Building an adult obstacle course a la Tough Mudder or Spartan Race or Ninja Warrior is a noble goal, but not everyone wants to spend their weekends constructing a complex network of lumber-heavy structures that fill up your backyard. There are prefabricated adult play structures you can buy or companies you can hire if you want to go that route. If you’re handy, you can do it yourself, but, again, it will take a lot of time. I’m more interested in constructing ad hoc adult obstacle courses using simple objects you might already have lying around or can easily obtain at Home Depot. It’s a bit more attainable that way for the average person.
Adult Obstacle Course Ideas
The beauty of these types of obstacle courses is that they are endlessly modular. You can adjust the layout, bringing the jumps closer together or farther apart as you progress in skill and strength. You can bring them to the park or the beach and set up an obstacle course wherever you want. Your creativity flourishes. It can be a different course every single time. Here’s some of the supplies I’d recommend getting your hands on and what you can create with them.
Balance beams
Long pieces of lumber are relatively inexpensive balance beams that are easy to transport. You could attach support pieces underneath on either end running perpendicular to raise the beam off the ground and provide more stability, but you don’t really need to. Simply laying the pieces directly on the ground works too. It’s also safer, since you’re not “falling” off anything.
2×4 if you’re not very comfortable on a balance beam
2×3 if you are
1×2 if you really want to learn to balance
You can use these for balance beams. You can use them for crawling—bear crawls along a 2×4 is a great exercise and a nice change of pace for an obstacle course.
River stones for a balancing pathway
Every time you spend a day at the creek or river, grab a few large flat-ish stones and take ‘em home. After a dozen visits you’ll have enough. Or just head down to the landscaping supply store and fill your truck/trunk with some decent sized stones.
Then, make a walking path using the stones that players have to traverse. The key is to get stones that are flat enough that you can stand on them but also have some wobble to them. They should be unsteady but relatively safe, making it a great way to walk across uneven, non-linear “ground” and activate all the muscles and connective tissue in your lower body (and balancing neurons in your brain).
You can also jump from stone to stone, as if you were at the creek. For added difficulty, spray them down with the hose first.
Fitness/yoga balls
Yoga balls get a lot of flack in the “functional fitness” community. They don’t deserve it. Sure, I don’t recommend doing squats on them or overhead presses. That’s silly, and dangerous. What I do recommend is burying it halfway up in sand or dirt to use as a small trampoline.
Get 4 or 5 of them spread out in a line and bounce your way along it. Advanced movers can even do flips, although you won’t find me doing that anytime soon.
Ropes
If you have a tree in your backyard, you can hang a rope from it. What can you do with a rope?
Climb it- Great strength workout and a mainstay at the toughest obstacle course challenges.
Swing from it- Just like Tarzan, scream optional.
Leap and grab it- Stand on a chair, rock or anything high and leap to grab the rope. How far can you safely do this? Four feet? Six feet? Test yourself.
Logs or railroad ties
Something long, heavy, and wooden is a great addition to an adult obstacle course. You can have players lift the log and carry it to the next station. You can have them do a set of overhead presses, deadlifts, or squats with the log, either with one end on the ground or both ends off the ground.
Buckets filled with gravel or sand
Spend 30 bucks on 4 buckets and a couple bags of gravel or sand from the hardware store and you’ve got yourself a nice setup for loaded carries. You can carry the buckets by the handles. You can hug it to your body. You can even carry them overhead. They’re awkward and messy and gritty, and that’s the point. Whatever the course designer requires, the players have to do.
The beauty of the gravel bucket is you can adjust the weight to fit the players. Fill the bucket all the way with gravel and it’s about 75 pounds. Two of those are going to be pretty heavy. Fill it halfway and it becomes more manageable for younger, smaller players.
Light pieces of wood laid between two boxes or two chairs
These might be the most important element of all. By laying sticks or light pieces of wood across boxes or chairs, you can create hurdles to leap over or crawl under. You can even make a string of them to create a tunnel to crawl through, or an alternating series of jumps and crawls.
Tennis balls on strings
Punch holes in the tennis balls and tie strings onto them, then hang them from something overhead like a trellis, tree or gazebo. Create a series of tennis balls at varying heights that contestants have to dodge and weave through without touching. Wind will make it harder. Purposely prodding them so they swing a bit will make it even harder.
If you want, you can coat the tennis balls in charcoal dust so they leave a mark as evidence of being touched (or not).
Cones
Little cones (like you use in soccer practice) are great for creating paths you have to weave through and around. Creating a path makes things more “official,” and people are bound to be more into the obstacle course if you have a predetermined path—a journey for them to complete. It’s a little thing but it’s very important.
Throwing element
Every obstacle course should have a throwing element. In the Spartan Race, contestants have to throw a javelin at a target. You could do that—they even sell javelins on Amazon—or you could have upright sticks and a pile of rocks you have to use to knock them over. You could use a dart board, or throwing knives, or axes.
The point is to introduce an element of throwing accuracy into the course. You don’t want everything to be brute strength.
Chopping element
I still love splitting wood rounds. Takes me back to my childhood in Maine. And there’s no better workout than actually performing a functional activity. In fact, one study showed that wood chopping triggers a higher testosterone response than an equally intense bout of working out.1
If you don’t want to set up wood round splitting, you could get a sledgehammer and some old tires and have contestants do a set number of hammer slams. The point is to lift a heavy handled object and slam it down with great purpose and intensity.
Remember to Get Creative
Take all the ideas up above and then put them together. Have a balance beam running through the tunnel. Bounce off a buried yoga ball onto a balance beam. Carry buckets of gravel while traversing the wobbly river stones. Swing off the rope onto the yoga ball course. You get the idea.
The most important thing is to introduce all the elements of human movement: speed, balance, strength (upper body, lower body, total body), skill, dexterity, throwing accuracy, cardiovascular fitness, upright, ground-based (crawling), jumping, landing. Oh, and fun.
Now I’d love to hear from you. How would you put together an adult obstacle course?
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
At just 30 years old, Hassan Mostafa might have the best days of his bodybuilding career ahead of him. After winning the 2022 Puerto Rico and Orlando Pro earlier this year, the Men’s Open athlete earned his second-ever qualification to the upcoming Mr. Olympia contest, taking place this December. Roughly four months before Mostafa steps onto the Las Vegas stage for the second time, a recent training update shows the Egyptian competitor is preparing well for his debut.
On August 22, 2022, Mostafa shared Instagram footage of himself flexing his muscles and showing off different ripped aspects of his current physique. Without a caption, what Mostafa’s body weight is in the clip is unclear. All that is evident is that his arms, legs, back, and chest look impressive as he displays them one by one. His lower-body vascularity is also very apparent.
According to NPC News Online, Mostafa began his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League career in early 2019. Since then, the athlete has steadily tried to rise up the Men’s Open Division ranks.
Mostafa’s first Pro League contest saw the athlete earn a third-place result at the 2019 Indy Pro. He followed that with a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Tampa Pro. Eventually, after stringing together a few solid performances over the years, Mostafa made his first Mr. Olympia appearance during the 2021 edition. He finished in 13th place.
The year 2022 has been the most productive for Mostafa thus far, as the Puerto Rico and Orlando Pro competitions were the first wins of his career. Here’s a rundown of Mostafa’s Pro League resume:
Hassan Mostafa | IFBB Pro League Career Results
2019 Indy Pro — Third place
2019 Tampa Pro — Fifth place
2020-2021 New York Pro — Fourth place (2020), Third place (2021)
2021 California Pro — Third place
2021-2022 Puerto Rico Pro — Third place (2021) | First place (2022); First career victory
2021 Chicago Pro — Sixth place
2021 Texas Pro — Fifth place
2021 Arnold Classic — Ninth place
2021 Mr. Olympia — 13th place
2022 Orlando Pro — First place
Note: Mostafa has only ever competed in the Men’s Open division as an IFBB Pro League member.
To push as a dark horse in December’s Olympia, Mostafa will have to overcome a host of worthy Men’s Open athletes. Among the more notable names, there’s the son of a bodybuilding legend in Hunter Labrada, one of the sport’s bigger rising stars in Nick Walker, former Olympia champion Brandon Curry (2019), and last but not least — two-time defending champ (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. Plus, in the event he earns his IFBB Pro Card in time, there’s also promising newcomer Michal Križánek.
It’s a tall order for any athlete, let alone an elite bodybuilder like Mostafa. Yet, anything might be possible if he can carry the momentum of a strong 2022 into the Olympia. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will occur on December 16-18 in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On August 22, 2022, powerlifter Ashley Contorno (75KG) shared an Instagram clip of herself completing a 237.2-kilogram (523-pound) mat pull during a training session. In the caption of her post, Contorno asserted that the feat of strength is a new personal record (PR) for her “worst deadlift variation.”
For a new PR, the lift didn’t seem difficult for Contorno, who pulled the loaded barbell off two thin mats with relative ease and erupted with joy when her lockout was successful. The athlete wore a lifting belt and used a mixed grip to help her notch the new deadlift PR.
According to Open Powerlifting, Contorno’s all-time competition best raw deadlift is 237.5 kilograms (523.6-pound). She achieved that pull at the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Bucked Up Showdown. Contorno’s recent Instagram caption asserted confidence in a 540-pound deadlift the next time she’s on a platform.
After winning the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash in the 75-kilogram division in February, recent months have seen Contorno stay busy with her overall training instead of formal competition. The athlete usually shares updates on her progress with similar clips of accomplishments in the gym. For example, Contorno captured a new raw back squat PR of 233.6 kilograms (515 pounds) in mid-August 2022. A few days before her back squat PR, Contorno completed a 137.4-kilogram (303-pound) squat with an additional 80 pounds of chains attached to the barbell.
The 33-year-old Contorno isn’t new to the competitive powerlifting scene, having been involved in some capacity since January 2016. To date, she has participated in 15 contests, placing on the podium 11 times while winning on eight occasions.
Here’s an overview of some of Contorno’s more notable results:
Ashley Contorno | Notable Career Results
2016 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Arizona State Powerlifting Championships (Raw) — First place | First career victory
2017 USPA Drug Tested California State Powerlifting Championships (Raw) — Second place
2019 Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) Super Training Classic — First place (Unlimited); Second place (Raw)
2019 USPA San Diego Fit Expo (Raw) — First place
2020 USPA Rise of the Valkyrie (Raw) — First place
2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown (Raw) — Second place
2022 WRPF The Ghost Clash (Raw) — First place
Note: Contorno has competed raw in all but three instances throughout her career.
At the time of this article’s publication, Contorno has not announced when she’ll appear on a sanctioned lifting platform again. Even if the athlete isn’t competing for the time being, she seems to be staying busy with her small business, the South Bay Strength Company — a powerlifting gym she co-owns with her husband Steven in Harbor City, CA. The 2022 WRPF South Bay Strength Company Boo Bash will be held at their gym on October 29, 2022.
In addition, per her LinkedIn profile, Contorno is a certified medical professional specializing in physical therapy. With that sort of health and strength background, it might only be a matter of time before Contorno starts making some of her recent training PRs official.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
During the recent 2022 North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) North American Regional Powerlifting Championships, powerlifter John LaFlamme (93KG) squatted 198 kilograms (436.5 pounds) raw. The strength feat demonstrating LaFlamme’s leg power is a new Masters 4 (ages 70-plus) International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Record. The contest took place on August 14-20, 2022, in Panama.
The 71-year-old LaFlamme’s new record surpasses the previous mark by 5.5 kilograms (12.1 pounds). Christian Buchs, 74, held the past record with a squat of 192.5 kilograms (424.4 pounds) at the 2019 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Masters Classic Championships.
LaFlamme donned a lifting belt and had knee sleeves on to help him capture this record squat.
LaFlamme’s fresh squat record in the Masters 4 division might be even more noteworthy, considering he moved up a weight class. The American athlete has competed as an 83-kilogram competitor in 11 of 12 contests dating back to October 2018. On this occasion, per LaFlamme’s social media, he weighed in at 198 pounds or 89.8 kilograms — enough to compete in the 93-kilogram category.
By capturing the Masters 4 IPF World Record in the 93-kilogram division, LaFlamme now owns the record mark in both the 83 and 93-kilogram weight classes. LaFlamme squatted 193 kilograms (425.5 pounds) at the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships for the 83-kilogram record; he also won the contest.
“In 2020, the year I became a Masters 4 [powerlifter], my goal was to compete twice internationally to break both the Masters 4 83-kilogram and 93-kilogram weight class raw squat World Records,” LaFlamme said on Instagram. “A huge thanks to the NAPF community for your kindness and friendship at the 2022 NAPF Championships.”
LaFlamme has been competitive powerlifting in some capacity since April 1978. After an absence from the mid-1980s through the 2000s, he returned as a Masters 60-64 competitor in November 2013. Here’s a rundown of LaFlamme’s all-time competition bests:
Should LaFlamme add just two kilograms (4.4 pounds) to his squat in a future competition, he would become the first Masters 4 powerlifter to squat at least 200 kilograms(440.9 pounds). Notably, LaFlamme once squatted 210 kilograms (462.9 pounds) at the 2018 USA Powerlifting Virginia State Championships. However, LaFlamme was 67 years old then, and that was as an Open competitor.
Between several Open and Masters divisions since 1978, the next time LaFlamme competes will also be his official 50th competitive appearance as a powerlifter. It’ll be but another achievement for a long-time powerlifting icon.
So you’re thinking about investing in an air purifier for your home. Perhaps you’re worried about allergens, mold, wildfire smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or weird smells in your house. Maybe now that you’ve done a bunch of other work to “clean up” your body and environment—eliminating oxidized seed oils, swapping out your personal care products, getting that reverse osmosis system to filter your water—the next logical step is making sure you’re breathing the cleanest air possible.
You go to the store and get hit with sticker shock when you see small units for going upwards of a thousand dollars or more. Are air purifiers really worth the price, you wonder? Sure, they might be worth it if they work as advertised, but that’s if they work.
The good news is that home air purifiers do a pretty good job churning out cleaner air, provided you select the right one. They have some cons, though, too:
Air purifiers can be expensive and noisy.
They require regular maintenance to work properly.
They won’t completely purify the air in your home, especially if you choose the wrong device.
Not everyone needs an air purifier, but it’s definitely worth considering, especially if you live some place with poor air quality or you have respiratory issues. Before whipping out your credit card, here’s what you need to know about selecting the best one for you.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
There are many types of air filters and air cleaners, from big industrial units to the filtration systems built into your home’s HVAC to portable air purifiers you can place around your home. The latter are what we’re covering today.
Air purifiers can roughly be divided into two categories:
Mechanical air purifiers use filters to remove particulates from the air, including dust, pet dander, pollen, mold and fungal spores, and potentially even some microbes like viruses. These filters trap and hold the particles, preventing them from returning to circulation.
Electronic air purifiers—ionizers and electrostatic precipitators—electrically charge particles, which causes them to attach to surfaces so they are no longer floating around in the air for you to inhale. Some electronic air purifiers include collection plates to attract the charged particles, while others send them back into the room to stick to walls, furniture, or floors.
Both technologies remove physical particles from the air, not gases like VOCs. VOCs are chemicals that are emitted by a wide variety of items you already have in your home, such as paints, glues, cleaning products, cosmetics, carpet, upholstery, and more. These chemicals have been linked to both acute and long-term health issues. Activated carbon filters can absorb gases and reduce odors.
Some air purifiers will also use ultraviolet (UV) lights to kill living organisms like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Heavy-duty units in hospitals often use a combination of mechanical filters and UV lights, but they’re also available for home use.
Air Purifier Benefits and Limitations
Air purifiers have been extensively tested and mostly proven effective for removing potentially harmful substances from the indoor air we breathe. (I’ll talk about which are best below.)
However, there is only limited evidence that this translates to measurable health benefits. They might help with allergies12 and possibly asthma.34 Otherwise, their value seems to lie in users’ subjective evaluations of breathing easier.
The general consensus among experts, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S.,5 is that the best way to improve your home’s environment is to use air purifiers in conjunction with frequent cleaning, good ventilation, and removing potentially harmful substances. For the cleanest indoor air possible,
Vacuum and change sheets frequently to minimize allergens and dust.
Ensure good ventilation via windows (assuming the air outside your home isn’t polluted or smoky) and a well-maintained HVAC system.
Deal with mold at the source using approved remediation methods.
Don’t smoke indoors (obviously).
Know that air purifiers aren’t tested for their ability to remove gases like radon or carbon monoxide, even if they include activated carbon filters. If you’re concerned about those substances, hire an expert to test your air quality and provide guidance.
Choosing the Right Air Purifier
First and foremost, what are your goals? Do you want to clean, sanitize, or deodorize your air?
To clean your air—remove particulate matter like dust, pollen, smoke, and spores—HEPA filters are what you need.
To sanitize—kill mold, viruses, or other living organisms—look for a combination HEPA filter to trap them and UV light to deliver the killing blow.
To deodorize or remove gases like VOCs, you want an activated carbon filter.
Opt for an air purifier that uses a physical (HEPA) filter instead of electronic air filters. Electronic air filters emit ozone, a potential lung irritant. At low levels, ozone can cause symptoms like nausea or headaches; at high levels, it’s quite dangerous. Although the amount of ozone produced by these devices is supposed to be fairly minimal and too low to cause health issues, it can vary based on how you use the unit in your home.6
Speaking of ozone, there’s another type of air purifier, ozone-generating cleaners, that pump out ozone to (supposedly) neutralize chemicals in the air. This process can ironically create potentially harmful byproducts you wouldn’t want to breathe in. Ozone-generating cleaners also can’t remove particulate like dust or dander from the air, and the EPA is very clear: “If used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants.”7 I’d stay away from these.
Once you’ve settled on the type, check the specs on the models you’re considering:
Purifiers that are AHAM Certifide have been independently tested by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.8
Energy Star-rated appliances will use less electricity, which is worth considering for an air purifier you might be running day in and day out, year-round.
The CADR score tells you the clean air delivery rate—how effective the unit is, essentially. The higher the better, and the bigger your room, the higher the CADR you need. The AHAM, which is responsible for testing and verifying CADR, recommends that the CADR be at least 2/3 of the room’s area in square feet. So, if your room is 12 feet by 12 feet, that’s 144 square feet, and you’ll want a CADR of at least 95 (or more if the room has high ceilings).
If you’re opting for a physical filtration system, look for a true HEPA filter, not “HEPA-like” or “HEPA-style.” Those latter terms don’t mean anything. If choosing a non-HEPA filter, check the MERV (multiple efficiency rating value). This indicates how well the filter removes small particles, with higher numbers being better.9 MERV ratings of 13 or higher seem to be the gold standard.
Finally, you’ll want to consider noise level and price. Bear in mind that filters need to be replaced regularly, every 3 to 12 months depending on your air purifier. Factor that into the cost, especially if you’re considering an air purifier with multiple different kinds of filters. You might want to look for one with washable and reusable filters.
DIY Air Purifier
I was skeptical of all these photos you see online of people taping HEPA filters to the front of a basic box fan, but it turns out that it probably works! The Puget Sound Clear Air Agency has tested and endorsed this method.10 The California Air Resources Board likewise concedes that DIY purifiers can combat wildfire smoke indoors, although they still recommend using commercially manufactured devices.11 They also caution that you should choose a fan manufactured after 2012 because it will have a fused plug that cuts down on the fire danger if the fan falls over or overheats (a small risk to begin with), and only run the filter when you are in the room and awake out of an abundance of caution.
Considering that you can assemble a DIY air purifier for less than 50 bucks, it seems worth a shot. Here’s how you do it:
Get a fan. Any size or shape will do, but the more powerful the motor, the better. One side of the fan needs to be flat.
Get a HEPA filter or a filter with MERV rating of 13 or higher that is big enough to cover the flat side of the fan completely.
Secure the filter to the fan, making sure that air can’t escape out the sides. Seal it with duct tape if necessary. Air is meant to go through the filter in one direction, indicated by arrows on the side of the filter, so make sure you have it oriented correctly.
Run the fan and enjoy your sweet, sweet cleaner air.
As with commercial air purifiers, how effective it is depends on the size of your room, the amount of air the fan is able to move, how much you run it, and how clean the filter is. You can always test how well your DIY set-up works by procuring a digital air quality monitor and doing before-and-after tests with your homemade device. (This is also a good way to see if you need an air purifier in the first place.)
What If I Just Fill My Room with Houseplants?
I’m all for getting as many houseplants as you can reasonably fit in one space. Unfortunately, though, they probably won’t deliver the air purifying benefits you want. There’s some evidence that they remove carbon dioxide and VOCs, but they won’t filter out dust or allergens, for example. Get houseplants, sure, but get a proper air purifier if you need one, too.
Bottom Line: Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers do what they are supposed to do: remove stuff like pollen, dander, spores, and smoke that you’d rather not breathe. The most effective ones aren’t cheap, but you can get a well-rated unit for a small-ish room for a couple hundred dollars. You’ll probably be happy with your investment as long as you buy the right type of air purifier for the job and maintain it regularly. If you don’t clean and replace your filters on the manufacturer’s recommended schedule, they won’t work as well.
Just don’t expect them to completely eliminate allergy symptoms, asthma, or other health issues. Remember, cleaning your home—vacuuming, dusting, changing your sheets—is the first line of defense in keeping allergens and dust at bay. Air purifiers add an additional layer of protection.
As someone who lives in wildfire territory, I’ll probably be investing in an air purifier this year, or perhaps making my own. Tell us in the comments if you’ve tried an air purifier in your home and what benefits you experienced, if any.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
The powerlifting sphere would do well to pay attention to Shahram Saki any time he steps into a squat rack. His latest strength feat demonstrating his leg power is one of the athlete’s best yet.
On August 21, 2022, the Iranian athlete shared Instagram footage of himself capturing a raw 460-kilogram (1,014.3-pound) back squat during a training session to notch a new personal record (PR). Saki utilized lifting straps, wore a lifting belt, and had knee sleeves on while capturing the squat figure.
According to Open Powerlifting, if Saki were to transfer this raw squat to an official competition, it would be the third-heaviest all-time, surpassing Craig Foster (457.5 kilograms/1,008.6 pounds). Only Jezza Uepa (470 kilograms/1,036.1 pounds) and Ray Williams (489.9 kilograms/1,080.2 pounds) would have higher official raw squats.
460 kilograms raw, I was born to break equations.
Saki’s new raw squat figure is 20 kilograms (44 pounds) more than his raw all-time competition best. The competitor squatted an Asian powerlifting record 440 kilograms (970 pounds) at the 2022 Iran Bodybuilding Federation (IranBBF) National Classic Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships in mid-April. That same contest saw Saki eventually score a 1,025-kilogram (2,259.7-pound) total — the highest in Asian powerlifting history.
As impressive as Saki’s raw squat is, it doesn’t seem related to any upcoming competitions. At the time of this writing, Saki hasn’t given any indication of when he’ll appear on a sanctioned lifting platform next.
That said, the powerlifter usually makes a habit of showing off his progress and achievements with regular updates over his Instagram profile. Of late, Saki appears to have centered on improving his squat especially. Recent noteworthy sessions include a 430-kilogram (947.8-pound) raw squat double from mid-August and a 470-kilogram (1,036.1-pound) squat raw with wraps from earlier in the month.
Among a litany of accomplishments, Saki captured a 510-kilogram (1,124.36-pound) squat raw with wraps in an early May 2022 workout. While some might have found the depth of Saki’s squat questionable because he didn’t necessarily reach the powerlifting competitive standard of below parallel — that achievement was five kilograms (11 pounds) more than Daniel Bell’s current all-time raw with wraps record.
At the rapid pace Saki continues to make with his back squat and overall leg strength, he may make that record official whenever he competes again.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On August 21, 2022, over Instagram, powerlifter Amanda Lawrence shared footage of herself working through a raw paused deadlifttraining session. At the end of the routine, after completing pulls of 235, 240, and 245 kilograms (518, 529, and 540 pounds), the American athlete captured a 250-kilogram (551-pound) paused deadlift fora new personal record (PR).
Lawrence’s paused deadlift PR is just 10.5 kilograms (23.3 pounds) off her all-time best with a traditional raw deadlift. The competitor used a sumo stance with a mixed grip and donned a lifting belt for her paused deadlift strength workout.
Lawrence’s paused deadlift training and PR aren’t connected to any upcoming contest. Per the caption of her Instagram post, the powerlifter is smack dab in the middle of her off-season as she prepares for her next slate of competitions.
In that respect, 2022 has been a productive year for the world-class powerlifter. Lawrence came in first place in the 84-kilogram division at the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships in early June. It is Lawrence’s third IPF World title in the last four years (2019, 2021-2022). A few months earlier, in April, she took home first in the same weight class in her debut at the 2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals.
Dating back to June 2019, Lawrence hascome in first place in eight straight competitions. Here’s a rundown of Lawrence’s latest running streak of excellence while the athlete prepares to tack on more accomplishments down the line. Note: In her six-plus-year career, Lawrence has only ever performed raw on a sanctioned lifting platform.
Amanda Lawrence (84KG) | Recent Noteworthy Performances
IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships — First place | 2019, 2021-2022
2019 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw Nationals — First place | Juniors and Open
2020 USAPL Gainsgiving Open — First place
2021 USAPL Raw Nationals — First place
2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals — First place
Note: Lawrence’s status as a Junior athlete and in the Open at the 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals are both factored into her winning streak.
While she’s not preparing for any pending competition, Lawrence’s Instagram post of the paused deadlift PR has a hashtag of #Roadto600. It would appear the athlete is trying to achieve a 272.1-kilogram (600-pound) deadlift in the near future.
Notably, Lawrence is the IPF deadlift World Record holder with a pull of 260.5 kilograms (574.3 pounds) from the 2021 IPF Worlds competition. In the event that Lawrence successfully deadlifts 272.1 kilograms (600 pounds), the figure would unofficially exceed her IPF World Record by 11.6 kilograms (25.7 pounds).
Judging by the ease of her paused deadlift training session, it seems Lawrence is well on track toward achieving her ambitious goal.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Some people go to the gym just to look good, and that’s a fine goal to have. They spend time and effort working various muscle groups to improve their aesthetics and reach their dream physique. Yet, some body parts aren’t always given the same attention as others.
Credit: Ruslan Shugushev / Shutterstock
Let’s be real. The calves are commonly ignored. That’s a shame, because not only do muscular calves contribute to a well-balanced, eye-pleasing physique, but they also support optimal knee and ankle health and performance. And what more simple exercise than the standing calf raise to develop this muscle group? Let’s take a look at this effective exercise, and learn how and why it should no longer be overlooked.
The standing calf raise is a pretty straightforward movement, but it’s certainly possible to have problems with performance. Let’s cover proper use of this machine to deliver complete calf development.
Step 1 — Get Into the Starting Position
Credit: Ascendancy Fitness / YouTube
Set your feet roughly shoulder-width apart on the block or step. Only the front halves of your feet should be on the step. Your heels should be hanging in the air. Keep your balance by holding the shoulder pads or support handles. Make sure your hands stay away from the weights and any moving parts.
Keep your knees bent and your back straight as you place your shoulders under the pads. Stand tall by pushing into the balls of your feet and straightening your knees. Keep your core tight to maintain a straight back.
Form tip: Adjust the shoulder pad height so you can stand upright with additional room to perform a full range of motion calf raise. When standing tall, you should be able to rise onto your toes while keeping a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. If you have to hunch over or bend your knees, the exercise won’t be as efficient.
Step 2 — Push Through the Balls of Your Feet
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible. Keep your legs straight to prevent larger leg muscles from helping. Pause for one second at the top and flex your calves as much as possible. Keep your upper body stable. Resist any urge to shrug your shoulders while your feet move.
Form tip: Completely extend your ankles, pushing all the way to the top. The range of motion is relatively limited on this exercise because the ankle is a relatively small joint. Don’t reduce the range of motion further by stopping before your calves are fully contracted.
Step 3 — Lower Your Heels Slowly
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Let your heels sink slowly towards the ground, dorsiflexing your foot (letting your heels drop below your toes). Your calves should be in a fully stretched position.
Stay in the stretched position for a second to prevent rebounding or momentum before repeating for additional repetitions.
Form tip: The stretch is an important component of calf growth, so don’t be afraid of feeling a stretch in the bottom position. However, some people lack ankle mobility and have limited range of motion. To minimize the risk of injury, use a slow, controlled speed and avoid dropping quickly into the bottom position.
Standing Calf Raise Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to building muscular calves, mistakes will stop muscle growth in its tracks. If you want gains, performing each repetition perfectly is of the utmost importance. Here are the most common errors to avoid.
Fast, Rebounded Repetitions
This is the ultimate calf training sin. You might be tempted to use the stretch reflex (rebound) and rush through fast-paced reps in order to lift more weight or make the set easier, but this will just result in eternally puny calves.
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The exercise’s range of motion is relatively limited, so if you rush through each rep, the time under tension will be minuscule, resulting in poor growth. This is reinforced by the fact that the calves typically have a lot of type I muscle fibers which respond better to longer sets and more volume. (1)
Avoid it: For optimal muscle growth, slow down the repetitions and don’t shy away from using pauses at the top contraction or in the bottom stretched position.
Cutting the Range of Motion Short
Performing a full range of motion has been proven optimal for muscle growth, especially in the lower body. (2) As such, you have to make sure you go as low as your ankles will allow and flex as high as you can during each repetition.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Short-changing the range of motion can be as bad for muscle growth as blasting through repetitions at warp speed. Calves can be a notoriously hard to grow muscle group. (3) If you want to progress, you will have to accept some muscle-building, muscle-burning discomfort, and ensure you squeeze the muscle through every possible fraction of an inch.
Avoid it: On every single repetition, sink as low as you can in the stretched position. Tension around your ankles will tell you when it’s far enough. Also, push through your toes and imagine your heels reaching the ceiling during the peak contraction.
Using Leg Drive to Move the Weight
Sometimes you can cheat the standing calf raise without even noticing, especially when going heavy. Leg muscles like the glutes and quadriceps are very strong and your body will instinctively “want” to use them to help move the weight, but that reduces the work done by the calves and reduces the muscle-building stimulus.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
If your knees begin bending and straightening during the exercise, or if your body bends forward at the hips, you’ll be shifting focus away from the calves and onto other muscle groups.
Avoid it: Focus on a mind-muscle connection with your calves. Instead of just thinking about “lifting the weight up,” think about specifically pushing through your toes. Keep your body straight throughout the set and pay particular attention to your knees and hips.
Benefits of the Standing Calf Raise
Even though calf training is often overlooked, this exercise can find its place in most training regimens. Here are the most important reasons why.
Muscle Growth
The standing calf raise is one of the best lower leg exercises for hypertrophy. The standing position is an efficient way to target the gastrocnemius — one of the two heads of the calf muscle.
Because of the muscle recruitment and potential time under tension, standing calf raise can bring a significant visual change to your calf development. If there’s only one calf exercise you could do, this would be top of the list.
Explosive Power
If you care about athleticism or sports performance, this standing calf raise actually help. Calf training helps you jump higher and more frequently by allowing your body to produce more force, absorb more force eccentrically (during landing), and reinforce tendon strength and total-body stability so you are more resilient.
The lower leg muscles have an active part in the ankles and knees functions. Every movement that mobilizes these joints — such as running, kicking, tackling, and jumping — will benefit from calf training. Strengthening your calves will help you be a more complete and efficient athlete.
Healthier, Stronger Ankles and Knees
Standing calf raises can eventually improve your ankle mobility by gradually stretching your calves. The calves will also increase in size and strength, resulting in more control and resilience over the ankle and knee joints. (4)
This carries over to everyday life, since many people are on their feet all day long. It’s especially relevant if you walk, run, or play sports that heavily involve your legs.
Muscles Worked By the Standing Calf Raise
The standing calf raise is considered a single-joint isolation exercise, because the only movement should be at the ankle joint. The movement focuses training stress on a single muscle group — the triceps surae, more commonly known as the calves, which are the main muscles in the lower leg.
Gastrocnemius
The gastrocnemius is one of two heads of the calf muscle. Sometimes shortened to “the gastroc,” it runs from the back of your knees to your ankles. The gastroc is the larger of the two calf heads and it’s the one you see the most.
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Its function is plantar flexion of the foot (extending the ankle and pointing the toes down). It also plays a role to assist your hamstrings when bending your knees. This is a muscle heavily involved in running, jumping, and walking.
Soleus
The soleus is the other head of the calf muscle. This deeper section is located between the gastrocnemius and the lower leg bones. This muscle is significantly involved in plantar flexion (lowering your toes below your heels). The soleus isn’t as big, but it is relatively powerful and it’s crucial for running, walking, and standing tall.
Who Should Do the Standing Calf Raise
Those who completely avoid calf training are sorely mistaken, especially if they want complete physical development. Many lifters should introduce this exercise into their training because it has more to offer than just hypertrophy.
Bodybuilders and Physique Athletes
If you’re interested in an aesthetic, symmetrical physique, you should never skip calves. In fact, in the early days of classic bodybuilding, lifters would aim to have their calves as big as their arms. The legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger supposedly “calf-shamed” himself by frequently wearing shorts, so the constant sight of his relatively small calves would be motivation to train them intensely.
Many people still overlook calf training but, along with your forearms, they are the most visible parts of your body most of the time. In any case, if you’re chasing aesthetics, you cannot avoid working any body part.
Strength Athletes
Calf training won’t directly carry to your big lifts, but it can actually be very valuable to strength athletes. Indeed, the calves help knee and ankle stability, and this is especially true of the soleus because it is more active when your knees are bent — like in the squat.
Moreover, calf training can also improve ankle mobility, which is critical for proper squat mechanics and overall lower body health. If you’re a strength athlete who’s experiencing knee pain, has trouble reaching squat depth, or is experiencing instability when lifting, you should give calf training a go.
Sports Athletes
In athletics, injury prevention is key. Directly training the calves can result in calf muscles that can withstand more shock while improving ankle mobility and resiliency — especially with respect to the Achilles tendon, a vulnerable part of any athlete’s body.
Athletes experience constant stress on the ankle and knee joints when changing direction, sprinting, and performing plyometric movements on or off the field. These activities can be some of the most potentially dangerous movements one can perform if their body’s support structures aren’t durable. As such, if you’re an athlete that cares about knee or ankle injury prevention, you should train your calves.
How to Program the Standing Calf Raise
Being an isolation exercise that targets a single muscle group, it makes no sense trying to go super-heavy with this exercise because it’s less efficient and other muscles will be recruited.
Moreover, calves typically react better to a longer time under tension and higher volume, because they have a high proportion of slow muscle fibers. They are best trained with moderate-to-high rep schemes.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetitions
This is a classic, proven hypertrophy scheme. Three to five sets of eight to 12 repetitions will work just fine. The weight should be as heavy as you can handle to the rep range, but not at the expense of form. You should be able to control the weight at all times, achieve a full stretch, and be able to contract maximally without compromising the range of motion.
Light Weight, High Repetitions
Going lighter for higher repetitions is a surefire way to scorch your calves if you have trouble feeling them, and can serve as a great finisher. Two to three sets of 15 to 25 repetitions, reaching muscular failure at the last repetition, is a great way to accumulate volume and grow your calves.
Tempo Work
If you’re a more seasoned lifter, spicing up your calf training can spark new gains and motivation. Calves are particularly responsive to tempo training — manipulating the speed of the lifting and lower phases of each repetition.
For unprecedented soreness and muscle stimulus, try a two-part approach with several sets emphasizing the stretched position followed by several sets emphasizing the contracted position. Two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitionswith a two-second pause at the bottom, followed by two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with a two-second pause at the top of the contraction.
Going Beyond Failure
If you’re an advanced lifter, you might still need to crank up your calf training to the next level in order to progress. Warning: The muscle burn will be uncomfortable, but tremendously efficient. This approach strategically uses partial range of motion repetitions after exhausting the muscle with a full range of motion, to increase the total time under tension.
Perform one to two sets of 10 repetitions to failure, followed immediately by 10 partial repetitions (doing only the lower half of the range of motion), and then hold the deepest stretch position possible for 10 more seconds.
Standing Calf Raise Variations
Whether you don’t have access to the standing calf raise machine or just want to spice things up, you’re covered. Here are variations that will share the same benefits.
Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise
The Smith machine is a great tool because it takes balance out of the equation and, as such, will be the closest variation to the basic standing calf raise machine. Grab a step or short block and place it directly under the bar, so you increase the range of motion and enjoy a nice stretch.
Set up like you would be doing a standard calf raise, with the front half of your toes on the step, and place the barbell across your traps or upper back, similar to a back squat position.
Leg Press Calf Raise
This is an awesome variation that allows you to focus on your calves with even more total-body stability. Not only is there no stabilization required, but you’re seated in a fixed position and only have to think about using your calves without any upper body involvement.
Sit in the machine and push the platform away. Position the balls of your feet on the bottom of the platform, so that the lower half of your feet are hanging. Keep your legs straight and simply push the weight away through the balls of your feet.
Single-Leg Standing Calf Raise
By working one leg at a time, we’re making the exercise more challenging and more focused on the working muscle. This variation can also help to improve balance, core bracing, and can address muscular imbalances. (5) (6)
Grab a dumbbell and hold it the same side as the leg you will be working. Step onto a platform with only the ball of your foot and let your other leg hang in the air. Use your free hand to hold an stable, stationary object (like a rack) for balance, then brace your core and perform the calf raise.
Standing Calf Raise Alternatives
If the standing calf raise bores you to tears, or if you want to stimulate your calves differently for a complete lower-leg workout, try these alternatives.
Seated Calf Raise
This machine is one of the most popular calf exercises and it complements the standing version. Because your legs are bent, you will focus more on the soleus due to the particular attachment points of the muscle around the knee joint.
An added benefit is that it’s nearly impossible to use your upper body, quads, or hips to cheat the movement. You can strictly focus on your calves. This machine works the exact same way as the standing calf raise, but you’re simply seated with the pad on top of your knees instead of your traps.
Squatting Calf Raise
This movement is ideal if you don’t have access to specialized training equipment. Hold a stationary object with both hands and squat down to parallel, or a bit lower if comfortable. Slowly raise your heels as high as possible before lowering them down to the ground.
Not only will this exercise train your calves, and especially your soleus, it will also challenge your balance, proprioception, and knee and ankle stability in a unique way. As you progress, you can try the exercise while holding a dumbbell or kettlebell like a goblet squat (keeping the weight against your chest).
Tiptoe Farmer’s Walk
If you’re the kind of person that loves functional training, give this exercise a try. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells and start walking on your toes. Keep your core braced, your shoulders pulled back, and chest up.
Rather than total repetitions, go for distance, for time, or until your calves give up on you. This is a fantastic way to end a workout and sneak in some extra work for your core, traps, and forearms at the same time. Bonus: you’ll also burn some calories.
FAQs
Do I need to work my calves specifically?
Yes and no. Calves are stimulated indirectly by many other exercises like running, lunges, and squats. So they’re somewhat activated as assistance muscles. But if you want to focus on increasing the size of your calves, you will have to target them directly.
Calves are a notoriously hard to grow muscle group, and indirect stimulus isn’t often enough to build impressive calves. Skipping direct calf training also means you’re missing out on the ankle and knee health benefits that come from stronger calves.
When should I train calves?
Most people do calf raises at the end of a workout, typically after other leg exercises or other larger body parts. It makes sense because calves are trained with single-joint isolation exercises, and you want to be as fresh as possible when you’re hitting your big compound exercises for other muscle groups.
If you consider your calves to be a high priority, you can hit them first in a session. This way, you’ll have the most energy to devote to these stubborn beasts, and you won’t risk “running out of time” to train them in a workout. It shouldn’t impact other lower body exercises too much. If it does, it’s a short-term issue until your body adapts.
How frequently should I train calves?
Calves are a very resilient muscle group and they can withstand a lot of punishment while also recovering relatively fast. Start with one weekly session. After a few weeks, if you don’t see any progress and feel that your calves can withstand it, increase to two sessions.
Repeat this process as much as needed. Do not be afraid of training them frequently. You can bump this number up to three or four sessions per week if needed, because calf training is relatively low stress on the rest of your body, unlike trying to deadlift four days per week, for example.
Stop. Skipping. Calves.
The standing calf raise machine is found in the corner of most gyms but it’s, sadly, underutilized. It’s a time-tested exercise that packs size onto a body part most lifters would conveniently ignore. Make room for this efficient exercise in your training, or just walk around in shorts until you’ve convinced yourself to fix the problem.
References
Edgerton VR, Smith JL, Simpson DR. Muscle fibre type populations of human leg muscles. Histochem J. 1975 May;7(3):259-66. doi: 10.1007/BF01003594. PMID: 123895.
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J. Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE Open Med. 2020 Jan 21;8:2050312120901559. doi: 10.1177/2050312120901559. PMID: 32030125; PMCID: PMC6977096.
Lawrence W. Weiss, Frank C. Clark, David G. Howard, Effects of Heavy-Resistance Triceps Surae Muscle Training on Strength and Muscularity of Men and Women, Physical Therapy, Volume 68, Issue 2, 1 February 1988, Pages 208–213,
Elias, John & Faust, Alfred & Chu, Yung-Hua & Chao, Edmund & Cosgarea, Andrew. (2003). The Soleus Muscle Acts as an Agonist for the Anterior Cruciate Ligament: An in Vitro Experimental Study. The American journal of sports medicine. 31. 241-6. 10.1177/03635465030310021401.
Cirer-Sastre R, Beltrán-Garrido JV, Corbi F. Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads. J Sports Sci Med. 2017 Jun 1;16(2):180-186. PMID: 28630570; PMCID: PMC5465979.
Bradić, Josipa & Kovačević, Erol & Babajić, Fuad. (2011). Effects of unilateral strength training on balance performance.
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The 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals will take place on Oct. 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. As a major contest on the strongman calendar, the respective elite athletes will show off their strength, conditioning, and power as they vie for the victory in Scotland.
On August 18, 2022, the Giants Live Organization Instagram page revealed the five events during this year’s single-day Giants Live World Tour Finals.
Shortly after the official events reveal, former Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Champion (2016) Laurence Shahlaei and co-host Liz Mason broke down the expectations for each event on Shahlaei’s YouTube Channel.
Luke Stoltman is the defending champion of the Giants Live World Tour Finals. The rest of the field will try to dethrone the athlete.
2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Event Rundown
Here’s a short rundown of every event during this year’s competition.
Dumbbell Press
Ever since the 2021 Rogue Invitational last November, Novikov has been consistently proficient with a heavy dumbbell press. However, Iron Biby, the current Log Lift World Record holder, could challenge Novikov. In an event with a time limit, Novikov might be the overall favorite.
Nicol Stone Carry
Potential contenders for the Nicol Stone Carry event victory include Andy Black and Kevin Faires. When Shahlaei possessed the similar Dinnie Stones World Record, Black was a training partner. Meanwhile, Faires possesses the current World Record on the Dinnie Stones (25 feet, eight inches) and Nicol Stones (22.2 meters). Some of the strongmen have never performed a Nicol Stone Carry, so Faires could sit in an especially strong position.
Many of the athletes on the Giants Live World Tour Finals roster possess some measure of proficiency as deadlifters. As the Axle Deadlift starts to roll into the second half of the contest, endurance could become a factor. In an event where everyone can excel, some of the competitors could elect to save their strength for the closing segments of the competition.
Anchor Carry and Chain Drag
The penultimate event of these Giants Live World Tour Finals will be a medley between carrying and dragging the anchor and chain. Speed and time will likely ultimately decide the victor of this event. For context as to potential winners, Evan Singleton (38.85 seconds) and Novikov (41.75 seconds) moved quite well during the 2022 Giants Live World Open medley variation. The pair very well might find themselves in a close battle during this portion.
Power Stairs
In a changeup from common strongman norms, the Atlas Stones will not close the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals. Instead, it’s the Power Stairs.
Maxime Boudreault could be considered the favorite for this event after taking first place during the 2022 World’s Strongest Man’s (WSM) Power Stairs. Boudreault made it nine steps in 39.07 seconds, while eventual WSM champion Tom Stoltman wasn’t far behind (nine steps in 41.04 seconds). How Boudreault fares at this version of the Power Stairs will depend on its structure, but he might be an early safe bet for the win.
The 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals present an intriguing number of storylines going in. For example, can Luke Stoltman defend his title from last year? Can Novikov continue a recent string of relative podium success dating back to Summer 2021? The strongman world will find out on October 8 in Glasgow, Scotland.
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