2022 Silver Dollar Deadlift Estonian Championship took place on June 4, 2022, in Viljandi, Estonia. It is there where Heinla broke the Silver Dollar deadlift World Record with a pull of 579.7 kilograms (1,278 pounds). He completed the pull while wearing lifting straps and a lifting belt.
Heinla’s record pull might be particularly notable considering what he went through to get here. The veteran strongman withdrew from the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) after suffering an undisclosed injury from a heavy Silver Dollar deadlift. Rather than continue preparing for the most prestigious event in strongman, Heinla spent a few days in the hospital recovering after that pull.
A little over a month later, Heinla’s persistence pays off with a World Record.
The Silver Dollar deadlift World Record baton seems to be changing hands a lot lately. Heinla’s record comes after Ben Thompson set the previous Silver Dollar record with a pull of 577.2 kilograms (1,272.5 pounds) in May 2022. Thompson followed Sean Hayes, who set the past high-water mark with a pull of 560 kilograms (1,235 pounds) in mid-April 2022.
If recent history is any indication, the latest record might not stand for long. It’s undoubtedly still a well-earned achievement for Heinla.
Heinla at a Glance
While he built a reputation for deadlift proficiency, Heinla is certainly no slouch as a green strongman. According to Strongman Archives, the 39-year-old Estonian athlete has competed professionally in some capacity since December 2009. Here are some of the more notable strongman results of his career:
Rauno Heinla | Notable Strongman Results
2011 Giants Live Finland — Third place
2014-2015 Strongman Champion’s League (SCL) Finland — Third place
It doesn’t seem like Heinla will rest on his laurels after notching a record. He will next compete at both the 2022 Giants Live World Open & World Deadlift Championships. Those will take place on August 6, 2022, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. He could break the traditional deadlift World Record of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) if all goes well. Should Heinla manage to do so, the Giants Live organization will reward him with a prize of $55,000 — the set wager to all 12 competitors.
For a deadlift technician like Heinla, another record later in the summer is certainly very possible.
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When most lifters make the decision to commit to the gym, the barbell bench press is often one of the first exercises selected for building a stronger and bigger chest. However, despite its reputation as a “must-do” movement, the barbell bench alone is not going to produce the type of well-developed chest most hope for. That requires an introduction to the dumbbell bench press.
The exercises are similar in setup and execution, with a few key differences. The dumbbell bench press allows a longer range of motion and more freedom of movement at the shoulder joint. These can elicit a greater muscle-building response, build upper body strength unilaterally (one side at a time), improve core stability, and increase your barbell bench pressing strength.
Here’s everything you need to know about the overlooked dumbbell version of one of the most popular barbell exercises.
Using dumbbells instead of a barbell provides a different shoulder and elbow position, which in turn increases the range of motion and makes the muscle-building stimulus of this exercise even greater.
Step 1 — Get into Pressing Position
Credit: charmedlightph / Shutterstock
As you lie back on a flat bench, bring a pair of dumbbells to the outsides of your chest with your hands facing each other. Pull your shoulder blades back into the bench. Make sure that both of your feet are placed firmly on the ground, with your feet directly under your knees.
Your hips, your head, and both of your shoulders should be firmly touching the bench. Rotate your arms to point your elbows at an angle slightly away from your feet and allow your hands to point towards your knees.
Form Tip: For total stability, feel for six points of contact — two feet on the ground plus your tailbone, two shoulders, and your head on the bench. This will mean you are in a good position to start the exercise
Step 2 — Drive the Weights Up
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Hold the dumbbells firmly in a pronated (palms facing your feet) position with your wrists directly above your elbows. Drive your elbows up to the ceiling in a straight line until the dumbbells are positioned directly above of your pecs. Do not allow the dumbbells to touch at the top of each rep.
Form Tip: Make sure your elbows are stacked directly under your wrists before you drive up. Allowing your wrists, and the weights, to break the plane of your elbow will increase joint strain and increase the potential risk of injury.
Step 3 — Lower into a Stretch
Credit: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock
Slowly lower the dumbbells down while squeezing your shoulder blades into the bench. Keep your elbows pointed at an angle between your feet and your shoulders. Emphasize feeling your pecs stretch as the dumbbells come to a position resting just outside your chest.
Form Tip: Think about pulling the dumbbells toward you while reaching your chest to the ceiling.
Dumbbell Bench Press Mistakes to Avoid
When using dumbbells, increased freedom at the shoulder joint also means the exercise requires increased control and coordination. There are a few errors to avoid when performing the dumbbell bench press.
Having an Unstable Body
It is very common to see lifters place their feet in the air and cross their ankles or haphazardly sprawl their legs away from the bench during the exercise.
Credit: Slatan / Shutterstock
This creates an environment of instability and prevents you from being able to produce the most force, which compromises strength production because the lower body is an essential contact point and base of support.
Avoid It: Driving your legs into the ground will help maintain balance with the torso and allow you to create more force with the upper body. Your feet, calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps should all be tense and fully engaged.
Ego Lifting
Some lifters think that just because they can bench impressive weights with a barbell, they’re “supposed to” bench with heavy dumbbells, too.
Credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock
What they fail to realize is that dumbbells involve the smaller stabilizer muscles of the shoulder more than a barbell, which means excessively heavy weights can strain the shoulder joint and decrease chest muscle recruitment.
Avoid it: Lean the ego at home when it’s time to use dumbbells. Whatever you barbell bench press, cut that weight in half and then take off another 5-10kg (10-20 pounds). This will give you a good starting point for the total weight (both dumbbells combined) when learning the exercise.
Benefits of the Dumbbell Bench Press
The bench press is be a staple movement in nearly every lifter’s repertoire.
Credit: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock
Here are two big advantages that dumbbells have over the barbell.
Greater Range of Motion
With a barbell, your hands and arms are set into fixed angles with relatively limited range of motion. Dumbbells allow the weights to move in an arcing path, relatively wider in the bottom position and nearly touching at the top.
This provides a longer range of motion as you lengthen the muscle with a deeper stretch which can increase your muscle building potential compared to a barbell. (1) Dumbbells also allow your hands to rotate, which can individualize pressing angles to reduce joint strain.
Unilateral Strength
Overemphasizing barbell training can create muscular discrepancies, since most lifters naturally favor one side more than the other. Because a barbell doesn’t allow each side to focus its own share of work, you may not notice the subtle differences in your unilateral strength.
Using dumbbells will allow you to build that unilateral strength and reduce any muscular imbalances from occurring while still strengthening your pecs, triceps, and shoulders.
Muscles Worked by the Dumbbell Bench Press
All chest presses focus the work, appropriately, on the chest. However, several muscle groups work together to perform the exercise.
Credit: Skydive Erick / Shutterstock
The dumbbell bench press allows lifters to train their pressing muscles (chest shoulders, and triceps) without excessively heavy weights.
Pectoralis Major
The pec major is the big, basic chest muscle. It includes two separate heads: the clavicular (upper chest) and the sternocostal (mid-chest). Both heads of the pecs function to pull the upper arms across the chest toward the midline of the body.
Anterior Deltoid
The shoulder muscles is composed of three separate heads — the posterior (rear), the lateral (side), and the anterior (front). Each head contributes to moving the arm in its respective plan, so the anterior deltoid is heavily recruited during the dumbbell bench press because the arm is moving in front of the body.
Triceps
The triceps consist of the long, medial, and lateral heads, each playing a role in extending the elbows and raising the arms. The medial and lateral heads, in particular, are emphasized during the dumbbell bench press to move the weight and straighten (lock out) the elbows.
Pectoralis Minor and Serratus Anterior
These relatively smaller muscles are both found near the pec major. They share similar functions, helping to control shoulder blade movement and stability during pressing (and chest flye) movements.
Who Should Do the Dumbbell Bench Press
Much like the barbell bench press, the dumbbell bench press can offer benefits to strength athletes, physique-focused lifters, and general fitness enthusiasts.
Bodybuilders and Physique Enthusiasts
Whether it’s a 220-pound bodybuilding monster, a lean Men’s Physique competitor, or a typical lifter wanting to improve their pec size and shape, the dumbbell bench press can be a key player in any chest workout.
The dumbbell bench press puts the pecs through a long time under tension with maximum muscle activation, leading to more muscle growth.
Strength Athletes
With the barbell bench press being a sport-specific lift for competitive powerlifters, using the dumbbell bench press as an accessory exercise allows the same pressing muscles to be trained without wear and tear on the joints from the barbell’s repetitive use.
Overhead strength athletes, like Olympic weightlifters and CrossFitters, can also benefit from the dumbbell bench presses ability to train more unilaterally and reduce muscle discrepancies, which leads to improvements in strength overall.
How to Program the Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell bench press can be programmed using a variety of set and rep schemes. It can be performed as a primary exercise at the start of your workout or as a supplemental exercise to maximize muscle fiber recruitment during a session.
Heavy Weight, Low Repetition
To maximize strength, three to five sets in the four to eight rep range is a good place to start. Because of the dumbbell’s stability requirements, lifting excessively heavy with extremely low reps to failure isn’t safe or effective. You should be using a weight that has you finish each set with at least one to two reps left “in the tank” to avoid reaching muscular failure. A rest period of three to five minutes between each set will ensure you lift with maximum effort.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition
For muscle building purposes, working for three to four sets in the six to 12 rep range will bump up your overall training volume of the pecs, which is beneficial for building muscle. (2) The multiple sets and reps also allow you to develop your bench press technique without excessive fatigue from heavier weights.
Low Weight, High Repetition
It could better to use a machine or cable-based machine when working with a higher rep target and being in a closer proximity to failure, because shoulder stabilizers can fatigue before the chest muscles. However, working for two to three sets in the 13-20 rep range is a great way to improve your technique without impacting any extra stress on your joints that may come about from using heavier weights.
Dumbbell Bench Press Variations
Below are several effective variations that can be used by coaches and athletes to keep training varied, progressive, and more finely tuned to a lifter’s needs.
Dumbbell Floor Press
As you may have guessed, the dumbbell floor press is a dumbbell bench press performed on the floor, without a bench. This deliberately limits your range of motion to prevent the weights from traveling down past your chest. This is ideal if you experience shoulder discomfort due to restricted mobility.
It can also helps to train the triceps and improve lockout strength because top-half of the range of motion, where the triceps are most engaged, is emphasized.
Dumbbell Foam Roller Press
Using a foam roller instead of a flat bench allows the scapulae (shoulder blades) to move more freely throughout each rep, which improves upper back and shoulder health.
The mechanics of this is surprisingly similar to that of a push-up and optimizes your natural scapulohumeral rhythm — the way your shoulder muscles and shoulder blades coordinate during movement. This improvement can lead to improved shoulder joint health and increased muscular engagement.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
This exercise variation is great for improving total-body stability and unilateral strength while also improving core engagement. You simply use one dumbbell and perform the exercise with one arm for your target number of reps before switching sides.
Your core musculature is going to be targeted to a much higher degree due to the fact that you’re preventing your torso from rotating to far to one side. It is best to use comfortable weight when first taking on this variation and build your confidence remaining stable before increasing weight.
Dumbbell Bench Press Alternatives
If you’re looking for options beyond the dumbbell bench press, there are several effective exercises that work that upper body in a similar fashion.
Barbell Bench Press
While the dumbbell bench has many specific benefits, sometimes it’s appropriate to just load some weight and bench. The key difference with this exercise is its bilateral component, moving both arms together, which exactly what makes it a great way to load up the weight and focus on building strength.
However, the barbell bench press is not limited to purely a strength focus. It can be used to provide a significant amount of volume which triggers a greater muscle-building response. Performing it later in the workout, when the chest is fatigued from other exercises, is one very effective approach.
Seated Cable Chest Press
This may appear to be an unconventional exercise, but it’s very effective when executed correctly. Much like the dumbbell bench press, there is a unilateral factor involved which allows the shoulders freedom to move with reduced joint strain.
The adjustable height of the cable pulleys allows you to train at angles (simulating an incline or decline press) while remaining seated upright. Many gyms have a dedicated seated cable machine, but an identical movement can be performed placing a seated bench in the center of a two-pulley cable station.
FAQs
Can I perform the dumbbell bench press and barbell bench press in the same workout?
Yes, absolutely. Use the barbell bench press as a primary strength lift, performed with heavy weight and low reps, and use the dumbbell bench press as a hypertrophy-specific lift with light to moderate weight and moderate to higher reps. This will let you fully exhaust the muscle fibers with the increases range of motion that the dumbbell bench press offers.
How far should I lower the dumbbells?
Ideally, you’d lower the weights to the level of your chest, with your elbows slightly below the bench. However, you should focus on using your active range of motion, not the maximum range of motion regardless of pain or mobility.
If you cannot lower the dumbbells to achieve the deepest stretch of your pecs, or if you feel any discomfort that takes the emphasis off your pecs, then only move where you can maintain tension without pain. Regardless, always take your time to warm-up and physically prepare the muscles being used. Sometimes a thorough warm-up of your back, chest, and shoulders allows you to use a larger range of motion.
Rethink “Bench Day”
You wouldn’t solely rely on the dumbbell bench press to build a bigger and stronger chest, just like you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) over-focus on the barbell bench. But when you take into consideration its benefits and versatility, it’s time to include this central exercise in your chest or “upper body pushing” workouts, with or without its barbell cousin.
References
Farias, D. A., Willardson, J. M., Paz, G. A., Bezerra, E. S., & Miranda, H. (2017). Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(7), 1879–1887. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001651
Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Krieger, J., Grgic, J., Delcastillo, K., Belliard, R., & Alto, A. (2019). Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 51(1), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764
Last week we gave you a recipe for air fried green beans, and today we’re back again with another fun and oh-so-easy way to use your air fryer: fried pickles!
That’s right, you can “fry” pickles for a crunchy, salty snack in minutes. This particular fried pickle recipe skips the questionable fry oil and batter in favor of a breading made with Primal-friendly ingredients. Whip up a batch of these, get out the Trivial Pursuit, and host an at-home pub quiz with gluten-free beer or these Primal mocktails for the abstainers.
In a small bowl, mix together the tapioca starch and spices. Add half of this mixture to the almond flour in another bowl. In a third bowl or dish, whisk together the egg.
Dry the pickles well on a towel to remove any excess moisture. Spray your air fryer basket with avocado oil.
Toss the pickles in the tapioca starch mixture. One at a time, use a fork to dip each pickle slice into the beaten egg, then dredge the slice in the almond flour mixture. Place the breaded pickle in the basket.
Repeat with the remaining pickles. Lightly mist the tops of the pickles with avocado oil spray.
Place the basket into an air fryer set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for about 10 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown. If needed, air fry for an additional 1 to 2 minutes more to achieve a nice golden brown exterior. Allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the basket.
Serve with your favorite Primal Kitchen dips and condiments!
Tips
Every air fryer is different and therefore cooks slightly differently. Refer to your manual for details.
Use savory vinegar-based pickles for this recipe. Avoid pickles with sugar in the brine as it will negatively affect their overall taste.
Air fried pickles are a crunchy, salty snack or side dish. This version skips the questionable fry oil and batter in favor of a breading made with paleo- and Primal-friendly ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix together the tapioca starch and spices. Add half of this mixture to the almond flour in another bowl. In a third bowl or dish, whisk together the egg.
Dry the pickles well on a towel to remove any excess moisture. Spray your air fryer basket with avocado oil.
Toss the pickles in the tapioca starch mixture. One at a time, use a fork to dip each pickle slice into the beaten egg, then dredge the slice in the almond flour mixture. Place the breaded pickle in the basket. Repeat with the remaining pickles. Lightly mist the tops of the pickles with avocado oil spray.
Place the basket into an air fryer set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for about 10 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown. If needed, air fry for an additional 1 to 2 minutes more to achieve a nice golden brown exterior. Allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the basket. Serve with your favorite Primal Kitchen dips and condiments!
Notes
Every air fryer is different and therefore cooks slightly differently. Refer to your manual for details.
Use savory vinegar-based pickles for this recipe. Avoid pickles with sugar in the brine as it will negatively affect their overall taste.
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It wouldn’t be a stretch to say bodybuilder Derek Lunsford is in a critical period of his career. As the reigning 212 Olympia Champion, Lunsford has his sights on a repeat performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. While his off-season ramps up, he has to fuel that potential repeat with the proper nutrition.
On June 1, 2022, Lunsford shared a full day of eating on his YouTube channel. The protein-packed, carbohydrate-loaded schedule is a glimpse into preparing one of modern bodybuilding’s elite competitors.
It’s a busy day of nutrition for Lunsford and he wastes no time diving right in.
Meal 1
For breakfast, Lunsford wastes no time packing on the protein and carbs. He eats 200 grams of egg whites, three ounces of Icon Meals steak, and some mushrooms and potatoes (quantity unspecified)
In total, his breakfast comes out to 50 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs. Lunsford notes that he generally aims to eat something similar at each meal. After he finishes breakfast, Lunsford takes a couple of scoops of supplements from Evolog and Evovite. He does this a few times a day and maintains the supplements help with any potential nausea since he’s consuming so much food.
Meal 2
At mid-morning, Lunsford combines eight ounces of some Icon Meals shredded chicken and eight ounces of white rice into a bowl. He also generously lathers buffalo wing sauce and light ranch all over the chicken. Lunsford explains that it’s the off-season, and he’s giving himself some breathing room. If he were in prep mode, he would not be as generous with things like sauces.
I like consistency when I eat. I like each bite to be about the same.
Lunsford’s second meal comes out to 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs.
Meal 3
For his third meal of the day, Lunsford leans on a pre-workout shake with an unspecified amount of cream of rice. He also includes almond milk and a scoop of Evogen’s chocolate protein powder. This adds up to 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs. Lunsford notes that drinking a protein shake at this moment is a bit from the norm for his diet.
“Normally, I like to eat most of my meals, and a protein shake is like post-workout,” Lunsford says. “Sometimes I’ll even have a second shake of the day, but I like to eat whole food. I like to eat chicken, beef, salmon, eggs, whatever.”
Lunsford says he still does cheat meals where he treats himself in the full throes of his off-season. His fourth meal of the day is a reflection of that. After waking up from a late nap, the bodybuilder eats eight ounces of ground chicken with taco seasoning and eight ounces of rice. It’s another 50 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs.
Lunsford insists that the day he filmed the video was a rest day, so he’s again giving himself more leeway.
“Today, I’m not training. I’m resting.” Lunsford says. “So, I’ll eat five meals for sure, and late tonight I’ll eat a sixth meal. I do have cheat meals sometimes, like twice a week I’m having cheat meals.”
Meal 5
For his (usual) fifth meal of the day, Lunsford goes to one of his tried-and-true staples: An unspecified amount of steak and white rice. This meal tops out at 50 grams of protein and 80 grams of carbs.
As Lunsford explains, he believes that a bodybuilder should consume red meat at least once a day during their off-season.
“I think you need to eat at least one red meat meal a day in the off-season, maybe two,” Lunsford says. “I wouldn’t eat too much, but one to two meals a day is good. You’ll probably notice your strength goes up, your volume will increase, so this is important to get at least a little red meat into your diet consistently.”
Meal 6
Lunsford has one more protein shake to close out his day of eating before sleeping. It has the same almond milk structure, except this time he puts in two scoops of Evogen’s protein. The final shake gives Lunsford another 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs.
On the whole, Lunsford’s entire day’s total of protein comes out to 300 grams. His carb total is 425 grams.
Lunsford will assuredly continue to plug away in his off-season as he prepares for December’s Mr. Olympia. His nutrition should undoubtedly play a huge role in his performance on stage. The bodybuilder will try to become a repeat 212 Olympia Champion on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
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The 2022 European Weightlifting Championships (EWC) are taking place from May 28-June 5, 2022, in Tirana, Albania.
There, for the first time in his career, Bulgarian weightlifter Karlos Nasar competed in the 89-kilogram weight class. That didn’t prove to be much of an obstacle for Nasar, the reigning International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Champion in the 81-kilogram weight class. The 18-year-old athlete went on to have a weekend to remember as he showed off his strength by setting three separate Junior World Records. They are as follows:
Karlos Nasar (89KG) | 2022 European Weightlifting Championships Junior World Records
Snatch — 171 kilograms (377 pounds) — Junior World Record
Clean & Jerk — 211 kilograms (465.2 pounds) — Junior World Record
Total — 382 kilograms (842.2 pounds) — Junior World Record
Nasar’s snatch record officially surpasses Karen Avaygan’s previous Junior World Record mark by a kilogram (2.2 pounds). His clean & jerk eclipses Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sanchez’s Junior World Record by seven kilograms (15.4 pounds). Finally, Nasar’s new Junior World Record total exceeds Revaz Davitadze’s previous record by 11 kilograms (24.2 pounds)
2022 European Weightlifting Championships Results
Nasar’s three Junior World Records were not enough for him to take home the gold. The athlete ended up finishing in second place with a silver medal. Senior 89-kilogram weightlifter Antonino Pizzolato was the only competitor to outdo Nasar’s performance with two separate feats. Pizzolato notched a World Record clean & jerk of 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds) along with a World Record total of 392 kilograms (864.2 pounds). These achievements helped the Italian weightlifter finish with the eventual gold medal.
Here are the top three finishers in the 2022 EWC for the Men:
2022 European Weightlifting Championships | Top Totals
These results don’t appear to be anything new for Nasar if his career trajectory indicates anything. In addition to his 2021 IWF World title, he has previously featured well in several youth competitions to start his competitive life.
Perhaps among the more notable, Nasar took first place in the 2019 World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Las Vegas, NV. He also finished in second place in the 81-kilogram weight class in the 2021 EWC that took place in Moscow, Russia.
In the lead-up to the 2022 EWC, Nasar frequently alluded to a potential record-breaking performance. His social media is rife with footage of the weightlifter breaking unofficial records in training. A 210-kilogram (463-pound) clean & jerk from an April 2022 session might be one of the more noteworthy overhead feats Nasar had beforehand. He even previously locked out a 175-kilogram (385.8 pounds) snatch in November 2021. That is the same snatch weight that Pizzolato captured at the 2022 EWC.
While Nasar’s competition is over, the 2022 EWC will finish on June 5, 2022.
Imagine this prehistoric giraffe relative with a helmet for a skull and a neck joint morphology explicitly adapted to high velocity movement swinging its thirty pound bowling ball of a head at you.
Resveratrol has no effect on metabolic health in overweight type 2 diabetics.
The difference between exogenous and endogenous ketosis.
“Mark,
Thank you for you latest Sunday Post. This post hit close to home.
I have always been a bit of an empath and years ago after another major tragedy, I found myself physically and chronically ill after I was unable to separate myself from this event. After years of therapy and alternative medical intervention I realized I needed to find ways to distance myself from what what going on around me.
While my husband can listen to and read the news all day, every day without any ill effects, I cannot, and I am now able to advocate for myself acknowledging this difference.
Disconnecting has been incredibly healing. I now have more time to spend with my family and do things that help improve my resilience, mentally and physically, which is what I need in order to continue my career as an educator to young children, and as a mother.”
-Glad to hear you’ve figured out what works for and helps you, Katie.
Having an impressive back is paramount when trying to develop an aesthetic physique. A V-shaped torso with a well-built back is an athletic and eye-catching look. And what about overall performance? The lower back, glutes, and hamstrings — collectively known as the posterior chain — provide a strong support and power base.
Credit: Maxim Morales Lopez / Shutterstock
This is why most people should spend more time pulling. These different muscles of the back have different roles which respond better to diverse stimuli., so you’ll miss certain parts if you only do one or two pulling exercises. Here are the eight best upper body pulling exercises for a complete back.
When most people think about targeting the lats, they usually picture a vertical pulling motion, like pull-ups or pulldowns. Yet, a properly executed seated cable row is one of the best exercises to emphasize the lats while minimizing involvement from other back muscles. Plus, you can eventually use a ton of weight.
Use a low pulley station and a neutral (thumbs-up), close-grip handle for this movement. The neutral grip combined with keeping your elbows close to your body helps focus on the lats and increase muscle recruitment. (1) Compared to a barbell row, the arms, lower back, and legs are less involved, allowing you to focus even more on the target muscle(s).
How to Do the Seated Cable Row
Sit at the low pulley station and grab the handle with a thumbs-up grip. Push your legs into the support platform while keeping a neutral spine. In the starting position, your knees should be slightly bent, and your chest puffed out (this helps to engage your upper back muscles for stability).
Imagine your hands are mere meaty hooks and pull hard with your elbows, without rounding your spine. The handle should nearly reach your abs in the peak contraction, and your elbows should be slightly behind your body.
Lower the weight slowly and let it stretch your back as far as possible, even letting the scapulae (shoulder blades) come forward. This extreme stretch is one way to hit the lats, trapezius, and rhomboids. (2) When lifting and lowering the weight, be mindful not to let the lower back round and not swing your upper body to cheat the weight with momentum.
Benefits of the Seated Cable Row
The seated cable row allows potentially heavy loading, encouraging long-term progress.
It reinforces strong posture by requiring upper-body control and spinal stabilization, while strengthening the upper back.
Meadows Row
This exercise is named after the late bodybuilding coach John Meadows, who popularized the movement. It uses a barbell landmine rather than a dumbbell and focuses on the upper back muscles — the lower traps, rhomboids, and even the rear delts. But don’t worry, it still works the lats as well.
The leverage of the landmine and the angle of movement allow for a unique stretch of the recruited muscles, which develops muscle mass.
How to Do the Meadows Row
Stand on one side of a landmine station in a staggered stance with slightly bent knees. Use your front leg as a support for the same-side arm. Keep your spine flat and remain bent at the waist. Use lifting straps to grab the barbell sleeve with a pronated (palm-down) grip. Because the sleeve is smooth and thick, the lifting straps will prevent grip strength from being a limiting factor.
Lift the weight by driving hard with your elbow. To emphasize the upper back, allow your elbow to flare out, rather than staying pinned to your ribs. Keep your torso flat, not rotated. Maximize the range of motion by using smaller 25-pound or 10-pound plates instead of 45-pound plates.
Benefits of the Meadows Row
This unique row trains the upper back and lats with minimal lower back strain.
As a unilateral exercise, it corrects strength imbalances and improves overall muscle development.
Inverted Row
This simple bodyweight exercise being “underestimated” is an understatement. Some hardcore gym-goers refuse to engage in bodyweight exercises once they get a taste of iron, but the inverted row is a fantastic exercise for any lifter.
Not only does it work the whole upper back and arms, but it also gives your lower back a rest. (3) It’s simple, effective, and can be easily adapted to any strength level or goal. Too hard? Set the bar higher or bend your knees. Too easy? Slip on a weighted vest and/or elevate your feet on a bench.
How to Do the Inverted Row
Position a stable bar (often a Smith machine) around waist height. The lower the bar, the harder the exercise will be because the more bodyweight you’ll be lifting. Lie under the bar and grab it using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, either pronated (palm-down) or supinated (palm-up). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.
Lower yourself with control. To reap the most benefits, keep your body as tight as possible. Contract your glutes and abs, and keep your entire body straight throughout each rep. Don’t let your scapulas move around as you stretch at the bottom. Let’s stay tight and work on core stability.
Benefits of the Inverted Row
The inverted row will build total-body strength and stability because the body must be stabilized during the exercise.
It improves scapular strength and health, which benefits posture.
It’s relatively easier than a pull-up, so it’s an excellent place to start with bodyweight pulling exercises.
For a bodyweight exercise, it targets the upper back more than the pull-up.
Chest-Supported Row
If you’re an older lifter or anyone who’s suffered injuries over the years, chances are you’ve tweaked your lower back at some point, and the mere reading of this article is making your spine itch. Well, do not fret. There’s a heavy-duty exercise that won’t bug your lower back.
Even if you don’t have back problems, the chest-supported row is valuable. It prevents any form of cheating and won’t tax your spinal erectors, which leaves them fresh for your squats and deadlifts. There’s minimal chance of shifting the stress of the exercise onto the wrong muscles.
How to Do the Chest-Supported Row
Some gyms are equipped with a machine specially designed for this exercise. Otherwise, use an incline bench and set it at around a 45-degree angle. Lie against the bench with your chest at the very top and your head above.
Assume a stable position with your feet and brace your core. You won’t be moving your body during the lift, apart from your arms and shoulder blades. Grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells and start rowing, driving your elbows up hard. Squeeze as hard and high as you can, then slowly lower the weight to a full stretch.
To emphasize the lats, use a neutral-grip (palms facing each other) and keep your elbows close to your body. For more upper back involvement, assume a pronated grip (palms down) and let your elbows go to the sides.
Benefits of the Chest-Supported Row
This chest-supported row has no lower back involvement, which prevents back pain and fatigue.
The strict movement prevents momentum and cheating. You only work the desired muscles and the perfect technique is reinforced.
It works the lats, lower traps, and rhomboids.
Face Pull
Do you know what can put a roadblock between you and your goals? Injuries. The body needs a strong, balanced foundation to perform and be healthy, but many people spend more time performing pushing exercises than pulling. This can open the shoulder joint to an increased risk of injury when the body’s internal rotators (chest, anterior deltoids, and lats) overpower the external rotators (rotator cuff and posterior deltoids).
Coupled with a lack of development of the shoulder blade stabilizers (like the trapezius and rhomboids), this can create muscular imbalances and persistent injuries. Enter the face pull. A favorite in performance-based strength circles, this exercise works all the neglected little muscles contributing to shoulder health. (4) It’s also a nice rear delt builder and targets the traps and rhomboids in a unique way.
How to Do the Face Pull
Clip a rope attachment to a pulley set around chest-level. Grab the rope with your thumbs facing you and pinkies facing away. Extend your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, and step back until the weight plates are slightly lifted.
Bending your knees for stability, flatten your spine, and puff out your chest. Pull the weights to your forehead-level. Each hand should end up on the side of your face (hence the name). Pause for a second in the contracted position, then slowly lower the weight back to its initial position.
Avoid flexing your arms using your biceps, but instead pack your shoulder blades together and pull with your elbows. Your arms will bend naturally. If you’re a bodybuilding enthusiast, think about performing a “back double biceps” pose.
Benefits of the Face Pull
This cable movement works the upper back, rear delts, and rotator cuff.
It’s very efficient at improving shoulder health and promoting joint longevity.
It’s equally useful at improving posture, especially kyphosis in the thoracic spine (being slouched over).
Banded Dumbbell Pullover
The pullover is a classic exercise, older than the sport of bodybuilding itself. However, its main target muscle has been the subject of debate for just as long. Is it an exercise for the chest or the back? It actually works both, according to science and experience. (5)
Biomechanically, the lats are main arm extensors of the arms and shoulders, but the chest (and long head of the triceps) also contribute to that movement in certain ranges of motion. If you perform the exercise in a back workout, especially with your lats already pumped and fatigued, you’ll certainly feel them working.
The added band compensates for the lack of gravity-induced tension in the top position of the exercise. This allows more time under tension and muscle growth because the exercise now delivers both a great stretch and a hard contraction.
How to Do the Banded Dumbbell Pullover
Lie on a flat bench with the top of your head at one end, your upper body fully supported, and your feet planted on the ground. Do not lie sideways across the bench like some lifters perform the movement. Place a dumbbell on the ground behind your head. Attach one end of a resistance band to the dumbbell and the other end of the band to a stable rack, extremely heavy dumbbell, or have a partner hold it in place.
Grab the dumbbell with the palms of your hands on the underside of the weights around the handle. Place the dumbbell over your head with slightly bent arms. Don’t let your glutes leave the bench as lower the weight behind your head into a deep stretch.
Pull it back to the starting position against the band tension. Do not actively bend your elbows because it will shift the workload off the back and onto the triceps.
Benefits of the Banded Dumbbell Pullover
The pullover targets the lats, chest, and shoulders.
The movement can help to build your mind-muscle connection for the lats.
The deep range of motion provides a great stretch upper body which improves thoracic (upper back) and shoulder mobility.
Banded Pull-Up
The pull-up might be a staple exercise for back development, but can you do more than a few? And can you do enough of them with perfect form? Enter the resistance band.
A light resistance band allows you to squeeze your muscles harder, because it offers slight help, and it allows you to really focus on feeling the lats. It’s easier on the joints as well because shoulder joint stress is reduced in the bottom position, where the band offers the most help.
For the muscle-focused lifter, it has another advantage. Compared to a lat pulldown, the pull-up involves movement at your lower body, which recruits a lot of core work for stability. (6) Now, unless you’re freakishly strong, an experienced gymnast, or a calisthenics aficionado, chances are you lack some control over your lower body during the pull-up.
This can make it less efficient for back development. The band takes care of this and guides you upwards like you’re on a rail. This provides more control and improves the mind-muscle connection with your back.
How to Perform the Banded Pull-Up
Secure a resistance band on top of a rack and stretch it down so you can step into it. The resistance of the band should allow you to complete 10-15 reps before muscle fatigue. Grip the bar palms-down, slightly wider than your shoulders. Keep your elbows in front of your body and start pulling yourself up.
It’s crucial that you keep an arched chest and not let it collapse by rolling your shoulders forward — this would shift the stress of the movement from the back muscles to the shoulder joints, possibly causing injuries. Think about leading with your chest to the ceiling. Lower yourself to a dead-stop hang for maximum stretch.
Benefits of the Banded Pull-Up
The pull-up is one of the most efficient back-building exercises that activates multiple muscles in the back.
The resistance band allows the lifter to focus more on the back involvement and less on total body rigidity.
The band’s assistance allows beginners to perform pull-ups and experienced lifters to perform high-rep pull-ups in a fatigued state.
Barbell Back Extension
We’re keeping the best for last. At least, the most underrated back exercise there is. Every gym bro is eager to pummel their lats and traps. But the vast majority discard lower back training. It’s treated as an afterthought, a muscle group sufficiently stimulated by lower body exercises, or it’s simply avoided because of an already aching spine.
But what many fail to understand is that the lower back is arguably the most important muscle group in the body, along with the other core muscles. It supports our spine — the center of our entire musculoskeletal system. Having a weak spinal region is like having a tree with a soft trunk.
Research has shown that people with back problems simply had less spinal muscle mass and strength. (7) Having a strong lower back will make you stronger, healthier and more resilient overall. (8)
Also, a muscular lower back (called a “Christmas tree” in bodybuilding circles) is just impressive-looking and aesthetic. The back extension also strengthens your glutes and hamstrings, and can drive up your deadlift and squat to unprecedented levels.
How to Do the Barbell Back Extension
Be sure to warm-up thoroughly and practice proper form at all times. Adjust a 45-degree back extension bench so that the top of the pad is just below your waist. Secure your ankles in the ankle pads and place your thighs on the upper pads, while keeping the legs straight.
Hinge forward at the hips and grab a barbell with a palms-down grip. Keep your arms straight and your spine neutral from your tailbone to your neck. Flex your abs and pinch your shoulder blades together. Lift the weight by squeezing your glutes until your entire body is in a straight line.
Don’t allow the weight to rest on the ground in the bottom position. Perform controlled reps and do not jerk the weight. If the position hurts the back of your knees, set the waist pad a bit higher and point your toes slightly out.
Benefits of the Barbell Back Extension
The back extension builds the entire posterior chain: your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, as well as working the lats and upper back statically as stabilizers.
The movement is one of the best exercises for building and maintaining a healthy and strong spine.
It has tremendous carryover to squats, deadlifts, and strength in general.
The Back Muscles
The back is a complex array of several muscles, and one should know their purposes and apply different strategies for each part as they respond better to certain stimuli. Unfortunately, some muscles of the back are unknown or neglected by many lifters, which can lead to imbalances or suboptimal performance. Here are the most important back muscles.
Latissimus Dorsi
This is the largest muscle in the upper body, and one of the strongest. Commonly known as “the lats”, they play a key role in spine and arm movements. They help extend and stabilize the spine and, with the help of their little brother, the teres major, they move the arm downward. They also help to move and rotate the shoulders.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
The lats are “the” pulling muscle. Whenever you’re pulling with your arms — during pull-ups, pulldowns, or rows — they are involved in some way, but humerus depression (when your upper arms are brought towards your ribs) is what will really hit them. This is why the cue of “pulling with your elbows” is so efficient to target the lats.
Trapezius
The trapezius is another one of the strongest muscles in the body. It goes from the middle of the spine to the bottom of the cranium, and laterally across both scapulae (shoulder blades).
It is made of three distinct parts with each serving a different function on the scapulae: the upper fibers are used for elevation, the middle fibers retract the scapulae, and the lower fibers depress it. Whenever your shoulder blades are engaged, the traps are, too.
When most people say that they are working their “traps,” they usually mean working the upper section while performing shrugs (scapular elevation). For overall back aesthetics and strength, you should also address the medium and lower fibers.
Posterior Deltoids
This relatively small muscle, one-third part of the larger shoulder muscle, the posterior (or rear) deltoids run from the upper side of the scapula to the humerus bone on the back of the arm.
Their main functions are to rotate the arm externally, extend the arm, and bring it down alongside the body. Neglecting this muscle will result in “sloped,” hunched-over shoulders. But more importantly, the rear deltoids are important for shoulder health and stability.
Rhomboids
Along with the teres, trapezius, and posterior deltoids, the rhomboids create “the upper back.” These muscles work together in an overlapping function to control scapular movement. The rhomboids particularly work to rotate, elevate, and retract the scapulae.
Erector Spinae
The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are a paired column of muscles running from the sacrum up to the base of the skull. It is possibly the most important muscle in your body (after the heart, of course) because it supports the base upon which all other bones, organs, and muscles are attached.
Along with the abdominal muscles, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor, they form the “core muscles.” Any movement that engages the core or the spine in any way recruits the spinal erectors.
How Often Should You Train the Back
Your back is large and can handle a lot of work. Unfortunately, many people have an unbalanced workout routine and insufficient pulling work can result in postural problems and strength plateaus.
Credit: nkotlyar / Shutterstock
While you can hit the back, in some way, every day for health or performance goals, a proven hypertrophy (muscle-building) plan is to hit the back one to three times a week for a total of 12 to 20 working sets. For muscle growth, include the back in a pulling workout with the biceps, as part of an upper body session, or in a full-body workout.
Total volume-per-session should be adjusted depending on your split. If you target the back once a week, 10 to 12 sets should be enough, but if you hit it twice or thrice, the total work done each week can increase as you reduce the volume in each workout.
For instance you could do six or seven sets for the back, followed by other upper body muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps, and biceps) for two upper-body workouts per week. With a full-body approach done three times per week, six sets for the back in each session would work well.
How to Progress Your Back Training
The back is composed of many different muscles with different purposes, so you will have to adopt different strategies depending on your objectives. Larger muscles, like the lats, can progress faster than others. A prime mover is guaranteed to elicit more force than a more postural muscle.
Track your progress on the big compound exercises, and add weight (and/or reps) from week to week. The quality of execution is paramount, so keep the weekly weight jumps conservative, around five to 10 pounds.
Credit: Paul Biryukov / Shutterstock
Certain muscles will respond better to different rep schemes and techniques. The lats and the erectors grow well with pretty basic work with heavy weights and low to moderate reps. The rear delts and upper back muscles often respond better to a higher rep range (15-30 reps). The upper back muscles also benefit from increased time under tension with the use of mid-rep pauses, for instance.
The back as a whole can be a pretty difficult area to feel, so do not hesitate to use the “isolation sandwich technique” — doing a compound (multi-joint) exercise, followed by an isolation (single-joint) exercise, then another compound movement. This can be an efficient way to improve the mind-muscle connection.
How to Warm-Up Your Back
Warming-up both your upper back and lower back is a good way to minimize any potential injury risk. It’s also a good idea to warm-up your triceps, because many lat exercises put the triceps under a stretch and you want to avoid strains and tears. Grab a light resistance band and try this circuit:
Band Pull-Apart: Take a resistance band with a palms-down grip, holding the band at arms-length in front of your body. Keep a slight bend in your arms while pulling both hands back in line with your shoulders. Pause when the band touches your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Scapular Pull-Up: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and your arms straight, as if you were ready to perform a pull-up. Without bending your arms, pull your shoulder blades down and back. Your body will raise slightly. Think of doing a “reverse shrug”. Slowly let your scapulae come back up to a stretch. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Iso-Hold Row: Loop the resistance band around a stable rack at chest-level. Grab it using a neutral (thumbs up) grip and step back from the rack. Pull the band with your elbows close to your body, until your hands are just under your chest. Don’t allow your shoulders to rise up. Once you reach the peak contraction, hold it for 15 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Band Triceps Pushdown: Attach the resistance band to a point over your head. Grab the band with a thumbs-up grip using both hands. Keep your elbows fixed at the sides of your body and bring your hands down by extending your arms until fully locked out. Return to the starting position, resisting the band tension. Only your forearms should move. Perform 20 reps before repeating the first exercise. Do this circuit a total of three times.
Building a Complete Back
You can’t just do one back exercise and call it a day. You have to use different angles and techniques to cover all the muscles of this complex region. These exercise options will allow you to create a workout that will ensure each back muscle is properly addressed, for a complete development without wasting your time by pummeling the same muscle group or ignoring others.
References
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Niederbracht, Yvonne; Shim, Andrew; Sloniger, Mark; Paternostro-Bayles, Madeline; Short, Thomas. Effects of a Shoulder Injury Prevention Strength Training Program on Eccentric External Rotator Muscle Strength and Glenohumeral Joint Imbalance in Female Overhead Activity Athletes, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2008 – Volume 22 – Issue 1 – p140 – 145. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815f5634
Eduardo Borges, Bruno Mezêncio, Rafael Soncin. Resistance training acute session: pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and triceps brachii electromyographic activity. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. Published June 2018. doi:10.7752/jpes.2018.02095.
Hewit, Jennifer. A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises. Published 2018/11/02. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports. doi:10.19080/JPFMTS.2018.05.555669
Yaprak Y. The effects of back extension training on back muscle strength and spinal range of motion in young females. Biol Sport. 2013 Sep;30(3):201-6. doi: 10.5604/20831862.1047500. Epub 2013 Jul 22. PMID: 24744489; PMCID: PMC3944566.
María Moreno Catalá, Arno Schroll, Gunnar Laube and Adamantios Arampatzis. Muscle Strength and Neuromuscular Control in Low-Back Pain: Elite Athletes Versus General Population. Frontiers in neuroscience. Published 03 July 2018. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00436
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
The question at hand today is whether alternate-day fasting is a viable, perhaps even preferable, option for folks who want to experiment with intermittent fasting. I’ve written about fasting many times here on the blog because it’s one of my favorite tools for managing insulin, blood sugar, appetite, and (possibly) promoting longevity, but I’ve never dedicated a post to alternate-day fasting per se. Time to remedy that.
Last week we gave you a recipe for 
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steak, and some mushrooms and potatoes (quantity unspecified)
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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