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When it comes to buying cardio machines for home gyms, rowers are often overlooked in favor of treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipticals. But few exercise machines offer as challenging or effective of a cardio workout as the rower. Despite being low-impact and easy on the joints, it works multiple large muscle groups in the upper and lower body and can burn hundreds of calories in just 30 minutes.

Buying a rower can feel overwhelming because there are so many options available with different types of resistance and unique sets of features. Most rowers aren’t cheap, which can further complicate things if you’re on a strict budget. Fortunately, I’ve done the research for you and compiled a list of the best rowing machines, so you can find the right one for you regardless of your fitness goals.

Our Top Picks for the Best Rowing Machines

• Best Overall Rowing Machine: Concept2 RowErg
• Best Budget Rowing Machine: YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R
• Best Beginner Rowing Machine: Aviron Impact Series
• Best Water Rowing Machine: WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine S4
• Best Magnetic Rowing Machine: Hydrow Wave
• Best Foldable Rowing Machine: NordicTrack RW600
• Best Rowing Machine For Seniors: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515

Best Overall Rowing Machine: Concept2 RowErg

Concept2 RowErg

• Frame is made of heavy-duty aluminum
• Ergonomic handlebar and seat
• PM5 monitor comes with Bluetooth capabilities
• Accomodates users up to 6’6 and 500 pounds
• Comes with a limited five-year warranty

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Pros

• Quick and easy assembly
• Doesn’t need to be placed near an outlet because it’s battery-operated
• Minimal maintenance required
• Smooth-gliding seat

Cons

• No instructor-led classes

Very rarely will you find a list of the best home gym equipment that doesn’t include the Concept2 rower. Its durability, high-quality build, and strong brand reputation make it a popular choice amongst home gym owners who want a solid, reliable rowing machine that can last a lifetime.

The frame is made of sturdy, heavy-duty aluminum that can take a beating. I have a Concept2 rower in my home gym, and I’ve accidentally had a loaded barbell roll into it and banged it against my squat rack when moving it around, and there are virtually no signs of damage. I don’t recommend mistreating it often, but if you did accidentally knock it against something, it’s unlikely that significant damage would occur.

The Concept2 RowErg, previously called the Model D, comes with a PM5 Bluetooth-enabled performance monitor that tracks metrics such as stroke rate, watts, calories, and distance. It doesn’t offer instructor-led classes, but you can put your phone or a small tablet in the device holder and stream classes from there.

You can also create custom workouts in the ErgData mobile app and sync them to the monitor. I use the app often for rowing interval workouts, and I love not having to keep track of my intervals myself since the app does it for me.

It uses air to create resistance via a flywheel at the front, and how hard you pull determines how much resistance you feel. The damper setting you choose also dictates how much resistance there is because it controls how much air flows into the machine. Lower damper settings allow less air to flow through the flywheel cage and makes rowing easier, while higher damper settings allow more air in and force you to work harder to get the flywheel to spin.

The seat glides effortlessly along the monorail, and the chain doesn’t snag. The ergonomically-designed seat has contoured areas for your legs and tailbone. The handlebars have a 10-degree bend to allow a more natural grip and are covered with molded rubber to help absorb sweat. However, the handlebars may cause blisters, especially for newer rowers who don’t have calluses built up yet.

To store it, you can break the rower down into two pieces. I do this frequently with my Concept2 rower, and it takes just a few seconds to break down. Putting it back together takes some getting used to because the flywheel piece is cumbersome to handle, but once you get the hang of it, that process also takes less than 10 seconds. Concept2 doesn’t recommend storing the rower vertically, but I’ve been to many CrossFit gyms that store their rowers this way and never had any issues.

Best Budget Rowing Machine: YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R

YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R

• Dimensions: 75” L x 19.3” W x 27.5” H
• Storage: Stores upright
• Resistance: Magnetic
• Weight capacity: 350 pounds
• Display: 3.45-inch LCD monitor
• Available programming: None

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Pros

• Quiet
• Comes with balance regulators to make it more stable
• Takes up just 2.22 square feet when stored upright
• Foam-padded handles for extra comfort
• Accommodates users up to 6’2 tall

Cons

• No pre-programmed workouts
• Basic display and stats tracking
• Resistance levels may not go high enough for advanced rowers

The YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R comes with a low price tag, but it doesn’t skimp on quality. The frame consists of commercial-quality alloy steel, and the foot pedals and flywheel cage are made of heavy-duty plastic. It also has wide, long legs that give it a stable base and prevent it from wobbling. If the room you place it on has uneven flooring, you can use the balance regulators (rubberized feet that screw into the bottom of the legs) to make the rower more level.

It’s a magnetic rower, so it’s quieter than other types of rowers because it doesn’t use air or water for resistance. This is a plus for those who work out early in the morning or late at night while other people in the home are sleeping. It also allows you to watch TV or listen to music without the sounds of the machine drowning out your entertainment.

The foot pedals can accommodate nearly any shoe size and have a non-slip texture, so your feet will stay in place even if you don’t strap them in. The foam-padded handle is comfortable to hold for long workouts and helps prevent blisters on your hands, and the 42-inch long monorail allows users up to 6’2 in height to straighten their legs all the way during the drive (the portion of the row where you open the hips and lean back slightly).

The built-in monitor only displays strokes per minute, calories, time, and stroke count, so this rower isn’t suitable for experienced rowers who want to track more advanced metrics like watts or 500-meter splits. But for those who want a challenging at-home workout without spending thousands of dollars, the YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R is a solid choice.

Best Beginner Rowing Machine: Aviron Impact Series

Aviron Impact Series Rower

Dimensions: 97” L x 21” W x 43” H

Storage: Folds in half for storage

Resistance: Air and magnetic

Weight capacity: 397 pounds

Display: 22-inch HD touchscreen

Available programming: Coached workouts, scenic rows, games, virtual competitions

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Pros

• 20-inch seat height makes it easier to get on
• Provides up to 100 pounds of resistance
• Quiet belt drive
• Has four wheels and folds up for easy storage

Cons

• Expensive
• Requires a membership to get access to all of the workout programs

The impressive number of interactive programs offered on the Aviron Impact Series Rower makes it the best rower for beginners. It includes guided workouts, coached programs, and scenic rows from picturesque locations like Lake Atter in Austria. Having a large variety of workouts to choose from can help prevent boredom and make working out feel more exciting, which is a plus for newbies.

If the regular workouts start to feel stale, you can participate in virtual races or play games instead. For days when you just want to zone out to some entertainment while on the rower, you can stream content from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other compatible streaming services.

The Aviron Impact Series Rower also tracks a wide range of metrics, such as meters, stroke rate, total time, watts, and calories burned.

The rower consists of heavy-duty steel and aluminum, and while it weighs 97 pounds, it’s easy to move around thanks to its four wheels and foldable design. It has a rotating handlebar for optimal wrist positioning and an adjustable footplate to accommodate nearly any shoe size. Compared to other rowers with seat heights of 14 or 15 inches, the padded seat on the Aviron rower is 20 inches off the floor, so you don’t have to bend too low to get on it.

A unique feature of the Aviron Impact Series Rower is that it uses both air and magnetic resistance. This dual resistance system allows you to enjoy the quietness a magnetic rower offers while experiencing the real-world feel of rowing on open water that an air rower provides.

To take advantage of everything Aviron offers, you need a monthly membership. You get a 30-day free trial of it with your purchase, but once it expires, it costs around $24 per month. The machine alone costs nearly $2,000, so this isn’t the most budget-friendly option, but the price may be worth it for those seeking an immersive rowing experience.

Best Water Rowing Machine: WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine S4

WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine S4

• Dimensions: 84″ L x 21″ W x 22″ H
• Storage: Stores upright
• Resistance: Water
• Weight capacity: 700 pounds
• Display: LCD monitor
• Available programming: None

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Pros

• Made in the US
• Wood construction absorbs sounds and vibrations
• Contoured seat and sweat-resistance handlebars
• Comes with four water purification tablets
• Can sync it with a heart rate monitor

Cons

• Requires more maintenance than air or magnetic rowers
• Water tank may leak
• No built-in programs or classes

If you want to experience the feeling of rowing on open water, the WaterRower is the machine for you. It features a water tank at the front with paddles inside it connected to a chained handlebar, and you can adjust the resistance by adding or removing water. The sounds of the water sloshing around the tank also help provide a soothing and pleasant rowing experience. The machine has a 700-pound weight capacity and supports users with an inseam of up to 37 inches, so it’s suitable for a wide range of body types.

The sleek wood construction can elevate the aesthetic of your home gym, though it’s not as durable as steel or aluminum. The contoured seat glides smoothly over the rails, but you need to have good mobility to sit on it and get back up because it’s only 12.2 inches high. There are four rubber feet on the frame to provide traction and protect your floors. However, the water tank is prone to leaking, so if you leave the rower on wood floors, you may want to put a rubber mat underneath it.

During your workout, the LCD monitor provides information about your intensity, stroke rate, duration, and distance. It also measures how you’re performing against customized intensity, stroke rate, or heart rate zones. There are no pre-programmed workouts available, but you can purchase a device holder separately to easily follow along with classes streamed from a mobile app (such as Ergatta) on your phone or tablet.

The WaterRower requires regular maintenance to keep the water and tank clean. You get four water purification tablets with the machine, though, which helps cut back on the amount of manual cleaning you have to do. Once you get through those four tablets, you can contact the company for more.

Best Magnetic Rowing Machine: Hydrow Wave

Hydrow Wave Rower

Dimensions: 80″ L x 19″ W x 43″ H

Storage: Stores upright

Resistance: Magnetic

Weight capacity: 375 pounds

Display: 16-inch HD touchscreen

Available programming: Live and on-demand workouts, scenic rows

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Pros

• Smooth and silent operation
• 30 percent lighter and smaller than the original Hydrow rower
• Affordably priced for a smart rower
• Available in black or your choice of four other colors

Cons

• Vertical storage anchor isn’t included
• Needs to be plugged into an outlet
• Requires a monthly subscription

Magnetic resistance rowers are excellent for home gyms because they are quieter than air or water rowers, and the Hydrow Wave is no exception. It’s virtually silent, so you can row early in the morning or late at night without disrupting anyone else in your home. You also won’t struggle to hear the instructors during one of Hydrow’s guided workouts.

The Hydrow Wave features a durable thermoplastic polymer frame, a cushioned ergonomic seat, and an angled handlebar to enhance wrist comfort. The 80-inch long stainless steel track can accommodate users with up to a 36-inch inseam, and the machine has a 375-pound weight capacity, making it suitable for most individuals.

You’ll need a monthly membership to the Hydrow app, which costs around $44 per month, to get the most out of this rower. While more expensive than subscriptions to other smart rowers, the Hydrow app offers access to over 4,000 immersive workout options, including interval training programs, steady-state endurance rows, and scenic rows through lakes and rivers from all over the world. When you need a break from the rower, you can take one of Hydrow’s yoga, strength, or circuit training classes instead.

Despite having a smaller footprint than the original Hydrow, which measures 86” L x 25” W x 47” H, the Hydrow Wave is still a large machine. It doesn’t fold, and you need a ceiling height of at least 83 inches to store it upright since it’s 82 inches high when lifted vertically. You also need to purchase a vertical storage anchor separately to keep it secure when it’s upright. And at 102 pounds, it’s not the easiest to move around, but there are caster wheels at the front for portability.

RELATED: Hydrow Review – Total Body Home Happiness

Best Foldable Rowing Machine: NordicTrack RW600

NordicTrack RW600

Dimensions: 87.02″ L x 22.0″ W x 47.24″ H

Storage: Folds in half for vertical storage

Resistance: Air and magnetic

Weight capacity: 250 pounds

Display: 10-inch smart HD touchscreen

Available programming: Live and on-demand workouts, scenic rows

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Pros

• 26 levels of resistance that auto-adjust based on your intensity
• Oversized, pivoting foot pedals with quick-release nylon straps
• 10-year frame warranty

Cons

• Requires an iFIT membership
• Takes up a lot of space when open

One of the reasons home gym owners shy away from rowing machines is that they take up so much space. At 87 inches long and just over 47 inches high, the NordicTrack RW600 is one of the larger rowers on this list. But the foldable design makes it ideal for small gyms, as it can easily fit into a corner when not in use.

The NordicTrack RW600 also comes with several features to accommodate a wide variety of users. The pivoting pedals allow for natural movement of the feet and remove pressure on the ankles, a plus for those with mobility issues. The soft-touch handlebar is beneficial for preventing blisters, and the molded seat helps reduce discomfort on the tailbone during long rows. The seat is about 19 inches off the ground, so most people can get on and off it without much of a struggle.

The machine offers 26 levels of magnetic resistance, but it also has an inertia-enhanced flywheel to produce varying levels of air resistance. The dual resistance allows you to get a more challenging workout than you could get with one type of resistance alone. Plus, if you follow along with a guided workout on the 10-inch touchscreen monitor, the machine will automatically adjust the resistance level for you based on how hard you’re working.

You get a 30-day free trial to iFIT with your purchase. An iFIT membership costs about $39 per month after the trial period, but the rower itself costs just under $1,000 — much lower than other smart rowers we’ve come across. If you like the idea of built-in live and on-demand classes but don’t want to pay a premium price, this may be the rower for you.

Best Rowing Machine For Seniors: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515

• Dimensions: 89″ D x 18.9 “W x 23.6” H
• Storage: Folds in half for vertical storage
• Resistance: Magnetic
• Weight capacity: 250 pounds
• Display: LCD monitor
• Available programming: None

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Pros

• Can accommodate users with up to a 44-inch inseam
• Weighs just under 61 pounds and has front roller wheels for portability
• Pivoting, non-slip foot pedals and adjustable foot straps keep your feet secure
• Magnetic resistance provides a smooth and quiet stroke
• Stabilizers on the back help prevent tipping and wobbling

Cons

• Basic display monitor

The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 is as straightforward as you can get in a rowing machine. Advanced athletes will find it lacking, but it’s suitable for seniors who don’t need all the bells and whistles of a fancier rower. It doesn’t have a fancy, high-tech monitor or offer built-in workouts and only offers eight resistance levels, but this is likely sufficient for seniors who aren’t interested in high-intensity workouts.

The seat sits almost 12 inches off the ground, which is low compared to other rowers, but it has extra cushioning to keep you pain-free during your workouts. The pivoting pedals can help seniors who may have poor mobility achieve sufficient ankle dorsiflexion during the catch, and the padded slip-resistant handlebars offer a comfortable grip.

At 61 pounds, the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 is among the lightest rowers we’ve seen. It folds vertically and has two wheels at the front, so it’s not too challenging to move out of the way when not in use — another plus for older individuals who may struggle to move heavy and bulky items on their own.

How We Chose the Best Rowing Machines

We evaluated many different factors in selecting the best rowing machines, including resistance type, noise level, built-in programming options, and stats tracking. To help as many people as possible find a rower that fits their budget, we included options ranging from less than $300 to over $2,000. We also looked at construction quality and durability to ensure you get a lot of value out of your machine and can have it for years to come.

Different Types of Rowing Machines

The four main types of rowing machines are air, water, magnetic, and hydraulic. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, which can factor into your decision of which one to buy.

Air

Air rowers like the Concept2 RowErg use air to create resistance. They have handles that are chained to a flywheel, and pulling the handle circulates air throughout the flywheel cage. The air then creates drag and requires you to use more force to keep spinning the flywheel. Pulling on the handle faster creates more resistance.

Some air rowers also have damper settings that determine how much air circulates through the flywheel. A higher damper setting opens up the cage more to allow more airflow, thus creating more resistance. A lower damper setting does the opposite.

Water

Water rowers like the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine S4 have water tanks with paddles inside that are connected to a chain and handlebar. As you pull the handle, the paddles move water around the tank, which creates resistance. Rowing faster will provide more resistance because it forces the paddles to move more water. How much water is in the tank can also determine how much resistance there is.

Many people find that water rowers best simulate the feeling of rowing on open water and enjoy the calming sounds of water sloshing around the tank. Some water rowers require a lot of maintenance because the water can get cloudy and the tank can get moldy, but many brands provide purification tablets with their rowers that help keep the water clean for several months.

Magnetic

Magnetic rowers like the YOSUDA Rowing Machine 100R use magnets and flywheels to create resistance. They often have a dial at the front that adjusts how close the magnets are to the flywheel and, thus, the level of resistance provided. The closer the magnets are to the flywheel, the harder it becomes to spin the wheel.

Magnetic rowers are quieter than air and water rowers, which is beneficial if you want to listen to music, watch TV, or not disturb your family members while rowing. They also offer a smooth stroke and more consistent resistance levels, allowing for a more enjoyable rowing experience.

Hydraulic

Hydraulic rowers are simpler machines than air, water, or magnetic rowers. In many cases, they don’t have a seat that slides back and forth along a rail or a single handlebar attached to a chain. Instead, they have arm handles on either side that move back and forth and are attached to hydraulic pistons.

Because you use little to no leg drive on a hydraulic rower, it doesn’t truly replicate the motion of rowing in a boat or provide a total-body workout. We didn’t include hydraulic rowers on the list above for these reasons.

Benefits of Rowing Machines

Rowing machines offer a way to train the entire body while improving stamina and endurance. You can bump up the resistance to work on your strength or use them for steady-state or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts — but more on that below.

They’re Low-Impact

Rowing machines are suitable for people of all fitness levels because they are low-impact. Since they don’t put a lot of stress on your joints, they can be used by older individuals, those rehabbing an injury, or anyone who needs a break from high-impact activities like running and jumping.

They Provide a Full-Body Workout

The pushing and pulling motions of rowing work nearly every major lower and upper body muscle group, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper back, and core. It’s not the same as resistance training, but for anyone who wants to strengthen the entire body (including the heart) with one machine, a rower can be a great choice.

They Burn a Lot of Calories

A 30-minute moderate-intensity rowing session can burn up to 300 calories. This makes rowing an excellent exercise for those trying to lose weight, though you should note that diet is also an important element of weight loss. You can burn hundreds of calories on the rower but still not lose weight if your caloric intake is too high.

They Help Increase Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Endurance

Rowing is an excellent way to improve your muscles’ ability to perform repetitive motions for longer periods. It can also help strengthen your cardiorespiratory system so you can sustain bouts of physical activity for longer durations.

They Are Versatile

Like most forms of cardio, rowing can sometimes feel monotonous. But what’s great about rowing machines is that you can easily use them for intervals to make your workouts more engaging. Examples of interval workouts you can do on a rower include:

• One-to-one intervals – rowing for 30 seconds and resting for 30 seconds for 20 to 30 minutes
• Tabatas – rowing as hard as you can for 20 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds for a total of eight minutes
• Fartleks – alternating between easy and hard paces for randomly timed intervals

Many at-home rowing machines also offer built-in workout programs, and you can stream instructor-led classes on the monitor or your mobile device. Furthermore, on rowers with fixed resistance levels, you can crank up the resistance to get more of a strength training workout. The variety can help prevent you from getting bored and encourage you to stick with your fitness routine.

What To Look For When Buying a Rowing Machine

Choosing a rowing machine for your home gym is no simple feat. You have to consider the cost, durability, the resistance type, how well it will fit into your space, and how comfortable it is to use. If you’re a competitive rower, you’ll need to find a machine that tracks the metrics that are most important for your training. How well-suited the rower is for your body proportions and whether or not it provides built-in workouts can weigh into your decision, too.

Price

Indoor rowing machines range in price from around $300 to $2,500 or more. The more expensive rowers come with advanced features, such as Bluetooth connectivity and touchscreen display monitors with built-in classes. But you can just as easily buy a less expensive rower and stream workouts from your TV, phone, or tablet to save money.

Build Quality

A rowing machine’s construction quality and price often go hand in hand. Look for materials such as commercial-grade aluminum or steel, as these will last the longest. Cheaper rowers consist of lesser-quality materials that may break or malfunction after just a few months, so if you have the budget, it’s worth it to spend more money on a rower that will last for years.

Resistance Type

As you saw above, rowing machines offer water, magnetic, or air resistance. Water rowers are great for those who want to zone out to the sounds of swooshing water during their workouts, but some require more maintenance than others to keep the water and tank clean. Due to their quiet operation, magnetic rowers are ideal for those who live with others. They’re also good for beginners because they offer a smooth and consistent rowing stroke. Air rowers make a lot of noise due to the air circulating around the flywheel cage, but they tend to be cheaper.

Which type of resistance you get depends on your budget, the rowing experience you’re looking for, how quiet you want your machine to be, and how much maintenance you’re willing to put into it.

Size and Storage Options

If you don’t have enough room to keep your rower out all the time, look for a compact option with a shorter monorail, like the Aviron Impact Series rower. Folding rowers like the NordicTrack RW600 are also great for small home gyms. There are even rowers like the Concept2 RowErg that break down into two pieces for easy storage.

Weight Capacity

Every rowing machine comes with a maximum weight capacity, so be sure to choose one that can support your body weight. It’s also a good idea to look for a rower that can handle much more than your current weight to avoid excess wear and tear on its parts.

For example, if you weigh 240 pounds and buy a rower with a 250-pound weight capacity, you may put excess stress on the machine because you’re nearing the upper limit of its weight threshold. A rower with a 300-pound weight capacity may be a better option.

Display and Stats Tracking

At the very least, your rower should track distance, total time, and stroke count and display them in clear, easy-to-read numbers. Most rowing machines also display heart rate and calories burned. These numbers can be off by as much as 30%, but you can still use them as a reference for how hard you’re working.

Also, consider what metrics you need for the types of workouts you do most often. In CrossFit, for example, workouts that include rowing for a certain distance are based on the meters on a Concept2 RowErg. You can use a different rower, but it may over or underestimate the number of meters you covered.

Similarly, if you’re a competitive rower looking for an indoor rowing machine to train on, you may want one that tracks advanced metrics like split times or watts.

Comfortable Seat, Foot Pedals, and Handlebars

Sitting on a row erg will never be as comfortable as lounging on a recliner, but it shouldn’t feel like torture. Ergonomic foot pedals allow for more ankle flexion during the catch portion of the stroke, and foam- or rubber-coated handles can help prevent blisters. Many rowers have a contoured seat, but if it’s still too uncomfortable, you can buy a padded seat cushion to keep the tailbone area pain-free.

Monorail Length

The rail on a rowing machine should be long enough for you to extend your legs all the way on the drive. To check for this, you’ll need to look up the rail length of your preferred rower and compare it against your inseam. Height alone isn’t always a good metric to use because two people can be the same height but have different inseams.

Additional Features

If you struggle with motivation or just don’t know how to create an effective rowing workout, you may want a rowing machine that comes with pre-programmed workouts or allows you to stream virtual classes from its monitor. As mentioned above, you can stream workouts from another device if your preferred rower doesn’t offer that functionality. But in that case, you should look for one with a device holder so you can easily follow along with the classes.

Rowers that sync to mobile apps are also worth considering if you want to track and monitor your performance over time or engage in some healthy competition with other athletes.

How To Use a Rowing Machine

Rowing isn’t a highly technical exercise, but many people don’t know how to use proper rowing form. Therefore, they don’t get as much out of their workouts as they can and make themselves more susceptible to injury. 

There are four phases or stages of rowing:

1. The catch is where you begin your rowing stroke. Hold onto the handlebar with straight arms and maintain tension in your upper back. Lean forward slightly while keeping your chest up, and avoid rounding your shoulders. The seat should be about six to eight inches away from your feet, and your shins should be as close to vertical as possible. 
2. The drive occurs as you push your legs to move the seat backward. With your quads, glutes, and hamstrings engaged, drive your heels to begin straightening your legs. Keep your arms straight and chest up until your legs are fully extended, then open the hips and lean back slightly.
3. The finish is the phase in which you pull the handlebar into your body. Keep your wrists in line with your forearms and the elbows aligned with the handle. A good reference point to pull to is around the lower portion of the ribs. 
4. The recovery is when you return to the starting position. As you saw from the previous steps, the sequence of the first three phases is legs-hips-arms. In the recovery, the sequence goes arms-hips-legs. Straighten your arms until they’re past your knees, then bend your knees and slide the seat forward until you’re back in the catch position.

As you row, maintain a smooth and consistent stroke. If you pause at any point, you’ll lose power and momentum. It’s better to row with a lower stroke rate (strokes per minute) but be able to keep moving consistently than to strive for a high stroke rate and not be able to hold a steady pace.

RELATED: 5 Common Rowing Mistakes

Final Thoughts

The rower is an often overlooked piece of fitness equipment, but adding one to your home gym can help you make some serious gains in your cardiovascular fitness. Because it also offers some level of resistance and recruits all of the large muscle groups in the body, it can also help you get stronger and improve your muscular endurance.

Rowers can be long, bulky pieces of equipment, but there are several foldable options and models that break down into two parts for when you need to stow them away. If you’re worried about getting bored, you can choose from one of the several smart rowers on the list above that offer hundreds (or even thousands) of workout options. And if comfort is a concern for you, look for a rower with an ergonomic seat and padded handles to help make your rowing experience more pleasant and enjoyable.

FAQs

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If you hit up your local commercial gym on any given Monday evening, you’ll see that chest training is one of the most popular workouts for many lifters. Two classic lifts regularly used in this high-priority session are the time-tested flat bench press and its close cousin the incline bench press.

Whether it’s right or wrong, when most people think about “chest muscle” or “upper body training”, they think about the bench press. And when they’re ready for some variety, forget about dumbbell benching. They’ll often stick with a big barbell lift and hit up its companion — the incline bench press.

Despite the fact that these lifts may be at risk of being overhyped or oversaturated, they’re still both great and highly effective training options when it comes to adding strength and muscle to your upper body. Depending on your goals and your starting point, they’re actually worth a place in the right program.

Both exercises make it easy to gauge progress and see consistent results. But if you really want to get the most from them, you need a thorough understanding of what makes these two basic chest-builders different, what unique benefits they each offer, and you’ve got to know how to perform them effectively.

Incline Bench Press and Flat Bench Press

• Exercise Differences
• Exercise Similarities
• How to Do the Incline Bench Press
• How to Do the Flat Bench Press
• How to Program the Right Bench Press for Your Goal

Differences Between the Incline Bench Press and Flat Bench Press

To be thorough, it’s important to understand that the differences go beyond just using a slight angle. Each exercise is its own muscle-building monster and requires an understanding of what it can, or cannot, offer.

Muscle Recruitment 

The flat bench press and incline bench press are both upper body presses that bear load for the shoulder joint and attached muscles. Being on an incline and pressing relatively closer to an overhead position will recruit a bit more of the clavicular pectoralis muscles (“upper chest”). (1) In comparison, the flat bench press will involve a bit more of the sternal pectoralis (mid or “lower” chest).

Incline pressing will recruit more of the deltoids (shoulders) — especially the front deltoids — compared to a flat bench press. Again, this is due to the arm angle relative to the body. This shoulder recruitment can be greater or lesser depending on the angle of the incline. A higher incline bench press will be more deltoid-dominant compared to a lower incline bench press. (2)

Joint Stress 

Both of these lifts are bench press variations, and both will generally involve much of the same efforts. However, the incline bench press will be a bit more biased toward the shoulder joint and more contingent upon overall shoulder health. 

Not only does the incline bench press bring your shoulder into a greater degree of extension at the bottom of each rep, but it also finishes each rep in more of an overhead position. For many lifters, this will be more taxing on the rotator cuff and shoulder joint, which is already a relatively limited in its stability compared to other joints. 

Bench Angle and Arm Position 

The flat bench press — the more popular and glamorized of the two lifts — is performed while lying horizontally on a flat bench. A lifter will likely have the capability to move a bit more weight due to the body’s orientation relative to the barbell and its path.

The incline bench press is performed on a bench that’s typically inclined to 45-degrees. This angle is fixed for incline bench stations, however it can be higher or lower if you’re using an adjustable bench placed in a squat cage, a Smith machine, or another customizable setup.

Since your torso is, as expected, more inclined during the incline bench press, your arm and shoulder position will be more flexed (closer to an overhead position) during the movement. In comparison, the flat bench press will ask more of a healthy shoulder capsule to lift the weight through a full range of motion.

Hand Position and Grip Width

Many find that using a slightly narrower grip on the flat bench press compared to the incline bench press is not only more comfortable, but also friendlier to their shoulder joints. The closer your upper arms remain to your torso, the easier it is to protect the relatively delicate shoulder joint while moving deep into extension through bottom-end ranges.

Because these bottom-end ranges are more exaggerated on the incline, as your elbows can move far below your body, using a slightly wider grip with the incline press can help prevent the elbow from traveling too far below the body’s line. That can sometimes mean stopping a couple of inches shy of an “ideal” bar-to-chest range of motion.

Seat Position and Footing

The incline bench press will have a much deeper seated position. This will be significant and noticeable, especially for taller lifters or those with relatively longer legs.

This can affect things like foot placement relative to your body and floor drive. It may not be quite as easy to achieve a “tucked” position when incline bench pressing. Because leg drive is reduced, the incline bench press is slightly more dependent on the force produced from the upper body alone. In contrast, the flat bench press can benefit from increased total-body tension created by a strong leg drive.

Point of Contact on the Body

Due to the differences in torso angle, even though the vertical line of the bar remains consistent, the point of contact on your body will indeed be different. In both lifts, the goal should be to maintain a vertical forearm so your elbow always remains under the bar at the bottom of the rep and your straight arm is under the bar at the top.

Doing this while changing the torso angle from one lift to another means the bar will most likely make contact somewhere around the mid-chest line during the flat bench press (depending on your arm length) and somewhere around your collarbones with the incline bench press. The incline pressing position may also result in slightly more outwardly flared elbows due to the higher point of contact.

Similarities Between the Incline Bench Press and Flat Bench Press

As founding members of the barbell bench press family, both the incline and flat bench press share several major similarities.

Horizontal Push Pattern

By classification, both the flat and incline bench press belong to the same movement pattern known as “horizontal pushing.” Both exercises focus on your upper body and both use your shoulder capsule as the primary load-bearing joint.

To some degree, your chest, shoulders, and triceps will be key players from a muscular perspective, even though the bench angle will determine the degree to which each muscle is recruited — as explained earlier.

Total Body Involvement 

From a technique standpoint, the incline bench press and flat bench press both require focus to keep the bar path relatively vertical and perpendicular to the floor.

That involves setting a “target” in the same place on the ceiling for every repetition. It also involves placing tension throughout your entire body, including your upper back, glutes, and quads. One cue that proves invaluable for both lifts is “Aiming to “driving your feet into the floor,” especially as weight becomes heavier.

Available Variations

In both the incline bench press and the flat bench press, the opportunity exists to use kinds of barbells, like a neutral-grip football bar or cambered bar. Both movements can also be performed with different apparatus such as dumbbells or kettlebells to suit a lifter’s preferences or needs.

Furthermore, even if using a traditional barbell, there are options to add bands or chains to the bar. This will change the resistance profile to favor certain portions of the lift without altering basic setup or technique. 

How to Incline Bench Press

The majority of cues for each type of bench press are virtually transferable. The most significant difference with the incline bench press is a change in the point of contact between the bar and your body.

Otherwise, you’ll find a similar checklist between the two movements. Regardless, be sure to treat the incline bench press as its own exercise and don’t try to simply copy “flat bench press technique using an incline bench.” Perform an incline bench press properly and deliberately.

• Set up the bench pad and rack so your eyes start under the bar.
• Assume four points of contact — feet on the floor, glutes on the bench, upper back on the bench, and head on the bench.
• Create a “tucked” position — pulling your feet toward your glutes and planting your toes into the ground.
• Grab the bar at a comfortable width that keeps your forearm vertical during the movement.
• Drag the bar out, rather than “lifting” it, into a starting position over your eyes. Remember, it’s an incline so the bar should start and finish over your eyes rather than over your shoulders.
• Lower to a full range of motion, toward your collarbones, without bouncing in the bottom position.
• Remain tight and drive your feet into the ground as you exhale and press the weight up.

How to Flat Bench Press 

Some lifters take the bench press for granted, assuming that “they know how it’s done” or that it can’t be too complicated because everyone does it. Unfortunately, that approach often leads to bad shoulders, poor strength gains, and limited muscle growth.

Exactly because it’s popular, and because it has so many potential physical benefits, is why the flat bench press should be performed properly.

• Lie on the bench so your eyes start under the bar. If possible, adjust the bar hooks to start roughly six inches below full lockout to allow a good unrack.
• Assume four points of contact — feet on the floor, glutes on the bench, upper back on the bench, and head on the bench.
• Pull your shoulder blades together to get tight in the upper back and allow your lower back to create a natural arch.
• Create a “tucked” position — pulling your feet toward your glutes and planting your toes into the ground.
• Grab the bar at a comfortable width that keeps your forearm vertical during the movement.
• Drag the bar out, rather than “lifting” it, into a starting position over your shoulders.
• Lower to a full range of motion, ideally reaching your mid-chest, without bouncing in the bottom position.
• Remain tight and drive your feet into the ground as you exhale and press the weight up.

When to Do the the Incline Bench Press vs. Flat Bench Press

Though these lifts are potentially bordering on overuse in the classic gym community, they still have utility in a training program for both general lifters and athletes. Training the horizontal pushing pattern with either the incline bench press or flat bench press can be highly effective, especially if you employ loading variety like dumbbells, neutral-grip barbells, chains, or bands.

When pressing strength and muscular development is the goal, and a novice or intermediate lifter has no major history of shoulder trauma, the bench press and incline bench press can be placed into the routine.

Since training this pattern (particularly for strength) is a higher-output, CNS-based movement, program them earlier in a workout session rather than later, so they can be trained before fatigue sets in. Alternatively, if the lifts are being performed for relatively higher rep ranges (10 to 12 reps or more), either movement can efficiently be programmed later in any given workout.

However, because the incline bench press is inherently more strenuous on the shoulder joint, it’s a poor choice for very heavy, low-rep programming. If your ultimate goal is upper body pressing strength, the flat bench press is be the preferred choice.

While both movements can be ideal for beginners and intermediate lifters, neither might actually be the best choice for very experienced lifters. The further along a lifting journey a you get, the more you might realize the incline bench press and flat bench press, performed with a typical barbell, aren’t exceptional for building muscle beyond a certain point.

Other exercises may create relatively less stress on the shoulder joint, while doing a more efficient job of isolating the chest, based on the actual biomechanical function of the shoulder and muscle action of the pectoralis. Dips are a top contender in that regard.

If awesome chest development is the name of the game, some variety outside these two bench press variations will eventually become necessary, and that’s important to know. Employing that kind of variety will also likely have your shoulders thanking you over time.

Pick Your Press

Whether you’re looking to boost your pressing power or build a serious set of pecs, either bench press variation can play a role in your training plan. Don’t rely solely on engrained habits or some long-running “tradition” of emphasizing the flat barbell bench press if it isn’t the most effective tool for your personal goals in the gym. Take an objective look at which barbell chest exercise really suits your needs, and then start discovering better results.

References

1. Rodríguez-Ridao, D., Antequera-Vique, J. A., Martín-Fuentes, I., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339
2. Campos, Y. A. C., Vianna, J. M., Guimarães, M. P., Oliveira, J. L. D., Hernández-Mosqueira, C., da Silva, S. F., & Marchetti, P. H. (2020). Different Shoulder Exercises Affect the Activation of Deltoid Portions in Resistance-Trained Individuals. Journal of human kinetics, 75, 5–14. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2020-0033

Featured Image: Hryshchyshen Serhii / Shutterstock

The post Incline Bench Press vs. Flat Bench Press: Rethink Your Go-To Chest Press appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead is in the early stages of his offseason as he prepares to compete for a fifth straight Classic Physique Olympia championship at the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023.

Bumstead has been open about his training, as shown in a recent YouTube video documenting a leg workout he took on with Christian Guzman, Bumstead’s business partner and occasional training partner.

The title of the video — “This Leg Day Really Sucked” — apparently expressed Bumstead’s feelings about the workout but, in strength sports, if a workout “sucks,” it can be a good thing in the long-run.

The intense training session took place at the Revive Gym in Stuart, FL, and it kicked off with Bumstead walking on a stepmill while facing backward, to warm-up. Walking backward can help target everything in the upper thighs, especially the glutes, while reducing knee strain.

Leg Extension

Bumstead began the lifting session with leg extensions, which are an effective way to isolate the quadriceps and warm-up the knees. You can also see that he isn’t wearing shoes, which is typical for the four-time champion. He has previously said that the unconventional habit helps him feel more stable on leg day and improves his mind-muscle connection.

At one point, the machine was loaded with a total of 134 kilograms (295 pounds) and Bumstead can be seen powering through 10 repetitions. Throughout the workout, Guzman followed Bumstead with his own sets.

How to Do It: Sit on a leg extension machine and place your legs behind the pad. Sit back on the seat and hold on to the handles. Lift the pad with your legs and flex your quads once your knees are close to the locked out position. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Hack Squat

The second movement of the day was the hack squat. Bumstead performed a long range of motion, dropping deep into the hole with each rep. This technique places even more stress on the quadriceps muscles. The bodybuilder worked in the 10 to 15-rep range, ending with 245 kilograms (540 pounds) for six repetitions before quickly reducing the weight to 163 kilograms (360 pounds) for a drop set and completing seven additional reps.

How to Do It: Place your feet evenly on the foot platform and place your shoulders underneath the support pads. Once you feel solid and stable in position, lift the sled by straightening your knees and unlock the safety handles. Go as deep as you safely can into the bottom position — ideally achieve your hips below your knees. Drive your feet into the footplate and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired reps and return the handles to their original location to lock the machine back into place.

Leg Press

The third quad-focused movement was the leg press. Bumstead explained that he has shifting his focus to use a relatively wider stance than in the past, to target his adductors (inner thighs) and outer quadriceps muscles. Bumstead worked up to a top set with 367 kilograms (810 pounds) and performed 10 reps, followed by a drop set down to 285 kilograms (630 pounds) where he did 15 more reps. He then has more weight removed, down to 204 kilograms (450 pounds) and he goes to failure with 20 agonizing repetitions.

How to Do It: Sit with your back firmly against the pad. Place your feet evenly on the footplate and push it forward to release the safety handles and take control of the sled. Bend your knees and lower the footplate as deep as you comfortably can. Keep you feet flat and press the sled back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired reps. Lock he sled into place with the safety handles.

Walking Lunge

The next movement of the workout was the dumbbell walking lunge. Bumstead was on marked turf with a pair of dumbbells. He focused on taking large steps forward and lunged down as close to the floor as possible. He then returned to a standing position and took his next step with the opposite foot. Only one set is performed on camera, but Bumstead later said they did two. As a spectator might expect, he was showing clear signs of exhaustion at this point in the workout.

How to Do It: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand tall. Take a step forward and lower your rear knee toward the floor, getting as low as you can. Push through your lead foot to return to a standing position and bring your back foot forward. Take your next step with the opposite foot and perform a repetition the same way. You’ve now done one rep for each leg. Repeat for the desired reps or distance you wish to complete.

Seated Calf Raise and Adductor Machine

The tail-end of the workout shifted the focus to the calves, specifically the soleus muscle. Bumstead performs a set of seated calf raises with one 20-kilogram (45-pound) plate. He then finishes the session on the adductor machine, to give even more attention to building his inner thighs, before calling it a day.

How to Do the Seated Calf Raise: Sit with your knees under the pads. Position your feet with your toes on the footplate and your heels hanging off. Push through your toes to contract your calves and lift the weight up to release the safety handle. Lower your heels as far as you safely can to stretch your calves. Drive through your toes to lift the weight as high as possible and maximally contract your calves. Briefly hold the top position. Repeat for the desired reps, but finish with a contraction so you can return the handle and lock the machine into place.

How to Do the Adductor Machine: Sit on the machine with the pads on your inner thighs. Release the weight so you have control of it. Squeeze your thighs together to bring the pads in as close as possible, ideally touching the pads together. Slowly release tension to allow your legs to spread out. Once you feel a stretch, repeat for the desired reps.

The full details of Bumstead’s intense leg workout weren’t shared in the video, but you can try a sample version of this workout by following the guide below:

Classic Physique Olympia-Style Leg Workout

• Leg Extension — 3 x12
• Hack Squat — 3 x 12-15
• Leg Press — 2 x 12-15, 1 x 12-15 followed by a double drop set to failure
• Walking Lunge — 2 x 12 per leg
• Seated Calf Raise — 2 sets to failure (20 or more repetitions)
• Adductors — 2 sets to failure (15 or more repetitions)

Featured Image: Chris Bumstead on YouTube

The post Chris Bumstead Endures Brutal Leg Session in the Offseason appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Research of the Week

Dads matter.

Bones get weaker after gastric weight loss surgery.

Cholesterol drug that “improves numbers” but gives the subjects fatty liver and insulin resistance.

Birth control pills linked to depression.

There were many “Out-of-Africa” events.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Health Coach Radio: Diana Bishop

Primal Kitchen Podcast: Getting to the Heart of Your Stress with Dr. Dave Rabin

Media, Schmedia

Why are cancer rates climbing in young people?

New discoveries about whale song.

Interesting Blog Posts

The first people sickened by COVID were Chinese scientists working at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. What a coincidence.

Did ventilators kill people?

Social Notes

Win a pair of my new shoes.

Everything Else

How remote workers might look in the future.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Podcast I did: Danny Miranda’s. I had a great time talking about mindset.

Call your reps: Tell them to allow whole milk back in schools.

Of course they did: Paleo-Americans dined on megafauna.

Alternative medical advice: Nicotine for COVID recovery.

Effect of ketones: Improved alertness, higher dopamine.

Question I’m Asking

How do you play?

Recipe Corner

• Grilled pork tenderloin.
• Tomato burrata salad.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Jun 10 – Jun 16)

• Backpacking Essentials: Gear, Skills, and More—How to do it right.
• Three Animal Movements for Strength and Mobility—Get moving.

Comment of the Week

“Ten years ago in grad. school I typed into Google “Are Poptarts healthy?” (I was seriously asking this) and stumbled upon MDA. Now I’m lifting weights twice a week, exercising every day, my fridge is filled with whole foods, I sleep well, get sun, talk to my mom. I listen to Attia, Huberman, Rhonda, Wolf, Greenfield, Jaminet, Naiman, Saladino, Kendall, on and on. I can’t stop learning more and more. It’s been.a fun ride. And it all started with this critical, independent thinker, experimenter, athlete, businessman, satirist, and cave man, Mark Sisson. Thanks Mark..“

-Love it!

The post New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 226 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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The ability to build muscle in response to training is a part of our physiology. It’s deeply encoded in our DNA and persists throughout our lifespan. Meaning, lifters of any age and experience level should be able to add noticeable muscle to their frames.

If you’re deliberately and dedicatedly hitting the gym in the hopes of adding muscle mass, but still not seeing results, it’s time to step back and think. Which of these twelve common mistakes are sabotaging your gains?

Common Muscle-Building Mistakes

• Failing To Plan
• Volume Control 
• Lack of Progression 
• Quasi-Cardio Workouts
• Tip-Toeing Around Tension
• Always Testing, Never Training
• Program Sampling
• Stale Programming 
• Forgetting the Food
• Sleep Struggles
• Excessive “Advanced” Training
• Impatience

Failing To Plan

Beyond the obvious need to schedule time for the gym, many lifters fail to make progress toward muscle-building goals because their training is disorganized. Haphazard workouts might burn some calories, stimulate a decent pump, and deliver a nice hit of “feel good” neurotransmitters, but real progress is made when your training is intentional and thought-out.

The Problem

By failing to plan your weekly training, you leave your workouts to chance. Some body parts may receive less-than-optimal training volume (sets and reps) while others are overworked.

Unlike specialized hypertrophy programs that intentionally underload one area to allocate more training to a lagging muscle group, unplanned training tends to be consistently inconsistent, resulting in inferior gains all around.

Training loads may go untracked, resulting in failure to recognize leading indicators of progress, such as the ability to perform more repetitions with a given weight or the ability to lift more weight. You may also miss leading indicators of accumulating fatigue and under-recovery, which might otherwise be addressed by program adjustments or a deload.

The Solution

Lifters serious about building muscle must structure their training, and following an effective training split is a good start. Training splits help lifters get organized and stay organized by assigning a focus to each workout.

For example, in a push/pull/legs split, your first workout of the week focuses on upper body pushing movements, which would tend to target chest, front delts (shoulders), and triceps. The second workout hits upper body pulling exercises, such as rows, pulldowns, and pull-ups, along with biceps and rear deltoid (shoulder) work. And, you guessed it, the third workout is leg day. 

Once each workout has a focus, even if that focus is a full-body workout, the desired weekly training volume for each body part can be allocated to each body part. Appropriate training volume for building muscle is discussed in the next section, but if you’re not planning or tracking your training volume, you’ll never know whether you hit the target.

Once you’ve established your split, you need to plan and track the specifics of each workout. At a minimum, this should include:

• Exercise selection
• Number of sets and target repetition range for each exercise
• Actual number of sets and repetitions performed
• Weight used

Keep records in your phone (i.e. using an app) or use a tried and true pen and notebook.

Volume Control

Resistance training volume refers to the amount of work accomplished in training. “Volume load” includes the number of sets, number of repetitions, and load for each exercise performed. (1) Volume load is a key determinant of hypertrophy (muscle gain). (2)

Weekly training volume load, rather than daily volume load, is a more important factor in hypertrophy training. (3) That is, whether each muscle group is trained once, twice, or three times per week, the recommendations below on appropriate weekly training volume still apply.

The Problem

Lifters run into trouble when they overshoot or undershoot effective weekly resistance training volume. Like many biological processes, the relationship between weekly volume and muscle gain appears to follow a two-tailed, bell-shaped curve — a “Goldilocks” scenario.

Perform too little volume and you’ll fail to make progress or even backslide. Perform too much volume and you’ll run the risk of non-functional overreaching, or declining performance that only rebounds to baseline after prolonged recovery. (4)

The Solution

To avoid missing out on gains due to insufficient volume or unsustainably high volume, you first need to have an idea of baseline training volume. A simple way of calculating volume is by totaling the number of weekly sets per major muscle group. (1)

According to an expert consensus statement on hypertrophy, 10 weekly sets per major muscle group is a good minimum target for trained individuals. As a general rule, total weekly sets should not increase more than about 20% per month of training. (5) While greater increases in volume may be sustained during planned “overreaching,” these temporary periods are typically followed by a deload, or a pre-planned reduction in training volume and intensity. 

Don’t fear deloads. During a deload, dramatic reductions in training volume are common. Weekly volume may be reduced by approximately 50%. Lifters may be wary about aggressively reducing volume during deloads for fear of losing muscle; however, research shows trained individuals maintain strength and size for at least two weeks of no workouts. (6) During a deload, you’re still active and training.

Deloads are time-limited — typically one week or so. Deloads allow for recovery from hard cycles of training. Following a deload week, lifters are anecdotally more sensitive to training volume, allowing them to “reset” weekly training volume back toward moderate volume (e.g. 10 to 16 weekly sets). 

The question of top-end weekly volume may be of interest, too. Although some lifters may benefit from higher training volumes, it is likely not necessary for most to push past 20 or so weekly sets per muscle group, especially if other training variables are progressive over time.

Lack of Progression

The same sets, reps, and weights that built your current body will not build your dream physique. This is because our muscles, like all biological systems, reach equilibrium (i.e. homeostasis) quickly if not provided with progressive training stimuli.

The Problem

Informed by the tenets of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), which describes how living organisms respond to stressors, non-progressive stimuli result in an eventual plateau of biological responses. (7) For hypertrophy training, this means non-progressive workouts will eventually become non-productive workouts and you’ll stop seeing muscle gains.

The Solution

The simplest solution to non-progressive training is to ensure you are either adding volume (sets and/or reps) or load to your lifts regularly.

Although any decent, ready-made program will already incorporate progression, a simple method of progression for building your own program is to start by identifying a weight for each exercise that allows you to perform a number of repetitions toward the bottom of your target repetition range for moderate effort sets.

For example, a lifter wishing to program neutral-grip lat pulldowns in the eight to 12 repetition range might determine she is able to use 165 pounds (75 kilograms) for 8 reps while having two or three repetitions left in reserve.

Now, each week, she can either add one repetition per set or add 2.5% to 5% more weight — she can either progress to 165 pounds for nine or more reps or 170 pounds for eight reps. She will continue to add repetitions or weight until she’s unable to remain within the target repetition range. Then it’s time to take a deload period of approximately one week and restart.

Alternatively, if you feel you are not ready for a deload, simply adjust your target repetition range to accommodate a longer period of progression (12 to 15 repetitions, in this example).

Quasi-Cardio Workouts

Working up a sweat and getting the heart pumping are features of many intense sessions, and most lifters value that type of training. Supersets, which pair exercises back-to-back thereby minimizing rest, are a mainstay of many of these intense workouts. (8)

But some lifters take “minimal rest” too far. If rest between sets is limited to the point where workout quality or performance suffers, the workout may fail to achieve its ultimate purpose: building muscle.

The Problem

To be clear, the problem isn’t lack of rest between sets, per se. It’s the resulting loss of training volume and/or intensity that inevitably occurs after not taking enough rest. (9)

Reducing rest periods will play up the cardiovascular challenge of the workout. While cardio is very good for overall health, it is not the ideal type of training for building muscle. Moreover, “lifting light weights fast” or “lifting with minimal rest” is unlikely to be optimal cardio for most. Rhythmic or cyclical exercises tend to be more suitable (e.g. rowing machine, jogging, cycling, swimming, etc.).

“Frankensteining” a cardio-like, resistance training workout will not allow adequate recovery of the phosphagen and anaerobic alactic energy systems which predominantly fuel traditional resistance training. This results in lost repetitions and/or necessitates use of lower loads. Since volume load drives hypertrophy, short rest intervals ultimately lead to inferior growth. (9)

The Solution

Outside of very specific scenarios such as supersets, ensure you are getting adequate rest between sets to maintain desired training volume throughout your hypertrophy workout. Take a minimum of two minutes rest between sets of multi-joint exercises and 60 to 90 seconds between sets of single-joint exercises. (5)

Tip-Toeing Around Tension

Those with hypertrophy goals lift weights to expose their muscles to tension. When exposed to tension, muscles experience a complex cascade of mechanical, neural, and chemical events that culminate in elevated rates of muscle protein synthesis and protein turnover. (10)(11) The end result, ideally, is bigger muscles.

The Problem

Mechanical tension is thought to be a key driver of hypertrophy. (11) However, lifters can be very efficient at working around mechanical tension, especially when sets get challenging. By using compensations or work-arounds that make repetitions easier, they end up taking tension off the target muscles.

The Solution

Develop a strong mind-muscle connection and don’t cheat yourself out of tension. From the beginning of each set, focus on controlling the negative (or eccentric/lowering) phase of the exercise. You might even linger a bit slower during the most challenging portion of the motion. For example, when lowering dumbbells during a lateral raise, focus on controlling the initial descent. 

As your set continues, disallow any compensations — don’t cheat! Keeping your form clean in the face of fatigue, burning muscles, and impending muscular failure is challenging, no doubt, but it can be mastered.

If, for example, you are performing dumbbell front squats as a quadriceps-focused leg exercise, continue to drive your knees forward as you squat down, shifting tension into your quads. Do not allow yourself to sit back into your hips during the final challenging repetitions. 

If you are new to the skills of pushing through tension or still developing the mind-muscle connection, consider certain machine-based exercises, which instill confidence and include built-in safety measures.

Always Testing, Never Training

Some lifters can’t resist training too heavy, too often. For many, nothing feels better than hitting a heavy personal best or maximum on a squat, bench, press or deadlift. But maxing out is not necessarily the same as productive training. Unplanned “YOLO sets” can sap energy, rob you of volume load, interfere with readiness to train, and ultimately detract from your hypertrophy gains.

The Problem

While there is an appropriate time and place in any program for maxing out, it is typically during a period of planned overreaching or testing to establish percentages and working weights.

Heavy singles, doubles, even triples can result in lower volume loads, a key driver of hypertrophy. (2) This is because maximum or near-maximum low-rep sets may detract from, or take, the place of sets in the five-to-30 repetition range, which are most efficient for accumulating volume load. 

Performed too frequently, heavy maximum sets might spur non-functional overreaching. Researchers reported non-functional overreaching (i.e. lack of gains) among trained squatters performing three sessions per week of two singles at 95% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and three singles at 90% 1RM after only three weeks. (12)

Another study compared a volume load equated program using three sets of 10 repetitions versus seven sets of three repetitions. The groups gained equivalent muscle over eight weeks, but the group performing heavy triples for seven sets reported more symptoms associated with overtraining, like joint pain. (13) 

Ultimately, heavy training can sneak up on you. Although it may be possible to achieve equivalent volume load and growth with heavy maximum sets, they may not be as efficient in the long-term as “hypertrophy-style” sets in the moderate to high-repetition range.

The Solution

Heavy, maximum effort sets (i.e. less than three repetitions) should be few and far between when you’re in a dedicated hypertrophy program. You do not need to max out every week.

True 1RM testing may not even be necessary for the hypertrophy-focused lifter. Programming based on multiple repetitions maximum (i.e. 5RM, 8RM, 12RM, etc.) is just as effective as percentages of 1RM, and arguably more specific to the repetition target of the sets commonly performed during training.

Plan to regularly test 8RM to 12 RM for your primary lifts approximately once or twice per four-to-six-week training cycle. On days your program does not call for maximum effort sets, resist the urge to max out.

Program Sampling

Countless training programs have potential to help you reach your physique goals. However, constantly sampling from the endless menu of workouts circulating through social media and fitness publications is a sure-fire way to slow your progress.

The Problem

With each new exercise or exercise variation, we ask our neuromuscular system to tackle a novel movement skill. Motor learning, or the process of learning a new movement skill, takes time.

If you’re constantly changing up your workout, you never approach the crest of the learning curve. Meaning, you will not get the most of your training because you haven’t spent enough time with each exercise to maximize technique, repetitions, and loads. (14)

The Solution

Think of each exercise in your workout as an investment. Keep an exercise in your workout portfolio long enough and you will experience compounding interest in the forms of technical proficiency and muscular adaptations associated with the exercise.

Keeping relative consistency allows for progressive overload, an essential feature of effective training. For hypertrophy, progressive overload is accomplished by gradually exposing your muscles to greater demands over time.

Once you develop or identify a workout program you enjoy that’s specific to your goals, see it through for at least four to eight weeks. How do you know when it’s time to shake things up? When training gets stale. And this next section just so happens to explain more.

Stale Programming

Variation, while potentially counterproductive if applied excessively, may play an important role in preventing stalled progress. (14)(15) Variation can take the form of changes in programming variables such as sets, repetitions, and load. (16) Or, variation can be accomplished via exercise selection. (15) Your program should include both sources of variety.

The Problem

Without some variation in your training, stagnation is likely to occur. Stagnation can be mental or physical. Repeating the same workouts week-in and week-out can drain motivation to train, while highly varied programs are shown to enhance motivation. (17)

Physically, our muscles will become accustomed to the stale stimulus, as discussed in the previous “Lack of Progression” section. Moreover, muscles may grow preferentially at specific regions in response to certain exercises. With varied exercise selection, more robust growth throughout the muscle has been shown. (14)(18)

The Solution

Vary your training systematically, not haphazardly. Consider a planned, or periodized, program. If you are drawn to lots of variation or need frequent changes to stay motivated, consider a program with an undulating periodization scheme — In these programs, volume and load are varied frequently (e.g. daily or weekly). (19)

For example, one workout might call for three sets of 12 repetitions, the next workout might be four sets of eight, and a third workout might be five sets of five repetitions. Although not specifically designated as a hypertrophy program, one example of a daily undulating program is the Conjugate Method popularized by powerlifters at the famed Westside Barbell. 

For others, a more traditional approach, such as linear periodization, may suffice. Programs that are linearly periodized gradually increase load while gradually reducing volume. (19) A systematic review comparing undulating periodized training programs with linear programs showed no difference in hypertrophy outcomes between the two periodization styles. (19) 

Periodization seem too complicated? Fortunately, true periodization may not be necessary for hypertrophy. (16)(20) But variation is still important. First, make sure your program is progressive by adding volume or load when training gets easy.

Next, consider including multiple exercises for each body part. Not only does this decrease boredom, but it may also lead to fuller muscular hypertrophy. (14)(18) For example, you might include spider curls and incline dumbbell curls, either in the same workout or throughout the week, to hit your biceps at different muscle lengths.

Finally, switch out your exercises for different variations when you begin to plateau — Changes might be as often as every four to eight weeks, or as seldom as every twelve to sixteen weeks.

Forgetting the Food

As the saying goes, you must eat big to get big. Elevated rates of muscle protein synthesis following resistance training are thought to be the key driving force of muscle gain among consistent lifters. (10) The raw materials for elevated rates of protein synthesis largely come from dietary protein, the most important macronutrient for hypertrophy-focused lifters.

The Problem

Although 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram body mass per day is commonly cited as a target for maximizing muscle gain, resistance trained individuals may benefit from substantially higher intake. A target of 2.0 to 2.2 grams protein per kilogram body mass may be more appropriate. (10)(21) Many lifters fail to consistently reach this target.

The Solution

While many lifters are not interested in tracking all macronutrients, focusing on optimizing protein intake may be the most practical and impactful step. A simple strategy to reach a protein target of 2.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram body mass — roughly one gram per pound body weight — is to divide target protein intake across the number of meals you plan to consume each day.

For example, a 200-pound lifter might plan to consume four meals containing approximately 50 grams of protein each. Alternatively, this lifter could consume three meals at approximately 50 grams of protein each, a post-workout shake containing 30 grams protein, and a snack containing another 20 grams. 

To effectively meet your protein target, you will need to familiarize yourself with the protein content of the foods you commonly consume. Before long, you’ll begin to memorize the protein contents of foods you commonly eat. 

For example, a single egg has six grams, a quarter-pound of beef has approximately 25 grams, and a small can of tuna fish also has 25 grams. Those with health conditions, those seeking meal plans, and those looking to optimize other facets of their nutrition, such as nutrient timing, should consult a registered dietitian, ideally one with experience with physique athletes.

Sleep Struggles

When it comes to fat loss, a common platitude goes: “Abs are made in the kitchen.” But when it comes to building muscle, a more correct claim is: “Muscle is made in the bedroom.” Recovery between workouts enables consistent high-intensity training, and recovery depends on adequate high-quality sleep.

The Problem

Sleep deprivation is known to blunt muscle protein synthesis (the building of new muscle). Just a single night of sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce the rate of overnight muscle protein synthesis by 18%. (22)

Another study showed five nights of partially restricted sleep (four hours in bed) resulted in significantly reduced muscle protein synthesis compared to matched groups getting a full night’s sleep (eight hours in bed). (23)

Over longer periods of time, even modest restrictions in sleep duration may have profoundly negative effects on your ability to gain muscle. Beyond sleep duration, the quality of sleep may also affect adaptations from hypertrophy training.

The Solution

To improve sleep, focus on three areas: Preparation, duration, and conditions. 

First, ensure you are “winding down” in the hours prior to bedtime. Whether it’s the blue light from electronics or the highly stimulating nature of the information and activities performed with these devices, minimizing screen time before bed seems pertinent. Moreover, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the afternoon and evening hours. (24)

Make every effort to get into bed early enough to allocate approximately eight hours to sleep. Yes, there are likely individual differences in the total duration of sleep required, but eight hours is a good baseline goal for most.

Finally, ensure the conditions of your bedroom are conducive to sleep. Make every effort to create a cool (i.e. approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius), dark, and comfortable environment for sleep. (24) Blackout shades, earplugs, fans, and/or air conditioning units can be helpful.

Ideally, the bedroom is kept free of electronics which might interrupt sleep. Sleep can be improved with planning and attention, resulting in a fuller night’s sleep and ultimately, a fuller muscular physique.

Excessive “Advanced” Training

Drop sets, forced reps, rest-pause, heavy negatives, and supersets are typically categorized as “advanced training techniques,” a classification that may sound alluring. Equally alluring is the fact that more than 80% of competitive bodybuilders use these techniques in “most but not all sessions.” (25) Advanced training techniques are fun and can increase motivation to train. (5)(26) But here’s the rub. You might already be using these techniques too often.

The Problem

Most lifters interested in building a muscular physique do not engage in competitive bodybuilding, a sport characterized by common use of anabolic androgenic steroids that likely allows individuals to tolerate (and thrive) under punishing training regimes. Therefore, most lifters should not attempt to train like competitive bodybuilders. 

While research on advanced training techniques is sparse in some areas, studies on drop sets and supersets tend to show similar muscle gain to traditional set configurations. (5)(26)(27) Keep in mind, training studies on advanced training techniques are time-limited — typically six to ten weeks in duration.

Because many advanced training techniques push the lifter past failure or dramatically reduce rest intervals, it may be difficult to sustain frequent use of these techniques in the long term without accumulating fatigue. With accumulated fatigue, performance in subsequent workouts begins to suffer, which may ultimately hinder gains.

The Solution

Advanced training techniques should be used judiciously. Limiting use of advanced training, particularly techniques that extend sets beyond failure (i.e. drop sets and forced reps), to primarily single-joint movements and machine-based exercises may help to manage the burden of fatigue. (5)

It may be wise to limit use of advanced training to the final set of a given exercise or to a defined period of intentional overreaching, such as the final week of a training cycle. (5)

Finally, while survey data indicates most competitive bodybuilders use advanced training techniques, they tend to use these techniques with primarily single-joint exercises. Biceps curls, triceps pushdowns, and pec flyes are the most common. (25)

If you wish to employ advanced training techniques frequently, go ahead and take this lesson from their playbook: Use advanced training primarily when training smaller muscle groups and for isolation-type exercises.

Impatience

Real talk: building muscle is painfully slow. Young, healthy newbies (individuals beginning an organized hypertrophy program for the first time) are a population expected to make the most rapid gains in muscle mass.

This is the “newbie gains” phenomenon. However, as your training experience increases, gains are slower and harder to come by.

The Problem

Rates of hypertrophy are relatively slow and highly individual. In a clever study design, variability in hypertrophy between individuals performing the same progressive training programs was 40-times greater than variability within individuals when the individuals performed different progressive protocols on left versus right limbs. (20) 

Further emphasizing variability within individuals, a small study on 24 “newbie” lifters reported a 10.7% average increase in muscle cross sectional area after ten weeks of hard training. But this average is somewhat misleading, as “high responders” grew nearly 15%, while just under a third of the individuals (“low responders”) lost muscle size throughout the study, albeit this change did not reach statistical significance. (28)

Altogether, research hints that individual features are more important than the specific nuts-and-bolts of the hypertrophy program.

The Solution

Fortunately, there are no non-responders to progressive hypertrophy training. (20) But if you are a low responder, also known as a “hard gainer,” or even an average responder to training, you’d better get comfortable playing the long game.

Practice setting expectations and goals in terms of longer timeframes. For example, an average experienced lifter not enhanced by anabolic steroids might reasonably set a goal of gaining four or five pounds of primarily lean muscle mass per month.

However, for a known low responder, a more realistic goal might be to add two pounds of muscle per month. Or better yet, aim at twelve solid pounds of muscle in a year. Rather than frantically seeking the next best program or supplement, most lifters would be better served thinking about gains in terms of months, years, even decades. Settle in and enjoy the progress.

Finally, there’s one silver lining for “hard gainers.” Although they tend to gain muscle more slowly, “hard gainers” shed muscle more slowly during periods of detraining. (28)

Avoid Roadblocks on Your Journey to “Gainzville”

Building muscle is an arduous journey but a rewarding one. A muscular physique affects your self-esteem, how you are perceived in the world, and your overall health. If you’re not getting where you want to go, now’s the time to re-examine and tinker with your programming, your habits, and even your mindset.

References

1. Nunes, J. P., et al. (2021). Equating resistance-training volume between programs focused on muscle hypertrophy. Sports Medicine, 51, 1171-1178.
2. Carvalho, L., et al. (2022). Muscle hypertrophy and strength gains after resistance training with different volume-matched loads: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 47(4), 357-368.
3. Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Latella, C. (2019). Resistance training frequency and skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A review of available evidence. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(3), 361-370.
4. Bell, L., et al. (2020). Overreaching and overtraining in strength sports and resistance training: A scoping review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(16), 1897-1912.
5. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1).
6. Hwang, P. S., et al. (2017). Resistance training–induced elevations in muscular strength in trained men are maintained after 2 weeks of detraining and not differentially affected by whey protein supplementation. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(4), 869-881.
7. Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2004). Fundamentals of resistance training: progression and exercise prescription. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(4), 674-688.
8. Iversen V.M., et al. (2021). No time to lift? Designing time-efficient training programs for strength and hypertrophy: a narrative review. Sports Medicine, 51, 2079-2095.
9. Longo, A. R., et al. (2022). Volume load rather than resting interval influences muscle hypertrophy during high-intensity resistance training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1554-1559.
10. Joanisse, S., et al. (2020). Recent advances in understanding resistance exercise training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy in humans. F1000Research, 9.
11. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology.
12. Fry, A. C., et al. (2000). Impaired performances with excessive high-intensity free-weight training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 14(1), 54-61.
13. Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2014). Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(10), 2909-2918.
14. Kassiano, W., et al. (2022). Does varying resistance exercises promote superior muscle hypertrophy and strength gains? A systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1753-1762.
15. Fisher, J. P., et al. (2018). Periodization for optimizing strength and hypertrophy; the forgotten variables. Journal of Trainology, 7(1), 10-15.
16. Grgic, J., et al. (2018). Should resistance training programs aimed at muscular hypertrophy be periodized? A systematic review of periodized versus non-periodized approaches. Science & Sports, 33(3), e97-e104.
17. Baz-Valle, E., et al. (2019). The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PloS one, 14(12), e0226989.
18. de Vasconcelos Costa, B. D., et al. (2021). Does performing different resistance exercises for the same muscle group induce non-homogeneous hypertrophy?. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(09), 803-811.
19. Grgic, J., Mikulic, P., Podnar, H., & Pedisic, Z. (2017). Effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training programs on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ, 5, e3695.
20. Damas, F., et al. (2019). Myofibrillar protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy individualized responses to systematically changing resistance training variables in trained young men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 127(3), 806-815.
21. Mazzulla, M., et al. (2020). Protein intake to maximize whole-body anabolism during postexercise recovery in resistance-trained men with high habitual intakes is severalfold greater than the current recommended dietary allowance. The Journal of Nutrition, 150(3), 505-511.
22. Lamon, S., et al. (2021). The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiological Reports, 9(1), e14660.
23. Saner, N. J., et al. (2020). The effect of sleep restriction, with or without high‐intensity interval exercise, on myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy young men. The Journal of physiology, 598(8), 1523-1536.
24. Bird, S. P. (2013). Sleep, recovery, and athletic performance: a brief review and recommendations. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 35(5), 43-47.
25. Hackett, D. A., et al. (2013). Training practices and ergogenic aids used by male bodybuilders. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(6), 1609-1617.
26. Krzysztofik, M., et al. (2019). Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4897.
27. Angleri, V., Ugrinowitsch, C., & Libardi, C. A. (2017). Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117, 359-369.
28. Räntilä, A., et al. (2021). High responders to hypertrophic strength training also tend to lose more muscle mass and strength during detraining than low responders. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(6), 1500-1511.

Featured Image: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

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In a way, the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships have become a staging ground for terrific debuts from athletes like Natalie Richards and the extension of budding dynasties like Tiffany Chapon’s. Powerhouse New Zealand powerlifter Evie Corrigan slots seamlessly into the former category.

Corrigan made her second Open appearance at the flagship competition in Valletta, Malta, during the week of June 11-18, 2023. The athlete did not disappoint, capturing the IPF raw World title in the Open division 52-kilogram weight class for the first time. The new title can now sit alongside her win at the 2018 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships in the Juniors division. To score her latest title, Corrigan successfully dethroned the winner from the 2022 edition, Noémie Allabert, who finished as the runner-up to her peer.

Unlike some of her weight class peers, such as Farhanna Farid, Corrigan didn’t set any IPF World Records in the process of her victory. She also did not mark down any personal all-time raw competition bests. That said, the athlete leaned on consistency, successfully finishing eight of her nine lift attempts between her best squat, bench press, and deadlift. Notably, if Corrigan had successfully pulled off her failed final deadlift of 203 kilograms (447.5 pounds), the athlete would’ve easily surpassed her own total IPF World Record of 460 kilograms (1,014.3 pounds) from the 2023 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships (SPF). Instead, with her overall performance, Corrigan tied her own World Record total.

Nonetheless, Corrigan still captured the impressive first-time victory. At the time of this writing, without complete footage from Corrigan’s performance, it is unclear what sort of equipment the competitor wore on her squat. Based on photography from White Lights Media (@whitelightsmediauk on Instagram), the athlete donned a lifting belt to assist with her sumo stance, mixed grip deadlift, and completed her bench press completely raw.

Here’s an overview of the powerlifter’s top stats from the 2023 IPF Worlds:

Evie Corrigan (52KG) | 2023 IPF Worlds Top Stats

• Squat — 162.5 kilograms (358.3 pounds)
• Bench Press — 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds)
• Deadlift — 197.5 kilograms (435.4 pounds)
• Total — 460 kilograms (1,014.1 pounds)

As the defending 2023 SPF champion, Corrigan has now secured a spot in the 2024 edition of the contest automatically just by competing in the 2023 IPF Worlds. Leaving with the IPF Worlds win anyway is quite a new addition to her resume.

With the 2023 IPF Worlds included, Corrigan has now left triumphant from her last four sanctioned powerlifting contests, per Open Powerlifting. Something says an extended hot streak could only just be beginning for this 52-kilogram dynamo.

Featured image: @whitelightsmediauk on Instagram

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Every now and then, a potential “dynasty” can form at the annual International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships. In terms of recent runs to royalty, French powerlifter Tiffany Chapon may immediately come to mind. Perhaps it is no coincidence that her French Men’s peer Panagiotis Tarinidis could follow that successful example.

During the 2023 iteration of the IPF Worlds, taking place on June 11-18 in Valletta, Malta, Tarinidis captured his second IPF Open World title in the 66-kilogram division in three years. The athlete came out triumphant in 2021, fell short with a fifth-place finish in 2022, and has now ascended back to the top of the podium as he seeks consistent dominance on a global stage.

While Tarinidis did not have the best deadlift in the 66-kilogram division — that distinction belongs to his World Record-holding peer Brian Le — his overall performance remained one to behold. To score his second career IPF Open World title, Tarinidis squatted 247.5 kilograms (545.6 pounds), notched an all-time raw competition PR bench press of 172.5 kilograms (380.3 pounds), and finished the day with another all-time raw competition PR on his deadlift with 285 kilograms (628.3 pounds).

Tarinidis wore a lifting belt and completed his top deadlift from a conventional stance with a mixed grip. At the time of this writing, without more video, it is unclear what his set-up was on his best squat and bench press.

Here’s an overview of the athlete’s top stats from his performance at the 2023 IPF Worlds:

Panagiotis Tarinidis (66KG) | 2023 IPF Worlds Top Stats

• Squat — 247.5 kilograms (545.6 pounds)
• Bench Press — 172.5 kilograms (380.3 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition PR
• Deadlift — 300.5 kilograms (662.5 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition PR
• Total — 705 kilograms (1,554.3 pounds)

Notably, Tarinidis fell just 2.4 kilograms (5.4 pounds) short of his all-time raw competition best total of 1,559.7 pounds. According to his personal page on Open Powerlifting, the athlete scored that mark at the 2021 Fédération Française de Force (FFForce) Silent Worker Meet. Nonetheless, another first-place showing on this kind of sanctioned stage is nothing to sneeze at.

In a post on his Instagram, Tarinidis seemed understandably proud about his latest accomplishment while discussing his patriotism for his native France. To win a gold medal and subsequently sing the French National Anthem appeared to mean the world to this star of strength sports.

“Being able to have the French anthem play at [the 2023 IPF Worlds], with my friends, family … was an incredible moment. I wanted to also share it with you. The best victories are the ones you share, that are hard to obtain. And this one is ours.”

Featured image: @thepanash on Instagram

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Collagen has been a staple in my supplement routine for several years and has made a difference in how strong my hair and nails feel. I also believe it’s one of the reasons why I rarely experience significant joint pain, despite being in my late thirties and working out hard four to five days a week.

Some collagen brands I’ve tried are more effective than others. To save you from wasting as much money as I have on products that don’t work, I compiled a list of the best collagen supplements on the market today. I also included several options that our reviews staff has tested and enjoyed, so you don’t have to worry about accumulating a pantry full of items you’ll never use.

Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.

Our Top Picks for the Best Collagen Supplements

• Best Collagen Peptides: Bulletproof Collagen Peptides
• Best Collagen Supplement for Better Skin: HUM Nutrition Collagen Love
• Best Collagen Supplement for Women: Cira Collagen Peptides
• Best Marine Collagen Supplement: Nordic Beauty Marine Collagen
• Best Organic Collagen Supplement: Care/of Collagen
• Best Collagen Supplement for Hair Loss: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
• Best Collagen Powder Supplement: BUBS Collagen Peptides
• Best Collagen Supplement for Joints: Gnarly Collagen Pro
• Best Collagen Supplement for Men: Momentous Collagen Shot
• Best Natural Collagen Supplement: Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate
• Best Collagen Supplement for Weight Loss: Swolverine Collagen Protein
• Best Vegan Collagen Supplement: HUM Nutrition Glow Sweet Glow
• Best Multi-Collagen Supplement: Ancient Nutrition Collagen Powder Protein With Probiotics

Best Collagen Peptides: Bulletproof Collagen Peptides

Bulletproof Collagen Peptides

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 12 to 60
• Cost per serving: Starts at $1.28
• Amount of collagen per serving: 20 grams
• Protein per serving: 18 to 19 grams, depending on the flavor
• Flavors: Chocolate, Unflavored, Vanilla
• Third-party tested: Tested for the presence of heavy metals and other toxins

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Pros

• Sustainably sourced from pasture-raised, hormone-free cows
• Mixes well in hot or cold liquids
• Made with collagen types I and III, the most common types of collagen in the body

Cons

• Not tested for banned substances

Bulletproof Collagen Peptides are the best collagen peptides because they deliver 20 grams of collagen per serving, and they’re hydrolyzed to make digestion and absorption easier. They’re derived from grass-fed, hormone-free cows, which is a plus for those who prefer to buy sustainably-sourced products. They also contain types I and III collagen, the most abundant types of collagen in the body.

In addition to all that, we love how well this collagen dissolves. When our review staff poured hot coffee over it without stirring it, it dissolved completely and left no clumps behind.

Our review team also noted that the unflavored variety is truly unflavored, unlike other non-flavored collagen powders that can have an odd taste to them. If you like to mix your collagen powder with a high-quality protein powder, you won’t have to worry about Bulletproof’s unflavored collagen altering its taste.

If you prefer flavored collagen, you can opt for the chocolate or vanilla varieties. The flavored powders are higher in calories, though. The chocolate and vanilla collagens have 130 and 140 calories per serving, respectively, compared with 70 calories in the unflavored version. If you’re trying to watch your caloric intake, you may want to stick with the unflavored powder.

Best Collagen Supplement for Better Skin: HUM Nutrition Collagen Love

HUM Collagen Love

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Capsules
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.33
• Amount of collagen per serving: 600 milligrams
• Protein per serving: Not provided
• Flavors: N/A
• Third-party tested: Clean Label Project

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Pros

• Also contains vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and grape seed and red wine extracts
• No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives
• Free from common allergens and suitable for a wide range of dietary restrictions

Cons

• Provides a low amount of collagen per serving

In addition to collagen, HUM Nutrition Collagen Love contains vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, which can help prevent sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. It also has grape seed and red wine extracts to help improve the body’s ability to fight against free radicals, molecules that can damage cells and increase signs of aging. (1)

Another benefit of HUM Nutrition Collagen Love is that it’s available in capsule form. Those who prefer to take their collagen on the go won’t have to worry about powder making a mess in their travel bags. One serving is three capsules, which can be an issue for those with pill aversion, but the capsules aren’t too large. Most people shouldn’t have any problems swallowing them.

HUM Nutrition Collagen Love is also Clean Label Project-verified, so it undergoes a thorough testing process to ensure it’s free of heavy metals, contaminants, pesticides, and other potential toxins.

Each serving only provides 600 milligrams (0.6 grams) of collagen, much lower than the 10,000 to 20,000 milligrams (10 to 20 grams) you’ll find in other collagen supplements. Research shows that an effective daily dose of collagen is at least 2.5 grams, so if you want to maximize your collagen intake, consider another option on this list. (2)

RELATED: Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Collagen Supplement for Women: Cira Collagen Peptides

Cira Nutrition Collagen Peptides

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.17
• Amount of collagen per serving: 10 grams
• Protein per serving: Nine grams
• Flavors: Pina Colada, Strawberry Kiwi, Unflavored
• Third-party tested: No

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Pros

• Also contains digestive enzymes and AstraGin® to help with absorption
• No added sugars or artificial sweeteners
• Sourced from grass-fed cows

Cons

• Pina Colada and Strawberry Kiwi flavors may be too sweet for some
• Contains artificial flavors
• Not as high in collagen as other brands

Collagen supplements are generally suitable for both men and women, but some are better for one gender over the other because they complement other products that address gender-specific concerns. For example, Cira Collagen Peptides are ideal for women because they can be combined with the brand’s other offerings, such as its No Filter – Complexion supplement. Together, these products can be used as part of a well-rounded supplement routine to support healthy skin, hair, and nails — all common concerns among women.

Cira Collagen Peptides contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, AstraGin® (a plant-based compound), and digestive enzymes to help ensure maximum absorption. They’re available in an unflavored variety or in Pina Colada or Strawberry Kiwi flavors, which taste great mixed with water or plain Greek yogurt. However, the flavored options may be too sweet for some since they contain stevia. They may also not taste good with other flavored supplements or beverages.

One container offers 30 servings but provides just 10 grams of collagen. Many other collagen brands provide 20 grams of collagen per serving but cost the same as Cira Collagen Peptides. Considering you have to double the dose to get the same amount of collagen you’d find in another brand, they aren’t the most cost-effective option.

Best Marine Collagen Supplement: Nordic Beauty Marine Collagen

Nordic Beauty Marine Collagen

• Collagen source: Cod
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.33
• Amount of collagen per serving: 4.2 grams
• Protein per serving: Four grams
• Flavors: Strawberry
• Third-party tested: No

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Pros

• No added sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, gluten, or dairy
• Also contains vitamin C
• Non-GMO verified
• Third-party test results available on the brand’s website

Cons

• Doesn’t dissolve well
• Lower amount of collagen per serving than other options

For those who don’t consume mammal-based products, Nordic Beauty Marine Collagen is an excellent marine collagen supplement sourced from wild-caught cod.

Marine collagen is beneficial because it has high amounts of glycine, which supports bone health, and proline, which helps to strengthen connective tissues and reduce joint pain. It’s also higher in types I and III collagen and may be easier to digest than bovine collagen.

Nordic Beauty Marine Collagen provides 4.2 grams of collagen per serving, lower than many other products on this list but still an effective dose. It also contains vitamin C to help improve skin elasticity and nutrient absorption. It’s only available in a strawberry flavor, which our review team noted was mild but not too sweet. However, there was a noticeable aftertaste, and it left stringy particles behind even after stirring.

That said, if you’re looking for a safe supplement, you’ll appreciate that Nordic Beauty’s marine collagen peptides are third-party tested. Nordic Naturals provides certificates of analysis for each product on its website, so you can see the test results for yourself.

Best Organic Collagen Supplement: Care/of Collagen

Care/of Collagen

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 15
• Cost per serving: Starts at $1.60
• Amount of collagen per serving: 10 grams
• Protein per serving: Nine grams
• Flavors: Unflavored, Vanilla Oat Creamer
• Third-party tested: Certified C.L.E.A.N.

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Pros

• No egg, fish, milk, peanut, sesame, shellfish, soy, or wheat products
• Sourced from grass-fed cows
• Non-GMO

Cons

• Not available as a one-time purchase

While Care/of Collagen itself isn’t USDA-certified organic, it is Certified C.L.E.A.N. To receive this verification, the majority of a product’s ingredients must be organic, and all of them must be 100 percent non-GMO. Care/of Collagen is also third-party tested for label accuracy and purity.

With each serving, you get 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen and nine grams of protein. You can choose an unflavored powder or the Vanilla Oat Creamer, which contains additional ingredients like coconut milk powder and vanilla powder to add flavor and creaminess to your coffee.

The only drawback is that you can’t buy Care/of’s collagen as a one-time purchase. All of the company’s products are available on a subscription basis. You can always place your order and then cancel the subscription until you have a chance to try it, but remembering to pause and unpause it can be a hassle.

RELATED: 11 Best Creatine Supplements For Building Muscle, Cutting, and More

Best Collagen Supplement for Hair Loss: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: Seven to 28
• Cost per serving: Starts at $1.68
• Amount of collagen per serving: 20 grams
• Protein per serving: 18 grams
• Flavors: Chocolate, Lemon, Unflavored, Vanilla
• Third-party tested: NSF Certified for Sport

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Pros

• Made without gluten, dairy, or artificial sweeteners
• Whole30-approved and paleo-friendly
• Made with types I and III collagen, which are beneficial for hair health

Cons

• Not as soluble as other options

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides was the first collagen supplement I ever took, and I still keep it in my rotation. I definitely notice that my nails are stronger when I take this collagen regularly, and even though I’m fortunate to not have issues with hair loss, I do receive compliments about how healthy my hair looks.

The positive effects it has on hair health are due to the fact that each serving offers 20 grams of types I and III collagen. Type I collagen, in particular, is rich in the amino acid proline. Proline aids in the production of a protein called keratin that helps strengthen hair. (3)

In my experience, Vital Proteins isn’t as soluble as other brands, but as long as you stir it well or use a frother or shaker bottle, you won’t notice any clumps in your beverage.

I prefer unflavored collagen because I like to mix it in coffee, protein shakes, oatmeal, and yogurt, and non-flavored powders are more versatile. However, I have tried Vital Proteins’ Chocolate Collagen Peptides supplement and enjoyed it, too. It gave my coffee a mocha flavor and enhanced the taste of the chocolate whey protein powder I used to mix it with. Neither the unflavored nor the flavored varieties contain added sugars or artificial sweeteners, so they are all ideal for those looking for a natural collagen supplement.

Best Collagen Powder Supplement: BUBS Collagen Peptides

BUBS Naturals Collagen Peptides Powder

$46.99 ($2.35 / Ounce)

• Protein type: Collagen peptides
• Number of servings: 14 to 28
• Cost: $1.67 to $2.57 per serving
• Calories per serving: 70
• Protein per serving: 18 grams
• Flavors: Unflavored
• Third-party tested: NSF Certified for Sport

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06/15/2023 12:02 am GMT

Pros

• No gluten, soy, nuts, corn, or GMOs
• Sourced from farms that practice sustainable farming methods
• Keto-friendly and Whole30 approved
• Dissolves easily

Cons

• More expensive than others

BUBS is one of my favorite bovine collagen powders because it has good solubility, doesn’t alter the taste of any beverages or foods I mix it in, and is one of the few I’ve taken that makes my hair and nails feel stronger. I also notice less joint discomfort when I take it, which allows me to keep up with my workouts.

My favorite thing about this collagen is that it doesn’t require any stirring when mixed in hot liquids. I just pour one or two scoops into my coffee, let it sit for a few seconds, and start drinking. It doesn’t clump or settle at the bottom.

BUBS isn’t the cheapest collagen supplement, but it is sustainably sourced and third-party tested, so you’re paying for quality. If you’re concerned about the cost, you can sign up for auto-deliveries to save 15 percent. And even though a serving is two scoops, you can use one scoop instead to make it last longer. You’ll still get 10 grams of collagen, which can be enough to notice improvements in your hair, nail, and skin health.

Best Collagen Supplement for Joints: Gnarly Collagen Pro

Gnarly Nutrition Collagen Pro

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 10 to 30
• Cost per serving: Starts at $1.58
• Amount of collagen per serving: 15 grams
• Protein per serving: 14 grams
• Flavors: Unflavored
• Third-party tested: NSF Content Certified and NSF Certified for Sport

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Pros

• Also contains vitamin C, zinc, and copper to help increase natural collagen production
• Blends well in hot or cold liquids
• Unflavored, so you can mix it with anything

Cons

• Offers a lower dose of collagen than others

While many collagen supplements can help ease joint pain, Gnarly Collagen Pro is especially beneficial for joint health because it also contains vitamin C, zinc, and copper. These three nutrients can help increase collagen production, so not only do you get an external source of collagen, you improve your body’s ability to produce more collagen on its own. And since collagen can help protect the cartilage surrounding your joints, Gnarly Collagen Pro can be a solid choice for those suffering from joint pain.

You can take Collagen Pro any time of the day, but Gnarly recommends taking it before a workout to help kickstart collagen synthesis and make your joints more resilient during training. Since it’s unflavored, it’s easy to mix with any of the best pre-workouts. Our review staff also mixed it into coffee and an electrolyte drink and noted that it blended seamlessly both ways.

Gnarly Collagen Pro is sourced from 100 percent grass-fed cows, and each serving offers 15 grams of hydrolyzed collagen, slightly lower than others but still enough to be effective. It’s also NSF Content Certified and NSF Certified for Sport, so you can trust that the nutrition label is accurate and that the product isn’t contaminated with banned substances or toxic ingredients.

Best Collagen Supplement for Men: Momentous Collagen Shot

Momentous Collagen Shot

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Liquid
• Number of servings: 15
• Cost per serving: $2.10
• Amount of collagen per serving: 10 grams
• Protein per serving: 10 grams
• Flavors: Orange Mango
• Third-party tested: Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport

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Pros

• Doesn’t need to be mixed with anything
• Less messy than powder
• Includes vitamin C

Cons

• Expensive
• Higher in calories and carbohydrates than powdered collagen
• Has a chalky aftertaste

As discussed, collagen supplements generally aren’t gender-specific. But for men with busy lifestyles who are trying to optimize every aspect of their fitness and nutrition regime, the Momentous Collagen Shots are a great way to stick with a collagen supplement routine while on the go. They come in individual packets, so you can easily throw one in your bag and take it during your commute without making a mess.

One shot provides 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of hydrolyzed bovine collagen. There are also 80 calories and five grams of carbohydrates per shot, and Momentous recommends taking two shots a day for the best results. This means you’d consume 160 calories and 10 grams of carbs from the collagen shots alone. If you meticulously track your caloric intake and macros, you may want to choose a powdered collagen supplement instead, which has 60 to 70 calories and zero grams of carbohydrates per serving.

When we tried the collagen shot, we noticed a chalky aftertaste and didn’t enjoy the gel-like texture. Downing it all at once rather than taking it little by little helped with both issues, though.

At around $2.10 per serving, it’s not the most budget-friendly collagen, but the price may be worth it if convenience is important to you.

Best Natural Collagen Supplement: Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate

Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.17
• Amount of collagen per serving: 11 grams
• Protein per serving: 10 grams
• Flavors: Milk Chocolate
• Third-party tested: Yes, by independent labs

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Pros

• Gluten-free and dairy-free
• No grainy texture
• Affordable
• Transparent label

Cons

• Has a watered-down chocolate flavor when mixed in water
• No unflavored variety or other flavored options

Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate is gluten-free, dairy-free, and contains no artificial preservatives, colorings, or sweeteners. The only ingredients are bovine collagen, cocoa powder, stevia, and natural flavors. Plus, it’s non-GMO, making it the best all-natural collagen you can find.

Based on our experience, it’s also the best dissolving collagen powder. After we stirred it into a glass of water, we didn’t see any clumps or particles. There was no grittiness, but we found the flavor to be weak and not very chocolatey. It tasted much better when we mixed it in oat milk, though.

This collagen powder is among the most affordable items on this list. Considering it’s third-party tested and has a fully transparent label, you get a lot of value out of it. I do wish it were available in other flavors or in a more versatile unflavored variety, but you’ll likely be hard-pressed to find collagen of similar quality at this price point.

Best Collagen Supplement for Weight Loss: Swolverine Collagen Protein

Swolverine Collagen Protein

• Collagen source: Bovine
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.23
• Amount of collagen per serving: 10 grams
• Protein per serving: Nine grams
• Flavors: Unflavored
• Third-party tested: Lief and Micro Quality Labs

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Pros

• Certificates of analysis available on the website
• Sourced from grass-fed cows
• Made in the USA
• No added sugars or artificial ingredients

Cons

• Small amount of collagen per serving

When it comes to losing weight, most people know they have to reduce the number of calories they eat. However, some don’t realize that supplements can contribute to their daily caloric intake. Swolverine’s collagen protein has just 35 calories per serving, which is pretty negligible and won’t take up too much of your daily calorie budget.

Each serving offers nine grams of protein and 10 grams of grass-fed collagen. The collagen content is lower than other options, but the price is more attractive. You could take two servings a day instead of one if you wanted to increase your collagen intake, and even though you’d go through a tub more quickly, you still won’t break the bank every time you have to replace it.

Swolverine Collagen Protein is only available in an unflavored version, but you can mix it with anything — including baked goods or savory dishes — and not even realize it’s there. It also dissolves in hot liquids instantly, a plus for those who can’t be bothered to stir their coffee.

Best Vegan Collagen Supplement: HUM Nutrition Glow Sweet Glow

HUM Glow Sweet Glow

• Collagen source: N/A
• Form: Gummy
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $0.87
• Amount of collagen per serving: N/A
• Protein per serving: N/A
• Flavors: Tangerine
• Third-party tested: Certified C.L.E.A.N.

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Pros

• Affordably priced
• No animal by-products, gluten, GMOs, soy, nuts, artificial flavors, or artificial food dyes
• Formulated by registered dietitians

Cons

• Can have a gritty texture

Since collagen comes from animals such as cows, fish, or poultry, there aren’t many vegan-friendly collagen supplements available. However, there are supplements like HUM Nutrition’s Glow Sweet Glow that don’t contain animal products but support collagen production in the body. These tasty tangerine-flavored gummies contain vitamins C and E, which both help promote collagen synthesis and have some of the same benefits as collagen supplements, such as improved skin elasticity and hydration. (4)

Glow Sweet Glow gummies also have hyaluronic acid, which can help prevent saggy skin. They are suitable for those allergic to gluten, soy, or nuts. There are also no artificial sweeteners, but there are two grams of added sugar per serving from evaporated cane juice and tapioca syrup. However, this is such a small amount that it’s unlikely to cause significant issues if the rest of your daily sugar intake is low.

Best Multi-Collagen Supplement: Ancient Nutrition Collagen Powder Protein With Probiotics

Ancient Nutrition Collagen Powder Protein With Probiotics

• Collagen source: Bovine, eggshell, marine, and poultry
• Form: Hydrolyzed powder
• Number of servings: 20 to 60
• Cost per serving: Starts at $1.62
• Amount of collagen per serving: 10 to 11.7 grams
• Protein per serving: Nine grams
• Flavors: Chocolate, Cold Brew, Cucumber Lime, Strawberry Lemonade, Unflavored, Vanilla, plus a Mixed Berry-flavored recovery formula
• Third-party tested: Yes, by an ISO 17025-certified laboratory

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Pros

• Made from four different collagen sources that are cage-free, pasture-raised, and cruelty-free
• Contains 10 types of collagen
• Various flavors and sizes to choose from
• Includes probiotics to help improve gut health

Cons

• Gritty texture
• Doesn’t dissolve well

Most collagen supplements only include one collagen source (typically bovine) and type I and/or type III collagen. The Ancient Nutrition Multi-Collagen protein powder stands apart from the rest because it uses bovine, eggshell membranes, marine, and poultry collagen and contains 10 types of collagen. Having a variety of sources and types of collagen in one supplement can help ensure you get as many benefits as possible without having to take multiple collagen powders.

Each flavor of Ancient Nutrition’s collagen offers nine grams of protein per serving, but the amount of collagen varies from 10 to 11.7 grams. The flavored varieties are free of added sugars, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and other unnecessary fillers. The unflavored version had an odd taste when we mixed it in water, but it was undetectable in flavored beverages. It also has a grainy texture and settles if you let your drink sit for a while, so you need to keep stirring it.

Ancient Nutrition’s Multi-Collagen contains two billion colony-forming units (CFUs, or the number of active microorganisms in a probiotic supplement) of probiotics and 100 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C. These additions can aid digestion, help support gut health, and ensure maximum nutrient absorption.

Ancient Nutrition doesn’t disclose much about its third-party testing practices on its nutrition label, but I contacted the company’s support staff to ask if they could provide more information. They told me they use an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory that must follow stringent guidelines for manufacturing, packaging, and labeling their products. So, you can trust that this collagen supplement is made to high standards.

How We Chose the Best Collagen Supplements

We performed several hours of research and used our personal experience with various collagen supplements to come up with the 13 best options on the market. To cover a wide range of budgets and dietary needs, we included products with varying price points and ones that are derived from various animal sources. We even included a vegan option, which isn’t a true collagen supplement but supplies vitamins and minerals that can aid collagen production.

Because we know that people may want to take collagen for different reasons, we also offered options that can help address various concerns, such as skin hydration, hair and nail growth, and joint discomfort.

What Are the Benefits of Collagen?

As a dietary supplement, collagen has many health benefits. Many people are aware of how it can help with hair and nail growth and improve the appearance of their skin, but there are other benefits that make it a worthwhile supplement to consume regularly.

• It may improve the health of your hair, skin, and nails. One of the main reasons people supplement with collagen is that they want stronger hair, skin, and nails. Studies show that collagen supplements can help increase skin elasticity and hydration and may even have anti-aging benefits. (5) Furthermore, collagen may help prevent damage to the hair follicles, stimulate hair growth, and reduce the frequency of broken nails. (6)(7)
• It can help reduce joint pain. Another common reason for taking collagen supplements is to help ease joint discomfort. In fact, research shows that collagen supplementation can help ease joint discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. (8) This is because collagen is found in the ligaments and cartilage surrounding the joints, and supplementing with it can help supply the tissues with more collagen than they can make on their own.
• It may improve bone health. Because collagen is also found in bones, supplementation can help increase bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fractures. This is especially important as you get older, as bone mass deteriorates with age. (9) 
• It can help promote wound healing. Collagen dressings are often placed on large wounds to help reduce inflammation, encourage the body to repair damaged tissue, and support new tissue growth. (10) Taking a dietary collagen supplement can promote these same processes and thus help speed up wound healing. (11)

What To Look For When Buying a Collagen Supplement

When shopping for the best collagen supplement, you’ll need to consider more than just the collagen types used and the animal it comes from. The overall ingredient list, whether or not it’s third-party tested, what form it’s available in, and the structure of the collagen are also important to look at.

Collagen Type

There are 28 different types of collagen. Types I and III are the most abundant in the human body and most commonly found in collagen supplements. They can also offer the most benefits for the skin, hair, and nails. Type II collagen is also prevalent in the body but isn’t often used in supplements because it can inhibit the absorption of the other types. It’s best to look for a collagen supplement that primarily includes types I and III.

Collagen Source

Collagen comes from the bones, skin, and connective tissues of humans and animals. Most collagen supplements on the market come from cows or fish, though some are also derived from chickens.

Bovine, marine, and chicken collagen all have an excellent absorption rate, but marine collagen has the highest. It is also the most abundant in types I and III collagen. However, bovine, marine, and chicken collagen can all be effective, so which one you choose depends on your dietary preferences and any allergies you may have.

Regardless of which collagen source you choose, look for a supplement that’s derived from grass-fed or wild-caught animals. They’re less likely to develop diseases from being in close quarters with other animals, and, therefore, are not treated with antibiotics. There is conflicting research on the risks of consuming products from animals treated with antibiotics, but some studies show that avoiding antibiotics in your food and supplements can help prevent resistance to bacteria. (12)

Lack of Added Sugars, Fillers, and Artificial Ingredients

A long list of unnecessary junk ingredients can weaken the quality of your collagen supplement. When buying powdered collagen, look for one that only contains collagen and any other ingredients that can aid absorption, such as digestive enzymes. When shopping for flavored collagen, avoid ones that contain food dyes, artificial flavors, and fake sugars — since you’ll be taking the supplement regularly, it should be as natural as possible.

If you’re shopping for liquid collagen, look for one with little to no sugar, as this will help keep the calories and carbohydrate content low.

Hydrolyzed Collagen or Collagen Peptides

The terms hydrolyzed collagen and collagen peptides mean the same thing and refer to collagen that’s broken down into smaller particles to make them easier for the body to absorb. There isn’t any harm in taking non-hydrolyzed collagen, but hydrolyzed collagen can provide a more potent dose, and your body may be able to utilize it better.

Powder vs. Pills vs. Liquid

Collagen is available in powder, capsule, or liquid form. Powdered collagen is the most common, but it can be inconvenient because you have to measure it if you want precise doses. Plus, it’s messier to travel with. Collagen capsules and liquid collagen are more convenient because you don’t have to measure anything and can easily take them while on the go. However, they can also be more expensive. Which form of collagen you buy will depend on your budget and lifestyle.

Third-Party Testing

If you take a low-quality collagen supplement, there’s a chance you might consume ineffective doses of collagen or that the product will be contaminated with toxins. They may also contain substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list.

Looking for a third-party tested collagen supplement can help give you peace of mind that it contains effective doses of collagen and only includes the ingredients listed on the label.

Examples of third-party verification seals to look for include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, and Informed Sport.

What Is the Best Way to Take Collagen?

Collagen is a versatile supplement, and there are many ways you can take it. I like to blend mine into my post-workout protein shake on my workout days and add it to my morning coffee or mix it into my afternoon snack of Greek yogurt and fruit on my rest days. I’ve also had success mixing it with oatmeal and know people who add it to soups or sauces.

Most adults can safely take 2.5 to 15 grams of collagen per day. The recommended serving size each brand provides usually falls within this range, but some are higher. Vital Proteins, for example, recommends a daily dose of 20 grams of its powder. It’s best to follow the guidelines provided by whichever brand of collagen you buy if you’re not sure how much to take. It’s also worth speaking with a physician or registered dietitian to find the optimal dose for you.

The best time to take a collagen supplement depends on the individual. For example, as you saw above, I take mine at different times every day, depending on my workout schedule and what I want to mix it with. But if taking it at the exact same time every day helps you develop a consistent routine, you may want to choose one particular time and stick with that.

Final Thoughts

Taking care of our skin, bones, and joints is essential for helping us look our best and maintain mobility, especially as we get older and our bodies produce less collagen. Taking one or two scoops of collagen peptides powder every day can help the body replenish its collagen levels and prevent joint pain, weak bones, thinning hair, and signs of skin aging.

Whether you’re looking for flavored or unflavored collagen or prefer powder or pills, the list above has several products that can suit a wide range of needs. There are also pre-mixed liquid options that are great for travel or on-the-go lifestyles. It doesn’t matter which form you use or when you take it as long as you’re consistent — you’ll see much better results if you take it daily than if you only take it once every couple of weeks.

FAQs

Research

1. Zhang H, Liu S, Li L, Liu S, Liu S, Mi J, Tian G. The impact of grape seed extract treatment on blood pressure changes: A meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Aug;95(33):e4247. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000004247. PMID: 27537554; PMCID: PMC5370781.
2. Paul C, Leser S, Oesser S. Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance. Nutrients. 2019 May 15;11(5):1079. doi: 10.3390/nu11051079. PMID: 31096622; PMCID: PMC6566836.
3. Strnad P, Usachov V, Debes C, Gräter F, Parry DA, Omary MB. Unique amino acid signatures that are evolutionarily conserved distinguish simple-type, epidermal and hair keratins. J Cell Sci. 2011 Dec 15;124(Pt 24):4221-32. doi: 10.1242/jcs.089516. Epub 2012 Jan 3. PMID: 22215855; PMCID: PMC3258107
4. Rattanawiwatpong P, Wanitphakdeedecha R, Bumrungpert A, Maiprasert M. Anti-aging and brightening effects of a topical treatment containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract: A split-face, randomized controlled trial. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Mar;19(3):671-676. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13305. Epub 2020 Jan 24. PMID: 31975502; PMCID: PMC7027822.
5. Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16. PMID: 30681787.
6. Hwang SB, Park HJ, Lee BH. Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/β-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 7;23(19):11904. doi: 10.3390/ijms231911904. PMID: 36233206; PMCID: PMC9569759.
7. Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
8. Kviatkovsky SA, Hickner RC, Ormsbee MJ. Collagen peptide supplementation for pain and function: is it effective? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2022 Nov 1;25(6):401-406. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000870. Epub 2022 Aug 31. PMID: 36044324.
9. König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 16;10(1):97. doi: 10.3390/nu10010097. PMID: 29337906; PMCID: PMC5793325.
10. Mathew-Steiner SS, Roy S, Sen CK. Collagen in Wound Healing. Bioengineering (Basel). 2021 May 11;8(5):63. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering8050063. PMID: 34064689; PMCID: PMC8151502.
11. Bagheri Miyab K, Alipoor E, Vaghardoost R, Saberi Isfeedvajani M, Yaseri M, Djafarian K, Hosseinzadeh-Attar MJ. The effect of a hydrolyzed collagen-based supplement on wound healing in patients with burn: A randomized double-blind pilot clinical trial. Burns. 2020 Feb;46(1):156-163. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2019.02.015. Epub 2019 Dec 16. PMID: 31859087.
12. Tang KL, Caffrey NP, Nóbrega DB, Cork SC, Ronksley PE, Barkema HW, Polachek AJ, Ganshorn H, Sharma N, Kellner JD, Ghali WA. Restricting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals and its associations with antibiotic resistance in food-producing animals and human beings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Planet Health. 2017 Nov;1(8):e316-e327. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30141-9. Erratum in: Lancet Planet Health. 2017 Dec;1(9):e359. PMID: 29387833; PMCID: PMC5785333.

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This coming November in Orlando, FL, Derek Lunsford will chase ultimate greatness in the sport of bodybuilding. After finishing at the 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up, the superstar athlete will plan to unseat defending champion Hadi Choopan from his throne at the 2023 edition of the bodybuilding mega-contest. With several months still to go before the next Olympia, Lunsford offered a thoughtful update on his training progress and some of his own personal adversity.

On June 13, 2023, Lunsford appeared on the Hany Rambod podcast to discuss where how his 2023 Olympia preparation is going. The athlete also offered some clarity on his battles with anxiety, especially in stepping on stage as an elite competitor. Notably, Rambod is Lunsford’s coach.

Being Lunsford’s coach, Rambod is intimately familiar with Lunsford’s approach to training and nutrition. He explained that Lunsford usually tries to slow down the meat of his preparation around three months before the Olympia. However, Lunsford’s jam-packed schedule can sometimes make such a goal difficult.

If it holds, that planned timeline will coincide with around early August 2023.

“Usually about 10 or 12 weeks out we [Lunsford and Rambod] try to shut it down,” Rambod said. “So, we’re far enough out, we have plenty of time. But I think what he’s [Lunsford] alluding to is the fact that he’s been so busy, when you’re out constantly, even in the off-season, it’s hard to even get all the meals in because you’re traveling … to get all of the really good, high-level workouts in because you’re using gyms that you’re probably not accustomed to.”

While he apparently feels good at the moment, Lunsford would jump into the conversation to clarify that he’ll really appreciate training in environments he’s familiar with again.

“Things are good right now, training is good,” Lunsford started. “I’ve made solid improvements since the [2022] Olympia. But I really want to get into my own routine at home, my own gym, and be able to just crank up the training over these next couple of months, for sure.”

Lunsford could be a prime example that even when professional athletes are on top of the theoretical world, they’re not immune to the same struggles as an Average Joe or Jill. As he charges headlong toward his first hopeful Olympia title later this fall, Lunsford maintained he first had to fight off a heavy bit of anxiety and depression.

From an athlete that some might see as “indestructible,” so to speak, the honesty appeared illuminating.

Lunsford’s noble battle remains ongoing.

“There was a point in my life where I was in such a dark place, man.” Lunsford explained. “So depressed that it was to the point that I literally didn’t even want to be here anymore … I thought it was the placings at the time but it was really just how I viewed myself. I just kind of started realizing, ‘Oh, man, I’m not the person that I truly want to be.’ I want to be one person, I say I’m one person, but I’m acting in a different way. I don’t like it. And I want to truly live my life better.” 

Featured image: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram

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When most people think of a gym, they usually picture a room filled with heavy barbells, a range of dumbbells, and maybe a variety of machines. But, one iron jewel has been dug out of the past and has become increasingly popular over the last 20 years — the kettlebell.

This simple-looking “cannonball with a handle,” often made of cast iron, is a versatile and convenient training tool. It can be easily transported or stored in the corner of your home, and it can be the centerpiece for brutally effective workouts virtually anywhere, for any goal.

Because its center of gravity is away from the handle, this piece of equipment allows for unique exercises (such as kettlebell swings) and unconventional workouts that can’t always be replicated with dumbbells. Sure, you can execute some of the same exercises, but the cardiovascular work will be greater with a kettlebell, as the off-balanced design recruits more muscle mass. Kettlebell training can also help to improve balance, coordination, and core bracing.

Here are some of the best kettlebell workouts for all levels of lifters and a wide range of goals, be it size and strength, conditioning and endurance, or even fat loss.

Best Kettlebell Workouts

• For Muscle Mass
• For Fat Loss
• For Conditioning
• For Beginners

Benefits of Kettlebell training

Kettlebells appear to serve the same general purpose as dumbbells. They allow you to train for nearly anything, at any time, and anywhere. (1) But, with the center mass being different, a kettlebell is naturally less stable which provides a different training stimulus. Kettlebells will be slightly less efficient for building raw size because isolating muscles can be difficult due to the added stability challenge, but they are highly effective for building muscular balance and coordination. (2)

As such, kettlebells can provide more “functional” workouts and are particularly useful for athletes. Some kettlebell exercises, like the Turkish get-up, take advantage of this total-body benefit to further improve athletic qualities and conditioning. Because more overall muscle is recruited to stabilize the kettlebell, kettlebell training will also increase the demands on your cardiovascular system, making it a great choice for conditioning. (3)

The off-centered weight and distinctive handle shape allow for unique exercises requiring a swinging or arc motion. This provides even more choice in exercise selection and greater training possibilities. Kettlebells can also be used to perform the same exercises you’d otherwise do with dumbbells.

Best Kettlebell Workouts for Muscle Mass

If your priority is building muscle mass, the kettlebell can be an amazing tool. (4) Focus on the most stable exercises, allowing you to use the heaviest weight to provide the best stimulus for muscle growth. A workout should start with big basic, compound (multi-joint) exercises that recruits the most muscle mass when you’re fresh, so that you can use the most weight while focusing on good form.

Then, you can follow with isolation, single-joint exercise to target a specific muscle or improve your mind-muscle connection. These exercises stimulate less overall muscle mass, but are very useful to focus on a single body part.

To progress, stay in the desired repetition range, performing “hard” sets. Improve over time, either by increasing the number of repetitions or, if available, the weight of the kettlebell. Start relatively light when you first try an exercise — allow time for your nervous system and body to master the technique required. Do not progress too heavy, too fast. Remember that muscle building is a marathon, not a sprint.

Upper Body Kettlebell Muscle-Builder

There are several ways to organize a workout or program, so we’ll detail several routines that you can use depending upon your preferences and schedule. The first one is a workout focusing on the muscles of the upper body and utilizes supersets to hit the muscles with a higher intensity in less time.

Single-Arm Kettlebell Row

• How to Do It: Hinge forward at your hips to assume a bent-over position. Put one hand on a flat bench or a wall to increase total-body stability. Grab the handle of a kettlebell with the other hand, brace your core, and pull your elbow past your hip. Don’t allow your elbows to flare out to the sides. Lower with control to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12 per arm
• Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Bench Press

• How to Do It: Grab a pair of kettlebells and lie down on a flat bench. Squeeze the handles hard and have the ball of the kettlebell resting on your outer forearm. Begin with your hands near the sides of your chest and your palms facing each other. Retract your shoulder blades and press the weight up while exhaling. As you press up, rotate your palms to face forward. Keep your elbows at a roughly 45-degree angle. Lower with control.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-10
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Kettlebell High Pull

• How to Do It: Stand tall while holding a relatively heavy kettlebell in each hand at your side. Brace your core and squeeze your lats, then hinge forward by bending at your hips and knees. When your hands are around knee-level, use your hips as a hinge to thrust the kettlebell upward with as much force as you can. Keep the weights close to your body and pull them toward your chest while squeezing your upper back muscles briefly at the top.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Press

• How to Do It: Stand with a pair of kettlebells in the front rack position  — holding each kettlebell with your palm facing your chest, elbow tucked under your forearm, wrist straight, and your shoulder pulled down. Brace your core and press the weight up until your arm is fully extended overhead, then lower with control to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Kettlebell Lateral Raise

• How to Do It: Stand tall with a pair of kettlebells in your hands by your side. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and raise your arms out your sides until they’re almost parallel to the ground. In the top position, the bottom of the kettlebells should be facing the floor. Be sure to “lead with your elbows” — they should always be slightly higher than your wrists. Think about lifting out, not up, to enhance deltoid stimulus and decrease trapezius activation.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Horn Curl

• How to Do It: Stand up straight while holding one kettlebell with both hands, gripping the sides of the handle. Curl the weight by bending at your elbows without moving your upper arms. Make sure your elbows stay in place, by your sides, to really focus on your biceps. Lower to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Triceps Extension

• How to Do It: Stand while holding one kettlebell by the sides with both hands. Raise it over your head and fully extend your arms. Without moving anything but your hands and forearms, bend your elbows to slowly lower the weight behind your head. When your arms are fully bent in a comfortable stretch, reverse the movement. Try not to flare your elbows too much — keep your elbows aimed forward.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: Rest one to two minutes before repeating the first exercise in the series.

Kettlebell Leg Day

This lower body workout will combine bilateral (two-leg) and unilateral (single-leg) exercises to increase muscle mass while making sure both sides are trained symmetrically. This can also help improve balance and coordination.

The session starts with an explosive movement to really warm-up your knees and activate your nervous system to perform even better later in the workout.

Kettlebell Swing

• How to Do It: Take a shoulder-width or wider stance in front of a kettlebell set on the ground. Hinge forward, making sure to keep your back flat. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands and pull it backwards until your hands are between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up until it reaches chest- or eye-level. Keep your arms straight. Let the weight go back down between your thighs, without rounding your back. Cycle the movement rhythmically for the desired amount of repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 5 x 6-10
• Rest time: Rest one minute between sets.

Goblet Squat

• How to Do It: Stand with a kettlebell in the “goblet squat” position — holding the horns (sides of the handle) with the weight resting snugly against your chest. With a roughly shoulder-width stance, squat down as low as your mobility allows. Keep the kettlebell glued to your chest and avoid letting your upper back round forward. Return to an upright position.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.

Sumo Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift

• How to Do It: Stand with a relatively heavy kettlebell in both hands and widen your stance past shoulder-width. Brace your core and pack your shoulders down. Hinge forward by bending at your hips, barely bending your knees — your legs should almost stay straight. Go as low as possible without rounding your back. Try to feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. From the bottom position, thrust your hips forward to raise your torso back to the standing position. Squeeze your glutes at the top before repeating repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes between sets.

Front Rack Kettlebell Reverse Lunge

• How to Do It: Hold a pair of kettlebells in the front rack position and stand tall. Take a deep breath and brace your core, then step backward with one leg into a lunge position. Only the toes of your rear leg should be on the floor. Bend your front knee until your rear knee grazes the floor. Stand up by squeezing your glutes and pushing through your front heel. Maintain most of your weight on the front leg during the exercise. Perform all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15 per leg
• Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest two minutes between sets.

Calf Raise

• How to Do It: Stand with your toes on a step or a sturdy item higher than floor level (to allow your heels to drop below your toes). Hold a kettlebell in one hand and hold a stable rack, bench, or wall with the other hand for balance. Let your heels sink down as low as you can with control and pause for a second in the stretched position. Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible and pause for a second in the top position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: Rest one to two minutes between sets.

Fat-Burning Kettlebell Workout

The kettlebell can be a fantastic and efficient tool to shed as much body fat as possible. The compact weight allows you to quickly mobilize a lot of muscle mass and expend lots of energy. For fat loss training to be as effective as possible, you need to use “cyclic” exercises or movements that you can perform for a relatively longer duration, to sustain the energy expenditure.

As such, aim for each bout of effort to last for a significant amount of time. Don’t use too much weight or get too crazy on the pacing — the effort should not be “too hard” because you need it to be sustainable. With this workout, combined with a fat-loss focused diet, you should be able to shed fat while also improving your base cardio and endurance, as you’ll be working in the aerobic zone of cardiovascular conditioning.

This specific workout is a type of EMOM training — every minute on the minute — which implies that you need to set a timer and begin each exercise at the corresponding start of each minute, for a specific number of rounds. If your cardiovascular abilities are limited, start with four rounds of this circuit. Work your way up to six to eight rounds for maximal fat loss. Exercises will be performed “for time” instead of for specific repetitions.

Alternating Kettlebell Swing

• How to Do It: Stand in front of a kettlebell with a wide stance. Hinge forward while keeping a flat back. Grab the kettlebell with one hand and pull it back until your hand is between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up until chest- to eye-level. When the weight reaches its maximum height, quickly and carefully grab it mid-air with your other arm. Let the weight go back down between your thighs, keeping your back stiff and neutral. Repeat hands with each repetition. If the coordination or alternating hands is too challenging, perform basic kettlebell swings.
• Sets and Reps: Four to eight rounds, one total minute of controlled reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Front Rack Carry

• How to Do It: Stand straight with a pair of kettlebells in the front rack position. Flex your abs, look forward, and start walking with cautious, controlled steps. Brace your core and limit the movement at your hips during the walk. Control the kettlebells and avoid letting the weights bounce as you move. If you don’t have room to walk non-stop, perform a kettlebell march instead: With weights in the front rack position, lift one leg up until your thigh is at a 90-degree angle with the floor, then lower it with control. Switch legs and repeat back and forth.
• Sets and Reps: Four to eight rounds, one total minute of continuous walking.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Alternating Kettlebell Snatch

• How to Do It: Stand in front of a kettlebell with a wide stance. Hinge forward with a flat back. Grab the kettlebell with one hand and pull it back until your hand is between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up as high as possible, keeping it close to your body. In one motion, straighten your arm over your head and carefully “catch” the weight by dipping your legs as the kettlebell turns onto the back of your forearm. Lower the weight like a shoulder press, then to your side, keeping it close to your body. Switch hands when the bell is in the bottom position. Hinge to repeat the motion. Alternate hands with each repetition
• Sets and Reps: Four to eight rounds, one total minute of controlled reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Sit-up and Press

• How to Do It: Hold a kettlebell with both hands while sitting on the floor with your legs straight out. Press the kettlebell over your head, then lower it back to your chest. Keep your heels on the floor and your legs wide. Slowly lower your upper body to the ground until you’re lying down. Flex your abs and dig your heels into the ground to perform a sit-up to return to the seated position.
• Sets and Reps: Four to eight rounds, one total minute of controlled reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Bob and Weave

• How to Do It: Stand with a kettlebell in the goblet position. Take one foot to the step and descend into a half-squat. Perform a “weaving” or ducking motion with the weight — imagine getting out of the way of a dodgeball coming toward your face. Bend at the waist and keep your torso neutral, don’t round your spine forward. Bring in your other foot and stand up. Then repeat to the opposite side.

• Sets and Reps: Four to eight rounds, one minute of bobbing and weaving.
• Rest time: No rest before starting the circuit over.

Iron-Clad Kettlebell Conditioning

If you want to become a lean, mean, non-stop machine and crank up your cardiovascular and endurance capacities, then these workouts are for you. Kettlebells allow you to work on different aspects of conditioning by providing either steady paced, sustainable exercises or high intensity, lactic-acid inducing burnout sessions.

If you’re a bit rusty, cardio-wise, then the fat loss workout will double as an effective base-building plan. When you feel capable of tackling a more challenging routine, you can replace it with one of these or combine them into your weekly program if you’re hungry for faster cardio gains.

Kettlebell Aerobic Power

Here we want to use a variety of exercises for intense bursts of work and incomplete rest — a form of high intensity interval training or HIIT. This stimulates higher oxygen utilization and addresses aerobic abilities of your muscles. Be sure to use a relatively high intensity to really stimulate the aerobic power, which is the functional capacity of the cardiorespiratory system. So make these periods of work count.

You do want the effort to remain sustainable and aerobic, hence the 1:1 work:rest ratio and the inclusion of exercises that you can perform for long duration sets. Perform 30 seconds of work with 30 seconds of rest on each exercise and repeat the circuit a total of four times to create one “block.” Rest two to three minutes between each block and perform two to three blocks per workout.

 Kettlebell Clean and Press

• How to Do It: Stand while holding a pair of kettlebells. Swing the weights backward underneath you while hinging forward and keeping a flat back. Maintain a neutral spine and stand up explosively to drive the kettlebells up. Keep the weights close to your body and bring them to the rack position. Pause briefly to stabilize yourself and brace your core. Press both weights overhead to lockout. Carefully lower them to shoulder-level, then lower the weights to your sides. Repeat the entire sequence for each additional repetition. 
• Sets and Reps: 30 seconds of work.
• Rest time: Rest 30 seconds before moving to the next exercise. 

Kettlebell Burpee

• How to Do It: Stand up holding a pair of kettlebells at your sides. Perform a kettlebell deadlift to place the weights on the floor — slightly bend your legs and drive your hips back without rounding your spine. Keep your hands on the weights, driving the kettlebells into the floor, and carefully “jump” your legs back to land in a push-up position with your arms straight. Perform a full push-up, lowering your body as far as your mobility allows before pressing to lockout. “Jump” your feet toward the weight and stand up by deadlifting the kettlebells while keeping a flat back. Repeat the entire sequence for each repetition.

• Sets and Reps: 30 seconds of work.
• Rest time: Rest 30 seconds before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Swing

• How to Do It: Take a shoulder-width or wider stance in front of a kettlebell set on the ground. Hinge forward, making sure to keep your back flat. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands and pull it backwards until your hands are between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up until it reaches chest- or eye-level. Keep your arms straight. Let the weight go back down between your thighs, without rounding your back. Cycle the movement rhythmically for the desired amount of repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 30 seconds of work.
• Rest time: Rest 30 seconds before repeating the first exercise.

Kettlebell Anaerobic Development

When the intensity is really high, your body will tap into the anaerobic system and use the phosphagen and glycolytic pathway to produce as much energy as possible. This type of training still uses the aerobic pathway for recovery and it will improve your aerobic base, but it primarily focuses on making you more resilient to intense, shorter bouts of exercise and lactic acid accumulation. 

This approach is particularly useful for powerlifters, CrossFitters, and strongmen/strongwomen, as it can help you to sustain very hard work lasting in the 90 to 120-second range while improving glucose storage and utilization. You can use a wide variety of intense exercises, and kettlebells are perfectly fitted for such workouts. For this workout, you want to be pushing yourself hard — aim for 90% of your maximum output. Set a timer to start every four minutes and begin the exercises when it rings. Repeat the entire circuit five or six times.

Thruster

• How to Do It: Hold a pair of kettlebells in the front rack position while standing. Brace your core and squat down until your upper thighs just break parallel. Stand back and use the momentum of your legs to assist you into a smooth transition into an overhead press. Lockout the weights overhead and stabilize your entire body. Lower the kettlebells to the front rack position and repeat.

• Sets and Reps: 5-6 x 12
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Double Kettlebell Snatch

• How to Do It: Stand in front of a pair of kettlebells with a relatively wide stance. Hinge forward, making sure to keep a flat back. Grab the kettlebells and pull them back until your hands are between your inner thighs. Drive your hips forward explosively to bring the weights up, keeping them close to your body as they continue upward. In one motion, straighten your arm over your head and carefully “catch” the weight by dipping your legs as the kettlebells turn onto the back of your forearms. Lower the weights while keeping them close to you, and swing them back past your legs to flow into the next repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 5-6 x 12
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

 Kettlebell Burpee

• How to Do It: Stand up holding a pair of kettlebells at your sides. Perform a kettlebell deadlift to place the weights on the floor — slightly bend your legs and drive your hips back without rounding your spine. Keep your hands on the weights, driving the kettlebells into the floor, and carefully “jump” your legs back to land in a push-up position with your arms straight. Perform a full push-up, lowering your body as far as your mobility allows before pressing to lockout. “Jump” your feet toward the weight and stand up by deadlifting the kettlebells while keeping a flat back. Repeat the entire sequence for each repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 5-6 x 12
• Rest time: Rest the remaining of the four minutes before starting the circuit again.

Kettlebell Workout for Beginners

If you’re new to kettlebell training, here’s a workout to ease you into the flow of using an unfamiliar piece of equipment. This basic full-body workout alternates kettlebell staples and more traditional exercises in a circuit to build complete size and strength as well as familiarity with the unique ‘bell. It’s also a great fit for any newer lifter that wants to improve their fitness.

Kettlebell Swing

• How to Do It: Take a shoulder-width or wider stance in front of a kettlebell set on the ground. Hinge forward, making sure to keep your back flat. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands and pull it backwards until your hands are between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up until it reaches chest- or eye-level. Keep your arms straight. Let the weight go back down between your thighs, without rounding your back. Cycle the movement rhythmically for the desired amount of repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest one minute before moving to the next exercise.

Goblet Squat

• How to Do It: Stand with a kettlebell in the “goblet squat” position — holding the horns (sides of the handle) with the weight resting snugly against your chest. With a roughly shoulder-width stance, squat down as low as your mobility allows. Keep the kettlebell glued to your chest and avoid letting your upper back round forward. Return to an upright position.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest one minute before repeating the previous exercise.

Kettlebell Clean and Press

• How to Do It: Stand while holding a pair of kettlebells. Swing the weights backward underneath you while hinging forward and keeping a flat back. Maintain a neutral spine and stand up explosively to drive the kettlebells up. Keep the weights close to your body and bring them to the rack position. Pause briefly to stabilize yourself and brace your core. Press both weights overhead to lockout. Carefully lower them to shoulder-level, then lower the weights to your sides. Repeat the entire sequence for each additional repetition. 
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest one minute before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Row

• How to Do It: Hold a pair of kettlebells with straight arms, brace your core, and hinge forward at your hips to assume a bent-over position. Pull your elbows toward past your hips. Don’t allow your elbows to flare out to the sides. Lower with control to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest one minute before repeating the previous exercise.

Turkish Get-Up

• How to Do It: Lie flat on the floor with a kettlebell in one hand near your chest. Press it to lockout and keep your arm straight. Bend your leg on the same side and plant your foot flat on the floor. Raise your torso to sit up, using your opposite hand to brace on the floor — keep your arm locked with the weight overhead. Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips. Sweep your straight leg backward to assume a lunge position. Stand up. Keep your eyes on the weight overhead during the entire movement. Pause briefly in the standing position before reversing the entire sequence.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-8 per arm.
• Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Curl

• How to Do It: Stand with a kettlebell in each hand it. Flex your biceps to curl the weight up — keep a neutral or slightly bent wrist, don’t extend your wrist back. Keep your elbows near your sides. Lower to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Kettlebell Triceps Extension

• How to Do It: Stand while holding one kettlebell by the sides with both hands. Raise it over your head and fully extend your arms. Without moving anything but your hands and forearms, bend your elbows to slowly lower the weight behind your head. When your arms are fully bent in a comfortable stretch, reverse the movement. Try not to flare your elbows too much — keep your elbows aimed forward.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: Rest one to two minutes before repeating the first exercise.

How to Warm-up For Kettlebell Workouts

Just because you’re using a “simple” piece of equipment doesn’t mean you can skip the warm-up. With any workout, a warm-up will prime and activate your body to perform better and minimize the risk of injuries. Your best course of action would be to start with a light cardiovascular activity for five minutes like jumping rope or cycling, then hop into this circuit of exercises.

• Figure Eight: Grab a kettlebell in one hand, take a wider than shoulder-width stance, and squat halfway down. Pass the kettlebell between your legs from one hand to the next, forming a “figure eight” pattern — around the inside and outside of one leg, then back between your legs, and to the other side. Keep doing this until you perform 10 “eights,” then stand up.
• Kettlebell Halo: Begin holding the kettlebell by the horns in front of your face. Lift one elbow to maneuver the kettlebell around your head in a tight circle. Bring it around the back of your head and in front of your face. Repeat in the opposite direction. Do 10 reps per side.
• Alternating Kettlebell Swing: Stand in front of the kettlebell with a wide stance. Hinge forward while keeping a flat back. Grab the kettlebell with one hand and pull it back until your hand is between your inner thighs. Thrust your hips forward explosively to swing the weight up until chest- to eye-level. When the weight reaches its maximum height, quickly and carefully grab it mid-air with your other arm. Let the weight go back down between your thighs, keeping your back stiff and neutral. Repeat hands with each repetition. If the coordination or alternating hands is too challenging, perform basic kettlebell swings. Perform 20 to 30 reps.
• Kettlebell Windmill: Press the kettlebell overhead and take a very wide stance. Slightly angle both feet toward the side supporting the weight. Keep your arms and legs straight as you “hinge” and bend in the direction opposite to the weight you’re holding. Keep you arm locked straight and aimed at the ceiling, and descend as far as your mobility allows.  Steadily stand back up and pause briefly. Repeat for ten reps before switching to the other side.

Swing Your Way to Fitness

Kettlebells are getting more and more popular for a reason. Practical, versatile, and functional, this lifting equipment can help you reach your goals of muscle size, strength, conditioning, or fat loss. Use these tailored workouts to master the flow of kettlebells and add this incredible, time-tested tool to your fitness kit.

References

1. Manocchia, Pasquale1; Spierer, David K.2; Lufkin, Adrienne K. S.1; Minichiello, Jacqueline1; Castro, Jessica1. Transference of Kettlebell Training to Strength, Power, and Endurance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27(2):p 477-484, February 2013. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825770fe
2. Jay, Kenneth1; Jakobsen, Markus D.1; Sundstrup, Emil1; Skotte, Jørgen H.1; Jørgensen, Marie B.1; Andersen, Christoffer H.1; Pedersen, Mogens T.2; Andersen, Lars L.1. Effects of Kettlebell Training on Postural Coordination and Jump Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27(5):p 1202-1209, May 2013. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318267a1aa
3. Hulsey, Caleb R.1; Soto, David T.1; Koch, Alexander J.2; Mayhew, Jerry L.1,3. Comparison of Kettlebell Swings and Treadmill Running at Equivalent Rating of Perceived Exertion Values. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26(5):p 1203-1207, May 2012. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182510629
4. Lake, Jason P.; Lauder, Mike A.. Kettlebell Swing Training Improves Maximal and Explosive Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26(8):p 2228-2233, August 2012. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2c9b

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