Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On Oct. 9, 2022, during the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Croqueta Classic, Craig Foster scored a 465-kilogram (1,025.1-pound) raw back squat while competing in the +140-kilogram division. Per Foster’s caption in an Instagram post recapping his performance at the contest, the top squat is a new personal record (PR) for the powerlifter.
Foster’s new all-time competition best raw squat officially matches his all-time competition best with wraps from the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash in February 2022. The athlete donned a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps to help him with his leg power achievement. (Note: At the time of this writing, in terms of official results, Foster’s PR squat is all that is clear about his recent performance.)
In addition to notching a new PR, Foster further cemented himself in the annals of powerlifting history. Foster’s 465-kilogram (1,025.1) squat is the third-heaviest raw squat ever, behind Ray Williams (490 kilograms/1,080.2 pounds) and Jezza Uepa (470 kilograms/1,036.1 pounds).
Not the best day but the most fun I’ve had in a meet in a long time.
Foster might be among the current athletes unofficially chasing Williams’ World Record crown atop the squat mountain. One of his other notable peers is Jesus Olivares, who eclipsed the 1,000-pound squat barrier for the first time in a mid-September 2022 workout. However, according to Open Powerlifting, Foster’s new top squat still paces ahead of Olivares’ best on an official basis by 15 kilograms (33.1 pounds), leaving Foster with pole position to potentially challenge Williams’ figure in time.
Here’s a complete overview of Foster’s all-time raw competition bests:
*Note: Foster may have scored new PRs on his other lifts during the 2022 WRPF The Croqueta Classic, but that is unknown at the time of this writing.
In a career that dates back to December 2017, Foster can boast four victories and has never failed to qualify for the podium. Here’s a rundown of some of the more notable results from Foster’s competitive resume:
*Craig Foster | Notable Career Results
2018 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Florida State Championships (Open/Raw) — First place
2019 USPA Battle of the Bay V (Open/Raw) — First place
2019 USPA Florida Throwdown (Open/Raw) — First place
2020 WRPF The Showdown (Open/Raw) — Second place
2021 WRPF Kern US Open (Open/Raw) — Third place
2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown (Open/Raw) — Second place
2022 WRPF Ghost Clash (Open/Wraps) — Third place
*Note: Results from Foster’s performance at the 2022 WRPF The Croqueta Classic have not been included because, at the time of this article’s publication, it is also unclear where he stood at the end.
With a new squat PR in his back pocket, Foster might be tempted to focus on his training for a little while. The athlete hasn’t yet alluded to any potential upcoming competitions. That said, for one of the greatest powerlifting squatters ever, it might be only a matter of time before Foster is making waves again.
Featured image: @craig_pawgking_foster on Instagram
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Andrea Thompson has set a Log Lift World Record of 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds). The strongwoman scored the feat at the 2022 World Log Lift Championships (WLLC) on Oct. 9, 2022, in Ipswich, United Kingdom. It extends the previous World Record by five kilograms (11 pounds). That mark also belonged to Thompson, who accomplished a 135-kilogram (297.7-pound) in the July 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) “Feats of Strength Series.”
To help her with her log lift feat, Thompson donned a lifting belt, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, and wrist wraps. The athlete shared an Instagram post featuring her complete log lift performance. Her successful lockout with the record-breaking weight can be seen in the fourth video below:
Thompson’s output at the 2022 WLLC was so successful she extended her past World Record on her third attempt of the day. The athlete pressed 137.5 kilograms (303.1 pounds) and, evidently, with more strength left in the tank, went for the hallowed 140-kilogram figure on her fourth try. A confident beaming smile from Thompson as she appeared to wait for a down signal from the official might have told a perfect story of the athlete’s feelings at the moment.
In a post on her Instagram, Thompson thanked the former ESM champ for “always believing” in her. Meanwhile, the comments of Thompson’s log lift World Record post feature words of praise from notable figures in strongman/strongwoman congratulating the athlete for her milestone — including Paul Smith, Annabelle Chapman, and Lucy Underdown.
Thompson’s new record adds to a noteworthy catalog of accomplishments as a strongwoman. In addition to a first-place result at the 2018 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW), the athlete was in possession of the strongwoman deadlift World Record of 290 kilograms (639.4 pounds). The successful pull happened at the October 2020 edition of the WUS Feats of Strength Series. Underdown went on to break that record during the 2022 Britain’s Strongest Woman contest.
Thompson has written that her next competitive appearance would be at the 2022 Official Strongman Games. That competition will take place on Nov. 11-13, 2022, in Daytona Beach, FL. According to Strongman Archives, if Thompson finishes on the podium, it will be her fifth appearance in the top three in her last seven contests dating back to December 2018.
As the sample size of Thompson’s illustrious career shows, anything might be possible.
Featured image: @andreathompson_strongwoman on Instagram
This quick and easy green bean casserole is the perfect addition to any holiday dinner. This recipe calls for Primal Kitchen’s Mushroom Gravy to help cut down on the preparation time. In no time you’ll have a warm and comforting dish that will compliment any meal. We keep things simple with onions and mushrooms, but if you’re looking to switch things up this recipe would be great with chopped bacon or bacon grease instead of butter.
How to make green bean casserole
First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then steam your green beans until they are tender. While they are steaming, prepare your crispy onions. Cut the onion in half and slice it into very thin half moons. Toss the onions in a bowl with oil, then add the almond flour, thyme and salt and pepper and gently mix until just combined.
Lay the onions out in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Give the onions a shake or toss and continue roasting until they are golden. I recommend watching them because they can quickly go from browned to burnt. Set aside while you finish the green beans.
Heat the butter in a large oven-safe skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add the chopped onion and sauté until golden, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and allow them to cook for about 2 minutes, or until they are just tender. Pour in the Mushroom Gravy and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Strain the steamed green beans and add them to the skillet. You can also add some coconut aminos or even a squeeze of lemon if you’d like. Mix in the thyme, pepper and salt and let the sauce start bubbling again. Fold the green beans into the sauce and cook on the stovetop until the green beans are well coated in the sauce and the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the skillet out of the oven and spread the crispy onions on top all over the green beans. Place the skillet back in the oven for about 10 more minutes. The sauce the green beans are in should be fairly thick, and will further thicken as the casserole cools. Allow the casserole to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
This quick and easy green bean casserole is the perfect addition to any holiday dinner. This recipe calls for Primal Kitchen’s Mushroom Gravy to help cut down on the preparation time. In no time you’ll have a warm and comforting dish that will compliment any meal.
While the green beans are steaming, prepare your crispy onions. Cut the onion in half and slice it into very thin half moons. Toss the onions in a bowl with oil, then add the almond flour, thyme and salt and pepper and gently mix until just combined.
Lay the onions out in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Give the onions a shake or toss and continue roasting until they are golden. Keep an eye on them because they can quickly go from browned to burnt. Set aside while you finish the green beans.
Heat the butter in a large oven-safe skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add the chopped onion and sauté until golden, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and allow them to cook for about 2 minutes, or until they are just tender. Pour in the Mushroom Gravy and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Strain the steamed green beans and add them to the skillet. You can also add some coconut aminos or even a squeeze of lemon if you’d like. Mix in the thyme, pepper and salt and let the sauce start bubbling again. Fold the green beans into the sauce and cook on the stovetop until the green beans are well coated in the sauce and the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the skillet out of the oven and spread the crispy onions on top all over the green beans. Place the skillet back in the oven for about 10 more minutes. The sauce the green beans are in should be fairly thick, and will further thicken as the casserole cools. Allow the casserole to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Instead of placing the skillet in the oven, you can also transfer the green bean mixture to a 9×13” casserole dish and bake it. I like baking it in the same skillet to reduce the number of big pieces of cookware to wash.
The cook time of the onions vary depending on how thick or thin you slice them. Keeping an eye on them as they are cooking will ensure they are crispy and browned but not burnt and inedible.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Mitchell Hooper is the winner of the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals (GLWTF). During the competition that took place on Oct. 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland, the Canadian strongman captured his first victory on the Giants Live circuit. He also made it two consecutive major strongman wins after recently taking first in the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK.
The two athletes who joined Hooper on the podium were Aivars Šmaukstelis of Latvia (second place) and the United States’ Kevin Faires (third). According to Strongman Archives, with his runner-up finish at the 2022 GLWTF, Šmaukstelis has now stood on a podium in his last four official competitive appearances. Meanwhile, Faires can now boast his first top-three placing since the 2019 Giants Live North American Open.
Here’s an event-by-event breakdown of the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals.
Nicol Stones
During the Nicol Stones segment, the athletes had to walk the two unevenly weighted stones of 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds) and 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds) for a max distance. Current Nicol Stones World Record holder Kevin Faires took the event victory with a distance of 24.61 meters.
Kevin Faires — 24.61 meters
Mitchell Hooper — 24.14 meters
Andy Black — 24.08 meters
Paul Smith — 23.1 meters
Aivars Šmaukstelis — 20 meters
Louis Jack — 19.75 meters
Eddie Williams — 16.58 meters
Mark Felix — 16.37 meters
Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 15.91 meters
Rauno Heinla — 12.75 meters
Pavlo Kordiyaka — 9.4 meters
Pa O’Dwyer — 8.58 meters
Carry & Drag
During the Carry & Drag, the competitors had the task of carrying a 125-kilogram anchor and dragging a 350-kilogram over a 40-meter course. They had a time limit of one minute. Using the athleticism that’s helped him blitz professional strongman lately, Hooper captured his first event win of the contest with a time of 22.16 seconds.
Mitchell Hooper — 22.16 seconds
Pavlo Kordiyaka — 22.96 seconds
Kevin Faires — 23.41 seconds
Pa O’Dwyer — 25.35 seconds
Aivars Šmaukstelis — 26.45 seconds
Paul Smith — 27.30 seconds
Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 27.78 seconds
Rauno Heinla — 28.57 seconds
Louis Jack — 28.84 seconds
Eddie Williams — 30.65 seconds
Andy Black — 37.37 seconds
Mark Felix — 40.40 seconds
Axle Deadlift
The 2022 GLWTF’s Axle Deadlift was about pulling 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) for a max amount of reps with a one-minute time limit. Pavlo Nakonechnyy came out on top when he successfully finished 11 reps. Nakonechnyy was the only athlete to finish with double-digit reps.
This contest’s iteration of the Dumbbell Press featured a 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) dumbbell. Whoever could clean and press said dumbbell as many times as possible within a minute would win. After a few solid results on earlier events, Šmaukstelis and Pavlo Kordiyaka tied for first in the event with seven reps.
Aivars Šmaukstelis — Seven reps (Tied for first)
Pavlo Kordiyaka — Seven reps (Tied for first)
Mitchell Hooper — Six reps
Pa O’Dwyer — Five reps (Tied for fourth)
Paul Smith — Five reps (Tied for fourth)
Pavlo Nakonechnyy — Four reps
Kevin Faires — Three reps
Rauno Heinla — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
Eddie Williams — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
Louis Jack — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
Mark Felix — No reps
Andy Black — No reps
Power Stairs
To close the contest, the athletes had to load five implements with weights ranging from 200 to 250 kilograms (440.9 to 551.1 pounds) up three respective stairs. Their final scores were determined by how many of the total 15 steps they climbed within a minute. While he didn’t win the overall competition, Šmaukstelis closed with another event victory (15 steps in 33.02 seconds).
For Hooper, his remarkable debut pro year continues with this victory at the 2022 GLWTF. In addition to his two straight victories and first Giants Live win, Hooper has now finished on the podium in five straight contests dating back to the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic in early July. The superstar kept his reaction short and sweet in a post on his Instagram.
“My first [Giants Live Strongman] win. Surreal. Let’s keep riding the wave.”
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On Oct. 1, 2022, during the 2022 America’s Strongest Man (ASM) U105KG, strongman Nicolas Cambi set a Max Heavy Dumbbell World Record of 129.5 kilograms (285 pounds). Cambi’s record was part of an overall first-place performance for the athlete. It is the consecutive year he has won the contest. Cambi wore a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and an arm sleeve around his right pressing arm during the milestone.
According to Strongman Corporation, Cambi’s Heavy Dumbbell World Record surpasses the previous top figure by 75 pounds. Cole Booth held the past mark of 95.3 kilograms (210 pounds) at the 2018 TX Record Breakers.
To get in an ample position for his heavy dumbbell lift, Cambi performed what’s known as a belt clean, briefly resting the dumbbell on his lifting belt before driving it into overhead pressing position. The lifting technique appeared to allow him to generate more leg drive on the final press because it split the press into two segments. After finishing at lockout, Cambi would then hold his dumbbell overhead just long enough while waiting for the official green light — a down signal from the official.
Cambi’s unorthodox but legal strategy of cleaning the dumbbell from his belt drew the attention of fellow strongman Pa O’Dwyer. In the comments of the post of Cambi’s record lift, the Irish athlete asks Cambi to clarify that he did indeed perform a clean of his dumbbell from his belt. After receiving further confirmation from Cambi, O’Dwyer made a joking reference to The Dark Knight, writing, “Some people just want to watch the world burn, Master Wayne.”
Cambi’s second straight victory at the ASM U105 continues a successful start to his approximate six-year career. According to Strongman Archives, it’s the fourth victory of his career. To date, Cambi has only failed to make the podium on one occasion. In addition to this Heavy Dumbbell World Record, the athlete also possesses the Block Press (141.5 kilograms/311.9 pounds) and Log Lift (187 kilograms/412.3 pounds) U105KG World Record figures. He achieved both at the 2021 Clash at the Corral (CatC) contest.
Here’s an overview of notable results since Cambi began competing in strongman in March 2015:
Nicolas Cambi | Notable Strongman Results
2015 Arnold Amateur Strongman World ChampionshipsU105 — Fourth place
2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM)U105 — Second place
At the time of this writing, Cambi hasn’t alluded to his next competition. Most of his recent social media posts were from or connected to the 2022 ASM U105 competition. With yet another World Record under his belt, Cambi could elect to bask in his achievement for a little while. That is, until it’s time to break another boundary.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
A general perusal of Jaisyn Mike’s social media will say he’s quite confident in his abilities. The two-time International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Champion in the +120-kilogram division seems to make it a point to showcase unique feats of strength and power. The 44-year-old competitor’s latest training accomplishment is no different.
On Oct. 6, 2022, Mike uploaded a video to his Instagram profile where he completed a 192.8-kilogram (425-pound) bench press for 20 reps while wearing wrist wraps and a lifting belt. According to the post’s caption, the show of endurance is a personal record (PR) for Mike.
Per other posts on Mike’s Instagram, his bench press work and general training are related to preparation for the 2023 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Raw Nationals. While he has competed in the Masters 1 (ages 40-49) category of late, Mike plans to feature in the Open portion and in the 140-kilogram weight class at that specific contest. It would be his first full powerlifting meet since the 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals in October of that year. Mike has participated In bench-only competitions in the time since. Per a press release from USAPL, the 2023 Nationals will take place on Sept. 14-17, 2023, in Memphis, TN.
Competition prep aside, this sort of bench press display is nothing new for Mike, who seems to have centered on that aspect of his strength of late. Recent marks from his routine are right in line with this new PR.
Just several days before he finished this 20-rep set, Mike successfully locked out a 230.4-kilogram (508-pound) bench press for 10 reps. Earlier in the same week, Mike pushed through a 190.5-kilogram (420-pound) bench press for an older 20-rep PR.
When not pushing himself on the bench press, Mike has excelled all the same in the gym. The powerlifter shared an early-October 2022 clip of himself completing a raw 365-kilogram (804.6-pound) deadlift for a one-rep PR. This was a rapid progression from a 354.7-kilogram (782-pound) deadlift that Mike logged in late-September 2022.
According to Open Powerlifting, here’s an overview of Mike’s all-time raw competition bests:
Aside from winning the 2023 Nationals, Mike’s other primary goal appears to be a desire to eclipse a 362.9-kilogram (800-pound) deadlift on a sanctioned lifting platform, especially after some of the recent 900-plus-pound pulls from other powerlifters.
Whether Mike can successfully make a run in the Open at next year’s Nationals remains to be seen. Nonetheless, his recent training progress would indicate he seems to be on the right progressive track.
Featured image: @mr.athletic_over_everything on Instagram
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Bodyweight exercises are often shunned by “hardcore” gym-goers who only deem worthy exercises when you lift heaps of hard-cast iron. Yet they forget that bodyweight movements can be very beneficial, and even humbling. Some would argue that being able to lift a proverbial ton isn’t very worthy if you can’t lift yourself and master your own body weight.
When it comes to training your back, pull-ups aren’t your only option. The inverted row — sometimes jokingly called the Australian pull-up because your body is “down under” the bar — targets your back, shoulders, and biceps.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
The inverted row is highly effective because it provides benefits to beginners and experienced lifters alike, improving pulling strength, back muscle size, and whole-body stability and coordination. Here’s how to perform a perfect inverted row, along with everything you need to know about this powerful and overlooked exercise.
Call it an inverted row, a bodyweight row, an Australian pull-up, or even the light-hearted but derogatory “fat man pull-up.” Whatever term you use, the movement is the same. Take a look at the straightforward technique and then continue learning.
How to Do the Inverted Row
The inverted row is a relatively less challenging bodyweight back exercise compared to the classic pull-up because you’re lifting a lower percentage of your body weight. This makes it a perfect exercise for newcomers. Nevertheless, improper execution will lead to poor muscle recruitment and minimal benefits, so pay attention to good form.
Step 1 — Get Into Position
Credit: Breaking Muscle / YouTube
Lie on the ground in a rack or Smith machine and reach your arms toward the ceiling. Note the spot slightly above your fingertips, and set a barbell in the rack at that height. Return to a lying position with your chest under the bar, and take slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms-down grip.
Keep your legs straight and your heels on the ground. Maintain a stiff core and hips to keep your body in a straight line.
Form tip: Because the resistance comes from leveraging your bodyweight, you can easily scale the exercise to suit your strength level. The steeper your body angle, the easier the exercise will be. The more horizontal your body is, the more challenging it will be. However, your back should not be able to rest on the ground in the stretched position. Instead, if necessary, elevate your feet on a bench or step to increase the difficulty.
Step 2 — Pull Your Chest to the Bar
Credit: BarBend / YouTube
Flex your abs, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and pull yourself up until your torso touches the bar. It should make contact near your lower chest. Think about driving your chest “up” through the bar toward the ceiling.
Do not let your elbows flare out too much on your sides. Keep them relatively close to your body to improve the recruitment of your lats (back muscles). In the top position, don’t bend your legs or let your glutes hang down.
Form tip: If your chest cannot reach the bar, adjust the height and reposition to reduce the difficulty. Achieving a full range of motion is critical for building strength, stimulating muscle growth, and improving shoulder and upper back joint health.
Step 3 — Stay Tight As You Lower
Credit: Breaking Muscle / YouTube
Keep your entire body tense and keep your shoulder blades squeezed together as you slowly straighten your arms. When you’ve reached full lockout, your back and shoulders should still be slightly off the ground.
Pivot your body on your heels, don’t bend your legs during the exercise. Let your back, shoulder, and arm muscles do the work of lifting and lowering.
Form tip: Maintain a stiff posture and an engaged core for maximum benefits. Ensure total-body tension and do not relax during the eccentric (descent or lowering phase).
Inverted Row Mistakes to Avoid
Just because the inverted row is a bodyweight exercise doesn’t mean you get a free pass to butcher basic technique. Good form matters as much with bodyweight exercises as with free weight movements. Review these frequent mistakes to make sure you’re not doing them.
Losing Posture
The main muscles of the inverted row are the back and the arms, but the whole body is involved in the lift. If your glutes start dropping down and you lose tension and posture, the mechanics of the exercise will change and you will reap less benefits. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your shoulder joints.
There’s one acceptable exception to the “straight line” rule: To significantly improve your leverage and make the exercise easier, you can bend your legs and plant your feet flat on the floor. However, you should still keep a straight line from your knees to your shoulders while maintaining tension in glutes, core, and shoulder blades.
Avoid it: Push your heels into the ground to tense your legs and contract your glutes. Imagine having a string attaching your hip bones to the ceiling.
Rowing Too High
In the top position of each repetition, the bar should touch the lower part of your chest. If you’re positioned incorrectly and pull too high, with the bar hitting your upper chest or neck, you turn the exercise into a type of face pull variation.
Credit: inimma / Shutterstock
This is a mistake because it decreases activation of your bigger lat muscles and increases recruitment of your rear deltoids (shoulders) and upper back. A higher pulling position also causes your elbows to flare out to the sides, which can increase strain on your shoulder joint, especially if you lack shoulder mobility.
Avoid it: Prior to beginning your set, when setting up the bar position, be sure your lower chest or upper abs are lined up under the bar. This helps to put you in a good pulling position before the movement even begins.
Pulling with “Broken” Wrists
When any exercise becomes difficult, because of fatigue or excessive weight, the body will naturally try to recruit additional muscles to come to the rescue. This can happen with the inverted row if your arms are much stronger than your back, when your wrists bend during the movement.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Pulling with bent or “broken” wrists will shift more stress to your arms and can cause joint pain and discomfort. It also excessively fatigues your gripping strength which will limit the amount of back work you can achieve.
Avoid it: Keep a neutral wrist position at all times, from the stretched position to the top contraction. Think about pulling with your elbows instead of pulling with your hands. If you have wrist pain, use a neutral grip by placing a football bar (sometimes known as a Swiss bar) in the rack instead of a straight barbell or by switching from a barbell to suspension straps (like a TRX).
Benefits of the Inverted Row
The simplest exercises can sometimes be overlooked, but they are often the ones that can provide major benefits. The inverted row can provide several benefits in terms of strength, muscle mass, and core stability.
More Muscle
Just like the pull-up, the inverted row is a fantastic exercise for building muscle mass in the back, arms, and forearms using just your bodyweight. In fact, it can recruit more lat and upper back muscle than a traditional barbell row (1) The inverted row makes it easy to accumulate volume (repetitions and/or sets) to stimulate muscle growth in your target muscles. (2)
Pulling Strength
Bodyweight movements have a reputation of being less effective for building strength because you can’t move extremely heavy weights but, if you’re a beginning lifter, it can prove very efficient. (3) As a multi-joint exercise, the inverted row is indeed an ideal choice for building pulling strength. (4)
Credit: Donny Podrasky / Shutterstock
The inverted row demands whole-body coordination and power. Like many bodyweight movements, you can eventually add resistance, like a weighted vest, to provide basic progressive overload. This will challenge the back, biceps, and grip strength of any experienced lifter.
Less Lower Back Stress
Rowing exercises usually involve the lower back to maintain proper posture and provide stability, but this can often be a limiting factor, especially for lifters with pre-existing lower back problems.
The inverted row creates very little spinal load because your spine isn’t put under any significant strain. As such, if you’re having back pain, it is an ideal option for a rowing movement with nearly zero stress on your lower back. Moreover, it also engages your core, which has been linked to less lower back pain and a better core and spinal health. (5)(6)
Muscles Worked by the Inverted Row
A properly done inverted row can be one of the most efficient back exercises in your arsenal. It recruits multiple muscles in your back without straining the often overused lower back like many alternative movements. As a pulling exercise, the inverted row also recruits several support muscles.
Latissimus Dorsi
The lats are the biggest and strongest back muscles. They go from your hip bone and lower spine to your humerus (arm bone) and are heavily involved in moving your arm through a variety of motions. Because they cover so much of your torso, the lats also contribute to spinal stability and trunk movements. They are the main target of the inverted row.
Upper Back
This includes your trapezius, rhomboids and posterior deltoids — all involved in scapular (shoulder blade) motion and joint health. These muscles work similarly to move the shoulder blades in several ways, assist in pulling motions, and contribute to stabilizing the scapulae during pressing movements.
Biceps
Of course, we all know the biceps. On the front of the upper arm, it is the biggest arm muscle and goes from the radius (forearm bone) to the scapula. The biceps are recruited to perform the inverted row, but other relatively smaller muscles will help the biceps flex (bend) your arm.
The pronated (palm down) grip used during the inverted row actually puts an emphasis on the brachialis, the strongest arm flexor muscle. (7) It is actually located just under the biceps, and can help your biceps appear larger because a well-developed brachialis will “push” it higher.
Forearms
Your forearms will be trained by nearly every back exercise because your grip transfers force from the weight toward the target muscle. Several muscles work throughout your forearms, but the forearm flexors on the palm-side of your lower arm are responsible for your grip and will be taxed the most. The brachioradialis, the biggest muscle on the opposite side of your forearm, will also assist in flexing your upper arm.
Core
In order to maintain proper posture and be more efficient during this exercise, you’ll have to engage your whole core. All of your abs (rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis), your erector spinae (spinal muscles), and some hip muscles are recruited synergistically. Your abs are the anterior core muscles running on the front of your torso while the erectors are along your back (beginning at the lower back, they run up to your neck).
Your core muscles do not move through a range of motion during the inverted row, but are contracted isometrically to maintain a strong, stable, and safe body position.
Who Should Do the Inverted Row
The inverted row is versatile and demands bare minimum equipment —any bar or beam that can support your weight. Lifters with a variety of goals and abilities can incorporate this exercise into their routine.
Beginners
The inverted row is an ideal pulling exercise for beginners starting to master their own body’s resistance. The exercise can be scaled in an instant to your strength level by either raising the bar or bending your legs to make it easier, or placing your feet on a bench or adding a weighted vest on — or both — to make it harder.
As pull-ups are significantly harder for inexperienced lifters without a base of strength, the bodyweight row is a great first step to increase pulling strength, general fitness, and whole-body tension.
Physique Enthusiasts
Be it a bodybuilder or someone that just wants to pack on some size, many lifters overlook the inverted row as a muscle-building exercise. Despite being a bodyweight exercise, it can be more efficient than some other rowing exercises, especially for targeting your lats and strengthening your upper back. It also has the benefit of being low-stress on your lower back, so you won’t interfere with recovery from low-back intensive exercises like squats or deadlifts.
General Fitness Advocates
Whether you’re a CrossFit enthusiast, sports athlete, or a Regular Joe that wants to improve their functional fitness, the inverted row is a multi-function exercise for developing several physical qualities. You can program it to improve strength, muscle size, muscular endurance, whole-body stability and coordination. You can even build cardiorespiratory capacities by tossing it into a circuit workout to improve your fitness as a whole.
How to Program the Inverted Row
Bodyweight movements are very versatile in programing, and the range of repetitions can vary considerably depending on your goals and strength level. If you’re a newer lifter, focus on only performing high-quality repetitions and treat it exactly like any other resistance exercise — no cheating on your form to squeeze out extra reps. A more experienced lifter can add external load or use a high training volume to make the movement more challenging.
Unweighted, Low Repetition
When you are at the early phase of training and still developing fundamental strength, coordination, and body awareness, your goal is to improve your form and build a general base. You cannot do too many repetitions because you lack the strength to do it without your form breaking down. Three to five sets of four to six repetitions is a good range to stick with.
You can also use a “total reps goal” approach instead of specific sets and reps. Aim for a modest number, roughly 20 repetitions, and complete them in as many sets of quality repetitions as needed. It could take 15 sets or it could be four. Over time, aim to reach the target in fewer total sets.
Unweighted, High Repetition
If you’re a strong lifter, you can use bodyweight training for high repetitions to build muscle while sparing your joints from excessive loading stress. (8) Aim for two to three sets of at least 15 repetitions to failure while keeping a good form. This will provide a great pump and will challenge more your core and postural muscles because of the longer set duration.
Weighted, Medium Repetition
If you can add external resistance to the lift using a weighted vest, a backpack, or a pair of chains draped across your torso, you can treat this exercise like any other resistance training movement and hit it hard and (relatively) heavy. The traditional bodybuilding scheme of three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions will be your best bet to promote hypertrophy and provide a challenging time under tension.
Inverted Row Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic movement, you can very easily switch the focus of the exercise to accommodate your goals or individual needs. Here are some simple tweaks to provide variation to your inverted rows.
Supinated Inverted Row
Using a palms-up grip is a simple change if you want to experience more biceps growth, because the arm muscles will be in optimal alignment. As such, most lifters will also be stronger and will be able to bang out more repetitions or use more weight.
This is similar to using chin-ups in place of pull-ups. The adjusted hand position changes muscle recruitment and emphasizes the biceps and forearms over the muscles of the back.
Neutral Grip Inverted Row
The neutral grip, or hammer grip, can be a welcome relief for lifters with achy shoulders, elbows, or wrists. The stress on these joints is drastically reduced because brachialis and brachioradialis recruitment is increased. As an added bonus, building these muscles will help you build a set of classic Popeye arms.
To perform it, use a football bar (or Swiss bar) instead of a straight barbell. If your gym doesn’t have one, you can use a neutral-grip “V-bar” attachment from the pulldown station and set yourself up parallel to the barbell. Suspension straps, like a TRX or gymnastic rings, would also be effective.
Ring Row
Using any suspension straps like a TRX or a pair of gymnastic rings is the most versatile and joint-friendly row option. You can use whatever grip you want: palm-down, neutral, or palm-up. You can even add a natural twisting motion by rotating your hands during each repetition. Begin pulling with a palm-down grip and rotate to neutral or palm-up as you approach the top position.
The main benefit is that the ring’s instability will challenge your core and your shoulders. This variation is the hardest, but the required stabilization will greatly improve your core and shoulder health and stability, which transfers to overall athleticism and power in other upper body exercises.
Inverted Row Alternatives
Variety is the spice of life, and of muscle growth. (9) If you’re ready to switch things up or if you don’t have a spot to perform the inverted row, you’re covered with these effective alternatives.
Seal Row
The seal row is the free weight equivalent of the inverted row. Lie prone (face down) on an elevated flat bench and grab a pair of dumbbells or a barbell — there even are specially designed stations for this exercise with easy to grab weights. Pull the weights from the stretched position beneath the bench toward your chest, as if performing an upside down inverted row.
Because your body is fully supported, cheating with momentum is very difficult. It also nearly eliminates any strain on the lower back, like the inverted row. With this variation, there’s no need for total-body stabilization, so you can solely focus on using your pulling muscles and develop a great mind-muscle connection.
Pull-Up
They say the pull-up is the king of upper-body bodyweight exercises, and for good reason. It’s a tremendous back-builder. When you’re comfortable with inverted rows, get started with this vertical bodyweight exercise.
Like the inverted row, the pull-up will target more of your lats than your upper back. You can use the same grip variations and set/rep programming schemes as the inverted row.
Bent-Over Barbell Row
The standard barbell row might be an upper body pulling exercise in its purest form. Grab a barbell, bend forward and gather tension in your whole body, and start rowing heaps of iron.
This exercise will demand superior whole-body engagement, particularly your glutes and hamstrings to counterbalance the load. If you want to improve your pulling strength, back muscle size, and total body stability, get familiar with this classic movement.
FAQs
Are inverted rows and pull-ups the same thing?
No. Despite both being bodyweight pulling exercises, they are different. One is a vertical movement pattern while the other works horizontally. This means that muscle recruitment will be similar, but not exactly be the same. The inverted row will recruit more of your upper back, for instance.
Pull-ups are also harder, because your body is completely hanging in the air and you’re required to lift proportionally more of your body weight. The inverted row has your feet supported on the ground and angled, which means that you’re lifting a lower percentage of your body weight.
As a bodyweight movement, when should I do the inverted row?
There are no clear rules because it will depend on your specific goals and strength levels. If you want to develop your strength or technique, include them at the start of your workout. If you’re using them to build muscle mass, they can be performed later in session, after your muscles are fatigued from other exercises.
If you really want to speed up your strength and technique gains as a newer lifter, you can also use the grease the groove technique. Perform a single set of a few high-quality repetitions, several times throughout the day (for instance, you can do it at home under a sturdy table), waiting at least 30 minutes between each set. This training method will develop your strength, coordination, and skill so that you quickly become very good at the exercise.
Get Back to Bodyweight Training
The inverted row is a highly effective addition to any training program, whether you’re just getting started in the gym or if you’re well-experienced. While the pull-up has a much more widely known reputation as being “the” bodyweight back-training exercise, the inverted row deserves plenty of attention and can deliver plenty of results. It shouldn’t be treated as an introductory exercise that’s forgotten once you build some strength. It’s definitely time to get on the ground and start pulling.
References
Fenwick CM, Brown SH, McGill SM. Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Mar;23(2):350-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181942019. PMID: 19197209.
Brigatto FA, Lima LEM, Germano MD, Aoki MS, Braz TV, Lopes CR. High Resistance-Training Volume Enhances Muscle Thickness in Resistance-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2022 Jan 1;36(1):22-30. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003413. PMID: 31868813.
Lipecki, Krzysztof & Rutowicz, Bartosz. (2015). The Impact Of Ten Weeks Of Bodyweight Training On The Level Of Physical Fitness And Selected Parameters Of Body Composition In Women Aged 21-23 Years. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism. 22. 10.1515/pjst-2015-0014.
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.
Joan Aguilera-Castells, Bernat Buscà, Azahara Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe, Alicia M. Montalvo & Javier Peña (2020) Muscle activation in suspension training: a systematic review, Sports Biomechanics, 19:1, 55-75, DOI: 10.1080/14763141.2018.1472293
Kumar T, Kumar S, Nezamuddin M, Sharma VP. Efficacy of core muscle strengthening exercise in chronic low back pain patients. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2015;28(4):699-707. doi: 10.3233/BMR-140572. PMID: 25467999.
Kleiber, T., Kunz, L., & Disselhorst-Klug, C. (2015). Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Frontiers in physiology, 6, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00215
Schoenfeld BJ, Peterson MD, Ogborn D, Contreras B, Sonmez GT. Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2954-63. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000958. PMID: 25853914.
Baz-Valle E, Schoenfeld BJ, Torres-Unda J, Santos-Concejero J, Balsalobre-Fernández C. The effects of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PLoS One. 2019 Dec 27;14(12):e0226989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226989. PMID: 31881066; PMCID: PMC6934277.
Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about becoming a health or fitness coach. Considering a career change or side gig? Ready to take your Primal knowledge to the next level? We’re here to cheer you on! Have a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Patrick asked:
“Primal eating, combined with exercise, has changed my life. You could say it was my personal pandemic project—made possible due to working from home. I’m considering becoming a health coach myself but work in a totally different field (accounting). I have no experience with science, nutrition, fitness, etc., outside of reading blogs like this one. I have ZERO experience coaching. Any recommendations for getting started? Is the Primal Health Coach program suitable for newbies? How long does it take to complete? Do you cover the business side or just nutrition?
Hurray! So fantastic that you turned working from home into a life-changing, wellness-promoting project, Patrick! It really is true: Just a couple of years (or less) of consistent effort can change the state of our health and our life’s trajectory.
Fantastic as well that you’re eager to take what you’ve learned and achieved to the next level. The Primal Health Coach Certification is an excellent way to make that happen.
As a coach, I can attest that there’s a depth of knowledge that only comes from teaching and guiding others. Regardless of whether you make health coaching a new career, a side gig, or another project in self-learning and discovery, the training is transformative. Let’s take a look at your specific questions and cover the Primal Health Coach basics.
Is the Primal Health Coach Certification for newbies?
In short, yes! You do not need prior experience in coaching or prior knowledge of science or nutrition to enroll and succeed.
Many established healthcare professionals and others with similar backgrounds do complete the certification as a way to boost their knowledge, enhance their credentials, and better support their clients and patients.
That said, many others who join have little or no experience in the health and wellness space. Some are regulars here at Mark’s Daily Apple and simply want to take their Primal knowledge to the next level. Others, like you, are considering a career change that integrates what’s worked for them and how they earn a living.
Others don’t know much about Primal eating and living at all (at least not yet!) but are attracted to the growing field of health coaching and the possibility of launching a thriving business they can do from anywhere.
Not “just” nutrition
One thing that sets the Primal Health Coach Institute apart from similar programs is that we understand the importance of solid nutritional and lifestyle knowledge AND that those alone are not enough to succeed as a coach or business.
As you might expect, we cover Primal eating and living fundamentals, including the science behind why they work and how they can be tailored to fit clients with different needs and goals.
This includes nutrition, of course, but also the other 10 Primal Blueprint Rules. We dive deep into the what, how, and why—explaining the details while taking care to use clear language that you’ll be able to share with others. We also provide extensive resources, allowing you to take your learning even further if you choose.
Equally important, the PHCI provides more than a health education. We help you develop coaching skills and learn how to get a coaching business off the ground and keep it thriving. This well-rounded preparation is essential for standing out in the sea of coaches and helping your clients get real, sustained results.
Taking things one step further, we ensure our graduates can start making money as soon as they have their certification in hand by providing a wealth of resources, done-for-you templates, and even a ready-made coaching program. Rather than leaving you to “sink or swim,” we provide ongoing webinars, optional events, and masterclasses. We also have a tight-knit community of coaches who support one another on our mission to promote healthier, more vibrant living.
How long does it take to become a Primal Health Coach?
That’s up to you! The Primal Health Coaching Certification is an online program that you can complete at your own pace, making your way through the material anytime, anywhere.
Moving relatively quickly and completing one chapter a week, you could finish everything in 6 months. That said, there’s no rush, and the program is designed for flexible self-study. There is a lot of material to cover and digest, and the curriculum is robust—utilizing multimedia delivery modes and supporting diverse learning styles.
Even after completing all 23 chapters of multimedia materials and graduating, you retain lifetime access to the program and our Business Resource Center. Because we’re always adding new resources and content to stay up to date with the science, this is gold! It’s also a way for you to stay connected to PHCI faculty and thousands of students and grads.
What does the Primal Health Coach Certification Program offer?
I encourage you to head over to the Primal Health Coach Institute for full details on the certification, glowing testimonials, and next steps. Also check out the PHCI blog for insights into what coaching looks like and how to succeed in this expanding arena.
That said, here’s an overview of what you’ll receive.
The Primal Health Coach Certification Program offers the most in-depth and up-to-date ancestral health education in the world. We don’t just create health experts. We certify health coaches who are true catalysts for behavior change. And we make sure they have the business knowledge and marketing resources to go out in the world and change lives. The program includes:
Online course made up of 23 chapters of multimedia educational resources tailored for diverse learning styles, including videos, webinars, and supplemental eBooks
College-level fitness and nutrition education that covers the basics and way more
Business-building tasks and development projects to help you shape your business story, name, and niche, plus develop your product and set up a payment system (all before graduation!)
Practical experience developing your coaching skills, crafting your signature coaching program, establishing a 90-day marketing strategy, and writing your personal sales and enrollment script
Peer-to-peer training, coaching practice, and case studies
Training in language and liability issues to ensure that you stay within your legal scope of practice
Access to a private Primal Health Coach Facebook community, a valuable resource for community-based learning and building your professional network
Lifetime subscription to our Business Resource Center, an exclusive portal designed to help you launch your business and scale for maximum profit and impact
How to become a Primal Fitness Coach
I know you asked about our Primal Health Coach program, but that’s only one of the PHCI’s growing suite of offerings.
If Primal fitness is more your thing, you might consider the brand new Primal Fitness Coach Certification. This program can be completed on its own, or you could go all in and add it to your repertoire as a Primal Health Coach.
It offers the same high-level, well-rounded, multimedia educational experience but with a focus on preparing fitness coaches who are proficient in training clients to be fit for life. This functional fitness certification covers best practices for daily movement, strength-training and conditioning, HIIT exercises, sprinting, and more.
Take your Primal knowledge to the next level
Either of the above programs will prepare you to set up a thriving coaching business and help others transform their health and lives. And…even if coaching isn’t your calling, they are still an excellent way to deepen your knowledge and take your own wellness journey to the next level.
You’ll not only get a new layer of external accountability and positive peer pressure, but will be joining a likeminded community while learning to “be your own coach.” This alone makes the investment worth it.
Of course, working with a Primal Health Coach one-on-one is another excellent way to see results AND get a sense of whether becoming a coach is right for you. Visit myprimalcoach.com to learn more. I hope to see you on the inside!
Are you a Primal Health Coach Institute student or grad? Or thinking of becoming one? Let us know and drop other questions for me in the comments!
The 80/20 principle has been a centerpiece of the Primal Blueprint approach and philosophy since the beginning, but I still get comments and questions about it. In case you’re not familiar, the 80/20 principle suggests that in the context of a full and earnest commitment to making health-promoting choices, conforming with the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws 80% of the time will yield a solidly healthy result.
Many tell me how much they love the concept. It’s a feature that makes the Primal lifestyle possible for them. Others suggest that it leaves too much room for backsliding. Still others find it confusing—does it mean living 100% Primal only 80% of the time and partying it up that other 20%? Or does it mean living 80% Primal 100% of the time? (The answer is neither, as you’ll see.)
I love having these kinds of discussions within the community. Your perspectives help me to continue to grow and evolve my thinking even after all these years. So let me share my perspective on the 80/20 principle, and I encourage you to share your own thoughts in the comments as well. Just because I’m “the Primal guy” doesn’t mean I get to dictate how you interpret what it means to live Primally, nor how you embody these teachings in your own life. It’s obviously a general principle and, as such, it’s intended to mean different things to different people.
What Is the 80/20 Principle, And What Is It NOT?
In short, the 80/20 principle is a rule to make Primal doable in the context of the modern world. It’s a feature that makes the Primal Blueprint a fully achievable, enduring lifestyle that reconciles with the grind and disruptions of daily life.
Let me put it this way: the 80/20 principle is an acknowledgment that we’re adults who take full responsibility for every choice but occasionally find ourselves in circumstances that aren’t conducive to adhering fully to the Primal Laws. You should always have the intention to do your best, to aim for 100%. But you should not let your commitment to Primal living become a source of stress or anxiety, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up or throw in the towel when perfection isn’t possible.
You have agency and reasoning skills, so you should be able to make conscious compromises. Perhaps you’re on vacation and really want the experience of sampling the local cuisine. For you, it’s part of the adventure. You authentically choose within the 80/20 principle to make the most of your hard earned adventure. (Personally, this is my favorite manifestation of the principle.) Maybe it’s a special anniversary or family gathering. You don’t use the situation as an excuse to wildly abandon your commitment to health and longevity. You loosen the strings enough to find the best balance between short-term experience and long-term goals.
Sometimes the 80/20 principle is a matter of feasibility. Travel doesn’t always present the most ideal Primal options. A difficult period in your life (new baby, death or serious illness in the family) may temporarily disrupt your focus or ability to do all the good things you normally incorporate into your routine.
There are also the Primal ideals, especially when it comes to food. I know not everyone has ready access to or the budget for grass-fed beef, pastured butter, organic produce, or a wide diversity of produce year round. This is where that old saying comes in: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” The majority of the health benefits from Primal come from eliminating the grains, sugars, and nasty oils. Worrying about organic, local, and so on is the cherry on top. Likewise, if all you manage right now is walking and microworkouts, but you haven’t found a way to build sprints into your routine yet, you’re still miles ahead of the person who is still sedentary.
Sometimes you just have to do the best you can. It’s not a question of motivation or commitment but the influence of external conditions. Think of it as a cushion, not a cop-out, and focus on the big picture. Primal success is less about what you do at any one meal or single bout at the gym and more about what you do over the course of a given week or month.
And What Is It Not?
Most importantly, it isn’t permission to only shoot for 80% compliance or success. If you set out to make your Primal commitment 80%, guess what. It will likely fall well below that. If you set out to make your commitment 100%, you’ll probably settle in somewhere between 80 and 95%.
It doesn’t mean getting 20% of your calories from ice cream and the other 80% from meats and salads. The 80/20 principle isn’t about “cheating” 20% of the time.
It isn’t intended as a “get-out-of-Primal-free card” for flocking to grains, skimping on fat or protein, or ignoring a continuing sleep deficit.
It doesn’t mean you’re perfect during the week and then go on a bender on the weekend.
It doesn’t mean working out 10 months of the year and then taking two months off to veg on the couch.
It doesn’t mean picking your favorite 8 of the 10 Primal Blueprint laws and scrapping the other two.
And let me be clear: there’s nothing wrong with achieving 100%. If you find the Primal Laws easy to incorporate fully into your life, that’s cause for celebration, not concern. I would never suggest that you’re missing out on life because you don’t feel the need to indulge in conscious compromises. More power to you if you’re happy and fulfilled without them.
Is This the Same as the 80/20 Rule Diet?
Decidedly no, but I’ve gotten this question a fair amount, so let’s clear it up. When people talk about the 80/20 diet, they usually mean the eating strategy attributed to Australian nutritionist, chef, and personal trainer Teresa Cutter. In this approach, you are supposed to “be good” 80% of the time, but you are allowed to indulge the other 20% of the time within reason. No foods are off the table. It’s a “have your cake and eat it too” diet, and it’s very much NOT what the Primal 80/20 principle represents.
The Primal 80/20 principle isn’t a diet at all; it’s more of a mindset. It’s about giving yourself permission not to be perfect, not actually planning dietary excursions into your week. By the same token, the 80/20 principle isn’t carb cycling, alternate day fasting, or any other structured eating pattern. With those, the assumption is that you’re (mostly) sticking to Primal foods but eating at specific times or with certain macronutrient ratios.
And of course, the Primal Blueprint encompasses more than nutrition, so the Primal 80/20 principle does as well. All aspects of Primal living—movement, sleep, stress management, social connection, cognitive challenge—fall under the 80/20 umbrella. There are probably some aspects you’re closer to 100% on most of the time and others you struggle with. For me, the food part is easy, but I’ve historically struggled with the stress bit.
When Does the 80/20 Principle NOT Apply?
There are times when 100% compliance—or something close to it—is important. One example that comes to mind is when someone is using an elimination diet (autoimmune protocol, low-FODMAP, etc.) to explore chronic symptoms. Unless they are strict about eliminating and then systematically reintroducing potential trigger foods, the diet probably won’t be much use.
Another time when it makes sense to be stricter is during the transition to a keto diet. Ketosis is a notoriously fragile metabolic state. Eat a single high-carb meal or snack, and wham, you’re out. When you’re in the process of adapting to keto, it makes sense to be consistent for at least the first four to six weeks to facilitate the process. Even after that, there’s little wiggle room if staying in ketosis is important to you.
The Bottom Line
At its core, the 80/20 principle is a recognition that life isn’t totally predictable and that we’re not in Grok’s Kansas anymore. Denying that reality and trying to fit Primal principles perfectly into modern life can be like jamming a square peg into a round hole. The point of 80/20 is to release the pressure valve that comes with thinking that you are supposed to be perfect and that this Primal living thing should come easily all the time.
As the Primal Blueprint cements itself in your routine, it generally becomes easier (and more desirable) to live well above that 80%. That was my experience, and I can’t even count how many people have told me the same over the years. The Primal Blueprint comes naturally for me now because my entire lifestyle revolves around it and I’ve been doing it so long. It’s so much a part of my routine that I don’t often think about it except when I travel. It will become your normal as well, but the chance that you’ll always be the perfect Primal specimen are small. I’m not, and I’m fine with that.
I encourage everyone to focus on the process and the big picture, not simply the daily details. The Primal Blueprint is first and foremost about taking full responsibility for your life and health. No excuses, no guilt.
As always, thanks for reading, and keep the questions and comments coming!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
It might be impossible to have familiarity with strongman as a sport and not know the exploits of the Stoltman brothers. Among their individual achievements, Tom Stoltman is the two-time defending World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion (2021-2022), while his older brother Luke won the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM). In a shift from their usual task of lifting hefty objects, the two brothers decided to train in a different kind of athleticism.
On Oct. 5, 2022, the Stoltmans uploaded a video to their joint YouTube channel where Tom and Luke take cues about how to swim from extreme adventurer and ultra-marathon swimmer Ross Edgley. Edgley is notably the first known person in history to swim around Great Britain’s length of 1,780 miles (2,864 kilometers). The trio decided to conduct the swimming lesson in an undisclosed portion of the North Sea somewhere in the United Kingdom.
Given that temperatures in the North Sea are a “little chilly” for swimming in early October — roughly 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) — it might have been safe to assume the group would outfit themselves in heating gear.
Instead, the Stoltmans elect to jump into the water while wearing just swim trunks with swim goggles for their vision. Once they’re in the water, Edgley relays his personal process for swimming, especially when he’s in the middle of an ultra-marathon.
Edgley details something he calls the “catch-up stroke,” where one arm doesn’t make its own individual stroke through the water until it “catches up” with the other arm. The objective behind the technique seems to be about efficiency and saving energy while in the water, given the apparent shorter strokes.
For the Stoltmans, two elite strongmen who each weigh 350-plus pounds, this technique is a means of “slowing down” their strong arms to focus their power and channel it into a quality swim.
The group seemingly puts Edgley’s technique into successful practice as the camera pans over them swimming through a current in the North Sea. To close their day, the Stoltmans and Edgley spend some time relaxing in the sauna and a small cold pool.
After their short foray into autumn swimming lessons in the North Sea, the Stoltmans have a stocked strongman slate ahead of them.
The brothers will compete at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals on Oct. 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. Luke is the contest’s defending champion, while Tom was last year’s runner-up. Both Stoltmans will then team up as members of Team United Kingdom at the 2022 Giants Live World’s Strongest Nation on Nov. 26, 2022, in Liverpool, England. Strongman legend and 2017 WSM champ Eddie Hall will be their team captain.
Even after swimming with an extreme adventurer, the grinding strongman mentality seemingly never stops for these two elite competitors.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
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.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
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!
This quick and easy green bean casserole is the perfect addition to any holiday dinner. This recipe calls for 
Total Time:
Yield:
Hurray! So fantastic that you turned working from home into a life-changing, wellness-promoting project, Patrick! It really is true: Just a couple of years (or less) of consistent effort can change the state of our health and our life’s trajectory.
The 80/20 principle has been a centerpiece of the Primal Blueprint approach and philosophy since the beginning, but I still get comments and questions about it. In case you’re not familiar, the 80/20 principle suggests that in the context of a full and earnest commitment to making health-promoting choices, conforming with the 
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
