There it is: “Our study found that cooking with lard/other animal fat oil is more beneficial to cardiovascular health in older Chinese. Dietary guidelines should seriously consider the health effects of substituting vegetable/gingili oil for lard/other animal fat oil for different populations.”
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Exercises like the chin-up and the deadlift are seen as the kings of back-builders by many lifters, but they are only the meat and potatoes. You have to add some seasoning if you want the best final product, and the extra flavor (and extra results) will come from your exercise choices.
The problem is that compound (multi-joint or “polyarticular”) exercises like chins, deadlifts, and rows not only train the large lat muscle of your back, but also many other muscles in your whole body. The lats are a notoriously hard to target body part, and these big lifts have the risk of shifting the work to other supporting muscles.
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The straight-arm pushdown, sometimes called a stiff-arm pushdown or pulldown, is one the most effective movements to work just the lats because it is an isolation (single-joint) exercise. This allows you to really focus on the target body part with minimal assistance from other muscles.
Adding this exercise might just be the key to unlock new growth and a better mind-muscle connection. Here’s why and how to add it to your training plan.
As a single-joint exercise, the straight-arm pushdown is a fairly straightforward to perform. These types of movements typically require less coordination and technique than multi-joint exercises, but you still need to use proper form if you want the best results.
Step 1 — Set up at the Cable Station
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Set a cable pulley at the maximum height so that you can enjoy a full range of motion, and attach a straight or EZ-curl bar.
Grab the bar using a palms-down, shoulder-width grip, and fully extend your arms toward the pulley. Step back until the weight starts floating off the stack and you feel tension pulling you toward it. Lean forward at the waist and slightly bend your knees to adopt a stable position from which to pull. Your hands should be slightly above shoulder-height.
Form tip: Keep your shoulders down and your chest puffed up. This will diminish the stress on your shoulders and reduce interference from non-target muscles like your shoulders or traps.
Step 2 — Pull the Weight Down
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Exhale and squeeze your lats as much as you can while driving the bar down towards your thighs. Keep your arms straight or slightly-bent for the duration of the lift. Nothing should move but your arms. Keep your wrists neutral, don’t allow them to curl down or bend back.
Form tip: Imagine you have an orange under each of your armpits and you’re squeezing them for their juice. This will help you recruit your back more and shift focus away from your arms.
Step 3 — Control the Stretch
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When the bar is nearly touching your legs, slowly reverse the motion and let your arms come up. Keep your torso still and don’t stand up straight at the weight comes up. Once you’re at the top of the range of motion and your back is fully stretched, repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Form tip: If you feel your arms overpowering your lats, and your triceps or shoulders fatigue before your back muscles, use a “false grip” by placing your thumb on top of the bar next to your fingers. This will reduce arm involvement.
Straight-Arm Pushdown Mistakes to Avoid
The straight-arm pushdown requires focus to reap all the benefits. You have to nail the technique if you want to progress safely, and that means avoiding these common mistakes.
Swinging the Weight
Ego should never have a place in the gym, especially not when doing an isolation movement. If you start using body English to move more weight, you’ll end up working your hips, abs, and arms more than your back. If you want to move more weight and use as many muscles as possible, then skip the straight-arm pushdowns and do some barbell rows.
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Moreover, using momentum will put more stress on your connective tissue and joints, possibly causing injuries. (1)
Avoid it: Only your arms should move during the exercise, and they should only move at the shoulder, not the elbow. If you have to move anything else, it’s either because you used too much weight or that your initial set up (stance and body position) wasn’t stable enough. Reduce the weight, bend your knees a bit more, and widen your stance to lower your center of gravity and increase stability.
Using Your Arms
You might not expect it, but the long head of your triceps (posterior muscle of the arm) will assist your back during this exercise because it’s partially responsible for moving your arm at the shoulder joint. However, it should remain a lat-focused exercise.
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
If you bend and extend your arms during the exercise, you’ll turn the exercise from a straight-arm pushdown into a wrongly-performed triceps pushdown, resulting in less muscle gains for each body part.
Avoid it: Don’t let your arms bend. Remember that it’s called a “straight-arm” movement and maintain the same elbow angle during the duration of the lift. To further reduce arm involvement, use a false grip by moving your thumbs on top of the bar near your fingers.
Going Too Heavy
Yes, there’s a recurring theme in this mistake session: do not chase weight. Keep the heavy weights and maximal efforts for the big compound exercises. If you use too much weight, you can end up compensating with other muscles and you’ll stop feeling the intended muscles, leading to less muscle growth. (2)
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Avoid it: When you perform the exercise, if you stop feeling tension in your lats, it’s likely because other muscles have taken over. Reduce the weight immediately and double-check your stance, torso position, and arm angle.
How to Progress the Straight-Arm Pushdown
The cable station used for straight-arm pushdowns usually allows you to use very light or heavy weights, but that’s not always the case. Some pulleys have limited weights or other issues that affect your performance. In those cases, you can use progressions to either make the exercise easier or harder.
Resistance Band Straight-Arm Pushdown
Bands are versatile and easy to use. Strap a resistance band to a sturdy object at roughly head-height and perform the exercise as you would with a cable pulley. The band resistance starts very low and can be adjusted by standing closer or farther from the anchor point, which is perfect if you don’t yet feel confident enough to tackle more challenging resistance.
One benefit of bands is that the resistance curve increases during the range of motion — as the band is stretched, it becomes more challenging — which can be beneficial for you to feel your lats working. This is also a great variation if you don’t have access to a cable station.
Slow Tempo Straight-Arm Pulldown
Whether you can’t put more weight on the station or you just have trouble feeling the correct muscles working during this exercise, you can use a slower tempo (lifting and lower speed) to make to movement more challenging with lighter weights.
One great way to do this is by taking three to five seconds on the concentric phase (when you lift the weight) and three to five seconds for the eccentric (when you reverse the motion). This will make the exercise tremendously harder, increase the time under tension, and improve your mind-muscle connection as well.
Banded Dumbbell Pullover
If you’re an experienced lifter who already mastered the dumbbell pullover, which is itself a free-weight variation of the straight-arm pushdown, then you can take things to the next level. This is one of the most intense lat isolation exercises.
The problem with the basic dumbbell pullover is that there is little-to-no resistance at the top of the movement due to gravity’s limited effect on the weight. Strapping a band around the dumbbell, with an anchor point far behind your head, results in a continuous curve of resistance with a deep stretch and a hard peak contraction, resulting in a greater stimulus for muscle growth. (3)
Benefits of the Straight-Arm Pushdown
The straight-arm pulldown is very unique among back exercises because it allows you to zero-in on your lats without much fatigue or involvement from other back muscles.
Muscle Growth
Single-joint exercises are ideal for hypertrophy (muscle growth) because their purpose is to isolate a target muscle as much as possible. Isolation movement aren’t as effective for building strength because they weight used is limited, but if when it comes to talking strictly about muscle growth, they can be just as efficient as multi-joint exercises. (4)
Isolate Your Lats
If you’re a physique enthusiast and your lats are a weak point, the straight-arm pushdown is a perfect fix to bring them up to par. The fact that the straight-arm pushdown isolates the lats means you can really focus on them and correct any imbalances. You don’t have the risk of having your biceps, shoulders, or other back muscles taking over the movement.
The exercise also generates relatively less fatigue and is easier to perform than a multi-joint back exercise, meaning you could train it more often than other movements. The high-tension exercise is also better at increasing mind-muscle connection in your lats, something many lifters struggle with, but it can result in more muscle growth.
Muscles Worked by the Straight-Arm Pushdown
The straight-arm pushdown might be an isolation exercise, but the truth is that you can never isolate a single muscle. Let’s see what it trains.
Latissimus Dorsi
The lats are the biggest back muscle, giving it all its width. It goes from your hip bone to your humerus (arm bone) and attaches to your spine. This muscle has many functions including extending or flexing your torso, and moving or rotating the shoulder.
During the straight-arm pushdown, the lats are recruited when bringing your arms down toward your body’s midline. The straight-arm pushdown is one of the few back exercises that can perform this movement with limited involvement from the biceps.
Teres Major
This upper-back muscle goes from the humerus to the scapula, and it assists the lats in almost every function. The teres is heavily recruited during the straight-arm pushdown to stabilize your shoulder blades as your shoulders rotate and move through the range of motion..
Triceps Brachii
Even though the straight-arm pushdown primarily targets the back muscles, you’ll most likely feel your triceps burn during the exercise because they’re being worked statically, to maintain the straight-arm position. This posterior arm muscle consists of three heads (the long, lateral, and medial heads).
The long head, in particular, goes from the elbow to the scapula (shoulder blade) and it assists in moving your in toward your body’s midline, similar to the lats.
How to Program the Straight-Arm Pushdown
The straight-arm pushdown is ideally used for hypertrophy. In that regard, you should use repetition schemes conducive to muscle growth.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition
This time-tested approach is the go-to for most bodybuilders. Three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions will provide ample muscle tension and stimulus for optimal growth. This is a staple approach for a well-rounded back workout.
Low Weight, High Repetition
You can also use longer duration sets as a “finisher” for a serious burn and to practice technique. Two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions at the end of a session will encourage muscle growth as well, but will provide a different feeling from relatively heavier and lower rep training. Be sure to keep good posture and avoid swinging the weights as the reps get higher.
Straight-Arm Pushdown Variations
Once you’ve mastered the standard movement, you can try these variations to provide the same benefits to your body while creating a different stimulus. While these exercises are similar, the technique and movement differences will allow you to progress even further. (5)
Kneeling Straight-Arm Pushdown
This variation can be an excellent addition if you’re a taller lifter because it lets you use a full range of motion without worrying about the weight stack hitting the top of the pulley.
The kneeling position also provides more core and stability work because it’s harder to maintain and stabilize your balance. This increased core activation can be transferable to other exercises like the pull-up or general sports activities.
Dumbbell Pullover
This old school exercise is a favorite among classic bodybuilders. You only need a dumbbell and a bench, which is invaluable when you train during peak hours in a busy gym. You can either lie fully flat on a bench, or across it resting only your upper back on the bench which will increase the difficulty, thoracic (upper back) stretching, and core recruitment of the exercise.
The dumbbell pullover is also interesting because it changes the curve of resistance of the exercise — it emphasizes the lengthened contraction and the stretch of the muscle, but there’s almost no tension at the top. This can provide a completely novel stimulus which may trigger more growth.
Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
This exercise is as old school as its dumbbell cousin and it follows the same general principles but this time, you’re using a barbell which changes your hand position and grip width.
The other key difference is that you’re not keeping your arms straight, but bent at around 90-degrees. The angle is maintained for the entire lift. This helps to put the lats into a nice, deep stretch. A few sets of practice and you’ll be able to appreciate the unique feeling of this classic movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How wide should my grip be to target the lats?
The standard grip with a straight-arm pushdown is around shoulder-width, but it’s more a question of comfort. Some lifters feel more natural pulling with a much wider grip, holding a lat pulldown bar attachment well-beyond shoulder-width. Other lifters use a rope handle and keep their hands almost touching each other during the exercise. Use the grip width that allows you to feel the target muscles contract and stretch without causing any shoulder discomfort and without interference from other body parts. The most important part of the movement is maintaining a straight-arm position, not bending your arms throughout the lift.
When should I do the straight-arm pushdown in a workout?
Isolation exercises are often best performed later in a workout, especially when there is a significant stretch involved in the exercise, like the top position of the straight-arm pushdown. This helps to make sure your joints and muscles are fully warmed up to safely utilize the full range of motion. You should do your heavier compound exercises, like rows or pull-ups, earliest in the workout when you’re fresh and can move the most weight, then finish the target muscle with the straight-arms pushdown at the end of the session. However, you could sometimes use the this movement earlier in the session if you have trouble feeling your lats. Isolation exercises are great for “pre-exhausting” individual muscles and developing the mind-muscle connection.
Push Yourself to the Next Level
The straight-arm pushdown can help you define and reinforce your back whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter. If you’re looking to step up your back game, fill your shirts, and get stronger, it’s time to appreciate this rare isolation exercise.
References
Faigenbaum AD, Myer GD. Resistance training among young athletes: safety, efficacy and injury prevention effects. Br J Sports Med. 2010 Jan;44(1):56-63. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.068098. Epub 2009 Nov 27. PMID: 19945973; PMCID: PMC3483033.
Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
Schoenfeld, Brad J. The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2010 – Volume 24 – Issue 10 – p 2857-2872 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
Gentil P, Soares S, Bottaro M. Single vs. Multi-Joint Resistance Exercises: Effects on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy. Asian J Sports Med. 2015 Jun;6(2):e24057. doi: 10.5812/asjsm.24057. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PMID: 26446291; PMCID: PMC4592763.
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.
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For roughly the past half-decade, bodybuilder Andrei Lincan made a name for himself in the Men’s Physique division. After winning the 2017 Men’s Physique Amateur Olympia and earning his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro Card, the 26-year-old competitor became a mainstay. He finished in the top five in the 2020 Men’s Physique Olympia and captured noteworthy victories in contests like the 2021 Republic of Texas Pro. Accordingly, he’s about to make a leap in a different direction.
On Nov. 7, 2022, in a video on his YouTube channel, Lincan announced that he would be making the transition to the Classic Physique division for the 2023 competitive season. Among the bigger reasons for the switch is he feels his ceiling is limited as a bodybuilder within the constraints of the Men’s Physique category.
Lincan’s realization that he might have to change something up as a competitor is relatively new. After a second-place performance at the 2022 Texas Pro in August, Lincan began to reflect on whether he has a future as a Men’s Physique competitor. That was when it hit him that he wanted to test his body and use various poses that his current division didn’t allow.
“After my last show at the [2022] Texas Pro, where I came second, the feedback I got from them was that my arms were getting a little too big,” Lincan noted. “Honestly, I haven’t even trained them in the last year or so and haven’t even done anything to make them grow. I think the physique they are looking for in the Men’s Physique category is not a look that I actually fit.”
At the moment, Lincan is coached by the legendary Hany Rambod, who is also working with other bodybuilders like reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ Chris Bumstead and former 212 Olympia winner Derek Lunsford. According to Lincan, he hasn’t been able to train or pose how he wants with Rambod, contributing to his mounting reservations.
“Every time I do a session with Hany Rambod, or even on my own, I like to flex,” Lincan said. “I like to hit double biceps, side chest, and so on. These bodybuilding poses are not Men’s Physique poses. I feel like my physique looks more impressive when I hit these poses rather than just doing a Men’s Physique pose like front and back.
On top of that, I haven’t even been training the way I want to train. I feel like if I do train a bit heavier on my back or my chest, they’re telling me I’m getting too big and too far out of the Men’s Physique criteria. … If I can’t enjoy the way I train, then I don’t think it’s for me anymore.”
At the time of this writing, while he’s still a Men’s Physique competitor, Lincan hasn’t earned his qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Based on the current IFBB point standings — where Lincan sits way outside of the necessary top three with just nine points — he will likely miss the contest barring a victory that would earn him an automatic berth. Qualification on a points basis ends on Nov. 20, 2022 and the Olympia contest will be held in mid-December.
With that kind of slate lined up, outside of his specific frustrations, it’s probably no wonder Lincan wants to shift gears in 2023. If his competitive transition goes well, perhaps he can continue to flourish and shine with high placings in another division.
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In October 2022, Hafthor Björnsson announced he would hang up the boxing gloves to return to professional strongman. In the same month, the former 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion revealed he would also compete on a sanctioned powerlifting platform on Dec. 3, 2022. (Note: To date, the exact name of the contest remains undisclosed.) Judging by some of his recent social media updates, the strongman living legend is working full steam ahead to be in tip-top shape for all sorts of strength sports competitions.
On Nov. 10, 2022, Björnsson shared an Instagram clip of himself completing a raw 360-kilogram (793.6-pound) deadlift for two reps during a training session. The strongman/powerlifter completed the deadlift from a conventional stance, wore just a lifting belt, and was in his socks.
For Björnsson, the pull itself might not be noteworthy compared to his past high standards. After all, at face value, the Icelandic athlete holds the all-time deadlift World Record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) from the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series.
However, that record pull came while equipped in a strongman setting, while this recent training was raw. Perhaps more importantly, after dedicating himself to slimming down for his boxing career for a few years, Björnsson weighs approximately 100 pounds less than his 205-kilogram (451.9-pound) peak strongman body weight. In context, these notes could make his 793-pound deadlift double more impressive — considering the set-up might be a little out of his usual comfort zone and that he’s carrying a lot less mass overall.
The last time Björnsson featured in a formal powerlifting competition was a first-place performance at the 2018 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Thor’s Powerlifting Challenge. He competed in the 140-kilogram-plus division while wearing wraps. Overall, Björnsson has four first-place wins in five career powerlifting contests, with his lone non-first-place finish being a second-place result. It’s unclear which weight class Björnsson will fit when he participates in his early December 2022 powerlifting return, but he will do so raw.
Here’s an overview of Björnsson’s all-time raw competition bests:
*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. In addition, Björnsson has never competed in a three-lift raw powerlifting meet. This total includes only a bench press and deadlift.
When it comes to the lifting exploits of an icon like Björnsson, it’s probably understandable if more eyes and ears will focus on the athlete. With the spotlight starting to shine on his trademark power and athleticism again, the strength sports world will find out whether Björnsson can thrive once more in the coming weeks.
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The classic barbell deadlift might be the most primal and instinctive movement around. “See that weight on the ground? Betcha can’t pick it up. Go try.” While there’s something to be said for brute-forcing your way to a successful lift, a bit of technique can shift the odds in your favor, not to mention making a self-induced injury less likely.
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Fundamentally, there are two basic variations of barbell deadlift. There’s the “classic” conventional deadlift performed with a relatively close stance, often considered the standard and most widely used deadlift. There’s also the sumo deadlift, done with its eye-catching wide stance, that’s unfortunately and unjustifiably become considered “a cheater’s exercise” in recent years.
Here’s a closer look that will let you make a fully informed programming choice based on facts and function, not online fitness memes.
While the key differences between the deadlift and the sumo deadlift may seem fairly apparent just by watching the exercises being performed, there’s a bit more involved than meets the eye. The movements are more different than just their foot position.
Body Position
The conventional stance deadlift is often performed with a nearly hip-width stance which allows, and actually requires, a significant hip hinge to reach the barbell. This bent-forward position brings your upper body to a moderate angle and puts your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles in a stronger mechanical position to lift the weight.
The sumo deadlift, in contrast, is primarily defined by a wider foot position, well-outside shoulder-width. This, combined with a more outward-angled foot, involves relatively less hip hinge and allows a more upright upper torso position.
This wide stance and upright torso lead to significantly greater activation of the leg muscles, including the quads (front of the thigh), along with less strain on the lumbar (lower back) muscles. (1)
Muscle Recruitment
The conventional deadlift stretches and recruits the hamstrings and glutes because your upper body is angled forward to a greater degree with your legs slightly bent. Your lower back also works to maintain a stiff spine position as you transfer power from your hands through your shoulders to your hips and legs.
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This makes your entire posterior chain (lower back, glutes, and hamstrings) the primary muscles worked during the exercise. However, because your hands are grabbing the bar at roughly shoulder-width, your upper back is also recruited to stabilize and support the weight.
During the sumo deadlift, your entire leg muscles (including your quadriceps) are the primary drivers to move the weight. The wide stance and angled foot position also recruits your inner thighs (adductor muscles). Because your upper body is more upright than angled, and your hands are in a close-grip (often hip-width), your upper and lower back muscles are not recruited as much as with the conventional stance.
Lower Back Stress
The deadlift exercise, in general, has a widespread reputation for being “bad for your back.” While that issue is more related to general technique and programming, the conventional deadlift does place a greater strain on the lower back muscles due to the upper body position when lifting the weight.
Some lifters tend to perform the lift with a rounded back, which is an avoidable high-risk mistake. This is also more common with a conventional stance when lifters focus more on “bending forward” to grab the bar instead of hinging their hips back.
The sumo stance is much less stressful on the lower back muscles because it allows you to perform the deadlift with a more vertical upper body. This puts your entire core (abs and lower back) in a stronger and more stable position, less likely to round and more likely to achieve a fully braced position.
Deadlift and Sumo Deadlift Similarities
Both deadlift variations follow a “bend down and lift the weight”- template. In that vein, they overlap in several aspects despite the differences in their technical details. Here’s how you know the exercises are different branches of the same tree.
Concentric Emphasis
Unlike many other exercises, like the squat or bench press for example, deadlifts begin each repetition with the concentric (lifting) phase. This simply means that your muscles are stretched before being placed under load, rather than beginning each repetition with the muscles in contraction. Starting pull-ups from the bottom hanging position would be another example of this type of concentric-focused movement.
By emphasizing the concentric phase, you can increase muscle activation. (2) This is one reason why many lifters are seen “dropping” the barbell from the deadlift lockout position. Emphasizing the concentric also helps to improve power output compared to focusing on the eccentric (lowering phase). (3) This explains why strength athletes like competitive powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters de-emphasize the eccentric portion of many movements.
Deadlift stance doesn’t affect the concentric-focus of the lift because, in both instances, the weight begins on the floor at a dead-stop (hence the name “dead” lift).
Total-Body Development
Even though the specific muscle recruitment will vary between the conventional and sumo deadlift, both movements require coordination between the muscles of the upper and lower body.
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You’re driving through the floor with your feet and legs, and transferring that force through your core and back, across your shoulders, through your straight arms, and into your hands grabbing the weight. The deadlift is a total-body exercise, even though it typically focuses on the lower body.
Full-body exercises like the deadlift are a critical staple for beginning lifters establishing a base of muscle and strength, as well as experienced lifters looking to train with efficiency.
Key Technique Differences
The deadlift and sumo deadlift involve specific technique adaptations which influence the results delivered. Here’s a closer look at exactly what makes them two distinct movements.
Stance
The most obvious and most drastic difference between the two movements, and the one change which starts the snowball of differences, is your stance. The sumo deadlift is defined by the sumo wrestler-inspired wide stance.
Some lifters set their feet so wide, you might worry they’ll run over their toes with the weight plates. While the specific stance will vary from lifter to lifter depending on their limb length and other factors, the sumo deadlift involves a significantly wide stance to accommodate the upright torso and close hand grip.
The conventional deadlift stance can also vary in a given range, with some lifters’ feet nearly touching and some more comfortable at almost shoulder-width. The key point with the conventional stance is to allow a good hip hinge position, with slightly bent legs and your glutes pushed to the wall behind you.
Hip Mobility
The sumo deadlift’s wide stance does require a relatively high degree of hip mobility, not only to achieve the wide-open hip position at the start, but to properly “squat” toward the bar and drive up with the weight.
Lifters with tight hips or tight inner thigh muscles will likely have difficulty reaching an efficient sumo stance and may be more comfortable with a conventional stance or a modified sumo stance (sometimes called “semi-sumo”) described below. (4)
However, progressively performing the sumo deadlift itself, within your current range of motion, has been shown to help improve hip mobility. (5) This can help to improve lower body strength and joint health.
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Alternatively, the conventional deadlift can typically be performed by lifters without needing significant hip mobility. This makes the movement an effective option for lifters who may not want or need to focus on improving their mobility, as they prioritize building strength and muscle.
Upper Body Position
During and deadlift, your lower body position is intricately tied to your upper body position. With a conventional stance, your upper body cannot remain vertical if you want to successfully reach the bar on the ground.
You’re required to hinge at the hips and align your shoulders over the bar to reach an efficient pulling position. This will put your upper body in an angled position, with the exact degree determined by your arm and torso length. Lifters with relatively shorter arms, for example, may need to lean forward more than a lifter with longer arms.
A more angled, or nearly horizontal, upper body position with your shoulders more in line with your hips will increase the demand on your upper back to maintain a stable shoulder position while a more upright or vertical upper body (during a sumo deadlift) will “stack” your torso and engage your core more than your upper back.
This upper body involvement can become a factor when looking at your overall program design and tailoring exercises for your specific goal. For example, lifters looking to prioritize lower body size while maintaining their upper body may be better suited with a sumo deadlift, while lifters focusing on building upper body muscle could benefit from the added back work during conventional deadlifts.
How to Deadlift
Stand in front of a barbell with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, angled slightly outward. The bar should almost be above your shoelaces. Pinch your shoulder blades together and slightly bend your legs. Push your glutes back while keeping a neutral (not rounded) spine. Grab the bar just outside of your legs, with straight arms in an overhand grip.
Build tension in your legs, back, and arms by slowly lifting any slack out of the bar before powerfully driving up to lift the weight. Stand up to a full lockout, pushing your hips forward to meet the bar. Reverse the movement to lower the bar under control.
Form Tip: Avoid bending your arms and your back at any point during the exercise. Lifting with a rounded back can drastically increase shearing stress on your vertebrae and can increase the risk of injury. Similarly, pulling the weight with bent arms puts the biceps muscle in a vulnerable position and limits strength output.
Benefits
The conventional deadlift is an efficient exercise for building strength and muscle because it recruits a number of muscles throughout the body.
This is a highly effective movement for working the glutes and hamstrings with relatively heavy loads, contributing to strength and muscle growth.
The deadlift is a mandatory movement in competitive powerlifting and carries over directly to many exercises found in CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting.
Deadlift Variations
The conventional deadlift can be modified with several specific variations to adjust muscle recruitment and deliver a number of similar results. Here are some of the most common variations of the standard deadlift.
Trap Bar Deadlift
The trap bar deadlift requires a specialized cradle or modified bar, but it can be one of the most useful ways to deadlift particularly for lifters with back issues who may not have the hip mobility necessary for sumo deadlifts.
Because the weight is positioned outside and around the lifter, the center of gravity is shifted to a more joint-friendly position. The side handles also allow a neutral grip with your hands by your sides, which allows an extremely upright torso position, which also reduces lower back strain.
Snatch-Grip Deadlift
While the sumo deadlift puts your feet in a wide stance, the snatch-grip deadlift takes the opposite approach and sets your hands out wide instead. Some lifters are able to grab a few inches away from the plates on either side of the bar. This very wide grip more heavily recruits the muscles of the upper back, shoulders, and arms.
One minor compromise with the snatch-grip deadlift is that it requires the lifter to drop their lower body into a deeper position to maintain their grip. This can increase the work done by the entire body, because you’re lifting the weight through a much longer range of motion.
How to Sumo Deadlift
Stand in front of a barbell with your feet at least shoulder-width apart. Set your feet at a sharp outward angle. The bar should be near your ankles. Pinch your shoulder blades together and brace your core. Keep a neutral spine as you push your hips back and squat down to reach the bar. Grab the bar with your arms on the inside of your calves, using an overhand grip.
Push your feet through the floor as you drive your shoulders back and push your hips forward. Lift the weight to full lockout, with straight legs and extended hips, before returning the weight to the ground with control.
Form Tip: In the transition between reps, you can either pause briefly in the bottom position or you can perform “touch and go” reps lifting the bar consecutively without stopping. Using a full stop can contribute more toward building strength and power, while the touch and go method can be more appropriate for muscle-building as long as you maintain control over the bar and don’t allow bouncing or momentum to detract from performance. (6)
Benefits
The overall body position and stance involves the quadriceps more than the conventional deadlift.
The sumo deadlift puts significantly less train on the lower back than other deadlift variations.
While the sumo deadlift requires a degree of hip mobility to perform, it can also improve a lifter’s hip mobility over time.
Sumo Deadlift Variations
While the sumo deadlift may be considered a variation of the standard deadlift, there are several wide-stance deadlifts that can also offer a range of unique benefits. Here are some of the best alternatives to the true sumo deadlift.
Semi-Sumo Deadlift
This is interchangeably called a semi-sumo deadlift, modified-sumo deadlift, or squat-stance deadlift, but it may as well be named the Goldilocks deadlift — your feet aren’t too close and they’re not too wide, they’re just right.
The semi-sumo deadlift sets your feet wider than a conventional stance but not as wide as a sumo. This compromise allows a more upright torso (and reduced lower back strain) compared to a conventional stance, without requiring high-level hip mobility like a sumo stance.
Kettlebell Swing
Even though it’s not really a deadlift, the explosive kettlebell swing trains the hip hinge movement and builds strength in the posterior chain, upper back, core, and grip — all key muscle groups involved in any deadlift.
The swing is an efficient accessory exercise to complement deadlift training. It’s also more ideal for conditioning workouts than deadlifting because performing deadlifts for high repetitions under fatigue can open the door to potential injury.
When to Program the Deadlift or Sumo Deadlift
Even though many lifters begin performing the conventional deadlift by default, choosing the most effective deadlift requires determining your individual leverages, limb lengths, and goals.
Competitive Powerlifting
The deadlift is one of the big three movements performed in powerlifting, along with the back squat and flat bench press. However, despite the Internet-based decree that “sumo is cheating,” competitive powerlifting doesn’t dictate that lifters “must” perform either the conventional or sumo deadlift. It’s left up to the individual lifter.
This is why it’s essential that powerlifters acknowledge their limb length and determine if they have, for example, long legs with shorter arms (which would suit a sumo deadlift more appropriately) or relatively long arms (which are better suited to a more conventional stance.
It’s worth noting, however, that the majority of 900 and 1,000-pound raw deadlifts performed in competition (without the aid of supportive lifting suits) have been done with a sumo stance compared to a conventional stance.
Whether this difference is due to high-level lifters training efficiently or due to the sumo deadlift’s relatively shorter range of motion can be left for the online community to debate with well-reasoned and respectful discourse, no doubt.
General Strength
For non-competitive lifters interested in building strength, either deadlift variation can be effective. Again, choosing the ideal stance for your body type and limb length is essential to finding an efficient pulling position.
Both conventional and sumo deadlifts can reliably deliver strength gains. The key determining factor, as with competitive powerlifting, will be knowing your own body proportions and training with efficiency rather than trying to shoehorn your body into a movement than doesn’t fit.
Building Muscle
When deadlifts are used as part of a muscle-building program, the conventional stance may potentially deliver greater overall results than the sumo deadlift. Because the upper and lower back are more significantly worked, in addition to the glutes and hamstrings, your body is put under a greater overall stimulus.
The sumo deadlift involves relatively less upper body muscle, and greater lower body activation, making it a slightly more focused lower body exercise.
Lifters with Back Issues
Lifters with a pre-existing lower back issue could be best served prioritizing the sumo deadlift over the conventional stance. The more vertical upper body position reduces shearing stress on the lower back and puts the core muscles into a more stable, supportive role.
The conventional deadlift can improve lower back strength over time, but the joint strain may be excessive until the body adapts.
Lifters with Long Legs
If you’re built with relatively longer legs (generally, legs that are more than half your height), you’ll likely be more comfortable using a sumo stance. The wider foot position can make it easier to achieve a good starting position. Trying to use a conventional stance when you have long legs or long thigh bones can put your upper body into an inefficient pulling position as you hinge forward to reach the bar.
Lifters with Long Arms
Lifters with relatively long arms — when your outstretched arms, fingertip to fingertip, are close to your total height — will often be more efficient pulling with a slightly more vertical torso position.
This could mean using a sumo deadlift or, depending on leg and torso length, using a conventional stance with an appropriately angled torso.
Ready, Set, Pull
The bad news is, there’s no one-size-fits-all deadlift. The good news is, there’s no one-size-fits-all deadlift. Any time and effort you put into finding your relative limb and torso length will pay dividends in stronger, safer pulls. If you can stop waving the “sumo is cheating” banner or step past the “conventional forever” mindset, you’ll end up on a better track to more muscle and new PRs.
References
Escamilla, R. F., Francisco, A. C., Kayes, A. V., Speer, K. P., & Moorman, C. T., 3rd (2002). An electromyographic analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 34(4), 682–688. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200204000-00019
Pasquet, B., Carpentier, A., & Duchateau, J. (2006). Specific modulation of motor unit discharge for a similar change in fascicle length during shortening and lengthening contractions in humans. The Journal of physiology, 577(Pt 2), 753–765. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.117986
Moore, D.R., Young, M. & Phillips, S.M. Similar increases in muscle size and strength in young men after training with maximal shortening or lengthening contractions when matched for total work. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 1587–1592 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2078-x
Belcher, Daniel BA, CSCS. The Sumo Deadlift. Strength and Conditioning Journal: August 2017 – Volume 39 – Issue 4 – p 97-104 doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000298
Stewart, Matthew & Davies, Timothy & Godeassi, Daniel. (2016). Exercise Highlight: The Sumo Deadlift. Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning. 24.
Krajewski, K. T., LeFavi, R. G., & Riemann, B. L. (2019). A Biomechanical Analysis of the Effects of Bouncing the Barbell in the Conventional Deadlift. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33 Suppl 1, S70–S77. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002545
Today I’m pleased to bring you a post from my longtime friend and Primal supporter Elle Russ. Elle has long worked to help people with thyroid conditions advocate for themselves and find their way back to better health. Now she has a new course that is sure to help many more. Check it out!
Throughout my life I have come to realize that no one cares more about your health and wellbeing than you. This is why, in the event that you get diagnosed with a disease or health condition, it is critical to learn all that you can about the topic—because you might be able to help yourself by helping your doctor help you.
It is called the “practice of medicine” for good reason… science and medicine evolve and change over time but unfortunately, uninformed doctors do not grow and change with it. When you dive deep into whatever is ailing you, often you can learn something that can help your doctor practice medicine with you and move beyond their shallow understanding of a medical topic.
Such is the case with thyroid conditions. There are too many doctors practicing outdated conventional thyroid wisdom, and as a result, hypothyroid patients are still suffering. Some patients lament, “I have been struggling with thyroid issues for 15 years!” No one should ever struggle for years and years, because every single thyroid condition is fixable.
EVERY SINGLE THYROID CONDITION IS FIXABLE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT FIXED YOUR THYROID ISSUES YET – IT IS LIKELY DUE TO ONE (OR BOTH) OF THESE REASONS:
You are dealing with an uninformed doctor, endocrinologist or practitioner who is clueless about how to solve it.
YOU are uninformed about your disease and therefore cannot help yourself nor help your doctor practice medicine with you in order to fix it.
Anyone struggling with thyroid issues for years is solely the result of being with a doctor who is uninformed about ordering the correct lab work, properly diagnosing and accurately assessing that lab work, and then treating the patient effectively and efficiently. You also need to be informed in order to solve hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, reverse T3 hypothyroidism, post radioactive iodine treatment (RAI), post thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid gland often due to thyroid cancer), and Graves disease (hyperthyroidism).
Thyroid 101
The thyroid is the master gland of the human body. The thyroid gland controls the metabolic rate of every organ in the body, from the production and regulation of sex hormones, adrenal hormones, body temperature, growth development, brain function, and heart rate to every other element that keeps your body functioning. Inadequate thyroid hormones in the human body will ultimately contribute to a miserable existence, likely rampant with diseases, health problems, and accelerated aging.
Over 200 million people worldwide and over 25 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, yet 60% are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. Undiagnosed or mistreated hypothyroidism can put people at risk for serious conditions, such as depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, gynecological issues (infertility, miscarriages, fibroids, PCOS , etc.), hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, anemia, and other health conditions.
I suffered for about seven years of my life due to undiagnosed and mistreated hypothyroidism and reverse T3 hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, my story is not unique, because like millions of thyroid patients all over the world, I was unable to find a doctor or an endocrinologist who was informed enough to fix my hypothyroidism. After two miserable years of being misdiagnosed and undiagnosed, I finally took my health into my own hands and became my own thyroid advocate. It was a scary place to be, feeling neglected by the medical community and by more than fifty highly regarded physicians. If I had trouble finding a doctor to help me in a major international city like Los Angeles, California, I cannot even imagine how hard it would be to go through this ordeal in the smaller towns and cities throughout the United States and elsewhere in the world.
When I decided to reject the dead-end mainstream medical journey I was on, my body and health were deteriorating so rapidly that I spent every day in full-blown misery, riddled with more than thirty hypothyroid symptoms. Trying to start with a clean slate and be open to all possibilities, I ordered my own lab work and went about FIXING IT MYSELF.
And it worked! It worked phenomenally well. In 2016, Mark Sisson published The Paleo Thyroid Solution, my #1 bestselling book with the only lifestyle and weight loss plan specifically targeted for maximizing thyroid hormone metabolism in harmony with paleo/Primal/ancestral health principles.
In 2022, after a decade of coaching thyroid clients around the world, I created The Ultimate Thyroid Course—the most comprehensive thyroid course available with 17 modules and 29 hours of content. This course provides the in-depth guidance and tutorials necessary to solve thyroid issues, achieve vibrant health, and optimize thyroid fat-burning hormone metabolism. The course includes expert health tutorials from established integrative physician Gary E. Foresman, MD, along with a variety of thyroid hormone dosing protocols and detailed tutorials on how to evaluate thyroid lab work, detox, heal your gut, address and treat autoimmune thyroid disorders, and much more.
You are not unlucky if you still suffer with thyroid issues… you just haven’t figured it out yet!
Who is The Ultimate Thyroid Course for?
Any person suffering with thyroid issues (Hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, reverse T3 issues, RAI, thyroidectomy)
MDs and other medical health professionals and practitioners who struggle to effectively help hypothyroid clients and patients
Health coaches who desire in-depth knowledge on thyroid issues in order to guide their coaching clients
When you visit The Ultimate Thyroid Course website, you can listen to audio clips of experts along with audio testimonials and success stories on a variety of thyroid issues. Don’t spend another day suffering with thyroid problems when there are concrete solutions and answers. My expertise in this arena has already helped thousands of people around the globe stop feeling fat, foggy, and fatigued—and reclaim their health. You can do it too!
Elle Russ is a #1 bestselling author, world-renowned thyroid expert, and thought leader on confidence and self-esteem. She is the author of Confident As Fu*k and The Paleo Thyroid Solution – a book which has helped thousands of people around the world reclaim their health.
Elle has been coaching people all over the world in a variety of areas for over a decade. She is also the host of The Elle Russ Show – a weekly show intended to inspire, motivate, and educate. Elle offers affordable online courses and free masterclasses. Visit ElleRuss.com to learn more.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
After a rookie International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) campaign where he won the 2021 Arnold Classic, the 2021 New York Pro, and finished in fifth place at the 2021 Mr. Olympia — it’s easy to understand why Nick Walker seemingly brims with confidence these days.
He’s one of the best bodybuilders in the world and acts accordingly. His latest testimonial — roughly a month before he steps on stage at the next Olympia contest — is an example of a levelheaded star athlete putting himself in a focused competitive mindset.
On Nov. 7, 2022, Walker discussed his outlook for the 2022 Mr. Olympia with seven-time 212 Olympia champion James “Flex” Lewis on the latter’s YouTube channel. Among the more notable tidbits, Walker asserts his self-assurance, nutrition, training, and current thought process will make him the next Mr. Olympia.
As much as Walker has recently been fine-tuning his physique and getting set for a gauntlet of a field at the 2022 Olympia, he wasn’t always so laser-focused this year. In fact, Walker admitted to Lewis that the weight of high expectations started to bring him down almost immediately following the 2021 iteration of the Olympia. An ensuing and seemingly frustrating turn of events in the early off-season apparently somewhat led to Walker parting ways with his long-time coach Matt Jansen in summer 2022.
However, after Walker paid a visit to Jansen in Florida during the onset of Hurricane Ian in late September, the athlete noted that the two are now back together again. They have one singular mission: Winning the Olympia.
“It felt like home again,” Walker said of his reunion with Jansen. “Not so much being there [the visit itself] but just me and Matt [Jansen]. I always promised Matt, I said, ‘I’m going to start my [IFBB] Pro [League] career with you and I’m going to end it with you.’ I also promised him I’d be his first Mr. Olympia winner.”
A clear and ambitious mind appears to be what Walker carries with him now. When Lewis flatly asked the young bodybuilder if he’ll win the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Walker said yes. The confirmation wasn’t in the sense of a concrete guarantee, either. It was about a competitor believing they’re reaching their highest level of presentation and staying positive.
“Yes [I can win] 1000 percent. Everything I’ve said I was going to do, I’ve done it and I will be Mr. Olympia without a doubt,” Walker said. “I have a great support system for it, a great coach for it. Now I’m in the Dragon’s Lair. Who’s gonna stop me?”
Whether anyone can actually stop Walker this year remains to be seen. If he does indeed perform at his best, he could soon join a pantheon of worthy bodybuilding legends. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Seun Jubril has featured as a powerlifter in just three contests in his competitive career. That likely puts his reputation in a place where he’s still relatively unknown in the strength sports realm. With a new massive feat in the account and a few other personal milestones, it might not be long before the 27-year-old athlete is a household name.
On Nov. 5, 2022, Jubril captured a 357.5-kilogram (788.1-pound) raw deadlift during a first-place performance in the 82.5-kilogram weight class at the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Michigan State Championships in Goodrich, MI. Jubril’s lift is his all-time raw competition best and a USAPL American Record in the 82.5-kilogram division. It surpasses Angelo Fortino’s previous record mark of 357 kilograms (787 pounds) from the 2022 USAPL Mega Nationals. Jubril wore a lifting belt and accomplished his pull from a sumo stance.
Jubril’s lift also puts him in a unique position for another potential record. Per the USAPL record database, if Jubril can successfully add 5.4 kilograms (11.9 pounds) to his competition deadlift in the near future, he could become the first 82.5-kilogram competitor to pull at least 362.9 kilograms (800 pounds) raw on a sanctioned lifting platform. Given that Jubril successfully added 17.5 kilograms (38.6 pounds) to his deadlift from his last contest — the 2022 USAPL Raw Strength Summer Showdown in early July 2022 — it might not be a stretch to see the athlete become a pulling pioneer soon.
In addition to his USAPL American Record deadlift, Jubril also logged all-time competition bests on his back squat (250 kilograms/551.1 pounds), bench press (182.5 kilograms/402.3 pounds), and total (790 kilograms/1,741.6 pounds).
Here’s an overview of his performance:
Seun Jubril (82.5KG) | 2022 USAPL Michigan State Championships Top Stats
Squat — 250 kilograms (551.1 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best
Bench Press — 182.5 kilograms (402.3 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best | Michigan State Record
Deadlift — 357.5 kilograms (788.1 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best | USAPLAmerican Record
Total — 790 kilograms (1,741.6 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best
Appropriately, Jubril was in a reflective, optimistic mood in a recap post on his Instagram. He also looked ahead to a potentially bright competitive future.
“It’s encouraging seeing the progress I’ve been able to make from meet to meet, and I do not see it slowing down,” Jubril wrote. “I’m hungry and got some big goals. We’re just getting warmed up.”
At this time, as he basks in the glow of his deadlift record, Jubril hasn’t outlined when he’ll next compete. Based on his recent career precedent, it very well could be a powerlifting performance to remember.
People often ask me about my “latest” jet lag protocol. Do I have any new tips, tricks, tools, supplements, or devices that I swear by to get over jet lag when flying? No, and here’s why:
My basic jet lag protocol already works so well that there’s absolutely no reason to try including any newfangled hacks, tips, or pills. It’s based entirely on human circadian biology, which hasn’t changed for hundreds of thousands of years. I literally never get jet lag if I stick to my methods. And I put it to the test on a regular basis, traveling quite extensively on transcontinental flights. Jet lag is supposed to get worse with age, but it’s only gotten easier and easier for me.
The experts would have you believe that each hour of time zone change requires one full day to adjust. That was certainly true for me in my 20s when I went to Europe without knowing anything about circadian rhythms, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to get jet lag. You shouldn’t. And I’m going to tell you how to avoid it. Let’s get right into it.
Preparing for Flying East vs. West
To begin with, how you treat the flight is going to differ somewhat based on what direction you’re flying.
Preparing for Flying East
Break eastbound overnight flights into two short “days”. If you’re doing a big flight east, heading over the Atlantic or Pacific to new lands, it will generally be an overnighter. With that in mind, break your flight up into two short “days.” If the flight is eight hours, the first four hours are “night” and the last four are “day.” If it’s 16 hours, the first eight are nighttime and the last eight are day.
Sleep at “night”. Sleep as much as you can, as early as you can, during the “nighttime” portion of the flight. This will help normalize your circadian biology and get your body into the “mindset” of day and night. Don’t eat at “night.”
Stay awake during the “day”. Act just like you do in normal daytime. Read, work, catch up on emails, watch movies. Just stay awake. If it were acceptable to walk the aisles, I’d say walk the aisles.
Get all your calories in during the “day”. You don’t have to eat, but if you’re going to eat, do so in the “daytime” portion of the flight.
Preparing for Flying West
For long flights west, a short nap in the middle is fine. Let your body decide to sleep or not. Just don’t sleep so long that you end up having trouble sleeping at the new location when night comes.
Eat, or not. But don’t overdo it.
Inflight Tips for Avoiding Jet Lap
Consider fasting
Fasting has been shown to help stave off jet lag, so fasting can actually help you adapt to the new time zone.1
Set your watch
Setting your watch and clock to the new time zone before you actually get there helps you get in the “mood” or mindset of the new location. This can happen subconsciously, and I firmly believe your body will begin adjusting in subtle ways simply by setting the clock.
Don’t get to sleep using alcohol or sleeping pills
Sleep without pharmacological enhancement. It’s the worst thing to use to get to sleep. Your sleep will be disrupted, poorly constructed, and it won’t “take.” Your body won’t interpret it as real sleep, setting you back even further.
Consider the window seat
The con of the window seat is you have to climb over people to go to the bathroom. But if you’re trying to get some sleep on the flight, having the window to wedge up against is worth it. And you won’t have people climbing over you all during the flight to get to the bathroom. The pros outweigh the con for me.
Have a tomato juice
The salty potassium-rich tomato juice is incredibly helpful for keeping you hydrated and preventing the amount of urination you have to do. Something special about a can of tomato juice on a plane.
What to Do When You Land to Avoid Jet Lag
Adapt your mindset to the new location
It’s not a “new time zone.” It’s “your” time zone. You are here, living in this time zone. Treat it like a normal day. Set your watch, forget what happened the day before. This is your here, this is your now. Adapt.
Stay awake and active until bedtime in the new location
When you arrive, stay up and active until bedtime in the new location. No napping. Keep moving.
Be outside as much as possible
The natural light is your friend. It will help set your circadian rhythm and it’ll keep you awake.
Take a long walk
Walk as long as you can. It’ s great way to explore a new city, and it keeps you moving and keeps you from wanting to nap. It also exposes you to sunlight, which as I explained will improve your circadian realignment to the new location.
Eat a meal at the right times, but don’t go too heavy
Food is another circadian entrainer. Eat meals in accordance with the right meal times at the location.
Keep a bar of dark chocolate on you
If I land in the AM in the new location, I’ll make sure to eat half a bar of dark chocolate for breakfast along with some coffee. Dark chocolate has been shown to help stave off jet lag when eaten for breakfast (albeit in animals).2
Preparing for Bedtime in the New Location
Take 10 mg melatonin before bed
45 minutes before bedtime in the new location, take 10 mg of melatonin. This will help you get to sleep quicker, sure, but more importantly it will tell your circadian clock that it’s bedtime and get you adjusted to the new time zone.
Next night, take 5 mg. The next next night, take 2.5 mg. Then you’re done with melatonin.
Follow all the normal sleep hygiene rules
Reduce artificial light after dark, wear blue blocking goggles, perform the same bedtime routine you follow at home, read some fiction in bed. All the sleep hygiene rules still apply.
What to Do the Next Day
Train outside in the early morning sun
Go for a run, do some sprints, or get a workout in outside in the sun. If you can manage doing it as the sun rises, all the better. Intense physical activity coupled with AM sun helps establish and entrain your new circadian rhythm.
Maintain previous day strategies
Long walk, lots of light, stay active, no napping, regular meals. Keep it up to maintain the adaptation.
Common Mistakes People Make with Jet Lag
Taking a nap when they arrive. This is supposed to “take the edge off” things, but all it does is keep your circadian rhythm hewed to your home time zone and ruin your ability to adapt to the new one.
Avoiding melatonin. People think taking melatonin is “unnatural.” You know what’s unnatural? Flying halfway across the world and expecting your circadian rhythm to just adjust on its own. Melatonin is an incredibly useful tool for entraining a new rhythm. Everyone should use it.
Pigging out and binge drinking. You’re tired from the long flight. You’re irritable. You’re on edge. It might feel good to eat a giant meal of junk food and open a bottle of wine (or two), but don’t do it. You’re only setting yourself back.
Taking it easy. Taking it easy the first day feels like a good idea because you’re exhausted, but it’s the last thing you need. Instead of “taking it easy” in the hotel, drawing the shades, and watching weird foreign TV, you need to be out and about experiencing the new location and getting adapted.
And thus concludes my jet lag protocol. It’s easy and feels quite natural. After all that, life will feel normal and you can simply enjoy the trip!
Dry, red, itchy skin? Chances are you have eczema. Or rather, chances are you have one of the many skin conditions that doctors lump together under the term “eczema.” It’s extremely common, affecting up to 20 percent of children and 5 percent of adults (and considerably more in some parts of the world).1 And it’s also incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to find solutions.
People of any age can develop eczema, but it’s more common in babies and children. I’ve frequently had readers write to me over the years expressing their frustration and dismay over their inability to solve their children’s—or their own—eczema puzzle. Unfortunately, treating eczema is tricky for several reasons. The underlying causes aren’t well understood. People have idiosyncratic triggers that can be hard to identify. Sometimes, recommended treatments actually make symptoms worse.
As with other common skin issues like psoriasis, the onus often falls on patients or their parents to experiment on their own to find the combination of remedies that works for them. Today we’ll cover some natural therapies that can help stop the itch and calm down inflamed, angry eczema rashes.
What Causes Eczema?
Doctors don’t necessarily have to understand the root cause of a particular affliction to treat it effectively, but it sure does help. In the case of eczema, the root cause(s) remain elusive. We know that the skin’s barrier becomes disrupted and skin cells aren’t able to hold moisture. There’s certainly a genetic component. But eczema is also triggered by environmental exposures to things like mold and secondhand smoke, and some women develop eczema for the first time when they become pregnant.2
It has something to do with the immune system, and folks with eczema are more likely than the average person to have one or more autoimmune diseases. But it’s not an autoimmune issue like psoriasis. People with food or environmental allergies are more likely to have eczema, and allergic reactions can cause eczema to flare up. But it is not itself an allergic condition.
I came across this great quote from one Dr. E. D. Chipman writing in the California State Journal of Medicine in 1914:
“Eczema was defined by Bateman 100 years ago as ‘a non-contagious eruption, generally the effect of an irritant, whether externally or internally applied, but occasionally produced by a great variety of irritants in persons whose skin is constitutionally very irritable.’ It has been said that this definition cannot be improved upon today.”
Another hundred years on, and that still seems to sum it up. People with eczema are especially sensitive to things happening sometimes inside and sometimes outside their bodies for reasons that aren’t always clear.
8 Alternative and Natural Eczema Treatments
As common as eczema is, there isn’t all that much research into treatment options, particularly not natural or alternative (read: non-prescription) treatments. Many proposed remedies are based on anecdotal evidence, often from parents-turned-citizen-scientists desperate to help their children.
Nevertheless, start by talking to a doctor and getting a proper diagnosis if you can. The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis, but there’s also contact dermatitis, nummular eczema, dyshidrotic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and stasis dermatitis. You and your doc may decide that topical steroidal creams or a drug option are right for you. Still, you’ll probably want to employ one or more additional strategies like the ones below.
1. Avoid eczema triggers
When it comes to eczema, prevention is the best medicine. Eczema triggers are diverse and highly individual, so it can be a long road to finding your unique triggers. But a good place to start is by eliminating the big ones:
Household cleaners with strong fragrances or harsh chemicals (try swapping in DIY cleaning solutions)
Clothes made from wool or scratchy fabrics and clothes that rub uncomfortably against rash-prone areas
Consider keeping a symptoms journal. Notice if flare-ups are more likely when the weather is hot or cold, when you sweat more, or when you’re especially stressed, for example.
2. Moisturize with good fats
There is no shortage of creams and lotions marketed to eczema sufferers. The problem is, because their skin is so sensitive, even the ingredients found in eczema-specific products can make rashes and itching worse. Many conventional products also contain petrolatum, which Primal folks generally choose to avoid.
You’ll have the best luck looking for options that contain the fewest ingredients possible and no added fragrances (except perhaps as provided by essential oils like lavender or tea tree that you know work for your skin). Aloe, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter are all good options that work for a lot of people.
Another one worth trying is tallow. Tallow contains fatty acids like stearic acid and vitamins like vitamin E that are highly beneficial for healthy skin. Many people use tallow-based moisturizers on eczema rashes with great success, but it doesn’t seem to get much attention in the dermatologic community. You can render beef tallow (preferably from grass-fed, grass-finished cows) if you’re so inclined, or it’s pretty easy to find tallow products online. Just check the other ingredients.
3. Try not to scratch
This one isn’t really a remedy, but it’s an important practice nonetheless. Scratching breaks the skin’s barrier and opens you up (literally) to infection, scarring, and more intense itching than you started with, a phenomenon known as the “itch-scratch cycle.”
As you know if you have eczema, though, the drive to scratch can feel overwhelming. Some tried and true ways to deal with itching other than scratching are:
Try cold compresses on the itchy areas
Use compression sleeves designed for eczema to apply light pressure
Tap around the rash with your fingers rather than scratching.
Wet wraps are another dermatologist-recommended option. Apply moisturizer or topical creams over the rash, then cover them with a damp bandage or sleeve, followed with a dry layer. Leave it on for several hours or overnight. Ask your doctor what protocol is best for you.
4. Manage stress
One of the reasons the urge to scratch can become so overwhelming is that eczema itch may be both neurogenic and psychogenic. In other words, some of the itchiness originates in the skin like you’d expect, but at least for some patients—and it’s unclear how many or how often—there is also a psychological origin.3
Stress and anxiety are well-known eczema triggers. This often leads to a downward spiral where a stressful event causes your eczema to flare, then the added stress that accompanies the flare leads to more itching, which leads to more stress (and often, sleep disruption), and on and on. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy to manage negative thoughts around your symptoms can help a lot.4
5. Get an air purifier
There is evidence that children5 and adults6 who live in areas with more traffic-related air pollution are more prone to eczema outbreaks. Dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, and pollen can also lead to flares in susceptible individuals.
An air purifier with a HEPA filter helps to remove those substances from your home environment. It’s potentially a good investment, especially if you know you are sensitive to airborne allergens.
6. Take a bath
But not just any bath. Soaking for too long or in water that’s too hot makes matters worse, but 10 to 15 minutes in a warm bath with two cups of apple cider vinegar or a scoop of colloidal oatmeal can bring welcome relief. Rinse off thoroughly afterward and apply moisturizer while you’re still damp.
7. Phototherapy
Your doctor may use phototherapy treatments, but you can also reap the benefits of ultraviolet light simply by getting out in the sun.7 Ultraviolet radiation triggers the release of nitric oxide, which activates T cells that modulate the overactive immune response.8Low vitamin D status is also associated with increased risk of eczema and symptom severity.9
Dermatologists caution that sun exposure is not recommended for severe cases, and it exacerbates symptoms for some people. Be careful not to overdo it. Besides the risk of burning, getting too hot and sweaty leads to itching and discomfort.
8. Acupressure, acupuncture, and massage
A few small studies have found that acupressure10, acupuncture11, and massage12 may provide some relief. In addition to physiologic benefits, they reduce stress, which is never a bad thing.
Is There An “Eczema Diet”?
There isn’t one “eczema diet” in the same way the autoimmune protocol (AIP) is designed for folks with autoimmune issues or a gluten-free diet is mandatory for those with celiac disease. However, many people experiment with some form of elimination diet to treat eczema.
There’s no question that eczema is related to food allergies, and probably intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”), for some patients. More generally, eczema is an inflammatory condition. Diet is one of the major levers anyone can pull to modulate inflammation.
In studies, however, responses to various elimination diets have been mixed, some positive, some underwhelming. That’s not surprising considering people aren’t equally sensitive to the same things. Kids with egg allergies have fewer eczema symptoms when they avoid eggs, for example.13 (Who would’ve guessed?) But not everyone needs to eliminate eggs. Same with dairy.
Anecdotally, I’ve gotten many success stories over the years from people whose eczema significantly improved after going Primal. Primal isn’t going to be the solution for everyone, but cutting out ultra-processed, high-sugar, high-industrialized-fat, grain-based foods certainly can’t hurt. Plus, the Primal Blueprint encourages consumption of small, oily fish and, if it’s your thing, lots of vegetables and seasonal fruit, which deliver skin-supporting omega-3s and flavonoids.14
Furthermore, an under appreciated feature of going Primal, or attempting any kind of elimination diet, is that it forces you to be mindful about the connection between what you’re eating and how you feel. Even if it’s not the solution to your eczema woes, I guarantee you’ll learn something.
I’d love to hear from you if you have an eczema success story or other alternative approaches that worked for you. Drop it in the comments below!
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