17 years ago, my friend and mentor Art Devany asked me to write a couple fitness articles for his website. I did. “Escape from Vegan Island” and “The Case Against Cardio” got such huge responses from his readers that I decided to start my own blog.
16 years later, I’m still going strong. I’m not really a sentimental guy, but I’m feeling very emotional right now. This blog was a personal revelation for me.
I’d spent my entire life as an entrepreneur of many coats: mowing lawns, painting houses, grilling chuck steaks out of my dorm room, opening frozen yogurt shops in Palo Alto, training triathletes and marathoners and wealthy socialites in LA, selling supplements on TV and later the Internet. I was always pretty successful, but eventually I knew I’d have to move on to something else. I had to keep moving at all times. Always on the prowl. And I was always selling.
Mark’s Daily Apple made me realize I could start from a different place: talking about all the things I found interesting and useful about human health, fitness, evolution, and biology. These were discussions I was having with friends already, ideas I was exploring on my own. I honestly started the blog because I realized that other people were also interested in this angle, and it seemed like a fun idea that could turn into something big later on.
When the readership kept coming back and growing year over year, I knew I was onto something. After a year, we had 1,000 regular readers. By two years, we had 2,000. And then it just exploded.
I’d originally planned to write an article a day for a year (or two) and figured that would have exhausted my realm of expertise. There’d be nothing more to say. But the thing about blogs, especially back then, was the real magic happened in the comments and emails you’d get after posting an article. The articles take on a life of their own. A random comment from some guy who was reading the post at 2 AM sends you on another tangential exploration of a different angle of nutritional science. You read one study and see a link to another related one, and go on down the rabbit hole. The mystery unfolds before you.
That was the coolest part: we were uncovering a mystery.
There was a real sense of exploration back then. The entire concept of ancestral health was very underground and limited to Loren Cordain’s work on diet and ancient anthropology, plus a few other people like the Weston Price Foundation. For the most part though, almost no one was talking about it. Certainly no one in the general population was aware of it. We were uncovering new (old) wisdom, seemingly every week. We were figuring out all the interactions between environment and health and all the mismatches between the expectations of our ancient genes and the conditions of the modern world. It was impossible not to find something new to write about.
So I kept writing, and the readership kept growing, and the ideas we were developing kept spreading among “regular” people. It was a true health renaissance.
But it started from a little momentary diversion. A small seed, germinated and supported. Well, many small seeds—all the other writers and thinkers in this new space. There’s a good lesson there, isn’t there?
Do something you’re interested in and that a decent number of other people are interested in. (The initial response I got from the articles I wrote for Art proved that these ideas had legs.)
Do something you know can help people. I could look around and see poor health everywhere. The evolutionary mismatches were impossible to miss. I knew that these ideas could help millions.
Pursue it diligently. I wrote something every day. I continue to write something almost every day.
Those three things—confirming that whatever you’re pursuing has appeal, confirming that it will objectively help people or fill a need, and then sticking with it—were key for the success of Mark’s Daily Apple. They’re key for any new pursuit.
Of course, the thread running through the rise of Mark’s Daily Apple is you, the readers. The people. I wouldn’t have done this if I wasn’t getting feedback from you. If no one was reading, I wouldn’t have written for long. Writing is for readers. Without readers, it means much less.
It’s popular for writers to say they “write in order to think.” Perhaps that’s true for them, but it’s not for me. I write so that I can change people’s lives. I write so that people can read my writing and come away happier, healthier, and more engaged.
And so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming on this journey with me. Thank you for pushing me to keep digging, keep exploring, keep learning. It’s been sixteen years so far, and I look forward to many, many more.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On Oct. 22, 2022, reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion (2019-2021) Chris Bumstead announced that the legendary Hany Rambod would be his coach for the final stages of his 2022 Olympia training. As he prepares to vie for a historic fourth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title, Bumstead made the news official in a video posted to his YouTube channel on the same day.
Rumors had circulated for a little while that Bumstead would soon be working in tandem with Rambod. The champion bodybuilder acknowledged those not-so-subtle murmurs, noting that the “secret’s out.”
Bumstead’s transition to Rambod as his coach comes on the heels of the athlete ending a partnership with fellow bodybuilder Iain Valliere. Considering Rambod’s history and pedigree, Bumstead’s decision might be a wise one.
The coach/nutritionist has developed a reputation for being one of the best in the business. Rambod can say that thanks to a hand in helping bodybuilding legends like Phil Heath and Jay Cutler capture their vast assortment of Olympia titles.
Rambod can also boast of working with ascending stars Derek Lunsford and perennial Olympia contender Hadi Choopan. If there’s one person that can help Bumstead to a “four-peat,” it might be the coach in Rambod — who’s been a part of 20 different Olympia titles to date.
To address the news from his perspective, Rambod said that he expressed initial surprise when Bumstead first contacted him in August 2022.
“It definitely came from left field,” Rambod explained. “A lot of people think this has been going on for a long time. It really hadn’t.”
According to Bumstead, Rambod had reservations about starting work with Bumstead at the beginning of his formal Olympia prep, rather than having extra months in the off-season to prepare. The two seemed to ultimately come to an agreement that they’re professionals and have been around the block in terms of experience.
“It’s not my first rodeo, it’s not (Rambod’s) first rodeo,” Bumstead clarified. “We’ll make it work. I’m excited.”
While he’s working with a bodybuilding coaching great, Bumstead faces a tall task to continue his streak of Classic Physique Olympia titles. The competitor he originally dethroned in 2019, Breon Ansley, will try to make his last run in this division a memorable one. Meanwhile, usual top-level performer, Terrence Ruffin, seems to be chomping at the bit to finally break through on the Olympia stage.
Whether Bumstead can hold off his similarly talented peers is a question that will only have an answer on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
One need only see Nabil Lahlou lift once to verify why he’s the so-called “French Phenom,” per his Instagram bio. The 23-year-old powerlifter is a prolific competitor, and his latest demonstration of strength was a doozy.
On Oct. 22, 2022, Lahlou shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a 362.9-kilogram (800-pound) raw deadlift during a training session. According to Open Powerlifting, the feat is a personal record (PR) for Lahlou by 44.9 kilograms (99 pounds). It’s a significant and rapid jump forward for Lahlou, who previously pulled 317.9 kilograms (701 pounds) during the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Drug-Tested The Good Guys UN Invitational. (Note: That meet was roughly only two weeks earlier.) The athlete wore a lifting belt and utilized lifting straps to help with this latest achievement.
For Lahlou, the 800-pound deadlift might be even more impressive, considering his body composition.
Per Lahlou’s Instagram post, the athlete weighed 163 pounds (73.9 kilograms) at the time of his lift. That means his massive pull was 4.9 times his body weight. Factor in Lahlou apparently not even planning to deadlift before he was “feeling the warm-ups,” and this milestone resembles something quite eye-opening for a young star powerlifter.
Here’s an overview of Lahlou’s all-time raw competition bests:
In terms of his overall resume, Lahlou doesn’t have many blemishes. Since he began competitive powerlifting in November 2020, there have been just three instances in Lahlou’s career where he hasn’t finished with an outright victory.
Here’s a rundown of some of the more notable results of Lahlou’s career:
Nabil Lahlou | Notable Career Results
2020 USPA Drug-Tested NOVA Fall Classic (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Drug-Tested PWRBLD Gym March Madness Powerlifting Meet (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Drug-Tested District Championships (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Drug-Tested Nationals (Juniors 20-23/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Kentucky State Championships (Open/Raw) — First place
2021 USPA Beast of the East (Open/Raw) — First place
2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Got Em’ Mustache Classic (Juniors/Open/Raw) — First place
2022 USPA Drug-Tested The Good Guys UN Invitational (Open/Raw) — First place
Lahlou has participated as a 67.5-kilogram competitor since the 2022 USPA Drug Tested King of the Cave in June 2022. This was his weight class for much of his career before a shift to the 75-kilogram category from December 2021 to June 2022. At the time of this writing, it is not clear if he plans to make a transition back to this division or another.
When Lahlou competes next is uncertain. However, should he return to the 75-kilogram weight class while notching this deadlift in said next contest, it would break the current World Record of 362.4 kilograms (799.1 pounds) held by Adlet Moldagaliev. Such a staggering mark would act as a perfect notch in the belt for this “phenom.”
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Whether you call them boulder shoulders, capped delts, or the start of a classic v-taper, a set of muscular shoulders is one the most common aesthetic goals for many lifters.
Credit: Ihor Bulyhin / Shutterstock
That’s not to mention the overall performance boost you get from strengthening one of the most important joints in the upper body. Your shoulders are involved, to some degree, in almost all upper body movements. The versatile joint can perform a variety muscle actions in multiple directions.
To minimize your time and maximize your effort, your need to train the shoulders with a combination of exercises and motions. This means incorporating exercises designed for strength and power, high volume training, and isolation-focused work. Here is a rundown of the most effective exercises to attack your shoulders from all angles.
In order to maximize muscle recruitment, you need to produce high levels of force. Being in a more stable and supported position allows you to direct that force into the exercise you’re trying to perform. This is why well-designed exercise machines can be invaluable.
Imagine trying to fire a cannon out of a canoe — it’s unlikely you’re going to hit your target. The machine shoulder press creates the most amount of total-body stability so you can take the muscles through a full range of motion with more focus. You can also safely take those muscles closer to failure without worrying about controlling free weights.
How to Do the Machine Shoulder Press
Adjust the seat height so that the handles are slightly below shoulder-height. This is going to make sure there is constant tension in the muscle throughout the whole range of motion. Take an overhand (palms facing away) grip. If you have limited shoulder mobility, use a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
Raise your feet with a box, step, or foot pegs if the machine includes them. Lifting your feet will elevate the knees so that you can more successfully keep your low back in contact with the bench for added support. A secure footing also makes you less likely to slide forward in the seat when the set becomes challenging.
Benefits of theMachine Shoulder Press
This exercise allows focus on recruiting the shoulder muscles without concern for balancing and stabilizing weights.
The seat’s back support can benefit lifters who have recurring lower back problems, by providing external torso stability.
The shoulder press machine allows muscular failure to be reached more safely than overhead barbell or dumbbell exercises.
High Incline Dumbbell Press
This is very similar to the machine shoulder press, but dumbbells allow you to take your shoulders through a longer range of motion. Your elbows can start the movement down by the sides of your body, move upward to the mid-point of the press, and moving together as your elbows lockout towards your body’s midline, stacking above your shoulders and underneath your wrists.
Dumbbells also offer the ability to rotate your hand position as you press, which can accommodate any wrist or elbow discomfort. This dumbbell press is an ideal alternative for lifters with joint problems.
How to Do theHigh Incline Dumbbell Press
Set an adjustable bench one notch below 90-degrees. This high angle allows the benefits of an overhead shoulder press while further reducing joint stress. The top part of the shoulder press is the joint’s most vulnerable position. By taking the bench down one notch from fully upright, you can still take the shoulders through a full range of movement but it’s safer because your upper back and shoulders have more room to move.
Begin with the dumbbells at shoulder-height, palms facing away from you. Press upward with control, bringing your thumbs toward each other as the weights pass above your head. Maintain control of the dumbbells and don’t allow them to bounce together at lockout. Pause briefly before returning to the starting position.
Benefits of theHigh Incline Dumbbell Press
The high incline dumbbell press combines the upper-body support benefits of a seated press with the joint-friendly adjustability of dumbbells.
This press variation works well as a type of “bridge” between shoulder training and chest training, due to the bench angle. A slightly lower angle would begin to emphasize the chest more than the shoulder muscles.
Seated Arnold Press
Success leaves clues and if this exercise was good enough for Arnold, then it’s good enough for you. This comprehensive movement incorporates full range of motion at the shoulders and elbows, plus coordinated movement at shoulder blades. This all combines to engage the serratus anterior, lateral and rear deltoids, trapezius, teres major and minor, plus some lats.
Sounds good to be able to hit all of those muscles in one go, right? Maybe. The problem is that you are spreading the effort, intensity, and force across so many muscles in varying amounts, so it might not be a top choice for building strength. But it’s a good pick when looking to accumulate more training volume to stimulate overall growth.
How to Do theSeated Arnold Press
Set an adjustable bench at an extremely high angle, one notch below fully upright. Elevate your feet to really lock into the seat. Start with the two dumbbells at shoulder-height in front of the body with your palms facing towards you. Start to press them up. Once your hands reach eye-level, start to rotate your arms out to the side as you continue pressing. A common mistake with this exercise is rotating your hands to early, which just makes the exercise a basic seated shoulder press.
Rotate consistently as you press upward. At the top of the press, your hands should be facing forward. If you have limited shoulder mobility, they may end up neutral (facing each other). Reverse the entire motion on the way down back to the starting position.
Benefits of theSeated Arnold Press
The Arnold press works the shoulders through a longer range of motion than a traditional shoulder press. This can create a greater stimulus for muscle growth.(1)
This exercise recruits more muscles throughout the shoulders and upper back, which creates greater stability, reduced risk of injury, and an increased growth stimulus.
Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
Unilateral training can be very beneficial because we have something called the bilateral deficit, or BLD. While I do share the same initials, rest assured I did not come up with this concept. The bilateral deficit is essentially the body’s ability to more efficiently recruit individual limbs compared to working both limbs together.(2) For example, if you can shoulder press two 40-pound dumbbells simultaneously, you can likely press one 45 or 50-pound dumbbell for the same number of repetitions.
You can use the bilateral deficit to your advantage with the single-arm standing dumbbell press. This will not only allow you to use a relatively greater load, for increased strength and muscle gains, but the standing position can increase the range of motion and improve shoulder mobility.
How to Do the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
Stand behind a vertical bench, holding a dumbbell at shoulder-level in one hand with your free hand on top of the bench for support. Push into the bench to create stability as you press the weight to lockout above your head. Lower the weight under control. Perform all reps with one arm before switching sides.
Benefits of the Single-Arm Standing Dumbbell Press
The single-arm standing dumbbell press allows you to use relatively heavier weights than pressing two dumbbells together, which can lead to greater size and strength.
The added bench support provides stability and can help to reduce lower back strain.
This standing position incorporates core strength and total-body stability.
Dumbbell Z Press
This exercise has become relatively popular over the last few years. In part, possibly because it’s named after one of the greatest strongmen of all-time, Žydrūnas Savickas, also known as “Big Z.” While the Z press is often performed with a barbell, using a pair of dumbbells can further increase the core stability challenge.
The Z press requires, and can improve, mobility in your thoracic spine (upper back) and it creates tremendous core engagement because your upper body is entirely unsupported. This means you probably won’t be moving very heavy weights, but the exercise can be great for accumulating plenty of muscle-building volume.
How to Do the Dumbbell Z Press
Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight. If you lack hip mobility or if it’s too uncomfortable, sit on a very low box or step. Make sure you keep your shoulders stacked over your hips and your spine straight.
Bring two dumbbells to shoulder-level with your palms facing forward. Press both weights overhead to lockout, being sure to keep your upper body vertical as you stabilize the weights. Pause very briefly at lockout and lower the dumbbells to your shoulders.
Benefits of the Dumbbell Z Press
The Z press builds major core strength because you’re forced to support the weight as it moves.
The exercise reinforced strict pressing technique and eliminates the ability to swing the weights using your lower body. Leaning backward to cheat the movement also becomes much more apparent and easier to correct.
Dumbbell Cuban Press
Legend has it that this exercise was initially used by the Cuban Olympic weightlifting team to strengthen their shoulders. It was also popularized by the legendary late strength coach Charles Poliquin. The Cuban press trains the smaller internal stabilizer muscles of the shoulder and upper back, as well as the aesthetic outer shoulder muscles.
It walks the fine line between being a “prehab” movement focused on preserving and building shoulder health and being a strict muscle-building movement with a long time under tension.
How to Do the Dumbbell Cuban Press
Stand with two light dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing behind you. Lift your elbows up and out to the side with your hands hanging straight down. Once your elbows are in line with your shoulders, rotate your arms to point your hands toward the ceiling, with the weights around eye-level. Keep a roughly 90-degree angle at your elbows.
Finish by fully extending your arms and press to lockout. Reverse the process to lower the weights to the starting position. This exercise is a lot harder than it looks, so you won’t need much load or too many sets and reps. Starting with two sets of eight to 10 reps to learn the movement with very light weights.
Benefits of the Dumbbell Cuban Press
The dumbbell cuban press strengthens shoulder stabilizers, including the rotator cuff, during the rotation movement prior to pressing.
The exercise is typically performed slowly with an emphasis on technique, which increases the overall time under tension. This can contribute to greater muscle growth.
Behind-the-Neck Press
This exercise is performed with a barbell and, as the name suggests, the bar travels behind the neck instead of in front. This bar path makes it easier to stay in a stronger, safer position with your upper body stacked and in alignment. However, it does require good upper back mobility and it makes the initial part of the press significantly more challenging for both your shoulders and your triceps.
The biggest complaint (or fear) some lifters have is that the behind-neck position requires a good amount of shoulder mobility in order to successfully go through the full range of motion. If you don’t have the mobility to perform the movement, don’t worry. There are many other exercises you can do, this is just not one of them. But the behind-the-neck press has been a staple for weightlifters and bodybuilders for decades, so it’s not an exercise to steer away from if you can handle it.
How to Do the Behind-the-Neck Press
Set a barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width and pull your elbows forward to sit directly below your wrists. Unrack the weight and take a small step backward. Brace your core, and keep your legs and torso stable as you press the weight up. Fully extend your arms at the top.
To lower the weight, focus on pulling your elbows towards the sides of your body to load the shoulders more than the triceps. Keep your elbows beneath your wrists throughout the exercise. Depending on your mobility, the bar might gently touch the base of your neck before you press back up again.
Benefits of the Behind-the-Neck Press
The behind-the-neck press helps to build functional mobility by training the shoulders, upper back muscles, and shoulder blades through a long range of motion.
The bar path and body position reinforces strict pressing technique which puts emphasis on muscle recruitment instead of momentum.
Military Press
To many experienced lifters, this exercise is the end-all-be-all shoulder movement. The classic standing barbell press is a hallmark of old school weightlifting, classic bodybuilding, and all-around power and athleticism.
With this more common variation of the shoulder press, the barbell moves in front of the body. This creates two distinct challenges. First, core stability — You need to be more active in pulling your ribs down and tucking your hips under to stay stacked. Second, core control — You are unable to press straight up because the bar begins underneath your chin, so you have to move the barbell in an arching motion around your head while maintaining a strong center.
How to Do the Military Press
Set the barbell in a power rack at roughly shoulder-height. Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder-width. Take a small step back with the bar resting across the fronts of your shoulders. Brace your abs and press up, staying as close to your face as possible without hitting your chin, nose, or forehead (obviously).
As you reach the lockout, “punch” your head between your arms. Your biceps should end up in-line with your ears. Maintain control of the bar by attempting to pull the bar apart as you’re pressing the weight above your head. This one small change can make a big difference in how the movement feels on your muscles and joints.
Benefits of the Military Press
The military press is often considered a gold standard movement, on par with the flat bench press, for assessing and building upper body strength.
This overhead press allows you to move potentially heavy weights, overloading the shoulders for greater strength and muscle gains.
Push Press
The push press has been wide-spread with the rise in popularity of things like CrossFit and HIIT-style group fitness workouts. In the push press, you are focusing on dip and drive — using your legs and hips to get the weight above your head.
Using your legs allows you to move a load that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to press with strict form for as many reps. At the top of the rep, you can really overload your shoulders and triceps as they control the weight back down with a slow eccentric contraction.
How to Do the Push Press
Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders, with a shoulder-width grip and your hands facing away from your body. Bend your knees slightly and drop your hips as if you were about to initiate a front squat. Quickly and powerfully extend your legs and drive your hips forward to get the weights moving off your body.
When the barbell is in motion, use your arms to guide it above your head to lockout. Think “legs drive, arms guide.” Don’t squat too deep before rising. You’ll only make it harder to get the weights above your head quickly. For maximum power output, be sure to get the weights moving using leg drive, not shoulder pressing strength.
Benefits of the Push Press
This can be a great exercise for building upper body strength due to the use of heavy weights and total-body coordination.
The strict eccentric portion of each repetition lets you accumulate significant volume and time under tension, which benefits muscle growth.
Machine Lateral Raise
The machine lateral raise is a great exercise for isolating and emphasizing the lateral, or side, part of the shoulder muscle. The lateral head of the shoulder primarily responsible for abducting the arm, or raising it away from the midline of the body.
Many very successful bodybuilders will prioritize lateral raise variations like this to help create a classic v-taper upper body. The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance compared to a dumbbell, which offers varying levels of resistance due to the changing pull of gravity throughout the range of motion.
How to Do the Machine Lateral Raise
Sit in the machine with your chest supported on the pad, if available. With most machines, you’ll perform this exercise with your elbows bent at roughly 90-degrees and the pads sitting on the outside of your upper arms.
Lift both arms until they’re parallel with the floor. Your elbows and upper arms should be in-line with your shoulders. Lower the pads with control. The bent arm position helps to focus the work on the shoulders and reduces the temptation to use your traps and upper back muscles.
Benefits of the Machine Lateral Raise
The machine provides a controlled setup which makes it safer to take sets up to, or beyond, muscular failure.
The machine lateral raise offers constant resistance throughout the entire range of motion, creating a longer time under tension and greater muscle-building stimulus.
Cable Lateral Raise
This version of the lateral raise is normally performed unilaterally (one arm at a time). The cable provides constant tension, so you are forced to work against the resistance throughout the whole range of motion.
The movement is also more strict because it is harder to use momentum to lift the weight due to the cable pulley. The cable setup also allows you to increase muscular stress in the lower portion of the repetition, compared to dumbbell lateral raises which have reduced resistance in the bottom of each rep.
How to Do the Cable Lateral Raise
Attach a single handle to a cable pulley set just below your knee. Stand sideways to the pulley with your non-working arm near the weight stack. Grab the handle with your palm facing the cable pulley. Begin with your arm slightly bent and your hand just below your belly button. Raise the handle sideways until your elbow is in line with your shoulder. Imagine reaching your hand out as far away from your body as you can. This should stop you from lifting your shoulders and engaging your traps.
Hold the top position for one second and initiate the eccentric portion as slowly. Pause briefly in the bottom position before starting the next rep to emphasize the stretched position.
Benefits of the Cable Lateral Raise
The cable lateral raise provides high-tension with relatively light weights. It can be humbling and much harder than you think, making it a joint-friendly way to train without needing to move heavy weights.
The unilateral movement allows you to concentrate on the working muscle, which can improve the mind-muscle connection and boost muscle growth.
Chest-Supported Lateral Raise
This version of the classic dumbbell lateral raise puts you in a more supported position with a greater opportunity use strict form and avoid momentum. This shifts more stress onto the side head of the shoulders.
The chest-supported lateral raise is perfect for high volume with slow repetitions. The bench support reduces lower back strain by removing your ability to swing your torso when lifting the weights.
How to Do the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise
Set an adjustable bench slightly below vertical. Straddle the bench with your chest supported on the back pad. Bring your arms slightly in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.
Raise your arms up and out to the sides. Focus on feeling tension in your shoulders and not your traps or back. Pause briefly when your hands reach shoulder-height. You can further reduce momentum and increase muscle tension by taking two seconds to raise the weights and two seconds to lower them.
Benefits of the Chest-Supported Lateral Raise
The stabilized body position significantly reduces lower back strain, making it an ideal option for lifters with back issues.
The chest-supported lateral raise reinforces strict exercise performance by limiting the ability to swing your body and create momentum.
Machine Rear Delt Flye
The rear deltoid is the forgotten child of the shoulder family. It gets some secondary attention during many pulling movements like pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts, but this relatively small muscle head rarely gets the attention it deserves when it comes to direct shoulder training.
The rear deltoid is not only important for building a well-rounded, well-muscled shoulder. It also plays a key role in overall shoulder joint health. Strong posterior deltoids are associated with rotator cuff health and overall shoulder mobility.(3)
How to Do the Machine Rear Delt Flye
Adjust the seat height until the handles are in-line or slightly higher than your shoulders. If the handles are too low, you’ll get a lot of help from the muscles in the upper back and triceps which are both stronger than the rear deltoids.
Face into the seat, brace against the pad, and grab the handles with a thumbs-up grip. Keep your arms slightly bent as you pull back until your elbows are even with your shoulders. Focus on separating your hands as far away from your body as possible instead of pulling your shoulders together.
Benefits of the Machine Rear Delt Flye
The machine rear delt flye allows total-body support for focused work on the small target muscle.
This exercise is ideal for working the rear deltoids with a high volume of work without fatiguing surrounding muscles. Performing the exercise three to four times per week with two to three sets of 10-15 can be an effective way to emphasize the rear delts.
Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt flye
The cable rear delt flye allows you to take the muscle through a very long range of motion, across your entire body, with constant tension. The adjustable pulley makes it easier to set the height of the cable appropriately for your body compared to rear delt machines with fewer seat height options.
When performed correctly and with strict technique, this is an extremely effective high-tension, isolation exercise to zone in on the rear delt with minimal contribution from other body parts.
How to Do the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye
Set the cable pulley to just above shoulder-height. You can either hold the end of the cable without a handle attachment or, if it’s uncomfortable, grab a single rope handle. Set up perpendicular to the cable and grab the handle palm-down with your outside arm. Begin with your arm straight and your hand in line with your chin.
This is where the muscle will be at its most lengthened under load. Reach your arm away from your body, keeping your hand at chin-height to avoid recruiting muscles in the upper back. Don’t twist your upper body as your arm extends to the side. Pause briefly when your arm is extended directly to your side before returning to the starting position.
Benefits of the Single-Arm Cable Rear Delt Flye
The cable pulley provides constant tension for improved muscle growth.
The single-arm cable rear delt flye helps to improve the mind-muscle connection by limiting the muscles that can contribute to the movement.
The standing position recruits your core stabilizers, particularly your oblique muscles, more than many other shoulder movements.
Pike Push-Up
The full handstand push-up is a very advanced skill, but you can use a variation to successfully improve strength and shoulder mobility, with the latter being a major benefit.
By setting your feet on an elevated platform and “piking” your body into an L-shape, you build overhead pressing strength using only your bodyweight, while improving your leverage and reducing the overall load you need to press.
How to Do the Pike Push-Up
Place your hands on the floor and your knees on a 20 to 24-inch box or bench. Hinge at your hips to bring your upper body close to perpendicular to the ground. Bend your elbows to lower your head down toward the ground.
Keep your core engaged and maintain a stable position as you press up. Keep your hips stacked over your ribcage, and your shoulders over your hands. In the fully locked out position, drive your shoulders toward your ears to engage your serratus anterior (near your chest, ribs, and abs). This will open your upper back and shoulders for more range of motion.
Benefits of the Pike Push-Up
The pike push-up works well as a thorough upper body warm-up performing, performing several sets of three to five reps before any other pressing exercises.
The inverted position helps to build core strength while also improving hip and hamstring mobility and stability.
This is one of the few bodyweight exercises to emphasize the shoulders. The majority of push-up variations emphasize the chest or triceps.
The Shoulder Muscles
Because your shoulder muscles are comprised of three separate heads, each emphasized by different movements and functions, a well-designed shoulder workout recognizes and addresses their differences. This is the most efficient way to build maximum size and strength.
Anterior Deltoid
The anterior deltoid, or front delt, is located in the front section of the shoulder muscle. It, appropriately, is involved in raising the arm from your side, in front of your body, to an overhead position.
Because this is an extremely common movement, the anterior deltoid is stimulated and recruited during many common exercises including many variations of the chest press, all varieties of overhead pressing, and even many biceps curls. Specific isolation exercises targeting the anterior deltoid are not often a focus of shoulder workouts, to avoid overtraining the frequently used muscle.
Lateral Deltoid
The lateral, or side, delt is the most aesthetically important section of the shoulders because it’s responsible for most of the visible width of the muscle. When looking to dramatically change your physique, emphasizing the side deltoid using lateral raise variations is the most efficient approach, but the side delts are also heavily recruited during any overhead press movement.
Posterior Deltoid
The posterior, or rear, deltoid head is sometimes considered part of the “upper back” musculature, but it resides specifically on the shoulder itself. This muscle head attaches along the shoulder blade and is involved in moving the shoulder blades toward and away from your spine. The rear delts also play a major role in pulling your upper arm backward from an extended position.
Credit: Kzenon / Shutterstock
These two functions are similar to many back muscles, like the rhomboids, trapezius, and teres. While the rear delts contribute to many back exercises, they are often “overpowered” by relatively larger muscles, which is why rear delt flye variations are needed to prioritize the muscle.
How Often Should You Train The Shoulders?
Similar to other muscle groups, training a muscle more frequently seems to be better for strength, hypertrophy, and athletic performance.(4) Most people will do well training shoulders two times per week, as you’ll get a lot of extra work from many other upper body exercises like presses and rows.
If you were going to do a short-term specialization phase, you could train shoulders up to four or five times per week with a well-planned routine that manipulates volume and intensity to allow recovery and growth.
How to Progress Your Shoulder Training
Categorize exercises into movements that focus on strength, volume, or isolation (single-joint). Pick one exercise for each of those categories. Strength exercises are programmed with relatively heavy weights and low reps. Volume movements are more efficiently trained with moderately challenging weights in the eight to 15 rep range. Isolation exercises include flye and raise variations which involve only the shoulder joint, not the elbow (which is involved in pressing exercises).
The most common mistake when it comes to shoulder training is doing too much isolation work — too many flyes and raises with less pressing. This could be a symptom of using a chest, shoulder, and triceps workout in your training split, or having an upper body workout which makes the shoulders a relatively lower priority compared to the back and chest.
Credit: Rido / Shutterstock
However because your shoulders are involved in many movements indirectly, you can generally get away with relatively less direct volume as long as you achieve sufficient volume each week. Try to approach shoulder training with two main phases: Intensity and accumulation.
In an “intensity” phase, focus more on building strength and power. Pick either a strength movement, a volume movement, and an isolation movement or a strength and two isolation movements, and focus your shoulder training on this limited selection of movements.
In an “accumulation” phase, the focus is on performing more total volume so, appropriately, pick a volume exercise plus two isolation movements or three isolation exercises. Workouts will involve racking up the reps and piling on the muscle-building tension.
Alternating between those two phases, spending several weeks in each, can help you keep as much strength as possible during the accumulation phase while maintain work capacity and conditioning during the intensity phase, as muscle growth rolls in throughout both.
How to Warm-Up Your Shoulders
The design of the shoulder joint makes it versatile and crucial to a number of movements, but it can also be prone to injury if trained improperly. A simple and effective shoulder warm-up can mean the difference between results and nagging injuries, so take the time to get blood flowing before any session. Grab a resistance band and try this simple circuit.
Scapular Pull-Up: Hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Keep your arms straight as you “reverse shrug” and drive your shoulders and shoulder blades toward the ground. Hold the top position briefly before reversing the motion to push your body away from the bar. Perform 10 repetitions before moving to the next exercise.
Yoga Push-Up: Get on the ground with your feet well-beyond shoulder-width and your hands in-line with your shoulders. Descend into a standard push-up. When your chest is slightly above the floor, press up while pushing your hips back at an upward angle. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings as your torso and legs form an upside down “V” shape. Reverse the motion and perform for three to five reps.
Band Pull-Apart: Take a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Begin with your arms extended in front of your chest. Keep your arms nearly locked while pulling your hands in line with your shoulders. The band should touch your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions before repeating the first exercise. Perform a total of three circuits.
The Path to Bolder, Boulder Shoulders
“Shoulder press and lateral raise” is often the default shoulder workout for beginners. While those are two fundamental exercises, complete shoulder development requires a better thought-out approach to training. By choosing specific exercises to emphasize power, strength, or particular muscle heads, you can take your shoulder development and strength to the next-level. Rethink your approach to shoulder training, incorporate the right movements, and you’ll be on the way to a stronger, wider set of delts.
References
Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562
Nazário-de-Rezende, Fernando et al. Déficit bilateral em exercício multiarticular para membros superiores. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte [online]. 2012, v. 18, n. 6 [Accessed 26 October 2022] , pp. 385-389. Available from: <https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008>. Epub 14 Feb 2013. ISSN 1806-9940. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922012000600008.
Dyrna, F., Kumar, N. S., Obopilwe, E., Scheiderer, B., Comer, B., Nowak, M., Romeo, A. A., Mazzocca, A. D., & Beitzel, K. (2018). Relationship Between Deltoid and Rotator Cuff Muscles During Dynamic Shoulder Abduction: A Biomechanical Study of Rotator Cuff Tear Progression. The American journal of sports medicine, 46(8), 1919–1926. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546518768276
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Most lifters in the gym have performed the classic flat bench press to build chest size and upper body pressing strength. When it comes to variations of this time-honored exercise, most lifters adjust the angle to target the “upper chest” using an incline press or focus on the “lower pecs” with a decline bench.
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However, many people overlook a highly effective adjustment right at their fingertips, literally. By moving your hand position slightly inward, you turn the chest-building flat bench press into the triceps-building close-grip bench press.
This changes the training stimulus and emphasizes the tricep muscles, increases the movement’s range of motion, and still builds serious upper body pressing power. Here’s everything you need to know about getting started with this simple movement for size and strength.
The close-grip bench press biases the triceps muscles with specific exercise performance and a longer range of motion. As its name implies, the close-grip bench press requires your hands to be closer than during a standard bench press. This increases the range of motion and puts your elbows through more elbow flexion and extension, which emphasizes your triceps over your chest.
Step 1 — Set Up on the Bench
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Lie down on a flat bench. Push your feet into the floor to slide yourself up the bench until your eye are under the barbell. Pull your shoulders down and back. Place your hands around the bar in a pronated (palm down) grip with your hands close to shoulder-width apart. (1)
The basic technique should almost identical to your standard flat bench press setup. The primary difference is that your hands should now be at least one fist-width (four to six inches) closer than the chest-focused exercise. This is essential for recruiting more triceps into the movement.
Form Tip: While a relatively close grip is necessary, taking an excessively close grip can be counterproductive, creating more joint strain and less muscular stress. Some old school lifters believe your thumbs should be able to touch during the close-grip bench press. This is inaccurate, impractical, and inefficient advice. Having your hands roughly in line with your shoulders will be effective for the majority of lifters.
Step 2 — Unrack the Bar
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Fill your belly and chest with a deep breath and lift the bar from the support pins. Maintain full body tension from your flat feet through your core to your shoulders.
With stiff arms, guide the bar forward until it is over your shoulders. Keep your shoulders pinched back to engage your upper back for support.
Form Tip: The bar should feel balanced when it settles into the ideal position. If you feel like you’re “fighting” an unstable weight above your body, it is either still too far above your face or too far toward your abs. Control the weight and reach a strong, stable position before lowering the weight.
Step 3 — Lower the Bar
Credit: Skydive Erick / Shutterstock
Lower the bar toward your torso, keeping your elbows stacked under your wrists. This position keeps your tricep under tension, avoids compensation from the deltoids (shoulders), and minimizes strain on your joints.
Keep your elbows close to your ribs. If they begin to flare out to the sides, tuck them back in toward your body. Bring the bar down as close to your body as your mobility allows, ideally reaching near your sternum and lower chest.
Form Tip: Don’t allow your wrists to bend back throughout the rep. Keep your knuckles facing the ceiling. This will keep your wrists in a more favorable, less stressful position. It also helps to keep your wrists stacked above your elbows, which is a more powerful pressing position than falling out of line.
Step 4 — Press to the Starting Position
Credit: Daniel Krason / Shutterstock
After reaching your maximum comfortable depth, press the bar up to its starting position. Keep your feet flat on the floor and feel total-body engagement. Maintain a neutral wrist position above your elbows.
The bar should end up balanced directly over your shoulders, in the same position it was in after being unracked.
Form Tip: Because the objective of the exercise is to challenge the triceps, actively squeeze your triceps in the locked out position before performing the next repetition.
Close-Grip Bench Press Mistakes to Avoid
There are multiple mistakes that can happen in the close-grip bench press because this free weight exercise has many variables that must be controlled by the lifter.
In contrast, certain machine exercises can lock you into pre-determined positions that do not offer as much positional choice. In other words, manipulating a barbell requires more focus and more muscular control than a similar machine movement. Here’s what to watch out for during this exercise.
Elbows Flaring Out
This is probably the most common mistake people make when doing any triceps exercise. Your elbows must track under your wrists to emphasize the lengthening of the muscle during the eccentric, or lowering phase, of the repetition.
Credit: Sarayut Sridee / Shutterstock
When your elbows flare out to the sides, your shoulders are more strongly contracted, which reduces the load on the triceps.
Avoid it: Use a slow tempo when bringing the bar down toward your chest. Take three seconds to lower the weight and focus controlling your elbow angle. Keep your elbows forward toward your feet rather than out to the side. Once you’ve practiced and feel comfortable, gradually increase the bar speed to a point in which you are able to control your elbow position throughout the entire movement.
Gripping Too Narrow or Too Wide
If your grip is too narrow, your elbows will likely flare out excessively, forcing your deltoids to contribute more to the movement. A too-narrow grip position can also contribute to internal rotation of the shoulder which, over time, may increase the risk of injury to the supraspinatus muscle of the shoulder joint.
Credit: David Herraez Calzada / Shutterstock
However, a grip that’s too wide can be just as counterproductive, by decreasing the demand on the triceps and increasing chest recruitment. A close-grip bench press without a close grip is a plain old bench press.
Avoid it: Research has shown that the optimal grip for a close-grip bench press is the the same as the distance between the acromion (outer edge) of your shoulder blades.(2) During the setup phase of the exercise, place your hands shoulder-distance apart with your wrists, elbows, and shoulders in a straight line. This will create a customized grip as everyone has a unique shoulder width, rather than telling every lifter in every gym to arbitrarily set their hands 18 inches apart, for example.
Inefficient Bar Path
It is important to remember that the bar path in the bench press is not a strictly vertical line. The bar begins over your shoulders and will travel down and slightly forward as it’s lowered, in a slight arc-like path.
Compared to the standard bench press, the close-grip bench press has an increased range of motion and will therefore have a different touch-point on the body and a different bar path than the standard bench press.
Credit: Hryshchyshen Serhii / Shutterstock
It is important to remember that the bar will touch lower on your chest in a close-grip bench than a standard bench press. If you attempt to use the same touch-point for both movements, it will lead to excessive elbow flare to compensate for the inefficient motion.
Avoid it: Aim for the bar to touch around the narrowing point of the bottom of your sternum — the xiphoid process. However, the exact spot will vary slightly from person to person based on their arm length, ribcage size, and overall body position.
How to Progress the Close-Grip Bench Press
As a basic barbell exercise, the close-grip bench press can be adapted to suit a wide range of lifters’ capabilities with progressively heavier weights. However, if individuals cannot yet manage a full range of motion with the barbell, there are a few options to help achieve the exercise.
Close-Grip Floor Press
The floor press variation reinforces the same close-grip setup and general bar path with a reduced range of motion. While one benefit of the close-grip bench press (performed on a flat bench) is a relatively long range of motion, this floor press variation eliminates the lower portion of the exercise. This reduces shoulder strain while maintaining muscular stress on the triceps.
The close-grip floor press allows you to become familiar with the grip width and hand position, and encourages proper form while staying tight and controlling the movement. Don’t allow your elbows to rest on the ground.
Paused Close-Grip Bench Press
By incorporating a deliberate, long pause at the bottom and top of each repetition, you reinforce proper mechanics throughout the movement. Pause in the bottom, stretched position of every rep for two seconds. It’s crucial that you maintain tension and do not relax with the bar resting on your chest. Your muscles should be tight and engaged for the duration.
Press normally and hold the locked out position for two seconds. Again, don’t treat the pause as an opportunity for rest. Grip the bar hard, flex your triceps, and engage your core before lowering the weight again.
Benefits of the Close-Grip Bench Press
The close-grip bench press has multiple benefits, from performance to aesthetics and even longevity in barbell training. Here’s why you should incorporate this useful movement.
Strength and Performance
For powerlifters or gym-goers looking to increase their max bench press, the close-grip bench press has specific benefits with direct carryover to your bench. If you struggle specifically at lockout, you likely need to improve your triceps strength.
The close-grip bench press primarily challenges the triceps, leading to greater pressing strength.(3) This simple exercise variation could be what is missing from your training routine to push through your sticking point and reach a new bench press PR.
Muscle-Building and Aesthetics
Filling out the sleeves of a shirt is never a bad idea. While triceps dips and pushdowns challenge the lateral head of the triceps in particular, the close-grip bench press significantly recruits the medial and lateral head, leading to more well-rounded muscular development.
This compound (multi-joint) movement also has an increased effect on muscle hypertrophy because it allows you to use relatively heavy weights, which can be useful for stimulating growth.(4)
Joint Health
If you consistently train using a limited range of motion for any muscle or exercise, you can develop strength in that range. However, this can also create a greater risk for strains and tears when those muscles are put through a greater range of motion with “fully lengthened” or “fully shortened” positions. (5)
Credit: Halfpoint / Shutterstock
The close-grip bench press does challenge a greater range of motion than the standard grip due to the positioning of the hands on the bar. The shoulder joints are worked through a longer distance. This will stress the triceps in the lengthened ranges, making them more robust and relatively less prone to injury.
Muscles Worked by the Close-Grip Bench Press
The close-grip bench press is most commonly known for challenging the triceps muscles, however there are more muscles involved than you may think.
Pectorals Major and Minor
The pectoralis major and pectoralis minor are your chest muscles and, while they are not the major contributors to the close-grip bench press, they do play an important role in the movement. During both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases, both the pec major and minor are recruited to lift the weight and push your arms upward.
Anterior Deltoid
Your shoulder is comprised of three separate heads — the front (anterior), side (lateral), and rear (posterior). Each helps to raise the arm in its respective direction from your body’s midline. The anterior deltoid, specifically, contributes to raising and lowering your upper arm during the close-grip bench press.
However, be aware that if your anterior deltoid is fatiguing before other muscles groups during the exercise, your elbows are likely flaring too much. Adjusting your grip and/or bar path should ensure maximum focus on your triceps.
Triceps Brachii
Your triceps make up the majority of your upper arm, relative to your biceps. The triceps muscle consists of three heads — the lateral, medial, and long head — and together their main action is to extend the arm from a bent elbow position to full to elbow extension. The triceps contraction is emphasized in the lockout of the exercise where the triceps are more strongly recruited.
How to Program the Close-Grip Bench Press
When programming the close-grip bench press, the main consideration needs to be your goal. The most effective approach will be determined by what you want to achieve with the movement and how it fits into your overall training plan.
Strength
To prioritize strength-building, reps need to be kept in a relatively lower range while working with higher percentages of your one-repetition max (1RM). Train with two to six sets of one to five reps, using 80 to 95% of 1RM.
The amount of sets can vary based on your experience, conditioning, and abilities. More is not always better if you can’t handle it. Regardless of your total training volume, focus on using a fast bar speed and fully locking out each repetition.
Hypertrophy
Using moderate to high sets with moderate to higher reps will provide a greater hypertrophy adaptation. For muscle growth to occur, the muscle needs stimulus, volume, and fatigue.(6) Work with three to six sets eight to 20 repetitions, using of 55-65% of 1RM.
The goal is to reach muscular fatigue at the end of each set. If you’re performing more triceps-focused exercises in the same workout, use fewer sets and reps. If the close-grip bench press is your primary triceps exercise, give it the higher end of the workload.
Close-Grip Bench Press Variations
Beyond the close-grip bench press itself, there are some variations you can implement for comparable benefits of hypertrophy and improving your pressing power.
Banded Close-Grip Bench Press
To increase pressing power and/or improve your lockout ability, adding resistance bands of various tension to the close-grip bench press will challenge upper range of motion. Resistance bands offer accommodating resistance — they get more challenging as they’re stretched farther and offer relatively less resistance before they’re maximally stretched.
The biomechanics of the bench press, the lockout position requires less energy and benefits from a leverage advantage. As your elbows become more extended, the weight feels “lighter.” Bands require you to apply maximum tension as resistance increases toward the top position, forcing a stronger contraction. As the bar travels upward, band tension increases at the lockout. This forces you to consciously produce more power and drive hard to achieve lockout.
Machine Press
This is an excellent variation for hypertrophy goals. Using any machine that mimics a similar set up as the close-grip bench gives you more options for hypertrophy. The design of machines allows lifters to efficiently incorporate a variety of high-intensity techniques for increased training stimulus.
Options such as such as drop sets, partial reps, or even forced reps with a training partner allow for greater variations in your workouts. This is also a safer option than training beyond muscular fatigue with the close-grip bench press.
Close-Grip Push-Up
This triceps-focused push-up variation is a nice complement to any training program, as a primary exercise or as a muscle-exhausting finishing movement. Since your hands are closer together, like the close-grip bench press, the range of motion is greater than a standard push-up, thus making it more challenging.
If you cannot perform a full range of motion rep from your toes, you opt for modified versions such as a close-grip inclined push-up (with your hands elevated on a bench) or a kneeling close-grip push up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the close-grip bench press hurt my shoulder?
There could be multiple factors at work, but most people’s shoulders hurt due to a lack of stability in the upper back. This requires a better focus on scapular retraction and depression — pulling your shoulder blades together and down.
During the exercise, make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades back toward your spine and “tuck” them down toward your back pockets. This stabilizes your entire shoulder girdle to support the load. If it’s done incorrectly, or not at all, your anterior deltoid is more strongly activated as your shoulder goes into protraction (reaching forward) and elevation (shrugging up to your ears).
A variety of upper back strengthening exercises and mobility drills can help, along with drilling proper pressing technique and cueing your upper back stabilizers before unracking the bar.
What alternative can I do if I don’t have a bench?
Any exercise that challenges your upper body pressing muscles in a supine position can be an effective alternative. If you don’t have a bench but can lie on the floor, this is a great alternative. A dumbbell or barbell floor press is a great exercise whenever a bench is unavailable. The focus on the upper half of the range of motion further emphasizes triceps recruitment.
Most commercial gyms have steps, boxes, and risers that can be used as modified bench. Ideally, you want the improvised bench to be the same height as a standard one. Place a yoga mat on top of the step or box to reduce the risk of your torso slipping off.
Get a Grip on Your Bench
The close-grip bench press can be performed either as an assistance exercise to boost your classic bench press or it can be approached as a main movement on its own to develop a stronger upper body. The added arm size is an incidental bonus. Apply this simple grip adjustment to a time-tested movement and you’ll soon welcome new levels of size and strength.
References
Lockie, Robert & Moreno, Matthew. (2017). The Close-Grip Bench Press. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39. 1. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000307.
Larsen, S., Gomo, O., & van den Tillaar, R. (2021). A Biomechanical Analysis of Wide, Medium, and Narrow Grip Width Effects on Kinematics, Horizontal Kinetics, and Muscle Activity on the Sticking Region in Recreationally Trained Males During 1-RM Bench Pressing. Frontiers in sports and active living, 2, 637066. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.637066
Saeterbakken, A. H., Stien, N., Pedersen, H., Solstad, T., Cumming, K. T., & Andersen, V. (2021). The Effect of Grip Width on Muscle Strength and Electromyographic Activity in Bench Press among Novice- and Resistance-Trained Men. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(12), 6444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126444
Brandão, Lucas & Painelli, Vitor & Lasevicius, Thiago & Silva-Batista, Carla & Brendon, Helderson & Schoenfeld, Brad & Aihara, Andre & Cardoso, Fabiano & Peres, Bergson & Teixeira, Emerson. (2020). Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 34. 1. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003550.
Valamatos, M. J., Tavares, F., Santos, R. M., Veloso, A. P., & Mil-Homens, P. (2018). Influence of full range of motion vs. equalized partial range of motion training on muscle architecture and mechanical properties. European journal of applied physiology, 118(9), 1969–1983. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3932-x
Mangine, G. T., Hoffman, J. R., Gonzalez, A. M., Townsend, J. R., Wells, A. J., Jajtner, A. R., Beyer, K. S., Boone, C. H., Miramonti, A. A., Wang, R., LaMonica, M. B., Fukuda, D. H., Ratamess, N. A., & Stout, J. R. (2015). The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiological reports, 3(8), e12472. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12472
Psoriasis is a skin disorder in which your skin cells reproduce too quickly, leading to scaly skin, rashes, or blisters. With plaque psoriasis (the most common form), red, flaky patches rise on the scalp, face, knees, elbows, lower back—anywhere on the body, really. Other types present differently. Inverse psoriasis, for example, appears as smooth red blotches mostly in skin folds, while the relatively rare erythrodermic psoriasis causes skin peeling on large areas of the body. Psoriasis can also affect fingernails and toenails.
Not only is psoriasis often itchy or painful, it can take a serious emotional toll. Patients report feeling embarrassed or stigmatized because of their skin’s appearance. Although there are a number of pharmaceutical, over-the-counter, and natural treatments available, there is no cure for psoriasis. The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms and put it into remission, but flare-ups can (and for many people do) occur regularly.
For folks living with psoriasis, it can be hard to find relief. Some aspects of a Primal lifestyle may be able to help.
What Causes Psoriasis
Scientists believe that psoriasis is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. But despite its prevalence—about 3 percent of U.S. adults have psoriasis1—it’s still somewhat inscrutable.
Psoriasis is often confused with eczema, even by people making the diagnosis. Your doctor may opt for a skin biopsy to be sure. Both can present as dry, itchy, inflamed skin. And both may be triggered by stress, skin injuries, and cold, dry environments. However, they have different causes (only somewhat understood). With eczema, skin is overly sensitive due to dysregulation in the immune system, but skin cells do not turn over rapidly as with psoriasis. And whereas eczema is more common in kids, psoriasis is more common in adults.
Most experts agree that psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder. Skin issues are the outward manifestation of the disease, but under the surface lurks chronic, systemic inflammation. People with psoriasis are at greater risk for other chronic health conditions like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, depression, and kidney and liver diseases.23 Around one in three people with psoriasis also develop a related condition called psoriatic arthritis. The worse your psoriasis, the greater the risk of developing these comorbidities.
However, experts are unsure whether psoriasis causes inflammation, in turn leading to other problems. Another possibility is that some common factor leads to systemic inflammation which causes both psoriasis and other disorders to develop concurrently. Either way, strategies aimed at mitigating inflammation, like some of the ones I’ll mention today, are a must for psoriasis sufferers.
How to Treat Psoriasis
There are several pharmaceutical options available. Whether or not you decide to go down that route is a decision you have to make with your doctor. Some of these drugs may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other serious comorbidities. But like all drugs, they also have side effects. Some common psoriasis medications (acitretin, methotrexate, tazarotene) are not safe during pregnancy. The American Academy of Dermatologists advises people who are planning to become pregnant to avoid these medications (men should also avoid methotrexate when trying to conceive).
Whatever you decide, I know a lot of my readers will also be interested in exploring nutrition, supplementation, and other behavioral options to augment their treatment. Psoriasis is notoriously stubborn. Even when someone is in remission, stress, illness, injury, certain medications, cold weather, and smoking or drinking alcohol can trigger a flare-up. It’s wise, therefore, to seek a multi-pronged approach aimed at tackling the rashes (outside) and managing inflammation (inside).
Treating psoriasis with diet interventions
Eating a diet low in foods that cause inflammation and gut issues should be a top priority for psoriasis patients. First and foremost, I’d strongly suggest that anyone with psoriasis eliminate gluten. Celiac disease is three times more prevalent among psoriasis patients than in the general population.4 Mon-celiac gluten sensitivity probably is much more common as well. Of course, I don’t think anyone needs to be eating grains, but avoidance is an especially good idea for folks with autoimmune illness.
Beyond that, you might consider trying an elimination and reintroduction diet like an autoimmune protocol, or AIP. AIP is no fun, but it might be worth it, especially if your psoriasis is poorly managed currently. Just don’t skip the reintroduction part. The idea isn’t to strictly limit your food choices forever but to identify trigger foods so you have more control over flare-ups.
And seriously moderating or avoiding alcohol is a no-brainer, both because it can intensify symptoms and due to the increased risk of liver disease.5
Supplements to try
Supplementing with fish oil, selenium, and vitamins D and B12 may help, although some people don’t notice any particular benefit.6 (B12 and D, along with vitamin A, might also be useful when applied topically.7)
There is also a lot of interest in curcumin, a compound found in turmeric. A number of small trials have yielded some success, but it’s still early. A recent meta-analysis concluded that the available data do not support using curcumin topically, but taking it as an oral supplement shows promise.8
Stress reduction
As I’ve mentioned, stress leads to psoriasis flare-ups.9 Therefore, it’s worthwhile to moderate stress however you can manage.
Meditation and guided imagery seem to work.10 Treat yourself to a relaxing Epsom salt or oatmeal bath, then apply some of the topical treatments below.
Phototherapy
A variety of different phototherapy options are available to treat psoriasis. The best one for you depends on the type of psoriasis you have and how severe it is. Your doctor might opt for narrowband or broadband UVB, UVA, pulsed dye laser, LED, red light therapy, or something else based on your case.11
Nature’s original phototherapy—akasunlight—can also be an effective tool. Some psoriasis meds make you more photosensitive, though, so be aware.
Topical treatments
Your doctor might recommend creams with salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione, or coal tar. Some folks are wary of the latter due to possible carcinogenic effects. Human studies suggest coal tar is safe when applied topically in creams or shampoos, and the FDA has deemed it so. Go with your comfort level here.
If you’re interested in a more natural route, try aloe vera, apple cider vinegar (diluted 1:1 with water), tea tree oil, or mahonia (Oregon grape) cream.12
The Bottom Line
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition where your skin cells turn over too quickly, causing red, flaky, itchy, painful rashes. You can’t cure it, but you can get symptom relief. I’ve received quite a few Success Stories over the years from readers whose psoriasis went into remission after they started following the Primal Blueprint. I chalk that up primarily to removing pro-inflammatory foods, but sun exposure and stress management surely help too.
Even with your best efforts, psoriasis flares are likely to come and go throughout your life. The best thing you can do is experiment. Find the combination of treatments that your skin responds to best to so you’re prepared next time.
In mid-July 2022, Križánek announced that he would be switching to the IFBB Pro League. A few months later, in October 2022, he earned his official IFBB Pro League card by winning the 2022 Amateur Olympia Italy. Now, with his first IFBB Pro League contest — the 2022 EVLS Prague Pro — on the horizon, the athlete shared a look at where he stands physique-wise in an Oct. 21, 2022, Instagram post. (Note: That contest will take place on Oct. 29, 2022, in Prague, Czech Republic.)
For someone vying for a roster spot in December’s Olympia, Križánek certainly looks the part of a shredded, well-trained mass dynamo. With a potentially momentous performance awaiting Križánek at the 2022 EVLS Prague Pro, he preceded this physique update with a short breakdown of a recent chest workout that he posted to his YouTube channel on Oct. 20, 2022.
Should Križánek transfer his training output and recent success to the stage in Prague, a victory would garner him automatic qualification to the 2022 Mr. Olympia. If he does not win, the athlete would need to take home a top-five result, at minimum, to earn points in the Olympia qualification standings. (Note: Only the top three in each bodybuilding division will qualify for the Olympia on a points basis. The points qualification period ends on Nov. 20, 2022.)
According to the IFBB website, the 2022 EVLS Prague Pro is a Tier 3 contest. That means second through fifth-place finishers will earn successive points ranging from six to three. With zero IFBB Pro League contests to his name, these points would be Križánek’s first as a professional in the event he doesn’t win outright.
It’s been quite a long and winding competitive journey for Križánek over the past few months. A victory in 2022 EVLS Prague Pro would assuredly not end it. The bodybuilder, like his peers, has aspirations of excelling on the Olympia stage. At his rapid pace of progression, it’s not clear what, if anything, could halt those dreams.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Featured image: @ifbb_pro_michalkrizokrizanek on Instagram
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
After almost three years away from competitive strength sports, Hafthor Björnsson is ready to go full throttle again and dial up the unique power that helps him live up to the nickname of “The Mountain.”
On Oct. 22, 2022, Björnsson shared a video on his YouTube channel where he trains and works through a light deadlift session while making a significant career announcement — he will be making a return to sanctioned powerlifting. The athlete disclosed that his first powerlifting appearance since December 2018 will happen on Dec. 3, 2022, but did not clarify what the competition is specifically.
Judging by Björnsson’s tenor while revealing his return to powerlifting, it seems the athlete will use this first undisclosed meet as a trial run of sorts. He wants to see “how the bar will react” while he lifts raw — a lifting style that can be a far cry from the lifting straps, wraps, and fully-equipped set-up of some strongman events.
In terms of setting reasonable expectations for himself as a powerlifter, Björnsson is aiming high. He wants to record a total of at least 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds). Björnsson’s all-time raw competition best total as a powerlifter is 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) from the 2018 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Thor’s Powerlifting Challenge.
Here’s an overview of Björnsson’s all-time raw competition bests from his powerlifting career:
*Hafthor Björnsson | All-Time Raw Competition Powerlifting Bests
*Note: According to Open Powerlifting, Björnsson has never recorded a raw squat during an official powerlifting contest.
**Note: According to Open Powerlifting, Björnsson has never competed in a three-lift raw powerlifting meet. This total includes only a bench press and deadlift.
Björnsson’s announcement of a powerlifting return comes on the heels of his “partial” comeback to strongman. In mid-October 2022, the 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion revealed that he would push to break his own weight-over-bar World Record at the 2022 Rogue Invitational on Oct. 28-30. The current weight-over-bar mark from the 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic — which, again, Björnsson owns — is a weight of 56 pounds thrown over a height of 20’2″.
Should Björnsson officially surpass that record figure, he alluded to a future where he may try to break his own deadlift World Record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) from the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series. In the event that the potential goal is successful, Björnsson would naturally be the first-ever strongman to deadlift over 501 kilograms.
For an impeccably strong athlete like Björnsson, it appears he wants to rekindle the passions that pushed him to the top of the strength sports world. At this rate, knowing what Björnsson brings to the table, who’s to say the strongman/powerlifter won’t excel on a consistent level again?
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Max Shethar is no typical 20-year-old. Whereas many young people his age might focus on fitting general exercise into their otherwise packed schedules, the powerlifter spends much of his time training and refining his strength craft. That commitment is starting to pay off more and more.
On Oct. 23, 2022, Shethar (+140KG) shared a video of himself capturing a 342.3-kilogram (755-pound) raw back squat during the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) All-Valley Raw Championships. The contest took place in Bozeman, MT, on Oct. 22, 2022. According to Open Powerlifting, Shethar’s top squat is a new competition personal record (PR). The athlete wore a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps to help with the accomplishment.
In addition to a new competition PR squat, a couple of other Instagram posts detailed that Shethar logged a 210-kilogram (463-pound) raw bench press PR. It wasn’t a PR try, but Shethar also made an unsuccessful attempt at deadlifting 355.1 kilograms (783 pounds) but could not lock out the rep. He would have to settle for a final pull of 330 kilograms (727.5 pounds). The athlete wore just wrist wraps for his bench press and just a lifting belt while deadlifting.
Here’s a complete overview of Shethar’s performance at the 2022 USAPL All-Valley Raw Championships:
Max Shethar (+140KG) | 2022 USAPL All-Valley Raw Championships Top Stats
This isn’t the first instance Shethar has shined on a sanctioned lifting platform this year.
In mid-June 2022, during a first-place performance at the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Drug Tested Matt Hurley Memorial Meet, the powerlifter broke two Juniors 18-19 World Records in the +140-kilogram division. The record marks were a 365-kilogram (804.7-pound) deadlift and a 907.2-kilogram (2,000-pound) total.
It was much of the same excellence for Shethar, sans any new records, during a first-place result at the 2022 USAPL Big Iron Classic State Championships. To this stage, since March 2017, he has never lost a powerlifting competition.
Here’s a rundown of some of the official results from Shethar’s career to date:
Max Shethar | Career Results*
2017 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Washington State Championships (93KG) — First place | Teen 1 division
2018 USAPL Washington State Championships (125KG) — First place | Teen 1 division
2018 USAPL Raw Nationals (125KG)— First place | Teen 2 division
2019 USPA Drug Tested Washington State Open (+140KG) — First place | Juniors 16-17 division
2021 USPA Ragnarok Invite II (140KG) — First place | Open/Juniors 18-19 division
2022 USAPL Big Iron Classic State Championships (140KG) — First place | Open/Teen 3 division
2022 USPA Drug Tested Matt Hurley Memorial Meet (+140KG) — First place | Open/Juniors 18-19 division
(*Note: At the time of this writing, the full results for the 2022 USAPL All-Valley Raw Championships contest have not been published, making it unclear precisely where Shethar finished.)
After scoring his new PRs, Shethar might already have his next ambition in place. After joining the 800-plus-pound deadlift club in the summer of 2022, the athlete could be on a rapid path to an 800-plus-pound squat in the coming months. Whenever he does compete next; it’s apparent that Shethar may put on a show either way.
We’re officially celebrating 16 years here on Mark’s Daily Apple! To kick off a week of celebratory content we’re highlighting some of our most popular recipes here on the blog. From morning coffee to Mark’s Big Ass salad to slow-cooked pork carnitas there’s a recipe for every occasion. If you re-create any of our top recipes be sure to share photos with us on the MDA Instagram!
Primal Egg Coffee
Forget adding butter and coconut oil to your coffee. To truly supercharge your morning brew, add a few pastured egg yolks. This recipe is ideal for anyone who has a busy day ahead of them as egg coffee seems to work well pre-workout, boosting energy, motivation, and providing a nice source of branched-chain amino acids for the training ahead.
On mornings when a bowl of oatmeal is what your body craves, this hearty and comforting Primal breakfast cereal is exactly what you need. Coconut flakes, almonds, pecans, and the milk of your choice are blended into a creamy, oatmeal-like cereal that’s sweetened with a single Medjool date and topped with fresh berries.
Food cooked sous vide is delicious. The temperature is so precisely controlled that there’s virtually no risk of overcooking or undercooking, and for the most part, it’s a hands-off cooking method. Still, it’s cost-prohibitive for a lot of kitchens. The solution? These adorable little egg bites are not actually made in a sous vide, but instead in an Instant Pot. The end result is a light and fluffy egg bite bursting with flavor.
Most of our reader’s have heard of Mark’s daily “big-ass salad.” It’s been a lunch of choice for a couple of decades at least. Over the years Mark adapted it to his personal tastes, nutritional experiments, and eventually keto practice. While some minimize vegetable intake when they’re eating keto, Mark has never found that necessary or beneficial. In fact, he highly recommends plenty of above-ground vegetables and even berries for an optimally varied, nutrient-dense keto diet.
You’ve probably heard of BLTs and BLTAs, but have you heard of BEATs? We’re talking Bacon, Egg, Avocado, and Tomato salad. It’s a favorite around here for a quick and easy meal that is ready in less than two minutes if you already have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. The secret ingredient is a squirt of lemon juice, which heightens the flavor and adds brightness to this otherwise simple but very satisfying salad.
Inspiration struck after discovering Greek Tacos for the first time. The fresh Mediterranean flavors alongside silky avocado were impossible to ignore. This event let us to create a deconstructed version, a Greek Gyro Salad Recipe.
This is the ultimate cold weather soup and perfect to keep on rotation all winter long. It’s easy to make, and you’ll usually have most of the ingredients you need on hand – just pick up a couple turmeric roots on your next grocery trip that you can have ready for when the mood strikes.
Baked Ham:Mustard & Rosemary, or Sweet-spiced Glazed
A succulent ham pairs well with virtually any side, looks impressive in your serving dish, and makes the best leftovers. The best part about a good baked ham recipe is that it’s easy to prepare, and cook time is short compared to other sizable cuts of meat. We offer two baked ham recipes that play off of ham’s smoky, salty qualities: one version with spicy mustard, rosemary, and a touch of honey to round it out, and the other version that uses a sweet-savory-salty-spiced ham glaze in a jar.
As if slow-cooked, succulent pork wasn’t tempting enough, carnitas takes it one step further by caramelizing the pork in its own fat until the outside is perfectly browned and crisp. It’s difficult to resist the crispy, tender morsels of pork that come out of the oven. Try not to eat so much meat right out of the pan that you’re full before the carnitas makes it to the tablePlate of shredded pork carnitas, avocado, salsa, cilantro!
Sure, Collagen Fuel (or Primal Fuel) is great in smoothies and shakes, but what about when you’re looking for a lower-carb dessert option that doesn’t blow your macros out of the water? This Chocolate Collagen Pudding does the trick quite nicely. This recipe has all of the flavor and creaminess without the sugar and additives. With two scoops of collagen plus cocoa powder and coconut milk, it satisfies even the most discerning chocolate lover.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
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The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
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Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
17 years ago, my friend and mentor Art Devany asked me to write a couple fitness articles for his website. I did. “Escape from Vegan Island” and “The Case Against Cardio” got such huge responses from his readers that I decided to start my own blog.
Psoriasis is a skin disorder in which your skin cells reproduce too quickly, leading to scaly skin, rashes, or blisters. With plaque psoriasis (the most common form), red, flaky patches rise on the scalp, face, knees, elbows, lower back—anywhere on the body, really. Other types present differently. Inverse psoriasis, for example, appears as smooth red blotches mostly in skin folds, while the relatively rare erythrodermic psoriasis causes skin peeling on large areas of the body. Psoriasis can also affect fingernails and toenails.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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