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As various prominent names in the bodybuilding sphere begin mapping out their plans for the 2023 calendar year, former 1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout has been dispensing his thoughts on the current landscape of the sport. For example, in early January 2023, the living legend seemed to appreciate the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League’s changes to its Olympia qualification system. In fact, he asserted that some of the changes, like nixing a previous points-based system, didn’t go far enough in being more selective. During a recent media appearance, the icon centered some of his specific thoughts on the future of a Classic Physique star.
On Jan. 20, 2023, Bannout appeared in an episode of The Muscle Maturity podcast. While breaking down some of the latest news in the bodybuilding world, Bannout touched on the status of one Chris Bumstead. Fresh off a fourth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title, where the athlete competed with a partially torn biceps, Bannout believes Bumstead should be making the jump to the Men’s Open division at the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). It could be an interesting prospect for one of the sport’s current figureheads.
Bannout was evidently aware of the adversity Bumstead had to overcome to continue his Classic Physique reign. That didn’t seem to stop him from maintaining Bumstead should still be working to shine at the 2023 AC in Columbus, OH.
“Talking about Bumstead, he pulled his biceps muscle, and was in pain,” Bannout said. “In my opinion, Bumstead could be competing in the [2023] Arnold Classic in the Open. He should. Why not? Bumstead: do it.”
At the same time, Bannout understood that Bumstead would want to take time off to recuperate after such a significant ailment. After all, jumping right back into training and ideal competition nutrition might not be the best idea until Bumstead is fully healed after his health setback.
Such an immediate decision, division change or not, could translate to longer-term issues in Bumstead’s overall career if the competitor isn’t careful. While he stood by his initial Open sentiment for the young athlete, Bannout didn’t take it a step further.
“I think in Bumstead’s case, he had a partial tear,” Bannout noted. “It would be smart to pull down, it don’t matter a little bit, pull it down completely, because it might serve his career better. He knows. Him and his doctors know. But yeah, clearly it was visible to me something was going on with that bicep.”
In late September 2022, Bumstead had alluded to a potential place in the Men’s Open division in the future while speaking on a Muscular Development podcast. However, Bumstead maintained that 2023 wouldn’t be the right time for a shift. Factor in the current recovery from his biceps tear, and it appears improbable Bumstead will go full throttle with any ideas to enter the 2023 AC on Mar. 3-5, 2023.
While some of his potential peers in the Open division, such as Nick Walker and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, gear up for the monumental AC, Bumstead will likely stay on the sidelines for the time being. Even with a new lucrative cash prize and Bannout’s initial suggestion in the account, asking an elite competitor to shift divisions as he heals might not be feasible in such a short amount of time.
Nonetheless, Bumstead’s progress in and outside the gym will assuredly be something noteworthy to track in the coming months.
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Mitchell Hooper has already been steadily plugging away in what might be a monumental year in his young professional strongman career. The athlete who burst onto the scene with an early blitz at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and subsequently became a dominant force on the major circuit seems prepared to continue his climb to the top of the strongman summit. However, before he started his ascent up the mountain again, the superstar recently traveled to “the land of the long weekend” for an essential first stop in his 2023 journey to become the best. He was joined by someone who might be the next elite strongwoman.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Hooper won the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International (ASI) competition in Yapeen, Australia. In a contest featuring various other elite strongmen and strongwomen like Master’s deadlift World Record holder Rauno Heinla and 2018 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) champion Andrea Thompson, respectively, Hooper arguably stood tall as the headliner. New Zealand’s Shayna Wirihana won the strongwoman half of the 2023 ASI. Heinla (second place) and Fadi El Masri (third place) joined the Canadian Hooper on the strongman podium. In contrast, Thompson (second place) and Megan Clark (third place) flanked Wirihana for the strongwomen.
Here are the final standings for the strongwomen who competed at the 2023 ASI:
2023 Australia’s Strongest International | Strongwoman Final Standings
Shayna Wirihana (New Zealand) — 28.5 points
Andrea Thompson (Great Britain) — 26 points
Megan Clark (Australia) — 24.5 points
Donna Moore (Great Britain) — 24.5 points
Nicole Genrich (Australia) — 13.5 points
Joe Kimitaunga (Australia) — 11.5 points
Camilla Fogagnolo (Australia) — 10.5 points
Hooper won four of five events to seal his first career ASI title. With this decisive victory, the strongman more or less picked up where he left off in 2022, as Hooper has now won three of his last four contests in a hot streak that also features wins at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals and the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK. To date, per Strongman Archives, the only competition Hooper has fallen short of reaching the podium was when he notched an eighth-place result during the 2022 WSM Final.
Meanwhile, Wirihana did not win any events outright at the 2023 ASI but attained a solid top-three result in each of them. Such consistency allowed the New Zealand competitor to eventually topple Thompson by a 2.5-point margin. This was Wirihana’s first victory since capturing the 2022 New Zealand’s Strongest Woman championship.
Hooper has already successfully morphed into one of the most prominent names in strongman. All that’s likely left for him to truly accomplish is overcoming his elite peers at the 2023 WSM on Apr. 18-23, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, SC. For Wirihana, the strongwoman might only just be getting started. After overcoming a perennial WSW contender and garnering recognition among some of the world’s most elite strongpeople, the 2023 ASI might be a fantastic next step on a path to her own greatness.
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Rhianon Lovelace’s pound-for-pound prowess might be unmatched in the current catalog of dynamic strongwomen. The British powerhouse relies on a foundation of apparent pure strength and makes it a habit to achieve great things any time she has a barbell, Atlas stone, or general heavy implement within her grasp. In one of the first significant competitive appearances the strength community has seen from Lovelace in 2023, she continued her established precedent to amaze.
On Jan. 22, 2023, Lovelace captured a 101-kilogram (222.6-pound) Axle Press during the 2023 Kaos New Year Push/Pull 2023 contest at the Kaos Strength Gym in Preston, England. The astonishing feat is an all-time U64 (64-kilogram weight class) World Record. Even more so, it demonstrates that after a 2022 calendar year where Lovelace sprinkled in noteworthy achievements throughout several competitions, the athlete is still pushing full steam ahead to etch her name at the top of a record list anywhere possible.
Lovelace seemingly understands her status in the modern strongwoman sphere. As she gears up for another productive year of competitions, the athlete had a succinct summary of her Axle Press record in a post of the lift on her Instagram profile.
“Three weeks into 2023, and we’re already one world record in,” Lovelace wrote. “Big plans this year, just the beginning.”
A two-time U64 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) champion (2018, 2022), Lovelace has been no slouch regarding full-slate, major strongwoman contests of late. According to Strongman Archives, the athlete can boast three out of four podium finishes in the tentpole WSW main event. The only instance in which Lovelace fell short of a top-two result was during her WSW debut in December 2017.
Outside of the WSW parameters, Lovelace made 2022 rather prolific with all circumstances considered. Last May, the athlete broke the British raw deadlift World Record with a pull of 241 kilograms (530 pounds) from the 2022 British Powerlifting Union (BPU) contest. She followed that accomplishment by breaking the all-time strongwoman deadlift World Record (282.5 kilograms/623 pounds) at the 2022 Berkshire’s Strongest competition. Finally, in September 2022 — roughly a month and a half before Lovelace captured her second career WSW championship — the competitor broke the Axle Deadlift World Record with a pull of 261.5 kilograms (576.5 pounds) during the 2022 Arnold Strongman (AS) UK.
With this latest Axle Press notch in her lifting belt, it seems Lovelace is picking up where she left off in 2022.
Few of Lovelace’s peers could likely match what she executes in the gym and in sanctioned competitions. In the months ahead in 2023, it seems inevitable she’ll continue to climb mind-bending heights when it comes to showcasing impeccable displays of power and will.
Featured image: @rhianon.lovelace.kaosstrength on Instagram
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The ever-popular bench press has built its reputation over the last few decades as a rite of passage, a trial by fire, and a founding member of the powerlifting “big three.” This exercise is all that, and more. The bench press is so popular that it even has its own day of the week — “International bench day” has become synonymous with Monday in many gyms.
The bench press is a go-to exercise when you’re looking to increase the size and strength of your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The stability of the bench and the fixed range of motion of the barbell allows you to use more weight. And moving more weight means building more size and strength.
Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock
If you’re looking for a standalone bench-focused workout to increase strength and muscle in your upper body, you have come to the right place. Let’s dive in below.
Best Bench Press Workout For Muscle and Strength
To gain absolute strength, you must focus on moving heavier weights, working around 85-90% of your one-repetition maximum. (1) The cluster set technique will give you all you can handle in this regard — performing multiple “mini-sets” of low repetitions with heavy weights to accumulate significant volume. This helps set the table for more muscle because a stronger muscle has the potential for more size. After the heavy work, two different supersets concentrate on exercises that efficiently increase your chest size and strength.
The Size and Strength Routine
Perform this workout once weekly as part of your upper/lower body split. To progress with the first exercise, start at three complete cluster sets, do four the next week, and then five. When you’re able to do five cluster sets, add weight. The other three bench exercises start at the lower end of the rep range and add one repetition each week. When you have reached the upper range, increase the weight by five to 10 pounds and start the process again.
Bench Press Cluster Set
The flat barbell bench press should be a staple in your routine and your go-to for more size and strength whenever you want to move the most weight. This benching variation focuses equally on your upper and lower chest for better overall muscle development.
How to Do it: Lay supine on the flat bench, arch your lower back slightly, and plant your feet on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together to enhance stability and upper back strength. Grab the bar and squeeze your hands hard to flex your arm and grip muscles maximally before unracking the load. Lower the bar to your sternum/base of your chest. Press the weight up, keep your back tight and your shoulder blades pulled together.
Sets and Reps: 3-5 x (4×2) — Perform four mini-sets of two reps, repeated a total of three to five times.
Rest time: Rest 10 seconds between each mini-set. Rest three minutes after each full set.
Close-Grip Bench Press
The close-grip bench press has your hands set shoulder-width apart and shift the load to your triceps and inner chest. (2) You may not be able to lift as much weight, but you’ll be training your chest and triceps from a different angle for improved muscle development.
How to Do it: Set up as you would for the flat bench press, but position your hands inside shoulder-width with your elbows tucked into your body. Pull the bar out of the rack and get tight. Pull keep your elbows close to your ribs while lowering the bar to your chest. Once you have reached your desired depth, press back up until lockout.
Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 4-6
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Seated Band Pull-Apart
After two pressing exercises, you’ll get a break with this simple pulling exercise to strengthen your upper back and keep up the health of your shoulders. This seated band pull-apart will increase your upper back engagement (because of the stability of being seated) without you leaving the bench.
How to Do it: Sit upright, holding a looped band at shoulder height with your hands shoulder-width apart. Pull the band apart, keeping your arms nearly straight. Keep your shoulders down and your chest up. Pull until your shoulder blades are together and your arms are extended to either side of your body. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-25
Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating previous exercise.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
This single-arm (unilateral) exercise won’t allow you to go as heavy as you could with the barbell bench press, but there is still a lot to like about this pressing variation. First, you’ll address any imbalances between sides of your body, leading to better muscle development and improved joint health. Second, you’ll have more freedom of movement, because the dumbbell bench press allows you to adjust your grip and arm angle to find a pressing path that is comfortable for your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints.
How to Do it: Place one dumbbell on your knee while sitting on a flat bench. Lean back and drive the dumbbell toward your shoulder using your knee, while pressing the dumbbell up. Lower the dumbbell, keeping your elbow at roughly 45-degrees from your body. Press the dumbbells up to lockout and repeat.
Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 8-12 reps per arm.
Rest time: Rest 60 to 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Chest Flye
The dumbbell chest flye is as close to a chest isolation exercise as it gets. This exercise takes the triceps out of the movement and stretches the pecs for a more extensive range of motion, which gives you better muscle-building potential. (3)
How to do it: Lie supine on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Begin with both arms locked out above your chest. Create a slight bend in your elbows and keep this bend throughout the movement. Lower your arms out to your sides in line with your shoulders. When you feel a stretch in the pecs, reverse the motion and squeeze the chest muscles to return to the top position.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-15
Rest time: Rest 60-90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.
Chest Anatomy
The chest is a large superficial fan-like muscle, and the two chest muscles are the pectoralis major and the pec minor. It has two attachment points — the clavicular head on the upper chest and the sternal head attachment on the mid-to-lower chest. The pec major is on your anterior (front) ribcage, while the pectoralis minor is a small muscle underneath the pec major.
Credit: Ihor Bulyhin / Shutterstock
The pec major’s clavicular head originates, as expected, on your clavicle’s (collarbone) anterior or front surface. The pec major’s sternal head originates at the sternum’s anterior surface. Both muscle heads insert on the humerus (upper arm) and are involved in most upper body movements. The two primary chest functions that the training above focuses on are:
Shoulder flexion — Raising your arms up by pushing or lifting in front of your body.
Horizontal adduction — Bringing your hands (and joints) together in front of your pecs, as you do during a chest flye, bench press, or push-up.
Besides creating a big and muscular chest, the pecs are the primary “hugging” muscle. Pec size and strength help tackle, grab, and fend off opponents in the sporting arena, as well as throw and swing harder and faster if you play sports like football, baseball, or tennis.
How to Warm-Up for Your Bench Workout
Have you ever seen someone walk off the street under the barbell and start pressing away to their heart’s content? Don’t be that person, they’re asking for injuries and poor performance. Although not warming up may not a huge issue on rare occasions, over time, it may lead to a decrease in performance and increased injury risk.
It’s better to take the time to warm-up and get the blood moving through your working muscles, while get your shoulder and elbow joints ready for action.
Because your upper back and rotator cuffs are involved in the bench press, be sure to perform any upper back movement that is effective for engaging your scapula and rotators — face pulls with external rotation or band pull-parts.
After that, a few light ramp-up sets on the bench press (low rep, light weight sets getting progressively heavier), focusing hard on engaging your chest muscles, will have you ready to roll.
If you decide to take more time for a thorough warm-up, take this upper-body prep for a spin. There are a couple of upper back-focused exercises here because your lats and upper back stabilize your chest during benching. You’ll need to get your back ready for chest day to fully protect and prepare your shoulders and rotator cuff.
Face Pull with External Rotation: Secure a resistance band to a stable object at eye-level. Take an overhand grip and step back until your arms are extended straight ahead. Drive your elbows back in line with your shoulders while pulling your hands to the top of your head. In the peak contraction, your thumbs should point behind you and your palms should be near your ears. Return to the arms-extended position. Perform two sets of 15 reps.
Scapular Push-up: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Keep your arms stiff and locked as you pinch your shoulder blades together while reaching your chest toward the ground. Drive your hands “through the ground” as you extend your shoulder blades down and push your chest away from your hands. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
Rear Delt Fly: Take a pair of light dumbbells in each hand, or stand in the middle of a light resistance band and hold each end. Bend forward at the waist, nearly parallel to the ground, and let your arms hang toward the ground with a slight bend in your arms. Drive your arms up in line with your shoulders. Don’t allow your arm angle to change throughout the exercise. Pause briefly before returning to the stretched position. Perform two sets of 12 reps.
Spiderman With Rotation: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Step forward with your left leg, aiming to get your foot near the pinky of your left hand if mobility allows. Keep your right leg straight. Without bending your right arm, lift your left arm to the ceiling, turning your upper body to allow a full rotation. When your arm is perpendicular to the ground, feel a total-body stretch before returning to a push-up position. Alternate sides with each repetition. Perform two sets of five reps per side.
Incline Plyo Push-up: Setup near a stable flat bench or box, in a push-up position with your hands on the bench, your toes on the ground, and your body straight. Lower your chest toward the bench and explosively drive upwards, letting your hands leave contact with the bench. Catch yourself with slightly bent arms and brace your core. Take a breath and reset quickly before performing the next repetition. Perform two sets of eight reps.
Happy Benching
There are many different ways to target your chest, shoulder, and triceps, but the bench press is the most popular and, potentially, the most effective tool. You can build muscle and strength by focusing on a handful of the most effective movements to complement the bench press. Always warm-up your chest and shoulders, and then attack the muscles using the in-depth, ultimate bench workout laid out above. Your Mondays will never be the same.
References
Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021). Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020032
Lockie, Robert & Moreno, Matthew. (2017). The Close-Grip Bench Press. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39. 1. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000307.
Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562
Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock
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Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay entered the 2022 Mr. Olympia with aspirations of becoming only the eighth athlete to win the contest on three consecutive occasions. He had the hype behind him, endorsements from living legends, and appeared “destined” to enter exclusive bodybuilding lore. Then the Las Vegas, NV, contest occurred, Hadi Choopan successfully toppled the Egyptian dynamo for the victory, and Elssbiay fell short with a fifth-place finish that surprised many bodybuilding fans.
Now, after an earnest early January 2023 reflection on what’s next, and with a fresh bodybuilding season ahead of him, it appears Elssbiay is aiming for a massive rebound before he even considers trying to win the Olympia again.
On Jan. 20, 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival announced that Elssbiay would take the stage in the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) on Mar. 2-5, 2023.
“Making his first on-stage appearance in Columbus since 2020, ‘Ramy’ will be looking to re-establish his position as the most dominant competitor in the world of bodybuilding!”
The Columbus, OH, contest will mark the former two-time Mr. Olympia’s second appearance in the AC as he seeks a significant notch to add to his resume. In 2020, Elssbiay placed third at his first and only appearance at the show.
To some, Elssbiay’s AC reveal might come as a surprise. The superstar had spent most of his recent years training and preparing almost exclusively for his Olympia appearances throughout an approximate calendar year, only appearing occasionally in other contests. It’s a calculated approach that many elite bodybuilders, particularly in the Men’s Open division, often elect to have in the interest of maximizing their performance at the biggest contest in the sport.
For Elssbiay, seeing as how he’s no longer the defending Mr. Olympia, he might now be seeking a boost of momentum before diving back full throttle into Olympia prep. At the same time, a new lucrative cash prize could have also motivated the athlete to finally compete in the AC. In mid-January 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival announced the first-place prize for winning the Men’s Open at the 2023 AC would be $300,000. That is a $100,000 increase from the 2022 iteration of the competition. Notably, also in January 2023, former AC champion (2021) Nick Walker maintained this high financial incentive was part of his own decision to return to the AC.
Elssbiay will join other established stars at the 2023 AC as he tries to defeat past winners like Walker and William Bonac (2018, 2020), and two-time 212 Olympia champion (2020, 2022) Shaun Clarida. Other confirmed names include Samson Dauda, Kamal Elgargni, Justin Rodriguez, and Akim Williams. Elssbiay might be a newcomer to the contest, but given his Olympia precedent, this field will likely be ready for anything he brings to the stage in Columbus.
The 2023 AC is shaping up to be a barnburner of a bodybuilding contest. If top-level competitors like Elssbiay and Walker elect to participate before tackling any loftier Olympia plans, it could be an incredibly fascinating show to watch in early March.
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Every year, the best bodybuilders in the world prepare with one central goal: to win the legendary Mr. Olympia contest. Sure, there are other tentpole events like the annual (and now rather lucrative) Arnold Classic. Still, arguably nothing holds as much prestige for the world’s ripped fitness elite as competing during an iconic Olympia show. It is the biggest stage in bodybuilding for a good reason. With the 2023 professional competitive season already well off and rolling, the athletes can now prepare and train for potentially the most significant moment of their respective careers with a definite date and location in their sights.
The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League has revealed that the 2023 Olympia would officially take place onNov. 3-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. The schedule note was illuminated in a recent release of the 2023 contest calendar on the IFBB website. It is unclear precisely when the full schedule was disclosed. As has recently been the standard, the 11 primary divisions of bodybuilding will be featured during the contest. The Mr. Olympia category serves as the event’s headline, and Iranian athlete Hadi Choopan is the reigning champion after capturing his first career Mr. Olympia title in 2022.
With the Olympia contest formally returning to Orlando, the competition will now have been in Central Florida for three of the last four years. The 2022 edition in Las Vegas, NV, served as the lone exception during that span. For decades, the contest had almost always been in “Sin City,” but the extreme, unprecedented circumstances of the early throes of the COVID-19 pandemic led the IFBB to move the Olympia to Orlando in 2020 in accordance with safety regulations. Before he fell short of a three-peat with a disappointing fifth-place result in 2022, Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay captured the first of his two career Olympia titles during that initial Florida competition. Elssbiay successfully defended his title in the Orlando-based 2021 Olympia contest.
In the interest of looking ahead and preparing athletes for a new reality, the IFBB announced changes to its qualification system for the 2023 Olympia in early January 2023. A points system that opened the door for athletes who hadn’t won a contest in that calendar year will no longer be viable. Any competitor who wishes to earn a spot on the Orlando, FL, stage this early November must either win a 2023 IFBB Pro League contest, have won any Olympia in the past, or have finished in the top five of their category during the 2022 Olympia contest.
Notable athletes to whom some of these distinctions apply in the Men’s Open division include Choopan, Elssbiay, 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, third-place 2022 Olympia competitor Nick Walker, and 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford.
The 2022 Olympia served up its fair share of unexpected surprises and success stories. Knowing how meticulous and dedicated to their craft all of these top athletes are, the 2023 edition should be no different.
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In the current bodybuilding pantheon, few names are as big as Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford. The two young athletes have stormed respective paths to the forefront of the sport, seemingly becoming titans overnight. Walker first arguably came to prominence by winning the 2021 Arnold Classic, while Lunsford, the former 212 Olympia champion (2021), recently came in second in a debut Men’s Open performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Lunsford would fall just short of beating new Mr. Olympia champion Hadi Choopan. Moving forward, by virtue of being in the same division, the pair will inevitable butt heads on stage now and again. This reality is clearly not lost on Walker.
On Jan. 19, 2023, during an episode of The Mutant and The Mouth podcast, Walker talked about his official prospects at the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) in Columbus, OH. In the process, the discussion about the Mar. 2-5, 2023, contest — which recently announced a $300,000 first-place prize — eventually centered around Lunsford. That is to say: Walker is keeping a close eye on his elite peer.
One of the first notes Walker clarifies about Lunsford is his status at the 2023 AC. Given the language Walker uses, it initially appeared he wasn’t aware that Lunsford confirmed he would not compete at the contest, but Walker later clarified that they wouldn’t face each other on stage quite yet. Nonetheless, Walker speculates about his rival’s current physique and why he’d take a step back from a significant tentpole competition.
It appears Walker believes Lunsford is having to make an adjustment to the size of the Men’s Open category, as opposed adhering to the 212 division’s weight limit. Therein, Lunsford might be taking his time to train and build size before he competes again.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine that he’s [Derek Lunsford] not doing the Arnold [Classic],” Walker said. “This is where I’m going to jump in. Did he add muscle or did he just keep it without losing it? I think he restricted himself [in previous] off-seasons [to fit the 212 Olympia weight class]. So I think what he gained back [when preparing for the 2023 Men’s Open Olympia] is what he normally has, plus maybe a little bit more, I’ll say. But he didn’t put on an astronomical amount of mass. He just didn’t have to suffer and lose mass to make 212.”
As someone who will potentially stand in the way of potential coming victories, Walker noted he’ll be watching for the gains Lunsford makes. Walker seems to think the coming off-season will be vital for Lunsford as he commits fully to the Men’s Open and tries to win the 2023 Mr. Olympia. That contest will take place on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL.
“This will be the off-season where we’ll see how much tissue he [Lunsford] puts on and we’ll see what he looks like when he stands on the [2023] Olympia stage.”
As for why Walker elected to compete in the AC again rather than focus his efforts entirely on his Olympia preparation, the answer is simple. The new lucrative prize incentivized him to return to the Columbus, OH, stage.
“They [The Arnold Sports Festival] gave me until after the holidays to think about it,” Walker said. ” … I felt good. So they reached out again, they basically said they were going to up the prize money to $300,000. I said ‘count me in.’”
Walker has already been quite outspoken about what might lie ahead in 2023. In early January, he noted he was satisfied with a third-place result at the 2022 Olympia but probably could’ve finished higher in an ideal world. Before he works to improve on such results, he’ll first put his crosshairs on a second AC title. While he won’t have to worry about Lunsford at that particular contest, Walker seems to understand it might only be a matter of time before he and Lunsford cross paths again.
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The pull-up is what many experienced trainers refer to as the “king of upper body exercises.” Although the common gym narrative is to test your worth by finding out how much you bench press, there’s so much more athleticism, utility, and overall transfer from testing your pull-up ability.
It’s a movement that can truly separate the beginners from intermediate and advanced lifters based upon competency. But even for experienced lifters, pull-ups can be challenging. And they can be tough to learn, also.
Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock
Aside from basic muscular weakness, there may be a laundry list of reasons why you can’t do bodyweight pull-ups. The smallest old injury, mobility restriction, or joint issue could frustrate your ability to take advantage of this lift. And that’s when it’s handy to have equally effective options to this classic exercise.
This isometric exercise is a prime alternative to pull-ups for a couple of reasons. First, the amount of time spent under tension in a full lat contraction is unmatched when compared to traditionally performed reps. Normal pull-ups only see this peak contraction for an instant. This variation also reduces the possibility of the biceps entering the picture, making it a more efficient back exercise.
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It also allows a lifter to address a common sticking point. Many lifters are weaker in the top position than in other portions of the lift. Many lifters can get halfway up, but start to fade as their chin approaches the bar. Spending a period of time set in that position can remedy the problem, train the upper back muscles, and translate to better pull-up performance.
When to Do It
The flexed arm hang can improve muscular endurance and “closing” strength in the peak contraction of classic pull-ups. In addition to training all the target muscles of the pull-up — the lats, upper back, and biceps — your core works hard to maintain a steady lower body. Since the movement is isometric in nature, there is relatively less potential for injury or risk, since the skeleton is hardly changing position while under tension and your joints can remain stable. It’s a fantastic option for building pull-up strength.
How to Do It
To perform a flexed arm hang, position yourself under a bar, with your in closer-than-normal proximity to the bar itself. This is typically accomplished by standing on a step or box, or jumping into position and locking your body into position. Hold the fully contracted state for the desired amount of time. 15 to 30-second holds is a good place to start.
In this position, it’s easy to allow the shoulders to creep out of position (elevated and with protracted scapulae), so the emphasis must be on maintaining a “proud chest” and a “long neck”.
Once fatigue sets in, it’s common for a lifter to simply let go and forfeit all tension. Instead, allow your body to slowly lower toward a full hang. This will reap the benefits of a heavy eccentric (lowering) rep, which is a great technique for strength gains in and of itself.
Eccentric Pull-Up
Adding time to an eccentric (lowering or stretching) portion of any exercise can strengthen a lifter’s ability on both halves of a lift — the concentric (lifting), as well as the eccentric. (1) Exhausting muscle fibers in the concentric portion of an exercise still leaves a large amount of a lifter’s capacity untapped.
Credit: Undrey / Shutterstock
Everyone possesses more eccentric strength (strength on the lowering phase of a movement) than they do concentric strength. Because of this strength bias, working hard to exhaust and “train” that portion of a given lift can improve a lifter’s total strength in that movement while also exposing the lifter to plenty of muscle-building time under tension. (2)
To illustrate: If a lifter’s one-rep max effort bench press was 315 pounds, you would naturally conclude that loading 320 or 325 pounds on the bar would leave them unable to press the weight from their chest. However, if that same lifter was asked to only lower a 325-pound barbell to their chest without pressing it up afterward, their possibility of success would be very high.
When to Do It
Focusing on the lowering phase of the exercise places much more emphasis on time under tension, which is ideal for strengthening muscles and stimulating growth. The eccentric pull-up, in particular, is also great for building grip strength. When a lifter has a bigger frame, their issue might not be a technical element of the lift, it could be the frustration of their overall size making it difficult to possess the strength to complete reps.
For big, heavy lifters, their relative strength will be exploited with this exercise. Even if they perform well in movements like the squat and deadlift, they’re chin-up or pull-up performance often suffers. There’s no other major explanation to be made, other than the sad truth that those are sometimes the breaks when you carry a whole lot of mass.
As a back-dominant exercise, the basic pull-up should generally be a movement that a lifter can perform for reps to tap into the muscular endurance of his postural muscles. It’s up to the lifter to choose the right exercise choices to make that possible, and the eccentric pull-up can be a key player in getting there.
How to Do It
Set up a box or step under the pull-up bar, slightly behind, to the side of, or in front of your body. Stand on top of the box with your head fairly close to the bar. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, outside of shoulder-width and “jump” yourself into the top position of a pull-up — with your elbows near your ribs and your chest close to the bar. Set your shoulders down and back.
Lower yourself slowly with control, while attempting to “brake” your free descent, until the arms are fully extended and you’re in a true dead hang. When you’ve reached the bottom position, step back onto the box and repeat from the top. Focus on sets of three to six reps, with each rep taking five to 10 second for a full descent. Never sacrifice full range of motion, and be sure to do zero work on the concentric phase of the movement — only jump into the top position, don’t try to pull yourself up.
To make this more challenging, add “eccentric isometrics” by pausing for three to five seconds at various segments throughout the descent — at the one-quarter point, the halfway point, and the three-quarters point.
Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown might be considered more of an “assistance” exercise than a true “alternative,” but it can be highly effective when pull-ups aren’t an option. The movement is somewhat more isolated in nature, as its seated starting position eliminates many core muscles normally involved in a pull-up.
Credit: Studio Peace / Shutterstock
Moreover, the weight being lifted can be adjusted from as low as the weight stack offers (typically 10 or 20 pounds) to the full stack itself, potentially more than the lifter can manage with good form. The makes the muscular demands on the body potentially too low or excessive. But when used properly, with appropriate loading and programming, the lat pulldown can help to target the back, shoulders, and arms in a vertical pulling movement comparable to a full pull-up.
When to Do It
One mistake many people believe about “back exercises” is that that any movement is a good one when it comes to muscular development, shoulder health, and postural correction. With good intentions, some people double-up on their pulling movements, which can include pull-ups, thinking that they are premier strengthening exercises that deliver a positive impact on posture and shoulder health.
However, kyphosis is a significant condition affecting the thoracic spine (upper and middle back) which causes a rounded, “humpback” posture. Most people think that it only affects the spine, but this change in spinal shape has an impact on the rest of the back and ribcage, also. Kyphosis also affects the shoulder blades, pushing them higher and outward into a dysfunctional “winged” position.
This can contribute to shoulder pain, and more importantly, it can mean pull-ups cause your joints more harm than good. Many lifters don’t have great shoulder mobility, and this can be very valuable information to learn before doing pull-ups. It’s a key reason why pulldowns may prove to be a safer, more effective alternative for those with shoulder or upper back issues.
The lat pulldown can allow your torso to lean at a more comfortable angle for the overhead pull, with less shoulder flexion than hanging your full body weight from a pull-up bar, can be a saving grace to shoulder health for those to whom these contraindications apply.
How to Do It
It’s essential that you take the time to position yourself on the seat at the appropriate height. Most lat pulldown setups allow you to adjust to the height of the seat, so you should be sitting far enough that you can just barely reach the bar.
Set your hands in an overhand pull-up grip (around shoulder-width apart should be fine for most lifters), secure your legs under the leg pads, and lean your torso back very slightly.
The starting position should be one where the weight is lifted off the plate-loaded stack when the bar is in your hands and your arms are stretched overhead. In other words, at the top of each rep, the plates shouldn’t crash on top of one another, which would indicate insufficient range of motion.
Set your shoulders by lowering them toward the ground and make your neck long. Focus on driving your elbows down to move the bar toward the torso. Pull with your elbows as far as you can, to feel a deep contraction in your upper and mid-back. Done properly, the bar should stop on or near your upper chest or collarbone area. Pause very briefly before returning to the stretched position.
Rack Pull-Ups
When someone isn’t too great at pull-ups, they can end up doing “whatever it takes” to get up to the bar. As a result, some unwanted and potentially dangerous swinging of their entire body can become an issue.
For that reason, gently resting your feet on an object like a box or bench can be a game-changer to establish muscular control without overwhelming the lift with “too much” assistance.
Credit: Onward Milwaukee / YouTube
The idea with the rack pull-up, sometimes called a rack chin, is that your legs to take some of the loading off the body, which can result in a stricter pull-up with more focus on your upper and mid-back. This can be a great option for any lifter concerned with adding size whether or not they’re not great at standard bodyweight pull-ups.
When to Do It
Rack pull-ups create a modification from the full pull-up since some of your body weight is removed from the picture. However, the exercise also allows you to focus more on muscular contraction than core stability through each rep. Add that to the probable reality of being able to crank out more reps per set due to the improved leverage and decreased loading, and you have a wicked tool for hypertrophy.
How to Do It
Set up a flat bench or step near a Smith machine or power rack, with the bar set high enough to allow your body to create a 90-degree angle when your arms are fully extended and your feet are on top of the bench. Grab the bar with an overhand grip beyond shoulder-width. Keep your upper body mostly vertical and your lower body mostly horizontal or angled throughout each repetition. Don’t allow yourself to lean back excessively, turning the exercise into a horizontal row.
You can press gently into the bench with your legs as you pull toward the top position. This adjusts the amount of assistance and control necessary to complete the lift with maximum focus.
Benefits of Pull-Up Alternatives
Choosing an exercise comparable to pull-ups may be necessary for a number of reasons, and each alternative can provide a variety of benefits that can either work around resstrictions or help work toward a full pull-up.
Decreased Strength Requirement
Performing a bodyweight pull-up can be an incredible challenge for many lifters, whether it’s due to a significant body weight, a lack of upper body strength, or a combination of the two. The most effective pull-up alternatives can provide a significant training stimulus regardless of the lifter’s current strength level or overall conditioning.
Adjustable Range of Motion
If shoulder or upper back mobility restrictions prevent full overhead extension, you won’t be able to safely or efficiently display enough force through a full range of motion to benefit from pull-ups. By accommodating an adjusted range of motion, some exercise variations allow you to build strength and muscle size without putting your back and shoulders into a compromised position.
No Pull-Ups, No Problem
Pull-ups are an amazingly useful and productive exercise, but they’re not for everyone. If you can’t yet manage a pull-up, or if you have mobility issues that prevent you from working through a pain-free range of motion, you’re now loaded with plenty of equally effective choices to build your back, shoulders, and arms while addressing the full pull-up in your own time.
References
Walker, S., Blazevich, A. J., Haff, G. G., Tufano, J. J., Newton, R. U., & Häkkinen, K. (2016). Greater Strength Gains after Training with Accentuated Eccentric than Traditional Isoinertial Loads in Already Strength-Trained Men. Frontiers in physiology, 7, 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00149
Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
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There’s no question Ronnie Coleman is one of the greatest bodybuilders in history. With eight consecutive Mr. Olympia victories to his name in the late 20th century and early 2000s (1998-2005), Coleman is tied for the most-ever titles with fellow legend Lee Haney. Retirement hasn’t always been kind to the 58-year-old Coleman, however. Since he formally stepped away from professional bodybuilding in 2007, the icon has undergone over a dozen surgeries on his neck and back. While Coleman’s been on the mend of late, there was a time when he couldn’t walk without assistance from crutches. He seems to be crediting a unique, still-developing treatment for some recent progress.
On Jan. 16, 2023, Coleman shared a video on his YouTube channel where he discusses aspects of his recent health improvements in an interview with former bodybuilder and current media personality Giles Thomas. The conversation sees Coleman note that he’s been leaning on stem cell treatment/injections, which has apparently given him a cleaner bill of health.
Editor’s note: The coverage on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health issues. Talk to your physician before starting a new fitness, nutritional, treatment, and/or supplement routine.
Coleman did not mention specifically what kind of stem cells injections he received, but they may be similar to the Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead disclosed he was utilizing in 2022. According to NPJ Regenerative Medicine, MSCs “have broad anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties … [which] interact with their immediate surroundings and neighboring cells to provide cell-based responses that can be therapeutic.” (1)
In regards to the potential benefits of stem cell treatments, it’s also vital to note research into their effectiveness is ongoing. While encouraging, stem cell procedures need further illumination to determine whether their benefits are valid. (2)
Coleman maintained that stem cell treatments help him manage the chronic pain in his neck and back. These initial injuries apparently occurred during his college football career with Grambling State University in the 1980s, before he morphed into one of the faces of bodybuilding.
“My injuries in my back came from me playing football,” Coleman said. “I hurt it [his back] really bad my sophomore year, then I hurt my neck really bad. I was doing a lot of chiropractic [treatments] in my sophomore year of college all the way until I started bodybuilding [in 1990].”
These days, Coleman said he maintains a relatively consistent schedule of stem cell injections, traveling across the United States border to Mexico a few times a year to help manage his back and neck problems.
“Right now I’m trying to do [stem cell injections] every four months, in Mexico,” Coleman said. “I started probably about a year ago and I went like twice every four months and then I took off about nine months, and the pain came back fierce. I went back and it was the last time I went. I was in a massive amount of pain. Three days later, the pain disappeared. Just that quick.”
In addition to his stem cell treatments, Coleman credits using experimental hyperbaric chambers to aid in his pain management and recovery, especially in sleeping well at night. According to Medicina, hyperbaric oxygen therapy “consists of using of pure oxygen at increased pressure (in general, 2–3 atmospheres) leading to augmented oxygen levels in the blood (Hyperoxemia) and tissue (Hyperoxia),” which can improve the body’s healing processes. The same medical journal maintains that “further research” might be necessary to determine the exact benefits and effects. (3)
When it comes to Coleman, hyperbaric chambers appear to be working wonders as a complement to his other treatments for the time being.
“We would also do hyperbaric chamber sessions,” Coleman explained about his coordinated treatment routine. “We were doing two 45-minute sessions a day for, like, five days.”
With his health in an improved place, it looks like Coleman is looking ahead to better, less painful retirement years. As a continued important influence in the bodybuilding community for stars and young risers alike, this update certainly won’t be the last anyone hears from the titan.
References:
Pittenger, M. F., Discher, D. E., Péault, B. M., Phinney, D. G., Hare, J. M., & Caplan, A. I. (2019). Mesenchymal stem cell perspective: cell biology to clinical progress. NPJ Regenerative medicine, 4, 22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-019-0083-6
Chen J, Wang H, Lu X, Yang K, Lu C. Safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy: an overview protocol on published meta-analyses and evidence mapping. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Feb;9(3):270. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6892. PMID: 33708897; PMCID: PMC7940926.
Ortega, A.M. et al. (2021) A General Overview on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Applications, Mechanisms, and Translational Opportunities. Medicina. 2021 Sep; 57(9): 864. doi: 10.3390/medicina57090864. PMID: 34577787; PMCID: PMC8465921
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