Be Health And Wellness

A generation ago, teenage boys wanted to make varsity. Today, many want vascular abs, optimized testosterone, lower cortisol, sharper jawlines, flawless skin, elite recovery scores, and injectable shortcuts to get there faster. Puberty itself no longer feels enough. A growing number of teenage boys are now entering the world of peptides, fat-loss drugs, hormone optimization , recovery compounds, nootropics, and underground “biohacking” culture years before adulthood. What once belonged primarily to elite athletes, bodybuilding subcultures, anti-aging clinics, and fringe internet forums has now exploded into mainstream youth culture through TikTok, YouTube, Discord servers, podcasts, influencers, and algorithm-driven masculinity content. And unlike previous generations, these boys are not simply trying to become stronger… They are trying to become engineered: leaner, sharper, more muscular, more masculine, more desired, more admired, more “high value.” The modern teenage boy is now ...

For decades, farming has quietly produced some of the toughest men in America. Long before fitness influencers, cold plunges, wearable trackers, and “optimized” wellness routines became mainstream. Long hours, physical labor, early mornings, and the responsibility of caring for livestock and land have always demanded a level of grit that most people will never fully understand. Now, that lifestyle is being introduced to a new audience through Season 4 of Farmer Wants a Wife , the hit reality dating series airing on Fox. The show follows hardworking farmers as they search for lasting relationships while balancing the realities of rural life, family values, and the pressure to open up emotionally on national television. But while viewers may tune in for romance and drama, the physical and mental demands behind the scenes are equally intense. Between managing farms back home, navigating emotionally charged relationships, filming long production days, and staying camera-ready throughout ...

The barbell back squat is king of the gym jungle. It builds strength, muscle, resilience, and lower-body power that carries over to sports, lifting, and daily life. But for whatever reason, if your knees bark at you , it’s hard to appreciate any of those benefits. Pain shows up in different places within the rep. For some lifters, it shows up at the bottom. Others feel it on the ascent. After enough painful reps, people start repeating that old line. “Squats are bad for your knees.” Wait, not so fast. At times, the issue isn’t the squat itself—it’s how you’re squatting. Mobility issues, the squat stance, or technique breakdowns can all turn a great movement into a painful one . That’s not a sign to stop, but a time for an adjustment. If the adjustments don’t work, here are 5 lower-body alternatives that still build a strong lower body. Let’s break down the most common squat problems, how to fix them, and the best alternatives when squats just aren’t working for you right now. ...

Mexican powerlifter and circus performer Diana Batres redefined what it means to have a good hair day recently, by hauling her way to a world record using only her braids. Who Is Diana Batres? The Guinness World Record was ratified on February 28, 2026 , when Batres, who is an international circus artist with a degree in contemporary dance — specializing in aerial work, fire manipulation, and hair suspension—lifted the heaviest weight that a female has ever achieved by using only their hair, racking up 166.11 pounds (75.35 kg) to take the honor. And this recent feat easily beat the previous long-standing record of 122.58 pounds (55.6kg) that had been held since 2014. View this post on Instagram How Diana Batres Trained Her Neck, Back, and Scalp for the Record Aside from her circus performances, Batre’s Instagram account shows that the muscular Mexican employed a variety of training methods to build her hair pulling ability, including the towi...

As country star Russell Dickerson prepares for the biggest venues of his career, the singer behind arena-sized anthems, viral crossover moments, and one of country music’s most physically demanding live shows is treating his health and fitness with the same intensity he brings to the stage every night. Over the last several years, Dickerson has quietly become one of the genre’s most fitness-focused performers, building a reputation for explosive live energy, shirt-ripping “RussellMania” theatrics, and a training style that mirrors the endurance demands of a professional athlete as much as a touring musician. As Muscle & Fitness previously reported, the Tennessee native transformed his physique and conditioning to match the larger-than-life spectacle of his rapidly growing live production. “It’s not like I take it more seriously,” Dickerson explained. “But instead of entertaining 2,000 people, now it’s six, seven, 10,000. It’s not the B leagues anymore.” For Dickerson, the shif...

The 2026 Powerlifting United (PLU) National Championships is in the history books, and history was made in several ways. Over 250 athletes showed up to the Westin San Antonio North hotel in San Antonio, Texas on the weekend of May 16-17 to celebrate powerlifting and compete for national championships across several age and weight categories. There were countless national records set throughout the two days of competition, and many champions were crowned. Over $10,000 in prizes were awarded as well. You can see full replays of both days of action over on PLU’s YouTube channel and summaries of the lifts for every athlete on Open Powerlifting, but here are a few standout highlights that got the most attention from the audience in attendance and watching at home. View this post on Instagram Zac Meyers Steals the Show With a 2,309-Pound Total Many in the audience and even some of the athletes themselves were there to see 140-kilogram (308-pound) a...

On Episode 286 of The Menace Podcast , Dennis James was joined by Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev, and after seeing Samson Dauda guest pose at the 2026 Pittsburgh Pro , the panel compared the Nigerian Lion with one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, Ronnie Coleman. Samson Dauda is on the comeback trail after his 2024 Mr. Olympia victory was followed up by a shock fourth place in 2025. Taking account of his reversal of fortune, Dauda explained that he’d sacrificed size for conditioning, and that it resulted in a less than perfect package on stage. This year, the British-Nigerian bodybuilder has made his monstrous intentions clear and has looked huge in recent progress pictures shared online. At the 2026 Pittsburgh Pro, this progress was finally shared on stage as part of a guest posing routine alongside current Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford, and hot contender Andrew Jacked. While The Menace Podcast panel felt that all three men looked incredible, host Dennis James believed that...

Many of us grow up with dreams of emulating a Michael Jordan slam dunk or serving up a tennis victory like Novak Djokovic, but a new list has shown that our chances of success may be greater if we select a sport that matches our height. The list below, based on an Analysis by Casino Kings , suggests that certain sports strongly favor athletes that match a specific height range, meaning that the sports we naturally excel at could be less down to personal choice when selecting a discipline, and more about matching up to the height patterns that are most dominant in a selected sport. Average Athlete Heights Across the World’s Biggest Sports Basketball: 6’7” (2.01m) American Football & Rugby: 6’2” (1.88m) Tennis: 6’1” (1.85m) Football: 5’11.5” (1.82m) Golf: 5’11.5” (1.82m) Cricket: 5’11” (1.81m) MMA: 5’10.5” (1.79m) Racing (F1): 5’10 ” (1.78m) Gymnastics: 5’3” (1.60m) Horse racing: 5’2 ” (1.57m) The Science Behind Height Advantages in Sports Performance Basketball: Un...

In an age where extreme measures such as extended juice cleanses and multi-day fasts are often relied upon for short term weight loss, the traditional Japanese practice of hara hachi bu, which translates to “eat until you are eight parts full,” is a more sustainable, long term way of dropping fat that allows you to still eat the foods that you love. Sound good? Here’s what you need to know. What Is Hara Hachi Bu and Why Is It Trending? You’ve no doubt heard the phrase “everything in moderation.” Hara hachi bu is very much rooted in the same concept. Better still, there’s a bonus to using this ancient method of battling the bulge, because those who follow the practice tend to live longer and suffer less diseases. Hara hachi bu is not about cutting out your favorite foods, but rather putting down the plate when you feel 80% full, instead of gorging until your belt taps out. “More recently, it’s been gaining attention as a strategy for weight loss. But while hara hachi bu might emphas...