Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) will take place on Apr. 19-23, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, SC. Less than 12 weeks before the competition actually gets up and rolling, the official slate of strength obstacles has been revealed. On Jan. 26, 2023, the WSM organization revealed the 12 events that will comprise the latest iteration of the premier event in strongman. There will be six events during the Qualifying Round and six during the Final. The 2023 WSM announcement also clarified that this year’s competition would now start a day later on Apr. 19, 2023, after initially announcing an April 18 start date.
Here are the events scheduled for the 2023 WSM in mid-April. Notably, even with a change to a tightened schedule, there will potentially be a built-in rest day between the Qualifying Stages and the Final, as has been the norm in recent editions of the WSM. That said, with a relatively shortened schedule, fatigue could play a role in the latter stages of the competition, potentially even deciding the champion.
At the time of this writing, the precise structure of each of the 2023 WSM’s events is unclear.
A safe assumption would be to expect the Stone Off, the concluding event of the Qualifying Round, to be head-to-head. In the past, each group’s second and third-place finishers would square off to determine who would move on to the Final. Such a consistent setup would once again favor the respective group winners.
At the time of this article’s publication, the complete final roster for the 2023 WSM has not been revealed, nor has the makeup of each respective group. Presumably, reigning two-time WSM champion Tom Stoltman will return to defend his title. In January 2023, former WSM champ (2020) Oleksii Novikov revealed he would again be vying for the biggest prize in strongman. Four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw previously announced the 2023 WSM would be his final appearance at the contest.
By the time the 2023 WSM is underway in Myrtle Beach, some of the strongest people in the world will have already been well-prepared for the gauntlet ahead. Regardless of who is on the roster and how the events are precisely structured, a fascinating battle likely lies ahead in the spring.
Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
To pull off being off a believable bodybuilder on the silver screen, an actor has to put in the requisite work. No questions asked. They’ve got to push themselves in the gym, leaving no dumbbell or loaded barbell unturned. Then, with their body at its absolute limit, they’ve got to stay impeccably disciplined in the kitchen — sculpting an incredible physique through a controlled and focused nutritional plan. That appears to be the road map Jonathan Majors followed for his latest feature film, “Magazine Dreams,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2023.
On Jan. 21, 2023, a short video interview with Majors and other “Magazine Dreams” cast members appeared on Variety’s website. Among some of the more notable tidbits, the superstar actor revealed that he ate 6,100 calories daily for four consecutive months to transform into fictional amateur bodybuilder Killian Maddox. It’s an illuminating insight into a professional who will seemingly pull out all the stops to pay proper homage to a challenging sport. A video interview with Deadline Hollywood below has Majors further discussing parts of his preparatory process.
The reason Majors ate this much and stayed this committed to his role appeared to be relatively simple: he wanted his playing Maddox to be believable in the context of bodybuilding’s notable rigors. Plus, after already training to transform into up-and-coming boxer Damian “Dame” Anderson in Creed III — which releases in the United States on Mar. 3, 2023 — Majors’ transition into another athletic on-screen role seemed to be seamless.
“I’m 6 feet tall. I’m 202 pounds,” Majors told Variety. “In order to sustain that and to grow that, you have to eat as much protein that you weigh. I ate 6,100 calories a day for about four months.”
As for how he actually trained, Majors stuck to his guns. As a performer known for diving head-on into his gigs, the man with a high-level athletic background noted that he once again went full steam ahead for “Magazine Dreams.”
“The normal bodybuilder works out two times a day,” Majors elaborated to Variety. “I’m playing Killian Maddox. … Playing him you don’t [expletive] around. What ended up happening is, I would train two hours, two times a day for the movie, and a third time after wrap [at the end of the filming day]. Meanwhile, you eat six times a day. Lots of chicken. Lots of elk, that’s just for me. I like it.”
In an era of CGI-filled film, it would be understandably easy if a performer simply went through the motions to portray an on-screen bodybuilder. For Majors, as a ripped fictional fitness titan and physically dominant boxer, staying dedicated seems to be the norm. At this pace, he may develop a reputation as an actor who uses his entire body to tell any given story.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In early January 2023, former 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Eddie Hall revealed he would be training to prepare for a venture into bodybuilding in the late stages of the year 2024. In accordance with those ambitions for one of the greatest strongmen of all time, Hall is already taking steps to be ready for this new career venture.
On Jan. 22, 2023, Hall posted a video on his YouTube channel where he tackles training his back with International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League bodybuilder Jamie “The Giant” Christian. Per NPC News Online, the bodybuilder is perhaps best known for his fourth-place finish at the 2020 British Grand Prix. At 6’5″, Christian is also the self-proclaimed tallest Men’s Open pro bodybuilder in the world.
This filmed session appears to be one of Hall’s first earnest inside looks at shifting away from his usual strongman focus to create a more ripped and refined physique fit for a bodybuilding stage. Hall and Christian waste no time diving in, letting this unique exercise session speak for itself as part of Hall’s upcoming transition to bodybuilding.
Lat Pulldown
With formal introductions out of the way, Hall and Christian begin the workout by tackling some wide-grip lat pulldowns. It is here where Hall noticed the distinction between Christian’s focus on the movement. Whereas Hall might center on the weight being pulled down, Christian emphasized keeping tension on the lats. The pair would finish a heavy drop set, beginning with the entire weight stack and descending two to three plates per set, to close this portion of the routine.
“You can feel your lats working way more,” Hall said.
Seated Rows
On the ensuing seated rows, Christian would once again emphasize keeping tension on the lats while working through a quality range of motion. The athlete would explain to Hall that bodybuilding training was more about keeping the muscles contracted rather than leaning on “momentum” while maximizing weight. On the final set, the experienced bodybuilder guided Hall through a rest-pause set — training to momentary muscular failure, resting 20 seconds, and performing additional reps to reach failure a second time.
“Momentum is allowing the muscle to relax,” Christian clarified. “So, try to take the momentum out of everything.”
Heavy on the Back
The duo would close the workout diving into chest-suppored rows, single-arm machine rows, and a superset of lat pulldowns and seated rows. Overall, Hall and Christian performed roughly two high-rep working sets at a high intensity while executing their final lat pulldown and seated row superset as a fitting four-set flourish.
To make a successful foray into bodybuilding, Hall will likely need all the sport-specific knowledge he can get. Picking the brain of an experienced professional like Christian is a quality start for the strongman legend to ensure his bodybuilding journey develops the way he envisions.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
When it’s time to train your lower body, barbell back squats get plenty of attention, but single-leg training should spend more time in the spotlight. In particular, it’s worth focusing on the dumbbell split squat to bring awareness to the staggered position and learn to coordinate weight distribution across both feet.
The dumbbell split squat, sometimes referred to as a static lunge, is performed in a split (or staggered) stance similar to a lunge position. Unlike the lunge, your feet won’t leave the floor during a split squat. This provides a little stability during a relatively less stable exercise
Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock
Here are a few different ways to work on the dumbbell split squat, along with variations, tips, and cues to get stronger at this single-leg focused movement.
Coach Morit Summers demonstrates a bodyweight split squat. The overall technique is identical to the dumbbell split squat, with the exception of the added resistance from a dumbbell in each hand.
How to Do the Dumbbell Split Squat
The dumbbell split can serve as your introduction to single-leg training. But even if you’re experienced with squats, lunges, and everything in between, this movement can be a great way to focus on each leg for more size and strength.
Step 1 — Begin Kneeling
Get on the ground in a half-kneeling or “proposal” position. Set your front foot flat on the floor with your knee bent at 90-degrees. Rest your back knee on the ground with your toes curled under, aimed into the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight by your sides.
Credit: Jonni Shreve / YouTube
Form Tip: You could start the exercise from the top, in a standing position, but the strength of a split squat comes from establishing a great half-kneeling position and initiating the movement with strong legs. The bottom position also helps to set up a powerful, stable stance by creating a good front knee angle.
Step 2 — Drive Up to Standing Position
Grip the weights and pull your shoulders back. Drive through the ground with both feet and reach a standing position at the top. Keep both of your feet connected to the ground. Your front leg should lock nearly straight. When standing upright, your rear leg may remain slightly bent depending on your leg length.
Credit: Jonni Shreve / YouTube
Form Tip: Be sure to keep your front foot flat on the ground and don’t allow your front heel to rise up. If your front leg doesn’t fully lock out straight, that’s okay. Your leg length and mobility will be influencing factors. Focus on raising your hips toward the ceiling, not pushing backward to “lockout” your leg.
Step 3 — Lower Under Control
Reverse the motion with focus and control. Think about driving your hips back to bend your front leg. Bring your back knee toward the ground. Allow your upper body to slightly lean forward at the waist while your arms remain aimed straight down.
Credit: Jonni Shreve / YouTube
Form Tip: Avoid resting your knee on the ground in the bottom position. Lightly graze the floor with your back knee to get a full range of motion.
Dumbbell Split Squat Mistakes to Avoid
Some single-leg exercises can be tricky for lifters to master, either due to balance and stability issues, or muscular differences between each leg, or other factors. Here are some of key issues to watch for.
Feet Placed Too Narrow
Starting with your feet too narrow, or nearly in line with each other, will make balance a major obstacle. Imagine trying to walk on a balance beam that’s three inches wide compared to one that’s a foot wide.
In the starting position, get your feet roughly hip-distance apart. This will help provide a more stable base, so you can focus on working your leg muscles instead of fighting to stay balanced.
Credit: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock
Avoid it: One benefit of starting the exercise from the half-kneeling position is that you can test your balance before the lift begins. Find stability in a staggered position with your feet placed properly. When you feel balanced in the half-kneeling position, then you can begin the set.
Raising Your Front Heel
Another way some lifters sabotage their balance is letting their front heel come off the ground when lowering themselves into the bottom position. This makes the stability of your ankle joint much more of a weak point than the strength of your relatively larger leg muscles. In fact, heel-raised exercises are used specifically to target the smaller ankle stabilizers and achilles tendon. (1) It’s not an efficient way to target hips, glute, and thigh muscles.
Avoid it: Imagine the sole of your shoe glued to the floor. Drive your hips back when raising or lowering your body. Keep your whole foot grounded and focus on applying force through your full foot, not just the ball of your foot.
Torso Stays Too Upright
Any squat or lunge, as well as the dumbbell split squat, should still have a degree of hip hinge or bending at the waist. Keeping your upper body too vertical can limit muscle recruitment in your lower body by not allowing your hips and glutes to fully activate.
When you stay upright, you may also feel more pressure or weight distribution around your knees instead of in your hips. Over the long-term, this may cause unnecessary strain on your knee joints.
Credit: LightField Studios / Shutterstock
Avoid it: Don’t try to keep your shoulders squared over your hips throughout the exercise. Keep your spine neutral, not rounded, but lean your shoulders slightly over your front thigh. Allow your hips to drive back, which will encourage your torso to naturally lean forward as you go into the bottom of the movement.
How to Progress the Dumbbell Split Squat
Beyond the most common methods of adding weight and/or increasing repetitions, the dumbbell split squat can be modified by manipulating tempo (rep speed), altering the range of motion, or deliberately adding instability.
Tempo or Rep Speed
Altering tempo is a great first step to progressing the dumbbell split squat. Tempo is just another word for the speed of each repetition. By specifically decreasing the speed you lift and lower your body, you are spending more time under tension, which can trigger more muscle growth. (2). Taking three to five seconds to rise into the top position and another three to five seconds to reach the bottom can be a high intensity way to train.
Moving with slower, more controlled movements is also a great way to be connected to an exercise and really focus on technique. This can help you avoid momentum and zone-in on muscle recruitment.
Adjusted Range of Motion
By adding blocks, steps, or stacked weight plates, you can change the range of motion, which can increase or decrease the difficulty. Adding elevation under your front foot, your back foot, or both feet will increase the range of motion and make the dumbbell split squat harder. This will create a much larger stretch on your leg muscles while you are sitting into the bottom position and there will be more work in the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement.
Adding something under your back knee will limit the range of motion and make the exercise less challenging. This is an effective modification if you have limited hip mobility because it helps to restrict the amount of stretch needed throughout the exercise.
Added Instability
Adding an element of instability will also challenge your nervous system which has its benefits as well. You can place a foam pad or thick-folded towel under your front foot to provide more of a stability challenge.
If you don’t have that equipment, you can instead set up with a narrow stance. While that was previously listed as a potential mistake, it can be used intentionally — only after you’ve mastered the basic movement — to add variety and increase the challenge without using heavier weights.
Benefits of the Dumbbell Split Squat
Many people overlook the benefits of single-leg training, including the dumbbell split squat, and overfocus on bilateral (two legged) squat variations. Here’s why you should incorporate the dumbbell split squat into your training program.
Single-Leg Power, Strength, and Size
It’s important to do unilateral lower body training work, including the dumbbell split squat, to address each leg individually. Traditional squats are a well-respected classic for a reason, but they are bilateral movements working both legs simultaneously. This can make it easy to compensate with your stronger leg when you are squatting — and every body has one leg slightly stronger or more developed than the other. With two-legged squats, your hips are squared off and your feet are planted symmetrically with a much more even base of support.
When you do a dumbbell split squat, you are changing your base of support, which then challenges your center of gravity, core stabilizers, and it changes the way your hips will work together. Single-leg training is also shown to possibly help reduce the risk of lower body injuries and improve power output compared to two-legged squatting. (3)(4)
Muscles Worked by the Dumbbell Split Squat
The dumbbell split squat prioritizes most of the lower body muscles while also recruiting your upper body to stabilize and control the weight.
Quadriceps
Your quadriceps, or quads, are your front thigh muscles. These work to extend and lockout your leg as you rise into the top position. Your quads are generally considered the primary muscle during the dumbbell split squat.
Glutes and Hamstrings
As hip extensors, your glute and hamstring muscles work together to bring your lower body into alignment with your upper body. These muscles are put into a significant stretch in the bottom position of the dumbbell split squat, and they are activated to initiate the rise upward.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Allowing your upper body to lean forward during the hip hinge motion will more significantly recruit your glutes during the exercise.
Abductors and Adductors
Your abductor (“outer thigh”) and adductor (“inner thigh”) muscles work to stabilize your legs and control any side-to-side knee movement during the dumbbell split squat. These muscles are constantly firing during the exercise to prevent your knees, particularly your front knee, from either caving in or shifting to the outside.
How to Program the Dumbbell Split Squat
Everyone’s individual goals and programming needs are different. The thing that matters most is getting the right exercises throughout a training program to help you feel as strong as possible. However, there are some “best practices” that can help to efficiently fit the dumbbell split squat into your current training plan.
After Bilateral Exercises
Generally, it’s more effective to do bilateral movements before unilateral movements because you can have more focus on the bigger lifts and you can potentially use more weight before fatiguing your muscles with unilateral training.
For example, do dumbbell split squats either during leg day or as a part of a full-body workout after doing several sets of front squats. Performing the exercises in the opposite order — with dumbbell split squats before front squats — will take energy away from the potentially heavier lifting which can affect progress in the long-term.
Light to Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition
The dumbbell split squat isn’t an exercise that allows the use of very heavy weights because your grip, core, and upper back will be the weak link before you can target your relatively stronger leg muscles. So it’s best to use a weight that allows a moderate amount of repetitions. Aim for two to four sets of eight to 15 repetitions per leg.
Dumbbell Split Squat Variations
Once you’ve learned the basic dumbbell split squat, or if you’re looking for a “similar but different” single-leg exercise, there are a few top choices to consider.
Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split squat might be all the rage with influencers on TikTok, but this rear-foot elevated movement was around long before social media. Having your back leg at a higher elevation increases the focus and muscular stress on your front leg.
A bulgarian split squat is a great example of progressing the basic dumbbell split squat by increasing range of motion while also adding instability — having your rear leg perched on a bench is less stable than keeping it flat on the floor. If you want to get really cruel, you can adjust the tempo and take several seconds for each phase of the repetition.
Dumbbell Step-up
Step-ups are another great option for single-leg training. The can be performed alternating legs with each repetition, which can give more of a cardio-type training effect, or by performing all reps with one leg at a time, which increases the time under tension and can trigger more muscle growth.
The step-up still focuses on using a good hip hinge while performing single-leg work. It’s more dynamic than the dumbbell split squat and can even be performed almost explosively with power, exploding into the top position, for greater strength and athleticism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I topple over or feel unstable during the dumbbell split squat?
The exercise is a single-leg movement, so your base of support is reduced compared to more familiar two-legged squatting. Focus on staying connected to the ground when you’re training with a smaller base of support. During the dumbbell split squat, push your feet into the floor and focus on using your hips. It is always okay to hold onto something stable for external support, like the back of an incline bench, to get used to the single-leg movement.
Are dumbbell split squats bad for my knees?
Unless you have a reason, like a pre-existing condition or specific doctors’ orders, that you shouldn’t be working through full range of motion with lower body training, then bending your knees and building strength and stability in the surrounding muscles is probably one of the most important and beneficial things you can do for general knee health and longevity.
References
Andrew Revak, Keith Diers, Thomas W. Kernozek, Naghmeh Gheidi, Christina Olbrantz; Achilles Tendon Loading During Heel-Raising and -Lowering Exercises. J Athl Train 1 February 2017; 52 (2): 89–96. doi: https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-52.1.04
Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Speirs, Derrick E.1,2; Bennett, Mark A.3; Finn, Charlotte V.4; Turner, Anthony P.2. Unilateral vs. Bilateral Squat Training for Strength, Sprints, and Agility in Academy Rugby Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(2):p 386-392, February 2016. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001096
Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo & Burgos, Carlos & Henríquez-Olguín, Carlos & Andrade, David & Martínez, Cristian & Álvarez, Cristian & Castro-Sepulveda, Mauricio & Marques, Mário & Izquierdo, Mikel. (2015). Effect of Unilateral, Bilateral, and Combined Plyometric Training on Explosive and Endurance Performance of Young Soccer Players. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 29. 1317–1328. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000762.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
The 2024 CrossFit Games will continue to take place in Madison, WI, per a Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, announcement from CrossFit HQ. The news comes on the heels of past speculation that CrossFit’s premier contest might have found a new home in Birmingham, AL. BarBend broke the news.
CrossFit CEO Don Faul offered illuminating thoughts on the decision to keep the significant competition in Wisconsin’s capital until at least the mid-2020s.
“Our vision for the future is to bring the life-changing potential of CrossFit to more people, in more ways,” Faul said. “The CrossFit Games are a focal point for our brand as we reach millions of people around the world, and an opportunity for our global community to gather and celebrate as we crown the Fittest on Earth. We’re thrilled to return to Madison, where we’ve been able to form an incredible partnership with the city and the local community.”
Madison, WI, has been the home of the CrossFit Games almost every year since 2017. The lone exception to that recent history was in 2020 when the Games took place in Aramos, CA, due to conflicts from the early portions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the contest in Madison occurs in and around the Alliant Energy Center — a convention and recreational space for many events in the nearby area.
In May 2022, CrossFit HQ had previously noted that the 2023 edition of the games would be the sixth and final iteration in Wisconsin as the organization looked to future sites and potential expansion. Those plans have now clearly shifted for the time being.
Staying in Madison will likely see the CrossFit Games continue to act as a boon to the city’s economy and surrounding area. Per an early August 2022 report from The Cap Times, the competition “has consistently generated around $12 million in economic activity in each of its recent years.” At the time of this writing, it is unclear how much the 2022 iteration — which saw Tia-Clair Toomey and Justin Medeiros capture the Women’s and Men’s Individual titles, respectively — made in profits for the city.
“CrossFit and Madison have a very special relationship that we are honored to continue for yet another two years, and I know our businesses and residents will welcome CrossFit back in 2023 and 2024 with open arms,” said Destination Madison and Madison Area Sports Commission Vice President Jamie Patrick in the same press release. “As we saw during last year’s Games when thousands of people rallied behind an athlete to propel her to the top of the Wisconsin State Capitol stairs, CrossFit athletes, fans, and the Madison community are in this together every step of the way.”
Down the line, CrossFit’s tentpole event could indeed be located elsewhere. For now, with Madison already well-prepared to host some of the fittest athletes on Earth, it seems the overall logistics of the situation made it make sense to stay in Wisconsin.
For now, in the immediate purview, the 2023 CrossFit Open will begin on Feb. 16, 2023. From there, it’ll be full steam ahead for the 2023 competitive season.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In some ways, Chris Bumstead might be at a crossroads in his professional bodybuilding career. After notching his fourth consecutive Classic Physique title at the 2022 Olympia —giving him more championships than all other victors combined in the history of the division that started in 2016 — Bumstead seemed to want to take a breather. In mid-January 2023, the athlete revealed he suffered a right biceps tear three days before the Olympia and that it would take some time to recover properly. As the superstar looks ahead to the next steps of his athletic journey, he provides a recent update on his current status.
On Jan. 23, 2023, Bumstead posted a video to his YouTube where he grinds through a leg workout: one of his first filmed sessions of the new calendar year. At the same time, he disclosed what’s happened with his body and training regimen since tearing a biceps muscle.
Before diving leg-first into his routine, Bumstead shared how he’s been recuperating in the approximately month since he extended his Classic Physique reign and tore his right biceps. The bodybuilder maintained that, aside from giving some attention to his legs occasionally, he hasn’t trained regularly in roughly five weeks.
“I’ve done legs like once a week-ish,” Bumstead noted. “Not working hard. So, I’m letting my body recover right now. But the Olympia is in nine months.”
In addition to taking it somewhat easy in the gym for the time being, Bumstead explained he’d gained roughly 12 pounds since the 2022 Olympia. He weighed around 251 pounds when the video was recorded.
With more detail on his health made clear, Bumstead powered through his leg training. (Note: The athlete did not disclose specific sets and repetitions for all of the different segments of his workout.)
Leg Extension and Leg Press
To start his session, Bumstead elected to do a superset of some leg extensions and a leg press. He performed both movements unilaterally and treated them as a warm-up for his muscles before shifting to compound exercises.
Leg Press
With his warm-up out of the way, Bumstead focused on a moderately heavier leg press. The competitor maintained he didn’t want to push it too much as he worked his way back into a quality groove.
“… Because I don’t want to put plates on right now,” Bumstead said. “Partly because my knees just feel unstable right now, and I want to make sure they’re equally strong.”
Back Squat
In the “meat and potatoes” portion of his workout, Bumstead implemented some traditional back squats. The athlete appeared to have a single plate on each side of his barbell for a warm-up before slowly progressing his weight through a few more sets. As a closer, Bumstead seemed to have two plates adorned on both sides, which equals 225 pounds (assuming Bumstead used a standard 45-pound barbell.)
Walking Dumbbell Lunge
As he started to wind down his leg session, Bumstead kept attacking his lower body with a few sets of walking dumbbell lunges. The athlete appeared to hold 70-pound dumbbells in each hand for the entirety of this portion.
Seated Calf Raise
To finish off his workout, Bumstead performed seated calf raises. He seemed to have fastened two 45-pound plates to his machine for the respective sets as he put a cap on the overall session.
At the time of this writing, it’s apparent Bumstead will work to attain a fifth straight Classic Physique Olympia title this coming November. While bodybuilding legends like Samir Bannout have suggested the athlete should try his hand at competing in the Men’s Open division — even as early as the 2023 Arnold Classic in March — Bumstead has previously clarified he would not consider a change until 2024 at the earliest. Not to mention that moving up a division would potentially not be wise for someone still recovering from an upper-body ailment.
Whatever the near and long-term future holds in store for Bumstead, it’s probable he’ll continue sharing in-depth looks at what’s next in his bodybuilding pursuits.
Potatoes get a bad rap in many different health and diet communities. The keto and low-carb crowd says they’re too high in carbohydrates and will spike your blood sugar. The paleo guys are against them because they are neolithic foods from the New World that our Paleolithic ancestors had no access to. The autoimmune diet communities eschew them because they have various plant toxins that can cause inflammation and trigger sensitive and vulnerable individuals, and the conventional “healthy diet” people recommend against potatoes because they’re “empty white carbs.”
Is this criticism warranted? Is it true that potatoes have no place in a healthy diet, or are potatoes actually healthy? How do potatoes fit into a Primal diet?
Let’s dig into the actual evidence.
Potatoes are healthier than you think
Potatoes are actually healthier than you’ve been led to believe. Think about what a potato is: it’s a repository of nutrients for growing many new potatoes. It’s an egg. And just like eggs are among the most nutrient dense animal foods on earth, the basic potato is one of the most nutrient dense vegetable foods on earth. In a single large baked potato weighing about 10 ounces, plain, you get a broad assortment of vitamins, minerals, protein, and prebiotic fiber.
Potatoes are high in vitamins and minerals
Here’s the breakdown. Percentages refer to the proportion of the daily recommended intake for each nutrient.
16% of B1 (thiamine)
11% of B2 (riboflavin)
26% of B3 (niacin)
22% of B5 (pantothenic acid)
55% of B6 (pyridoxine)
21% of folate
32% of vitamin C
39% of copper
40% of iron
20% of magnesium
28% of manganese
34% of potassium
10% of zinc
6.6 grams of prebiotic fiber
7.5 grams of protein
All that for 278 calories and 56 grams of “net” carbs.
Potatoes are rich in potassium
Dietary potassium/sodium ratio is a crucial determinant of endothelial function and blood pressure regulation, most likely more important than sodium alone, and there’s decent evidence that potatoes are a great way to improve potassium status. Potassium from potatoes is as bioavailable as potassium from supplements.1 In fact, adding potatoes to the diet can be more effective at lowering blood pressure than adding an equivalent amount of straight potassium.2
Potatoes are higher in fiber and lower in carbs than you realize
Potatoes have the reputation for being a “refined carbohydrate” that “spikes” your blood sugar. They’re supposed to be very high in carbs. That’s true—potatoes are a rich source of starch. But the starch in potatoes is a little different than other starch sources. Going back to that figure up above, of the 56 grams of carbs in a large baked potato, 11 grams will be resistant starch—a prebiotic substrate that feeds your gut biome, produces butyric acid, and is not digested by your body into glucose.3 That resistant starch content goes even higher if you refrigerate your cooked potatoes.
In addition to resistant starch (which acts like prebiotic fiber), potatoes have a significant amount of fiber.
A recent study in type 2 diabetics compared the metabolic effects of an evening meal containing potatoes to an evening meal containing rice. Whether the potatoes were boiled, roasted, or boiled and then refrigerated before consumption, the potato meals elicited a more favorable effect on blood glucose than the rice meal in type 2 diabetes. Same number of calories, same macros (50 carb/30 fat/20 protein), the only difference was potato versus rice. Potatoes won handily, and in type 2 diabetics—the very population that isn’t supposed to be able to handle potatoes.4
However, potatoes only won compared to rice. Potatoes are still high in carbohydrates, and type 2 diabetics, people with insulin resistance, and anyone who has trouble handling carbs should exercise caution with potatoes.
Potatoes are very filling
A 1995 study testing the “satiety index”—a measurement of how filling a particular food is—found that boiled potatoes induced the most satiety of all the foods tested.5 Even if potatoes have too many carbs for your liking, they’re less likely than other foods to promote overeating—probably due to the water content, fiber content, and micronutrient density.
Note: plain potatoes are filling. If you throw a half stick of butter into your baked potato or sit down in front of a plate of French fries, they’re not so filling. You can eat far more carbs and calories from French fries that you can from boiled potatoes.
Potatoes have complete protein
While the absolute amount of protein in a potato isn’t very high compared to animal products, what protein it does contain is “complete protein.” That means it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs and cannot produce on its own. In fact, potato protein is probably the most complete plant form of protein.
Potatoes are low in plant toxins
Potatoes, being the reproductive organs of potato plants, have “passive” defenses against predators. They are stem tubers. They can’t run or bare teeth, so they chill underground to stay safe and employ toxic chemical defenders known as glycoalkaloids.
The glycoalkaloids most prevalent in potatoes are alpha-solanine and alpha-chocanine, which the plants use to repel pests. Most of the glycoalkaloids are luckily concentrated in the skin of the potato, forcing less refined pests to eat through the toxic stuff to get to the good stuff. This is probably why traditional potato-eating cultures peel the potatoes they eat. These days, the most common potatoes, like Russets, also tend to have the lowest amount of glycoalkaloids. This is no accident, instead being the product of generations of careful agricultural selection by farmers. Throughout history, then, humans have tended to avoid the bulk of potato glycoalkaloids, either unwittingly, by peeling potato skins, or by selecting the low-glycoalkaloid varieties that didn’t provoke stomachaches, digestive issues, or inflammation and sold well at the market.
But some glycoalkaloids remain. Are they harmful? High dose glycoalkaloids are clearly harmful, but most peeled normal potatoes do not contain high doses of glycoalkaloids. Most studies showing harm used supra-physiological doses of pure glycoalkaloids; one of the only studies to show harm using physiological doses that you’d normally get from eating potatoes used intestinally permeable rats with a genetic proclivity toward inflammatory bowel disease.6 This is a useful study, though, because it tells us that potatoes might be a danger for humans with leaky guts or existing inflammatory bowel disease.
To ensure you’re avoiding glycoalkaloids, always throw out or discard (or plant) potatoes that have begun to turn green or sprout. That signals an increase in glycoalkaloid content.
There are a couple older studies showing increased inflammation markers upon potato feeding, but one included wheat and other high-glycemic foods in the “potato group” (not just potatoes) and the other used potato chips.78 Was it the rancid seed oil the chips were fried in, or the potatoes? Was it the wheat bread or the potatoes? These tell us very little about the effects of whole, untarnished potatoes on inflammation.
But if you’re healthy with good gut health and function, I don’t think baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes will have a negative impact on your gut. In fact, the prebiotic effects of potato resistant starch and fiber may even have a beneficial effect on gut health.
Can you eat potatoes on keto?
Classic medical ketogenic diets force you to eliminate potatoes. They simply represent too large a bolus of carbs when your mental and physical health depends on you remaining in ketosis. If you’re more of a casual keto or low-carb dieter, there are instances where a potato can work.
Training: If you incur a “glycogen debt” through intense exercise, you can fill that debt using potatoes without inhibiting ketosis. Exercise up regulates insulin-independent glycogen repletion, so you don’t even need insulin to deposit the glucose into your muscles. High end athletes will often be in ketosis on a regular basis despite eating high carb diets, simply because they train so hard and so often.
Carb refeed: A carb refeed describes the use of intermittent high-carb, low-fat meals to “carb up” against a backdrop of low-carb dieting in order to boost leptin and increase energy expenditure. in many instances, this will kickstart weight loss and make your otherwise low-carb diet easier to stick to and more effective in the long run. If you’re going to do a carb refeed, potatoes are an excellent, nutrient-dense food to use.
Potatoes can be an effective short term weight loss “hack”
Way back in the day, people in the MDA forums and comment sections were doing “potato hacks” to lose weight. I’m no fan of hacks, but I have to admit that this one really does work for some people. How does it work?
For a period of 4-7 days, you eat nothing but potatoes.
Eat potatoes. Nothing else. White potatoes, not sweet potatoes.
Use vinegar, hot sauce, mustard, and other low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb sauces and condiments. Mayo and EVOO are off limits. Primal Kitchen ketchup and mustard are perfect.
Use minimal fat to heat or cook your potatoes. No more than a teaspoon of fat at each meal.
Salt liberally.
Eat until full.
Eat frequently. Whenever you’re hungry, eat potatoes until you’re not.
Keep exercising. This will minimize muscle loss.
Most people find they get tired of potatoes very quickly and end up losing 5-10 pounds over the course of the week. It becomes an exercise in trying to force oneself to eat as much as you can because the potato is so filling and you need to keep up your energy intake and nutrient status. 4-6 pounds of potatoes a day is pretty typical and provides ample levels of most nutrients (and even a decent amount of protein), but that’s hard to keep up. And therein lies the power of the potato hack: you simply can’t eat very many plain potatoes.
Even though I’m generally biased toward lower carb intakes—especially in overweight people with poor insulin sensitivity—I have to admit that if people ate potatoes instead of refined grains and other nutrient-deficient starchy carbohydrates, health would improve across the board. Potatoes are simply one of the safest, most nutrient-dense, and least toxic sources of carbohydrates available.
I hope this article helped you make sense of where potatoes belong in a healthy Primal diet. Take care, and let me know whether you like to eat potatoes or not!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In some ways, Canadian athlete Rory van Ulft might be one of the strongest competitors for her age that weightlifting and powerlifting have seen in some time. At just 9 years old, van Ulft has developed a reputation, particularly with her deadlift, for having impeccable pulling power and an “iron will” with a barbell in her hands (literally and figuratively). The athlete’s latest official addition to her weightlifting rap sheet, featuring a noteworthy overhead lift, might be another entry in the growing lore of her budding career.
On Jan. 21, 2023, van Ulft captured a 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) clean & jerk during the 2023 Variety Village Open in Toronto, Canada. According to the caption in a video of the feat from van Ulft’s Instagram, facilitated by a parent/manager, van Ulft had a body weight of 32.8 kilograms (72.4 pounds) on contest day. In turn, that makes van Ulft the youngest person ever, regardless of gender, to successfully finish a clean & jerk that was double their body weight during a sanctioned competition. Not to be outdone, a final total of 254.39 Sinclair — the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) primary tool for contextualizing an athlete’s strength by weight class — van Ulft officially notched the best-ever performance by a 40-kilogram female competitor.
A mind-bending achievement for someone of her young age aside, van Ulft’s clean & jerk wasn’t her only major accomplishment from the Toronto contest. Per the same Instagram caption, the athlete broke six Canadian provincial 15U and 17U records on previous lifts during the competition. The final double-body weight clean & jerk appeared to act more like gravy layered over an already prolific day for the youthful elite competitor.
The parent/manager of van Ulft’s Instagram credited a few people for training van Ulft to enjoy such a productive day while simultaneously making history. They included the athlete’s coach, Spencer Moorman, who can be seen in the background of the clip of van Ulft’s milestone encouraging the lifter. Others receiving praise included trainers like “Cierra” (last name undisclosed) and the CANAM Strength and Conditioning team from van Ulft’s native Ottawa, Canada. The Ontario Weightlifting Association (ONWA) also earned a shoutout.
“An enormous thank you to Coach [Moorman] (who deserves to win Coach of the Year in at least one country for this!), [Cierra], and the entire [CANAM Strength and Conditioning] team for their incredible support at this event, as well as to the [Ontario Weightlifting Association] for putting on such a fun and welcoming event!”
For context on an American scale regarding van Ulft’s new achievements and results, the athlete’s 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) clean & jerk is eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) more than the USA Weighlifting (USAW) Youth Women’s record for the 40-kilogram weight class. Kendra Hoover holds the mark with a clean & jerk of 58 kilograms (127.8 pounds). However, Hoover notched her lift when she was 12, roughly three years older than van Ulft.
The year 2023 has only just begun, and van Ulft is already acting as a lifting pioneer for her age group and beyond. If this is how the athlete starts a fresh new calendar, time will only tell as to what other sparkling heights she might achieve through the ensuing 11 months.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
After years of competing at the highest level of bodybuilding, and coming so close to capturing a Mr. Olympia title, Hadi Choopan finally claimed the throne as the vaunted Mr. Olympia in December 2022. Leading up to the most recent iteration of bodybuilding’s flagship competition, the Iranian athlete had notched several top-level finishes, standing on the podium twice (2019, 2021) but never quite finished the job. Now, as Choopan looks to defend his first career Olympia title and enter rare air as a repeat winner, he seems to be wasting no time preparing for continued glory.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Choopan posted a pic to his Instagram showing off a pumped chest and piston-like arms worth every bit the profile of a defending Mr. Olympia. Given an appropriate written caption of “repeat everything to repeat,” it appears clear that Choopan is dead set on training and eating well to add another Mr. Olympia trophy to his mantel.
With his long journey to the top in account, and the reflective status of his peers like ousted two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, Choopan undoubtedly understands how tenuous an Olympia defense can be. In a sport with various mammoth-like titans seemingly always gunning for the top and keeping their eyes on the prize, if one is the defending champion, they might as well have a giant target on their back.
At the time of this writing, it’s unclear precisely how Choopan plans to attack his off-season and preparation for the 2023 Mr. Olympia with roughly nine months to go. Nevertheless, one of his first public physique updates of the 2023 calendar is a potentially illuminating insight into an athlete that will likely not rest on his laurels.
In the weeks and months ahead, a spate of challengers for Choopan’s crown will, in all probability, continue to make their presence known. For one, the 2022 Olympia runner-up in Derek Lunsford, is planning on skipping the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC), so he can be prepared to topple Choopan on Nov. 3-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. There’s also the third-place 2022 Olympia finisher, Nick Walker, who, though participating in the 2023 AC in early March, seems to believe he didn’t leave his best on stage in Las Vegas, NV, in December.
When considering recent changes to the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League’s qualification for the 2023 Olympia — which eliminates a past comprehensive points system — a new battle-tested challenger might even emerge who more than pushes Choopan. It’s clear this edition of the contest could, unsurprisingly, present itself as a gauntlet.
By the time the 2023 Olympia rolls around, it seems apparent Choopan will be primed to take the best shots from any contenders for his title. After all of his hard work and dedication over the years, this doesn’t seem to be a competitor ready to release his grasp on greatness any time soon.
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
Potatoes get a bad rap in many different health and diet communities. The keto and low-carb crowd says they’re too high in carbohydrates and will spike your blood sugar. The paleo guys are against them because they are neolithic foods from the New World that our Paleolithic ancestors had no access to. The autoimmune diet communities eschew them because they have various plant toxins that can cause inflammation and trigger sensitive and vulnerable individuals, and the conventional “healthy diet” people recommend against potatoes because they’re “empty white carbs.”
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
