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At the 2022 Mr. Olympia, reigning two-time champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay will be a heavy favorite to finish a “three-peat” in taking home his third straight title. However, with a mark like that sitting on the table, Elssbiay is bound to have a huge target on his shredded back from any number of contenders. According to one legendary bodybuilder, on Dec. 16-18, 2022, Elssbiay should actually be most wary of a newcomer to the Men’s Open division.
On Dec. 12, 2022, eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005) appeared in a video on Muscular Development Magazine’s YouTube channel. In offering some pre-contest analysis of the field coming to Las Vegas, NV, Coleman maintained that he thinks former 212 champion (2021) Derek Lunsford is the most likely athlete to push Elssbiay for the title. Lunsford will make his first appearance as a Men’s Open competitor after transitioning from the 212 division in late Summer 2022.
Coleman didn’t mince words in his endorsement of Lunsford. Even while he ultimately believes Elssbiay will still retain his Olympia title, Coleman asserted Lunsford is the only competitor who can potentially match Elssbiay’s total package.
“Derek [Lunsford] is the only one that’s pretty close to him [Elssbiay] right now that’s got everything,” Coleman said. “He’s really complete; he’s got a lot of thickness and everything.”
Another prime contender for the Olympia, Hadi Choopan, was also someone Coleman highlighted. However, from his perspective, the all-time great noted that Lunsford’s physique is just more polished by comparison.
“I think height makes a difference, as well as conditioning and thickness, and I think Derek [Lunsford] is close to being complete,” Coleman explained. “Hadi Choopan is really good in some areas and not so good in some other areas. He’s not complete like Derek [Lunsford] is right now, but anything can change.”
As for how Coleman viewed the top five at the 2022 Olympia shaking out, he didn’t make a firm commitment to a prediction. To him, any number of Lunsford, William Bonac, Brandon Curry, and Choopan could be in line for a second-place result to Elssbiay.
“Man, it’s so hard right now, I know so many good guys, but I see ‘Big Ramy’ [Elssbiay] first, then second it could be [William] Bonac, he is looking real good,” Coleman said. “Then Brandon Curry always looks pretty good, and then these new guys coming in here Derek [Lunsford], and I don’t think Andrew [Jacked] can place that high … for the second, it’s going to be between [William] Bonac, Hadi [Choopan], Derek [Lunsford], and Brandon [Curry]. Four guys can place second, I think.”
The 2022 Mr. Olympia might be Elssbiay’s to lose. That said, if an icon like Coleman thinks Lunsford has the tools to topple the Egyptian giant, then a tight battle could be in store on the Las Vegas stage.
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When American weightlifter Mattie Rogers sees a loaded barbell and an opportunity to add another medal to her resume, she seldom misses. A two-time Senior Pan-American Champion — once in the 81-kilogram weight class in 2020 and once in the 76-kilogram class in 2022 — Rogers has built a reputation for incredible feats on lifting platforms. She painted another brilliant portrait during the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships (WWC) in Bogotá, Colombia.
On Dec. 13, 2022, during the 2022 IWF WWC, Rogers captured a 109-kilogram (240.3-pound) snatch and a 138-kilogram (304.2-pound) clean & jerk for a 247-kilogram (544.5-pound) total. The podium performance garnered Rogers silver medals in the 76-kilogram division on each figure. Not to be overlooked, Rogers also locked in a unique individual mark. By medaling at the Worlds once again, the athlete became the first modern American weightlifter ever to notch a medal in five consecutive appearances.
Rogers’ run of international excellence on this stage dates back to the 2017 IWF Worlds when she took home a snatch silver medal, a clean & jerk bronze medal, and a total silver medal in the 69-kilogram weight class. After only notching a clean & jerk bronze medal at the 2018 iteration of the IFW Worlds, Rogers has now captured three medals in three consecutive World Championships since 2019. At the time of this writing, she is the most decorated active American weightlifter at this international level, with 13 Senior medals since her Worlds debut in 2015.
Note: There was no 2020 edition of the IWF Worlds so as to not overlap with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the same year. Those, however, would be postponed until Summer 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.
Here’s an overview of the Women’s 76-kilogram podium at the 2022 IWF Worlds, featuring Rogers in second place:
2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Women’s 76-Kilogram Podium
First place — Sara Samir Ahmed (Egypt): 261-kilogram (575.4-pound) total | 113-kilogram (249.1-pound) snatch | 148-kilogram (326.3-pound) clean & jerk
Second place — Mattie Rogers (United States): 247-kilogram (544.5-pound)total | 109-kilogram (240.3-pound) snatch | 138-kilogram (304.2-pound) clean & jerk
Third place — Kim Su-hyeon (South Korea): 245-kilogram (540.1-pound) total | 108-kilogram (238.1-pound) snatch | 137-kilogram (302-pound) clean & jerk
In a post on her Instagram, Rogers beamed with pride at her latest Worlds accomplishment. As the weightlifter looked ahead to a likely transition to the 81-kilogram category moving forward — especially in qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games — she seemed appreciative of what she achieved as a 71-kilogram athlete.
“Fifth consecutive Worlds medals!” Rogers wrote. “Not my best day, but also not my worst, and silver is silver! I’m walking away, both bummed and proud. It’s always hard to be pleased with so many missed attempts on the stage, but I can’t be mad at my medal streak living on for one more year … Time to actually bid farewell to the 76-kilogram category (for real this time) and keep on working. My favorite thing to do.”
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Shannon Sharpe’s career in the National Football League (NFL) saw him accomplish just about everything a football player dreams of. On an individual level, the Pro Football Hall of Famer garnered four First-Team All-Pro (1993, 1996-1998) selections — an indicator that the former prolific tight end was the best at his position in each of those respective years. When Sharpe retired, he held most of the relevant tight end receiving records, including touchdowns (62), receiving yards (10,060), and receptions (815). On a team level, he won three Super Bowls (1997-1998, 2000) between stints with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.
All of these illustrious achievements aside, the NFL legend still has a lot to learn when it comes to training in the gym. That’s where seven-time Mr. Olympia (2011-2017) Phil Heath recently came in.
On Dec. 13, 2022, Club Shay Shay posted a video to their YouTube channel that features Heath walking Sharpe through a back and triceps workout while also giving him short posing lessons. Being someone who tries to maintain a high level of fitness in retirement, Sharpe seemed to hold his own. Even still, it was apparent that Heath’s pointers were effective and left a mark on a fellow sports legend.
Here’s an overview of the strength-training routine Heath and Sharpe worked through together.
Lat Pulldown (Overhand/Underhand)
The icons’ session began with some overhand grip lat pulldowns. Heath’s main note of advice for Sharpe here was to hold the weight for a little longer on each rep so as to contract his muscles more.
“… We want to focus on the technique,” Heath told Sharpe. “We want to focus on the tempo. So we’re not going super fast because this has got momentum. We want to keep muscles under tension for a longer duration.”
After they finished the overhand lat pulldowns, Heath and Sharpe transitioned to an underhand grip variation. According to Heath, performing underhand pulldowns is necessary for bodybuilders because it helps round out the back muscles.
“A lot of people say, ‘Why would I do underhand lat pulldowns?’ Heath asked rhetorically. “Because we want to work on the sweeping of the lats. The lats can actually insert very, very low. You see a lot of guys that have it very up top, very high, and in bodybuilding, we want it to start so low, it looks like the Cobra.”
After finishing off these back exercises, Sharpe clarified how his preparation as an elite football player was very different from Heath’s physique focus as an elite bodybuilder.
“As a football player, you’re not really focusing on that [body aesthetic],” Sharpe said. “You’re focusing on functional strength. We did one-arm rows and dumbbell rows. That was the only thing we did for the back […] I don’t do curls because my thing was to push people off me.”
After the heavy back portion of their workout, the pair implemented some one-arm triceps extensions, a cable pushdown variation. Heath had Sharpe focus on keeping his shoulder stable while he used his free handle to keep himself level during his reps. The purpose of this emphasized stability was to better isolate the triceps muscle.
Seated Cable Row
To top off their back work, Heath and Sharpe leaned on some seated cable rows as the last back movement in their routine. The duo had minimal corrections or new emphases on this exercise as they powered through a few quality sets.
Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension
To close the overall workout, Heath and Sharpe performed sets of dumbbell incline triceps extensions. In a slight change-up, Heath suggested moving the dumbbells and elbows at the time. Per Heath, not keeping the elbows stationary helps lessen any potential elbow pain during this movement. Along those same lines, Heath noted the wrists can also be rotated during reps to ease tension on them.
Their meeting of the minds in the gym behind them, Heath and Sharpe will return to their usual spheres. Heath will be a color commentator on the lead 2022 Mr. Olympia broadcast team. Meanwhile, when not working out, Sharpe is a media personality on Skip and Shannon: Undisputed — a daily sports talk show on Fox Sports 1.
If this duo ever gets together to train again, they’ll likely have even more wise words of gym wisdom for each other.
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Some lifters think they don’t “need” to do the goblet squat, usually because they can load more weight onto a barbell. But the goblet squat really is one of the most efficient exercises you can do.
It’s more challenging than basic bodyweight squats, it’s more accessible than squatting with a barbell, and can usually be done by lifters with poor shoulder or back mobility, and there are many simple and effective goblet squat variations to progress over time.
Credit: In The Light Photography / Shutterstock
Here are some of the most effective ways to get even more benefits from the classic goblet squat with a few simple adjustments.
A cyclist goblet squat is performed very similar to a classic goblet squat, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest. This movement adds elevation under your heels, most commonly by standing on a single weight plate.
The elevated heel position lets you keep your torso more upright, so that you can sit “more into your knees” compared to sitting your hips farther back as your squat. Raising your heels also changes the ankle mobility requirements of the exercise, making it more comfortable for lifters with limited mobility. (1)
When to Do It
The cyclist squat is excellent for building quad strength and muscle because the raised heel increases activation of the quadriceps (front thigh muscle). This movement is also a great way to get more comfortable sitting “all the way down” into your squat. If you have limited ankle mobility, it’s often more effective to work specifically to improve the issue, but sometimes a heel lift can help you gain confidence in the bottom of the squat and continue training.
How to Do It
Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in the “goblet position” — with the weight supported by both hands held in front of your chest, under your chin. Set your feet in a fairly narrow stance, closer than shoulder-width, with your heels on top of a weight plate placed on the ground. Bend your legs and squat down. Focus on sitting “into your hips and knees” instead of leaning forward and pushing your hips back.
Descend as low as you can while maintaining tension in your legs and core. Keep your shoulders back and your torso upright. Don’t let the weight pull you forward. When you’re reached the bottom position, drive through your feet and come to a standing position.
Goblet Reverse Lunge
Switching from a two-leg squat to a single-leg exercise makes it more challenging to your legs and core. Holding the weight in the goblet position and performing a reverse lunge, or back lunge, can be one of the best ways to get started with this movement.
This movement will be great for maintaining core strength and posture while also working on unilateral (single-leg) development. Lunges also allow reduce stress on the back compared to two-leg squats. (2)
When to Do It
A goblet reverse lunge is a great time to focus on each leg individually. You can add this exercise in as an “accessory lift,” performed after more traditional heavy work like barbell squats, or you can make the movement a priority and perform it as the first exercise of your leg workout. Pretty much everyone in the gym can benefit from more unilateral work because, along with building muscular strength, it can also help with hip strength and stabilization.
How to Do It
Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in the goblet position. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step back with one foot while hinging at your hips and lowering your back knee towards the floor. The goblet squat reverse lunge should be done with a more upright torso position compared to other squat or lunge variations. Keep your front heel down on the floor as you reach your back knee to the ground. Once you’ve reached as far as possible, drive back up by pushing through the floor with your front foot to stand up.
Goblet Lateral Lunge
Most people very rarely move sideways, or laterally, in daily life. But moving in different planes and in different directions is an important way to maintain a well-rounded, fully functioning body.
The goblet lateral lunge is excellent to build hip stability, adductor (inner thigh) strength, and glute strength. Moving sideways with a weight in the goblet position will also challenge you core stabilizers in a unique way, especially your obliques on the sides of your abdominals.
When to Do It
A goblet lateral lunge is often going to have a relatively shorter range of motion at the knee compared to other lunge movements because the movement also works the leg through a lateral movement, not just knee flexion (bending).
Lifters that have a hard time sitting all the way into a deep squat can benefit from the goblet lateral lunge because you don’t need to and also sit as low. Lateral lunges are also useful when you are also tight in your hamstrings or groin, because the hamstrings and hip muscles are stretched throughout the exercise.
How to Do It
Stand with the weight in the goblet position. Step one foot out to the side and, when it’s flat on the ground, bend your knee while keeping your other leg straight. Keep your torso upright torso as you descend, don’t let the weight pull you forward. Leaning forward isn’t really wrong, but it shifts the focus to your glutes instead of focusing on your core hip strength. Take your time working through the movement and control the descent. Emphasize the eccentric component (lowering phase) to really get more mobility, strength, and muscle-building benefit. (3)
Biceps Curl Goblet Squat
This two-for-one movement will probably end up on many peoples’ list of favorite exercises. It hits your legs, which many people expect, along with some bonus work for your arms, which many people happily accept.
It is performed exactly the same as a standard goblet squat except that you will sit low enough to push your elbows out into your thighs as you do a biceps curl before standing back up.
When to Use It
Along with being an efficient way to train your upper body and lower body together, this is amazing exercise for ingraining a deep squat position, reinforcing squat technique, and learning how to hold muscular tension through your body. If you have a hard time feeling getting your hips back in the bottom of the squat, feeling the weight and the pressure from your own body against your thighs will help to create stability and tension.
Because this is essentially a type of “pause squat,” holding the deepest position as you perform the curl, you are also getting the muscle-building benefits of increased time under tension. (4)
How to Do It
Stand with your feet roughly hip or shoulder-distance apart while holding a weight in the goblet position. The specific stance width will vary person to person. Adjust to a comfortable position. Drive your hips back and push your knees out as you squat down. As you reach the bottom of the squat, press your elbows into the sides of your inner thighs — this will help to keep your chest up, engage your back, and provide enough tension to do a biceps curl to full straight-arm extension while in the bottom position of the squat. Curl the weight back up to the goblet position, near your chest, and then drive through the floor to stand back up.
Goblet Box Squat
This is another simple, subtle, and effective variation of the standard goblet squat. Instead of squatting in the air, lower yourself to reach a box, bench, or step. You should be able to gently touch the box with your glutes before standing up.
The goblet box squat can be used by beginning lifters as they build confidence and get comfortable with the squatting movement pattern, and it can be used by experienced lifters who want to challenge themselves with new movements and techniques.
When to Use It
Squatting to a stable surface offers a few benefits. First, it makes sure that each repetition is performed with a consistent range of motion instead of accidentally decreasing your depth due to fatigue. It can also work to limit your range of motion, which can be useful if you’re recovering from an injury or need to train within certain restrictions. The box also forces you to move more slowly and with more control, which can increase the time under tension and build greater overall results.
How to Do It
Stand one or two steps in front of a box, bench, or step set to just-above knee-height. You can and should set the height of the box to accommodate your own range of motion depending on your mobility level. Hold a weight in the goblet position and slowly squat down with control, reaching your hips and glutes backward as you approach the box. Be careful not to lower quickly or slam onto the box. Pretend the box was just covered in a layer of glue and you don’t want to get stuck — you need to touch down gently and briefly before standing up.
Muscles Worked by the Goblet Squat
The classic goblet squat, like all squats, is a complete lower body exercise that trains all the major leg muscles.
Credit: @moritsummers / Instagram
The front-loaded goblet position also changes the stress on your core muscles compared to other squat variations, making it more accessible to many lifers with back pain unable to perform barbell squats.
Quadriceps
The quads on the front of your thigh are the largest muscle targeted by the goblet squat. They are strongly recruited during the goblet squat, most noticeably as you rise from the bottom position and reach the standing lockout position. Squatting to a deeper position, with a more significant knee angle in the bottom position, can increase activation of the quads.
Glutes and Hamstrings
Your glutes and hamstrings work together to strongly “pull” you into a deep squat position, as well as to extend you up and out of the bottom position. When you take a relatively wide stance, with your feet beyond shoulder-width, your glutes and hamstrings are put into a position of stronger leverage and can be recruited more significantly.
Core
Holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest, in the goblet position, will force your abs and lower back (your core muscles) to work more strongly fighting against the pull of the weight. The front-loaded position also requires you to remain more upright, which helps to avoid excessive strain on your lower back.
Goblet Squat Form Tips
The goblet squat is a great tool to help teach that the squat itself is much more than just legs. Holding the weight in front of your body helps to ensure good posture, which really means it becomes an upper back and core exercise, as well.
Keep your elbows pinned to your sides throughout the movement. Your arms should stay bent, with your hands near your shoulders and chest. The weight should stay under your chin and not drift away from your body.
If you try to goblet squat without holding good positions, it is very likely that the weight will pull your upper body forward. Keep you upper back tight and your shoulders pulled back.
Lower yourself to a comfortable depth to build strength and mobility in your legs and hips. In the bottom position, your upper body should not be significantly angled forward, like a common barbell back squat.
Pick Up a Goblet
The goblet squat is an effective exercise all on its own, but when you take a closer look at these versatile variations, the potential benefits keep adding up. To keep progressing, you want to get in plenty of reps, gradually add weight, increase the total time under tension, and vary the movements slowly over time. Adding any of these goblet-position exercises to your lower body training will deliver new strength gains, more muscle, improved mobility, and better all-around performance.
References
Lu, Z., Li, X., Xuan, R., Song, Y., Bíró, I., Liang, M., & Gu, Y. (2022). Effect of Heel Lift Insoles on Lower Extremity Muscle Activation and Joint Work during Barbell Squats. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 9(7), 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9070301
Eliassen, W., Saeterbakken, A. H., & van den Tillaar, R. (2018). COMPARISON OF BILATERAL AND UNILATERAL SQUAT EXERCISES ON BARBELL KINEMATICS AND MUSCLE ACTIVATION. International journal of sports physical therapy, 13(5), 871–881.
Roig, M., O’Brien, K., Kirk, G., Murray, R., McKinnon, P., Shadgan, B., & Reid, W. D. (2009). The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 43(8), 556–568. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417
Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
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The 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) will be the unofficial start of the major competitive strongperson circuit in the year 2023. With the official respective rosters for the Women and Men already confirmed, the Arnold Sports organizing body saw fit to announce the events the athletes will tackle in a Dec. 9, 2022, Instagram video.
The 2023 ASC will be comprised of five distinctive events over two days — the Wheel of Pain, the Austrian Oak, the Elephant Bar Deadlift, the Unspunnen Stone Throw, and the Frame Carry. The competing strongwomen and strongmen will determine their respective champions on Mar. 3-4, 2023, in Columbus, OH.
Here’s a concise overview of what to potentially expect in each event at the 2023 ASC:
Friday, March 3
Two events will make up the first day of the 2023 ASC before heading into Saturday’s finale.
Event One — Wheel of Pain
Making its return to the contest, the imposing “Wheel of Pain” will task competitors with pushing the handle on a gigantic wheel (weight undisclosed) as far as possible within a minute’s time. Scores will be determined by total distance covered.
Event Two — The Austrian Oak
This portion of the contest will act as the 2023 ASC’s variation of the Log Lift. At the time of this writing, it is unclear if The Austrian Oak will be for max weight or max reps. Luke Stoltman won the event at the 2022 ASC with a max lift of 213 kilograms (470 pounds).
Saturday, March 4
The 2023 ASC will then see through its last three events on Saturday before determining the final champions.
Event Three — Elephant Bar Deadlift
Another ASC staple, the Elephant Bar Deadlift will begin the second day of the competition. The eponymous implement is longer than a traditional deadlift barbell. In a max-weight event, some of the participating athletes could potentially try their hand at breaking Hafthor Björnsson’s World Record of 474 kilograms (1,046 pounds), which he accomplished in 2019.
Event Four — Unspunnen Stone Throw
In its debut at the ASC, the Unspunnen Stone Throw will ask the competitors to lift a stone (weight undisclosed) overhead and throw as far as they can.
Event Five — Frame Carry
The closing event of the 2023 ASC will be the usual Frame Carry. The exact format of this year’s iteration is unclear at the time of this writing. Though past editions of the ASC have mandated the athletes carry a 400-kilogram (881-pound) wooden frame as fast as possible up a ramp. If they couldn’t reach the top, they were scored on their distance. Polish strongman Mateusz Kieliszkowski — who will return to the ASC after two years away — possesses the current Frame Carry World Record of seven seconds from 2019.
On the Women’s side of the matter, 2022 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) Olga Liashchuk, three-time WSW winner Donna Moore (2016-2017, 2019), and 2022 WSW runner-up Andrea Thompson might be the top contenders.
The contest is still months away, but one thing’s for certain: Even one resounding lift could help elevate an athlete to win the ASC title.
Featured image: @andreathompson_strongwoman on Instagram
The knee is almost always the first joint to go when people “start getting old.” How many people do you know have given up any kind of serious physical activity because of their “bad knees”? How many people avoid the gym because their knees are supposedly too stiff? How many people take the elevator to go up a floor, avoid hikes because they can’t handle the hills, or give up on their favorite sports—all because their knees hurt?
It’s too many. It’s a damn shame, and it doesn’t have to be like that.
The knee is actually a very powerful joint. Surrounded on two sides and supported by powerful muscles, tendons, and ligaments, buttressed by cartilage and fascia, and capable of great feats of recovery and regeneration, the knee is stronger and more resilient than most people realize. However, the knee has to be cultivated and strengthened. It has to engage in various movements to help it get stronger and make it stop hurting. If you want to reduce knee pain—or stave it off before it happens—these are the knee strengthening exercises for you.
1. Couch Stretch
The couch stretch, a movement and term coined by Kelly Starrett of Ready State fame, is a stretch that undoes hours of sitting. When we sit, our hip flexors rest in a flexed position. They’re flexed but not flexed. It’s a passive flexion that leaves them tight and weak. Then, when we go to do some squats or any other dynamic knee-centric sport or movement, we have to deal with all that tension upstream of the knee.
Try squatting. Just a basic air squat. See how it feels to rest in the bottom position. Maybe it’s okay, maybe it’s hard. Either way, take a mental note of how you feel squatting. Next, try the couch stretch for a minute or two on each side. Then try squatting again. You should feel much less pressure on your knees and a greater ability to rest in the bottom position comfortably.
2. Knee Circles
Toperform the knee circles, place your hands on your quadriceps, just above the knee caps. Allow the weight of your upper body to push down and rest on your hands. Then, give a few slow knee bends, flexing and extending your knees to “set” your menisci. Begin doing slow knee circles, first clockwise and then counterclockwise. Do about 30 seconds in each direction slowly, gradually, and deliberately, and really feel like you’re hitting every angle of your knee.
Knee circles are great for people with meniscus issues. They allow you to compress every part of the meniscus and help generate the stimulus needed to promote healing and regeneration. Because they’re low intensity, slow, and deliberate, knee circles rarely hurt. If you feel a sharp pain, try reducing the angle of flexion. These are a great warmup before leg workouts, or even done every morning as a warmup for life.
3. Tear Drop Squats
The teardrop squat is named for its ability to target the teardrop muscle of the quadriceps, also known as the vastus medialis obliques (VMO). Located on the medial part of your quad, the VMO is an important muscle for controlling the alignment of the knee cap, preventing knee pain and can also improve the aesthetics (tear drop) of your legs. When your VMO is weak, your knee is liable to buckle inward. Thus, strengthening the VMO through targeted movements can both improve your performance and help prevent catastrophic injuries (many MCL and meniscus tears happen when the VMO fails and the knee buckles inward).
Traditional leg workouts often do not adequately target the VMO, but the teardrop squat can help to engage it by maintaining an upright torso and keeping the feet on the balls of the feet as you squat down, allowing little to no space between the glutes and calves at the bottom of the movement. This extremely deep knee position hits the VMO.
In this video, you can see Mark Bell, who coined the term and came up with the exercise, show how it works. Set up a resistance band across a squat rack and use as much or as little of it for assistance as you squat down and back up. Move your hands farther apart for more assistance. Move them closer together for less.
Tear drop squats are a good accessory lift to throw in at the end of workouts, or even a couple sets as a warmup for heavier leg days.
4. VMO Step Downs
VMO step downs are also a great exercise for strengthening the VMO that you can do almost anywhere. Stand on a step or a short box with one foot hanging off the side and step down, touch the heel of your hanging foot to the ground and then go back up. Do not push off with the hanging foot; all the work comes from the foot that’s planted on the step.
This is all knee flexion. There should be little to no hip flexion. Keep your torso upright and straight. Don’t bend or hinge at the hips.
5. Deep Knee Split Squats
To perform a deep split squat, start by reaching one foot far behind you and put one in front of you with your torso centered between both. Slowly lower yourself into a squat, pressing forward until your knee goes over your toes. Hold this position for a moment to feel the stretch in your ankle, knee, and quad. Then, press back and up to return to an upright position. Be sure to focus on the stretch in your ankle and knee as you perform the exercise.
If these are too easy unweighted, progress to weighted with dumbbells, weight vests, or even barbells. They can be a legitimate strength training workout on leg days, or you can keep it light as accessory work.
6. Tibia Raises
The tibialis anterior is the muscle running along the front of your shin. It controls ankle movement and stability, helps absorb the impact of knee flexion, and, most importantly, goes undertrained in the majority of people. A lot of knee pain occurs because the tibia is too weak to control the knee during the hard impactful flexion that occurs during jumping and landing, running and planting, and lifting.
Tibia raises involve starting with your ankle in plantar flexion (toes pointing down), then performing dorsiflexion (toes moving toward the knee) against a load (weight, band, etc). That’s it. You can do them standing or sitting. All that matters is starting in plantar flexion and performing dorsiflexion against a load.
To do tibia raises, you have a few options. My guy Brian in the gif below has attached a dumbbell to the straps of his sandals. There is also specialized equipment designed to help you do weighted tibia raises, or you can use resistance bands or weight room cable machines. Worst case scenario you can even do them without any weight at all. Tibia raises are a great accessory lift on leg days.
7. Backward Weighted Hill Walks
Walking backward up a hill with a weight vest on or carrying weights is a low stress way to increase quad activation, strengthen the muscles surrounding (and controlling) the knee, and promote blood and healing synovial fluid flow to the knee. It lubricates your knees and gets you prepared for further intensity. The real beauty of the backward uphill walk is there’s no eccentric—it’s all concentric. Doing these before any leg workout is a fantastic way to warm up your knees without exhausting them.
You can also do a weighted backward sled drag using a prowler, weight sled, or even an automobile.
If you suffer from knee pain or worry about incurring it, incorporate these 7 knee strengthening exercises into your training sessions. Even if you don’t have knee pain, there’s no downside to strengthening your knees and the muscles that support them.
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As a weightlifter, Loredana Elena Toma isn’t known to mess around. In 2017, the Romanian competitor officially burst on the international scene when she captured the Senior 63-kilogram World title at the 2017 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships. Years later, with more training, seasoning, and strength under her belt, Toma is still chugging along as a powerhouse.
On Dec. 12, 2022, Toma successfully notched a 119-kilogram (262.3-pound) snatch. The feat in Bogotá, Colombia, set a Senior World Record for the 71-kilogram division, helped Toma win the 71-kilogram World championship, and is five kilograms more than Toma’s previous all-time personal record of 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds). She captured that mark at the 2021 European Weightlifting Championships (EWC).
With the 71-kilogram weight class relatively new to the international stage, Toma’s World Record snatch also set a precedent for the previously untouched World Standard. The said snatch World Standard mark of 117 kilograms (257.9 pounds) stood for four years without being claimed before Toma eclipsed it at the 2022 IWF Worlds. The IWF established the World Standard on lifts for competitive weight classes when the organizing body reorganized its divisions in 2018.
On her clean & jerk, Toma was able to lock out 137 kilograms (302 pounds) to give herself her 256-kilogram (564.4-pound) World title-winning total. Here’s a quick rundown of Toma’s individual performance at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
Loredana Elena Toma | 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships Top Stats
Clean & Jerk — 137 kilograms (302 pounds)
Snatch — 119 kilograms (262.3 pounds)
Total — 256 kilograms (564.4 pounds)
While Toma’s World Record snatch mark and World title are undoubtedly the primary highlights of the 71-kilogram weight class’ output at the 2022 IWF Worlds, it wasn’t the only notable figure or performance. For example, fifth-place finisher/American weightlifter Olivia Reeves took home a clean & jerk bronze medal of 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds).
For further context on a macro scale, 104 kilograms (229.3 pounds) was enough for a gold medal on the snatch at the 2021 WWC. At the 2022 edition of the WWC, nine of the participating 71-kilogram Women’s athletes snatched more than 104 kilograms. Meanwhile, 135 kilograms was enough for the clean & jerk gold meal at the 2021 WWC. In 2022, six of the featured competitors clean & jerked more than 135 kilograms.
Here’s an overview of the Women’s 71-kilogram podium at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Women’s 71-Kilogram Podium
First place — Loredana Elena Toma (Romania): 256-kilogram total | 119-kilogram (262.3-pound) Senior World Record snatch | 137-kilogram (302-pound) clean & jerk
Second place — Zeng Tiantian (China): 253-kilogram total | 113-kilogram (241.1-pound) snatch | 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) clean & jerk
Third place — Angie Palacios Dajomes (Ecuador): 252-kilogram total | 116-kilogram (255.7-pound) snatch | 136-kilogram (299.8-pound) clean & jerk
With a new World Record and another World title to her name in a different division, Toma could theoretically stop lifting heavy barbells overhead immediately and still be remembered as a great. Instead, something says that the superstar may write another illustrious chapter of her career in 2023.
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In what would be a productive year for any weightlifter, American competitor Olivia Reeves has certainly started to resemble a potential weightlifting superstar. After already setting a clean & jerk record (138 kilograms/304.2 pounds) at the 2022 USA Weightlifting (USAW) National Championships — a Senior American Record in the 71-kilogram division — Reeves wasn’t done. The 19-year-old athlete wanted another resounding result at the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships (WWC). On the Bogotá, Colombia, lifting platform, she didn’t disappoint in her Senior Worlds debut.
On Dec. 12, 2022, Reeves captured a clean & jerk bronze medal during the 2022 edition of the WWC. She earned the result thanks to a successful clean & jerk of 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds). The strength feat officially surpasses Reeves’ all-time competition best — that 71-kilogram Senior American Record of 138 kilograms (304.2 pounds) from the 2022 USAW Championships. It is the first Senior Worlds medal of any color in Reeves’ young career and the first medal for Team USA at the 2022 IWF Worlds at the time of this writing.
In addition to her bronze medal, Reeves’ mark is also only two kilograms short of the Junior World Record, held by Egypt’s Sara Ahmed (141 kilograms/310.8 pounds) in 2018. With an eventual top snatch of 106 kilograms, Reeves pieced together a 245-kilogram (540.1-pound) total to cap a solid fifth-place performance at her Worlds debut.
Here’s an overview of Reeves’ performance at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
Olivia Reeves (71KG) | 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships Top Stats
Clean & Jerk — 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds) | IWF Worlds 71KG Bronze Medal | All-Time Competition Best | Matches Senior American Record
Snatch — 106 kilograms (233.7 pounds)
Total — 245 kilograms (540.1 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best
As for the overall Women’s 71-kilogram podium — a relatively new international category that will be part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games — now two-time World Champion Loredana Elena Toma (2017, 2022) set the bar for her peers. Here’s a rundown of the Women’s 71-kilogram podium at the 2022 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Women’s 71-Kilogram Podium
First place — Loredana Elena Toma (Romania): 256-kilogram total | 119-kilogram (262.3-pound) snatch | 137-kilogram (302-pound) clean & jerk
Second place — Zeng Tiantian (China): 253-kilogram total | 113-kilogram (241.1-pound) snatch | 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) clean & jerk
Third place — Angie Palacios Dajomes (Ecuador): 252-kilogram total | 116-kilogram (255.7-pound) snatch | 136-kilogram (299.8-pound) clean & jerk
While her next competition is unclear, Reeves will undoubtedly try to parlay her first Senior Worlds medal and overall stellar 2022 into qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Such a class for Team USA could feature Reeves and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medalist (76KG) Kate Vibert. Whoever comes out, the American team may have a dynamo under sports’ biggest international spotlight.
Featured image: William Johnson/@barbellstories on Instagram
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After Evan “T-Rex” Singleton ran through a string of strongmen contests in 2022 — including a podium result at the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic — he ran into a rather unfortunate roadblock. In late September 2022, the athlete tore his right distal biceps tendon while training. The injury not only led him to withdraw from the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals, it also saw him end his 2022 competitive season after undergoing surgery. A little more than two months later, it’s almost as if he never missed a beat.
On Dec. 8, 2022, Singleton posted a clip of himself completing a 185-kilogram (407.8-pound) log lift during a recent workout. According to Strongman Archives, the log lift is more than Singleton’s all-time competition best of 181 kilograms (399 pounds) from the 2021 Shaw Classic. Given the required overhead strength needed to finish off the feat — it might be one the biggest indicators that the athlete’s health and fitness are rounding back into form post-injury. Note: The athlete denotes that his log lift amounts to 410 pounds in his post, but that may have likely been a typo.
Upon successfully locking out his lift, the emotion on Singleton’s face and in his body language was palpable. He exclaims in joy the moment he holds the heavy log above his head and explodes with enthusiasm as soon as he drops it to rest on two tires on the floor. A powerful reflection in his post tells the story of a frustrated athlete pushing hard to return to an elite level of competition as soon as possible.
“I hope all you guys lived it up in 2022 because the easy ride is [expletive] over,” Singleton wrote. “2023, I’m back, I’m stronger, I’m faster, my head is right, and I’m hungry. Everything I missed out on this year, I’m making up for tenfold in 2023. It’s going to be the scariest version of the T-Rex yet, and not a single one of you is ready for it. I’m back, and I’m hungry and really pissed off.”
This log lift isn’t the first time Singleton has stepped into the gym since tearing his biceps tendon. The athlete has been sharing clips of his general training progress post-surgery since a 317-kilogram (699-pound) safety bar box squat for five reps in mid-October 2022. That specific leg movement, however, didn’t need Singleton to significantly involve his upper body and, in turn, biceps.
Judging by his social media, the first instance of Singleton more directly training his arms again came with a 100-pound seated dumbbell press for 25 reps on Halloween Weekend 2022. Though, he only worked his uninjured left arm. In early November 2022, Singleton would perform his first post-surgery yoke carry of 390 kilograms (859.8 pounds) for 50 feet in 6.8 seconds. Finally, just over a week later, Singleton “tested the waters” with his right arm and performed a successful strict press of 102 kilograms (225 pounds) for 12 reps.
When Singleton does return to formal strongman competition in 2023, it appears he’ll be more than ready to shine. The athlete has previously disclosed that the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest in late May will be his “first stop” before he jumps back into the Giants Live circuit over the ensuing summer. From there, all bets might be off for an athlete evidently undeterred by what now seems like only a minor setback.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Entering the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships (WWC), Karlos Nasar was one of the presumed top athletes to watch. After he captured three separate Junior World Records at the 2022 European Weightlifting Championships (EWC), some expected a measure of fireworks from the 18-year-old Bulgarian dynamo. He did not disappoint.
On Dec. 11, 2022, Nasar successfully locked out a 220-kilogram (485-pound) clean & jerkfor a Junior and Senior World Record in the 89-kilogram weight class during the 2022 IWF WWC. The feat of strength saw Nasar eclipse Antonino Pizzolato’s previous Senior World Record of 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds) from the 2022 EWC by three kilograms (6.6 pounds). Nasar also surpassed his own Junior record by 11 kilograms (24.2 pounds). Notably, Nasar had attempted to beat Pizzolato’s clean & jerk mark at the late-spring 2022 contest but couldn’t finish his 220-kilogram attempt at that time.
The impressive milestones aside, Nasar was unable to officially place because he didn’t record a final total.
Nasar didn’t log a total because he couldn’t finish a successful snatch attempt. The athlete tried to snatch 173 kilograms (381.4 pounds) twice and 174 kilograms on his last try but couldn’t follow through. Ultimately, this may have been a result of the athlete putting much of his energy into his World Record clean & jerk. Nasar might still appreciate that kind of record output even if he couldn’t place overall at the 2022 IWF Worlds.
The athlete who took advantage of Nasar leaving the door open in his weight class was 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sanchez. The Venezuelan athlete eventually took home the 89-kilogram gold medal with a 385-kilogram (848.8-pound) total.
Here’s an overview of the 89-kilogram podium at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Men’s 89-Kilogram Podium
First place — Keydomar Vallenilla Sanchez (Venezuela): 385-kilogram total | 175-kilogram (385.8-pound) snatch | 210-kilogram (463-pound) clean & jerk
Second place — Brayan Santiago Rodallegas Carvajal (Columbia): 381-kilogram total | 170-kilogram (370.8-pound) snatch | 211-kilogram clean & jerk
Third place — Liu Huanhua (China): 381-kilogram total | 166-kilogram (365.9-pound) snatch | 215-kilogram (474-pound) clean & jerk
It’s unclear what Nasar’s plans are for the immediate competitive future. Despite his miss at a total and official placing at the 2022 IWF Worlds, it seems clear the 18-year-old is ready to shine in the sport of weightlifting for years to come. The world might be this Bulgarian prodigy’s oyster, and he seems prepared to lift it over his head.
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