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Occlusion Training Explained: How Blood Flow Restriction Builds Muscle With Light Weights

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Walk into any serious gym and you’ll eventually see it: Some guy curling little pink dumbbells with his arms wrapped like he’s smuggling diamonds across a border. His face is red, veins are standing at attention, and the pain looks—disproportionate to the load. That’s probably occlusion training—also known as blood flow restriction (BFR) or tourniquet training—and despite how absurd it can look, it’s one of the most effective hypertrophy tools most lifters either don’t know about, misunderstand or misuse entirely. Like any training method, occlusion isn’t magic, it isn’t new, and it definitely isn’t idiot-proof. But used correctly, it can build muscle, spare joints, extend careers, and keep you growing long after heavy weights start fighting back. Used incorrectly, it’s just another way to get hurt while convincing yourself you’ve discovered something revolutionary. What Occlusion Training Actually Is Occlusion training involves partially restricting venous blood flow out of a wo...
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Super Bowl LX Showdown: Patriots vs. Seahawks and the Records That Define NFL Greatness

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The New England Patriots are set to make a record twelfth Super Bowl appearance in 2026 (source: https://ift.tt/H2xA9m7) , but the Seattle Seahawks are hoping to halt this momentum and take the Super Bowl LX trophy for themselves. Now, as we approach the sixtieth anniversary of football’s biggest event, it isn’t just the Patriots that have bragging rights, as M&F takes a look at the dominant records that put the ‘super’ in Super Bowl. Matt Slocum/AP/Shutterstock The Seahawks’ Unbreakable Scoring Record from Super Bowl XLVIII The Seahawks are the bookies favorites to win on February 8, and they certainly have a history of pulling it out of the bag on the big day. In 2014, the Seahawks blasted the Denver Broncos by scoring via safety, kickoff return and interception return, and a passing and rushing offense—all in the same game. This footballing feat had never been seen in a Super Bowl before and has not been accomplished since. How the Patriots Built an NFL Dynasty The New En...
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Dorian Yates’ Secret to Bigger Forearms: How the 6-Time Mr. Olympia Built Massive Grip Strength

Dorian Yates created one of the all-time best bodybuilding physiques of the ’90s with an attention to detail that saw him present the total package on stage. “The Shadow” sported shoulders, biceps, chest, back, and legs that were the envy of many of his rivals, but despite the six-time Mr Olympia’s extensive list of exercises during those “blood and guts” workout sessions, the champ never targeted his forearms directly, instead choosing to work this muscle group into his quest for building mass in other areas. Fortunately, in a recent Instagram post, the big man shared his method. Why Forearms Are One of the Hardest Muscle Groups to Grow Genetics plays a part in our muscle size and ability to grow, but the forearms are particularly difficult areas to target because they are packed with dozens of small, overlapping muscles. These include the brachioradialis, the side muscle that lines up with the thumb, the flexors that run down the palm side, and the extensors that cover the top. Th...
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Latoya Greene Changed Military Standards and Helps Veterans Keep Theirs

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If you ask many members of the United States Armed Forces to recall the moment that they realized their lives changed forever, a common answer would be when they took the oath to swear or affirm in part that they will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” Many American leaders will also tell you that while they may retire from the military someday, there is no expiration date on that oath. That means they find ways to continue honoring that oath. Retired Army Sergeant First Class Latoya Greene’s career ended in November 2024, but her commitment to doing her part in making America better is as strong on this day as it was the day she took her oath. “For most of us, we spent more time in the military than out of it,” Greene shared. “We have the ability to make those around us better. That doesn’t stop.” Greene was a native of Florida but relocated to Georgia during h...
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The Perfect Warmup Routine for Strength Training: Move Better, Lift Stronger, Avoid Injury

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I’ve spent years coaching athletes, from world-level athletes to middle-school phenoms, and lifters across a wide range of training goals, and one thing is consistent: You’re probably already warming up. The problem isn’t effort or discipline—it’s structure. When your warmup lacks direction, it doesn’t prepare your body for what you’re about to train. A well-designed warmup should make your workout feel better from the very first working set. Your joints move more freely, your positions feel stronger, and your strength shows up faster. When that happens, training feels productive instead of sluggish, and your progress becomes easier to sustain over time. The most effective warmups work in layers. Your foundational warmup prepares your entire body for movement. From there, a short block of targeted prep aligns your body with the specific demands of the session, whether you’re training full body, focusing on lower-body strength, hammering upper-body lifts, or working on power and explos...
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How Tony Romo Keeps Himself ‘Aligned And Healthy’ After Retiring From NFL

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After dealing with multiple clavicle fractures and two back surgeries that subsequently ended his 14-year NFL career, Tony Romo does his best to keep his health in line. “It’s different than football,” the CBS football analyst says of his current workout regimen while sitting down alongside his father, Ramiro, and raising awareness for prostate cancer with Bayer’s Highlight’s Real campaign . “Football is about strength, explosiveness. Now, it’s more about being flexible. I was trying that then, but it’s more about that now after the back surgery. It’s more about keeping myself aligned and in a position to be healthy.” The four-time Pro Bowl Quarterback’s routine isn’t quite what it was during his playing days, but thanks to his kids, he’s remained pretty conditioned. Geneva Pohl “There’s multiple gyms now,” Tony shares. “Not just going to the weight room, but also the actual gym, because my boys love basketball. And then the field, but I’m always doing something and being active....
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Olympia Announces B2B Growth Opportunity for Sponsors and Exhibitors

A new business-to-business initiative will connect brands with qualified wholesale buyers in a focused, results-driven environment at the 2026 Olympia Weekend. The launch of OB2B reflects the Olympia’s broader commitment to creating growth opportunities for sponsors and exhibitors that extend beyond the 600,000 square-foot expo experience. Eric Hillman, a pioneer and visionary in sports supplement distribution, will oversee this new program.  Hillman shares, “Working with Jake Wood and Dan Solomon to bring this program to the world’s most prestigious fitness event is a big win for all brands looking to grow, expand distribution, and connect at the highest level.” The Olympia Expo returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center September 25-26, while its iconic championship stage production pivots to the Orleans Arena, clearing the way for a significant increase in attendees. The Palms will serve as the official host hotel. More info about the new OB2B program and Buyer Registration ...
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Skyy Moore on NFL Durability, Balance Training, and Building a Body That Lasts All Season

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Talent is a given in the NFL. What separates players isn’t always explosiveness or potential. It’s reliability under pressure–when things don’t go the way that they were diagramed during practice. As injuries reshaped depth charts and tested continuity this past season for the San Francisco 49ers, they moved forward with an unsettling calm. Their standard never fluctuated, nor did their expectations soften. For wide receiver Skyy Moore , who stepped into a fluid role that demanded constant readiness, the experience reinforced a belief he’s been quietly building: durability as a competitive advantage. “They have a way they do things,” Moore said. “They had a culture, and they knew their culture. It made it easy for me to fall in line.” That clarity—organizational, physical, and mental—helped shape how Moore approached his preparation this season. He wasn’t on a quest to do more, but to do and be better. Not to chase moments, but to be ready when they arrived. The Standard Is The Sta...
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Hilary Knight Prepares for Her Final Olympic Women’s Hockey Run

Professional Women’s Hockey League star Hilary Knight is getting ready to head to her fifth and final Olympic games in Milan-Cortina, and even she can’t believe it. “It’s wild,” Knight says. “I’m really grateful to have been around the sport this long at this level. I’ve had some amazing teammates and I currently have some amazing teammates and to be in these high-performance rooms is just outstanding. And there’s really nothing like it. So, [I’m] grateful from that standpoint and then to be able to share the journey too with my friends and family.” The current captain and forward for the Seattle Torrent began her Olympic journey winning silver medals in 2010 in Vancouver and Sochi in 2014. In 2018, she helped Team USA capture gold in PyeongChang and earned another silver medal in 2022 in Beijing. Knight is currently the only U.S. women’s hockey player to compete in five consecutive Olympic Games. In May 2025, she announced that this would be her final time playing on the ice, and s...
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Half-Kneeling Pallof Press: The Anti-Rotation Core Exercise That Helps Build Stronger Lifts

Rotation exercises are all the rage because they look cool and athletic. But performing them before this could be glossing over a little-known weakness that’s holding back your bigger lifts. Anti-rotation strength. Your lack of anti-rotation strength shows up when you leak force the moment the weight gets heavy. It is a shift, rotation, or tilt in your torso during presses, pulls, deadlifts, and squats. The half-kneeling Pallof press addresses this issue at the source. It trains your core and hips to lock your torso in place as the external load tries to twist you out of position. Here, I’ll explain what it is, how to do it well, how to know you’re doing it well, and why it builds the strength you need for your big lifts. What Is the Half-Kneeling Pallof Press? The half-kneeling Pallof press is an anti-rotation core exercise performed with a cable machine or a resistance band while kneeling on one knee, pressing the handle out from your lower chest. The load pulls you to the side,...
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