Posts

World-Record Freediver Vitomir Maričić Inducted into the 2026 International Sports Hall of Fame

Image
The International Sports Hall of Fame stands out from other honors because they not only recognize champions of the field, court, or stage. They also honor champions of causes and advocacy. Vitomir Maričić is an athlete who embodies being both the best in the world for his sport and best for the world when it comes to his causes. Maričić’s induction at the 2026 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, NV alongside Dexter Jackson, Forrest Griffin, the Harlem Globetrotters , and Garry Kasparov will be for more than his world-record breath hold underwater and his world championship free diving efforts. He will also be celebrated for what he is most passionate about; making a difference. “That made me feel really proud because I will finally receive an award that encompasses everything I do,” he said. “I value this award because it is about more than results.” News The International Sports Hall of Fame Just Announc... From Chess King Ga...

WWE Superstar Jordynne Grace Makes Surprise Return to Bodybuilding Stage, Qualifies for Nationals

WWE Superstar Jordynne Grace returned to the competitive bodybuilding stage at the NPC Heart of Texas event on Sept. 19, 2026, and placed an impressive second, qualifying for a spot on a future national show. Grace, who competed under her real name, Patricia Gresham, later revealed that she had kept the show such a secret that she hadn’t even told her husband until it was almost showtime. Known to millions of pro wrestling fans as Jordynne Grace , the tough Texan says she’d decided around a month ago to return to the bodybuilding stage for the first time since 2023, having previously placed first in the Women’s Physique category at that year’s Tri-City Classic event. “Spent the past four weeks prepping in secret. Didn’t even tell my husband I was competing until earlier this week. But we made it back on stage,” announced Grace , sharing the news while waiting on the judge’s score cards after a stunning display at the Heart of Texas. “I didn’t come to win this one. I just needed a remi...

Reebok SpeedShifter Revealed: Full-Length Carbon Plate Super Shoe Built for Speed & PRs

Reebok have experimented with carbon plated shoes for decades, but logistical challenges like dealing with the additional weight has often caused a quandary. Now, with the full-length carbon plated “ SpeedShifter ” releasing on October 20, the brand’s Director of Running, Chris Stone talks to M&F about the challenges, and ultimate success of a shoe that Reebok hails as its latest “performance running innovation.” The new SpeedShifter Running Shoe, featuring a full-length carbon plate, offers a lightweight design with a high energy return, says the brand. Built for speed, long distance running, and striders of all abilities, runners from varied disciplines will all be happy with the SpeedShifter, explains Stone. But combining comfort along with a carbon plate is no mean feat. The SpeedShifter Utilizes a HyperFloat ‘Sandwich’ with a Carbon Plate filling In the 90s, Reebok worked with a lighter version of carbon fiber that the brand called Graphlite. “Graphlite was a shoe that was...

Why Men Are Taking Grooming Beyond the Gym

For the better part of two decades, “male self-improvement” had a fairly narrow definition: hit the gym, drink your protein shake, and repeat. Getting bigger, stronger, and more disciplined became a familiar blueprint for becoming a better version of yourself. Supplement aisles expanded to fill entire walls. Somewhere along the way, protein powder stopped being a niche product for bodybuilders and became a lifestyle signifier: the thing you posted about, the thing you measured your discipline by. That obsession produced real results for a lot of men, but it also tipped into something more extreme. Pre-workout stacks with a dozen ingredients, supplement routines that resembled a small pharmacy, and a culture where a missed gym day felt like a personal failure: the pursuit of a better body started to look less like wellness and more like an arms race. Online, the goalposts kept moving too: bulking gave way to “shredding,” which gave way to chasing an increasingly narrow, almost unattain...

Research Reveals the Truth About Creatine, and Yes It’s Beneficial for All of Us

Image
For probably 30 years, creatine has occupied the least glamorous shelf in the supplement store. This despite the fact that it is without question one of the most studied substance on the market. No proprietary “anabolic matrix.” No molecule named something that sounds like a Russian weapons program. Just creatine monohydrate—a cheap white powder that has survived practically every supplement fad we’ve managed to invent. Hers Supplements Why Women Should Take Creatine Creatine is one of the best-studied aids for improving workout results. So why aren't you taking it ... Read article What Does the Latest Research Say About Creatine for Female Athletes? Women still don’t use enough of it. Maybe that’s finally changing. A new systematic review and meta-analysis published Sept. 4 examined creatine specifically in women participating in exercise or structured training. The researchers screened more than 13,00...

Dan Browne Shares How His Military Service Led to the Olympics and Coaching

Image
There is an old adage that says, “Luck is when hard work meets opportunity.” Dan Browne may be more of a believer in faith than luck, but the rest of the formula appears accurate to him. His story and amazing running career serves as all the proof he needs for the saying to be true. His motivation to get better combined with being prepared for the next opportunity in front of him led to him achieving levels of success that most would find impossible. Browne said, “I was always a driven person, even from a young age. ” Dan Browne Running Down a Dream Browne grew up in Oregon and always enjoyed running, which he started when his father would take him on “fun-runs.”. He played other sports as well, but events like cross-country and other endurance sports were where he thrived, which only increased his passion for competing. “I always enjoyed the feeling I got from running.” As Browne grew older and kept improving, he was recruited by the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

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

Image
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...

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...

Do GLP-1 Drugs Destroy Muscle? The 2026 Meta-Analysis Truth About Ozempic, Protein, and Heavy Lifting

Image
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...

How to Do Romanian Deadlifts Correctly: 7 Setup Steps for Maximum Glute and Hamstring Growth

Image
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 ...