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Holly Brooks is a positive force on social media with almost 1.5 million followers across her YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok channels, but rather than preach about PR’s and the latest weight loss trends, the buff Brit says that ditching the scales to focus on strength has been the real key to her success. M&F sat down with the “ Strong Girl Society”  founder, to find out why she feels that getting her sweat on is a “safe space”, and why her passion for fitness is really all about the experience. Despite her upbringing as a sporty kid, enjoying tennis, swimming, and even figure skating, Holly Brook’s desire to “just be a teenager” eroded her focus on fitness. Then came covid, and the isolation that lockdowns brought, which only served to make her more sedentary. That first lockdown in 2020 was a blow to many people’s mental and physical fitness, but it was also a catalyst for change. “Throughout the first 2020 lockdown I really neglected my health,” Brooks tells M&F, ex...

Dana Linn Bailey is a fan of the dumbbell lateral raise and views it as one of the most effective moves for building solid shoulders, but it’s also “one of those exercises that I see people do wrong all the time,” she explained in a recent Instagram video intended to right some wrongs. Fortunately, the super-fit female, who is also a former Olympia Women’s Physique winner , broke it down so that you can grow your own boulder shoulders more efficiently. What Muscles Do Dumbbell Lateral Raises Work? By performing this isolation exercise, you’ll primarily target the lateral deltoid, which is the muscle positioned on the side of the shoulder, providing that broad V-shaped appearance to the upper body. In addition to adding mass to your shoulders, this move also encourages the improvement of posture and stability, so long as you master your form correctly. View this post on Instagram Dana Linn Bailey’s 3-Step Plan for Perfect Lateral Raises Step 1:...

You don’t have to get too far into the research on processed foods to figure out that they slow down our fitness journeys. That’s because the combination of added ingredients such as salt, fat, and a long list of preservatives, play havoc with gut health and have even been linked to osteoarthritis . Now, a new study from the University of Bristol has shed light on just how many extra calories you may be consuming by opting for convenience, and why whole foods are a definite winner when it comes to losing weight while still eating more food. The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , was the result of valuable teamwork provided by the University of Bristol in the U.K and nutritional experts in the U.S., who found that when we eat a lot of fast or processed foods, our body’s ability to make healthy choices becomes impaired. Apparenty, we all have an innate ‘nutritional intelligence,’ that serves us well if eating whole foods, but it goes haywire when we opt for...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....