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For some lifters, nothing beats the upper-body pump they get from a high-intensity chest workout. Many of these gym-goers hope to build a bigger, stronger chest by focusing on the bench press, but mastering the simple and effective bodyweight dip often goes overlooked.

This staple movement isn’t just for gymnasts or calisthenics enthusiasts. It’s a fundamental old school exercise that’s been used by bodybuilders and strength athletes for decades.

Adding dips to your workout routine will target your pecs, triceps, and shoulders for an all-around bigger, fuller, stronger upper body. Here’s how to use only your body weight to deliver a deep burn and explosive pump for your chest.

• How to Do Dips
• Dip Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of Dips
• Muscles Worked by Dips
• Who Should Do Dips
• How to Program Dips
• Dip Variations
• Dip Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do Dips

Dips can be done on dedicated dip bars, at an assisted dip station, or a sturdy and stable pair of chairs. Whichever setup you’re using, ensure it’s at a height where you can keep your legs and feet off the ground when in the bottom (stretched) position. This will allow a full range of motion for maximum benefit.

Step 1 — Get up on the Bars

Step up to the dip station and grab the bars with palms your facing inward. Keep your arms straight — depending on the setup, you may need to sightly jump into the locked out position. Bend your legs slightly so that your arms support your entire body weight.

Keep your back straight and your head looking forward. Engage your core and glutes by squeezing them both to keep your entire body tight.

Form tip: Ideally, your hands should be roughly shoulder-width distance. Some dip bars are angled to allow different grip widths. If your hands are farther apart, shoulder-joint strain can increase and tension on your chest muscles can decrease.

Step 2 — Lower into a Stretch

Slowly lower your body until your elbows are roughly at 90-degree angles, if your mobility allows. Maintain a forward-looking head position, but let your upper body angle slightly forward to increase recruitment of the chest muscles.

Your elbows will naturally angle slightly outwards. Avoid excessively flaring your elbows directly to the sides, which can increase strain on the shoulder joints.

Form tip: Use a slow tempo to ensure control, maximum muscle tension, and boost muscle growth. (1) Take up to three seconds to reach the bottom position.

Step 3 — Drive up to Full Contraction

Push your body up in a controlled, fluid motion. Stop once you’re back at the starting position with nearly straight arms. Briefly pause at the top to stabilize your body and minimize any swinging.

As your body rises, focus on feeling constant tension contracting your chest muscles. Engage the mind-muscle connection by focusing your full attention on the pecs and visualize the muscle fibers working.

Form tip: Your body’s path upwards should mirror the lowering phase. Your head and shoulders should arc slightly in front of your hands on the way down, and your upper body should return to a fully stacked position with your elbows above your wrists.

Dip Mistakes to Avoid

Dips are a classic bodyweight exercise that can add strength and size to your chest, arms, and shoulders. However, poor form can lead to suboptimal results or potential injury, including wear and tear on your rotator cuff tendons. (2) Fortunately, the most common errors are relatively easy to avoid.

Locking Your Elbows

In the top position, avoid locking your elbows ramrod straight. Maintain a slight bend in your arms to keep them under constant tension and yield optimal muscle-building results. (3) Paying attention to your arm position at lockout reinforces using a relatively slow tempo while focusing on maximum muscle recruitment.

In addition, locking your elbows puts them in a potentially hyperextended state, which may increase your risk of injury.

Avoid it: As your body approaches the top of the movement, pay attention not only to your chest muscles contracting, but your arm position. This will be difficult to do if you use sloppy, swinging repetitions, so maintain a constant, fluid motion throughout each repetition.

Dipping Too Low

The bottom, stretched position of most exercises is where the involved joints are under the greatest potential stress. Save your shoulders by paying close attention your depth when doing dips.

Going too low, beyond the point where you feel your shoulder muscles stretching, can significantly strain the joints. Remember, form is king when it comes to any exercise. Bodyweight exercises, including dips, are no different.

Avoid it: As you lower your body into the stretched position, you should feel both your chest muscles and shoulder muscles stretching. Don’t let your ego talk you into using an excessive range of motion. If you can see a mirror during the exercise, pay extra attention as your elbows approach a 90-degree bend. Stopping slightly higher is more acceptable than dropping too low.

Benefits of Dips

This basic bodyweight exercise allows you to build muscle mass and strength in your upper body, particularly your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Mastering strength training exercise with your bodyweight can also help to reduced your overall risk of injury and improve core stabilization.

Increased Muscle Mass and Strength

Doing dips stimulates your pecs, triceps, and core significantly. By stretching and creating tension on the entire chest muscle, dips are an efficient exercise for boosting muscle growth. (4) Bodyweight exercises have also been shown to be comparable to free weight exercises for building strength. (5)

Improved Joint Health

Maintaining muscular balance is essential for joint stability and overall health and performance, and bodyweight training is a highly effective solution. (6)

If you perform many pulling exercises or participate in activities that are pulling-intensive (e.g. training on rowing machines, pull-ups, many combat sports, etc.), regularly performing dips can build strong pushing muscles to help prevent muscular imbalances. A 10% increase in strength training volume has shown to substantially minimize overall injury risk. (7)

Improved Core Stabilization

Dips aren’t solely a chest exercise. You’ll engage your core by keeping your lower body stable throughout the movement. While your core isn’t directly trained during dips, it is strongly recruited to provide total-body stability and coordinated movement as you press. Improved core stability helps to promote overall strength, health, and injury prevention. (8)

Muscles Worked by Dips

Dips are a highly effective exercise for strengthening the muscles located in and around the chest. While dips primarily target the chest itself, the triceps and shoulders are also directly trained, as well as smaller stabilizers throughout the upper body.

Pectoralis Major

The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle that’s the largest muscle of the front chest wall. The pecs have multiple functions controlling arm movement including flexion and adduction (bringing the arms toward the body’s centerline)(9)

The pec major has two heads, the clavicular (upper chest) and the sternocostal (mid and lower chest). When executing dips, the clavicular head is more significantly worked as you approach the top portion of the movement. The sternocostal head is more highly activated as you lower into the stretched position. (9)

Triceps Brachii

The triceps consist of three separate but functionally similar muscle heads — the long, medial, and lateral. These are found on the back of the upper arm. The triceps are responsible for straightening the arm at the elbow joint, extending the shoulder, and moving the arm behind the torso — all of which work in sync during dips. (10)

Dips apply tension on all three heads of the triceps. Interestingly, the medial head, in particular, is more activated when the elbow is flexed beyond 90-degrees and the body reaches a relatively significant depth. (10)

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid (front shoulder muscles) is involved when raising the arm forward, in line with your body. More particularly, it’s engaged when moving your arm from behind your body to the front and/or overhead. During dips, the anterior deltoid is activated when your upper arm moves from the 90-degree bent position into the top position with your arms straight arms by your sides.

The anterior deltoids shoulder not be the primary working muscle during dips, but they are recruited significantly, which is why lifters with pre-existing shoulder problems may not be comfortable performing the exercise.

Abdominals

The abs are worked statically to control your lower body and maintain a stable total-body position. Similar to performing pull-ups, it’s not uncommon for lifters to feel some ab tension (or even post-workout soreness) in their abs after several intense sets of dips.

While your abs aren’t contracting through a significant range of motion, they are recruited to maintain control over the hips and pelvis, and prevent any leg swinging.

Who Should Do Dips

Whether you’re pushing a lawnmower or pushing a weight overhead, having adequate upper body pressing strength is essential. Dips can help to increase muscle mass, improve functional strength, and build greater upper body mobility.

Bodybuilders and Physique Athletes

Dips are a bodyweight-only alternative to the bench press or other chest pressing exercises. It allows lifters to train the chest with high tension, high intensity, and minimum equipment. Dips can help to sculpt the chest by working the pecs at a unique angle, creating an effective stimulus for growth. (11)

Strength Athletes

Any lifter focused on moving maximum weight in a pressing movement (bench press, overhead press, clean & jerk, etc.) can benefit from adding dips to their accessory training. By building the chest, shoulders, and triceps, you can improve the potential power and strength those muscle can exert. (12) The bodyweight dip also allows an intense workout with relatively less load, which can reduce cumulative stress on the joints.

How to Program Dips

Most beginners will find the dip to be challenging because you’re required to lift the majority of their own body weight, which can be too difficult due to lack of strength. Fortunately, persistence and effort will yield improvement. Experienced lifters can also benefit from the exercise as a training staple for size and strength.

Unweighted, Moderate Volume (Sets and Reps)

When chasing optimal muscle gains, training the bodyweight dip with four to six sets of 12 to 15 reps, once or twice a week can be highly effective. Approach failure on the final reps of each set to ensure appropriate intensity. This total volume provides your chest with sufficient time under tension to trigger muscle growth.

Weighted or Unweighted, Low Repetition

Performing low volume with low repetitions, such as four to five sets of three to six reps, is a reliable method to build strength. This low volume can be achieved by suspending weight from a belt, holding a dumbbell between your feet, or from simply being unable to perform more than six repetitions with good form.

Performing unweighted, low repetition sets frequently throughout the day is one effective method for building strength and improving technique. This is known as greasing the groove and it’s a highly effective way to master any bodyweight exercise, including dips.

Dip Variations

Dips can be used by lifters and athletes of any fitness level to apply tension to the multiple heads of the chest, triceps, and delts. Begin with more manageable versions of the dips while focusing on form, then add intensity and volume as you progress.

Ring Dip

Ring dips are a more challenging variation that requires significant muscular coordination, balance, and stability. This exercise applies tension to the pecs through a long range of motion while also challenging the smaller stabilizers in the shoulders and upper back.

Ring dips are a popular exercise in CrossFit programming, as well as general gymnastic-based programs, but the increased recruitment of the upper body stabilizers can help to improve muscular coordination and overall shoulder health when programmed appropriately.

Triceps Dip

This very subtle variation uses slight adjustments to your arm and torso positions. These will decrease emphasis on the chest and increase recruitment of the triceps, making it a popular and efficient arm-building movement.

The first significant difference from the chest-focused dip is to maintain an upright torso during the descent rather than leaning forward, to reduce recruitment of the chest muscles. Even more importantly, keep your elbows near your body and aimed towards the wall behind you. (13) Don’t allow them to flare outwards.

Dip Alternatives

If a lack of shoulder mobility or pre-existing injury prevents you from executing dips, there are plenty of alternative exercises you can do to continue adding size and strength to your chest.

Push-up

Good ol’ push-ups. This classic exercise is an excellent alternative to dips that still uses your own bodyweight to apply tension to the pecs and pressing muscles.

Some experienced lifters consider push-ups to be too easy but, like dips, push-ups can be progressed with increased volume or external load to consistently challenge the muscles. The chest and shoulder muscles aren’t put through a significant stretch during push-ups, compared to dips, making them an ideal option for lifters with pre-existing joint pain.

Bench Press

The classic bench press is an excellent substitute for dips because the potential to move heavy weights can carryover to size and strength gains. Some gym veterans would rank the bench press on par with dips as fundamental chest-building exercises.

The flat barbell bench press is obviously essential for powerlifters, as one of the competitive lifts. Its potential to build upper-body strength can also carryover to other strength athletes including strongmen and strongwomen.

FAQs

Are dips bad for the shoulders?

Using proper form and avoiding the technique mistakes explained above, dips will place more stress on the pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscles instead of the associated joints. This optimal muscle recruitment can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

However, if the exercise is executed with improper form or too heavy a load, dips may lead to shoulder impingement, potentially straining the rotator cuff tendons. (14) Fundamentally, the principles which apply to all exercises apply to dips — do them properly, with programming appropriate for your fitness level, and you’ll minimize potential hazards.

How should I program dips with other presses in a chest workout?

Specific programming variables will depend on a number of factors, including your experience level, training frequency, and goals. Generally speaking, performing one to three various types of presses in a single workout can be an effective way to train your chest.

Ideally, the exercises will be diverse — such as the flat barbell bench press, dips, and incline dumbbell press. Redundant training — such performing the flat barbell bench press, flat dumbbell bench press, and close-grip barbell bench press in one session— will deliver excessive fatigue and minimal results.

Time to Take a Dip

Shoulder injuries, poor shoulder mobility, and lack of “pushing strength” can interfere with daily life and hinder performance in the gym, on the platform, and on the field. However, incorporating dips into your training program can pack on muscle, increase strength, reduce injury risk, and enhance physical performance for lifters, athletes, and weekend warriors alike.

References

1. Wilk, M., Zajac, A., Tufano, J.J. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med 51, 1629–1650 (2021). doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2
2. Mckenzie, Alec & Crowley-McHattan, Zachary & Meir, Rudi & Whitting, John & Volschenk, Wynand. (2021). Glenohumeral Extension and the Dip: Considerations for the Strength and Conditioning Professional. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 43. 93-100. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000579.
3. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
4. Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (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. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
5. Calatayud, J., Borreani, S., Colado, J. C., Martin, F., Tella, V., & Andersen, L. L. (2015). Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 29(1), 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589
6. Harrison, Jeffrey. (2010). Bodyweight Training: A Return To Basics. Strength & Conditioning Journal. 32. 52-55. 10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181d5575c.
7. Lauersen, J.B., Andersen, T.E., Andersen, L.B. Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Dec;52(24):1557-1563. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099078.
8. Huxel Bliven, K.C., Anderson, B.E. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):514-22. doi: 10.1177/1941738113481200.
9. National Institutes of Health: Stat Pearls. Anatomy, Thorax, Pectoralis Major Major.
10. Landin, D., Thompson, M., Jackson, M. Functions of the Triceps Brachii in Humans: A Review. J Clin Med Res. 2018 Apr;10(4):290-293. doi: 10.14740/jocmr3340w.
11. Baz-Valle, E., Schoenfeld, B. J., Torres-Unda, J., Santos-Concejero, J., & Balsalobre-Fernández, C. (2019). The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PloS one, 14(12), e0226989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226989
12. Reggiani, C., & Schiaffino, S. (2020). Muscle hypertrophy and muscle strength: dependent or independent variables? A provocative review. European journal of translational myology, 30(3), 9311. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2020.9311
13. Cinarli, Fahri & Kafkas, Muhammed & Soylu, Abdullah & Yılmaz, Nurkan. (2021). EFFECT OF ELBOW ANGLE ON TRICEPS BRACHII AND PECTORALIS MAJOR MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING PARALLEL BAR DIP. 27. 57-69.
14. Escamilla, R. F., Hooks, T. R., & Wilk, K. E. (2014). Optimal management of shoulder impingement syndrome. Open access journal of sports medicine, 5, 13–24. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S36646

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

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The 2022 Yamamoto Pro took place on September 10, 2022, in Padua, Italy. With the 2022 Olympia inching ever closer, this year’s International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League contest in Italy held a lot of weight as another step in the qualification process. As the respective competitors showed off their immense mass, it was another opportunity for some to make a name for themselves.  

The 2022 edition of the Yamamoto Pro featured four divisions, with Vladyslav Suhoruchko as one of the headline victors. The respective winners of each category earned an automatic place in the Olympia on December 16-18, 2022. Meanwhile, with the Yamamoto Pro being an IFBB Tier 4 contest, the second to fifth place finishers earned points ranging from four to one in their overall bid for the prestigious bodybuilding competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The final point standings for athletes who haven’t won an IFBB Pro League contest this season will be finalized on November 20, 2022. Here’s a rundown of the results from the Men’s Open division at the 2022 Yamamoto Pro:

2022 Yamamoto Pro Results | Men’s Open

1. Vladyslav Suhoruchko
2. Mohamed El Eman
3. Andrea Muzi
4. Jamie Christian-Johal
5. Roman Fritz
6. Pasquale D’Angelo
7. Harry Harris
8. Anton Bippus
9. Mustafa Yildiz
10. Fabio Romagnolo

With his win, Suhoruchko continues a quality spate of performances in recent years. The Ukrainian athlete finished in fifth place at the 2022 Big Man Evolution Pro. Plus, according to NPC News Online, he took home a second-place result at the 2020 Romania Muscle Fest Pro. As a result of his victory, Suhoruchko will now compete in his first career Olympia contest. He follows in a recent line of athletes who will make their Olympia debut this late fall. 

Here’s an overview of the other Men’s divisions featured at the 2022 Yamamoto Pro. 

Classic Physique

1. Christian Zagarella
2. Valeri Enchev
3. Siem Goossens
4. Abdullah Al-Sairafi
5. Richard Gyula Nagy
6. Edoardo Ciocchetti
7. Jabar Al Kuwari
8. Simone Bestagno

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Kettlebell Swing for Explosive Power, Strength, and Conditioning]

Men’s Physique

1. Jeffrey Darko
2. Chao Peng
3. Emile Walker
4. Victor Ramirez
5. Andrea Antonelli
6. Andrea Miggiano
7. Omar Suleiman
8. Lorenzo Giachetti
9. Giuseppe Riserbato
10. Tyler Smith

Here’s how the respective athletes fared in the Women’s Division, the Bikini category:

Bikini

1. Rukiye Solak
2. Francesca Stoico
3. Kerry Sexton
4. Jessica Kavanagh
5. Eszter Oczella
6. Renata Nowak
7. Margherita Todeschini
8. Martyna Derlat
9. Giuditta Taccani
10. Vania Maria Mesquita

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Reverse Crunch for Strong, Well-Developed Abs]

According to the IFBB Pro League calendar, the next contest on the docket for some of these competitors is the 2022 Arnold Classic UK Pro, set to occur on September 24-25, 2022, in Birmingham, England.

The Arnold Classic UK Pro is Tier 2 under the IFBB’s umbrella, meaning the second through fifth place finishers can earn qualifying points ranging from eight to five. It’ll assuredly be another significant rung on the ladder to the 2022 Olympia. 

Featured image: @suhoruchko on Instagram

The post Vladyslav Suhoruchko Wins the 2022 Yamamoto Pro, Plus Full Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Eggplant on the grill is such a simple and delicious side dish! In this recipe, we salt the eggplant to help remove some of the water and moisture from the slices so that you get a flavorful bite that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Enjoy the eggplant as is with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or drizzle on balsamic vinegar, tahini sauce or Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing or Balsamic Vinaigrette.

We like using Italian, Graffiti, Chinese or Japanese eggplant for this recipe. They are meaty, firm, and hold up to grilling well. Feel free to adjust grill time depending on your grill and any parts of it that are hotter than others. The end result should be crispy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside without being chewy. If the flesh of your eggplant ends up chewy but the outside is already too browned, reduce the heat of your grill a little and cook the eggplant for longer – chewy eggplant usually means it’s undercooked.

How to Grill Eggplant

First, cut off the stem and end of each eggplant. Then slice the eggplants into rings about ½” thick. You can also slice them on an angle or into thick strips if you’d like. Place the sliced eggplant in a large bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. Toss the eggplant to distribute the salt. Place a large cloth or towel on top of a large sheet pan and lay the sliced eggplant out on top of it. Allow the eggplant to rest for 30 minutes or so. You can also place a towel on top of the eggplant and another sheet pan on top of that to push down on the eggplant and release more water.

Blot or wipe the eggplant slices with a towel to remove excess moisture. Then salt and place them into a bowl. Toss in another bowl with the olive oil until the oil coats and starts to get absorbed into the slices.

Heat your grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Once hot, add the eggplant slices and grill for about 2 minutes, then turn them 90 degrees with tongs and grill for another minute or two to get nice grill marks on one side. Repeat on the other side until eggplant is crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Adjust the time as needed depending on what part of your grill is hottest so the eggplant is cooked through but doesn’t burn. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Serve your eggplant with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or tahini, or your favorite Primal Kitchen dressing such as Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette!

Print

Easy Crispy Grilled Eggplant

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• 
  Author: Priscilla Chamessian
• 
  Total Time: 50 minutes

Print Recipe

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Description

Eggplant on the grill is such a simple and delicious side dish! In this recipe, we salt the eggplant to help remove some of the water and moisture from the slices so that you get a flavorful bite that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

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Ingredients

2–3 eggplants (Italian, graffiti or Chinese eggplants work well), about 2.5 pounds

1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

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Instructions

1. Cut off the stem and end of each eggplant. Slice the eggplants into rings about ½” thick. You can also slice them on an angle or into thick strips if you’d like.
2. Place the sliced eggplant in a large bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. Toss the eggplant to distribute the salt.
3. Place a large cloth or towel on top of a large sheet pan and lay the sliced eggplant out on top of it. Allow the eggplant to rest for 30 minutes or so. You can also place a towel on top of the eggplant and another sheet pan on top of that to push down on the eggplant and release more water.
4. Blot or wipe the eggplant slices with a towel to remove excess moisture and salt and place them into a bowl. Toss in another bowl with the olive oil until the oil coats and starts to get absorbed into the slices.
5. Heat your grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Once hot, add the eggplant slices and grill for about 2 minutes, then turn them 90 degrees with tongs and grill for another minute or two to get nice grill marks on one side. Repeat on the other side until eggplant is crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Adjust the time as needed depending on what part of your grill is hottest so the eggplant is cooked through but doesn’t burn. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
6. Serve your eggplant with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or tahini, or your favorite Primal Kitchen dressing (we like Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette!)

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 or recipe
• Calories: 153.3
• Sugar: 6.7g
• Sodium: 102.3mg
• Fat: 12.3g
• Saturated Fat: 1.7g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 11.1g
• Fiber: 5.7g
• Protein: 1.9g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Net Carbs: 5.22g

Keywords: grilled eggplant

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In early August, Tia-Clair Toomey made history by becoming the first Individual athlete to win six CrossFit Games titles. It’s undoubtedly a lofty achievement for a living strength sports legend. Given recent developments, Toomey’s milestone might be even grander than it was at first glance. 

On Sept. 7, 2022, in a video posted to her YouTube channel, Toomey revealed she suffered a back injury before the onset of the 2022 CrossFit Games. The CrossFitter did not clarify the precise nature of her injury but maintained that it was enough for her to consider whether she should or could compete in Madison, WI. 

[Related: How to Do the Kettlebell Swing for Explosive Power, Strength, and Conditioning]

Since winning the recent CrossFit Games, Toomey has been taking time away to rest before she starts preparing for the next contest on her calendar. On Nov. 18-20, 2022, in Wollongong, Australia, Toomey plans to compete at the 2022 Down Under Championship on a team with Brooke Wells and Ellie Turner. 

As the athlete looked ahead to that Australian competition, she quickly discussed what her unclear back injury meant for her latest CrossFit performance. While it didn’t end up hurting her overall finish, Toomey notes she had to take a recovery step back before putting the pedal to the (kettlebell) metal again. 

“It’s really been about managing that [her back injury],” Toomey says about her plans since August’s CrossFit Games. “It was giving me quite a lot of feedback, and it was affecting my training in the lead-up to the Games.”

As a result of her injury, Toomey clarifies she’s been taking small steps to ramp up her performance back to an elite level. It seems to be a gradual process, where she won’t push it to the limit until she’s absolutely ready. 

“I’m taking this off-season seriously and slowly easing into it, making sure I get my back into full form,” Toomey says. “I’m not going to be picking up a barbell or doing anything crazy. It’s really more about how I’m moving my body, making sure there isn’t any back pain…I’m doing more low-impact movements, just getting the body moving.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: The Best Landmine Workouts for More Muscle and Better Conditioning]

Per Toomey’s video testimonial, the 2022 Down Under Championship will be her first Team appearance in roughly five years. With that contest still an approximate couple of months away at the time of this writing, the Australian competitor appears prepared to return completely healthy and maximize this latest opportunity. 

“I’m pretty confident that I’ll be ready to go for that competition,” Toomey says. “I think it’ll be a great competition to get the body back on the competition floor. I love to compete. That’s what we do this for.”

Featured image: @tiaclair1 on Instagram

The post Tia-Clair Toomey Reveals She Battled a Back Injury While Winning Her Sixth CrossFit Games Title appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Well-designed gym machines enhance the effectiveness of your strength and hypertrophy training. They can minimize instability, allowing you to target and overload specific muscles. They can apply variable resistance and resistance to patterns of motion that free weights simply cannot. Good machines can also enhance safety when working with heavy loads or training to failure.

The problem is that not all machines in the gym are good, useful, or worthwhile. To preface, this review isn’t the biased opinion of a fragile physio or some two-bit trainer who labels random machines as “injurious” or “non-functional.”

This is an objective, biomechanics-based, physiologically-informed discussion from a strength coach and physical therapist who uses certain machines just as often as free weights. With that said, not all machines are created equal. Here are five machines to avoid and five machine problems to avoid. 

The Five Worst Exercise Machines

• Squat Machines That Bottom-out Before You Do
• The “High Five” Pec-Deck
• Crummy Crunch Machines
• Standing Calf Raise Machines
• Combo Machines That Botch Both

The Five Worst Machine Problems

• Full of Friction
• Insufficient Support
• Not Fitting Your Body
• Poor Resistance Curve
• Redundant to Effective Free Weight Options

The Five Worst Exercise Machines

Some machines should be avoided because they “take” more stress and effort than they “give” results. If you’re focused on training efficiently and effectively, double-check your training program to see if any of this avoidable equipment is in your plan.

Squat Machines That Bottom-Out Before You Do

Many lifters may struggle with achieving full depth in a free weight squat. This may occur for a number of reasons — poor coordination, limited ankle flexibility, or a lack of confidence in their ability to stand up after hitting depth.

Hack squats, leg presses, and other lower-body machines that enhance a lifter’s ability to achieve full range of motion in the “squat” movement pattern are worth their weight in gold (or, more specifically, iron).

For lifters with stiff ankles, placing your feet higher or further forward on the platform decreases the amount of ankle dorsiflexion (raising your toes towards your shin) required to hit depth. The upper-body support and guidance afforded by the machine assists lifters deficient in trunk control.

Built-in safety features may empower even the most apprehensive lifters to achieve significant depth. But these built-in safety “stops” can backfire if they end the squat movement too early.

Why Avoid Them

Maybe you’ve experienced this scenario: You hop on a shiny new hack squat or leg press. Everything feels great until midway through the rep…clunk… you’ve hit the machine’s safety stop before reaching the coveted “ass-to-grass” position of full hip and knee flexion.

The machine may have been working smoothly otherwise, but its design may be shorting more than your depth. It’s likely robbing you of potential gains.

Full range of motion squatting has been associated with superior strength and power outcomes compared to partial depth squatting. (1) Although other research showed no difference in strength improvement between those squatting to full depth and those training with partials, it did report significantly greater thigh hypertrophy in the full depth group. (2)

Altogether, it seems that most lifters would benefit from squatting deep. Squat machines should facilitate, not limit, full range of motion training. If the squat machine in your gym hits bottom before you do, it’s probably not worth your time.

The “High Five” Pec-Deck

Quite a while ago, many pec-deck or chest flye machines seemed to share a common ill-conceived design — the “high five” arm position. The machine requires users to sit and reach their arms slightly behind their body at shoulder-height, and then externally rotate their shoulders to place their forearms in contact with vertical pads.

To perform the exercise, the user pulls the pads toward each other in front of their chest. These machines train the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, subscapularis, and few helper muscles. (3) They can still be found in commercial and home gyms.

Why Avoid Them

To be clear, there is nothing inherently “wrong” with this machine. It undeniably hits the pecs. (3) In fact, the total contribution of pectoralis major is likely underestimated because the muscle is put under substantial passive tension during full shoulder external rotation.

The issue with the “high five” pec-deck is not it’s lack of effectiveness, but that it’s unlikely to be universally tolerated by lifters who have existing shoulder issues. For example, when a team of physicians examined 20 weightlifters with painful shoulders, every single weightlifter reported reproduction of shoulder pain in the “high five” position. (4)

Interestingly, half of these weightlifters improved and ultimately avoided surgery with rehab and avoidance of the “high five” position. Heavy strength training in the “high five” shoulder position is thought to be associated with anterior instability. (5)(6) It undoubtedly stresses the front of the shoulder joint, including the rotator cuff.

Altogether, if you have known shoulder problems, including but not limited to stiffness, rotator cuff pathology, biceps tendon issues, or a labrum injury (e.g. SLAP tear), steer clear of the “high five” pec-deck. But don’t despair. There are more forgiving options.

Improved pec-deck designs have multiple handle options. These machines allow the user to select a comfortable position for direct chest training. As a bonus, the improved machines often allow the lifter to spin around and train rear deltoids at the same station, enabling an efficient superset.

Crunch Machines

Abdominal machines will get you off the gym floor, but that’s pretty much the only good thing about most of them. Plate-loaded and stack-loaded crunch machines are generally designed to be used either seated or lying down.

While their designs tend to reduce a multi-joint spinal movement pattern to a single pivot point, this isn’t their main problem. Their range of motion is suboptimal for building a stronger, better looking set of abs.

Why Avoid Them

When you use a crunch machine, whether it’s a seated or supine (lying down) model, you only train through a small portion of your available trunk flexion range of motion. By the time you meet the resistance of the machine, many of your spinal joints are already flexed and the abdominals are only trained in their shortened length.

For the purpose of building muscle, mounting evidence suggests the superiority of training at long muscle lengths rather than short. (7)(8) So if you’re a healthy lifter who wants to build a more pronounced six-pack, a better option is to train through a full range of spinal flexion.

Start your crunch with an extended (arched) back. To accomplish this, you can perform crunches on top of a Swiss ball or lock into a glute-ham developer (GHD) machine for controlled, full range of motion sit-ups.

Standing Calf Raise Machines

Standing calf raise machines eliminate the need to hold heavy weights when performing calf raises. They also provide a stable environment to help the lifter focus on building big, strong gastrocnemius muscles — the superficial calf muscle trained during any straight-knee calf raise exercise. (9)

These machines typically load the calves through pads that rest atop the upper traps. Therefore, the standing calf raise is an axially-loaded exercise, which means the weight is supported through the trunk and spine like squats and deadlifts.

Why Avoid Them

Calf training is accessory work, which is typically programmed toward the end of the workout. By that time, most lifters have already performed at least one heavy axially-loaded lower body exercise. If they’ve trained with high effort and intensity, their core is likely exhausted. But unless their dress code always calls for pants or knee-high socks, calf training probably shouldn’t be skipped.

By avoiding standing machines in favor of machines that apply more direct loading to the target muscles, you can reduce the likelihood that trunk fatigue interferes with building the getaway sticks you’ve always wanted.

While standing calf raise machines have been around for decades, Golden Era bodybuilders had alternatives. They used donkey calf machines, which required the lifter to bend forward to load the calves from atop the pelvis instead of the spine.

There’s photographic evidence of Arnold performing this exercise without the machine, instead recruiting a training partner or the occasional beautiful woman (or two) to sit atop his hips while he performed calf raises.

Can’t find an old-school donkey calf machine? Asking others to climb onto your hips too risqué for your globo gym?  There are plenty of alternatives to standing calf raise machines.

Purpose-built 45- or 60-degree calf raise machines load the calves through the hips. They look like mini hack squats. Rotary calf machines allow training to be performed seated with legs straight out in front of the body. If none of these options are available, a basic leg press usually works fine for calf raises while sparing you the axial-loading.

Combo Machines That Botch Both Movements

When limited floor space or budget is a concern, gym owners may be tempted by multi-function machines. Machines like functional trainers and cable columns serve as the gym’s “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” These machines are mainstays, and there are usually no problems with them. But some multifunction machines are pretty lackluster.

The plate-loaded leg extension/leg curl combo is a multi-function machine that is universally rubbish, regardless of make or manufacturer. These machines combine a seated leg extension with a prone hamstring curl. In theory, these machines are a wonderful, space-efficient station to train two important muscle groups. In reality, you’ll realize after your first set why they are on this list.

Why Avoid Them

The plate-loaded leg extension/leg curl combo only has two jobs — train the quads and train the hamstrings — and it does neither particularly well. For quad training, the resistance peaks near the top position when knees are extended.

However, knee extension torque is highest near the middle of the range of motion, not in full extension. (10) Therefore, the resistance offered by the machine does not match the strength profile of the joint being trained. Many other machines may also fall short of providing ideal resistance through a full range of motion, which is discussed in more detail in the next section.

The prone hamstring curl half of this machine, in particular, is worthless at end-range knee flexion (the contracted position). Past a certain angle of knee flexion, the resistance cuts out because the plates are pulled above the machine’s axis of rotation as you complete the curl.

If you need to use one of these machines because, say, you already have one and aren’t shelling out for two separate machines, you might be able to work around this problem by creatively rigging resistance bands.

Ultimately, there are better machines available for your quad and hamstring training — one dedicated to quads and a separate one for hamstrings.

The Five Worst Machine Problems

Some machines aren’t inherently “bad,” they just suffer from problems that can potentially be addressed with sufficient maintenance, proper setup, or an adjustment to overall program design. Here’s what to watch out for.

Machines Full of Friction

Have you ever felt a mid-rep grinding or jerking sensation when lifting on a machine? Or, maybe you’ve felt that you have to push or pull through lots of “slop” or play in the cables and pulleys of a machine before the weight stack begins to move? If so, you’ve got a friction issue.

Common sources of friction in gym machines can be bent, rusted, or poorly lubricated guide rods; worn or cracked cable sheathing; or worn bearings. Some machines, particularly those with multiple pulleys and long belts or cables have lots of friction when factory-new. By using high-friction machines, you could be sacrificing more than a smooth lifting experience.

Why Avoid Them

The same friction that makes the repetition feel “grindy” during the positive (concentric or lifting) portion of the repetition also robs you of resistance during the negative (eccentric or lowering) portion.

What’s the harm of losing a little resistance during the eccentric phase? It could be limiting the overall effectiveness of the exercise. Our muscles are physiologically stronger during eccentric contraction than concentric contraction. In any given movement, you can lower more weight than you can lift. Therefore, the concentric phase of a typical exercise will always be the limiting factor.

When using high-friction machines, your muscles get short-changed twice-over. First, you’ll need to use less weight than you would otherwise to allow you to overcome the weight and the friction during the concentric part of the lift.

The kicker is that your muscles don’t even get to experience full resistance during the eccentric. The effective resistance during the eccentric is the weight you’ve selected minus the resistance lost to friction.

Avoid the machine “wear” sources of friction by using well-maintained machines. To avoid machines with lots of friction intrinsic in their design, look for plate-loaded machines with high quality bearings.

Machines with Insufficient Support

Well-designed machines should help you to lock-in good form and allow you to effectively load the trained movement pattern. Good machines are incredibly effective. For example, research showed that 10 weeks of training on an isolated lumbar extension machine was superior to Romanian deadlift training for improving lumbar extension strength. (11)

However, unlike the highly desirable MedX lumbar extension machine, many other lumbar extension machines lack a seat belt to secure hips during the exercise. These machines can be safely presumed to be only marginally effective.

Speaking of seat belts, if you’ve ever tried a seated dip machine without a belt or pads that lock you in the seat, you’ve experienced this phenomenon: attempt to push down more than a certain percentage of your bodyweight and you rise out of the seat. A lack of support represents a design flaw that somehow made it to market.

Receiving honorable mention in this category are cable hip extension machines and rotary hip extension machines (e.g. 4-way hip). These machines are used standing on one leg while the opposite leg is extended against resistance from a cable or pad.

Although these machines typically offer handles to assist with balance, most users struggle to stabilize their trunk and pelvis. Strong contraction of the working-side glute typically causes anterior tilt of the pelvis along with rotation. These machines ultimately limit the amount of resistance that can be used to train hip extension, and your gluteus maximus is left with minimal gains.

Why Avoid Them

Machines lacking enough support can be less effective because they limit the potential use of higher resistance loads. They can also be downright frustrating. Think about the triceps extension machine with handles above a pad that resembles a preacher curl bench. It’s basically a reverse arm curl machine.

I’ve witnessed lifters try with all their might to lean into this style of seated triceps extension machine only to push themselves away from the machine with heavy loads on the weight stack. A simple fix, such as an adjustable seat back, could greatly enhance the ability to use heavy loads and enhance the user-experience (and results).

If you’re a strong lifter who is struggling to maintain body position while using a gym machine, it’s not you, it’s the machine. Spare yourself the frustration and find a better option.

Machines That Don’t Fit Your Body

Encountering machines that don’t match your body is common, even for a decidedly average-sized lifter. If your anthropometry, or body proportion, is further from the population mean, expect to run into this issue even more often.

Watch out for machines whose axis of movement doesn’t align with your primary working joint. Single-joint machines like arm curl machines, triceps extensions, prone hamstring curls, and leg extension machines seem to be the common culprits.

Also, be aware of machines that are too tall or too short for your stature. For example, if a machine is intended to be used with feet on the floor, your feet should not be dangling. Or maybe you’re long-limbed and a particular gym machine does not allow you to press or row through your full range of motion.

Why Avoid Them

It should be obvious that a gym machine with poor ergonomics will deliver a less-than-stellar user experience. Beyond that, questions arise regarding the effectiveness of exercises performed on misfit machines.

Are muscles and joints being trained through their intended ranges of motion? Are fit issues precluding the use of effective resistance loads? Are misalignments between the machine’s geometry and your body creating abnormal joint stresses?

If a machine doesn’t feel right, it is unlikely to help you accomplish your training objectives. When you encounter a machine that doesn’t fit, despite the use of all available adjustments, it’s time to move on.

Machines with a Poor Resistance Curve

A machine’s resistance curve describes the pattern of variable resistance the user experiences throughout the range of motion of the exercise. Machines can be designed to apply variable resistance to the lifter via the use of levers and irregularly shaped cams.

The classic example of variable resistance is the Nautilus shell-shaped cam. The cam was intended to apply more resistance during the part of the exercise where the lifter is stronger and less resistance where the lifter is weaker.

While no machine matches each individual lifter’s strength curve, or capacity to demonstrate strength throughout the range of motion, the resistance curve should correspond with the generalized strength curve of the movement pattern. (12)(13)

In theory, machines engineered to accommodate the general human strength curves should be superior to free weights, which exert a constant resistance relying on gravity. It should also be noted there is certainly no consensus regarding the superiority of variable resistance training or free weight training for increasing strength. (12)(14)(15)

Why Avoid Them

For the moment, let’s limit our scope to single-joint training for simplicity’s sake. When variable resistance, cam-based arm curl machines were compared to circular, cam-based arm curl machines, the variable resistance version was superior for strength gains and slightly better hypertrophy gains have been reported. (16)(17)

These results make sense, as circular cams generally do not match the generalized strength curve of the movement being trained. In general, you should choose the oblong-shaped cam machine over the circle-shaped cam machine for single-joint training. But what about other machine designs for other body parts? You’re going to have to feel them out.

You might encounter a machine that applies variable resistance in conflict with the movement pattern’s strength curve. For example, a lever-based pressing machine with a low pivot point may apply heavier resistance at the bottom position.

This design would conflict with the pressing movement pattern’s ascending strength curve (where you’re typically stronger at the top). (13) This type of machine is likely to limit the overall weight used for the exercise and may ultimately reduce its effectiveness for building muscle and strength.

You don’t have to be a biomechanist to qualitatively determine if a machine’s resistance curve is good or poor for yourself. A good resistance curve will just… feel right. With heavy loads, you will feel that you can exert maximum effort into the machine throughout the full range of motion without losing connection with the resistance, creating excessive momentum, or grinding into a pronounced sticking point. High-quality machines are “buttery” through the full range of motion.

If a machine feels extremely difficult during a one portion of the range of motion and allows for rapid acceleration elsewhere, it may have a poor resistance curve. If this is the case, you’re better off finding a different machine or switching to free weights for a comparable exercise.

Machines Redundant to Effective Free Weight Options

Some free weight exercises are simply damn good and deserve to be in your program. The trap bar isn’t beaten by a shrug machine. If you want to do seated shrugs, sit on a bench and use heavy dumbbells.

For rack pulls, it’s perfectly fine to get in the squat rack. The Smith machine might’ve became the go-to for this exercise in recent years, but a good old barbell lifted from the safety catches works just fine, arguably with superior carryover to your conventional deadlift due the specificity principle.

The point is, there’s no need to re-invent the wheel. And gym equipment manufacturers and gym owners need to receive that message.

Why Avoid Them

The decision to avoid a machine in favor of an equally-effective free weight variation is an “exercise” in restraint. Just because a machine is available doesn’t mean it needs to be used.

If you and others at your gym exercise this restraint, the gym’s management will likely take notice. A machine that doesn’t get used in a public gym doesn’t stick around. With any luck, the valuable gym real estate occupied by the redundant machine might soon be filled with a new machine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hopefully it will be something unique and effective, such as a good plate-loaded pullover, standing lateral raise, or pendulum squat. Or maybe management will swap out the redundant machine with another squat rack or whatever popular piece you’re constantly waiting for at your gym.

References

1. Pallarés, J. G., Cava, A. M., Courel-Ibáñez, et al. (2020). Full squat produces greater neuromuscular and functional adaptations and lower pain than partial squats after prolonged resistance training. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(1), 115-124.
2. Bloomquist, K., Langberg, H., Karlsen, S., Madsgaard, S., Boesen, M., & Raastad, T. (2013). Effect of range of motion in heavy load squatting on muscle and tendon adaptations. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(8), 2133-2142.
3. Kuechle, D. K., Newman, S. R., Itoi, E., et al. (1997). Shoulder muscle moment arms during horizontal flexion and elevation. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 6(5), 429-439.
4. Gross, M. L., Brenner, S. L., Esformes, I., & Sonzogni, J. J. (1993). Anterior shoulder instability in weight lifters. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 21(4), 599-603.
5. Escalante, G. (2017). Exercise modification strategies to prevent and train around shoulder pain. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 39(3), 74-86.
6. Kolber, M. J., Beekhuizen, K. S., Cheng, M. S. S., & Hellman, M. A. (2010). Shoulder injuries attributed to resistance training: a brief review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(6), 1696-1704.
7. Maeo, S., Huang, M., Wu, Y., et al. (2021). Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 53(4), 825.
8. Sato, S., Yoshida, R., Kiyono, R., et al. (2021). Elbow joint angles in elbow flexor unilateral resistance exercise training determine its effects on muscle strength and thickness of trained and non-trained arms. Frontiers in Physiology, 12.
9. Landin, D., Thompson, M., & Reid, M. (2015). Knee and ankle joint angles influence the plantarflexion torque of the gastrocnemius. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 7(8), 602-606.
10. Guenzkofer, F., Engstler, F., Bubb, H., & Bengler, K. (2011, July). Joint torque modeling of knee extension and flexion. In International Conference on Digital Human Modeling (pp. 79-88). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
11. Fisher, J., Bruce-Low, S., & Smith, D. (2013). A randomized trial to consider the effect of Romanian deadlift exercise on the development of lumbar extension strength. Physical Therapy in Sport, 14(3), 139-145.
12. Carpinelli, R. (2017). A critical analysis of the national strength and conditioning association’s opinion that free weights are superior to machines for increasing muscular strength and power. Medicina Sportiva Practica, 18(2), 21-39.
13. Wallace, B. J., Bergstrom, H. C., & Butterfield, T. A. (2018). Muscular bases and mechanisms of variable resistance training efficacy. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 13(6), 1177-1188.
14. Dos Santos, W. D. N., Gentil, P., de Araújo Ribeiro, A. L., et al. (2018). Effects of Variable Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-analysis. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(11), e52-e55. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002836.
15. Andersen, V., Prieske, O., Stien, N., et al. (2022). Comparing the effects of variable and traditional resistance training on maximal strength and muscle power in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
16. Urbanik, C., Staniszewski, M., Mastalerz, A., et al. (2013). Evaluation of the effectiveness of training on a machine with a variable-cam. Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 15(4).
17. Staniszewski, M., Mastalerz, A., & Urbanik, C. (2020). Effect of a strength or hypertrophy training protocol, each performed using two different modes of resistance, on biomechanical, biochemical and anthropometric parameters. Biology of Sport, 37(1), 85-91.

Featured Image: Odua Images / Shutterstock

The post The 5 Worst Exercise Machines, and 5 Machine Problems to Watch Out For appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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Research of the Week

There appears to be no increased risk of type 2 diabetes with saturated fat consumption. For certain saturated fats, there may even be a negative (protective) association.

Animal foods enhance absorption of plant micronutrients.

Eating breakfast and skipping dinner increases fat oxidation.

Psilocybin beats SSRIs for reducing rumination.

Another study finds that vitamin D supplementation is associated with a lower risk of COVID mortality, particularly in D-deficient and those at higher latitudes.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Kitchen Podcast: The Link Between Dairy Intolerance and Dairy Genes with Alexandre Family Farm Founders Blake and Stephanie

Primal Health Coach Radio: If You’re Not Showing Up, Someone Else Will with Libby Rothschild

Media, Schmedia

China is loving beef.

Is original antigenic sin going to be an issue this fall?

Interesting Blog Posts

Mental health and keto.

Why did the printing revolution occur in Europe and not Asia (which had print first)?

Social Notes

Short sighted.

Sound on.

Everything Else

I can confirm that the country is falling apart as a result: mustard shortage in France.

Great news.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Interesting new tool: Enter a medication and find out what nutrient deficiencies it causes.

Everything is connected: Social isolation and fibrinogen levels.

Not a big surprise: Plant-based meat analogues aren’t analogues at all, don’t digest very well.

Good “news”: Natural immunity with early Covid variants works against later ones and does not trigger original antigenic sin.

Nice way of thinking about it: Genetics as a window of opportunity.

Question I’m Asking

Do you take any medication? Has your lifestyle and diet allowed you to reduce those?

Recipe Corner

• Nigerian stock.
• Chicken saag.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Sep 3 – Sep 10)

• The Benefits of Trampolining and Rebounding—Why you should try it.
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Comment of the Week

“Hey Mark,

Just read your latest SWS…”How to Put the Work in Everyday.”

…A month ago, I dropped alcohol cold turkey (or should I say Wild Turkey?). This is after a couple of decades of drinking too much too often. And it has been ridiculously easy. I’ve done a number of vids about that on my YT channel: How To Make It Easy.

Anyway, the point of this and how it relates to your SWS is that the most profound thing about the cessation is a passion and motivation for work. It’s so good/”bad” that I’m up every damn morning between 4-5am. Just chomping at the bit to get a bit closer to those goals, evaluate plan and execution, etc. No alarm clock. I just wake up, start thinking of the exciting prospects, and the covers are thrown off!

This morning was 04.45 and at 06.00 I said to myself, ‘go make a couple of videos in 2 locations.’ By 06.15 I was shooting at Rawai Beach in Phuket, Thailand. That was about the 4 weeks of no booze. Then I hopped on the motorbike, rode the 5 mins up to Promthep Cape, the southernmost tip of Phuket, and shot another one about ridiculous politics in the US.

Stopped for a coffee on the way back, then got some gas for the motorbike, then hit the hardware store for something I need, then hit a convenience store for bottled water.

So by 07.30 when I arrived back at my place, I’d already achieved more than in an average day boozed up.

Cheers, man.

Richard”

–Richard drops alcohol, sees great benefits.

The post New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 193 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Some people completely shy away from direct ab exercises, either out of boredom or because they believe the big compound exercises like squats and overhead presses work their abs enough. But plenty of other lifters make ab training a priority, be it to improve performance or their physique.

When it comes to a good-looking set of abs, lower ab development is especially coveted. Exercises that involve leg movement, such as various leg lifts or the simple reverse crunch, are commonly used to target this area. Is it a valid strategy? Maybe, as you’ll soon learn.

In any case, the reverse crunch is a simple and effective exercise to build and strengthen your abs, improve spine stabilization, and become a fitter, more muscular human being. For many, it’s the first “leg raising” exercise learned, so it’s time you know how to do it properly and reap its benefits.

• How to Do the Reverse Crunch
• Reverse Crunch Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Reverse Crunch
• Muscles Worked by the Reverse Crunch
• Who Should Do the Reverse Crunch
• How to Program the Reverse Crunch
• Reverse Crunch Variations
• Reverse Crunch Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Reverse Crunch

Even though it’s a beginner-friendly exercise, you have to ensure proper form if you want maximal efficiency while avoiding pain. The reverse crunch is slightly more complex than a traditional crunch because it involves leg movement, torso flexion, as well as spinal control. Here’s how to do it right.

Step 1 — Lie Down in Position

No need for equipment — except for a gym mat if you need some comfort. Simply lie down on the floor. Keep your upper body completely flat, squeeze your glutes, and tilt your pelvis backwards to push your lower back into the ground. This will prevent your lower back from arching at any point during the lift.

Place your arms on the floor by your side, palms down, and use them for balance. Bend your legs and set your feet flat on the ground.

Form tip: If you have trouble keeping your lower back flat, lift your shoulder blades slightly off the ground. This will help you create more tension in your abs and provide more control over your spine and hips. Having an arched back reduces your ability to contract your abs.

Step 2 — Bring Your Knees Toward Your Head

Take a breath into your belly and brace your abs. Tuck your legs towards your face until your hips and lower back lift from the ground. As your legs move, maintain a roughly 90-degree angle at your knees.

No other movement should occur in your body: keep your legs at the same angle, brace as much as you can, and drive your hands into the ground to stabilize yourself. Go slow so that you don’t risk losing posture. In the top position, your hips should be off the ground for maximum ab recruitment.

Form tip: If you want to make the exercise harder, straighten your legs as you begin the movement or after you’ve reached the top position. This creates a longer lever arm and increases the challenge on your core muscles.

Step 3 — Lower Your Legs With Control

Lower your legs slowly until your feet touch the ground and you’ve returned to the starting position. Moving at a relatively slower speed helps you feel your abs working and eliminates momentum.

To keep tension in your core, don’t allow your lower back to arch as you bring your legs down. Keep your pelvis tilted backwards and your lower back pushed into the ground throughout the entire repetition.

Form tip: If your back begins to arch as your legs move, bend your legs more. Shortening the range of motion can also help. Until you have enough total-core control, only lower your legs until you feel your back starting to arch, and then reverse the movement.

Reverse Crunch Mistakes to Avoid

Ab exercises that incorporate leg movement are prone to bad form because many people lose focus. Even though the reverse crunch is probably the simplest leg raise-type of exercise, mistakes are still frequent.

Arching Your Lower Back

This is a frequent mistake with beginners, because many new lifters lack spinal control and core strength. Arching your lower back will decrease ab involvement and shift more of the workload towards the hip flexors.

Is it a bad thing? Well, if you want better-looking abs, it won’t be as efficient. More importantly, this can cause stress on the lower back region. If you want to avoid pain and potential injuries, aim to minimize lower back arching and hip flexor involvement. (1)

Avoid it: Make sure your core is always braced and under tension. When you’re not flexing your trunk, make sure your lower back is firmly in contact with the ground. Do the exercise slowly and with control. Slightly elevate your shoulder blades from the floor to further engage your core, if needed. 

Using Momentum

It can be tempting to allow momentum to take over because it makes the exercise easier, but it will greatly diminish muscle activation. If you start swinging your legs around, you’ll end up using mostly your hip flexors in lieu of your abs, and you risk arching your lower back during the eccentric (descent).

If you’re aiming for muscle growth, this is inefficient as it will also reduce time under tension and you’ll have to perform many more repetitions, and spend more time and overall effort, just to have the same stimulus as a strict movement. (2) This can also put more strain on your hip joints and lower back, possibly resulting in pain or injuries.

Avoid it: There is a certain execution speed at which your body will lose muscle tension and optimal bracing. You should never reach that speed but, unfortunately, you only know it once you reach it. If you’re not sure, simply use a slow tempo — two to three seconds on the concentric (lifting) and two to three seconds for the eccentric (lowering).

Benefits of the Reverse Crunch

The simplest exercises are often the most efficient, and the reverse crunch is no exception. Learn how this lift can improve your fitness and provide benefits that other ab exercises lack.

Abdominal Muscle Growth

They say that “abs are made in the kitchen,” but they are actually made in the gym. A balanced diet and a healthy body fat will only reveal them, but if you want to display an impressive set of abs, you have to train them like any other muscle.

A properly executed reverse crunch will offer significant time under tension and provide a different stimulus than what your abs are used to if you’ve only been doing standard crunches or sit-ups. Incorporating the movement for variety will also help build more muscle. (3)

Core Strength

This exercise will improve ab strength and boost your core and bracing abilities. The reverse crunch teaches you how to transfer energy from your your core to other limbs (your legs, specifically). You also learn how to brace properly for maximum efficiency and strength.

The general principle is similar to squatting, where your core helps you transfer the energy from your legs through your core and into the barbell. The reverse crunch can help you get better at compound exercises which require core stability, making you a stronger and more complete lifter.

Spinal Control

The hard part of the exercise is actually to exert proper ab tension while bracing enough to prevent your lower back from arching. Maintaining this strong position will teach you how to stabilize your spine and efficiently brace your core. Improved spinal stability and control can reduce your risk of lower back pain and injuries, and improve your total-body strength. (4)(5)

Muscles Worked by the Reverse Crunch

The reverse crunch is a trunk flexion exercise, which means that it will mainly target the rectus abdominis, but most of the core will actually contribute. Ab exercises which incorporate leg movement are said to emphasize lower-ab development. Let’s see if that’s true and what muscles it trains.

Rectus Abdominis

This is the famous “six pack.” It’s the most visible ab muscle and goes from the pelvis to the sternum. The main function of the rectus abdominis is to flex the trunk by bringing the ribs and the pelvis closer together.

Now, here’s the tricky part: It is often claimed that you can “target” the upper or lower sections of the muscle. Typically, ab exercises which bring the ribs closer to the pelvis are considered “upper ab exercises.” Movements which bring the pelvis closer to the ribs, like the reverse crunch, are thought to be “lower ab exercises.”

However, the rectus abdominis is still one single muscle (with multiple tendons running across it) so it is always fully contracted. Is it really possible to emphasize the lower separate from the upper? Let’s look at the research.

One study didn’t find a significant difference between exercises in terms of upper or lower ab recruitment. (6) But the exercises were performed with the lifters’ hands under their lower back, which might have caused less lower abs involvement by increasing the back arch.

Comparatively, some studies have found a difference in activation. (7) If the hips are flexed towards the ribs while the upper body remains stationary, the lower abs have been shown to do more work.

So it seems that recruiting the lower abs is highly related to exercise selection. You cannot “isolate” the upper or the lower abs — the rectus abdominis will always work as a whole — but some movements can stress either section slightly more. Properly performed exercises that contract the abdominals by rotating your pelvis closer to your (stationary) ribcage may emphasize the lower abs more than the upper. (8)

Obliques

The internal and external obliques are the “side abs” going from your hip bones up towards your ribs. They are significantly recruited when twisting from the waist or bending sideways.

The obliques are also slightly involved in flexing the trunk, and they work heavily to prevent the body from bending or twisting. They are recruited, particularly in the top portion of the reverse crunch, to stabilize your lower body as it raises slightly into the air.

Hip Flexors

The hip flexors are a series of muscles responsible for bringing the leg up towards the body. These relatively small but powerful muscles are involved in the reverse crunch because of the leg movement. They are particularly activated as your legs are lowered to the ground and raised from it.

If you fail to lift your pelvis towards your torso in the top part of each repetition, the hip flexors (and not the abdominals) will be the primary muscles worked during the reverse crunch.

Who Should Do the Reverse Crunch

Ab exercises can be useful to virtually anyone, so you should likely include some direct ab exercises in your training. Here’s when the reverse crunch, specifically, is most beneficial.

People Who Want to Look Good

If you want to sport an aesthetic physique, then you need to do some direct ab work. One psychology study even revealed that well-developed abdominals are the most desirable body part for men, and in the top three for women. (9)

If you want your upper body to be pleasing to the eye, then including reverse crunches as part of your training will go a long way, especially when paired with a specific fat loss diet and an overall well-muscled physique.

Strength Athletes

Many strength lifts such as squats, deadlifts, or presses require a strong core to support moving the heaviest weights possible. The reverse crunch can help by developing the muscles responsible for increasing intra-abdominal pressure, improving spinal control and stability, and increasing bracing abilities. A stronger core is shown to help make you stronger as a whole. (10)

Sports Athletes

In the same fashion, core strength will help you develop more speed and power if you’re a general sports athlete. (11) We rarely think of it, but running, jumping, and throwing all require core strength and total-body coordination. Moreover, the reverse crunch strengthens the hip flexors, which will are heavily involved in running, jumping, and agility.

People with Back Issues

If you’ve experienced back pain, or want to prevent it, strengthening your abs is just as important as strengthening your lower back. The body needs balance in order to perform optimally. Unfortunately, modern life often leads to muscular imbalances, poor posture, and a lack of general physical condition. The reverse crunch can help you combat these potential lower back issues by improving core strength. (12)

How to Program the Reverse Crunch

As a basic bodyweight exercise, the reverse crunch is quite straightforward to program. You can also add some resistance to spice things up a bit. Adopt these repetition schemes if you want maximal benefit, instead of doing countless low-effort reps.

Unweighted, Moderate to High Reps

This is a common range for ab exercises. Three to four sets of 10 to 20 repetitions with 30 to 60 seconds of rest will do the trick, provided you use perfect form. If you can bang out an ultra-high number of reps, it’s an indicator that you’re using improper form or you’re a beast that needs to add some resistance.

Weighted, Moderate Reps

You can either secure a small weight plate on your ankles and shins or hold a dumbbell or medicine ball between your feet. A load that’s difficult for three to four sets of six to 12 repetitions will provide an increased challenge to build strength or stimulate new growth. It’s essential to keep your form the same or it will defeat the purpose of the exercise.

Reverse Crunch Variations

Perhaps you’ve had enough of lying on the ground or you want to stimulate your abs and hip flexors in a new fashion. Here are some kickass variations that will share the same benefits as the reverse crunch and focus on your lower abs.

Hanging Leg Raise

Hang from a pull-up bar, hanging knee raise station, or Roman chair. To really recruit your abs and not focus on your hip flexors, be sure to curl your pelvis up toward your chest at the top of the movement.

This is an efficient movement because it can easily be scaled down, by bending the legs, or scaled up by aiming to touch your feet to the bar over your head. Moreover, the hanging version will also “decompress” your spine, providing comfortable relief after an intense pulling workout or leg day.

V-Up

This is a relatively advanced bodyweight exercise, but if you’ve mastered the reverse crunch, this can be a progression instead of adding resistance. The v-up is one of the most powerful movements to improve core bracing because it requires a high level of abdominal tension combined with leg and arm movement.

The exercise will teach you to transfer energy efficiently between your limbs, as well as provide a serious workout for the abs, hip flexors, and even the serratus — a key muscle for shoulder stability and performance.

Lying Leg Raise

This is the reverse crunch’s almost-identical twin brother. It appears similar, but subtle differences offer unique benefits. The lying leg raise only involves leg movement without raising the pelvis or hips, so it will focus more on recruiting the hip flexors.

However, as long as you prevent any lower back arching, your abs will get a serious workout as well. The overall technique is less complicated, making it is relatively simpler than the reverse crunch.

Reverse Crunch Alternatives

What if you want to train your abs while emphasizing the upper part? Don’t worry, you’re covered with these alternatives.

Crunch

The direct opposite of the reverse crunch. The good ol’ crunch is often butchered because the range of motion is so short, but when done correctly, it can be a fantastic ab exercise.

Because it only involves upper trunk flexion, this exercise will torch your upper abs. The basic crunch is possibly one of the most simple and effective ways to train the abs.

Cable Crunch

This exercise is favored for its simplicity and for how convenient it is to add potentially heavy resistance. The cable crunch is the bread and butter for any lifter who wants to build a powerful core.

The cable crunch is one of the best ways to develop stronger, bigger abs through progressive overload. A properly done cable crunch will result in superior upper abs recruitment with little to no hip flexor involvement.

Sit-up

The sit-up is the quintessential ab exercise found in many professional and athletic physical fitness tests. It’s highly efficient for building, and assessing, total core strength and development.

Like all crunch variations, you can easily add external resistance with a weight plate or weighted vest, but many lifters find the properly performed sit-up to be relatively challenging due to the long range of motion.

FAQs

Should I do the reverse crunch at the start or at the end of a workout?

Both can be valid tactics. Training abs at the end of a workout is the traditional way to go, and for good reason. By finishing with ab work, your core won’t be as fatigued during the session when you want to be fresh for heavier exercises, like squats.

But if you’re someone that loathes training abs, doing them first will ensure that you don’t skip them because you’re “too tired” after an exhausting workout. You probably won’t be as strong during the first few  sessions, but you’ll likely adapt and benefit in the long-run.

Will the reverse crunch shred my abs?

Unfortunately, no. This exercise will strengthen your abs and stimulate muscle growth, so they can look better, but you have to be able to see them first. The only thing that will reveal your abs is to achieve a low enough body fat percentage.

For that, you need to check your energy expenditure and be in a caloric deficit long enough so that you melt your belly and reveal your six-pack. You can consume less calories, and/or burn more calories through physical activities or cardio.

Reverse Engineer Your Way to a Great Set of Abs

Incorporating the reverse crunch in your training regimen doesn’t just deliver a better looking six-pack. It’s an overlooked way to build a stronger and healthier core. It’s time to stop avoiding ab work, get on the floor, and get those knees up.

References

1. Avrahami, D., & Potvin, J. R. (2014). The clinical and biomechanical effects of fascial-muscular lengthening therapy on tight hip flexor patients with and without low back pain. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 58(4), 444–455.
2. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
3. Baz-Valle E, Schoenfeld BJ, Torres-Unda J, Santos-Concejero J, Balsalobre-Fernández C. The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PLoS One. 2019 Dec 27;14(12):e0226989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226989. PMID: 31881066; PMCID: PMC6934277.
4. Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):514-22. doi: 10.1177/1941738113481200. PMID: 24427426; PMCID: PMC3806175.
5. Stokes IA, Gardner-Morse MG, Henry SM. Abdominal muscle activation increases lumbar spinal stability: analysis of contributions of different muscle groups. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2011 Oct;26(8):797-803. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 May 14. PMID: 21571410; PMCID: PMC3157598.
6. Lehman GJ, McGill SM. Quantification of the differences in electromyographic activity magnitude between the upper and lower portions of the rectus abdominis muscle during selected trunk exercises. Phys Ther. 2001 May;81(5):1096-101. PMID: 11319934.
7. Sarti MA, Monfort M, Fuster MA, Villaplana LA. Muscle activity in upper and lower rectus abdominus during abdominal exercises. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996 Dec;77(12):1293-7. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(96)90195-1. PMID: 8976314.
8. Duncan M. (2009). Muscle activity of the upper and lower rectus abdominis during exercises performed on and off a Swiss ball. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies, 13(4), 364–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2008.11.008
9. Durkee PK, Polo P, Muñoz-Reyes JA, et al. Men’s Bodily Attractiveness: Muscles as Fitness Indicators. Evolutionary Psychology. April 2019. doi:10.1177/1474704919852918 
10. Kocahan T, Akınoğlu B. Determination of the relationship between core endurance and isokinetic muscle strength of elite athletes. J Exerc Rehabil. 2018 Jun 30;14(3):413-418. doi: 10.12965/jer.1836148.074. PMID: 30018927; PMCID: PMC6028208.
11. Shinkle J, Nesser TW, Demchak TJ, McMannus DM. Effect of core strength on the measure of power in the extremities. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Feb;26(2):373-80. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31822600e5. PMID: 22228111.
12. Kumar T, Kumar S, Nezamuddin M, Sharma VP. Efficacy of core muscle strengthening exercise in chronic low back pain patients. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2015;28(4):699-707. doi: 10.3233/BMR-140572. PMID: 25467999.

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

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As she takes a step back to recalibrate, elite powerlifter Sherine Marcelle will not compete in any contests throughout the rest of the year. In the meantime, as the 90-kilogram athlete prepares for a formal return sometime in 2023, it seems she’s showing off incredible strength every time she shares updates on her training. 

On September 7, 2022, Marcelle posted an Instagram clip where she squatted 263 kilograms (580 pounds) raw while wearing a lifting belt and knee sleeves during a training session. According to the caption of Marcelle’s post, it’s a new personal record (PR) for the powerlifter and more than the current World Record in her weight class of 90 kilograms. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: The Best Landmine Workouts for More Muscle and Better Conditioning]

Marcelle’s training feat might be even more notable in comparison to official marks. That’s because Marcelle’s squat PR unofficially exceeds Amanda Lawrence‘s all-time World Record in the 90-kilogram weight class by seven kilograms (15.7 pounds). Lawrence set her record by squatting 256 kilograms (564.3 pounds) at the 2020 USA Powerlifting Gainsgiving Open.

None of this recent precedent is new to Marcelle’s established high standards of late.

For example, in early June 2022, Marcelle notched a squat with wraps of 297 kilograms (655 pounds) for a new PR. That figure unofficially eclipsed Crystal Tate’s squat with wraps World Record of 290.3 kilograms (640 pounds) from the 2017 Xtreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) Finals. Then, in late August 2022, the powerlifter actually completed a squat four pounds over the current 90KG World Record twice. Plus, as she displayed on her Instagram just two days prior to her latest one-rep raw squat PR, Marcelle captured a 288-kilogram (635-pound) raw squat double PR. 

At Marcelle’s current pace, logging a new PR and repeatedly making current records seem casual might be the baseline expectation for this star powerlifter. In other words: It’s all in a summer’s work for Marcelle. 

Here’s an overview of Marcelle’s all-time raw competition bests:

Sherine Marcelle | All-Time Raw Competition Bests

• Squat — 245 kilograms (540.1 pounds)
• Bench Press —127.5 kilograms (281.1 pounds)
• Deadlift — 227.5 kilograms (501.5 pounds) | Third-Heaviest Squat All-Time (90KG)
• Total — 592.5 kilograms (1,306.2 pounds)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Can You Squat Every Day?]

As a seemingly passionate athlete, Marcelle doesn’t seem to be one to shy away from wearing her heart on her sleeve. A general perusal of her social media posts denotes Marcelle consistently expressing gratitude for her peers, her journey, and her “progress” as she carves out an impressive and illustrious powerlifting career.

Marcelle’s latest squat feat post, where she discusses successfully fighting off self-doubt, is no different as an insight into her mindset. 

“These are the moments I live for,” Marcelle wrote in reference to her latest raw squat PR. “The ones where I doubt every being in me and still show up.”

Featured image: @sincerelysherine on Instagram

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Jeremy Buendia was a dominant bodybuilding force through most of the 2010s. Thanks to a rare combination of mass and strength, the athlete won four consecutive Men’s Physique Olympia titles (2014-2017). But after falling short in fourth place at the 2018 Mr. Olympia and an initial comeback attempt that never quite materialized in 2020, it’s been a little while since Buendia posed competitively. That reality could change soon. 

On Sept. 6, 2022, in a video on his YouTube channel, Buendia revealed he’s aiming to make another comeback to bodybuilding stages in the near future. What’s more, he’s bulking up in an attempt to compete at 220 pounds — roughly 37 pounds above his body weight from his championships heyday. 

[Related: The Best Landmine Workouts for More Muscle and Better Conditioning]

To address his current situation, Buendia clarifies that he will soon begin his formal off-season of training. The bodybuilder says his body weight at the time of the video is 192.4 pounds. He notes that this weight is a starting point for his goals as he embarks on another comeback attempt. 

“Next week [September 12-18, 2022), I officially start my off-season, my bulk in preparation for my next competition,” Buendia says. “You guys, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on stage, since 2018. I took a lot of time off.  I’m ready mentally, physically. I’m ready to get back after it. I’m eager to get back on stage and show you guys what I’m capable of doing.” 

Note: There is no weight limit for this division, only height. Buendia stands at 5-foot-8 and may qualify under Class B in a typical Men’s Physique competition. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Kettlebell Swing for Explosive Power, Strength, and Conditioning]

“I’m excited because I haven’t pushed my body this way in a long time,” Buendia says. ” … My body is healthy. I’m feeling really optimistic that I’m going to get to my biggest and best ever, preparing myself for battle in 2023.”

Aside from returning to the flow of competition, part of the motivation behind Buendia’s new comeback attempt appears to be related to reflection. As he alludes, the bodybuilder has noticed that the Men’s Physique Division, specifically, has improved dramatically since he was last a fixture. For example, even with Buendia’s own dynamic chest and arms makeup, recent winners like Brandon Hendrickson (2018, 2020-2021) and Raymont Edmonds (2019) could be seen as improved physical athletic specimens to some. 

“The competition has gotten so much better since I was last on stage,” Buendia notes. “I’m excited to see these guys battle because it’s going to give me an idea of where I need to be next year to beat these guys.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Goblet Squat for Lower Body Size and Mobility]

Understandably, as he works his way back to bodybuilding, Buendia wants to compare himself and see where he stands with his elite peers. More than anything, it seems he just wants another meaningful shot to go out on his own terms. 

“After my loss in 2018, a lot of things hit the fan for me,” Buendia says. “Honestly, I felt that all my accomplishments, all four titles previously, lost their weight. I didn’t feel like I walked away from the stage the way I wanted to walk away from the stage.” 

Featured image: @jeremy_buendia on YouTube

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Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about what to eat (and what to avoid) when you’re feeling anxious. Struggle with stress, anxiety, or overwhelm? We’re here with guidance and support! Have a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.

Max asked:
“I have really bad anxiety. Are there foods that can help? Any other ideas that don’t involve popping pills? I’m trying to take a natural approach but all the advice out there and people selling ‘solutions’ leave me more stressed. Thanks!”

Sorry to hear you’re struggling, Max! You’re not alone in dealing with anxiety or in feeling overwhelmed by all the information, advice, and “solutions” out there.

Good for you for exploring holistic options and recognizing that food can be helpful (or harmful) when it comes to mental health. This makes complete sense, after all! The food we eat is literally how we constitute ourselves, and there is no separation between body and mind. Traditional healing modalities have known this for thousands of years, and modern research in fields such as epigenetics and neuroplasticity offers an abundance of evidence!

If you’re suffering from a serious mental health condition, you should consult a trained medical professional or therapist if that’s accessible to you. These days, more and more healthcare professionals are practicing functional medicine and taking a holistic approach.

Meanwhile, there are certainly things you can do on your own. Regardless of whether you seek additional support, eating and lifestyle patterns play a pivotal role in how we feel in body and mind.

As a Primal Health Coach, I work with many clients who struggle with feelings of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. These days, the person who doesn’t encounter those is the exception!

Let’s start with foods that contribute to anxiety…then look at foods that help.

Foods that Make Anxiety Worse

You probably already have a good idea which foods tend to make you feel more anxious, but here are six common culprits:

1. Sugar
2. Grains
3. Highly processed and fast food
4. Foods containing highly refined, inflammatory seed and vegetable oils
5. Coffee and other forms of caffeine
6. Alcohol

If you’re a regular at Mark’s Daily Apple, the first four probably aren’t surprising! When we consume foods that disrupt our body’s natural signaling system and contribute to chronic inflammation, this puts stress on our entire body-mind ecology.

Even for folks without conscious awareness around this, eating foods that aren’t healthy or supportive feels “off” on some level and contributes to subconscious unease. The body always knows!

Coffee and alcohol warrant special mention here, because neither is considered off limits within Primal parameters. Indeed, I have many clients who eat Primal 100 percent of the time but way overdo coffee and/or alcohol intake—and feel the impact.

Most people are aware of coffee’s energizing effects—that’s one reason they drink it! Along with a burst in energy, it causes a spike in stress hormones and may interfere with the ability to modulate cortisol levels ¹ Drinking it in the afternoon also interferes with quality sleep later on (even if the person drinking it thinks they sleep fine).² Lack of quality sleep contributes to further hormonal disruption, systemic inflammation, and chronic stress; has a direct impact on emotions and mood; and often leads to drinking more caffeine—taxing the body and mind and fueling an unhelpful cycle.

This isn’t to say you have to cut coffee or caffeine entirely, but reducing your intake and not drinking it immediately upon waking or too late in the day is especially important during periods of stress or anxiety. Even switching to lower caffeine green tea can be helpful.³

On the opposite side of the spectrum, many people consume alcohol to “take the edge off.” Problem is, that works for the first 30 minutes—that’s it! The body is the ultimate compensator and will balance out the artificially induced surge in feel-good hormones by releasing more stress hormones. Have you ever awoken with anxiety and restlessness around 3 a.m. after drinking alcohol with dinner? This is probably why!

Again, this doesn’t mean you have to give up alcohol completely. Just know that drinking is very likely to make anxiety worse.⁴ If you do choose to partake, keep it minimal and don’t drink too close to bedtime. Similar to coffee, alcohol also has a hugely detrimental impact on sleep, even if consumed in small or moderate amounts.⁵

Unfortunately, many folks tend to consume MORE of the above during stressful, anxious times rather than less. This is because they hold the promise of momentary relief, similar to “comfort eating”. Problem is, that relief is fleeting and they leave us feeling worse!

This then feeds a vicious loop, where we’re stressed and anxious… seek temporary comfort… only to feel even worse… and seek more comfort from things that will exacerbate the problem. It’s a bad cycle on repeat, and breaking out of it can feel really hard or even impossible.

Good news is, food also has the potential to do the opposite! Meaning, it can bring real, lasting relief and can help us leave that painful cycle behind. We just need to know what to avoid and what to choose instead. Let’s take a look.

Foods that Help with Anxiety

For many people, eating a Primal diet will already go far in quieting anxiety and reducing stress. When we nourish our body with real, whole foods, it can thrive instead of just survive.

If you need a refresher on Primal eating, start here. There’s an abundance of healthy options out there, and no real need to choose foods that make us feel worse. Beyond that, here’s an “anti-anxiety” starting place:

• Eat real, whole food cooked simply.
• Use fresh ingredients (bonus if they’re local or homegrown!).
• Sip bone broth or herbal tea (or even green tea or matcha rather than coffee).
• Pay attention to your thirst and stay hydrated.
• Experiment with mocktails featuring healthy, Primal ingredients.
• Practice calming eating habits, such as taking five deep breaths or a walk before reaching for comfort food, taking a moment of stillness and gratitude before meals, going slow, savoring each bite, and not overeating. Which leads us to…

Anxiety & Lifestyle

Remember that Primal eating is just one aspect of the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws. When I work with coaching clients, I not only consider what they’re eating but how they’re eating and how they’re spending the rest of their lives!

Eating quickly, eating on the go, overeating, and eating while watching, reading, or discussing something stressful is NEVER helpful when it comes to reducing anxiety. As best you can, make sure to eat slowly and mindfully. Also make sure to eat while seated, and take a breather from stressful topics. They’ll be waiting when you’re done, and you’ll be better resourced to deal with them!

Other Primal lifestyle “hacks” include:

• Get plenty of sunlight
• Get plenty of sleep
• Move your body frequently

These practices have a huge impact on our body, mind, and emotions. If you’re eating Primally, limiting or avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and still suffering from anxiety, look there.

Anti-anxiety Game Plan

Since you’re here at Mark’s Daily Apple, none of the above is probably news! Sometimes knowing what will help can actually contribute to anxiety due “cognitive dissonance.”

This is when part of you knows what you want and need to do… but you’re doing something different. The result is subconscious or conscious tension and stress—as though you’re carrying the weight of knowing and the weight of your choices, so can never fully relax.

Even recognizing this already changes things. We can’t take back awareness, and our body and mind truly do want to move towards what feels better.

Rather than shaming or blaming yourself, remember that some part of you is trying make yourself feel comforted. Thank that part of yourself, while gently letting it know its “suggestions” aren’t helping. Then ask:

• How long will the relief from unhelpful foods last?
• How will I feel in an hour? When trying to fall asleep tonight? Tomorrow morning?
• What might I do 10 percent less of when it comes to food and eating?
• What might I do 10 percent more of as an alternative that will bring more ease?

Ask these questions from a place of honesty and compassion. There’s no judgement—just curiosity, investigation, and awareness. Give yourself space to really check in with what you’re feeling, what will make it worse, and what will make it better.

Our body is on our side, and making supportive swaps (even 10 percent of the time) does wonders. Plus, when we feel good from a thing, we naturally want more! Start with 10 percent, and watch how that grows.

For many people, reducing stress and anxiety can be as simple as shifting to a Primal diet, slowing down, and getting enough sleep, sun, and movement.

That said, simple doesn’t mean easy! Having someone to lean into can reduce the stress of figuring everything out yourself and carrying through on your intentions. For skillful, compassionate backup, consider working with a Primal Health Coach primalhealthcoach.com! Visit myprimalcoach.com to get started.

Do you struggle with anxiety, stress, or overwhelm? Do certain foods or habits help or hurt? Let us know and drop other questions for me in the comments!

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