Has John Cena Ever Taken Performance Enhancing Drugs?

Appearing on The Howard Stern Show on February 22, 2024, Cena, who has squatted upwards of 600 pounds was asked by Stern whether he’d ever taken performance enhancing drugs:

“And John, you always say, you were all natural, which is unusual,” said the host, who was interrupted by Cena, who confirmed that he was “still” that way. Asking Cena to imagine how large he could have gotten if he’d used “that stuff,” Stern was met with a direct answer. “So, you know, there’s risk/reward there,” said the 16 times world wrestling champion. “If you hit the gas peddle too early, you can get a lot of bad stuff happen long term.” Stern pushed further, asking if Cena had ever been advised to take steroids by an agent. “Not really,” answered the big man. “Hell, I’ve been 225 pounds since I was 17 years old. So, I always filled out my frame okay. I started lifting at thirteen. And, I guess that’s why I’ve never needed it.”

Still the Peacemaker didn’t rule out that a time might come when he may need to increase his testosterone levels. Testosterone is, of course, essential for maintaining muscle mass and staying strong. One consensus of opinion states that a normal testosterone level is anywhere between 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). “I’m not ruling that out,” Cena said. “They’ll come a time, time is undefeated, and I get my bloodwork done 3 times a year, and my testosterone’s fantastic for a 47-year-old. I’m talking when it falls below 300 (or) 250, I want to be able to use science to help me get that back in the bracket. But, I’m so far from that now. So, I’ve gone 46, 47 years without it, I have it in the bank, like as a fire escape thing to break open and hopefully give me another 20 years of fitness.” The fire escape that Cena speaks of is likely medically supervised testosterone therapy rather than performance enhancing drugs.

How is John Cena’s Relationship with Former WWE Boss Vince McMahon?

Stern also asked the WWE icon about his current relationship with the promotions’ founder, Vince McMahon, whom he has known for more than 20 years. McMahon has exited his roles at WWE following allegations of sexual trafficking. While troubled by the horrific nature of the complaint, Cena says that he is trying to remain a loyal friend to a man who is yet to be found guilty of a crime. “There’s the saying of ‘you don’t know who your friends are until the s**t hits the fan’ or your back’s against the wall,” said Cena. “That doesn’t make any of what’s going on any easier to swallow, but just telling somebody like, ‘Hey, I love you. Man, this is going to be a hill to climb. We’re going to see what happens and that’s that.’”

You can listen to the full interview here with a 3-month SiriusXM free trial.

All sorts of food and beverage manufacturers have taken notice that more people are zeroing in on their protein needs and, in response, are pumping out products that deliver a bigger dose of the muscle-building macro. It’s never been easier to eat gobs of protein. No longer do you need to carve into Flintstone-sized steaks and dry scoop protein powder to get the high amounts of protein you need to support physique gains. Now, you can go big on protein by eating everything from fruity boxed cereal to chocolate chunk ice cream. Who would have thought that a new breed of pasta could help you sprout muscles all over your body, or at least not be such a carb bomb? Yes, we are in the golden era of protein.

But it’s still the Wild West out there when it comes to protein-enhanced foods and drinks. Many products are nutritional duds that just happen to be higher in protein. Hardly a nutritional win.

Here’s what you need to know about the high-protein foods that are upping their protein game before you buy in and a handful that are worth going for.

What Are High Protein Foods?

Just because something is advertised as being a protein heavyweight doesn’t mean it is. I’ve seen so-called ‘protein bars’ that have only 4 grams of protein and crunchy boxed cereals that claim to pack your morning meal with more protein when in reality a serving only has a couple of grams. Don’t believe the front-of-the-package hype until you see for yourself how much protein the product has. There is no set number for what high protein is, but let’s just say the product should give you at least 8 to 10 grams in a serving.

Do you need More High-Protein Foods In Your Diet?

Generally speaking, most guys who are focused on packing on more lean mass should be consuming at least 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For the mathematically challenged, that is roughly 131 grams of protein for a 180-pound dude. So, yes, that is a fair amount of protein you need to eat every day to get your physique where you want it to be. And certainly, using some protein-enhanced and fortified foods can make it easier to reach this intake goal. But if you are already eating plenty of high-protein foods like chicken, fish, tofu, and Greek yogurt you might be surprised to learn that you are already nailing your needs for this macro without needing to turn to these products, which you may have noticed are typically more expensive. The upshot is that you should try to calculate your protein intake as accurately as possible and then use this information to better understand your need, or not, for foods that are jacked with a bit of extra protein than what is normal.

Know Your Protein Source

These days, products can elevate their protein numbers in several methods. A common way is to inject a product like a pancake mix with a protein isolate such as whey, pea or soy. This is an efficient way to ramp up the grams of protein per serving. Another method to going bigger on protein is to simply add in higher protein ingredients like Greek yogurt, hemp seeds or beans. This way can lead to a product with a greater nutritional profile overall. Increasingly, food manufacturers are upping their protein game by using unique production methods such as making spaghetti out of chickpeas, crispy chips from pork, and veggie burgers from wheat gluten.

In the end, which of these types of high-protein products is best to eat is a personal choice.

Look at the Whole Nutritional Picture

Just because something has lofty amounts of protein does not make it a nutrition virtuoso. Remember, protein is just one aspect of a food. If a protein-enhanced product is also laced with added sugars, refined grains, abundant fat calories, and an assortment of tongue-twisting additives then you have to question whether that extra protein is worth the overall nutrition cost. For instance, some protein cereals will have more grams of added sugars than grams of protein which is hardly a win. Do your due diligence and read package labels carefully to make sure the nutritional value isn’t near zero, save for the protein.

Don’t Fear Soy Protein

Old thinking: products with added soy protein are lower tier and can tank your testosterone levels. New thinking: products beefed up with soy protein can help make you more beefy and just as manly. A thorough 2023 research review published in Sports Medicine found that soy protein can provide the same muscle-building benefits as whey as well as help lower the oxidative stress that occurs in response to working out. The plant protein can also have beneficial effects on performance metrics including muscle strength and muscular endurance. So there is no reason to think less of foods that boost their protein numbers using soy protein.

The 11 Best High-Protein Foods

1. MYPROTEIN Pancake Mix

Per serving: 190 calories, 2g fat, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 22g protein

A tag team of whey protein isolate and milk protein gives this pancake mix nearly record-breaking amounts of the muscle-sculpting macro. And since it’s made with oat flour, your morning stack can be considered a source of whole-grain. Bonus points for no added sugar so you can be a little more generous with the maple syrup.

2. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Protein Oats

Per serving: 190 calories, 4g fat, 32g carbs, 5g fiber, 9g protein

You would think that with a label like that the oats would be coated in protein powder. But no, all you get here is good-old flakey oats. So how can the brand offer up organically grown oats with about 50% more protein than normal? By using a newly cultivated type of oat that is richer in protein. Yet, the end product tastes just like traditional oatmeal. The oats do take a bit longer to cook, but that is a small price to pay for bringing more muscle-making protein to your breakfast. This oatmeal lover is hoping that these become available in a steel-cut variety.

3. Lupii Penne

Per serving: 160 calories, 3g fat, 29g carbs, 12g fiber, 14g protein

These noodles are a game-changer in the world of pasta. They are made with a combo of lupini flour and chickpea flour which is why the protein and fiber numbers are so staggering for a pasta. Wondering what the heck are lupini beans? Well, they are a legume in the same family as peanuts with higher amounts of protein and fiber than most common types of beans. So go ahead and dump your meat (or plant-based) sauce on these noodles and just watch your guns grow. Just imagine if Hulk Hogan had pasta like this back in his heyday.

4. Enlightened Chocolate Peanut Butter Frozen Greek Yogurt

Per serving: 160 calories, 6g fat, 24g carbs, 8g fiber, 10g protein

Is ice cream healthy for you? Well, it’s good for your soul. That counts for something, right? This ice cream–frozen yogurt hybrid uses creamy Greek yogurt to significantly bump up the protein count so you can feel a little less guilty about getting closer to the bottom of the pint in a single go. There is also less sugar and more fiber than most of the traditional ice cream options out there. Besides, chocolate plus peanut butter is just awesome.

5. Lenny & Larry’s The Boss! Cookie Peanut Butter

Per serving: 260 calories, 16g fat, 18g carbs, 6g fiber, 16g protein

If you are going to satisfy a cookie craving why not do so in a way that gives you a healthy dose of protein? The first ingredient in these chewy cookies is a milk-based protein blend instead of flour which is why each one has such a lofty amount of the macro. The muscle-friendly cookie is also made with real peanut butter and some prebiotic fiber which may help with gut health. It’s sweetened with allulose, an FDA-approved sugar substitute that is not absorbed by the body and hence isn’t considered an added sugar with calories.

6. Quest Tortilla Style Chili Lime Chips

Per serving: 140 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 20g protein

Most snack foods are protein lightweights. These tasty chips are an exception. Ringing in at 20 grams of high-quality protein from whey protein isolate, a bag of these make it easier to crunch your way to any macro goals. With more than 70,000 Amazon ratings, the chips have certainly found an audience. Not surprising considering that Americans love to snack and more than ever love to eat a lot of protein. Great for plunking into dips or for a platter of game-day cheesy nachos.

7. Owyn Pro Elite Protein Shake

Per serving: 200 calories, 7g fat, 3g carbs, 3g fiber, 32g protein

Most bottled protein drinks are sugar bombs in disguise. Not this one, which packs in heaps of plant-based protein (from peas and pumpkin seeds) without any added sugar. And each bottle is free of common irritants like dairy, nuts, and gluten. After all, Owyn stands for “Only What You Need.” The shake is sweetened with monk fruit extract, which so far appears to be rather benign when it comes to our health. Plus, the brand does a great job at disguising the omega-3 rich flax oil and the broccoli, kale, and spinach blend for even more of a nutritional power boost. But, no, you can’t give up eating actual green veggies even if you pounding these shakes back.

8. Beyond Meat Seared Tips

Per serving: 170 calories, 6g fat, 7g carbs, 2g fiber, 21g protein

Trying to trim some meat for your diet or are simply just plant curious? This no-beef steak product is a great place to start. The addition of wheat gluten and faba bean protein gives these meaty chunks impressive amounts of protein on par with animal-based steak. The texture and flavor don’t leave you wanting and the ingredient list is much more humble than many plant-based meat alternatives on the market. From my experience, these nuggets of protein are a great way to beef up, so to speak, a pot of chili.

9. Naked Protein Coffee

Per serving: 140 calories, 3g fat, 9g carbs, 0g fiber, 20g protein

Coffee, but better. This pick-me-up contains a powerful mix of premium Colombian ground coffee and 20g of grass-fed whey – to clear that up, whey doesn’t feed on grass (duh!) it is the cows that provide the whey that are munching on pasture. The coffee is just lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and comes in vanilla or mocha flavors. A good option to help you muscle through an early morning workout. Whisk into hot milk for a latte-style drink that helps you pack on muscle like a pro. Or blend up a coffee protein shake.

10. Magic Spoon Blueberry Waffle

Per serving: 150 calories, 8g fat, 15g carbs, 1g fiber, 13g protein

This grain-free, keto-friendly cereal isn’t your standard Fruit Loops. It has more than double the amount of protein as most options in the cereal aisle and contains real blueberries – go figure. Suddenly spooning up a bowl of cereal when you’ve got the late-night munchies isn’t such a bad thing. Or for a protein-packed morning meal, scoop a bunch of Greek yogurt into a bowl and top with a few fistfuls of this crunch cereal, some chopped nuts and berries. Dig in!

11. P28 Peanut

Per serving: 250 calories, 19g fat, 6g carbs, 2g fiber, 14g protein

Here’s a peanut butter that should muscle out the Skippy from your pantry. Creamed dry roasted peanuts are paired with whey protein isolate for a nutty spread that is ready to show your muscles some love. Could it be true that a PB&J sandwich is now muscle fuel? Sometimes the world is perfect.

Pushups are a compound movement, engaging an array of muscle groups including the chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor), shoulder muscles (deltoids), your abs, and the upper and lower back. You don’t need a gym membership to add them to your fitness routine, and yet a 2021 study published by gymless.org found that the majority of American’s can’t achieve more than ten straight pushups in a row.

Pushups by the Numbers

The gymless.org survey used a large sample, involving 1,403 participants above the age of 18. Here’s another shocking result: the survey found that the majority of respondents who were unable to perform 10 pushups or more were actually aged 54 or younger. The data showed however, that age and gender play a significant role on the averages. Worryingly, these numbers were lower than that of a 2019 study by Livestrong,  suggesting that general fitness levels are on the decline. Whether the fall in overall pushup rep capability is down to increasingly unhealthy lifestyles or the aftermath of Covid-19 remains to be seen, but building strength and muscle is not the only benefit enjoyed by those who add volume to their pushups.

A hearty reason to increase your pushup volume

Another 2019 study found that those who could do 40 or more pushups in a row were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. “The findings suggest that higher baseline push-up capacity is associated with a lower incidence of CVD events. Although larger studies in more diverse cohorts are needed, push-up capacity may be a simple, no-cost measure to estimate functional status,” concluded the report.

How Many Pushups Should I Be Able To Do Based on Age?

Livestrong.com have published some comprehensive real-world data provided by Kinesiologists.ca, a training and rehab studio in British Columbia Canada, and here are the minimum averages that you should be in the hunt to replicate or overtake:

Women

• Age 15-19 | Pushups: 18-24
• Age 20-29 | Pushups: 15-20
• Age: 30-39 | Pushups: 13-19
• Age: 40-49 | Pushups: 11-14
• Age: 50-59 | Pushups: 7-10
• Age: 60+ | Pushups: 5-11

Men

• Age 15-19 | Pushups: 23-28
• Age 20-29 | Pushups: 22-28
• Age: 30-39 | Pushups: 17-21
• Age: 40-49 | Pushups: 13-16
• Age: 50-59 | Pushups: 10-12
• Age: 60+ | Pushups: 8-10

You’ll notice that all the averages are well below 40 reps, so you will be in the elite group of pushup performers if you are able to make that target. And, if after all that training, you find yourself getting fed up with the traditional pushup, take a look at these 15 pushup variations to target more muscles.

“It’s an honor to be the first, but it will be even more exciting when we can stop counting. So, my message to that second person is ‘lead well. Do your job and do it well.’ If that happens, there will be a third and fourth, and we don’t have to worry about counting.”

Bass understands the responsibility that comes with her title. As Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Bass leads many heroic Americans and strives to do so by example – whether she is meeting with a group of many or only one. She strives to show her Airmen that she holds herself to the highest of standards possible, including when it comes to being in top shape. She is aware that each day provides unique opportunities to inspire and impact others in and out of service.

“It is a part of our battle rhythm weekly, every day. I would offer that we are serious about starting our days off with PT so that we can get the physical fitness piece in because we know that if our bodies feel good, our minds feel good, the rest of the day will be as well, especially when we’re on the road. We’ll still get it in at 4:30 or five in the morning.”

Like many kids and teenagers, Bass was active during her childhood, taking part in soccer and softball, but her passion for being in her best shape came after she was sworn into service by her father 31 years ago. While training and being in shape was required during her basic training days, it evolved into becoming a regular part of her lifestyle as her career progressed. She advises young Americans today that they should commit to fit as soon as possible because it can serve them well later in life, regardless of what they choose to do as adults. She acknowledged that her diet of Oreos and grape soda during her teenage years wasn’t the healthiest of choices to make.

Bass shared, “If I could rewind time, I would’ve started earlier. It goes back to understanding the value of holistically taking care of yourself.” Throughout her career, she figured out that motivation can only go so far, that is why she needed to create a routine to stay disciplined, which has been advise she offers to those that are looking to make changes in their own fitness fortunes.

“I am a creature of habit. If I lack discipline, then I am reactive the rest of the day,” she explained. “What I’ve learned is that when you discipline yourself to make physical fitness the first thing you do in the morning, while it may not be all that enjoyable waking up to get it done, I’ve never felt bad afterward.”

That discipline serves all members of the Armed Forces well because there is a great chance that they will face some form of adversity that will challenge them. There are even times that life and service will knock them down. Bass feels that discipline and resilience can help shape you into becoming the best version of yourself possible so you can be ready to face those challenges. She shared that the Air Force really focuses on this with a model called “Comprehensive Airmen Fitness,” which includes four pillars – physical, social, spiritual, and mental. While their specific program was designed for Airmen, its philosophy, spread across the Spectrum of Resilience, that can serve any person looking to positively improve their quality of life.

“If I can focus on nutrition, sleeping better, mental health, and the spiritual piece of me, it will build up my resilience. Everybody really needs to spend time being deliberate about their own resiliency model and developing it before crisis hits. Focusing on those things can help you be a better person on the back end.”

Bass assumed her current position in 2020 and is preparing to transition to the next phase of her career and life. The 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force will take her place within a matter of weeks, but she looks back fondly at her time at the helm. She hopes young Americans will see that even though they may not think of the military as a lifetime option now, many opportunities can be possible just by starting out in service.

“I didn’t set out to make the military my life, per se. It started off as a way to get my G.I. Bill and figure things out. At the four-year mark, I only re-enlisted to pay off my Honda Civic,” she shared. “After the eight-year mark, I really learned what it meant to wear our nation’s cloth.”

Bass knows that the next generation of Americans have many options to consider after they are ready to step out on their own. She hopes to see many of them take the step of joining the Armed Forces because aside from the importance of being fit, she knows firsthand how beneficial being a part of the one percent of Americans from all walks of life that protect freedom.

“It will give you an understanding of work ethics, standards, discipline, and it just makes you a better human being. The military has given me far more than I’ve given it so when you go back to your hometown, you can continue doing great things.”

Follow Bass on Instagram @cmsaf_official.

Why did The Rock return to WWE?

Dwayne Johnson made a surprise return on WWE Monday Night Raw on January 8, where he teased ecstatic fans with the possibility that he might challenge his cousin Roman Reigns for the right to call himself head of the families table. Since Reigns also holds the WWE Universal Championship, and has done so for more than 1,200 days, this banner match was touted to be one of the biggest WrestleMania main events of all time. Then, on Jan 23, WWE’s parent company TKO (they also own UFC) announced that DJ had been appointed to the board of directors, making him one of the most powerful people in WWE’s board room. With all that stroke, the main event at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia next month should have been set in stone, but things never run smoothly in the larger-than-life world of WWE.

Why is The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Not happening at WrestleMania 40?

As is tradition, the winner of the Royal Rumble gets to face off against a WWE world champion at WrestleMania. Currently there are two world championships in the company, with Reigns’ Unversal title on SmackDown, and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins competing on the RAW brand. The 2024 Royal Rumble winner was Cody Rhodes, and since he was cheated out of victory last year at WrestleMania 39 by Reigns, he has opted for a rematch against “The Tribal Chief” at WM40.

Of course, Rhode’s desire to finish his story has scuppered the Bloodline’s plan to keep the WrestleMania main event all in the family. And, while the idea of The Rock vs. Roman Reigns seems like a cataclysmic confrontation, fans in the arenas have been booing The Rock in favour of cheering their underdog hero, Cody Rhodes.

Why The Rock went “Retro” and turned against the fans on WWE SmackDown

During a WrestleMania 40 press conference in Las Vegas on Feb 8, it became clear that the WWE Universe wanted Cody Rhodes to follow up on his Royal Rumble win and dethrone Roman Reigns, and since it his right to face the champion of his choice, there’s not much that the Samoan wrestling dynasty can do about it. So, instead, The Rock has become imbittered by the support for Rhodes over himself, and has chosen to shun the fans and reprise the cocky and arrogant character that viewers will remember from the wildly successful “Attitude Era” in WWE.

On Friday night SmackDown (Feb, 16) The Rock came to the ring in one of his vintage style shirts, something that the WWE Universe hadn’t seen in recent times. It drew a knowing reaction from wrestling aficionados who were pleased to see his edgier character back on the screen, and Johnson himself showed off the goose bumps that he’d developed from this historical moment. The seasoned actor waisted no time in knowing his new role, as he insulted the fans in Salt Lake City before making his intentions to support The Bloodline clear. “Cody, your story is just ending. Our story is just beginning…” said the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. “Sit there and shut your mouth and enjoy the ride that The Rock has taken you on. If you smell what The Bloodline is cooking!”

The full segment has racked up almost 3 million views on YouTube in just 2 days, and has drawn acclaim from the millions, and millions, of The Rock’s fans, many of whom believe that this is The Rock at his best.

“I like how Rock reads the room and turns heel based off of the crowd’s reaction,” commented @chicken.

“That’s an Attitude era veteran on the mic ladies and gentlemen. ????,” said @Veintitres__23

“I’m not gonna lie, The Rock wasn’t the only one getting goosebumps. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Heel Rock and it’s pretty cool seeing it again,” commented @ammodog89b79

With “Retro” Rock back in WWE, he is likely to find action at WrestleMania 40 one way or another, so we wait with bated breath to find out who will next fall victim to the “People’s Elbow.”

Modern tennis players look more like Carlos Alcaraz Rafael Nadal than skinny and fit John McEnroe. If you want an edge on the court, hit the gym. Strength training is essential to a professional tennis player’s routine, not just strength training. Unilateral training or training on one side of a time must be prioritized in a tennis player’s routine.

Why?

That’s what we are about to get into. If you want to improve your tennis game, this article is where to start.

The game and movements of tennis are three three-dimensional, random, explosive movements where anything can happen and usually does. Almost all tennis shots happen on one side of the body except for the two-handed forehand and backhand.

It is not unusual for a tennis player to have more well-developed arm muscles on the dominant side of the body. Although this is great on the court, it may hinder a player off the court. We’ll get into this and a few other reasons why unilateral training is necessary for the tennis player.

Major Body Movements Used In a Game Of Tennis

• Lateral side shuffle and running: Moving side to side to hit groundstrokes.
• Across the body/rotational movements: Hitting backhands.
• Running Backward: Back peddling to get to a lob shot.
• Running Forward: To get to the net for a drop shot or volley.
• Note: Often, the above four movements are combined.

Volley & Overhead Shots

• Forehand and backhand shots: 

Muscles Used In Tennis

Glutes:

Come into play as you stay low, accelerate, and decelerate, and hip extension adds pop to shots.

Quads/Adductors:

Both kick in as the tennis player stays low for acceleration and side-to-side movements.

Deltoids/Rotator Cuff:

Provide the strength, stability, and mobility needed for groundstrokes, serves, and volleys.

Pectorals:

The chest muscles kick in to hit powerful forehands, backhands, and serves.

Upper Back:

This is involved in all things hitting the ball, and its strength and mobility allow for a full range of motion, better mobility, and, therefore, better shot-making.

Forearm, Biceps, and Triceps:

Forearm muscles are needed for grip strength and play a role at the end of every groundstroke, volley, and serve. A firmer grip allows for more power in the swing.

Why Tennis Players Require Unilateral Strength

Think of strength as gas in your car.

The more gas (strength) you have in your car (body), the longer you will go. Seeing tennis is a power endurance sport, having more gas in the tank is pretty handy. A good strength base is required; seeing power is a huge factor in the modern game.

Strength training is critical for tennis players because it helps build strength in the soft tissues of the tendons and ligaments. Because tennis has a lot of positive and negative accelerations on hard surfaces, players need to absorb these forces safely, and being stronger helps significantly. But not only being strong but unilaterally strong, too.

Here are a few crucial reasons tennis players should include unilateral exercises in their routine.

Better Carryover

Unilateral strength training done standing requires a transfer or shift of weight, and this shift puts a greater reliance on the glutes and posterior and anterior core to coordinate to produce and absorb force. This is required for every ground stroke, change of direction, and acceleration on the tennis court. Doing it in the gym means you’ll do better on the court.

Tennis is a hip and core-dominant sport because players must rotate through the hips with great force. Simultaneously, the core must produce and absorb force, creating a significant need for unilateral strength.

Injury prevention

Due to tennis’s physical demands and unilateral repetitive nature, targeted strength training exercises will help with injury prevention. Injuries to the shoulders and elbows are commonplace and must be addressed in their workout program. Unilateral exercises for the shoulders and elbows, such as side-lying external rotation, prone reverse fly’s, and wrist flexion and extensions using a dumbbell or a wrist roller, are needed.

Better Overall Strength

Strongness is needed with hard-hitting groundstrokes, and serves are a massive part of the modern game. The glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, chest, and upper back are all required for the player to move well and hit for power and precision. Because tennis is predominantly a unilateral sport, being powerful on both sides of the body while addressing muscle imbalances is essential.

Workout Program For Tennis Players

This is for you if you want to add strength training to improve your tennis game. It’s a straightforward A and B program that you can perform two to 3 times per week to beef up your tennis game. After the warm-up, rest 90 seconds between exercises and two minutes after each tri-set and do three rounds of each tri-set. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUK0hjHz5oI&ab_channel=MomentumPerformanceTraining

Warm-up

1A. Foam roll: calves, glutes, hip flexors, and upper back 10 rolls of each.

1B. Dead bug: 6 reps per side

1C. Passive Leg Lowering: 10 reps per side

1D. Hip 90’90s: 10 reps per side

1E. Hip Rockers: 10 per side

1F. Spiderman with Rotation: 6 reps per side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYVKVAbbFTM&ab_channel=EricCressey

Workout A

1A. Trap Bar Deadlifts: 4 to 8 reps

1B. Unilateral Landmine Press: 6 to 12 reps per side

1C. Wrist Roller variation: (do it till grip failure)

2A. Unilateral Dumbbell Snatch: 5 to 8 reps

2B. Seated Cable Row: 12 to 15 reps

2C. Half Kneeling Cable Chop: 8 to 12 reps per side

Workout B

1A. Landmine Cossack Squat: 8 to 10 reps per side

1B. Half Kneeling Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press: 8-10 reps per side

1C. Side-lying External Rotation: 12-15 reps per side

2A. Heels Elevated Goblet Squat: 12-15 reps

2B. 3-Point Dumbbell Row: 12 reps per side

2C. Rotational Med Ball Slams: 6 reps per side

Released on March 29, 2024, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire promises an epic allegiance between two of the silver screen’s most beloved behemoths, as Godzilla and Kong will act as the guardians of nature and the protectors of humanity against a hidden threat. The Legendary Picture’s cinematic universe is set to delve into the histories of both of these Titans, taking a dive into each character’s origins and exploring the mysteries of Skull Island.

The much-anticipated movie will be directed by Adam Wingard, who made Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021, and stars Rebecca Hall, and Brian Tree, also reprising their roles from the previous movie. “This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the mighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own”—reads a synopsis provided by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The trailers are proving to be a hit on the studio’s YouTube Channel too, where they have racked up more than 40 million views combined, with an overwhelming majority of likes.

“please never stop making these movies, lots of action and monsters, still makes me feel like a kid, god i love sci fi and Godzilla,” commented @TechieGaming.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing Godzilla and Kong bust heads on the big screen,” wrote @TellItAnimated.

“There’s NOTHING more CINEMATIC than the MONSTERVERSE,” commented @user-mo5hh6gg2e

Indeed, the special effects look to be out of this world and both Kong and Godzilla look ripped and ready to go in these teasers. With Godzilla vs. Kong proving to be a monster hit, taking $470 million in worldwide box office sales, it will be interesting to see what kind of an impact this ultimate team can make in 2024. Check out the trailers for yourself.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hits Cinemas on March 29

First, a little geeky anatomy and benefits of training the hip flexors.

The Anatomy of Hip Flexor Muscles

The hip flexor muscles are one of the connectors between the upper and lower body. It crosses the hip joint from your lower spine to your inner thigh and is one of your body’s primary lower back stabilizers and hip flexors. The three muscles that make up the hip flexors are the iliacus, the psoas major, and the psoas minor.

Psoas Major And Minor: are long, thick spindle muscles originating from the thoracic and lumbar area from T12-L4 lateral of the lumbar spine and inserts on the femur via the iliopsoas tendon. Its actions are hip and trunk flexion, and it assists in lateral thigh rotation.

Iliacus: is a triangular-shaped muscle originating from the iliac fossa and the lateral aspect of the sacrum. It inserts at the lesser trochanter of the femur (leg bone), and its muscle fibers merge with lateral fibers of the psoas major to form the iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscle. Its primary functions are hip and trunk flexion.

Benefits of Hip Flexors Exercises

You don’t often think or feel your hip flexors working, but expect these three benefits—without thinking about them—when they are fully operational.

Improved Hip Mobility

Strengthening and mobilizing your hip flexors will allow you to access your hip’s full range of motion to enhance all parts of your leg exercises, leading to improved hip extension and juicier glute gains.

Increased Speed

If your hip flexors are short or weak, it will affect your ability to achieve powerful hip extension. Basically, it can slow you down. The stronger and more mobile your hip flexors muscles are, the better your ability to drive off the ground faster.

Possible Reduction In Low Back Pain

The hip flexor muscles are a primary back stabilizer and a connector between the lower and upper body. A tight and weak hip flexor can pull the lower back into further lordosis (increased curve), causing anterior pelvic tilt and making you more prone to lower-back issues.

Signs of a Tight Hip Flexor

“The hip joint area is tricky; we always want to clear the adjoining areas. The groin, hip joint, and lower back all should be ruled out when there is pain in the front of the hip. The most common complaint with hip flexors is usually pain as you bring your leg up off the ground like a high knee. This can be limiting your lunges, squats, and even running.

One would also know if they have difficulty or overarching lumbar spines when entering a lunge position, especially with an upright torso,” explains Babenko.

3 Exercises To To Relieve a Tight Hip Flexor

“We need to ensure the length of the muscle is an issue before programming any exercise. A true “tightness” restriction would be tested in a “Thomas position” (clinically speaking, this is when you lay on your back and have one leg hang down—if your thigh bone does not drop below parallel to the floor, we call that a tight hip flexor).

We can further differentiate the hip flexor from the quad by adding or removing the knee bend.

Hip flexors can often be weak, which can easily be tested with manual muscle testing. When I work with clients, a simple 60-second single-leg balance where the up leg has a 90-degree knee bend works.

For addressing the hip flexor tightness, I have found a lot of success with folks spending some time “smashing their quads and hip flexors, even into the belly,” says Babenko.

Here are three Physical therapist-approved exercises for truly tight hip flexors.

Quad Smash

Gut Smash

Couch Stretch

A SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR

For The Girls: “ Even if you are not feeling any symptoms, please go find a “pelvic health PT” to check out the health of your pelvic floor, as this could contribute to many areas around the hip, like the hip flexors.

Never having a pelvic floor exam from a qualified professional is like never going to the dentist for your teeth! I believe this is a hugely under-served area that not enough women know about,” explains Babenko.

Ngannou shocked boxing experts when he was able to go toe-to-toe with the Lineal and WBC champ, Tyson Fury, narrowly missing out on victory thanks to a controversial split decision. He’s now readying for his second outing in the boxing ring, and this time Ngannou will need to prove that his first successful performance wasn’t a one-off, when he takes on AJ at “Knockout Chaos” on March 8, in Riyadh. In addition to those boxing camp staples such as shadow boxing and sparring with human opponents, the former UFC champion, now ranked #10 in world boxing, is working on some innovative methods to be his best possible self when he squared up against Joshua.

5 Ways Francis Ngannou Trains For A Fight

Stretching

Stretching is often the most neglected aspect of working out, but not for “The Predator,” who has been seen limbering up with moves such as the standing leg stretch. This movement is great for improving hamstring flexibility, increasing hip flexor movement, improving lower back flexibility, and gaining better balance, all while stimulating the blood to flow ahead of his all-in workouts.

Rowing

Proving that he is a fighter than can go the distance, the MMA-fighter-turned-boxer, understands that cardiovascular conditioning is key. Rowing is a time efficient form of exercise because it will allow Ngannou to achieve a high level of intensity, perhaps even with interval training, before moving on to other aspects of his workout such as building muscle.

Weighted Sled

Francis Ngannou is utilizing the weighted sled, both forwards and backwards, to build muscle and stamina as he prepares to take it to his more experienced opponent in less than a months’ time. Boxing relies heavily on leg strength in order to keep a fighter both stable and mobile. Enhancing leg strength with heavy sled movements will give Ngannou a solid foundation to generate power and execute his jaw-breaking punches with force and agility. Weighted sled exercises are also relatively low impact for the joints, maintaining his potential to give everything he has when stepping into the ring against AJ.

Ropework

Before he steps between the ropes in Riyadh, this powerhouse is executing CrossFit style ropework in order to improve a myriad of all-important details, such as his footwork and coordination, timing and rhythm, and his mental focus and endurance. The repetitive arm and shoulder movements required here will also contribute to increased strength and endurance around those muscle groups, meaning that his punching power could be more devastating than ever when the bell rings.

Goalkeeping

While the heavyweight has set a goal to climb to the top of the boxing world, he’s also taking time out for fun exercises such as goalkeeping on the soccer field. While this is a fun way to get moving, being a goalkeeper is also an awesome way to work on hand strength and conditioning, not to mention sharpening ones’ focus and concentration. Goalies must have great spatial awareness, and this is something that is just as important in a boxing ring.

With a 360-degree training plan like Ngannou’s, there could be some “Knockout Chaos” on March 8. Follow The Predators progress at https://www.instagram.com/francisngannou/

Postprandial somnolence, the medical term for what is widely labeled as “a food coma” sets in post-meal and can cause symptoms such as drowsiness or sleepiness, low energy levels, and or lack of focus or concentration. Unfortunately, this can last for hours.

This can be especially frustrating during the work day after you consumed a healthy meal you brought from home. So, what gives?

Cara Clark, certified sports nutritionist, and integrative health practitioner is here to help you uncover the possible reasons you want to head straight to bed after eating.

What Causes Food Coma

Beyond consuming heavy, calorie-laden foods, Clark explains there are several reasons for sluggishness after a meal. “The first and most obvious is that until we process the energy from the food, we are using energy to digest and hopefully absorb nutrients. “However, the post-meal fatigue doesn’t last very long in this case,’ she says.

There are several other reasons for most meal fatigue:

• Food intolerance or allergy
• Imbalance of macros: carbs, fat, and protein
• Insulin resistance
• Indigestion
• Circadian rhythm
• Metabolic pathway issues
• Low stomach acid

So how can you know which one of these reasons may be the cause? Starting with a food journal and documenting what you eat and how you feel after is the first step. “This is a very helpful tool to see if there are any particular foods or habits that continue to cause post-meal fatigue, I call these “trigger” foods. Once you know your trigger foods, you can eliminate them and see if your energy balances out better.

Can Certain Foods Make You Tired?

This is why keeping a food log is a good idea, Clark says. “If you have a food intolerance or a food that is causing inflammation to your body, this will leave you feeling less than optimal,’ explains Clark. “It’s not a bad idea to test or even try an elimination approach to see if there are improvements.”

Beyond food allergens, Clark explains certain foods can induce or contain more melatonin in our bodies, which is a sleep-time hormone that is released in the evenings.

Some of these foods include pistachios, milk, and tart cherries. “If you feel extra sleepy after these foods, maybe save them for the evening,” advises Clark.

How To Fight Food Coma

Because there are a handful of reasons you experience tiredness after you eat, Clark provides her top tips to not only help you get to the bottom of it but also provide your body with the support it needs for more energy production.

Include All Three Macros: Another important approach is to combine all three macros at a meal. I suggest 50% carbs, 25% protein, and 25% fat to produce a good energy outcome that will last for four hours.

Use Digestive Support:

If your fatigue is due to digestion, supplementing enzymes could be supportive.

Supplement with Vitamin B:

If there is just one meal that this is happening with throughout the day, an active b complex could be a huge help as well.

Feeling Slightly Relaxed Post-Meal is Normal:

Eating should activate the parasympathetic nervous system, so we can digest and rest, so there should be a slight shift in a more relaxed state.

Keep this in Mind During After Lunch:

In general, people have less energy in the afternoon due to the circadian rhythm, so we also can’t typically expect the same energy in the morning as we do after lunchtime.

Go On a Post-Meal Walk

We all know walking is good for the body and the mind, but it can also help with your daily food coma. “One way to protect and improve insulin levels is to take micro walks after every meal.” If possible, Clark suggests 5-10 minutes of walking after eating to promote better digestion and insulin sensitivity.

Clark also encourages a post-lunch nap for those who have that advantage. “There is nothing wrong with feeling relaxed after a meal temporarily and nothing wrong with a 20 min post-lunch nap,” says Clark.

“Our society is so productivity-driven that we don’t always manage our health needs very well.” With that, If you’re experiencing fatigue or sluggishness after every meal, Clark urges it may be time to have a professional intervene.

Final Thoughts

Feeling slightly relaxed post-meal and during the afternoon is normal. However, if you find the tiredness is extreme and happening more than once a day, starting with a food log should be the goal. Hiring a professional such as a registered dietitian or consulting with your doctor to get to the bottom of the issue will only offer you more support. And remember, a nap after lunch never hurt anyone!

But before its eventual rise to becoming the beast of boxing boutique clubs, the road to group fitness success was littered with plenty of knockdown moments—some unavoidable and some Neiman admits were self-inflicted—that may have left most others on the canvas for the 10 count.

For Neiman, his strategy for creating Rumble’s worldwide recognition consisted of one-part vision—a plan in which he meticulously wrote out on a $3 Office Depot-style notebook for three years—and countless circuits of round-the-clock  preparation, promotion, and problem solving. The Pittsburgh-born boxing boss fought off not only a pandemic-based shutdown, but a number of naysayers questioning his boxing-for-the-masses blueprint, as well as his personal bouts of anxiety and addiction.

To get to its success today, Neiman’s groundwork for Rumble began literally in the basement—at New York City’s Lexington Hotel, where Neiman would drag along a set of discount store speakers and a few heavy bag to test run his idea of a boxing class in front of family and friends. “We just had a hope a dream and a good team,”  he says. “There are principles in business that are like training. I love training because it requires discipline, and you don’t necessarily see the results instantly. But that doesn’t deter you from staying the course and sticking to the plan.”

It worked. In less than a decade Rumble has expanded beyond anyone’s vision, even Neiman’s. With the help of his team, and a group of investors such as Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone—Rumble has gone from one studio into 14 signature clubs and more than 300 facilities worldwide. The worldwide success and recognition is the result of hard work in both the boardroom and gym. It wasn’t surprising, but being at the top has humbled the personal trainer each time he gets noticed, not matter what part of the world he’s traveling.

“I was just at a Rumble event in Bondi, Australia, and I’m getting stopped at the Sydney Opera House from people yelling, ‘Yo, Rumble guy! I took your class in New York City in 2017 in Chelsea.” Here I’m outside the Opera House, someplace I’ve never been before. You couldn’t be further away from New York. It’s crazy.”

Neiman’s never won any boxing titles or had a movie series based on his rags to riches story—although you’ve probably seen him teaching others to jab and bob and weave on shows like Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, Bravo TV’s Work Out New York and others—but his impact on how the everyday fitness fan looks at boxing makes him as valuable to the industry as some of its heavyweights.

Rumble’s motto is “10 rounds, 2 fists, 0 experience,” which translates into a studio boxing club becoming the perfect workout for both the working mothers and meatheads looking to drop a few left and right hands into one of the dozens of Aqua bags each club is equipped with—while at the same time a DJ is dropping house music beats for the hourlong class.

Neiman’s unique approach to boxing and fitness has inevitably led to the rise—and the inevitably eventual demise—of many copycat clubs. Although a club can mimic the workout and aesthetics, it’s nearly impossible to duplicate the electrified authenticity and enthusiasm Neiman and his team bring to every class.

“We found rumble to be a really credible and authentic way where you can kind of dip your toes in the baby pool of boxing and then if you’re really you really want old school traditional boxing gym like a Gleason’s,” he says. “In New York, we’ve been such a good buffer for the Gleason’s, the Church Streets, the trinity, the traditional brick and mortar boxing gyms, which is what I love.”

Neiman’s Winning Strategy isn’t based on any secret influencer-style formula, instead, sticking to the basics through the good and rough times—Rumble overcame the pandemic, some business miscalculation, and Neiman admits to battling through addiction and anxiety. And just like Rocky, when you do get knocked down—and everyone does, Neiman warns—you find a way to get back up, whether it through faith or fitness or both. For Neiman, it was fulfilling the Rumble dream as well as digging into the life principles learned through boxing, jiujitsu, and weight training.

“It’s not how hard you can hit it’s how hard you can get hit and keep on going,” Noah Neiman says. “That’s just that’s business 101. I’m not saying anything that people don’t already know. But sometimes it’s nice to hear the basics because the basics work in or outside of the ring.”

Noah Neiman’s Winning Strategy

Silence the Doubters Through Your Work, Says Noah Neiman

I’m the first to admit that I’m not special. I’m just some random dude from Pittsburgh, who trained himself habitually, to be what he wanted to be.

I had spent years building my own brand in order to eventually launch what I had been writing in a notebook for three years—Rumble.

Throughout the early days, the doubters were there. “Nine out of 10 gyms fail.” “It’s a saturated market!” “Nobody’s going to want to box all the time.” “You’re closing your customer base.” And to be honest, I LOVED every second of that.”

For all those people in my life who told me I couldn’t do it, it became that chip on my shoulder that kept pushing me in those dark long nights when I would work six or seven days a week. When we launched, I would be doing tons of press, training the trainers, plotting for future for expansion, while at the same time teaching at least 20 classes a week.

Pouring your heart into your dream takes a lot of energy. So thank God I literally lived the life that I was telling people how they should live to feel better, have more energy, and be able to do the things they want to do. It’s the Kobe Bryant approach: The most important thing we can do is to inspire others to be great at what they want to do.

It takes a lot of consistent effort. And sometimes that consistent effort doesn’t apparently pay off. But the culmination of all those little micro battles that you win on the day to day is what creates something special. And it takes discipline—the stuff that you do when you don’t feel like it when you’re tired, when nine out of 10 gyms fail, you’re doubting yourself, knowing you have nothing but that memory of motivation to keep pushing you forward.

But First, You Must Do the Work Yourself

I’ve found from basically reading every business book, from Warren Buffett to Dale Carnegie, that even though many underlying business principles may be dressed up fancy, it comes down to this:  You either do the work or you don’t.

There’s been this rise of Instagram “inspirational” figures who have this secret formula that leads to success. In the end they’re the ones who are getting rich and aren’t really helping that. Many people

There are days when I fail at this, but I’m able pick it up and learn from my losses and bad experiences. It teaches you empathy and gratitude. These are important things that your business should be based out of. When you focus on what you can give rather than just what you can get, you’d be so surprised how it gets you out of your own dark mental places as well. And the biggest thing for an entrepreneur is that you must take responsibility, through the good and bad. At one point, Rumble had a rocky road—the pandemic and the missteps—and I take responsibility for that. You cannot be a leader and just lead when it’s light outside. You have to be a leader in the pouring rain—through the thunderstorms and the typhoons and the hurricanes.

It’s why I love the gym so much. I’m not only physically stronger, but I’m more confident.  What keeps me training now is I know that it makes me feel better and give me more energy.  I’m more confident when I walk into that boardroom or meeting. This is why you have to schedule in those self-improvement sessions for yourself, so you can better serve others.

Use Your Fitness Discipline to Fight Through Adversity

It’s smart to learn from your own mistakes. It’s genius to learn from other people’s mistakes. Like mine.

When I almost overdosed on drugs, I nearly lost everything. I almost died. I still remember those dark times and I never want to go back there. I don’t ever want to end up feeling like I have all this potential and all this energy to give but didn’t have an outlet to give it. So on the days when I wake up tired as hell when I don’t feel like doing it. I think back to those moments.

It’s been 15 years since I’ve touched drugs. I feel like I’m on borrowed time right now, so I’m “free” to do whatever I want, so to speak. I’ve learned life is very fragile, and things change very fast. But one thing is for certain — you will always have doubts, but you must never let doubt win out.

It’s always going to be there, even when you’re on top. You’ll have doubts whether you deserve to have success. You have to figure how to weather the storm, and that can be personal. I went to extremes, with bouts of depression and anxiety and went a very dark route. I was fortunate to have family who were so supportive and there to me.

I also remembered the principles that I learned early on from boxing, strength training, and jiujitsu that helped me get out of my funk. I always have to thank Warren Stout, a Renzo Gracie black belt who started Stout training facility near Pittsburgh. I was driving by one day and he was outside literally hanging up his sign. I had trained with Matt Serra and Nick Serra on Long Island when I went to Hofstra, and I remembered how I would walk out of training exhausted and beat up. I didn’t want to party, I just wanted to rest, recover, and do it again.

They weren’t even open yet, I introduced myself. I said, I’m Noah and I’m really messed up. Can you take me under your wing?” I wound up training with them five, six days a week for a year and a half. That gave me the mental and emotional strength as I was going through withdrawals and panic attacks and anxiety to leave Pittsburgh go back to New York.

So life is a series of fortunate and unfortunate events and it’s all part of it. It’s all par for the course. you just have to learn how to navigate.

There’s no Balance When It Comes to Success, but Self Care Is a Non-Negotiable

Balance is a myth, for the most part. If you look at the greats in any arena, sports or entrepreneurial, they lived an extreme life of imbalance for a long time before they work towards any type of balance. So it depends on what your barometer of success is. Is it money? Is it impact? Is it service to others? Is it a combination of those things?

Success for me was being able to build my life and where I work and what I do to create with that kind of personal lifestyle that I wanted. And it involved long hours night after night, day after day. But I love training. It makes me feel good and I know I have to do it. I’ll always feel better even on those days I don’t want to do it. I’ll go take a class and then go run up to a meeting, knowing that I’m gonna feel so much better once I take that class.

Try telling Floyd Mayweather or Mike Tyson that they need more more balance in your life. Don’t train six days a week, train at the Catskills or don’t talk to your family while you’re training. You want to be great, but you also need to go find that balance—it’s just not true.

However, you absolutely have to take care of your mental well being. This is 100% true. You’re no good to anybody else if you’re completely shot. So when I’m saying, no balance, I don’t mean, “no days off” or “sleep when you’re dead”—that stuff’s bulls***. I love to sleep. I love to recover and rest. I love to do those things that help me reup my energy so that I can give it freely and unencumbered. And because of it I’ve been very fortunate to build a life and a lifestyle around my entrepreneurial endeavors.

Take Pride by Giving Yourself to Others

I learned this Muhammad Ali quote when I was a little a**hole kid being very selfish, and it really changed my perspective on life: “Service to others is our rent for our room here on Earth.” I say it in every single podcast because that’s how impactful and important it is.

I love creating value for others, and through Rumble, I’m able to create experiences for people. There were so many times when I felt so isolated that I wanted to create something where people could come and still be themselves but be supported by a badass crew and support their own ascension—whatever that may be, to be a better boxer, or to be stronger, healthier, to have more energy for your kids, your loved ones, whatever that is. You can find it here.

And that’s what I love. So I’m very honored that I get to do it on a bigger scale now, but the most fun for me is creation art comes in many different forms and this is just my canvas.

I’ll leave you with another one, some stoicism from Seneca: “The body should be treated rigorously, that it may not be disobedient to the mind.” This quote flies back to the fact that your body is your one true piece of real estate that you own. You know, you might own your house, but you’re not going to be buried with it. But you own that body whether you step outside of your home or not. And that body houses your soul, your spirit, and your mind. So if that’s weak, you can’t have the strongest mind. So train the body rigorously.

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Is Alexander Volkanovski too old for the UFC?

Statistically, the odds are against 35-year-old Volkanovski. The Independent reports that if you tallied up all the past UFC title fights from every division for both men and women, the combined defence record for those over 35 stands at 4 wins, 33 losses, and 1 draw. Those stats have been improving in recent years, however. Before 2017, no one over 35 had defended a title.

In the years since, Tyron Woodley, Raquel Pennington, and Amanda Nunes have bucked the trend. In the main event of UFC 298, Volkanovski hopes to join this elite group when he battles the unbeaten Llia Topuria, who is 27 years of age. Still, if Volkanovski is rattled by the “curse,” he’s certainly not showing it. The champ took to social media in the run up to the fight with this hilarious skit, made with Sportsbet.com.au, to laugh in the face of his critics.

Alex Volkanovski Says He’s Not Too Old for the UFC In Hilarious Fashion

“They’ll make a headline out of anything these days, uh?” questions the featherweight champion in a video released to prove that he is self-confident enough to poke his own fun at being over 35. The fighter is seen reading a newspaper, complete with flat cap and glasses. He also takes up gardening and gets into a petty dispute with his neighbor. “Run back to your silly little hexagon,” shouts the disgruntled lady.

“I’ve let the Sports Bet crew in, to prove I’m just as useful as these whipper snaps,” explains Volkanovski, making sure that the production team removes their shoes before entering his house. Instead of showing the crew his agility or speed in training, the man from Wollongong opts to chop vegetables instead and, at one point, he’s almost caught up in a phone scam. But if you were worried that he’s not taking things seriously enough, you may be relieved to see Volkanovski checking out his opponent on his trusty VHS. Well, until that is until it reaches the point where he’s accidentally recorded King Charles’ coronation over the fight footage. “I still don’t get these hot takes on my age though,” laments Volkanovski. “I will still fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Maybe not in tomato season or after 11pm.” he qualifies.

For anyone wondering how the champ is dealing with ageism on social media (or MSM), you will be pleased to know that he can write those ‘scallywags’ a scorching rebuttal on his typewriter. Of course, Volkanovski is really in training camp, getting ready for the fight of his life, but we salute his sense of humor and when it comes to making us laugh, he’s already a winner!

But first, here comes a disclaimer:

This is not a medical dissertation, and the phase of recovery we’re most interested in here would be outside of the rehabilitative portion. In other words, a lifter who’s sustained a horrible injury requiring surgery or extensive rehab isn’t the target of this article and would be best suited finding a medically licensed professional and listening to a clinician’s advice regarding a suitable course of action.

For us, a “bad back” refers to recurrent tweaks, chronic pain, or weakness that can be debilitating when sustained, but doesn’t put you in a wheelchair or the operating table. Such issues can come from things like muscle strains or facet inflammations, or a history of instability in the lumbar region.

So, having a injured back sucks. But it’s important to start things off with a tip that looks at things a bit more holistically.

Back Rehab Tip 1: How Are Your Hips and Glutes?

If your back is prone to injury, chances are, too much is being asked of it. The first place I like to look on clients would be the hip region. If there’s poor hip mobility, the lumbar region will likely end up over-rotating and taking on more loading in compound movements due to poor strength in the glutes (a main hip extensor). Restoring hip mobility can be achieved both actively and passively depending on the nature of the mobility drill you choose. Here’s an example of each:

This definitely puts the hip through a good range of motion, and would classify best as a dynamic stretch, since the quads and groin are being put into a lengthened position on each rep, and the body remains in motion.

This challenges the end ranges of the hips’ ability to flex, internally rotate, and extend as they go through the pattern, and is a good example of a mobility drill, with the goal of improving active range of motion.

Adding movements in both categories to your routine, while focusing on glute-focused strength exercises that are more isolated in nature (like hip thrusts, single leg glute bridges, clamshells, and glute kicks), can be a hidden key to alleviating chronic back pain and recurrent tweaks.

Back Rehab Tip 2: Don’t Pair Compressive Movements

Whether you’re doing them as a superset, or as back-to-back straight-set movements in your workout order, it’s important to know what moves may be doing more harm than good in the big picture where recovery and low back health is concerned. Keep in mind, this may not be too much of a problem for someone with a fully healthy spine, but for someone who’s been in and out of the chiropractor’s office with pain management, this is an underrated tip worth considering.

Movements like deadlift, squat, and overhead press variations all have one thing in common: They present downward compressive forces on the lumbar spine. Compounding that sensation with back to back exercises (especially if there’s no time to rest and recover between them) can be a recipe for discomfort despite the good utility of each movement mentioned. Break things up by choosing decompressive movements like dips, pulldowns, leg raises or pull ups to pair them with. Alternatively, movements performed from a supine (laying face-up) position are smart choices to give the spine a chance to recover within the workout.

Back Rehab Tip 3: Think Isometrics

Isometrics sound boring, and maybe even a bit too easy, but they provide countless benefits.

First of all, they provide the least risk for injury. Almost always, injuries happen when the skeleton is changing position under load. This is true in lifting injuries as well as injuries on the athletic court or field. When movement is eliminated from the equation, the chances of getting hurt while exerting maximally are drastically reduced. This should be music to the ears of a person with a bad back looking to strengthen it using movements like deadlifts or bentover rows. Now you can lift “heavy” without the risk factor. Here’s an example you can duplicate using a deadlift, blocked by the safety pins.

Want to explore a different segment of the lift? Simply raise the pins higher up to exploit that part of the pull.

Since you’re maxing out your energy systems, starting with sets of 15-20 seconds would be ideal. But the goal is to work very hard. In truth and theory, trying to move your ZERO rep max should be more difficult than successfully moving your ONE rep max. It’s all based on what you put into it.

Back Rehab Tip 4: Ditch the Twisting (for Now)

If your low back is lit, chances are, you don’t know how to rotate well. Here’s the truth: rotation should dominantly occur in the segments above your lumbar spine (your thoracic region). If you don’t have great mobility through those segments, the lumbar segments – which should not rotate much at all – will be called upon to access the range of motion. This is bad news bears for back health.

With that said, loaded athletic movements like Russian twists, rotational med ball throws, or oblique twists may be great for the core, but may have collateral damage they’re placing on the low back. Hit the obliques hard by instead thinking about anti-rotational patterns that keep the trunk still and stable. They’ll help improve the function of the trunk. Off bench oblique work, suitcase deadlifts, and plate transfer planks are good examples of these patterns.

Back Rehab Exercises You Should Be Doing

It took Bobby 5 years to track down and interview everyone on his dream team. Here we present the top 12 moments from the book.

Marcelo Garcia on doing what you love:

“Jiu-jitsu is my big love, maybe my first love. So, why not be the best? Why not try everything? I never knew if I could actually be a world champ. There was no guarantee. Nobody ever knocked on my door and said, ‘You’re going to be a world champ one day.’ But I put together something that was a big love of mine with a lot of time and hard work. I don’t even know if I have the right to call it hard work because I love it so much.”

Actor, activist, and podcaster Russell Brand on pride:

“A teaching I heard once is, ‘Wherever you would be proud, be grateful.’ Even if it’s something like being proud of your kid for being good at baseball, what you’re really saying is, ‘That’s my kid who’s good at baseball, and he wouldn’t be good at baseball if it weren’t for me.’ Instead, if you’re grateful, it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, man, I got a kid who’s good at baseball,’ and even if you taught him baseball, be grateful you are able to and grateful you have the time to.”

Former Navy Seal, Podcaster, and NYT Best Selling Author Jocko Willink on effective leadership:

“When people are resistant,” he told me, “don’t go head-to-head against their resistance…allow them to move into areas where they want to move to, and then you come in from other angles where they can support your plan.”

Entrepreneur and Podcaster Aubrey Marcus on confidence:

“Confidence comes from not being perfect. Confidence comes from not being fragile. And humility makes you not fragile.”

Felipe Pena on the price of winning:

“Everyone wants to win, but no one wants to pay the price. People don’t see the sacrifice. If I could tell them what the real price is, 99 percent of them would say, ‘Oh, that’s what I need to do? Then I don’t want that anymore.’”

Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro on discernment:

“Be careful where you get your advice from. There are a lot of black belts who think they are life coaches. There is a big difference between being a coach and being a leader.”

World Renowned Chef Alex Atala on remaining calm:

“There is a lesson I carry with me in all situations and in my everyday life. Jiu-jitsu is about being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. It is about staying calm when you’re trying to find a more comfortable position. If you’re not in a good position, you can always switch, swap, or change your move—if you stay calm.”

Michael Langhi on facing your problems:

“If you have a problem, don’t run from it. Fix it. If you don’t, you’ll have another problem the next day and after that, another one. And then you’ll realize that it is so big, you can’t fix it anymore.”

Roger Gracie on training and self-awareness:

“It’s the daily repetition that makes things happen. Like in chess, you repeat the same move over and over again, and the answer might not come straightaway, but eventually, it will. In jiu-jitsu, you might not see how you are at first, but others will see it. And ten or twenty years of training will show you too, how you treat others, how you react when you’re in a bad position, or if you’re in an advantageous position, or simply angry. Suddenly, there’s no more hiding.”

Fabio Gurgel on managing emotions: 

“In a fight, there’s a moment that’s about acting. You cannot show your emotions. You cannot show what you think. You cannot show what you’re feeling. Because if you show your weakness to your opponent, of course, they’re gonna use it against you.”

Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel on stopping:

“If I have a problem on the mat while training, I stop. I don’t move like crazy. If I do, I’m going to get caught or hurt. In life, it’s the same thing. Wait a second! Don’t move, don’t react! First, let’s find what caused this problem.”

Bobby Armijo on showing up:

“I know walking into a gym where you are the new face with zero knowledge of the rules is challenging, and frankly, even paralyzing for some. Also, many of us doubt we will withstand five minutes during warm-ups in jiu-jitsu. But if you can manage that first, most difficult step of trying, that is success in itself.”

“Jiu-Jitsu Bravehearts” is available everywhere books are sold and globally on Amazon, with a release date of Mar 5, 2024

M&F and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.

What is HYROX?

The HYROX ethos is to promote healthy forms of training that is accessible to all and is connected to its global audience. With more than 175,000 athletes expected to participate in HYROX during the 2023-24 season, the concept is to combine traditional endurance exercises with natural movements in order to test “every facet” of fitness and strength. Recently, M&F stepped into a HYROX inspired without with Adam Collard, and we soon found out that it’s a great way to tax both body and mind. At it’s core, HYROX could be described as “Fitness Racing.”

Official HYROX competitions begin with a 1km run, followed by a functional workout station. This pairing is repeated 8 times. It’s a format that is consistent across the globe, allowing for global HYROX leaderboards and cumulative world championship titles awarded at the end of every season. Anyone can enter a HYROX race, whether you are already an elite athlete, or hoping to take your training to the next level. With the popularity of HYROX on the up, it makes sense that sponsors are entering the arena to help power-up this exciting sport.

What does the Myprotein partnership mean for HYROX?

“This partnership with Myprotein further solidifies HYROX’s commitment to enriching the HYROX lifestyle,” says founder, Christian Toetzke. “Ensuring our community is fuelled not only for race day, but encouraging a holistic approach to wellness with Myprotein nutrition solutions. I look forward to seeing this partnership grow.”

In recent years, Myprotein says it has been actively searching for partners who share the concepts of empowerment through fitness, helping to promote healthy and transformative

lifestyles. “We are thrilled to be partnering with a brand whose values closely align with our own,” says Niel Mistry, the CEO of Myprotein parent company THG Nutrition. “HYROX is a major player in the sports world, with their popularity continuing to grow, so this feels like a perfect time for us to collaborate, and an imperative step in our mission to become ethe world’s most empowering movement.”

How can I find a HYROX race near me?

With HYROX competitions taking place all over the world, those who wish to participate can log on to hyrox.com and get involved.

As the sons of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee, Wilfred Sauerland, Kalle and his brother Nisse grew up around an iconic boxing promoter, even going so far as putting the gloves on themselves to try their hand at the noble sport. While Nisse had some success, Kalle explains that the most significant thing that he ever picked up from his athletic career was a catalog of injuries. “I was crap,” jokes Kalle. “I had my nose broken six times. I’ve had three nose (correcting) jobs. I still have massive sinus problems. I’ve had a front tooth knocked-out, I had to have a (tooth) implant when I was nineteen. I broke my wrist in four places, I’ve still got a plate in there today … so I’m a bit like Robocop like that .. my brother was actually quite good. He had a few amateur fights and did very well.”

Kalle’s hopes of KO’ing opponents may be over, but he is still very much the “Orchestrator of Controlled Violence”; wrangling and promoting some of the biggest egos on the plant. Fortunately, the 46-year-old has a morning routine that prepares him for the mayhem that each days promises to unleash.

Kalle Sauerland Hits the Gym Before the Office

Last year, the boxing supremo promoted twenty-seven events, meaning that he was away from home for twenty-seven weeks. Sauerland explains that he often chooses a hotel based on the gym that it offers, but at times relishes the challenge of getting a full body workout in even the most limited of workout spaces. Whether he’s on the road at home, Sauerland likes to start each day by getting his sweat on. “I train every day,” says the fighting fit 46-year-old who likes to wake up early to hit the weights. “I guess the average day for me is a 5.30 am start, with a 6’o’clock session.”

Still, the promoter understands that as we mature, those niggling injuries tend to stay with us that little bit longer. As such Sauerland likes to workout in phases depending on how his body is feeling. “So, I’ll go through a powerlifting phase,” explains the Orchestrator of Controlled Violence. “That will last for four weeks if my love affair for lifting lasts four weeks. I might go from that (phase) into high volume sets, Arnold style. At 46, I’m not going to go and compete. Let’s keep it realistic. I want to feel good before I look good, because if I feel good I generally look good… in my eyes (laughs), but it’s really about having fun. Now it’s about maintenance, but it’s mostly about staying in love with gyms and lifting weights.”

Kalle Sauerland respects Anyone that steps into the boxing ring

With his own love of training, and experiences of stepping inside the squared circle, Sauerland appreciates that being a high-level boxing promoter requires him to work with some of the biggest egos on the planet and this includes traditionally trained boxers along with upstarts from the worlds of reality television and social media. He understands that there is some criticism for how the Misfits boxing brand has allowed the likes of KSI or Jake and Logan Paul to seemingly bypass years of small-time fights to head straight under the spotlight of pay-per-view television, but as a boxing promoter, his only goal is to put on a fight that sells. “You’ve got to give it to people who are prepared to go and get punched,” says Sauerland. “And, by the way, most fights are like pro fights with 10oz gloves … there’s only you, the ref, and the opponent in that ring. Guys like KSI; he trains on a level with a pro. In fact, probably more dedication than some of the heavyweights who like to skip a session here or there.”

Kalle Sauerland’s Morning Smoothie Packs a Punch

Sauerland reflects that his first experiences of workout shakes began when he consumed up to ten high calorie weight gainer shakes in a day. As a young and lean boxer, he wanted to put mass on without giving it too much thought. Now the boxing boss understands that training and recovery requires quality nutrition, he’s devised his own bespoke smoothie to help him tackle the day ahead—albeit using the eyeball measuring method to add ingredients to his daily blend. While they may not always be consistent each day, the ingredients remain the same:

• Whey Protein Powder: Whey protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. It is easily digestible and can help support muscle growth and repair. Protein can also help you feel full and satisfied, which can aid in weight management by reducing overall calorie intake or unhealthy snacks.
• Oats: Oats provide complex carbohydrates, offering a steady release of energy and helping to maintain blood sugar levels throughout the day. Oats are also a great source of soluble fiber, promoting digestive health and helping with satiety.
• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are heart-healthy, while also contributing additional protein to the smoothie.
• Berries: Berries are rich in antioxidants, so they can help protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. They also contain various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, contributing to the immune system, tissue repair, and overall health.
• Spinach: Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green, providing vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium, in addition to antioxidants. Spinach also adds further fiber to the smoothie, aiding digestion and contributing to the feeling of fullness.
• Coconut Water: Coconut water is naturally electrolyte-rich, aiding with hydration and replenishing those electrolytes that are lost through workingout, stress, and sweating. Coconut water is also a low-calorie option compared to many commercial fruit juices and sports drinks that offer electrolytes.

Follow both Sauerland bros on Instagram

We talked to a leading biohacker Dr. Steven Gundry, MD, author of Gut Check and Host of The Dr. Gundry Podcast, to challenge those misconceptions. So even if you use no gadgets, have no interest in human biology and the idea of needles gives you the freaks, you may likely already be doing these biohacks in subtle ways.

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5 Biohacking Trends Everyone Should Check Out in 2...

Now is the time to take a "Plunge" into better health with these wide-ranging wellness methods.

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What is Biohacking?

Biohacking is the practice of making small, incremental changes to your lifestyle, diet and environment to optimize your physical and mental well-being. It’s a lifelong n=1 experiment and self-improvement journey, where “n” represents the population sample size including only you.

Typical types of biohacks encompasses a wide range of practices, from adjusting sleep routines and dietary habits to incorporating cutting-edge technologies and personalized supplements to improve overall health, performance and longevity on an individual level.

However, you don’t have to go to the extremes of following Bryan Johnson’s protocol to the T. Dr. Gundry’s insights into the subtleties of biohacking emphasize that it doesn’t necessarily require complex gadgets or in-depth knowledge but can be as simple as aligning with practices going back millennia upon millennia.

1. You have a dog

Dr. Gundry highlights an unexpected ally in the world of biohacking—your furry friend. “If you have a dog, you are biohacking without knowing it!” says Dr. Gundry. “Dogs make you walk, exposing you to the benefits of physical activity.” It’s a lot easier to reach those 10,000 steps while having fun with your puppy. Plus, your dog’s insistence on dragging you outside serves as free cold exposure during winter, while in hot climates, it becomes a free sauna. “Both effective mitochondrial uncoupling biohacks,” he explains.

Bring on those doggy kisses—they’re doctor-ordered. Dr. Gundry encourages to “let your dog ‘give you kisses,’ and lick your face,” noting that you’re receiving a direct delivery of beneficial microbes. The higher the diversity of bacteria you are exposed to, the more robust and resilient your microbiome will become, ultimately contributing to a healthier immune system.

2. Skip Meals

Whether intentional or not, Dr. Gundry explains that meal-skipping is a form of biohacking. Every time you’re too busy to eat or decide to skip a meal, you’re practicing time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting. According to Gundry, “I and many others have shown improves your gut wall integrity, uncouples your mitochondria, and even alters your microbiome diversity for the better.”

3. Sip on Polyphenol-Rich Beverages

Having your daily cup of Joe or black or green tea is an effortless biohack. Dr. Gundry says these drinks, in addition to those satisfying dark chocolate bites, give your gut microbiome polyphenols to eat. “They then turn these compounds into mitochondrial-protecting postbiotics,” he explains, adding they don’t only taste great but may also contribute to weight management.

4. Keeping a Dark and Cold Bedroom

If you prefer sleeping in a blacked-out and chilled bedroom, you are optimizing your sleep quality and priming your body for a deep restorative night of slumber. This habit is deeply rooted in our ancestral past and has far-reaching effects on our well-being. The absence of light during sleep helps to maintain your body’s natural circadian rhythm and promotes the release of melatonin, a hormone essential for you to fall and stay asleep.

The cool temperature is more than just cozy. It actively supports the body’s natural thermoregulation processes. A slight drop in body temperature is necessary for your body to tap into those restorative stages of sleep: deep sleep and rapid eye movement, or REM. Hence, allowing your body to upregulate recovery processes, such as the release of human growth hormone, memory consolidation and more. As you’ll settle into your tranquil sleep sanctuary tonight, recognize that you’re not just embracing comfort; you’re partaking in a profound biohack that nourishes both body and mind.

5. Spice Things Up

Your love for spices and spicy foods is another form of unconscious biohacking, according to Dr. Gundry. “Every time you enjoy spicy foods, you’re uncoupling your mitochondria,” he says and recommends loading up on hot sauce and indulging in fermented foods like Kimchi.

Mitochondrial uncoupling might sound like a phenomenon you’d learn in human biology class, so let us refresh your memory. Picture your body as a power plant generating energy, making ATP, the body’s energy currency, in tiny cellular factories called mitochondria. These powerhouses usually work in a synchronized way, efficiently producing energy for your body.

Eating spicy foods, fasting, or bathing in a sauna or ice plunge initiate a process that causes the mitochondria to work a bit differently. Instead of solely focusing on making energy, some of the energy generated is transformed into heat that gives your metabolism a little boost, making your body work a bit harder and potentially contributing to weight management.

So, the next time you spice up your meal, skip it or get your sweat on, you’re giving your mitochondria a little workout.

Typical biohacks doesn’t have to be complicated or reserved for tech-savvy enthusiasts. Dr. Gundry’s insights reveal that everyday activities, from walking your dog to enjoying a cup of coffee, contribute to optimizing health in many ways. These simple practices are proof that a lot more of you are biohacking than you might realize.

The secret behind this pancake recipe performance upgrade is to add more protein to the otherwise carbohydrate laden mixture of flour and sugar. “In the run-up to the Olympic games, I love to get my protein fix where I can,” says the elite cyclist, who took to Instagram to toss her pancakes while getting in some training during a fun video post. “Being able to add a nutritional boost to my pancakes is a bonus!”

Whole Earth Peanut Butter is high in fiber and includes more than 26 grams of natural plant-based protein per 100 grams. Try this recipe for yourself but don’t follow Kenny’s example of trying to flip a pancake while cycling, as this is a feat reserved for multi-time Gold medallist athletes only!

Better Batter Lemon & Peanut Butter Pancake Recipe

Persona, is a movie that was produced by, and stars, Lowry, (her credits include NYPD Blue, Murder in the First, and she also received an Emmy nomination for her role as Yolanda in Bronx SIU), and its premise is captivating right off the bat. “It’s about a woman who wakes up in a ton of pain, and she has no memory,” explains the star. “And she’s sort of assessing, like where is this pain coming from? She sees that she has a gash on her head and her ankle is terribly bruised, there’s just so much going on, and she’s stuck in this house trying to figure out why she is there, and why does she feel this way?”

Shanti Lowry went ‘Method’ by Channeling CrossFit in Persona

To nail her gritty performance, Lowry went ‘method’, and found a way to emulate the pain that her character would be feeling by drawing on her love of CrossFit; replicating the feeling of being at her mental and physical limits. “So, I chose to workout at a crazy rate before we started to film and got really sore,” she tells M&F. “I did what we call open workouts in CrossFit (often including as many reps as possible in a given timeframe), to the point where I got T-Rex arms. You know, you can’t reach anything, and that to me was the same idea as someone waking up and not understanding why everything hurts. Why does it hurt to breathe? Why does it hurt to reach for something?”

Lowry found that burning herself out with CrossFit workouts gave an extra edge to her performance, but this also meant that she had to keep the tempo up during the shoot. “I had to keep that up through the movie while trying to breastfeed, while producing, and while tying to sleep,” laughs the talented artist. “The thing I took from CrossFit was to really lift heavyweights, and to lift a lot of volume. I think you’ll see that. I can see that on screen; in that soreness of moving, and that slowness. The whole movie was a struggle and a great workout!”

With Persona set to be released at upcoming film festivals, it shouldn’t be too long before it hits our screens. “It was a dream come true,” says Shanti of wrapping the project. “It’s truly the favorite thing that I’ve ever done.”

Her next goal? To master the muscle-up, of course!

Follow Shanti Lowry Here!

If you love challenging exercises, you will love (or hate) the hybrid squat and deadlift variation, the Ukrainian deadlift. The challenge is in the setup and the increased range of motion on your posterior muscles. When you take your muscles through a larger ROM with a pre-stretch before the muscle contraction, there are perfect conditions for muscle growth. Dan Stephenson, CSCS, strength coach with 20 years of experience, introduces you to deficit deadlift variation that will pump up your glutes.

Advantages of Performing Deficit Deadlifts

The increased ROM demands more from your upper back, lower back, and hip mobility, making this an advanced deadlift variation. If you have any issues with mobility or lower back pain, it’s best to avoid deficit deadlift variations like the Ukrainian deadlift. Deficit deadlifts are a significant variation to improve your conventional deadlift as they focus on the weakness of being slow off the floor. Plus, the extra ROM does wonders for your lower back strength.

The Ukaranian Deadlift

“The elevated position of the Ukrainian deadlift creates a deeper range of motion than traditional deadlifts. The increased range of motion mimics the pick on common strongman implements such as Atlas Stones and sandbags. It is a beneficial exercise for lifers looking to improve their performance in strongman events and functional movements, such as moving your buddy’s couch.

This variation offers several benefits and can be a valuable addition to a strength and hypertrophy-focused training program for anyone looking to improve their lower body,” explains Stephenson.

Ukranian Deadlift Form Tips and Setup

It’s not the most straightforward exercise to set up and perform. Let Dan Stephenson explain the setup and performance of the Ukrainian deadlift so you will get the most out of this innovative exercise.

Platform Height: The platform height used for Ukrainian deadlifts can vary based on individual preferences and body proportions. The traditional starting position should have the bar slightly above the feet, simulating picking up an object from the floor. Given the extra ROM, lifters should start at a height where they can maintain a neutral spine position throughout. As strength and mobility improve with the ROM, you can lower the starting position closer to the floor.

Foot Placement: Position your feet on the platforms in a squat-like stance so that the load is directly in line with the mid-foot. This ensures proper balance and alignment throughout the lift.

Grip and Hand Placement: Use a grip width for a comfortable and secure grip. The load and arms should be positioned close to the body, maintaining a straight bar path throughout the lift.

Footwear: Wear flat-soled shoes or go barefoot to maintain stability and a strong connection with the ground.

Equipment: Use a heavy kettlebell, proper power pin, or T-bell that can be loaded with appropriate weight plates for the desired deficit height.

Platform: Ensure the platforms used for Ukrainian Deadlifts are stable and secure to prevent any risk of slipping or instability during the lift.

Ukranian Deadlift Benefits

The Ukrainian deadlift isn’t for the faint of heart, as the additional ROM taxes your posterior like never before. But there is gain to go with this pain, as Stephenson explains.

Increased Range of Motion

“By standing on an elevated surface, the lifter is required to pull the load from a lower position, increasing the range of motion. This can lead to greater muscle activation and strength development, particularly in the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.”

Enhanced Mobility

“The increased range of motion in this deficit deadlift variation places additional emphasis on the loaded stretch component of the muscles involved in the lift, leading to greater mobility and development of strength at length. This can improve strength and hypertrophy gains in the targeted muscle groups.”

Improved Strength Off the Floor

“Deficit deadlifts such as the Ukrainian Deadlift can help address weaknesses in the initial phase of the lift, particularly for individuals who struggle with strength off the floor. By training from a deficit, lifters can develop greater power and strength in the starting position of the deadlift, leading to improved overall performance.”

Set and Rep Suggestions

Stephenson suggests load, set, and rep ranges for improved strength, muscle, and mobility.

For Strength

• Sets: 3-5 sets
• Reps: 1-5 repetitions per set
• Intensity: Use a weight that allows for challenging but controlled repetitions, focusing on building strength and power.

For Muscle

• Sets: 3-4 sets
• Reps: 8-12 repetitions per set
• Intensity: Select a weight that induces muscular fatigue within the target rep range, promoting muscle hypertrophy and endurance.

For Mobility

• Sets: 3-4 sets
• Reps: 6-8 repetitions per set
• Intensity: Select a weight that can be lifted safely and controlled during the lowering of each rep. Emphasize the slow, controlled lowering tempo and slowly progress the range of the motion over time.

What Record did Josh Kerr Break at the 116th 2024 Millrose Games?

On Feb 11, 2024, the current 1500m world champion, Josh Kerr, broke fellow Brit Mo Farrah’s previous record time in the two-mile race by almost three seconds, completing his run in just 8 minutes and 0.67 seconds on Sunday, with Kerr’s second mile clocking in at an impressive 3 minutes and 57 seconds.

It wasn’t the only world record that fell at The 2024 Milrose Games as Devynne Charlton completed the 60m hurdles in 7.67 seconds too.

Incredibly, Kerr had announced that he would try to break Mo Farrah’s record ten weeks out form the race, and this is unusual since runners usually wait until closer to an event to see what kind of form they are in before grandstanding. After taking the world record, Kerr told reporters following the race that his pronouncement had been made in large part to build-up interest in the event, and he certainly did that, drawing a sizeable crowd while making good on his word. Just last week, Kerr talked exclusively to M&F and revealed his love of the Millrose Games because of the tracks’ proximity to the crowd and the history of the event. Speaking of his desire to start the season strong, he said; ““I love racing the big meets, just off the rip. The reason for it, is that I enjoy that pressure that comes with doing that.” Kerr certainly handled the pressure on Sunday, and now looks forward to further successes at the World Championships and at The Paris Olympics this Summer.

For the majority of us who’ve invested in making others better, resting on our laurels isn’t an option.

But…do you need an advanced degree (or even a degree) in exercise science, nutrition, or related fields to have a successful career in fitness? The short answer is no.

The long answer is also no, though such a degree can open valuable doors and set you up for success. Look no further than Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sports Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization. Mike may also be one of the most well-educated people in nutrition, yet holds no formal degrees in nutrition or dietetics. Contrast this with Mike’s partner Nick Shaw, the CEO of RP, highly knowledgeable and successful in his own right who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management.

For many coaches, pursuing a degree or adding an advanced degree in fitness or nutrition is time and cost prohibitive. Thankfully we have a rich array of free, low cost, and high value moderate cost options available to allow coaches to grow and thrive. Continuing education for fitness professionals should be a bedrock of any successful career.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the best resources for continuing education for fitness professionals.

Best Free Continuing Education For Fitness Professionals

Most coaches don’t start with the disposable income to pile on seminars and certifications. Fortunately most information exists free on the internet. Early in my career I read the library of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and muscle building articles on T-Nation, Muscle and Fitness, Bodybuilding.com, and Precision Nutrition. I poured over the websites of their regular writers for more articles, like Tony Gentilcore, Ben Bruno, Christian Thibaudeau, Lee Boyce, and Krista Scott-Dixon. Their examples inspired me to start writing.

Early in my career I found Dr. Layne Norton and binged his early YouTube videos on nutrition and found his old podcast Physique Science Radio with cohost Sohee Lee. This led to Jeff Nippard’s podcasts, Danny Lennon’s Sigma Nutrition Radio, Kevin Larrabee’s FitCast, and later Luka Hocevar’s Vigor Life Podcast. Sigma and Vigor are still going strong to this day and I’ve even appeared as a guest on Vigor. Jordan Syatt and Mike Vacanti’s How to Become a Personal Trainer, is a must listen for aspiring coaches. I loved podcasts so much I founded one with a friend over six years ago and it carries on today as The Lift Free and Diet Hard Podcast.

While much of YouTube is sensational “info-tainment”—long on entertainment and short on education (think CT Fletcher, Rich Piana (RIP), and BroScience/Dom Mazzetti)—many credible evidence-based fitness professionals have a strong foothold on YouTube. Luka Hocevar, Jeff Nippard, Renaissance Periodization, and many other fitness professionals and brands have grown successful channels, driving substantial business their way.

YouTube is also a goldmine for the business and media skills many coaches neglect. A deep dive into Alex and Leila Hormozi’s podcasts and YouTube might alone be a more surgical business education than a four-year degree (speaking from experience with my Bachelor of Commerce).

This should also get every fitness professional thinking about creating their own long-form content, whether writing articles, hosting a podcast, or filming YouTube. This can open incredible doors to brand development and a foundation for social media growth. Writing for my own website led to numerous published writing opportunities, evidenced here.

The Low Cost, High Leverage Resources

Not everything is free and people don’t always value free things. Just ask any trainer who’s offered free programs to friends. Adherence rates are mediocre at best. It helps to have a little skin in the game.

Buying books—yes, books—is one of your best investments. Less expensive than most formal course, books, however, require the investment of time. Audiobooks, like podcasts, will turn your daily commute and cooking time into an ongoing university style education. I reserve my limited physical reading time for textbooks and other resources I can’t consume on audio, or for content creation like writing, recording, or presentations. This leaves audiobooks as my main outlet for averaging around 80 books a year (work up to listening on faster speeds). Books advance your education in sales, business, marketing, communication, coaching, philosophy, public speaking, writing, productivity, nutrition, and a wide array of other valuable skills for a successful career.

Some of my top recommendations for any fitness professional include:

• Book Yourself Solid, by Michael Port
• On Writing Well, by William Zinsser (I strongly recommend you read physical books for writing development)
• Switch, by Chip and Dan Health
• The Coaching Habit, by Michael Stainer
• Crushing It, by Gary Vaynerchuk
• Getting Clients and Referrals, by Jonathan Goodman
• The Renaissance Diet 2.0, by Dr. Mike Israetel, Dr. Melissa Davis, Dr. Jen Case, Dr. James Hoffman
• The Practice, by Seth Godin

(There’s many more educational books out there. Please shoot me a message on Instagram and I’ll personally recommend books to suit your current needs.@andrewcoatesfitness.

The Bigger but More Valuable Investments

As your business grows and you have more disposable income, it’s wise to invest back into your skills and career growth. There’s a strong argument that investment in skills that increase your earning potential is a better investment than the stock market. This isn’t advice against regularly putting away savings for your retirement, but accelerating your income growth puts you on a faster road to financial freedom down the road.

Carefully selecting courses, seminars, and certifications can be a valuable and surgical way to attain critical knowledge.

Many trainers begin by added deeper nutrition knowledge to broaden the depth of service they offer for clients. Some trainers want to feel confident and qualified to discuss general nutrition with clients while others wish to add formal nutrition coaching to their offering. Some of the most popular and reputable nutrition courses include Precision Nutrition Level 1 and Martin MacDonald’s Mac-Nutrition Uni.

Chasing certifications for the sake of pulling up more credentials is a fool’s errand and poor use of your time and money, but carefully chosen certifications can provide important skills to distinguish you as a caring, confident, and skilled coach.

Some the best certifications I’ve personally taken include:

• Certified Conditioning Coach: Joel Jamieson’s sport program design and periodization, conditioning and energy systems.
• Pre-Script Level 1: Biomechanics(please don’t rely on TIkTok for your biomechanics education) training anatomy, exercise selection.
• Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification: Program design, coaching.
• Girls Gone Strong: Menopause Coaching Certification, women’s health, coaching.
• Online Trainer Academy: How to build an online business.
• Build Your Online Business by Don Saladino: How to build an online business and monetize your brand.

A certification is wise when it’s the most efficient road to acquiring important skills.

One of the most uniquely high leverage ways to thrive in the industry is to attend seminars and industry conferences. While you can gain knowledge and skill, perhaps even more fulfilling is the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and like-minded peers on the same journey you are.

Some of the most valuable opportunities in my career have come from meeting and supporting other coaches in my travels. I’ve made a point of flying out from the frozen north of Edmonton Canada at least a few times a year to surround myself with new and old industry friends.

I’m slated to speak at Raise the Bar in Dallas, Texas Feb 23-24, alongside a lineup of industry leaders including Molly Galbraith, Luka Hocevar, Nick Shaw, Jordan Syatt, and Kelsey Heenan.

Also on the near horizon, The Real Coaches Summit in Las Vegas, where I’m returning to support my friend the host Aram Grigorian and spend time with many industry friends.

These events changed my life by connecting me with like-minded peers who’ve become lifelong friends, while also getting quality time with industry leaders. I spent six years working in a commercial gym under their rigid systems. Being surrounded by different coaches with different business structures helped shed restrictive thinking and grow in ways I didn’t understand where possible. Some of those connections led to great podcast guests, invitations to appear on podcastrs, invitations to write for big publications, and public speaking opportunities.

Coaches can also hire mentors to accelerate their development. Mentorship programs are more prevalent than ever with many being outrageously expensive and not always delivering on value. A great mentor can warp you ahead on important business and career choices and systems, while a bad one can drain your coffers and leave you discouraged. Take your time to find the right mentor or program that aligns with your values and offers the specific skills you need. You’re paying a premium price to bypass a lot of time consuming and potentially inefficient self exploration.

How Much Continuing Education is Enough?

One lifetime can barely scratch the surface of all the things we could possibly know about health, muscle building, fat loss, human psychology, and all the other important career skills we believe we need. Then consider the complex depth of coaching in various niches like training and nutrition in sports, combat sports, military and paramilitary organizations, special forces, bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and more.

The smartest PhD’s are still learning. New research emerges and old beliefs are challenged and refined or discarded with new information. All the while even the most trusted evidence based academics and coaches don’t agree with each other on 100% of all details. If we wait to have all the answers before we begin helping people, we would never start. Experience is also one of the best teachers.

You can study with every waking hour and be useless to help others without practical experience. Experience takes time and opportunity. The opportunity cost of gaining experience may be earning lower hourly rates in the short term. The goal is gain as much experience as possible as quickly as possible so you out yourself in a position to earn a greater livelihood and have more resources for life and to invest back into your education.

Great coaches never stop learning.

Battle of the Strands: Why Do Men Lose Hair?

Let’s start with the most fundamental question: Why can’t men always pull off a full head of hair? Why does this dream fade away by the time they hit their late twenties? Actually, there are a variety of causes, including:

• aging,
• genetics,
• hormones,
• nutritional deficiencies
• poor hair care practices,
• certain medical disorders.

But… would you like to know the main cause behind your farewell to your strands? The majority of cases are primarily caused by male pattern baldness. This genetic condition, which you inherited from your parents, usually results in balding or thinning patches at the vertex of the scalp. It is caused by the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and this condition affects up to 80% of males by the age of 80 (Rathnayake and Sinclair, 2010:1295). With age, men can become more sensitive to DHT surge. It’s like a trigger that causes hair follicles to shrink, resulting in thinner, shorter strands of hair.

Other than this common genetic factor, stress, whether it’s from emotional pressure or physical strain, can lead to a condition called telogen effluvium, where hair follicles synchronize a resting phase and then shed. Plus, poor hair care habits such as excessive styling, harsh chemicals, tight hairstyles, and frequent use of heat-based tools can damage the hair, making it prone to breakage and eventual loss and over time these factors make hair more susceptible to breakage.

Mirror, Mirror: How Does Hair Loss Affect Lives?

The studies argue that the psychological effects of hair loss go beyond mere physical changes, influencing how individuals perceive themselves and how they are perceived by society. The cultural norms and societal pressures surrounding hair as a representation of youth, beauty, and even gender are crucial in forming a person’s sense of self (Dhami, 2021).

In interviews with men experiencing hair loss, a common theme emerges—looking in the mirror has become tough. One guy put it bluntly: “Looking in the mirror is emotionally draining in a way that I feel like it probably shouldn’t be.” This situation can also affect social life. One man opened up and said “I wouldn’t want to go out. I missed, like, my friend’s wedding”. These narratives shed light on the complex relationship between one’s self-perception, social expectations, and the psychological effects of hair loss.

Sweat and Shed: Do Intense Workouts Make You Lose Your Hair?

Can hitting the gym really lead to a shiny scalp? The rumor connecting workouts and hair loss has roots in the hormonal increase that exercise brings. The main player in muscle building, testosterone, rises during and after exercise along with its infamous sidekick, DHT, known for its role in hair growth or rather, hair loss.

But before you blame those crunches and cancel your gym membership, let’s unravel this mystery. The first largest-scale observational study on hair loss and exercise discovered no associations between exercise and hair loss. However, in the study, researchers hypothesized that exercise might contribute to hair loss by creating oxidative stress, which could affect the entry of DHT into cells. Yet, researchers also stated that the hypothesis on the connection between exercise and hair loss through oxidative stress has its limitations.

In short, fear not fitness friends, the jury’s out: exercising is not directly related to hair loss drama. But wait, here’s the plot twist you didn’t see coming! According to experts, genetics primarily determine baldness, with minimal impact from lifestyle factors. The use of anabolic steroids, which bodybuilders frequently use, is an exception, though. These supplements potentially elevate testosterone levels, which may accelerate hair loss. But this happens only if someone already has a genetic tendency towards that condition (Hoffman, 2006).

So, What’s the Winning Formula? Solutions for Men’s Hair Loss

So, if you are reading this article, it means that finding ways to handle the notorious DHT hormone is on your radar! So, what are the solutions to deal with hair loss?

Sometimes we play by all the rules, eat and exercise right, take necessary supplements, and shower our hair with love, yet genetics can still throw us a curveball. In these situations, advanced solutions may be required. It’s now possible to achieve improved hair density, thickness, and general health thanks to cutting-edge hair transplant treatments such as FUE, DHI, and innovative Sapphire FUE. These high-tech procedures not only ensure precision and minimal discomfort but also pave the way for a natural and aesthetically pleasing outcome.

‘’After years of invaluable experience and having catered to thousands of patients globally, we’ve observed the profound psychological and emotional impact that personalized hair transplant treatments can have on male patients,’’ says the CEO of MCAN Health, a renowned hair transplant center. It’s obviously not just about restoring the hair for health and look; it’s about regaining confidence and a feeling of youth.

In interviews with 100 men who got hair transplants, the majority expressed satisfaction, saying it boosted their confidence. Despite common fears of pain, one guy shared that the procedure was painless, and many felt like it changed their entire world, ending to the stress of receding hairlines. So, would you like to say goodbye to hair concerns, and welcome a future where every strand of yours radiates vitality and vigor? Well, you got all the tips!

M&F and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.

Great news for chocolate lovers lies in the raft of research that makes it even more tempting to include a little more chocolate in your life. Chocolate as a heart-healthy food? There must be a God. A large study, published recently in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data from more than 188,000 veterans and concluded that regularly consuming about 1 ounce of chocolate was associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease.

Further, a meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients found that chocolate was likely beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. A 2023 investigation in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that eating chocolate just 1 to 3 times a week could help lower the risk of disease-related mortality.

There is also some preliminary data to suggest that the fiber in cacao behaves like a prebiotic (not to be confused with a probiotic), and because of this can encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome. OK, the stuff is not kale, but it does appear there are worse things you can eat for longevity than chocolate. Much of the research has been industry-funded, but let us believe the results are robust no matter who is footing the bill.

Why the potential health boost? Scientists surmise it’s the abundance of beneficial flavonols in cacao, which are plant chemicals that act as antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation in the body, which are largely to thank for heart health and other benefits. For instance, these flavonols including epicatechin may help improve blood pressure numbers and vascular blood flow which is important in maintaining better heart functioning.

Now, not all chocolate products is created equal when it comes to our health. A bag of M&M’s isn’t a chocolate superfood, to say the least. Generally, the darker the chocolate — meaning the higher the cacao content — the greater the antioxidant and nutrient content and the lower the amount of added sugar. So when it comes to chocolate bars, your best bet is choosing those with 70 percent cacao or higher. (Unfortunately, even among darker chocolate flavonol content can vary widely based on harvesting and processing methods.)

One small study discovered that participants who ate dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate felt more satiated, less hungry and expressed a lower desire to consume something sweet. As for cocoa powder, it’s a good idea to opt for those labeled as natural or “raw” cacao powder, which means it has not been Dutch-processed (treated with alkali) and thus likely contains much higher levels of heart-healthy flavonol antioxidants.

The Truth About Heavy Metals In Chocolate Products

For all that can be celebrated about chocolate, there is one notable dark side. The cacao beans that are used to make chocolate products can be contaminated with potentially dangerous heavy metals. Consumer Reports tested various dark chocolate products including bars and cocoa powder and found some had levels of cadmium and lead above recommended thresholds, which may be especially concerning for pregnant women and young children.

Milk chocolate was found to have lower levels of heavy metals which makes sense since it contains fewer cocoa solids compared to dark chocolate. It’s not clear how much chocolate you have to eat from sources that are higher in heavy metals to pose a health risk, but if you are generally healthy and don’t go all Willy Wonka on the food it should be safe to enjoy chocolate in moderation. You can read the report to see the products that tested for lower levels and decide to choose these more often. It would be great to see future testing include chocolate protein powders as these are now widely used.

So, we are giving you permission to make V-day and beyond all about eating chocolate, especially if limiting the highly processed stuff like what is typically found in those heart-shaped boxes. And if you want to go big on the dark delight, you can add these chocolate-infused products to your love song playlist.

Our Top 15 Favorite Chocolate Products

1. Clean Simple Eats Protein Pancake Waffle Mix Chocolate

Per serving: 220 calories, 4g fat, 33g carbs, 4g fiber, 14g protein

Sometimes having chocolate for breakfast makes the world seem like a more loving place. Made with oat flour, whey protein, and cocoa, this gluten-free, protein-packed pancake and waffle mix only requires stirring with water so there is no reason why a stack of flapjacks need only be for weekend mornings.

2. Nuttzo Chocolate Power Fuel

Per serving (2 tbsp): 180 calories, 15g fat, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g protein

Skippy this is not. This decadent-tasting spread is made with dark chocolate and seven different nuts and seeds, giving you plenty of healthy fats. Smear it on apple slices, blend into smoothies or thin it with some maple syrup and cream for a killer pancake sauce.

3. Seven Sundays Oat Protein Cereal Chocolate Sea Salt

Per serving: 150 calories, 5g fat, 24g carbs, 4g fiber, 5g protein

Like Cheerios for grown-ups. Made using cocoa-bathed upcycled oat protein from oat milk production and perfectly sweetened with California Medjool dates. Each spoonful feels like you are having dessert for breakfast or consider a bowl of crunchy cereal with milk as actual dessert.

4. Naked Protein Brownie Mix

Per serving: 230 calories, 11g fat, 22g carbs, 3g fiber, 15g protein

If you want to make a chocolaty treat for a special someone, which can include you, but your baking skills are lacking this protein-enriched brownie mix is your savior. Brownies that can help build muscle, who would have thought?

5. Alter Eco Raspberry Blackout

Per serving: 190 calories, 16g fat, 11g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g protein

Flavored with real raspberries instead of mystery “natural flavors” this Fair Trade certified chocolate bar contains 85% cacao so delivers less sugar and more health-boosting antioxidants. Dip a square into peanut butter because, hey, you only live once.

6. Seedwise Grain-Free Chocolate Clusters

Per serving: 150 calories, 11g fat, 9g carbs, 6g fiber, 6g protein

Say hello to your new favorite yogurt or ice-cream topping. A nutrient-dense seed mix is bound together by sugar-free chocolate. There is a good amount of fiber here to make it a satisfying snack option.

7. Evolved Cashew Butter

Per serving: 150 calories, 13g fat, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Dark chocolate (72% cacao) enrobes creamy cashew butter—awesome. The bars are made with organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients. Dare we say this nut-filled chocolate is too good to gift away.

8. Navitas Organics Cacao Nibs

Per serving: 20 calories, 1.5g fat, 1g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g protein

Take cacao beans, pummel them to bits and you have pleasantly bitter cacao nibs—chocolate you can eat that is about as close to its natural form as possible. Think of them as extra dark chocolate chips with more crunch, more health-hiking antioxidants and none of the sugar. The brand seeks out third-party testing of its cacao products to ensure they have safe levels of heavy metals. Toss ‘em on oatmeal, yogurt, and even salads to add even more chocolate into your life.

9. Vega All-in-One Shake Chocolate

Per serving: 190 calories, 6g fat, 15g carbs, 7g fiber, 20g protein

This is protein powder on steroids. A high dose of plant protein is paired with greens, fruit powder, probiotics, and flax for one of the most nutritionally sound protein supplements out there. Get your chocolate fix and nutrition at once.

10. Laird Mocha Instant Latte

Per serving: 140 calories, 9g fat, 15g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g protein

Tastes like a hybrid of coffee and hot chocolate. Perfect for cozy feeling mornings. A bonus is the four functional mushrooms in the mix. Besides, surf legend Laird Hamilton is still ripped at nearly 60, so he must be doing something right when it comes to nutrition.

11. Aloha Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar

Per serving: 230 calories, 10g fat, 25g carbs, 10g fiber, 14g protein

Not all protein bars contain much protein. This organic one certainly does and goes one step further with heaps of fiber – a bar that truly satisfies. And it tastes like a chocolate dream.

12. Holos Organic Overnight Muesli Cocoa

Per serving: 370 calories, 10g fat, 49g carbs, 11g fiber, 20g protein

This is certainly no run-of-the-mill muesli. Sprouted brown rice protein, goji berries, chia seeds, cacao nibs, and probiotics make it a nutritional stand-out. Prepared by soaking the mixture in your milk of choice overnight, it’s the perfect nutrition for harried mornings. The muesli also has a nice range of micronutrients including iron, thiamin, zinc and magnesium.

13. Live Momentous Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate Chocolate

Per serving: 100 calories, 1g fat, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 20g protein

When you are serious about your protein powder this should be a top choice. The standards are lofty: whey from grass-fed cattle, a special filtration process that maintains amino acid integrity, and third-party NSF and Informed Sport certified to assure you are getting what you are paying for. The chocolaty protein powder also includes a unique enzyme blend shown to boost the absorption rate of the muscle-building amino acids.

14. That’s It Dark Chocolate Banana Truffles

Per serving: 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 24g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein

Made with nothing but organic bananas and organic chocolate (64% cacao content), these are a treat you can feel pretty darn good about eating. I’d say that the fruity truffles are a great pre-workout nibble for a last-minute shot of energy.

15. Bobo’s Protein Double Chocolate Almond Butter

Per serving: 240 calories, 12g fat, 26g carbs, 11g fiber, 15g protein

If you are craving a chocolate candy bar, may we suggest opting for this option instead. A creamy almond butter base is paired with pea protein and a hit of deep chocolate flavor from chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Sweetened with dates and honey instead of the heavily processed sugars that dominate the candy bars at the checkout.