“In response to your Sunday with Sisson article about research. I address that very issue in my book, The Health Contiuum, a realisticea approach to improving your health. I have been working on the book for about 40 years, but hope to finally finish it this year. When I read your article, I thought, that is exactly what I wrote in a section I completed around 1995. It was a bit validating to have someone I respect and admire communicating the same message. Now I just need to get it done. Thanks for all you to help lead a better, healthier life. John Jesse.“
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These days, Dorian Yates happily spends most of his time in a deserved retirement in Brazil. However, there was a time when the six-time Mr. Olympia champion (1992-1997) constructed one of the greatest runs in bodybuilding history. As the 61-year-old continues to coast into the sunset, he’s been sharing more and more training tidbits that helped a one-time superstar become a living legend.
On June 7, 2023, Yates took to his Instagram page to break down a rather simple but effective ab workout from his Olympia heyday. Yates maintained that he was once inspired by the physique of the legendary Bruce Lee, who, in Yates’ opinion, had “great abs.”
When boiled down, Yates’ prime ab routine probably doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Even from a glance, it appears pretty standard and accessible for athletes of any skill level. All one really needs to perform Yates’ ab workout is a focused commitment to their training.
Yates made sure to clarify that each rep was done with a “hard contraction” and a big exhalation of air at the peak contraction to maximize the potential benefits. Yates wrote that in the early parts of his career, he placed more of a premium on weight-training with his abs. That, in turn, led to a “blocky” look that he didn’t appreciate, and he transitioned to contraction-focused work utilizing just his body weight as a result.
In the end, Yates leaned on what he believed were natural gifts, proper nutrition, and low body fat that let him give his abs the requisite attention without going too far.
“In my opinion, it wasn’t really that important to train my abs as they were always visible due to my low body fat year-round,” Yates wrote. “And my genetics did play a part here in helping me stay lean. Everyone has abs. It’s just a case of revealing them by lowering your body fat.”
In what can be a rigid and demanding sport like bodybuilding, there can be a natural tendency to believe that every segment of preparation needs to be complex. As Yates proves with a look at how he chiseled his abs, some workouts can be very simple and help an athlete achieve their goals anyway.
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The 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Bench Press Championships saw a number of hallowed records fall. One of them now belongs to 50-year-old Dutch powerlifter lelja Strik, who helped rewrite the record books during the upper body, single-lift strength contest that took place on May 20-28, 2023, in Sun City, South Africa.
By the competition’s end, Strik recorded a 132.5-kilogram (292.1-pound) raw bench press on her best attempt.The figure is a raw Masters 2 (ages 50 to 59) World Record in Strik’s 84-kilogram division, where the athlete came in first place thanks to her top lift. Strik utilized wrist wraps during her record milestone but otherwise completed the bench press completely raw.
Strik, who is a frequent and successful single-lift bench press specialist at competitions, broke the record in commanding fashion. The previous mark of 123 kilograms (271.1 pounds) was set by Tammy Walker at the 2019 NAPF North American Regional Bench Press Championships. In her recent performance, Strik broke the record on her very first bench press attempt (125 kilograms/275.5 pounds), inched the record higher with her next attempt (127.5 kilograms/281.1 pounds), and finished the day with her decisive lift.
Per her personal page on Open Powerlifting, Strik is a seasoned powerlifter, beginning her sanctioned career over two decades ago at the 2001 Nederlandse Powerlifting Bond (NPB) Dutch Powerlifting Championships. In the time since, Strik has recorded an astonishing 100 separate victories in single-lift or full-power meets, both raw and equipped in some capacity. There’s prolific and then there’s seemingly competing and thriving in every opportunity thrown one’s way. Strik appears to fit more of the latter description as an athlete.
Here’s an overview of Strik’s all-time raw competition bests:
Strik’s competitive resume is mostly Dutch-oriented, but the athlete can count various European and International World raw and equipped titles throughout her extensive resume.
While impossible to confirm outright, Strik could be reasonably viewed as one of the most productive powerlifters in the history of strength sports. That makes her latest accomplishment yet another impressive notch in the athlete’s lifting belt.
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Squats are probably the first exercise a person ever performs — simply standing up from the ground. This is likely why squats are often dubbed as the king of exercises. Indeed, they are one of the best, if not the best exercises to develop lower body size, strength, and power while making you a universally stronger athlete with a core of steel.
Ivan Kochergin / Shutterstoc
When lifters talk about squats, they’re generally referring to the barbell back squat, even though there are many different ways to perform “a squat.” But there are even two primary types of back squats — the low-bar squat and the high-bar squat. In the high-bar squat, the barbell is resting on your upper traps, while the low-bar position nestles the bar across your posterior deltoids or even lower in some extreme cases.
Even though the two exercises might look similar from a distance, they have their own benefits and one or the other might better suit your specific goals. To figure out which squat setup is best for you, let’s compare them.
At first glance, there are only a few inches of difference in bar placement. Surely that can’t make a dramatic difference, can it? It can. Here’s how each squat best serves a different purpose.
Strength Potential
Setting the barbell in a lower position decreases the moment arm between the bar and your hips. As such, you can use heavier loads with the low-bar squat. The lever is shorter, which means the same amount of force generated by your hips and back muscles, you can move more weight.
Credit: Dragon Images / Shutterstock
Your core is also more compact and resilient, and your upper back is stronger in a low-bar position. You face less risk of bending forward or having your upper back collapse with the low-bar squat.
This is why this variation is favored by powerlifters and most strength athletes. Some of them even put the barbell as low on their back as it can be without sliding down — to decrease the moment arm as much as possible, improve their leverage, and lift as much weight as possible. If you’re concerned with lifting as much weight as possible, then you should probably make the low-bar squat your primary choice. (1)
Muscle Recruitment
One consequence of having the barbell lower is that you have to adopt a more forward-leaning torso position. This increases your hip angle and, the greater it is, the more you’ll recruit your hip muscles: glutes, lower back, and hamstrings.
On the other hand, with the high-bar squat, you can maintain a more upright posture, but it increases knee flexion. You’ll put more stress on your quadriceps and it will be easier to feel them working. You also target the abs more because they’re more strongly recruited in an upright position.
This makes the low-bar squat more of a “posterior chain”-dominant movement (emphasizing your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings) while the high-bar squat also recruits your “anterior chain” (emphasizing your quadriceps and abdominals).
This is why the high-bar squat is the more common choice for bodybuilders and physique-focused lifters.The exercise suits those interested in building more muscular legs, particularly the relatively larger quadriceps.
Go with the high-bar squat if you want to emphasize your quads, but use low-bar squats if you’re more concerned with targeting your glutes and hamstrings.
Technique and Mobility
It can be difficult to find your ”groove” and adapt to low-bar squatting. You have to find your own ideal torso angle, decide an optimal barbell position, determine how much to sit back, etc. And this is emphasized because mobility requirements in your shoulders and hips will dictate the limits of your form.
Indeed, the barbell position in a low-bar squat requires a good deal of shoulder mobility to hold the bar in position, as well as external rotation and wrist stability. Low-bar squats are notorious for putting a relatively high degree of stress on your wrists and shoulders. This is why some powerlifters wear wrist wraps when squatting, or avoid the low-bar squat to save shoulder strain for their bench press.
If you have no mobility issues or old injuries nagging you, you’re good to go. But if you’re a battered gym veteran, or if your shoulders and elbows are tender, stick to the high-bar squat — at least until the pain and issues are gone and you have developed adequate mobility to squat pain-free.
Exercise Similarities
With both exercises being squats, they do share many similarities and overlapping benefits.
Bilateral Development
Both types of squats are multi-joint leg exercises that involve hip, knee, and ankle joints to work many muscle groups including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and even your back and core. (2) Squats will mainly grow your legs, but they can actually contribute to making your whole body bigger and stronger. (3)
Because these squats work both lower body limbs at the same time, you’re more stable, and can generate more strength, lift more weight, and potentially stimulate more hypertrophy. They also help save time since you don’t have to switch legs with every set you perform.
Posterior Loading
Compared to other squats variations, both the low-bar and the high-bar squat are back squats, meaning that the loading is focused on your posterior chain because the bar is resting on your upper back muscles. This isn’t the case, for instance, with the Zercher squat or front squat which load the front half of your body and emphasize your anterior chain.
As such, both the low-bar squat and high-bar squat have the potential to load relatively heavy weight and they are effective for building strength. Compared to front-loaded squat movements, your torso is less upright and you undergo more hip flexion and less knee flexion.
Credit: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock
The back-focused bar position, whether it’s low-bar or high-bar, implies more recruitment in the posterior chain — hamstring, glutes, and lower back — and less recruitment in the anterior chain — quadriceps and abs. (4) If you’re interested in developing your posterior chain and lifting plenty of weight, then one of these back squat variations are your go-to.
How to Do the Low-Bar Squat
With the low-bar squat, the barbell is not placed on the traps. Get under a barbell and position it even lower, on your posterior deltoid (the rear of your shoulders) above the top of your armpits. Squeeze your shoulder blades as much as possible to create a “shelf” needed to hold the barbell in place. Bend forward slightly at the waist to prevent the bar from moving around or possibly falling.
Once the barbell is secure, step back and adopt a shoulder-width (or slightly wider) stance. Bend at your hips and knees until your thighs break parallel with the floor. Aim to keep the barbell over your midfoot at all times. This keeps you in a powerful position of leverage.. Push back up until your legs are straight.
Form tip: To help create the cushion of arm, shoulder, and upper back muscles necessary to hold the barbell in position, bring your hands slightly closer. This will help you squeeze your shoulder blades even more. It might prove uncomfortable at first, so make sure to properly warm-up your shoulders and back before low-bar squatting.
Benefits of the Low-Bar Squat
The low-bar squat puts you in a position to lift the most weight of any squat variation. This is the one you want to prioritize if you want to compete in strength sports like powerlifting or strongman/strongwoman contests, or if you’re simply interested in lifting really heavy weights for fun.
Low-bar squats deliver more posterior chain recruitment. Your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back will be activated more than with other squat variations.
Low-Bar Squat Variations
If you want to give your shoulders a break, or want to attack the squat from another angle, here are some variations you might want to try.
Safety Bar Squat
If you have access to a safety bar, it can be an excellent piece of gym equipment. Its main purpose is to make the exercise less stressful on your shoulders, elbows, and neck. In summary, it’s a very accessible squat for people who have joint mobility issues. You can mimic the low-bar squat torso angle and general technique, while sitting back farther and bending forward with less trouble.
The safety bar squat also has the benefits of overloading your traps, upper back, and abs. (5) If the low-bar squat irritates your shoulders or if you want to improve your upper back strength, give this variation a go.
Box Squat
Technically, you could do box squats with a high-bar position, but the overall mechanics and purpose of box squats are better suited with the low-bar position. For this variation, you use a box or a bench, sit back, and squat down. Pause for a second on the bench or box, then contract your glutes and hamstrings to explode upwards. Don’t allow yourself to crash down uncontrolled onto the box.
This movement is a favorite among powerlifters because it’s a great way to teach proper squatting mechanics and consistent depth. The box squat also recruits your posterior chain more efficiently and teaches you to improve explosive power out of the bottom position.
How to Do the High-Bar Squat
Position yourself in front of a barbell in a rack, then duck under and position the bar to sit in the “shelf” of your upper back and traps. Do not rest the bar on your neck or cervical spine. When you have a somewhat comfortable position, grip the bar tightly and unrack it.
Take one step back, then another small step to adjust your position. Your feet should be around shoulder-width, but your exact stance will vary slightly depending on your individual morphology. If you have longer legs, you may be more comfortable with a slightly wider stance.
Take a deep breath and brace your core. Bend your knees and hips simultaneously until the crease of your hips is lower than your knees. Stand up with the weight, exhaling as you pass the midpoint of the repetition.
Form tip: Make sure that your big toes, little toes, and heels are always in contact with the ground. It will help you engage your glutes and should prevent bending forward during the ascent.
Benefits of the High Bar Squat
This is one of the best exercises to develop muscle throughout your lower body, especially your quadriceps. The powerful stimulus of this total-body exercise is an incredible trigger for overall size and strength.
High-bar squats are a relatively simple and beginner-friendly barbell squatting variation.
This movement will put relatively low stress on your joints, particularly sparing your hips from excessive strain.
High-Bar Squat Variations
If you want to take things to the next level and go beyond the traditional high-bar squat, try these variations. Each has its own benefits and could be a better suit for your training goal once you master the initial exercise.
Smith Machine Squat
The Smith machine has the advantage of being more stable since the bar is on a guided rail. As such, this variation will require less stability and coordination, and you can push yourself harder with reduced risk of injury (from dropping the bar of fatiguing your core and upper body). This is a useful variation if you want to turn up the intensity and approach or reach muscular failure.
It also allows you to focus on the mind-muscle connection and really feel your legs working. This is an ideal exercise if you prioritize hypertrophy or overall safety above strength and heavy weights.
Front Squat
With the high-bar squat, you’re standing quite upright, but the front squat takes things to the next level by demanding super-strict form — if you bend forward, the bar will roll away. This is a useful exercise for teaching good general squat mechanics. The front squat also prevents the lifter from bending too far forward, which would turn the squat into a lower-back focused good morning exercise.
The front-loaded position of the front squat will also emphasize your quadriceps and core even more than other squat variations. It’s a prime choice to boost your Olympic lifts and has direct carryover to the clean & jerk. However, a proper front squat requires a degree of thoracic (upper back), shoulder, and wrist mobility, so it may not be an immediate option for all lifters without doing some mobility work. Choose the front squat if you want to grow your quadriceps as much as possible, improve your core strength, or support your Olympic lifts.
How to Program the Best Squat For You
Both of these lifts are bilateral multi-joint exercises, recruiting a ton of muscles. As such, they can be an effective fit in many training programs for a variety of purposes.
Building Strength
To get as strong as possible, your best bet is to use three to five sets of one to fiverepetitions with a heavy weight. Both variations are suited for this kind of programming. Which one you employ will depend on your goals. If you’re a powerlifter or a strongman/strongwoman, stick to the low-bar squat, as it is the one with which you lift the most overall weight.
If you’re an Olympic weightlifter or a CrossFitter, the high-bar squat will be your variation of choice, as it has more carryover to the Olympic lifts and the movements you’ll find in competition. If you’re a general gym-goer, pick the variation that feels most natural.
Growing Muscle
For maximal muscle growth, use a classic repetition scheme of three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions. The lower rep range will deliver a moderately heavy stress on the body, while the longer duration sets create a burning sensation for muscle growth.
If your goal is to build muscle, either squat setup could be useful, but most experienced bodybuilders and physique-focused lifters stick with the high-bar squat. Why? They’re not concerned with putting the biggest weights on the bar, but with getting the biggest muscles.
The high-bar squat will target your quadriceps, which are among the biggest muscles on the human body. High-bar squats also put relatively less stress on your shoulders and elbows, which sometimes take a beating from various presses, extensions, and assorted upper body training.
Explosive Power
If you’re an athlete trying to run faster or jump higher, it’s a good idea to add some explosive, power-based squats to your training regimen. Five to 10 sets of two to five reps, using a moderately heavy weight that you can still accelerate, will be your best bet. Stick to the high-bar squat. The general technique and muscle recruitment will have the most carryover to improving jumping and running.
Don’t End Up With Diddly Squat
Squats are dubbed the king of exercises for a reason. Don’t miss out on back squats. Use the bar position best suited to your body and goals, whether you want to build an impressive set of wheels, lift a pile of weight, become a better athlete, or boost your overall fitness.
References
Glassbrook, Daniel J.1; Brown, Scott R.1; Helms, Eric R.1; Duncan, Scott1; Storey, Adam G.1,2. The High-Bar and Low-Bar Back-Squats: A Biomechanical Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 33():p S1-S18, July 2019. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001836
Ribeiro, Alex S. PhD1,2; Santos, Erick D. MSc1,2; Nunes, João Pedro MSc2; Nascimento, Matheus A. PhD2,3; Graça, Ágatha MSc3; Bezerra, Ewertton S. PhD4; Mayhew, Jerry L. PhD5. A Brief Review on the Effects of the Squat Exercise on Lower-Limb Muscle Hypertrophy. Strength and Conditioning Journal 45(1):p 58-66, February 2023. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000709
Myer GD, Kushner AM, Brent JL, Schoenfeld BJ, Hugentobler J, Lloyd RS, Vermeil A, Chu DA, Harbin J, McGill SM. The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance. Strength Cond J. 2014 Dec 1;36(6):4-27. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000103. PMID: 25506270; PMCID: PMC4262933.
Yavuz HU, Erdağ D, Amca AM, Aritan S. Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads. J Sports Sci. 2015;33(10):1058-66. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2014.984240. Epub 2015 Jan 29. PMID: 25630691.
Hecker KA, Carlson LA, Lawrence MA. Effects of the Safety Squat Bar on Trunk and Lower-Body Mechanics During a Back Squat. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jul;33 Suppl 1:S45-S51. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002912. PMID: 30363042.
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Before the year 2023 ends, four-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion (2019-2022) Chris Bumstead has a different ambitious goal he plans to tackle at the same time as his championship defense. The bodybuilding titan has a private gym in the making — one that will likely match the intensive demands of his workouts and training as one of the sport’s biggest stars.
On June 6, 2023, Bumstead posted a video to his YouTube channel where the athlete revealed he would be building a personal gym for himself. The reveal came as part of an overall Q&A where Bumstead also alluded to changes in his diet and his continued public openness about his anxiety.
One of the main tidbits of Bumstead’s Q&A featured the bodybuilder walking through a space he aims to have completed 18 to 20 weeks out from the 2023 Mr. Olympia, a timeline which he admits is fast approaching. The space is approximately 3,000 square feet — not as large as some commercial gyms, Bumstead acknowledges, but suitable for his own customized needs.
“This is the future home of the 2023, 2024, and beyond Olympia Prep series,” Bumstead explained. “The ‘Bum Lifting Club,’ if you will. My private little gym. Something everybody dreams of when you start working out, having your own gym. But even more so, having a private gym.”
Beyond a reasonable ambition of wanting to have his own gym as one of bodybuilding’s faces, Bumstead offered up a simple rationale for the construction plans. Sometimes, he just wants more space to himself when it’s time to do things like pump his biceps.
It doesn’t appear it’ll only be exclusive to him, either.
“… During the day, it’ll be just me here if I want to train. Later at night, other people can come,” Bumstead clarified. “Being at Revive [Bumstead’s regular gym in Florida], a lot of people come to visit, a lot of people come from my work, and all this [expletive], and sometimes it’s hard to be there and be in the right mindset. It’s not my music playing, it’s this, that, whatever. It’s just being able to control the environment in here. So every day I just come in and I can set my own tone for the workouts. I think it’s something that’s really going to help me excel this year, into this prep.”
When it comes to diet, Bumstead said he’s started to scale back. While he usually eats six meals a day, at this point in his nutritional schedule, the athlete is dialing himself back.
“I’ve touched briefly on it [nutrition] in my last video, but I used to always consistently push myself to eat six meals a day or at least five meals and a shake,” Bumstead started. “And now it’s reduced down to four meals and a shake. So I have breakfast, two meals at work, and then a shake, and then one meal before bed.”
This diet change seems to be more of a permanent shift than anything related to a progressive step in Bumstead’s 2023 Olympia planning, too.
“Because I’m still trying to get the same amount of protein content, like 260 grams of protein, I’ve just increased the amount of chicken, fish, or whatever I put in my meals.” Bumstead said. “Honestly, my digestion has been so much better. And not only that. A huge key to sleeping is not having a full belly when you go to bed … So I’m eating now an hour and a half, almost two hours, before I go to sleep.”
Beyond his goals on stage and in the gym, Bumstead has maintained a significant and honest temperament about his struggles with anxiety. Even as he prepares to vie for a fifth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title later this year, Bumstead explained that his anxiety gives him a constant test he’s learning to deal with.
It’s another worthwhile perspective from a public face at the top of his field.
“I’m still [expletive] battling it,” Bumstead said. “Learning how to relax when it [anxiety] comes. Accept that it’s there and not be too hard on myself. Just understand that it’s part of life. Whatever I’m doing, there’s probably a reason it’s making me anxious, because it’s important to me or whatever. So, not beating myself up. And also, something that took me a long time to learn and still learning, is communicating about it …. If someone can be there and listen and show you love, empathy, compassion, you feel better again.”
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On June 6, 2023, Samantha Eugenie shared an Instagram video of herself capturing a 122.5-kilogram (270-pound) raw bench press during a training session. According to the caption of the 20-year-old powerlifter’s post, the strength mark is a personal record (PR). Eugenie utilized just wrist wraps to help her with the achievement, which would qualify as raw in an official powerlifting competition.
Per Eugenie’s personal page on Open Powerlifting, if this training lift occurred in a sanctioned competition, it would’ve eclipsed Eugenie’s all-time raw competition best of 109.9 kilograms (242.5 pounds) by 12.4 kilograms (27.5 pounds). Eugenie scored that mark at her most recent meet in early April — the 2023 Fédération Française de Force (FFForce) Championnats de France Juniors de Force de Athletique in a first-place performance for the 69-kilogram weight class. The contest was just the second appearance for Eugenie in the 69-kilogram division.
Remarkable milestones like this are nothing new for Eugenie, based on her standards. In fact, a 110-kilogram (242.5-pound) easy raw bench press double shared over her Instagram profile roughly only a week earlier might have teased Eugenie’s latest upper body breakthrough.
Since becoming a competitive powerlifter in October 2018, Eugenie has seemingly only grown in strength and appropriate reputation. To date, as a Sub-Juniors, Juniors, and occasional Open athlete, Eugenie has won nine of 12 career contests. The most notable result of her career might be a 63-kilogram title at the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships. Eugenie has won three of her last four competitions, including the previously mentioned 2023 FFForce Championnats de France Juniors de Force.
On an official records basis, Eugenie holds the IPF Junior World Record raw deadlift of 216 kilograms (476.2 pounds) in the 63-kilogram class. The athlete captured that record number at the 2023 IPF World Juniors.
Here’s an overview of Eugenie’s all-time competition bests as they stand before the next phase of her competitive outlook unfolds:
At the time of this article’s publication, it is unclear where and when Eugenie will take her strength talents next. All that seems apparent is that the athlete is ready to smash some of her established precedents very soon.
Eugenie has seemingly only begun her career and already become a household name. With that kind of distinction, the stratosphere appears to be the limit for this young phenom.
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As the 212 Olympia champion in 2021 and the 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up, Derek Lunsford doesn’t necessarily need endorsements from anyone on the outside looking in. He’s a bona fide modern superstar and seems destined for a prolific bodybuilding career. That said, if there were a person to talk Lunsford’s talents up, there probably isn’t a better pick than eight-time Mr. Olympia champion (1998-2005) Ronnie Coleman.
On June 5, 2023, Coleman posted a video to his YouTube channel where he called Lunsford his “favorite bodybuilder” of this currently stacked generation. (Note: Coleman maintained that he also appreciated the exploits of 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) winner Samson Dauda.) Coming from a legend like Coleman, it’s quite the shining qualifier for Lunsford, especially after the pair’s shared training session in early April 2023.
Coleman didn’t mince his words endorsing both Lunsford and Dauda. While discussing the state of the sport, he dove right into his appreciation for the two high-profile fitness stars.
“My favorite bodybuilder at the moment, let’s see, hmm, Derek Lunsford is probably my No. 1 favorite,” Coleman mused. “Probably my No. 2 favorite … I kind of like that guy that won the last [2023] Arnold Classic, his name is Samson Dauda. If I had to pick any favorite, it’d be [one of] those two.”
As for Coleman’s reflection on bodybuilding as a whole, especially where the Men’s Open class stands, the icon thinks the sport is in a healthy place when it comes to training, nutrition, and dedication to their craft. Given some of the athletes’ staggering physiques on display while guest posing at the recent 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, Coleman’s wide-spanning assessment certainly appears to be on the mark.
“I see every generation has its own era,” Coleman began. “Mostly, all of us have to work extremely hard and diet extremely hard and make the biggest sacrifices ever. So, I think that the next generation of bodybuilders is a pretty good class of guys. They work extremely hard. They train hard. They diet hard. I think the new generation is a pretty good generation.”
Finally, after some health scares over the past year, Coleman turned his attention to himself. The retired legend maintained he’s on the upswing and appears to be progressing well after all the surgeries he’s had on his neck and back over the years.
“I’m doing pretty good,” Coleman said. “I’m in great health and my last check-up was back in March [2023]. I had a really good, clean bill of health as far as my last check-up goes. Now, I have another one, probably in a couple of months. So, we’ll see how that goes. But for now, I’m doing pretty good.”
Even in his deserved retirement, Coleman remains a significant and influential voice in bodybuilding. Whether athletes like Lunsford and Dauda maintain their grip on Coleman’s favor remains to be seen. Though, if they’re keeping the pedal to the metal, Coleman will likely continue to sing their praises.
In today’s world, we pretty much always have to wear shoes. But the majority of shoes people wear run directly counter to the way our feet and lower bodies are designed to function. Tall heels, thick padding, restrictive material that allows no movement, heavy sole that prevents us from feeling the ground—modern shoes are monstrosities that cut us off from the world around us and inhibit our ability to navigate it pain-free. Shoes that emulate the barefoot experience on the other hand offer tangible benefits to your health, wellness, athletic performance, and overall well-being by recreating the environment under which the human foot evolved.
Here are 9 tangible reasons to wear barefoot shoes.
Improved proprioception.
Proprioception describes the bodily awareness we have as we move throughout the world. Do we know where our limbs are in relation to the environment? Do we have intuitive understanding of what our head, shoulders, hips, and arms are doing as we run, jump, move, or even just walk around? All of these contribute to our overall sense of proprioception and regulate the speed, strength, and safety of our interactions with the outside world. If you have better proprioception, you will be a better athlete. You’ll be more effective in every physical capacity. You’ll be smoother.
The first and arguably most important way we establish proprioceptive awareness is with our feet touching the ground. The simple exposure of the millions of nerves on our feet to the ground—the textures, the slopes, the rocks and twigs underfoot, the slipperiness—gives our nervous system an incredible amount of actionable information about where we are and how we’re moving. Barefoot is obviously best if the environment is forgiving, but barefoot minimalist shoes with a thin sole are second best and provide almost as much information—and they can be worn everywhere.
Better rootedness to the ground. Stability.
The closer you are to the ground, the more stable you are. The less material you have between you and the ground, the more rooted you are. Barefoot shoes give you better ground feel and ground control by minimizing the amount of shoe material between you and the world.
Studies on athletes show this. Those wearing the most supportive shoes, particularly those with ankle support, have the worst balance and stability when performing. Those in bare feet (or wearing minimalist shoes that provide no support and mimic the barefoot experience) have the best balance and stability. In fact, ankle stability studies often use barefoot athletes as the control group against which the various ankle taping methods and high top shoes are compared. The control group always wins in these studies.
Better foot landing mechanics and fewer injuries.
When you run in a raised heel shoe, you tend to land on your heel. When you run in a zero heel drop barefoot shoe, you land more naturally—on the mid to fore foot. This can have huge implications for your risk of repetitive stress injury. Forefoot striking in general tends to place far less loading on the knee joint.1 In a forefoot landing, the knee is slightly bent, allowing the muscles to help absorb the impact. In a heel strike, the knee is fully extended, forcing the joint itself to absorb the impact.
A study from 2012 found that among endurance runners, the heel strikers had twice the rate of injury.2 The mid/forefoot strikers were much less likely to incur any injuries.. having a zero heel drop shoe without a raised heel allows your feet to land according to natural mechanics. Rather than a heel striker, you become
Better posture.
Even just a half inch of padded heel throws off your entire posture up the line. It’s like standing on a slant, and in order to maintain an upright head position your lower back is thrown into lordosis, your knees jut forward, your ankle angle shortens. Instead of a straight stack of joints and tissues from top to bottom, you’re more like a wobbly Jenga tower.
More accurate biofeedback.
I won’t try to claim that running in barefoot shoes allows you to go farther and longer. It doesn’t. The “clouds” that are modern fluffy padded running shoes do allow you to run greater distances in comfort, but this isn’t a good thing for most people. Most people should be getting the biofeedback, aka discomfort, that you receive from minimalist shoes. They tell you when your body has had enough running. If you sever that connection and bypass the natural biofeedback with padded shoes, you run the risk of overtraining and taxing your joints and other tissues.
Barefoot shoes give you accurate biofeedback about how much more stress your feet—and body overall—can handle.
Stronger feet.
The feet aren’t just wedges of flesh and bone. They are active limbs with dozens of muscles that require engagement and stimulation. If you stick them inside stiff shoes, the muscles in your feet atrophy and weaken. If you wear minimalist barefoot shoes that allow full range of motion through every foot muscle and every toe, your feet and toes get stronger, healthier, and more resilient.
Wider toe boxes.
Narrow footwear squeezes the toes together, reshaping them and forcing them into an unnatural position. The natural position of the toes is splayed out, providing a broader distribution of weight through movement and loading. The more compacted your feet and toes, the more concentrated the weight rests on certain areas, promoting stress fractures and bunions. The wider the shoe, the more evenly distributed the forces across the foot. Toes should also be a lot more prehensile than we’ve been made to think, and a wide toe box barefoot shoe can help us achieve that.
Getting comfortable with being the weird one.
This is no small thing. I often tell you guys to “let your freak flag fly” because that’s what it takes to be a healthy, happy human in this world. If you don’t agree with the way things are going, the way most people live their lives, the way people eat and exercise (or don’t), then why wouldn’t you get a little weird? I’m not talking about being the bearded man screaming on a street corner. I mean you should be comfortable diverting from the norm if it’s what you truly need and desire.
Wearing shoes that divert from the norm is an easy low-level entry point to “weirdness.”
It’s a return to the way we came into this world.
On several levels barefoot shoes return us to the purest state of all—how we came into this world.
It’s how we as hominids came into this world 2 million years ago: walking upright on bare feet.
It’s how modern humans spread across the globe: walking upright on bare feet or in the flimsiest of moccasins or sandals.
It’s how we as individuals were born: as babies without shoes on.
The onus is on those wearing and selling big padded protective shoes to prove that their footwear is safe. The default position is that the oldest, most natural mode of upright barefoot bipedalism is also the safest and most effective. You have to prove that it’s not.
Tips to Prepare for Wearing Barefoot Shoes
Once you’ve got your first pair of barefoot shoes, be careful. If you resume full activity levels in the new shoes, you might risk injuring yourself. You need to acclimate your lower body to the new situation.
Spend as much time barefoot. Go barefoot at home, in the park, in the yard, at the beach. Really
Train your feet. Do toe spreads against a tight rubber band, squeeze pencils between your toes, pick up objects with your feet, go walking in deep soft sand, alternate pointing at objects in the distance and then at your own face using your toes, walk around on the sides of your feet.
Start taking shorter strides when walking and running. Walk and run softly, try to be silent.
Start slow. From short walks to longer walks to brisker walks to easy jogs to runs to sprints. Don’t skip a step.
Stop when you get sore. Don’t push through the soreness. Stop right away and come back tomorrow.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
There is one rather simple but very effective way to distinguish one’s self in the strongman sphere: lift extremely heavy objects — from the floor, above your head, any way you can. That’s precisely what Leon Miroshnik recently accomplished, in turn distinguishing himself among his strength peers.
On June 5, 2023, Julian Howard (@worldsstrongestfan on Instagram) shared a clip of Miroshnik successfully deadlifting 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) during a training session. At the time of this writing, it is unclear precisely when the lift occurred, but based on Miroshnik’s own Instagram profile of training progress, it appears to have occurred at some point from May 2023 to early June 2023.
Miroshnik had a body weight of under 105 kilograms (231 pounds) at the time of the lift — his usual strongman competitive class — meaning this deadlift was approximately 3.9 times his body weight. Miroshnik wore a lifting belt and lifting suit, and utilized lifting straps and knee sleeves to assist him with the monstrous pull.
A glance at Miroshnik’s own social media will inform one of almost everything that they need to know about his deadlift power and upcoming plans.
For example, there is a video of Miroshnik showing off his endurance by scoring a 300-kilogram (661.3-pound) deadlift for nine reps during the 2023 Siberian Power Show (SPS) in early April 2023. Miroshnik did not participate in the main event competition in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, but appeared to come and show out his deadlift prowess anyway. Before that, in early March 2023, Miroshnik detailed the “biggest pull in his arsenal” when he successfully deadlifted 420 kilograms (925.9 pounds) with the bar elevated on low mats while using roughly the same equipment setup as his recent feat.
Miroshnik’s most recent update is the athlete pulling 350 kilograms (771 pounds) for three reps, without a lifting suit, in early June 2023. In the post’s caption, Miroshnik makes a point “shout out” the 440-kilogram (970-pound) deadlift performed by his Russian countryman and seven-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competitor Mikhail Shivlyakov during the 2016 Arnold Asia strongman contest. At the time of this publication, it is unclear if Miroshnik is using Shivlyakov’s accomplishment for context or teasing a future attempt at reaching another impressive benchmark.
According to his page on Strongman Archives, Miroshnik has participated in three sanctioned competitions during his career. His best placing was a seventh-place result at the 2019 U105 Strongman World Championships.
There are a lot of prolific and talented deadlifters in the world of strength sports, but it’s still an exclusive club. Miroshnik undoubtedly has a membership and, down the line, could be known as one of the globe’s more famous and strongest pullers. That is, if he doesn’t already have that reputation.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In some gym circles, you’re not considered a “true” lifter if nobody has ever asked you, “How much do you bench?” This fundamental exercise is the archetypal test of upper body strength and size.
Yet, you might’ve seen this scene happen in person or in a viral video: a powerlifter marches toward a bench press station, folds themselves like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, and proceeds to lift a seemingly impossible weight using the shortest possible range of motion. On the other side, you see big lifters moving big weights while lying on the bench as flat as a flounder.
Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock
So, who’s right or wrong? Is one of these lifters even “wrong?” Here’s a review of the benefits and risks of performing the bench press with an arch, as well as how and when to use this modified technique to reach your goals.
The bench press arch refers to the deliberate extension and curvature of your spine when lying on the flat bench. A little arch is natural with most people, as it simply follows the natural curve of the spine, which isn’t flat.
You can easily spot an arch, as the lower back of the lifter is not touching the bench. If someone has an exaggerated spine curvature — for instance, a lordosis — they are forced to arch. Some lifters, especially powerlifters in competition, try to amplify this curvature and have as big an arch as possible. Why? It has several benefits, especially if you want to get stronger.
More Weight Lifted
With a bigger arch, the lower portion of your chest is in a higher position. This means that the point of contact with the barbell will be higher and, as such, the range of motion will be shorter. For the same amount of force produced, you can lift more weight. If you want to increase your bench press, then learning how to arch is an excellent way of improving the efficiency of your lift.
This method became so effective that some powerlifters would seem to barely make the barbell move more than a few inches and, as result, would set incredible records. Many would even say it’s cheating, ridiculous, and defeats the purpose of the sport.
As such, some powerlifting federations, like the International Powerlifting Federation — the biggest tested powerlifting federation in the world — updated their competition rules to limit arching. The goal was to ensure that performance is primarily based on a lifter’s strength, and not their mobility.
Safer on the Shoulders
Your shoulders are some of the most mobile and most fragile joints in your body. They are put under a lot of stress with the bench press. Arching your back allows you to better squeeze your shoulders blades together and down, and maintain them in place during execution of the exercise.
Because the range of motion is shorter with an arched bench press, your elbows travel a shorter distance into the bottom position and will not go as far beneath your shoulder joint. This prevents excessive stretching in your shoulders and chest muscles, while avoiding a relatively weaker position that might result in injuries or joint strain. This is especially important if you have longer arms, as these effects are amplified.
More Overall Stability
Arching your back makes your upper body more “compact” and creates more full-body tension by strongly activating your upper back, lat, hips, and core muscles, compared to lying flat on the bench.
Credit: Real Sports Photos / Shutterstock
This way, you can properly distribute the energy from your legs through your torso to your shoulders and into the barbell. If your whole body is tensed, you will provide a more stable surface from which to press.
It’s the same principle that makes squatting with your feet on the floor easier than standing on a stability ball — you can generate more force without having to balance your body. If your torso wiggles on the bench with each repetition, you’re bound to leak strength and decrease your rate of technical adaptation.
More Muscle Growth
This is perhaps the most surprising benefit, as most gym veterans swear that the arched bench press should only be used by powerlifters focused on strength, and that a flatter version is better for muscle mass. But studies have shown more back and triceps activation during the arched bench press. (1) That’s logical, as the lats help arch the back, and a shorter range of motion will put more stress on your arms.
But what about building your chest? People have claimed that the arched bench turns the lift into some sort of decline bench press and that’s somewhat true, as lower chest activation is slightly greater. But upper chest activation remained the same, so muscle recruitment is still net-positive, likely because you can use more weight. So overall, you activate more muscle mass and stimulate more growth.
Risks of Using an Arch
With all these perks, arching seems too good to be true. There might be some risks, though, especially if you exaggerate it too much. You can have too much of a good thing.
Lower Back Strain
Your spine is naturally extended because of its curvature, but extreme extension will put the disks and nerves at a greater risk of injury. Sure, there’s no axial loading or shear forces, but the technique will still put some stress on your lower back, especially if you then use leg drive to generate full-body tension. The probabilities of injuries may be relatively low, but you should keep them in mind, especially if you have pre-existing back issues.
Credit: Real Sports Photos / Shutterstock
A hernia could even potentially happen, even though it usually occurs during spinal flexion (bending forward at the waist). If you already have lower back troubles or injuries, arching might prove very painful and counterproductive. If you’re such a lifter, you should refrain from using a powerlifting arch and stick to maintaining your natural arch or pressing with a flatter back, depending on which is least painful.
Less Muscle Mass
But, didn’t we just say that an arched back recruits more muscle mass? Indeed, but there’s arching and there’s arching. If you cut the range of motion too much, some muscles will be less stimulated. The more a muscle is stretched, the more it responds to training. (2) And if there’s almost no stretch due to an extremely limited range of motion, the stimulus will be much lower.
Using some partial movements here and there is not a problem, but they shouldn’t make up the bulk of your training. If your training is minimalist — using a limited variety of exercises or very low volume — you should probably abstain from using a big arch. Or, if you do bench with an arch, make sure you’re also including full-range exercises like the incline bench press and overhead press to really complete your training and fill out your physique.
How to Arch
Most people already have a natural arch, this is just how they’re built. If you want to stick to a natural arch when performing a bench press, simply squeeze your shoulders blades together and down, and puff your chest up and high. But if you want to maximize your arch (either because you naturally don’t have one or you want to lift as heavy as possible), follow these steps.
Step 1 — Setup on the Bench
Lay down on the bench, grab the barbell, and grip the bar outside of shoulder-width. Your eyes or eyebrows should be directly in line with the bar. Squeeze your shoulders blades together and down (toward your glutes) as far as possible. Try to feel your traps dig into the bench. Focus on arching your upper back as much as possible, not necessarily your lower back.
Credit: BarBend / YouTube
If you want to take things to the max and really optimize your position, you can even put your feet on the bench while setting up your initial position. This will put as much weight as possible on your traps and will help to leverage your body into position.
Step 2 — Set Your Stance
If they were up on the bench, put your feet on the floor while keeping your arch. Position your feet as close to your shoulders as possible. Start “digging” your heels backward as far as you comfortably can.
Credit: BarBend / YouTube
Push your toes into the ground “down and away” from your body. This lower body pushing motion will help you prevent your glutes from rising off the bench.
Step 3 — Unrack the Bar, Lower, and Press
Maintain pressure through your feet. Unrack the barbell, with the help of a spotter if possible. Once the bar is set at the midway point, just above your chest, pause very briefly to confirm proper positioning.
Credit: Serghei Starus / Shutterstock
Keep applying full-body tension from your traps to your toes. Lower the barbell until it gently touches your chest. Feel tension in your upper body at all times and hold your chest high. Move the weight deliberately and cautiously because the range of motion will be less than what you may be used to. As you feel the bar make contact, press powerfully to lockout.
How to Improve Your Arch
The bench press is an unnatural movement in itself — lying on a short platform while repeatedly moving a long, heavy bar above your rib cage and several vital organs. Intentionally arching your upper body during the exercise can feel even more unnatural.
Your first attempts to use an arch will likely feel awkward and certainly won’t be perfect. Also, unfortunately for the stiffer lifters out there, there’s a dose of mobility involved. Some will never develop a really big arch, but you can still improve it following these suggestions.
Dynamic Foam Rolling
Before you lift, after a general warm-up, grab a foam roller and start hammering your mid-back for a minute. This upper body drill is key for thoracic mobility.
Loosening your spinal erectors, running the full length of your back, will also help tremendously with improving your arch position. Don’t forget to also, carefully, roll your lower back. This will help hold your position when your lower body is set and creating tension.
Knee Raises or Leg Raises
Why should you do a few sets of an ab exercise before benching? Well, these movements also greatly stimulate your hips flexors. If you perform ab work with a full, smooth range of motion, those hip flexors will loosen. Tight hips flexors will prevent you from pulling your feet into position on the floor, which will prevent you from getting into a deep arch position.
Face Pulls and Postural Exercises
Because of the generally sedentary modern lifestyle, most people are more prone to a kyphotic (rounded shoulder), caveman-style posture. This can increase the risk of bench press injuries, but also prevent you from adopting a great arch. You simply won’t be able to open your chest as much.
A great warm-up before benching would be to grab a light resistance band and perform face pulls, pull-aparts, and the over-and-back (sometimes intimidatingly called “shoulder dislocates”). These exercises will strengthen your rotator cuff and, more importantly, improve your posture which carries over to your arch.
Bench Thoracic Spine Stretch
Stretching after your session is never a bad idea, but you could even do some static stretching before your bench. This can be especially useful in the most extreme cases of bad posture or mobility restrictions. There are several options available, but here’s one of the most effective.
Kneel down in front of a flat bench or a box. Place your elbows on the bench and bend your elbows to aim hands up in the air. Slowly lean your body down until your head passes between, and under, your upper arms. Move as far as comfortably possible.
To accentuate the stretch, bring your hands towards your traps or the back of your neck (without pressing down). Hold the stretch for 45 to 60 seconds.
Big Arch for a Big Bench
Prejudice, misinformation, and a few bad apples have given the bench press arch a bad rep, but there are actually many benefits. If you can ignore the comments you might get from other lifters about “the right way” to bench, give it a try and watch your performance improve, your muscles grow, and your shoulder pain diminish.
References
Alan C. Cudlip, Jacquelyn M. Maciukiewicz, Brendan L. Pinto & Clark R Dickerson (2022) Upper extremity muscle activity and joint loading changes between the standard and powerlifting bench press techniques, Journal of Sports Sciences, 40:9, 1055-1063, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2046937
Alan C. Cudlip, Jacquelyn M. Maciukiewicz, Brendan L. Pinto & Clark R Dickerson (2022) Upper extremity muscle activity and joint loading changes between the standard and powerlifting bench press techniques, Journal of Sports Sciences, 40:9, 1055-1063, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2046937
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In today’s world, we pretty much always have to wear shoes. But the majority of shoes people wear run directly counter to the way our feet and lower bodies are designed to function. Tall heels, thick padding, restrictive material that allows no movement, heavy sole that prevents us from feeling the ground—modern shoes are monstrosities that cut us off from the world around us and inhibit our ability to navigate it pain-free. Shoes that emulate the barefoot experience on the other hand offer tangible benefits to your health, wellness, athletic performance, and overall well-being by recreating the environment under which the human foot evolved.
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