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Four-time World’s Strongest Man (2011, 2012, 2015-2016) and Shaw Classic promoter Brian Shaw is in the final stages of preparing for his final competitive appearance. The 2023 Shaw Classic, taking place on Aug. 19-20, 2023 in Loveland, CO, will determine “The Strongest Man on Earth.”
With the contest approaching, Shaw posted a video on his YouTube channel, and he both gave sneak peeks into the events, as well as reflected on his run as one of the most accomplished athletes in the sport’s history.
After a behind the scenes glimpse of what the fans can expect the contest, such as the unique standing chest press machine and the classic Fingal’s Fingers, Shaw is seen sitting in a chair and sharing his thoughts about the process and contest itself.
“It’s becoming very real now, that this is my last opportunity to step on that competitive stage and I’ve really been trying to make the absolute most of it … It’s kind of surreal at this moment because on Saturday we will be starting the Shaw Classic and The Strongest Man on Earth, and we will be finding out who the Strongest Man on Earth is. That is so exciting for me and it almost doesn’t seem real at this moment.”
Shaw also took time to appreciate where he began — Shaw’s first amateur strongman contest was a victory in the 2005 Denver’s Strongest Man — all the way through his current standing in the sport. Shaw has tallied 28 professional victories throughout 67 competitions from 2007 to 2023 including four World’s Strongest Man titles, three Arnold Strongman Classic wins (2011, 2015, 2017), and a victory at the inaugural Shaw Classic (2020).
“As I was climbing the ranks, I fell in love with the sport of strongman and every component of it. I love the challenge, I love the training, I love the preparation. I love just stepping out there and competing and only being able to look at yourself in the mirror, whether you were successful or not successful. There was always room to improve and I think that’s what kept me coming back for all of the years that I’ve competed in strongman.”
While Shaw has had to maintain promoter duties for the upcoming Shaw Classic, he also has been preparing for this contest as an athlete, and he likes where he is leading up to the start of the competition.
“I’m coming in bigger than I have in a long, long time and I think that has really benefited me and my training leading up to it. I’m stronger than I have been, I’m more prepared, and I think when it comes to my performance, I want to go out with that [title].”
Shaw won the inaugural Shaw Classic in 2020, but Trey Mitchell was champion in 2021 and 2022. Shaw hopes to end his athletic career with a second title while transitioning to a full-time promoter going forward. The roster for the 2023 Shaw Classic is below.
Fans that can’t attend the 2023 Shaw Strength in person can still watch the event on pay-per-view, courtesy of ADLPRO.live. Shaw explained that revenue from the stream will go to the athletes’ payout.
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When Shaun Clarida steps onstage at the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023, he will look to win his second consecutive, and third overall, 212 Olympia title. If he does, he will join Kevin English and Flex Lewis as the only men to have won three titles since the division began in 2008 as the 202-pound division. The New Jersey native has had a busy year that included becoming a father and relocating to Texas, but now his sights are set on the task at hand.
On Aug. 14, 2023, Clarida shared an arm training video he did at Destination in Dallas, TX, that gave fans a glimpse at how he’s preparing to defend his world championship in Orlando.
This workout featured nine total exercises and he performed the workout by alternating movements for the triceps and biceps. Many lifters have trained their arms using supersets, with exercises alternated back-to-back without rest. Clarida opts to train them individually, training multiple sets of one exercise before working the other body part, so one muscle group could partially recover while the other was working.
Rope Triceps Pushdown
Clarida started with rope triceps pushdowns, which both worked the triceps and prepared his elbows for the work to come. After warming up, he did sets of 12 to 15 reps while keeping his upper arms braced to his sides and performing slow eccentric movements (negatives) for the reps. The final set was a double drop set, where he reduced the weight to keep performing extra reps.
Cable Biceps Curl
He then switched to biceps with the EZ-curl attachment and did cable curls with a relatively wide grip. Clarida shared that he wanted to get three or four sets of 12-15 reps at this point in the workout. The goal for this specific exercise was to begin his biceps work the same way he used extensions to begin his triceps training.
“Just like triceps: do a good warm-up, do a feeder [set] where it feels comfortable, feels good. Now I’m going to start adding a little bit more weight to get some more challenging reps.”
He added weight for each set, but it wasn’t clear about exactly how much he was lifting on the stack.
Close-Grip Triceps Pushdown
Clarida went back to triceps for his third exercise of the day. He used the EZ-curl attachment for this version of pushdowns, choosing a closer grip than his previous curls. He shared that he did a feeder set (a transition between a warm-up and a working weight) with 140 pounds (63.5 kilograms) before moving up to 170 pounds (77 kilograms) for 12 reps.
His third set was with 190 pounds (86.2 kilograms), but he acknowledged that was still “too light,” so we would take on the entire stack for his fourth set. He said he was getting stronger, which he is pleased with.
“I shouldn’t be getting stronger during prep. That’s a good thing. That’s called prep done right.”
After getting eight reps with the stack, he did one more set with a lighter weight.
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
The second biceps movement was a cross-body hammer curl. Clarida started with 60-pound (27.2-kilogram) dumbbells, alternating arms with each rep. His goal rep range was eight to 10 reps, but he felt that weight wasn’t challenging enough. So, he went to the 70s (31.8 kilogram) for his next set, and he got eight reps for each arm.
Single-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension
He stayed in the dumbbell rack area for overhead extensions with a dumbbell. Not all sets were shown in their entirety, but you could tell he felt confident in the work he put in. Three sets for each arm were completed before he switched back to biceps.
Single-Arm Machine Preacher Curl
Clarida called this exercise one of his favorites for biceps. He performed the exercise on a machine that allowed him to use one arm at a time. He emphasized the importance of both the stretch and contraction with this movement. He maintained a rep range of 10 to 12 reps for all three sets. He gave himself time to rest between both arms so he could give max effort to each one.
Single-Arm Triceps Pushdown and Overhead Cable Curls
The next triceps exercise was another pushdown variation, putting his wrist through a leg cuff attachment. Going across his body for these extensions allowed Clarida to get a greater stretch at the top of the rep. Only one set was shown before Clarida said what he would do next for his biceps finisher.
The overhead cable curls were performed similar to performing a front double biceps pose. Clarida said that, even though he used to believe that you could change the peak of a bicep, he now knows that you can only make the most out of what you already have.
“If you were born with flat biceps, meaning there’s no peak, you really can’t develop that,” he said. “If you have a flat biceps, you have a flat biceps.”
Once he reached failure with both arms simultaneously, he switched to doing each side one at a time to finish the biceps off.
Triceps Machine Dips
He had five triceps movements in this workout because the triceps are typically bigger than the biceps, in terms of their anatomical location on the body. The final movement for this workout was machine dips. He once again emphasized the importance of the stretch at the top as well as the contraction on the bottom of each rep. After three sets of this exercise, he was finished for the day.
If you want to perform a workout like this for yourself, you can follow the sample workout below.
Giant Killer-Style Giant Arm Workout
Rope Triceps Extension — 3 x 12-15
Cable Biceps Curl — 3 x 12-15
Cable Triceps Pushdown — 3 x 8-10
Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl — 3 x 8-10 per arm
Single-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension — 3 x 10 per arm
Machine Single-Arm Preacher Curl — 3 x 10 per arm
Cross-Body Triceps Extension — 3 x 12 per arm
Overhead Cable Curl — 3 x 12-15 (reach total muscular failure on last set)
Triceps Machine Dip — 3 x 12-15
Clarida hopes to be the first Olympia 212 champion to successfully defend his title since Lewis’ last win in 2018. Kamal Elgargni won in 2019, Clarida claimed his first in 2020, and Derek Lunsford was champion in 2021. Lunsford moved to the Men’s Open division in 2022, and Clarida managed to reclaim the title.
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Powerlifter Jamal Browner is set to make his debut in the world of strongman at the 2023 World Deadlift Championships, which is part of the 2023 Giants Live Strongman World Open on Sept. 2, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales.
Browner has been a sumo deadlifter in his regular sport, but he’s had to transition into using a conventional stance for strongman, which doesn’t allow lifters to use the wide stance. Based on the looks of his training, he’s adapting pretty well. On Aug. 3, 2023, Browner posted an Instagram Reel of a short, intense set where he pulls 435 kilograms (959 pounds) for a double.
Browner used lifting straps and was wearing a weightlifting belt for this set, both of which are allowed in strongman. He pulled the first rep up to a lockout with no trouble. He then returned the barbell to the floor to begin rep number two. Although it was a little slower than the first, there was no doubt whether or not he could lock it out. He made an attempt at a third rep, but he was unable to bring the bar to knee-height.
Browner referred to this as a personal record, but he’s been showing steady improvement on the conventional version of the deadlift for months. This lift came less than six weeks after he had pulled 410 kilograms (903 pounds) for four reps. Prior to that, he had celebrated pulling the 435 kilograms for a single in April 2023 — now adding an additional rep to that PR.
Besides the use of his figure-eight straps and belt, Browner will also be allowed to wear a deadlift suit, but it is unknown whether or not he will. Even though this is his first time in strongman, he’s already considered one of the world’s renowned deadlifters. He is one of five men to have deadlifted 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds), which he did in September 2022. The others are former World’s Strongest Man winners Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson, and powerlifters Danny Grigsby and Krzysztof Wierzbicki — Wierzbicki actually pulled 502.5 kilograms (1,107 pounds) to capture the heaviest deadlift of all-time, albeit in training not on a competition platform.
Browner has been very successful on the platform as well. In September 2022, he set the world record for the raw total in the 110-kilogram category with a combined total of 1,052.5 kilograms (2,320 pounds), which included a 455-kilogram (1,003-pound) deadlift. As of August 2023, that record still stands.
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“Based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” If you’ve bought pre-packaged food in the past 25 years, you’ve probably seen a nutrition label with that phrase or something similar. Beginning in the mid-1990s, government regulations around the world began requiring food manufacturers to provide consumers with a basic nutritional breakdown of whatever they’re about to eat.
This information typically includes macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats; micronutrients like vitamins and minerals; and total calories. While the intention might’ve been good, it ended up potentially raising more questions than answers. One of the biggest questions being, why 2,000 calories?
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The bad news is that the number was pulled from a survey of Americans more than 30 years ago and has managed to remain the default reference point. The good news is that, just a few years ago, labels in the US changed the phrasing to clarify, “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.” It’s a better step, but it still doesn’t address the 2,000-dollar question.
Here’s a more useful guide to figuring out an individualized, effective calorie intake whether you’re a college rugby player looking to build some muscular armor, a hopeful vacationer who wants to hit the beach with six-pack abs, or a mother of three aiming to increase her deadlift.
Every food can be a combination of three basic macronutrients — protein (which contains amino acids), carbohydrates (which covers complex carbs, fiber, and sugar), and fats (saturated and unsaturated). These nutrients are the composite building blocks of a food’s caloric payload.
On a per-gram basis, one gram of protein delivers four calories, one gram of carbohydrates also delivers four calories whether it’s complex, fiber, or sugar, and one gram of fat brings in a dense nine calories.
In terms of their effects on the body, protein is the only nutrient responsible for repairing and creating new muscle tissue. Carbohydrates and fats are, generally speaking, considered “energy providers” and can be burned by your body to fuel activity whether it’s walking, sprinting, lifting weights, or playing tennis.
While total daily/weekly calorie intake will determine any loss or gain in general body weight, the ratio of macronutrients will more specifically determine the change in lean muscle tissue and body fat.
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In broad terms, nutrition plans that are relatively lower in protein will compromise muscle development, strength gains, and overall energy levels. (1) Meanwhile, eating plans that are relatively lower in carbohydrates and/or fats may or may not affect energy levels significantly, as long as you’re eating enough of the “other” energy source — low-carb diets can provide energy via a relatively high fat intake, while low-fat plans meet energy needs with ample carbs.
By manipulating these three macronutrients, you can not only adjust your overall calorie intake but, with strategic planning, you can maintain a given calorie level while fine-tuning the macronutrients to achieve particular goals.
For example, a 2,500-calorie diet which provides 250 grams of protein, 190 grams of carbohydrates, and 80 grams of fat will yield drastically different physique and performance results compared to the same person following a 2,500-calorie diet consisting of 50 grams of protein, 375 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of fat.
Adjusting your macros is an overlooked “diet hack” that can be used as an alternative to simply increasing or decreasing total calories. Matching both your calorie intake and your macronutrient profile to your specific goals will be the most effective approach.
Muscle-Building Calorie Goals
When it’s time to build muscle, many people focus on designing the most effective workout plan, but that’s only half the story. The right training stimulus will politely ask your body to build more muscle, but nutrition is what determines whether or not your body actually grants the request. Here’s how to literally and figuratively tip the scales in your favor.
Nutrient Targets
Your number one priority for adding muscle is getting enough of the only nutrient responsible for creating muscle tissue — protein. Aim to get a minimum of .74 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.62 grams per kilogram). (2)
Because .74 is a seemingly random and mathematically tricky number to work with, rounding up to a long-touted “one gram per pound of body weight” is equally effective. Notably, higher protein intake is not directly associated with increased muscle growth. (2) Fortunately, excess calories from protein are less likely to be stored as body fat, so more protein may not necessarily help, but it certainly won’t hurt. (3)
After your target protein intake is determined, fill the caloric gap with a balance of carbohydrates depending largely on your activity level. Aim for two to three grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight (4.5 to 6.5 grams per kilogram), with relatively high volume and/or high frequency training calling for an appropriately higher carb intake to fuel performance and recovery. (4)
Fat intake can complete the remaining calorie balance. For optimal health, immune system function, and overall recovery, fats should ideally provide at least 25% of the total daily calories. (5) This intake can be nudged higher toward 30 to 35% of daily calories as long as you accommodate by reducing either carbohydrates or protein.
Because fats are much more calorically dense than protein and carbs, a little goes a long way, so make adjustments on a small scale.
Calorie Guidelines
Setting your macronutrients in place will naturally end up providing a caloric total, but you need to ensure it’s still enough calories to support muscle growth. Just be sure to find the line between “enough” and “too much.” When it’s time to eat for size, it’s all too easy to cross into full-blown gorging territory.
When it comes to increasing your calories, there’s a point where more isn’t better because your body can slide right past muscle gains and end up creating only body fat. If you’re currently tracking your calorie intake, you can promote muscle gain by adding 350 to 500 calories per day. (6)
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That relatively small increase could be as simple as adding a basic afternoon snack, like a small turkey and cheese sandwich with a piece of fruit or a single serving of a high-quality mass gainer shake, to your current daily diet.
If you’re not currently tracking your calories, give yourself a starting calorie intake equal to your current body weight x 20. So, if you currently weigh 180 pounds, aim for 3,600 calories per day. Of that, you’ll apply the macronutrient targets previously listed: 180 grams of protein, 270 grams of carbs, and 80 grams of fat.
Here’s the tricky part: the macro targets in this example only tally up to 2,520 calories, so you’d actually fall short of your intended calories. Fill in the difference primarily from protein sources to potentially reduce fat gain, but include a combination of carbohydrates and fats to make the plan simpler and more practical to implement.
Be sure to hit the target every day, not just on training days. You’re still recovering and growing on rest days, so don’t reduce your meals just because you’re not working out.
How to Adjust
For maximum results, you need to fine-tune your nutrition plan as you go along depending on the results you see. You can’t simply follow one rigid plan for weeks or months on end without adjustment and expect great results.
It’d be like trying to drive down a highway without ever changing lanes — you’re going to be miserable the entire time and you still probably won’t end up where you want to be. Instead, track your muscle gain results by monitoring your strength in the gym. You should be steadily progressing in performance (more weight and/or more repetitions each week). Having better workouts is a clue that you’re recovering well and feeding your body enough nutrients.
Most notably, monitor your body weight each week and expect gains of roughly two to four pounds per month. Yes, per month. (7) That’s about as much muscle tissue as the body can build in that timeframe. Gaining significant body weight faster is an indicator that you’re likely creating more body fat than lean muscle tissue.
However, variables such as your age and overall training experience can be factors that determine your individual rate of muscle gains. Lifters relatively new to the gym typically gain more muscle, more quickly, while veteran lifters take more time to respond to the muscle-building stimulus with new muscle mass.
If the scale doesn’t increase in two to three weeks, add roughly 250 calories per day and continue monitoring. Repeat as needed, being aware that cooking and chewing are as important as lifting when it comes to adding size.
Calorie Deficit for Fat Loss
The words “fat loss diet” have sent countless shivers down countless spines over the years. Fad diets based on extreme and unsustainable behaviors are largely to blame. These unrealistic, niche plans have become so commonplace that they’re often considered the standard way of reshaping your physique.
Fortunately, you can skip over the fads and rely on time-tested nutrition principles to support your fat loss goals. No gimmicks necessary. While diet plans to build muscle are all generally similar (eat plenty of calories and don’t skimp on the protein), fat loss diet plans can vary in nutrient breakdown without significantly compromising results.
Nutrient Targets
Fat loss diet plans typically come in two primary flavors, no pun intended. Diets can either be relatively low carb or relatively low fat. Both have been shown to be equally effective, so it’s essentially a matter of which can best suit your individual preferences, while also supporting your overall training plan. (8)
In a relatively low carb diet, carbohydrates typically provide no more than 25% of your daily calories. This includes carbs from all sources — complex carbs, sugars, and fiber. Contrary to some carb-focused nutrition influencers, “net carbs” (the carbohydrate number after fiber is subtracted) isn’t really a thing. It’s a term that has more to do with food-product marketing than actually nutrition.
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Some low-carb dieters take this approach to an extreme by adopting a ketogenic diet, or extremely low-carb dieting (typically less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day). While keto diets can spur quick weight loss initially, it’s been shown to not deliver significantly better results than other alternatives, while also being notably difficult to adhere to. (9)
In a relatively low fat diet, fats deliver less than 25% of your total calories each day. Because each gram of fat carries nine calories, reducing fat sources in your diet is a quick and efficient way to reduce your total calories.
However, fats are essential for your body’s natural function and they play a role in everything from supporting a strong immune system to general hormone function. (10) Keeping your fat intake too low for too long can potentially lead to health issues, so be aware of possible issues if following this approach.
In either plan, protein intake should remain a priority. Maintaining high protein levels has been shown to support fat loss, encourage muscle preservation, and improve overall body composition. (11)
Calorie Guidelines
Significant fat loss can’t happen without a caloric deficit. If you’re not burning more calories than you take in, you won’t see any major progress. While some misguided dieters take this advice to the extreme by severely restricting calories, drastically increasing their calorie expenditure through excessive exercise, or doing both, a more moderate approach will yield better overall results.
Follow a well-designed training plan, incorporating both resistance training for muscle preservation and cardiovascular exercise for overall health, improved recovery, and moderately increased calorie expenditure. Pair that training with a nutrition plan that provides slightly restricted calories.
If you’re currently tracking your calories, decrease each day’s intake by 500 to 750 calories. (12) Focus on primarily reducing either your carbohydrate or fat sources, while keeping your protein levels relatively high.
If you’re not currently tracking calories, aim to take in your current body weight x 12 in total calories. For example, if you currently weigh 195 pounds, set your daily calorie goal at roughly 2,300 calories.
One popular, however inefficient, approach is to “eat for the body you want,” or set calorie intake using your “goal weight.” Not only does this technique rely on guesstimating your future self’s body weight, which may or may not end up accurate, but it provides your current self with insufficient calories to fuel training and recovery. Instead, stay in the present and feed the body you’re working with.
Whether you choose to follow a lower carb or lower fat plan can come down to individual preference and overall training style — if you have a high volume of training, lifting five days per week with several additional cardio sessions, you may perform and recover better with a lower fat plan which allows relatively higher carb intake to fuel intense workouts.
How to Adjust
It’s important to differentiate between fat loss (reduced body fat) and weight loss (reduced body weight). Anyone who’s endured an outdoor adventure and ended up drenched in sweat has experienced “weight loss.” It’s transient, almost always from water loss, and it’s regained almost immediately. More drastically, bed-ridden patients under long-term medical care also experience “weight loss” as muscle tissue wastes away.
When most people set a goal of losing weight, they (hopefully) mean to specify fat loss — reducing stored body fat to create a healthier and more aesthetic physique. For that reason, it’s important not to overfocus on just reducing your body weight (making the scale read a progressively lower number) during a fat loss plan.
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The scale should, typically, trend down over the course of weeks or months, but body recomposition (the addition of lean muscle while reducing body fat) can make progress on the scale unreliable, at best.
Consider also relying on more tangible criteria such as your performance in the gym (weight lifted, reps performed, and general energy during training), as well as objective measures like the fit of your clothes or tape measurements of key body parts like your thighs, upper arms, or waist.
Losing two pounds of body weight per week while also improving other metrics would be considered excellent progress. Dropping one pound per week while improving the other benchmarks is also an effective and sustainable rate of progress. Variables that can sometimes lead to faster short-term results would include having a relatively larger starting point or following a very low carb diet plan.
If you’re not seeing weekly results with objective measures (gym performance and clothes/measurements) and scale weight, you can either reduce your calories by 150 to 200 per day or manipulate your macronutrient intake while keeping overall calories the same, such as decreasing carbs while increasing protein or fat.
Even though restricting calories is necessary for fat loss, it’s important to not reduce your intake too low. (13) To avoid “stalling out” and sending your body into panic mode (where fat loss ceases regardless of calorie reduction), avoid reducing calories below your current body weight x 10. To continue safely and effectively performing regular training while supporting general health, consider this limit the “do not cross”-zone.
Eat for Strength and Recovery
Physique-based goals aren’t the only time you should pay attention to nutrition. For optimal performance and long-term results, even lifters who prioritize their PRs over their arm size or ab development can benefit from targeted nutrition practices. The right diet plan will fuel strength-focused workouts while also delivering much needed nutrients for recovery between sessions. (14)
For the most part, a nutrition plan that supports strength gains and one that supports muscle gains will appear fairly similar because the two goals are closely related. One of the most counterproductive approaches, however, is to “train for strength while eating for fat loss.” Restricting your energy intake while asking your body for high-performance output will only lead to poor progress on both fronts.
Nutrient Targets
Protein is essential for muscle growth as well as repair, so keeping the one-gram-per-pound target in sight is (still) the best approach. Even if you’re not interested in building wide lats or massive quads, you’ll appreciate the muscle-sparing benefits of a high protein intake once you notice reduced post-workout muscle soreness.
Carbohydrate intake can be up to three grams per pound of body weight per day. (15) This will allow optimal performance during high volume and/or high frequency training. While it’s technically possible to train with high intensity on a relatively lower carb intake, it’s fitting a square peg in a round nutritional hole.
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The body’s innate physiological preference is to fuel intense activity, like hard training, with carbs. Investing time and energy into “retraining” your body to burn dietary fats for energy will compromise short-term progress for minimal, if any, long-term benefit.
Aim for 30% of your daily calories from fats. This range should support overall health, hormonal function, metabolism, immune system benefit, and general recovery. (16) A relatively higher percentage of dietary fats will also help to avoid a calorie deficit, which would significantly impact training results.
Calorie Guidelines
When your goal isn’t to specifically add muscle or reduce body fat, your overall calorie intake doesn’t need to be excessive as long as it provides the target nutrients. Set a daily calorie target of your current body weight x 15. So, if you weigh 210 pounds, aim for roughly 3,100 to 3,200 calories per day with enough protein, carbs, and fats. If you’re 130 pounds, you’re looking at around 1,900 calories each day.
As with the muscle-building nutrition plan, keep your daily calories the same whether it’s a training day or a rest day. This will allow you to recover from your most recent workout while also preparing to fuel your upcoming training session.
Some lifters may instinctively eat less on days they don’t train, either due to a reduced appetite or the thought that they’re not “putting the calories to use.” However, the body is still repairing and recovering from previous training, so restricting calories is inefficient.
What you could do, however, to adjust your diet plan without compromising results is to steal a page from the fat loss playbook and manipulate your macronutrients on rest days. Consider decreasing carb intake while increasing protein and fats, to maintain the same total calorie intake. This can support recovery while potentially minimizing fat gain, if you’re into that sort of thing.
How to Adjust
When your goal is to hit PRs, performance in the gym is the number one priority. Your nutrition plan should allow you to step into the gym feeling ready to attack each session with full energy and minimal residual soreness from the previous workout.
Weights and repetitions should move steadily upward in each workout throughout the week. While strength plateaus are a natural occurrence in any training plan, they should be relatively few and far between when a well-designed training routine is supported by strategic nutrition.
Your body weight may hold steady or increase slightly over time, roughly one pound per week, which is an indicator that your calorie intake is sufficient. If you’re losing body weight consistently, increase your daily plan by 250 calories.
Some lifters consider changing their nutrition around the most challenging session of their training week (typically a brutal leg day) by going above and beyond their calorie target prior to the workout. The usual thinking is that they can supercompensate or “overfuel” themselves into having an incredibly productive workout.
However, if your consistent nutrition provides ample macronutrients and calories, there’s little physical benefit to having an epic gorge the day before (or morning of) an extra-intense workout.
You might find some psychological benefit from believing those extra pancakes will add reps to your squat, but unless you’ve been inadvertently restricting your nutrition or not hitting your daily target, it’s not going to help.
Kitchen Beats Gym
You hopefully wouldn’t show up at work every day, put in your eight or nine hours, and then forget to cash your paycheck at the end of the week. If you did, then all that hard work was for nothing and you never actually reap the benefits. That’s exactly what so many lifters do when they overemphasize their training program while giving bare-minimum attention to their nutrition. Instead, set yourself up for success by following the kind of eating plan that lets you cash in on all that in-gym effort.
References
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Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
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Slater, G. J., Dieter, B. P., Marsh, D. J., Helms, E. R., Shaw, G., & Iraki, J. (2019). Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 131. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131
Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
Gardner, C. D., Trepanowski, J. F., Del Gobbo, L. C., Hauser, M. E., Rigdon, J., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Desai, M., & King, A. C. (2018). Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 319(7), 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0245
Kirkpatrick, C. F., Bolick, J. P., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Sikand, G., Aspry, K. E., Soffer, D. E., Willard, K. E., & Maki, K. C. (2019). Review of current evidence and clinical recommendations on the effects of low-carbohydrate and very-low-carbohydrate (including ketogenic) diets for the management of body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: A scientific statement from the National Lipid Association Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force. Journal of clinical lipidology, 13(5), 689–711.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2019.08.003
Venkatraman JT, Leddy J, Pendergast D. Dietary fats and immune status in athletes: clinical implications. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2000 Jul;32(7 Suppl):S389-95. DOI: 10.1097/00005768-200007001-00003. PMID: 10910295.
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While Labor Day may not be as big of a shopping holiday as Black Friday or Prime Day, you can still score significant discounts on home gym equipment and nutrition supplements.
This year, Labor Day is Monday, September 5, 2023. If you’ve been wanting to replace your rusty barbell, refresh your wardrobe with gym leggings, or buy a treadmill so you don’t have to run outdoors when it starts getting cold and gloomy, check out our favorite Labor Day fitness equipment sales below. We found discounts on everything from high-quality adjustable dumbbells to top-rated cardio machines. We even found deals on the best protein powders and other supplements to help you stay on top of your nutrition as the holiday season approaches.
Don’t forget to check back often — we’ll update this page as we find more deals to share.
These deals are based on the information we have as of the time of this writing and are subject to change.
The Best Labor Day Fitness Sales
Here’s a roundup of the best Labor Day fitness deals from some of our favorite brands:
Echelon: Save up to $1,000 on outlet cardio machines
Horizon Fitness: Save up to $500 on select ellipticals and exercise bikes
REP Fitness: Save up to $150 on functional trainers, weight benches, bumper plates, and more
Titan Fitness: Save up to 40% plus get free shipping
TrueForm: Save $1,000 or more on curved treadmills
There are plenty of ways you can save money on workout equipment this Labor Day. To maximize your savings, follow the tips below.
Make a Plan
If you’re a fitness junkie like me, you’ll want to buy all the things at once, especially when brands offer steep discounts. But you likely also have bills to pay and families and pets to care for, and you probably want to keep some money stashed away for unexpected emergencies.
It helps to make a plan and stick to it when plotting your purchases during shopping holidays. This way, you won’t fall victim to “shiny object syndrome” and spend more money than you budgeted for. You’ll also be less likely to experience buyer’s remorse when a new exercise bike or barbell that you really didn’t need shows up at your door.
Research the Pricing History
Retailers are notorious for inflating the original prices of their products right before a major holiday to make their discounts look even better. To ensure you get a good deal, keep tabs on your desired item’s price in the weeks leading up to Labor Day. If it doesn’t change but then drops by a significant percentage for Labor Day weekend, you’re probably getting a good deal. But if the price goes up by 20 percent the week before Labor Day and then the brand offers a 20 percent discount for the holiday weekend, you won’t save any money.
CamelCamelCamel is an excellent price history checker for products on Amazon. Chrome extensions like Honey or SlickDeals work well for Amazon and other retailers. Honey allows you to create Droplists of the items you want to track and will send you notifications when prices drop. SlickDeals functions similarly and lets you create alerts for your desired products. SlickDeals doesn’t provide historical prices, though — this extension only starts tracking an item’s price once you create an alert for it.
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American strongman Evan Singleton is one of the competitors preparing for the 2023 Shaw Classic, slated for Aug. 19-20, 2023 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO, and based on the looks of his training, he’s prepared and confident in his chances.
On Aug. 11, 2023, Singleton posted a training video on his YouTube channel, which featured him performing a standing overhead press with 204 kilograms (450 pounds). You can see the entire video below, with the big lift coming at the 3:49 mark.
Singleton removed the barbell from the rack and took three small steps to prepare himself. He pushed the bar up, but it came back down quickly after rising only halfway. He immediately regrouped and pushed again, and the second time it went up all the way to lockout. He lowered the weight to shoulder level and re-racked the bar. He wore wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and a weightlifting belt for the lift.
In the moments after, Singleton said that he may have rushed the first attempt because his entire body wasn’t tight. Once he regrouped and set himself, the bar went up, and he expressed confidence about his chances at the contest.
“Going into the Shaw Classic with a 450 (pounds) out of the rack, I’m happy, confident, and yeah, and ending out of the rack on a really good note.”
Singleton goes into the 2023 Shaw Classic with a lot of momentum thanks to his victory at the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic on July 8. He advanced to the 2023 World’s Strongest Man final before that, finishing that contest in a career-best fifth place. He competed in the 2022 and 2021 editions of the Shaw Classic as well. He was eighth out of 15 men in the 2022 Shaw Classic and fifth out of 16 in 2021. Trey Mitchell won both contests.
The 2023 Shaw Classic has a lot of history riding on it. Aside from promoter Brian Shaw reporting it to be his final contest as an athlete, the contest winner will now earn the title of “Strongest Man on Earth” thanks to Shaw purchasing the rights from original owner and Fortissimus strongman contest promoter Paul Ohl.
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On August 6, 2023, Hildeborg Juvet Hugdal recorded a 235.5-kilogram (519.1-pound) equipped bench press during the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Equipped Bench Press Championships in Bordeaux, France. The milestone helped Hugdal to first place and is a World Record in the +84-kilogram weight class. It is also the single heaviest equipped lift by a Women’s powerlifter in the history of the IPF’s jurisdiction.
Hugdal wore wrist wraps, a lifting belt, and a single-ply bench press shirt for stability during her record-breaking bench press. The athlete’s new World Record in the +84-kilogram class is an extension of her own mark from the 2022 IPF Equipped World Championships, surpassing it by 5.5 kilograms (12.1 pounds). The IPF distinguishes between single lifts and full-competition lifts in its official record database. Hugdal has her name written under both descriptors. With Hugdal having turned 40 recently, the press is also a Masters 1 (ages 40-49) World Record. A video of the competitor’s monumental strength feat is featured below via the official Instagram page of the IPF.
In the context of her overall bench-pressing performance, Hugdal actually matched her previous World Record on her second attempt. She then vied for the new milestone and locked it out with ease, if the video of her accomplishment is any indication.
Here’s an overview of Hugdal’s bench press performance at the 2023 EPF Equipped Bench Press Championships:
Third attempt: 235.5 kilograms (519 pounds) — IPF Equipped World Record
Hugdal is used to astonishing achievements on sanctioned lifting platforms. The Norwegian athlete has over 20 years of competitive powerlifting experience with a variety of Norwegian, Danish, European, and World titles to her name. In a competitive career with over 90 appearances dating back to January 1998, the prolific Hugdal has lost on just 26 occasions.
Hugdal is the defending +84-kilogram IPF Equipped World champion. The veteran athlete will likely defend her title at the 2023 iteration, which will take place on November 13-18, 2023, in Druskininkai, Lithuania.
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A 5K run was one of the central workouts at the 2023 CrossFit Games, testing the speed and cardio endurance of both fields of Individual athletes. However, before the competition started in early August 2023, hybrid athlete Fergus Crawley — who has a world-class baseline of versatility — broke down ways people can run an even faster 5K.
On July 31, 2023, Crawley posted a video to his YouTube channel where he shared five tips on running a faster 5K. The athlete himself is in the midst of training to improve his mile time and has previously notched achievements like successfully lifting the famous Dinnie Stones. Suffice it to say: Crawley knows where he’s coming from with a staple run.
Here are Crawley’s five essential tips for running an improved 5K:
1. Manage Expectations
Crawley suggested setting reasonable goals and expectations for what an ideal 5K should look like. Everyone’s limits and needs are different based on their personal fitness, life, and overall background, and it’s important not to compare one’s self to others. When in doubt, short-term goals supersede a long-term vision for running.
“[Running] is a skill,” Crawley said. “It’s something we need to develop and be mindful of. It’s important not to compare ourselves with arbitrary numbers or what other people are doing.”
2. Spend Energy Wisely
In order to get the most out of running, Crawley urged creating a diligent plan and tracking it meticulously over the course of a single training week. He explained that the Pareto principle — where 80 percent of the training is easy and 20 percent is moderate or challenging — should be applied. Crawley advised implementing three kinds of running workouts during a single week: Long slows for aerobic capacity, high-intensity sessions for top-level performance, and moderate sessions for 5K endurance. To Crawley, “easy” is an athlete pushing themselves to 70-80 percent of their maximum heart rate. Anything challenging is relatively beyond that threshold.
3. Strength Training
Crawley explained that general strength training can help runners understand how their body works while also improving their running gait. It should be a welcome accompaniment to well-rounded fitness. Crawley’s strength recommendation for enhanced running performance was heavy back squats, trap bar deadlifts, and any single-leg movements.
The more structure an athlete has for their running goals, the more likely they will be able to fit it into their daily lifestyle. It also makes achieving occasional milestones easier with a better focus.
“Commit to that race, join that run club, the athletics club, or sign-up to your local park run community,” Crawley said. “These will give you a goal and a deadline and make you more accountable.”
5. Turn Training Into a Social Opportunity
Crawley’s final bit of advice was that a runner shouldn’t isolate themselves from other people while training. Making friends and socializing can make achieving any running goals that much more gratifying. Crawley explained that he spent much of the past two years training by himself and that it took a toll. In 2023, he’s trained with more people, in turn adding more joy to his process.
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In the realm of fitness, few training methodologies have ignited as much debate, and enthusiasm, as CrossFit. CrossFit is characterized by its emphasis on constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity.
CrossFit workouts typically blend elements from Olympic weightlifting, endurance sports, and gymnastics. Yet, despite drawing from largely niche sports that require relatively high levels of skill, CrossFit has infiltrated mainstream fitness and promotes itself as an accessible form of training that anyone can do.
Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
With its surge in popularity, CrossFit has also faced criticism about the foundational principles upon which it was formulated, along with outright skepticism about its ability to be implemented in an effective, safe, and sustainable fashion. Critics raise concerns about the potential injury risk of performing complex movements while under fatigue, the efficacy of trying to improve all aspects of fitness simultaneously, and the seemingly random nature of the workouts.
However, those who regularly participate in CrossFit do see impressive physical benefits in multiple areas. And the feats accomplished at the CrossFit Games each year continue to be astonishing. So, does a training style that produces these results really deserve such a bad rap?
Let’s review some of the strengths and weaknesses of CrossFit as a training regimen for developing overall fitness. While doing so, we might be able to answer the question of whether or not CrossFit is “bad” or if it holds up to the claims of accessibility and appropriateness for everyone.
Having been an established force in the fitness world for more than two decades, and still steadily growing in popularity, CrossFit brings several clear benefits to the table. While these same benefits could sometimes be found with other training methodologies, they are inherently “built-in” to CrossFit training, delivering greater overall results.
Building Cardiovascular Fitness
Let’s face it, most people in the gym probably need to do more aerobic work, aka “cardio.” Even if you are primarily interested in building strength or muscle, it would likely benefit you to not only add cardiovascular training, but to do it via different methods, modalities, and intensities. (1) CrossFit excels at this.
More often than not, a CrossFit workout will require you to row, bike, run, or jump rope. Even workouts that don’t have these specific elements will develop some aspect of aerobic fitness or endurance due to their structure, often by incorporating circuit-style training.
But if your primary goals are developing strength and increasing muscle, won’t this hurt your progress or even cause you to lose your gains? Probably not. In fact, there’s a good chance it will help your long-term progress.
Flamingo images/Shutterstock
The common fear that aerobic exercise will hurt strength, power, and muscle gain is rooted in what’s known as the interference effect. This is the notion that, if multiple physical qualities are developed simultaneously, none of them are developed very well because they interfere with each other on a physiological level. It’s a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation.
The effect is most pronounced if the qualities require vastly different physiological adaptations, which is the case with strength/power and aerobic adaptations. However, if there is one thing CrossFit has shown us, it’s that the interference effect is not an issue for most trainees. Even fairly advanced trainees can experience significant gains in strength, power, and muscle while simultaneously improving aerobic fitness. (2)
So if aerobic work isn’t hurting these gains, how is it helping them? Improving aerobic fitness will help you recover faster between sets, which can allow you to do more overall work (i.e. volume) in your sessions. This will have benefits regardless of your training style or specific goal. It can allow you to get more reps if your goal is hypertrophy and decrease the amount of rest needed between heavy sets if your goal is strength. The outcome in both scenarios is more high-quality work which can result in a novel stimulus for new gains.
Sure, if you are already at a high level and want to be elite in a specific strength sport such as bodybuilding, powerlifting, or Olympic weightlifting, your training should be specific toward those goals most of the time. But if you’re training for general fitness or to be bigger, stronger, or leaner than most people, improving your aerobic fitness is going to be beneficial.
Emphasis on Bodyweight Movements
Another area that tends to get neglected in many peoples’ training is the use of bodyweight exercises. Now, it’s not like you’re going to build the same levels of muscle or one-rep max strength using bodyweight movements compared to utilizing external load. But your skill and ability in movements using external loads, like free weights, have little carryover to bodyweight-only movements and methods.
Not convinced? Try getting through the bodyweight exercise portion of the popular CrossFit workout “Murph” — complete a total of 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 unweighted squats. The full workout bookends those 600 reps with a one-mile run before and after, and it’s typically performed wearing a weighted vest. But, for an eye-opener, try the exercises on their own.
Credit: oleksboiko / Shutterstock
Murph doesn’t care how much you bench or what your muscular endurance is like with heavy, high-rep squats. It will become apparent, very quickly, that those things don’t help you much. If you truly want to develop holistic fitness that helps you look good, feel good, and perform well under a variety of circumstances, you should regularly include some bodyweight exercises in your regimen. (3)
Again, this is one area where CrossFit excels. It’s all but guaranteed that you will be doing some form of unweighted squat, push-up, or pull-up every week. But it’s not just the fitness and work capacity aspect of this that’s beneficial. Many of the bodyweight movements require a degree of skill and total-body control that are unique to them, and this is part of the reason why barbell-based movements don’t transfer well.
This is particularly true of gymnastic-type movements like handstand work and many pull-up variations including chest-to-bar pull-ups, muscle-ups, and even kipping pull-ups. Yep, you read that right: kipping, or incorporating lower body momentum and total-body involvement into a pull-up, is an overall positive attribute. Most often, people’s disdain or outright hate for kipping is simply based on a misunderstanding of what it is.
Many people think that kipping is basically a type of poor technique or a form of “cheating,” and that CrossFitters are just flopping around on the pull-up bar. To be fair, that may sometimes be the case, but it’s not the rule. In reality, kipping is borrowed straight from the gymnastics world. If you’ve ever watched a gymnast perform on the uneven bars, you’ve seen kipping. It’s how they get themselves onto the bars and pick up speed for various movements in their routine.
CrossFit has taken this and applied it to pull-up variations as well as other movements. When done correctly, these movements involve skill, coordination, and body control. And when incorporated as part of a workout, they require aspects of cardiovascular and muscular endurance that’s hard to replicate with other movements.
Weaknesses of CrossFit Training
For as many benefits as Crossfit training can deliver, it is also lacking in some arenas. No single training methodology can really be all-encompassing and general CrossFit training, like many other types of training, has a few holes in its game. Here are some gaps to be aware of before stepping into a Crossfit box.
Only One Gear
CrossFit workouts have two primary formats. One is “As Many Rounds as Possible” (AMRAP), where you attempt to complete a series of exercises for as many rounds as possible in a given amount of time. The other is “rounds for time” where you aim to complete a set amount of rounds as fast as possible.
In each of these formats, training density is the goal — how much work you can accomplish per unit of time. This isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, in many training programs, density is often an overlooked area for progression. But just like any training variable, always chasing the same quality or outcome is a recipe for stagnation or, potentially, mental and physical burnout.
Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
To be clear, this is notnecessarily specific to CrossFit. This would be analogous to powerlifters always maxing out or bodybuilders always taking sets to failure. You can get away with doing those things for a relatively short time, but you eventually have to back off or switch gears to make maximum progress.
While there are certainly cases of trainees in those disciplines overdoing it, it’s generally accepted that a well-designed training system rotates through periods of relatively higher, more moderate, and lower workout intensities.
Not only that, but there are endless training methods and formats to accomplish those fluctuations in intensity. You simply can’t train at the highest gear all the time. AMRAPs and rounds for time are very intense, high-gear formats. Even the “easy” days aren’t all that easy when you’re racing the clock to hit a PR performance.
CrossFit, as a general system, hasn’t gotten to the point where more moderate or low-intensity formats are part of the WOD (workout of the day) repertoire. This may seemingly violate the “high-intensity” aspect of the core CrossFit philosophy, but incorporating the lower intensity work can help elevate and improve the high-intensity work without compromising results, while also allowing better overall recovery. (4)
Lack of Movement Variety
One of the key tenets of CrossFit is that it is “constantly varied.” Of course, part of this is in reference to the fact that workouts are constantly changing. But it’s also intended to reference movement variety.
From the outside looking in, CrossFit does appear to incorporate a wide variety of exercises, particularly if you’re relatively new to strength training. The majority of people have likely not considered performing Olympic lifts and their variations on a regular basis, for example. So that could be a whole new library of movements. But if you train CrossFit consistently for a while, you’ll soon find that the movement menu is actually relatively small.
Credit: blissblue_11 / Shutterstock
When you take a look at the exercises and the movement patterns that are repeatedly performed, there are a lot of effective exercises, movement patterns, and pieces of equipment that go unutilized. Incorporation these missing elements would not only add much more variety, but would also make the training more in line with another CrossFit tenet: functionality.
Now, to be clear, a high degree of exercise variety does not necessarily mean that a training program is beneficial or highly effective. Frequently changing exercises can present drawbacks of their own, particularly for beginners. And there are countless examples of programs with relatively little movement variety that are very effective at attaining results, whether that be for strength, muscle gain, or fat loss.
However, those programs or training styles don’t hang their hat on being the gold standard of functional training. For CrossFit to be truly functional and constantly varied, there are some missing elements that would be beneficial to include.
Missing Element 1: Lateral and Rotational Movements
Almost every movement in CrossFit is performed in what’s called the sagittal plane. These are movements that are done forward or backward, and/or primarily require flexion and extension (bending and straightening) of the joints involved. This includes CrossFit staples like front squats, deadlifts, cleans, kettlebell swings, box jumps, push-ups, burpees, wall balls… the list goes on.
Our body is designed to do a lot more than just flex and extend. If we don’t do those things, we will gradually lose our ability to do them safely and efficiently. Nevermind the fact that life is multidirectional. We need the ability to rotate, move side to side, and move diagonally, and we need to do all those things while also moving up and down or forward and backward. If we cannot move in those ways (i.e., if we don’t train it), we become less functional.
Missing Element 2: Unilateral Movements
Most of the movements utilized in CrossFit are bilateral, meaning they involve using both legs or both arms at the same time in a symmetrical fashion. But just as life is multidirectional, it’s also predominantly unilateral, especially when it comes to the lower body.
Again, if we want our training to be truly functional, it should regularly incorporate unilateral lower body and upper body movements such as split squats, step-ups, single-leg squats, single-leg deadlift variations, single-arm pressing, and other single-arm and single-leg movements.
Missing Element 3: Horizontal Pulling
When you look at the general movement patterns utilized in CrossFit, one of the biggest omissions is horizontal pulling, or rowing movements. Yes, the rowing machine is often utilized for metabolic conditioning, but that does not provide enough resistance to truly strengthen the muscles of your upper back.
Credit: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock
And even though pull-ups are performed on a regular basis, one disadvantage of the kip is that it decreases the involvement of your upper back muscles, particularly the rhomboids, traps, and rear delts. The result is that muscle groups which can be important for posture, shoulder health, overall performance, and having a well-rounded physique go understimulated.
Missing Element 4: More Equipment
On one hand, the fact that a CrossFit box can exist with minimal equipment is a benefit, and this is part of the reason for its growth as a training style. Any sport that requires very specialized equipment has very limited growth potential. It’s one reason why there are more soccer players around the world than there are golfers.
On the other hand, there are a lot of great pieces of exercise equipment that go underutilized or completely unutilized. These are items that would not only add variety and functionality, but would allow necessary movement progressions for people who need them, improve their performance, and potentially reduce the risk of injury.
The medicine ball is a great example. The fact that every CrossFit box has dozens of them, but almost exclusively uses them for wall balls is a bit of a travesty. Medicine balls are meant to be thrown and slammed to develop whole-body power. There are also endless variations through which to incorporate lateral, rotational, and unilateral movements that can be easy to work into metcons.
Other equipment such as trap bars, safety squat bars, physioballs, landmines, and suspension trainers could all easily have their place in CrossFit. They would not only add to the functionality aspect, but provide movement variations that might be more appropriate for some people (e.g., trap bar deadlift vs. conventional barbell deadlift, landmine squat vs front squat, etc.).
However, these items are nowhere to be seen in typical CrossFit programming or WODs and there’s no valid reason as to why. Maybe there would be logistical issues to every CrossFit affiliate having all, or most, of these items which would make affiliate programming difficult. It could also make the style of “CrossFit Training” less recognizable, which isn’t beneficial for branding.
However, it seems as though these items aren’t even considered as options, which may not be beneficial for the majority of trainees on a broad scale.
How to Make the Most of CrossFit Training
If you want to try CrossFit, or use it as your primary form of training, here are some suggestions. Note that these could apply to any training style.
Don’t Be Afraid to Back Off Some Days
It’s OK not to go all out in every WOD. It can be tempting to always try to beat your old PRs or challenge one of your peers, but if you’re feeling run down, it’s much more effective to listen to what your body is telling you and let off the gas from time to time.
Don’t Sacrifice Technique for Rounds or Time
If you’re not a competitor, it’s just not worth it. The antithesis of functional training is consistently doing something that will harm your functionality down the road, such as using improper technique. Slow down in the WODs, or pace yourself appropriately, and take a beat to do movements correctly.
Switch Gears Periodically
Every once in a while, use a completely different training style or have only one specific training goal for a month or two. Maybe it’s just building size or strength via bodybuilding or powerlifting-style training. Or maybe you’re going to mess around using only kettlebells for a month. Or do yoga, or pilates, or hiking the nature trails in your area. These brief periods of drastic variation can be great mental and physical resets.
In Supplemental Training, Do the Opposite
If you decide to do some supplemental workouts along with your CrossFit training, do the opposite of what you typically do in a WOD. This means taking longer rest times, doing lower intensity aerobic work, and performing different movements or utilizing different pieces of equipment like mentioned earlier. Fit in some medicine ball slams, single-arm dumbbell rows, landmine presses, Russian twists, and other pieces that are missing from the classic CrossFit puzzle.
Is CrossFit a Good Fit for You?
The bottomline is that you can and will simultaneously develop multiple qualities to a relatively high level through CrossFit training. And if your goal is well-rounded fitness — becoming stronger, leaner, and generally more “in shape” than the average person — CrossFit can be a fantastic and effective way to achieve that. (5)
However, the consistent high-intensity and competitive aspects do make it unique from other training styles and they warrant consideration for how they’re approached long-term. Consider the strengths and weaknesses laid out above, consider them relative to your individual needs and goals, and then decide if it’s the right training solution for you.
References
Patel, H., Alkhawam, H., Madanieh, R., Shah, N., Kosmas, C. E., & Vittorio, T. J. (2017). Aerobic vs anaerobic exercise training effects on the cardiovascular system. World journal of cardiology, 9(2), 134–138. https://doi.org/10.4330/wjc.v9.i2.134
Schumann, M., Feuerbacher, J. F., Sünkeler, M., Freitag, N., Rønnestad, B. R., Doma, K., & Lundberg, T. R. (2022). Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 52(3), 601–612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7
Harrison, Jeffrey S CSCS, NSCA-CPT. Bodyweight Training: A Return To Basics. Strength and Conditioning Journal 32(2):p 52-55, April 2010. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181d5575c
Sousa, A. C., Marinho, D. A., Gil, M. H., Izquierdo, M., Rodríguez-Rosell, D., Neiva, H. P., & Marques, M. C. (2018). Concurrent Training Followed by Detraining: Does the Resistance Training Intensity Matter?. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(3), 632–642. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002237
Claudino, J.G., Gabbett, T.J., Bourgeois, F. et al. CrossFit Overview: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med – Open 4, 11 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0124-5
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When all is said and done, eight-time Mr. Olympia (1998-2005) Ronnie Coleman and seven-time champion (1970-1975, 1980) Arnold Schwarzenegger will be remembered as one of the two greatest bodybuilders in history. To this day, Coleman and Schwarzenegger remain iconic influences in the sport, keeping close tabs on the modern pantheon of fitness superstarswhenever possible. One can only imagine what happens when these two legends get together these days.
On August 8, 2023, Schwarzenegger posted a video to his YouTube channel where he trained with Coleman at the hallowed Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA. The title of “2 Goats Walk Into a Gym” is more than fitting.
Schwarzenegger and Coleman’s training session wasn’t very long overall, but it still seemed effective and intense for their goals.
The pair began by working in some seated lateral machine raises, trading sets intermittently. Coleman would regularly push for at least another rep with each of his sets after being urged by Schwarzenegger. With each successive set, Schwarzenegger would match Coleman, praising his size and strength in the process.
The second exercise was a seated shoulder press to work the front deltoid muscles. Both Coleman and Schwarzenegger completed three successful sets each before moving on to requisite triceps training using a dips machine. It was here that Coleman remarked on the rarity of the moment featuring two Mr. Olympia greats teaming up.
“Fifteen [Mr.] Olympias [titles] in the house,” Coleman said. “This don’t ever happen.”
Coleman and Schwarzenegger closed their workout by doing machine preacher curls for their biceps muscles. Each man finished four sets each. Here is a complete overview of their workout:
Schwarzenegger and Coleman’s Gold’s Gym Workout
Lateral Raise Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
Seated Overhead Press Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
Triceps Dip Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
Machine Preacher Curl — Three sets of 15-20 reps
Schwarzenegger and Coleman concluded the workout by doing a signature “hand clasp” seen in some Schwarzenegger films, such as Predator.
Following the conclusion of their careers, Coleman and Schwarzenegger have followed very different paths as former legendary bodybuilders. Yet, they still found a way to intersect here. In Coleman’s own apt words: This don’t ever happen.
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