Posts

Andrew Jacked Shares His Back & Biceps Workout Prior to 2025 Romania Muscle Fest

Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, affectionately known to bodybuilding fans as ‘Andrew Jacked’ is riding high after a career-best third place at the Mr. Olympia event. Now, the big Nigerian is hoping to qualify for next year’s ‘O’ with a dominant victory at the upcoming Romania Muscle Fest Pro. To that end, he shared a last-minute prep, crushing an epic back and bicep session with his fans. “Cruising my way through,” wrote Jacked in an Instagram post for his almost one million Instagram followers, posting a video that showed the bodybuilder’s muscle blasting workout. “Few more days before show day, Yessziirr!!!” added the agile athlete, who is readying himself in Romania with controlled intensity. View this post on Instagram Andrew Jack’s Romania Pro Readying Back and Bicep Workout Twisting Seated Row The 2022 Arnold Classic UK winner got to work on the twisting seated row machine . Don’t worry if your gym doesn’t have one. You can swap it out for a reg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Santana Garrett’s 10-Minute Full-Body ‘Do-Anywhere’ Workout for Strength, Mobility & Fat Burn

Santana Garrett loves to lift weights and has a home gym set up in her garage , but when time is short, an efficient full-body circuit ensures that this woman of wrestling keeps her body firmly in-check. “The workout that I’m sharing is a total body ‘do-anywhere’ style routine that anyone can do and can be modified to be easier or harder,” Garrett tells M&F. “It’s perfect for keeping the body moving and the mind sharp, even with a busy schedule or while traveling.” Indeed, all you need is around ten minutes, a mat, and a desire to get your sweat on. Here’s how to try it out for yourself. Santana Garrett’s ‘Do-Anywhere’ Workout To complete this circuit, you will perform each of these 9 exercises for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest. Jump Squats Push-ups (regular, or knee supported) Alternating Reverse Lunges Plank Shoulder Taps Glute Bridges Mountain Climbers Superman Back Extensions Alternating Side Lunges High Knees Following this 9 minutes of work, Garr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Adding a Banana to Your Smoothie Could Cut ‘Heart-Healthy’ Flavanol Absorption by 84%

Image
Smoothies are a super-convenient option for grabbing healthy nutrients while on the go, but a new study has found that adding a banana could cut the body’s absorption of flavanols by 84%. So, should bananas be banished from your smoothies? It all depends on your goals, says science. Research published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Food and Function journal , looking to find the best combination of fruits for your smoothie, found that adding banana significantly decreases the level of heart-healthy flavonoids, leading scientists from the University of California, David, to conclude that blending certain ingredients together can positively, or negatively, influence the health-boosting effects of your beloved smoothie. Apparently, it’s all down to an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase and how it interacts with flavanols, the bio active compounds that benefit the heart and brain. Polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, can be seen when it reacts with the air and turns the fruit’s peel and flesh ...
Post a Comment
Read more

ESPN to Air World Series of Armwrestling Season 4 Finals

Image
The World Series of Armwrestling (WSA) is closing out its fourth and largest season yet with a massive showdown at the San Diego Harley-Davidson Event Center on November 1, 2025 . What started in 2022 as a grassroots competition has quickly grown into the premier professional armwrestling league in the United States, boasting record-high payouts, national TV coverage, and a loyal following of strength-sports fans. Meegan Sharp “This sport has exploded,” says Gregg Sharp, CEO of Garage 2 Fitness and the mastermind behind the WSA. “Season 4 has doubled our regional qualifiers, and our Finals purse has surpassed $165,000 in cash and prizes, the biggest in U.S. armwrestling history. We’re proving that these athletes deserve a true professional stage.” That stage will once again be broadcast on ESPN, continuing the partnership that helped the 2024 Finals bring armwrestling to a mainstream audience. At stake? Bragging rights and serious cash. The top athlete who conquers both the lef...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Aging Lessons Learned from a Biohacking Retreat Deep in the Amazon

Image
If you want to track the pace at which you’re aging, HRV, biological age test, sleep, and VO₂ max are OK, but there are 12 deeper metrics worth quantifying over time. And your wearable isn’t tracking them yet. Scientists have mapped out 12 core processes that drive aging, called the 12 Hallmarks of Aging. These may determine how long and how well you live. First outlined in 2013 then refined in 2022 as science evolved, they form the foundation of longevity medicine today . These help guide how researchers and clinicians measure, test, and target the biology of aging. When I traveled to the Amazon rainforest for a week-long longevity retreat, I expected to explore the usual pillars of healthy aging: movement, nutrition, recovery. What I didn’t expect was how deep we’d go into the cellular mechanisms behind them. The workshops went way beyond lifestyle advice . During one-on-one consultations with the founders of Unlimited Life, Dave Asprey, Dr. Tim Cook, and Marc Kielburger, each mem...
Post a Comment
Read more

Research Reveals You Can Build Muscle on a Plant-Based Diet

Image
“Bro-science” has long claimed animal proteins are essential for serious gains. This seems to make sense when you consider that foods like beef, chicken, and eggs deliver a dose of protein and an amino acid profile that, on paper, is superior to what you would get from a can of beans. For this reason, the common belief is that feasting mostly on plants is a recipe for deflated pecs. Well, the latest research suggests that we can forgo the steak and whey and still pack on more lean mass. Reassurance that those choosing plant-based diets can reach their fitness goals without compromise. Some of the best data to date regarding plant protein and muscle-building comes from a recent trial published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . It enrolled 40 young adults and randomized them to either a vegan or an omnivore diet. The study participants performed three weightlifting sessions over nine days, and, importantly, researchers provided all their meals to them. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Balance Launches Game-Changing Fresh Foam X 1540v4—Left and Right Shoes Sold Separately

In an “I can’t believe this isn’t already a major thing” shoe development, New Balance have announced that the brand’s “Made in USA Fresh Foam X 1540v4” will be available to purchase separately and in different sizes for the left and right foot—a game-changing resource for individuals with disabilities, limb loss, or foot size discrepancies. “It’s a small detail with a big impact,” read a recent press release from New Balance. “Making one of our most supportive and premium models more inclusive than ever before.” But why is a requirement that seems so obvious, so limited in supply? Ordering shoes for separate sides is often a specialist affair and not often available from the major sneaker brands. Craig Heisner, who is the Senior Director for Wellness and Verticals at New Balance, feels the same way. “It’s one of those ideas that feels like it should have existed long ago,” he told M&F. “The challenge has always been that the entire footwear industry is built around selling shoe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Joe DeFranco Reveals the Right Way to Conquer the Close-Grip Bench Press

Popular strength and conditioning coach, Joe DeFranco, the owner of DeFranco’s Gym , a private facility based in East Rutherford, NJ, has trained martial artists, NFL players, and WWE wresters, motivating them to push past their limits. But in a recent Instagram post, the fitness pro explained why a lack of form could derail any athlete’s progress. When it comes to the mechanics of the “close grip” bench press , the power to avoid injury is firmly in the palms of your hands says the canny coach. Here’s what you need to know. “The close grip bench press is an S-Tier, triceps exercise,” explained DeFranco in a demonstration for his 178,000 Instagram followers. “But the way most lifters perform it drops it down into the D-Tier, so don’t make this common mistake.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joe DeFranco (@defrancosgym) Avoid this Common Mistake With Triceps Biased Bench Presses “Most lifters take an extremely close grip,” illust...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jeff Nippard’s 100-Day Low Volume Training Experiment Results

The act of pushing yourself to the limit in order to see results with your physique is an often repeated mantra that makes a lot of sense, after all, building muscle requires exercising the fibers until they tear and build back stronger, but sometimes a phase where workouts are made shorter, or even cut in half, can reap surprising results, as illustrated by the evidence-backed fitness coach, Jeff Nippard. “What would happen if you only did half your workout?” asked the canny Canadian in a recent YouTube video , adding that he’s always been “a high-volume guy.” To conduct his experiment, Nippard reduced his usual three to four sets per exercise down to just one or two and stayed the course for one hundred days. “The thing is, on paper, by following this plan, I was training at a level of volume that most experts would say is too low to maximize muscle growth,” noted Nippard. In terms of how his sets panned out per muscle group, Nippard said that he was averaging 6-and-ahalf sets per ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Martin Fitzwater’s Olympia-Level Shoulder Workout For Boulder Sized Delts

Image
Martin Fitzwater used his highly developed shoulders to carry back-to-back first place trophies at the 2024 and this past weekend’s 2025 EVLS Prague Pro events, but the work to build those boulder-like shoulders began many moons ago, requiring an epic workout that “The Martian” recently shared on Instagram. The last 12 months have been a storybook year in the career of Martin Fitzwater, who beat a stacked lineup during November’s 2024 Prague Pro, including Chris Bumstead in his Open debut. The Martian then made it to fifth place during October’s 2025 Olympia event, before heading back to Prague for a back-to-back win. With industry insiders and fans sighting Fitwater’s combination of muscle fullness and peak conditioning as a major factor in his progression, the man himself recently provided an epic shoulder workout that he’s been completing in the run up to crushing his competitions. “Blasting lateral raises is a must for my shoulder day,” shared the man of the moment. Of course, l...
Post a Comment
Read more