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Articles by Jay Polish
11 Latinx Activists You Should Have Learned About In History Class
High school history classes can be very white- and male-centric. The accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices of women, especially women of color, aren't always included as part of your average history curriculum. But there are so many Latinx activists who you didn't learn about in school who changed the cultural and political landscape in the U.S. and beyond.
How to Balance Running and Strength Training, No Matter Your Goals
If you had to choose between running a 5k and grinding out a 20-rep squat set, you’d happily choose the latter any day. Or maybe a 5k jog is your warm-up, but you haven’t seen the inside of a weight room since high school. Whether you’re an endurance athlete or a strength nerd who only wants to pick up heavy stuff and put it back down, you might be curious about the grass on that other side.
12 Benefits of Kettlebell Swings That Will Have You Swinging in No Time
You love nothing more than getting to the gym as often as you can. But alas — life happens. When you haven’t got a lot of time for training — nor room in your apartment for outfitting an entire home gym — all you need to keep going is a kettlebell. Moves like the kettlebell swing don’t require a lot of space. You also don’t need to train for hours on end to see results. Only got six minutes? Cool.
Master the Bird Dog to Give Your Core Routine Wings
Imagine your favorite workout. For strength and functional fitness athletes, this fantasy likely features a training session involving barbells, a load of bumper plates, or a Rogue echo bike. At the very least, you’re probably picturing a set of dumbbells, a plyo box, or battle ropes. If you’re a strength athlete, a bit of quiet, your bodyweight, and a yoga mat probably don’t make the cut.
How to Return to Strength Training After an Extended Break
For a weathered gym rat, almost nothing is worse than being unable to access your barbells and weight plates. Not that you need a fully-equipped gym to work out — but sometimes, life just doesn’t accommodate your regularly-scheduled training. Whether you’ve been sidelined by injury or life with the kids just hasn’t been giving you any “you” time, sometimes you just can’t work out for an extended period of time.
Can You Eat Intuitively as a Bodybuilder?
When people think of nutrition for bodybuilders, they often imagine cardboard-tasting protein shakes, calorie counting, and a whole lot of plain chicken and rice. But restricting what you eat (and when) doesn’t have to be the whole story. Especially when in the offseason, being more flexible in their eating habits may be helpful. Bodybuilders looking to approach their sport sustainably might find a lot of value in the principles of intuitive eating.
What's the Deal with the Mind-Muscle Connection?
You go to the gym to work out your muscles. Perhaps part of the allure of the four walls of your iron paradise is turning off your mind and just feeling the burn. But if you want the best muscle-building results possible, tuning your brain into your workout might be the most effective way forward. Enter the legendary mind-muscle connection. Especially if you move in bodybuilding circles, you might have heard about the power of the mind-muscle connection.
2022 Granite Games CrossFit Semifinals Results and Recap: Breaking Records in Eagan
The first weekend in June saw the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals continue with the Far East Throwdown in Busan, South Korea and the virtual competitions for the Age Group (50+) and Adaptive Semifinals. At the same time, the Granite Games came to Eagan, MN and played host to an epic outdoor showdown. Even with CrossFit household names like Chandler Smith, Mal O’Brien, and Brent Fikowski in the mix, relative newcomer Phil Toon stole much of the show.
2022 CrossFit Adaptive Semifinal Results and Recap: Who is the Fittest and Who is Heading to Madison?
The third weekend of the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals saw a lot of action around the world. From the in-person Far East Throwdown in Busan, South Korea and Granite Games in Eagan, MN to the virtual competitions for the Age Group (50+) and Adaptive Semifinals, CrossFit fans and athletes had a lot to look forward to coming into the start of June. Held virtually for the top 20 athletes in each of the 16 adaptive divisions, the Adaptive Semifinal took place from June 2-5.
2022 CrossFit Age Group Semifinals Results and Recap: Who's Off to Madison?
The 2022 CrossFit Semifinals kicked off on May 20 in three different countries and has now wrapped up its third week. During weeks two and three, the Age Group Semifinals went virtual across the globe. From May 26-29, athletes in ages 14 to 49 went head-to-head. June 2-5 saw the 50+ divisions battling it out for tickets to Madison. In 2022, instead of qualifying through the Games through events specific to their divisions, Age Group athletes participated in a new online global Semifinal.
Learn the Best Single-Arm Row Variations for Absurd Upper Back Strength
You might love training your back with barbells, and you’re not alone. With these lengthy tools, you can slap on as many weight plates as you’ve trained for and pull incredibly heavy iron off the ground. But barbells are not the only implement that can help you craft massive strength in your posterior chain. Dumbbells are also a crucial part of well-rounded strength training — especially if you work single-arm dumbbell rows and their variations into your program.
2022 Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge Semifinals Results and Recap — Who's Going to Madison? | BarBend
The weekend of May 27-29, the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals continued across two continents — the CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town in Stellenbosch, South Africa and the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge in Knoxville, TN in North America. The second round of Semifinals had some of the most famous athletes in the sport coming out to one of the most famous Semifinals in the sport — the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge, affectionately known as the MACC.
2022 CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town Semifinals Results and Recap — Who's Going to the Games? | BarBend
The stakes were high the weekend of May 27-29, 2022 at the Coetzenburg Centre in Stellenbosch, South Africa. There, the CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town Semifinal brought the best CrossFitters on the continent to compete for the top spots and their ticket to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games slated for Aug. 3-7 in Madison, WI.
How to Choose the Right Powerbuilding Exercises for Your Goals
Maybe you’re a powerlifter who wants your strength to be reflected in your musculature. Or you might be a bodybuilder who wants to be as strong as you look. Even if you have no aspirations to compete — or you’re a beginner in the gym — you might just generally want to get both big and strong. Folks who are competing in a strength sport need to specialize and zone in on their top priorities.
Shane Flowers Withdraws From 2022 World’s Strongest Man
The first day of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest has seen some impressive lifts — and some significant setbacks and injuries. On May 25, the second day of the competition, WSM announced on Instagram that UK strongman Shane Flowers has withdrawn from competition. The first event in Sacramento, the Loading Race, was held on May 24. Flowers seemed to injure himself during that event.
Evan Singleton Returns to 2022 World's Strongest Man Competition Less Than 24 Hours After Withdrawing
The opening day of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest saw several competitors sustain what appeared to be injuries. Then, before the start of the second even, WSM officials announced on Instagram that American strongman Evan Singleton was withdrawing from the competition. Hours later, WSM posted about Singleton’s status once again — this time, to announce that Singleton was cleared to continue competing after further medical evaluation.
2022 Syndicate Crown CrossFit Semifinals Results and Recap — Who is Heading to the Games? | BarBend
The opening weekend of the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals saw 80 individual athletes and 60 teams throwing down across three continents. On May 20-22, 2022 the Torian Pro took place in Brisbane, Australia while Amsterdam, Netherlands hosted the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown. Meanwhile, the Syndicate Crown took place in Knoxville, TN, featuring athletes like 2021 Fittest Man on Earth® Justin Medeiros and rising star Haley Adams.
How to (Safely) Train to Failure to Boost Your Intensity and Muscle Mass
When you’re new to the gym, it seems like all you have to do to gain muscle and get stronger is look at a dumbbell. But the more experience you get under your weightlifting belt, the harder it can be to push your body to the edge you need to continue making progress. Do you have to spend countless hours that you just don’t have in your schedule at the gym to keep the gains coming? Well, you can. But you don’t have to. This is where methods like training to failure come in.
2022 Shaw Classic Events Announced
Athletes and fans alike have been gearing up for the third annual Shaw Classic, set to be held at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland, CO, on Aug. 13-14, 2022. This is the biggest venue to ever host the contest, and 2022’s competition will feature athletes like 2021 Britain’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman, 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman, and returning Shaw Classic champion Trey Mitchell.
How to Watch the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals
The wide world of CrossFit is getting amped up for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games. The 10-event Semifinals kick off in three different countries on May 20. Across four weeks and six continents, the Semifinals will determine which athletes — in the Women’s, Men’s, and Team divisions — will descend on Madison, WI for the Games in August. On May 16, CrossFit HQ started releasing the livestream information for how fans can watch the Semifinals events.
China's Lu Delin Is a Certified Unit. His 180-Kilogram Hang Snatch Proves It
The impressive feats of strength keeping rolling off of Lü Xiaojun Barbell’s Instagram feed. On May 16, 2022, a new post showed weightlifter Lu Delin performing a 180-kilogram (396.8-pound) hang snatch — a hefty accomplishment from the 81-kilogram athlete. Although Delin’s lift was a hang snatch rather than the full competition variation, it’s still a pretty major feat. It proves that Delin has the raw strength to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world.
Rhianon Lovelace Sets Lightweight Axle Bar Deadlift World Record With 233.5-Kilogram (515-Pound) Pull
On May 14, 2022, strongwoman athletes descended on Plano, TX to compete in five events for the Clash Pro Series 2022 Clash of the 64’s. During event number two of the day, powerlifter-turned-strongwoman Rhianon Lovelace set a new lightweight world record with a 233.5-kilogram (515-pound) axle bar deadlift. Competing in the 64-kilogram class, Lovelace secured the win in the Last Woman Standing Deadlift event with her second lift, which came in at 224.5 kilograms (494 pounds).
Here's How to Do a Dynamic Squat Warm-Up for Bigger Lifts
It’s a heavy squat day. You know your game plan and you’ve strapped into your lifting shoes. You have your belt and chalk all ready to go, and your pump up playlist is all queued up. But is your body ready as ready as your pre-workout is saying? Getting in a solid dynamic warm-up before squatting may not feel as glamorous as walking out under a heavy barbell. But without a proper squat warm-up, your performance just won’t be as powerful — or as safe — as it can be.
Mat Fraser Discusses Being Sober Since 17 and Channeling His "Addictive" Personality
Since announcing his retirement from competitive CrossFit in early February 2021, five-time Fittest Man on Earth®, Mat Fraser, has been busy. He coaches through his Hard Work Pays Off (HWPO) programming, guest-starred on the indie comedy series Nashville Dads Club, and wrote a book with Spenser Mestel. On May 6, 2022, Fraser took to his YouTube channel to talk about getting sober at age 17, so he could focus on his athletic career and Olympic aspirations.
The Best EMOM Workouts for Strength, Endurance, and Mass
If you could, you’d spend hour after hour in the gym each day. But between family, work, friends, and sleeping every once in a while, you may just not be able to dedicate all that time to iron. If you’re worried that you need big chunks of time to maintain your gains, well… you don’t. To save time in the gym while still going after your goals, you can opt to integrate EMOM workouts into your program. That stands for every minute, on the minute.
What is a Workout Complex? Your Guide to Building Strength While Saving Time
One piece of equipment, one weight, one area — and go. That’s what you’ll be doing when you start a workout complex. Whether you use a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, or even battle ropes, a workout complex is all about maximizing your time and space while going as hard as you can. It can be fun to move seamlessly between different pieces of equipment — think of a solid CrossFit workout that takes you from move to move.
The Fat Loss Myth You Want to Be True: Spot Fat Reduction
You do everything your coach tells you to do. You’re working out three or four times a week; you’re going on long walks on your active recovery days; you’re actually eating fruit and veggies every single day. And still… there’s that one part of your body that you flinch at when you glance in a mirror. It’s not surprising that many people want to change their “problem” areas when body image issues are so common throughout society.
Everything You Need to Know About Endurance Training for Strength Athletes
You love nothing more than the sweet sound of iron clanking together in the gym. In your quest to become ever more powerful, you’ve become all about sets of heavy triples and the occasional accessory lift. But when your program calls for sets of eight and you’re too winded to continue past six, it might be time to consider some endurance training.
How to Do the Log Press for Massive Overhead Strength and Power
Do you need to learn the log press for strongman and strongwoman competitions? Unlike powerlifting and weightlifting meets — which always feature the same lifts and competition structure — strongman and strongwoman competitions or more unpredictable. They don’t always feature the same lifts and feats of strength. That said, many competitions do feature the log press itself or other overhead variations. So, it’s worth learning if you can. What if I don’t have access to a log bar?
How Much Water Do You Really Need to Drink a Day?
If you’ve ever felt light-headed and glanced at your neglected water bottle, you might have realized pretty quickly that you never actually use it when you’re not in the gym. Or maybe you staunchly believe that your three cups of morning coffee count as hydration. (Spoiler: research says it does. Kind of. It’s complicated).
10 Benefits of the Turkish Get-Up to Elevate Your Entire Lifting Game
It takes a very special kind of exercise to require you to move through more than a half-dozen distinct movements twice per rep. The Turkish get-up does exactly that. While most moves have you raise a weight and lower it, the Turkish get-up does this unilaterally and across multiple planes of motion. Credit: Jules43 / Shutterstock Learning the Turkish get-up can be a lot to handle, but it’s well worth the effort. The Turkish get-up offers a legion of benefits for a host of training goals.
What to Know About Working Out on Your Period
Even if you love lifting, training consistently can be a challenge. Fluctuations in sleep levels, work stress, relationship dynamics, your mood, your mental health — everything affects your workouts and your desire to train. And for many people, menstruation also impacts their workout. Figuring out how to feel secure about that programmed squat session while you’re bleeding can be uncomfortable, to say the least.
10 Benefits of Double Kettlebell Swings for Strength Athletes
Small adjustments to big lifts can make a huge difference in your strength training and conditioning. For example, adding an extra kettlebell to your swing routine — so that you’re working with a pair of kettlebells instead of just one — can be a game-changer for your routine. The double kettlebell swing is akin to performing two single-arm kettlebell swings at once. You’ll have to change your technique slightly.
What is a Cool-Down, and Do You Even Need One?
You only have an hour to dedicate to your gym time today, and you want to spend the bulk of it actually working out. Although you might not want to, you know that warming up properly is essential for increasing your workout’s effectiveness and safety — so you’ve already dedicated at least ten minutes to that. You’re tempted to pump the gas hard until the moment you have to leave the gym — but should you?
Why You Should Love to Hate High-Intensity Interval Training
The lifting platform is your happy place. Heavy doubles and triples are what make you want to get up in the morning even though your bed is super comfy. But when anyone comes near you with anything that will make you more winded than you get after a set of five squats, you suddenly never want to see the inside of a gym again.
Everything You Need to Know About the Cold Plunge
Especially if you’re from a chillier region, you might scoff at someone saying that 59 degrees is cold. But when the water you’re immersing yourself in is below 60 degrees, it’s definitely on the shiver-inducing side. And that’s what a cold plunge is — slipping into water that’s under 60 degrees. But why? Credit: Ratushniak / Shutterstock Plenty of athletes turn to cold plunges after intense workouts to hasten their recovery, boost energy levels, and even improve mental health.
How to Modify Your Workouts for Strength Gains
Some days, you start your workout feeling absolutely indestructible. Anything you’ve got programmed for today, you’re going to crush — and then some. Other gym days feel awful. You won the fight just by getting into the gym at all. But you’ve got to stick to your program because it’s what is written, right? Well, maybe not. You can modify your training session because you’re having a bad workout.
Understanding Knee Valgus — A Problem to Be Fixed, or a Natural Part of Your Squat? | BarBend
You step onto the platform ready to squat deep and heavy. But instead of congratulating your Herculean efforts, all your coach and gym buddies can shout at you seems to be “knees out.” On watching the recording they took, you notice that your knees caved in as you started your squat ascent. But is this always and without exception an actual problem? When knee valgus strikes, must you quake in fear?
How to Start Working Out Again After Top Surgery
When is it safe to exercise after top surgery? Most surgeons will tell you that you can start getting your heart rate up after three weeks of recovery. During those weeks, you shouldn’t be picking anything up that weighs more than about five pounds. After five to six weeks, with the clearance of your surgeon or doctor, you can often start gradually returning to a more intensive exercise routine.
What to Consider Before Hiring a Bodybuilding Coach
You’ve done all the research you can possibly do online and spent countless hours pouring over all posing videos in the wild west of YouTube. You put in long, dedicated hours in the gym. Secretly, you’ve even read articles on the science of muscle building when you can’t sleep at three in the morning. You have #bodybuilder in your Instagram bio, and your friends pretty much exclusively come to you for gym-related advice.
What Are Appetite Suppressants and Do They Work?
Maybe you’ve read about appetite suppressants or seen them advertised when you’re picking up your protein powders. You might also hear about them on your social media feed or in your gym’s locker room. Wherever you first learned about appetite suppressants in supplements, the first question that occurred to you might have been: Do appetite suppressants even work? Appetite is an enormously complicated part of biology that’s influenced by many factors.
7 Powerful Benefits of Plyometric Push-Ups to Help You Go Higher, Further, Faster
The push-up is one of those exercises that looks so simple, but even one rep can be difficult to perform properly. It’s a popular bodyweight exercise that recruits your chest, triceps, shoulders, and back. As an overall upper body-builder, it translates into stronger presses and overhead lifts. You can use it as an accessory for strength training or for challenges between you and your gym buddy.
Meditation for Athletes — How to Start, Benefits, Types of Meditation | BarBend
When strength athletes think about gains, the first thing that comes to mind tends to be picking up heavy weights and putting them back down. Lifters — perhaps especially bodybuilders — also tend to consider nutrition to be a crucial part of their programming. Mobility, sleep, and physical recovery-related aspects of strength sports sometimes get their dues, too. But too rarely do most strength athletes consider what is arguably one of the most crucial tenets of lifting heavy — mindset.
10 Benefits of Rowing Machines for Strength Athletes (and Everyone Else)
You’re exhausted after a three-rep set, and you can’t imagine what would happen to your lungs if you attempted a set of eight squats. You have nightmares about cardio, but you know you’ve got to do it if you want to improve your work capacity — all in the service of lifting more weight. Credit: imtmphoto / Shutterstock You’ll get stronger and more cardiovascularly fit in one fell swoop.
9 Dumbbell Flye Variations for a Bigger Chest and Stronger Presses
Your ultimate training goal might be boosting your bench press PR. And while that’s a worthy goal, especially for powerlifters, your road to a fresh one-rep max might be made a lot easier by one move — the dumbbell flye. You can also add to your repertoire a wide range of dumbbell flye variations. Credit: mapo_japan/Shutterstock You need a lot of things to bench heavy — strong triceps, healthy shoulders, and excellent form.
New United States Powerlifting Association Ruleset Bans Trans Athletes and Athletes Taking "Any Hormone" from Tested Divisions
Angel Flores — a 22-year-old USA Powerlifting (USAPL) gold-medalist in the MX division — was excited to compete in the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Violet Crown Classic at her home gym, Liberation Barbell Club in Austin, TX. However, that same day, Flores posted a video on her Instagram, revealing that on Jan. 4, 2022, the USPA “disallowed” her from competing in the drug-tested meet because she is trans. The USPA’s decision to block Flores from participating in the Jan.
10 Kettlebell Exercises for Bodybuilders to Improve Stability, Bolster Mobility, and Build Muscle
If you want to be a bodybuilder — either recreationally or competitively — it makes sense that your first instinct might be toward barbells, dumbbells, and cable-based exercises. After all, these are the implements that you probably think of first to build muscle. But kettlebells can also be tremendously useful tools for bodybuilders.
Shed Some Weight and Increase Your Gas Tank With This Kettlebell Circuit for Fat Loss
Regardless of your specific goals in the gym, kettlebell training can get you there. You can swing, snatch, and clean kettlebells quickly to increase power output. Row and press heavy kettlebells (like you would any free weight) for more strength and muscle. Or, if you’re looking to get leaner, pair a series of kettlebell movements together to burn body fat. Credit: Artem Varnitsin / Shutterstock Kettlebell circuits for fat loss are especially efficient.
Encanto's Luisa Madrigal is the Super-Jacked Disney Hero We All Wanted
In Nov. 2021, Disney’s Encanto hit theaters. On Christmas Eve, it hit the internet as a sensation after its release on the streaming platform Disney Plus. While many of the songs and storylines have captivated and inspired viewers, one character in particular stands out for the strength community: Luisa Madrigal, the big sister of the protagonist.
Weightlifter Katie Estep (55KG) Jerks 119KG (262 Pounds) for Two Reps Off Blocks
On Jan. 11, 2022, USA Weightlifting had some big news to share on their Instagram. In the video, weightlifter Katie Estep is seen jerking two kilograms over the Junior World Record clean & jerk. Estep, a Youth record-holder herself who competes in the 55-kilogram weight class, smoothly jerked 119-kilograms (262 pounds) overhead during her training session for a double.
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