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First Time at the Olympia? Here’s Your Complete Beginner’s Guide to Olympia Weekend

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Whether you’re a new fan of bodybuilding or have followed the fitness industry for years, there is nothing like your first time going to the Olympia. Being a part of such an iconic weekend is the kind of experience you can’t wait to share with your family, friends, and others. Stories about Olympia Weekend get told years after thanks to the legacy that Joe Weider created in 1965. If the 2026 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada is going to be your first, then you want it to be memorable for all the right reasons. That’s why we’re providing this beginner’s guide so you know where to go, what to see, and more. The easiest way to find almost everything about the Olympia Weekend can be found at www.mrolympia.com . That’s where you can buy your tickets to the World Fitness Expo, the Friday and Saturday night Finals in the Orleans Arena, and all the details about who is competing in the 12 world championship bodybuilding events that you get to watch throughout the weekend. If you or someon...
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Dolph Lundgren on Beating Terminal Cancer, Staying Fit at 68, and His New Book, ‘Fights Worth Fighting’

Dolph Lundgren shot to fame as the 6’5’’ former karate champion who took Rocky Balboa to the limit in Russia and saved the fate of Planet Eternia in Masters of The Universe. But having survived his most difficult battle against cancer, Lundgren’s new autobiography was written so that we might be inspired to take the “Fights Worth Fighting” when it comes to prioritizing our own health. It may surprise some people to learn that Dolph Lundgren is no stereotypical action star. The Swedish born ice hockey standout and formidable martial artist earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering, becoming a Fulbright scholar before entering the world of Hollywood. While Lundgren’s cinematic breakthrough came in 1985’s Rocky IV, playing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago opposite Sylvester Stallone, the actor was also cast as He-Man in 1987’s cult favorite Masters of the Universe movie, and starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the “Universal Solder” franchise, premiering in 1992, and then returni...
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Do GLP-1 Drugs Destroy Muscle? The 2026 Meta-Analysis Truth About Ozempic, Protein, and Heavy Lifting

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One of the more noticeable atrocities  I saw recently walking through the airport in Indianapolis—actually worse than the obese women wearing spandex—were the Ozempic victims. You couldn’t help but notice them. Not a lot, but there were definitely a few people who looked like they left 40 pounds in the parking garage. Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound—the GLP-1 revolution has become more of a cultural event. Which one are you taking? But, not without the backlash: “Yeah, but those drugs eat your muscle.” Olena/Adobe Stock Do GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic and Zepbound Cause Muscle Loss? Well, sort of. But not exactly. A new 2026 meta-analysis looked at 20 randomized trials involving 15,782 people and compared lean-mass loss during treatment with semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide against lifestyle-based weight loss. The numbers were remarkable. Lean tissue represented about 35% of weight lost with semaglutide, 25% with tirzepatide and 27% with liraglutide. Sounds horrific. Unti...
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How to Do Romanian Deadlifts Correctly: 7 Setup Steps for Maximum Glute and Hamstring Growth

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Many lifters share a common bad habit. Rushing the setup. It’s understandable because who doesn’t want to get to the good stuff sooner? But skipping the setup can be the difference between a successful set and a sucky one. A classic example is the Romanian deadlift. The RDL isn’t just bending over with a barbell and hoping the glutes and hamstrings grow. If your feet aren’t rooted, your lats and core aren’t engaged, or the bar drifts away from your quads, your lower back might be the only muscle getting a pump. That’s why your RDL starts before gripping the barbell. The following pre-lift checklist will dial in your rack height, stance, grip, knee position, lat tension, and brace so you’re dialed in from the start. At first, these steps will take time, but with enough repetition, they’ll become automatic—and your glutes and hamstrings will thank you for it. Maridav/Adobe Stock What Are the 7 Steps for a Perfect Romanian Deadlift Setup? Before you get to the gripping and ripping ...
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Samson Dauda Wins 2026 Europa Pro Men’s Open, Makes Olympia Statement

Samson Dauda is back on top after returning to competitive bodybuilding for the first time in a year and winning the Open division of the 2026 Europa Pro Show on September 14. And, with less than two-weeks removed Mr. Olympia final itself, “The Nigerian Lion” has made a statement that he hopes will lead to a second Mr. Olympia title. British Nigerian competitor, Samson Dauda won his first Mr. Olympia trophy in 2024 , but came in too lean last year, shrinking down to a disappointing  fourth place. Andrew Jacked, Hadi Choopan, and winner Derek Lunsford were all judged to have had greater physiques on the night, leaving Dauda to return to the drawing board back in Great Britain. While it was initially believed that Dauda head to the Offenbach am Main venue, just outside of Frankfurt, for a guest posing slot, the big man decided to put his money where his mouth was instead, before travelling to Sin City. What Does Dauda’s Europa Victory Mean for the 2026 Mr. Olympia? Before the result, ...
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2026 UAL Olympia Armwrestling Championships: Rules, Weight Classes, and Matchups Live in Las Vegas

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Armwrestling has seen a resurgence in popularity over the course of the 2020’s, and the Ultimate Armwrestling League (UAL) is considered by many to be the premiere organization for the sport. One of the UAL’s signature events is their annual Olympia event, which will be a big part of the 2026 World Fitness Expo in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 25th and 26th. Armwrestling is one of those events that make people at the Olympia stop and watch. The struggle of two athletes in a matchup of will and strength captivates the audience throughout the entire weekend, and the UAL has proclaimed that more of the same will be presented in 2026. The UAL shared on Instagram, “The Olympia Ultimate Armwrestling Championships will feature Veteran, Amateur, and Celebrity competitors showcasing multiple divisions and disciplines.” Pro Tips How to Become an Arm Wrestling Champion Follow these tips to be the...
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Bobby Bones Has Little Time for the Gym—So He Built One at Home

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Once Bobby Bones drops the mic on his nationally syndicated show each morning, he can head home, pick up a paddle, and play a few games on his backyard pickleball court. The court is just one corner of Bones’ personal performance center—what he calls a necessary luxury made possible by his long, time-consuming road to success. The setup exists because of the work Bones has put in over the past three decades. He has built The Bobby Bones Show into iHeartMedia’s country-music flagship, a nationally syndicated morning juggernaut now broadcasting on more than 200 stations across the U.S. and Canada and reaching nearly 10 million monthly listeners. As his brand continues to expand under a development deal with Netflix, his reach has also pushed into sports, where he co-hosts the weekly NFL podcast Lots to Say with former quarterback Matt Cassel. The more he’s in front of a camera, Bones says, the more his appearance starts to matter. “It’s never really about a number. I just like to...
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Paul George Is Hoping His New Approach to Training Will Lead to an Injury-Free Season

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Paul George is entering his 17th season in the NBA. Given that experience, he knows the difference between being able to work hard and knowing when hard work is actually beneficial. As a young player, the equation seems simple. More reps. More time in the gym. More drill work. Push through any nagging ailments and believe your body will figure out the rest. George is no stranger to that mentality. He’s lived it. Now, as he begins a new chapter in Boston, his approach is different. His competitive expectations still remain the same: play deep into the postseason and help win a championship. What has changed is his thinking on how he can best get there. “At 25, I probably would have judged the day by, ‘How much can I get done today?’” George said. “Now, I look at it as, ‘How do I stack good days together?’” That distinction becomes increasingly important after over 30,000 regular season minutes played, significant injuries, surgeries, rehabs, and recovery. Taking care of his body ...
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Hypertrophy Cluster Sets: How Intra-Set Rests Maximize Muscle Growth & Bar Speed

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Compound lifts can add a lot of muscle-building volume to a program, but they also get expensive as fatigue builds. A set of squats or bench presses can start crisp and powerful, then slow down considerably once the reps pile up. Technique often starts changing right along with that drop in speed. Hypertrophy cluster sets give you another way to organize that work. Short rest periods inside the set let you chip away at a larger rep target while giving force production and bar speed a chance to recover between clusters. You still accumulate the volume needed to support muscle growth, but more of those reps can look like the ones you actually want to train. That makes clusters especially interesting on compound movements. Research has consistently shown that cluster-style set configurations can reduce velocity and power loss compared with traditional straight sets. At the same time, longer-term studies suggest they can produce similar hypertrophy when overall training is matched. The...
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