Mark’s Daily Apple turns 16 today. I guess we could say it’s officially “come of age.” It was the platform that launched the primal mission, and I couldn’t have spread the word without it — and without you, my dedicated readers, of course. So let’s get a little reminiscent, shall we? After all, that’s what birthdays are for.
Many of you are familiar with my personal journey. A career as an endurance athlete left me sick and injured, making me acutely aware that the standard health and nutrition advice I’d been following was misguided at best and destructive at worst. I’ve always loved challenging my brain as much as I do my body, so I dug into all the science available and began experimenting with a more evolutionary approach to food and fitness. I noticed the benefits right away and wanted to document my journey and help other people reclaim their health as well. I started Mark’s Daily Apple for that very reason, with a measurable goal in mind — to change the lives of 10 million people.
I soon discovered just how many people out there are sick of being failed by mainstream dietary and fitness advice. Visits to Mark’s Daily Apple skyrocketed as more people found their way to the blog, many of whom encouraged me to consolidate my research and way of life — which I call the primal lifestyle — in a book. And so I did.
Time passed, and I continued researching and investigating what it means to live primally, sharing my findings with you here. I also hosted in-person retreats and seminars and developed specialized online courses like the 21-Day Primal Reset Course. But I wanted to do more. I wanted to develop a program for those that desired to go beyond the blog and books and take an even deeper dive into the primal lifestyle.
So the primal mission took another leap and I created the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program in 2014. It was an incredibly comprehensive exploration of ancestral health — on par with a college-level science course. It was for the primal enthusiast who wanted to become an expert for their own edification, but we soon discovered that the majority of people enrolling in the course had professional aspirations. They were either already a health or fitness professional or wanted to become one. With this discovery, I knew there was an opportunity to take the primal mission even further.
So I founded Primal Health Coach Institute to train other people in primal health and, with their help, change the lives of 100 million people around the world.
Primal Health Coach Institute is, in a sense, the culmination of my collective efforts to share the primal message and help people reclaim their health and wellness. I’ve gone from writing about ancestral health through daily articles on this blog to training people to become health and fitness coaches so they can go out and spread the word. And the compounding network effect has been powerful.
I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with Primal Health Coach Institute. It’s not just an online platform that lets you take your pick of coaching courses. We’ve nurtured a tight community of coaches around the world. And we make sure they have the resources they need to launch and run a successful practice, so we can keep changing lives, one person and one coach at a time.
We’ve also spun off other endeavors, like myPrimalCoach, which matches users with their very own health coach through a convenient app. You’d better believe once we reach 100 million people, we’re going even bigger. And I know we can do it with everything Primal Health Coach Institute has in the works.
So happy birthday to the blog that started it all and continues to have a massive impact on the world. It’s certainly had a huge impact on mine.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Yangsu Ren is young compared to some of his peers, but he only started competitive powerlifting when he was 28 years old. With a new feat of strength, the athlete appears to be more than making up for any perceived past lost time.
On Oct. 26, 2022, Ren shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a 390-kilogram (860-pound) deadlift from a sumo stance, with lifting straps, during a training session. (Note: He did not disclose his body weight for the lift.)
According to Open Powerlifting, the pull is 50.1 kilograms (110.5 pounds) more than his all-time competition best from the 2017 USA Powerlifting Raw National Championships. This deadlift is also 27.5 kilograms (60.6 pounds) more than Owen Hubbard’s current International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Record in the 83-kilogram weight class. Ren’s previous training best was a 410.5-kilogram pull (905 pounds) from December 2020, when he weighed 196 pounds.
On an official competitive level, Ren has not formally stepped onto a sanctioned lifting platform in roughly four years since October 2018. At the time of this writing, he’s staying true to that trend and hasn’t alluded to any upcoming contests. That hasn’t stopped the athlete from crushing it in the gym, per his Instagram feed — where it’s apparent he regularly makes it a point to share clips of himself completing massive deadlifts.
Other notable recent deadlift sessions include Ren capturing a 336-kilogram (740-pound) conventional deadlift for three reps in September 2022. With that said and those caveats in mind, here’s an overview of Ren’s all-time competition bests:
As for Ren’s competitive history, he enjoyed some peaks and valleys but showed plenty of flashes should he ever return to the stage. Here’s a rundown of some of his notable career results:
Yangsu Ren | Complete Career Results
2016 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Grinder Open (Raw/Open) — Second place
2017 USAPL CA State Games & USA Masters Games (Raw/Open) — First place
2017 USAPL Raw National Championships (Raw/Open) — Fifth place
2018 USAPL California State Games (Raw/Open) — First place
2018 USAPL Raw Nationals (Raw/Open) — Seventh place
While Ren hasn’t competed as a powerlifter in a little while, he’s still kept busy with other aspects of his life. According to his LinkedIn and social media, Ren has a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Michigan and currently works with computational biology as a professional.
It seems this prolific deadlifting athlete knows how to rigidly study and maintain his unique power at the same.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
As a former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion in 2017, there’s little doubt that Eddie Hall possesses the requisite strength and power needed to thrive as an American football player. The strongman legend recently decided to put some of his other skills to the test in a direct application.
On Oct. 23, 2022, Hall posted a video to his YouTube channel where he tried several drills featured in the National Football League’s (NFL) annual Scouting Combine that test the athletic aptitude of incoming rookie players. Going a little bit out of his comfort zone seemed fun for Hall to check up on his overall athletic talents in an unfamiliar environment.
To ensure he would conduct every drill appropriately, Hall had former long-time NFL veteran Jack Crawford and rugby/former NFL player Christian Scotland-Williamson on hand to help. The combine-style workout took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK. (Note: The stadium is one of the few venues in which the NFL sometimes plays regular season games, with another notable location being Wembley Stadium, also in London.)
After maintaining that he “can’t catch, can’t throw, and can’t run” but can probably “mow people down,” Hall padded himself in equipment and got to work.
The first drill saw Hall test his agility in the 20-yard shuttle to see how he changed direction. The drill has an athlete start in between a 10-yard margin. While pivoting, they run five yards to each side before a final 10-yard sprint. Hall notched a time of 5.15 seconds. For someone of his 300-plus-pound size, such a time compares well to NFL offensive linemen. For example, Houston Texans offensive guard and 2022 NFL draft selection Kenyon Green completed his official shuttle run in 5.12 seconds, per the NFL database.
Hall followed the shuttle run with the broad jump — where the athlete tests their forward-leaping ability. Hall managed to notch a distance of 6.5 feet (or 78 inches). This compared less favorably to NFL offensive linemen, as someone like the Los Angeles Chargers’ Zion Johnson broad-jumped 9.3 feet (or 112 inches) in March 2022’s edition of the actual Combine, according to Pro Football Reference. (Note: Hall completed his broad jump in shoulder pads and protective knee wear, potentially limiting his mobility. Whereas NFL athletes complete their tests in shorts and shirts.)
Hall finally tried his hand at the famed 40-yard dash to close this short mock NFL combine. A simple ask, all he had to do was run 40 yards in a straight line as fast as possible. He finished with a time of 5.73 seconds. Considering his lack of experience, that time might be solid. Though, again, mobility issues aside, that time doesn’t compare well with young professional offensive linemen, as someone like Johnson had a 40-yard dash of 5.18 seconds. In this drill, more than half a second is a significant difference.
With this Combine mock-up in the rearview mirror, Hall is preparing for his strongman comeback. After retirement in 2017, he will return as captain of Team UK at the 2022 Giants Live World Nation on Nov. 26, 2022, at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Hall might have been a successful American football player in a different world.
In this reality, strongman is his calling, and it should be fascinating to see how he fares in what will likely be a highly-anticipated return.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
After winning the 2022 New York Pro and Indy Pro shows, it might be fair to say Blessing Awodibu is one of the bigger up-and-coming names in bodybuilding. To help further cement his place at the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia — his debut in the sport’s flagship contest — he recently enlisted the help of a living legend.
On Oct. 24, 2022, Awodibu posted a video to his YouTube channel where he trained with seven-time Mr. Olympia champion (2011-2017) Phil Heath. The two have previously worked together in the gym and, in this instance, they focused on polishing up Awodibu’s arms.
With introductions out of the way, the pair immediately jumped into the workout fray. While Awodibu tackled his biceps on the preacher curl machine, he discussed Heath’s approach to arm training during the early parts of his career. It apparently came to a point where Heath was training his arms so well he had to slow down and let the other parts of his physique fall in line.
“I would have a full arm day, but then I would do chest and tris, then back and bis,” Heath said. “By the time I turned pro, my arms were overpowering everything.”
As Awodibu transitioned to an incline biceps curl machine, Heath gave him a tip to warm-up first for a measure of established control.
“I know how to do this, but after the contraction, the machine almost pulls me down when I lower it,” Heath explained to Awodibu. “I really have to control this one.”
Eventually, Heath had Awodibu do some “Heath Curls” — the bodybuilding legend’s variation of single-arm dumbbell curls where one does several reps on one side before alternating. This differs from traditional curls, with an athlete alternating every individual rep. A mix of concentration curls, rope pushdowns for the triceps, cable overhead extensions, and single-arm cable pushdowns would follow through the rest of the routine.
Here’s an overview of the workout:
*Blessing Awodibu Arm Workout with Phil Heath, October 2022
While Heath won’t be competing alongside Awodibu at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, that doesn’t mean he won’t have an important role. The bodybuilding great will be one of the lead commentators in the announcers’ booth, offering his experienced insights on the contest.
Meanwhile, Awodibu will try to make a name for himself amongst some of the sport’s active dynamos like Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and Nick Walker. If he’s taking cues from someone such as Heath, chances are Awodibu might flourish. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In the greater CrossFit pantheon, Rich Froning Jr.’s resume is largely unassailable. After an Individual career where he captured four Men’s CrossFit Games titles, Froning Jr. transitioned to a successful Teams career where he led six consecutive squads to championships. With all his accomplishments in mind, the living legend is ready for something new.
During an Oct. 25, 2022, episode of The Sevan Podcast, Froning Jr. announced that he plans to retire from the CrossFit Teams division. The 35-year-old noted that he enjoyed his run at the head of Team Mayhem Freedom — the most successful Team in CrossFit Games history — but is now planning for the future.
Froning Jr. might not be calling it quits forever. While he’s putting a bow on his major Individual and Teams career, the athlete noted he might compete in the CrossFit Masters division in the future. (Note: He isn’t the first long-time CrossFit competitor to announce plans to hang up his kettlebells in some fashion in October 2022.) For now, he seems to be settling into a calmer life, away from the sport and with his family.
The athlete offered more clarity on what might be in store for him in an Oct. 25 Instagram post.
“I’ve had an incredible career to this point as an Individual and on a Team,” Froning Jr. expressed. “From now on, whether I compete will be decided on a year-to-year basis depending on what season of life we’re in and how this old body feels.”
The competitor signed off with a word of thanks and appreciation for the greater CrossFit community.
“Thank you to our [CrossFit Mayhem] family and the rest of the [CrossFit] community for lifting us up during competition, you guys are the best fans in all of sports,” Froning Jr. wrote. “I’m sure I’ll see you all again on the floor sometime in the future, but until then … thank you!”
When accounting for his Individual (four) and Teams victories (six), Froning Jr. is comfortably the most decorated CrossFitter of all time. (Note: Only fellow CrossFit legend Mat Fraser has earned more Individual Men’s titles, with five.) Froning Jr. also possesses an impeccable record of consistency. Save for the 2020 CrossFit Games — where the Team competition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the athlete finished, in some fashion, on every Games podium since 2010.
As he looks to a life without competitive CrossFit on his mind (for now), Froning Jr. leaves behind an indelible legacy. It’s the end of a memorable era for one of the sport’s most accomplished greats.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Kristy Hawkins is at a stage in her powerlifting career where the baseline expectation might be that she’ll lift something incredible whenever she gets a barbell in her hands. The athlete didn’t disappoint on this billing with her latest noteworthy feat of strength.
On Oct. 25, 2022, Hawkins posted an Instagram clip of herself capturing a 250-kilogram (551-pound) raw back squat for three reps during a training session. According to the caption of her post, the massive squat is a personal record (PR) for Hawkins. The athlete wore a lifting belt to help with the latest demonstration of her unique power.
As impressive as Hawkins’ squat achievement is at first glance, she was her harshest critic as the athlete didn’t seem pleased with the overall result. Especially on a lift that appeared to be smooth and go off without a hitch through all three reps. In her Instagram post, the powerlifter seemed to imply she may have been able to squat more on a better day.
Not happy with how squats felt and moved tonight but managed a PR.
Hawkins is no stranger to incredible milestones on her lifts. The athlete owns the World Record for the squat, deadlift, and total in the 75-kilogram weight class. Her top-ever competitive bench press of 155 kilograms (341.7 pounds) is also the second heaviest all-time, behind Allison Hind’s press of 163.3 kilograms (360 pounds) from the 2022 Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) North American and New Jersey State Championships.
Here’s an overview of Hawkins’ all-time raw competition bests:
Kristy Hawkins (75KG) | All-Time Raw Competition Bests
Squat — 262.5 kilograms (578.7 pounds) | World Record
Deadlift — 278 kilograms (611.7 pounds) | World Record
Total — 685 kilograms (1,510.1 pounds) | World Record
At the time of this writing, Hawkins’ three-rep squat PR seems connected to preparation for an undisclosed powerlifting contest in December. A previous social media post saw the athlete alluding to a competition in the late fall, but she didn’t share what that contest was. At the same time, her social media is littered with recent clips of rep PRs on her squat and deadlift. (Notably, in mid-July 2022, Hawkins deadlifted over 22 pounds above her World Record figure.)
For Hawkins, she will likely excel wherever that stage is, considering the powerlifter has won 11 straight competitions dating back to mid-May 2015. To date, she has also never failed to qualify for the podium and has only failed to win outright on four occasions in a career that began in April 2014.
Hawkins’ records of success and achievement can probably speak for themselves. As one of powerlifting’s elite superstars, she very well might cap the 2022 calendar year by standing on top of yet another podium.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Few exercises can be as daunting as the pull-up. Having the strength necessary to perform one single repetition is a challenge for many. Yet, it is a milestone everyone should strive for. It’s frustrating to struggle performing pull-ups, but it’s even worse to leave them out of your program entirely.
Credit: tsyhun / Shutterstock
This staple exercise should be the backbone of many pulling workouts for beginners and advanced lifters alike. You don’t even need a gym. Heck, you don’t really even a pull-up bar. A sturdy tree or swingset can be enough to deliver you massive back, shoulder, and arm gains. Mastering the pull-up will be a game changer in your fitness journey.
The pull-up is a training staple for a reason. It delivers a myriad of benefits from mastering your own body to getting stronger to adding lean muscle. Let’s cover them all.
Functional Strength
Yes, functional training has been a trend in recent years. To specifically define what makes an exercise “functional” is a bit of headache, but there is a certain beauty and practicality in being able to move your own body around, just like with the push-up, running, or jumping. Mastering bodyweight movements and building coordination is a quality every human should strive for.
Credit: Microgen / Shutterstock
What is clear is that the pull-up can improve your overall strength and is transferable to many other activities and exercises, such as climbing, gymnastics, or even wrestling. Being stronger at the pull-up is being stronger at life, with improved grip strength and stronger back, arm, and core muscles.
Building Muscle
The pull-up shows up in so many resistance training plans because of its efficient ability to build size. It is one of the best, if not the best, muscle-builders for the back.(1) It is also a tremendous exercise for upper arm and forearm size. Moreover, it spares your lower back and legs from participating in the movement, which can be great if you’re injured or want to avoid excessive training volume in these body parts.
You can focus more on your pulling muscles, which improves your mind-muscle connection and provides quality volume to the target muscles. This will give you the best chance of building a well-developed back.(2)(3)
Better Grip
Grip strength can be easily overlooked, but is actually invaluable. Most exercises, even for the lower body, use your hands. The pull-up can improve your grip because you are required to lift your entire body and connect yourself to the bar.
This will directly be transferable to other pulling exercises and deadlift variations, but strong forearms and grip will also stabilize your wrists during pressing exercises such as the bench press, and can improve overall wrist, elbow, and shoulder joint health.(4) Grip strength is also linked to longevity and general health, which is a hefty bonus.(5)
How to Do the Pull-Up
The pull-up might be a bodyweight exercise, there is still technique involved if you want to master it and reap all its benefits.
Credit: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock
Set yourself in position by hanging from a bar with your arms completely extended using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and your hands pronated (palms facing away from you).
Pull your shoulder blades back, raise your chest, and engage your core to prevent yourself from swaying.
Pull yourself toward the bar by flexing your elbows and squeezing your back until your chin is over the bar. If you’re a taller lifter or have long limbs, you might need to stop sooner if your back and arms fully contract before that point.
Exhale and hold the contraction for one second while keeping your chest arched and your body tensed.
Lower slowly by extending your arms in a controlled fashion to prevent as much swaying as possible.
Once you’re at a dead-hang, you’ve completed a pull-up. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.
Pull-Up Variations
The task ahead is daunting, but the challenge of the pull-up is worthy and you shouldn’t be intimidated by it. If you struggle with the movement, there are some variations that will help you towards your first good rep.
Negative Pull-Up
With this variation, you’re only doing the eccentric (lowering) part of the lift. To perform it, simply stand on a box, grab the bar and jump into the top position. Then slowly lower yourself in four to five seconds.
This is an excellent variation if you struggle with pull-ups, want to build pull-up strength, or cannot perform one strict repetition. You’ll be able to do these because muscles are stronger during the eccentric part of a lift.(6) This way, you can accumulate pull-up volume and practice the lift as well as gain strength in the desired muscles, even if you can’t perform a full range of motion pull-up.
Band-Assisted Pull-Up
A resistance band will “lighten” your body weight so the exercise requires less strength. This is a better variation to get better at pull-ups than the machine assisted pull-up, because the band incorporates some components of total-body stability and coordination.
Loop a durable resistance band around the bar and let it hang down. Put your feet in it, keeping your legs straight and your body tense. Now start pulling. The feeling and overall technique is very close to the unassisted bodyweight pull-up, so it will have plenty of direct carryover.
Inverted Row
This goes by many different names — horizontal row, bodyweight row, Australian pull-up — but it’s a relatively easier version of the pull-up because now you’re pulling horizontally and you’re moving a lower percentage of your body weight. It’s a perfect variation to master before trying pull-ups, as it recruits and trains the same muscles.
Set yourself under a fixed bar and grab it using a pronated (palms down) grip. Flex your core and legs so that your body is tense and in a straight line. Now, pull your chest to the bar. The inverted row is efficient because you can easily scale it down or up.
If it’s too tough, set the bar higher which improves your leverage and decreases the body weight being pulled. If it’s not challenging enough, reduce the bar height, and eventually elevate your feet to make the lift even harder. When you feel confident enough, the pull-up will be awaiting you.
Pull-Up Form Tips
If you want to really nail down your pull-up game, pay attention to these form tips. Proper technique is essential to prevent injuries and progress faster.
Brace Your Whole Body
You might think of the pull-up as only a back and arms movement, but that’s not the case if you want maximum efficiency. Studies have shown that the abs, for instance, are heavily involved in the pull-up.(7) Why is that? Your core — composed of your abs, lower back, and some hip muscles — as well as your legs have to work extra hard to stabilize your body.
Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock
During the pull-up, take a deep breath in and flex your abs as much as you can to prevent excessive swinging, which would otherwise alter the efficiency and mechanics of the lift. To recruit your core even more, straighten your legs and hold them together. If you still have trouble preventing swaying, take a few seconds between each rep to reset yourself and ensure picture perfect form.
Keep Your Chest Up
When the lift becomes difficult, it’s tempting to round your upper back and use the assistance of more muscles. The problem is that it internally rotates your shoulders (making them roll forward) and places the shoulder joint in a precarious position.
You have to keep your chest up and your back slightly arched if you want to avoid injuries and train the target muscles correctly. Keep in mind that it will always be better to do fewer repetitions with better form. Doing your pull correctly will ensure you use your lats as efficiently as possible.
Use a Full Range of Motion
If you’re doing half-reps, you’re not “really” doing pull-ups. Yes, pull-ups are a challenging exercise, but cutting the range of motion short is not a valid strategy to get better at them. By reducing the length of pull, you never work the hardest part of the movement and you reduce time under tension, resulting in poorer muscle gains and strength development.(8)
Sure, you really want to nail this exercise, but you’ll be better off practicing the alternatives with proper form, like negative pull-ups or band-assisted pull-ups, rather than performing half-repetitions and getting half results. Practice perfect technique, use the variations, and you’ll master the pull-up soon enough.
Programming the Pull-Up
The pull-up is a versatile exercise that can be suited to beginners and experienced lifters alike, for a variety of goals. All along your lifting journey, the pull-up is a valuable exercise no matter what your goal is. If you’re stronger, you can even add weight to your pull-ups to keep reaping the strength and size benefits of the exercise.
For Strength: Perform three to five sets of three to five reps.
For Muscle Growth: Do three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
For Muscular Endurance and Conditioning: Perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
For Strength-Skill (Technique): Do eight to 12 sets of one to three reps using short rest periods and avoiding muscular failure.
Credit: Natalie magic / Shutterstock
Pull-ups, like many bodyweight exercises, are a skill dictated by your muscles as well as your nervous system. Remember that perfect technique should always be respected if you want to progress efficiently. Avoid reaching muscular failure while learning the lift. This will prevent excessive fatigue from negatively affecting your technique.
Don’t Pull the Plug on Pull-Ups
The pull-up is too valuable of an exercise to skip just because it’s challenging to learn. Set aside your anxiety, follow the advice laid out above, and start working towards your first pull-up. By the time you’re able to bang a few good reps, your fitness and physique will have drastically improved.
References
Hewit, Jennifer. (2018). A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports. 5. 10.19080/JPFMTS.2018.05.555669.
Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jan;51(1):94-103. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. PMID: 30153194; PMCID: PMC6303131.
Coombes BK, Bisset L, Vicenzino B. Management of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: One Size Does Not Fit All. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015 Nov;45(11):938-49. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2015.5841. Epub 2015 Sep 17. PMID: 26381484.
Bohannon RW. Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019;14:1681-1691 https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543
Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P. Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits. Front Physiol. 2019 May 3;10:536. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00536. PMID: 31130877; PMCID: PMC6510035.
Hewit, Jennifer. (2018). A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports. 5. 10.19080/JPFMTS.2018.05.555669.
Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
17 years ago, my friend and mentor Art Devany asked me to write a couple fitness articles for his website. I did. “Escape from Vegan Island” and “The Case Against Cardio” got such huge responses from his readers that I decided to start my own blog.
16 years later, I’m still going strong. I’m not really a sentimental guy, but I’m feeling very emotional right now. This blog was a personal revelation for me.
I’d spent my entire life as an entrepreneur of many coats: mowing lawns, painting houses, grilling chuck steaks out of my dorm room, opening frozen yogurt shops in Palo Alto, training triathletes and marathoners and wealthy socialites in LA, selling supplements on TV and later the Internet. I was always pretty successful, but eventually I knew I’d have to move on to something else. I had to keep moving at all times. Always on the prowl. And I was always selling.
Mark’s Daily Apple made me realize I could start from a different place: talking about all the things I found interesting and useful about human health, fitness, evolution, and biology. These were discussions I was having with friends already, ideas I was exploring on my own. I honestly started the blog because I realized that other people were also interested in this angle, and it seemed like a fun idea that could turn into something big later on.
When the readership kept coming back and growing year over year, I knew I was onto something. After a year, we had 1,000 regular readers. By two years, we had 2,000. And then it just exploded.
I’d originally planned to write an article a day for a year (or two) and figured that would have exhausted my realm of expertise. There’d be nothing more to say. But the thing about blogs, especially back then, was the real magic happened in the comments and emails you’d get after posting an article. The articles take on a life of their own. A random comment from some guy who was reading the post at 2 AM sends you on another tangential exploration of a different angle of nutritional science. You read one study and see a link to another related one, and go on down the rabbit hole. The mystery unfolds before you.
That was the coolest part: we were uncovering a mystery.
There was a real sense of exploration back then. The entire concept of ancestral health was very underground and limited to Loren Cordain’s work on diet and ancient anthropology, plus a few other people like the Weston Price Foundation. For the most part though, almost no one was talking about it. Certainly no one in the general population was aware of it. We were uncovering new (old) wisdom, seemingly every week. We were figuring out all the interactions between environment and health and all the mismatches between the expectations of our ancient genes and the conditions of the modern world. It was impossible not to find something new to write about.
So I kept writing, and the readership kept growing, and the ideas we were developing kept spreading among “regular” people. It was a true health renaissance.
But it started from a little momentary diversion. A small seed, germinated and supported. Well, many small seeds—all the other writers and thinkers in this new space. There’s a good lesson there, isn’t there?
Do something you’re interested in and that a decent number of other people are interested in. (The initial response I got from the articles I wrote for Art proved that these ideas had legs.)
Do something you know can help people. I could look around and see poor health everywhere. The evolutionary mismatches were impossible to miss. I knew that these ideas could help millions.
Pursue it diligently. I wrote something every day. I continue to write something almost every day.
Those three things—confirming that whatever you’re pursuing has appeal, confirming that it will objectively help people or fill a need, and then sticking with it—were key for the success of Mark’s Daily Apple. They’re key for any new pursuit.
Of course, the thread running through the rise of Mark’s Daily Apple is you, the readers. The people. I wouldn’t have done this if I wasn’t getting feedback from you. If no one was reading, I wouldn’t have written for long. Writing is for readers. Without readers, it means much less.
It’s popular for writers to say they “write in order to think.” Perhaps that’s true for them, but it’s not for me. I write so that I can change people’s lives. I write so that people can read my writing and come away happier, healthier, and more engaged.
And so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming on this journey with me. Thank you for pushing me to keep digging, keep exploring, keep learning. It’s been sixteen years so far, and I look forward to many, many more.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On Oct. 22, 2022, reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion (2019-2021) Chris Bumstead announced that the legendary Hany Rambod would be his coach for the final stages of his 2022 Olympia training. As he prepares to vie for a historic fourth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title, Bumstead made the news official in a video posted to his YouTube channel on the same day.
Rumors had circulated for a little while that Bumstead would soon be working in tandem with Rambod. The champion bodybuilder acknowledged those not-so-subtle murmurs, noting that the “secret’s out.”
Bumstead’s transition to Rambod as his coach comes on the heels of the athlete ending a partnership with fellow bodybuilder Iain Valliere. Considering Rambod’s history and pedigree, Bumstead’s decision might be a wise one.
The coach/nutritionist has developed a reputation for being one of the best in the business. Rambod can say that thanks to a hand in helping bodybuilding legends like Phil Heath and Jay Cutler capture their vast assortment of Olympia titles.
Rambod can also boast of working with ascending stars Derek Lunsford and perennial Olympia contender Hadi Choopan. If there’s one person that can help Bumstead to a “four-peat,” it might be the coach in Rambod — who’s been a part of 20 different Olympia titles to date.
To address the news from his perspective, Rambod said that he expressed initial surprise when Bumstead first contacted him in August 2022.
“It definitely came from left field,” Rambod explained. “A lot of people think this has been going on for a long time. It really hadn’t.”
According to Bumstead, Rambod had reservations about starting work with Bumstead at the beginning of his formal Olympia prep, rather than having extra months in the off-season to prepare. The two seemed to ultimately come to an agreement that they’re professionals and have been around the block in terms of experience.
“It’s not my first rodeo, it’s not (Rambod’s) first rodeo,” Bumstead clarified. “We’ll make it work. I’m excited.”
While he’s working with a bodybuilding coaching great, Bumstead faces a tall task to continue his streak of Classic Physique Olympia titles. The competitor he originally dethroned in 2019, Breon Ansley, will try to make his last run in this division a memorable one. Meanwhile, usual top-level performer, Terrence Ruffin, seems to be chomping at the bit to finally break through on the Olympia stage.
Whether Bumstead can hold off his similarly talented peers is a question that will only have an answer on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
One need only see Nabil Lahlou lift once to verify why he’s the so-called “French Phenom,” per his Instagram bio. The 23-year-old powerlifter is a prolific competitor, and his latest demonstration of strength was a doozy.
On Oct. 22, 2022, Lahlou shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a 362.9-kilogram (800-pound) raw deadlift during a training session. According to Open Powerlifting, the feat is a personal record (PR) for Lahlou by 44.9 kilograms (99 pounds). It’s a significant and rapid jump forward for Lahlou, who previously pulled 317.9 kilograms (701 pounds) during the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Drug-Tested The Good Guys UN Invitational. (Note: That meet was roughly only two weeks earlier.) The athlete wore a lifting belt and utilized lifting straps to help with this latest achievement.
For Lahlou, the 800-pound deadlift might be even more impressive, considering his body composition.
Per Lahlou’s Instagram post, the athlete weighed 163 pounds (73.9 kilograms) at the time of his lift. That means his massive pull was 4.9 times his body weight. Factor in Lahlou apparently not even planning to deadlift before he was “feeling the warm-ups,” and this milestone resembles something quite eye-opening for a young star powerlifter.
Here’s an overview of Lahlou’s all-time raw competition bests:
In terms of his overall resume, Lahlou doesn’t have many blemishes. Since he began competitive powerlifting in November 2020, there have been just three instances in Lahlou’s career where he hasn’t finished with an outright victory.
Here’s a rundown of some of the more notable results of Lahlou’s career:
Nabil Lahlou | Notable Career Results
2020 USPA Drug-Tested NOVA Fall Classic (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Drug-Tested PWRBLD Gym March Madness Powerlifting Meet (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Drug-Tested District Championships (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Drug-Tested Nationals (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Kentucky State Championships (Open/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Beast of the East (Open/Raw) — First place
2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Got Em’ Mustache Classic (Juniors/Open/Raw) — First place
2022 USPA Drug-Tested The Good Guys UN Invitational (Open/Raw) — First place
Lahlou has participated as a 67.5-kilogram competitor since the 2022 USPA Drug Tested King of the Cave in June 2022. This was his weight class for much of his career before a shift to the 75-kilogram category from December 2021 to June 2022. At the time of this writing, it is not clear if he plans to make a transition back to this division or another.
When Lahlou competes next is uncertain. However, should he return to the 75-kilogram weight class while notching this deadlift in said next contest, it would break the current World Record of 362.4 kilograms (799.1 pounds) held by Adlet Moldagaliev. Such a staggering mark would act as a perfect notch in the belt for this “phenom.”
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