Interviewed by Chris Wilson, Head Strength Coach

1. Has HUGE & FREAKY been replaced by a lean more classic physique? Is the sport actually returning to its roots from the Golden Era and a more SLEEK physique?

BEN TATAR: The culture has changed. In the past, there were many more freaks. Now there are competitions in multiple weight classes. Brandon Curry won this year’s Arnold at 217lbs!

Ronnie Coleman once weighed over 360lbs and competed on stage at over 300lbs at 2.8% body fat. Ronnie won the Arnold in 2001. The old pros were about 100lbs heavier than the heavyweight pros of today. There are no more 400+ pound bodybuilders anymore like Greg Kovacs.  Kovacs was 420lbs in the off season. He competed at 330lbs on the Arnold stage back in 2004.

The Golden Era took place between the 1950s and the 1980s. Some noticeable differences when we compare the Golden Era to today:

1. In 1950 we had 2.2 billion people in the world. Today we have 7.7 billion people. There are 3.5 times more people.
2. During the Golden Era we didn’t have social media, weight training books, Critical Bench and various sources for information. We didn’t have huge fitness conventions.
3. In the Golden Era there were a few bodybuilders who trained together at Gold’s without a fitness industry. Today supplements make millions of dollars each year and hardcore competitors train together all over the world.
4. Back in the 80s the supplements tasted horrible, and now there are many supplements that also happen to taste great – more mass appeal!
5. In the Golden Era lifters were doing odd lifts such as the pinch grip deadlift technique, sissy squats and donkey calf raises with people as resistance. Training has come a long way inside the more glamorous health & fitness centers.

Culture is just too different today to be compared to the Golden Era.

However, there are positive attributes from the Golden Era that remain. The gyms were all hardcore gyms instead of franchise gyms. They did more full body lifts and stuck to the basics. They weren’t polluted by generic information, and they did what really worked for their bodies. They really focused on the art of the physique and trained hard. I think Golden Era concepts are being used for some of the tougher physique competitors of today.

The Golden Era also inspired many modern-day strength athletes with their strength! Franco Columbo at 185lbs was deadlifting 750lbs and power cleaning over 400lbs! I don’t think the physique competitors would want to mess with that!   

The Golden Age competitor was more like a cross between a physique competitor and a strength competitor. This means physique competitors aren’t going back to the golden age roots. Maybe this message will motivate someone out there to change this trend. 


This year, I saw fewer former pro heavy weight bodybuilding Arnold champions. However, when it comes to the powerlifters and strongmen, we are constantly seeing records being broken. Some disabled lifters are having dreams come true. There are also many more opportunities for the female athletes and kids.

2. Name the TOP 5 Celebrities you saw at ASF 2019 and tell us how fans get to party or hang with them? 

BEN TATAR: I saw the most celebrities at the “Make It Fit” charity event for Autism. This is Phil Heath’s event. The celebrities who attended were Phil Heath, Matt Flynn, Darron Lee and the Cleveland Indian Cheerleaders. There were lots of successful NFL players. There was a photo booth, and anyone who gives money to Autism and buys a ticket can party with them. 

The other event is called the “Arnold Pop Culture”. Celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kai Greene, Brandon Curry, Larry Wheels and Mountain (Hafbor Julius Bjornsson) from the Game of Thrones, were in attendance. The event took place on Sunday morning. 

The celebrities also hang at the Kid’s Expo. They had David Goggins, four-time Super Bowl Champion from the 75-79 Steelers, Rocky Bleir, Tim Kennedy, and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. 

3. Name your personal HIGHLIGHT of the event. Why was this experience so awesome? Give lots of details

Ben Tatar: I came to the expo pretty injured this year. I had a cast on my foot. I was playing basketball, jumped really high and laterally landed on someone’s foot. At least I got the game winner, LOL.  The big question was would my foot hold for the expo without giving out? I was on crutches from October to February and I decided to leave my crutches behind!

I got around the expo, picked models up and even set a record at a booth for holding a 235lbs weight with 1 arm the longest amount of time. I was feeling great about setting a record and how well my foot was holding. I went to the Optimum Nutrition booth and tried to do one legged squat’s fast on a virtual reality game, but didn’t score too well!

However, I was feeling good enough to even put in the effort. So, I think my personal highlight at this year’s Arnold was definitely how tough I was with my foot/ ankle injury. Outside of myself, I looked around and saw quite a few lifters on crutches and in wheel chairs. Many people overlook such people, but I found them inspiring. It goes to show, even if you’re injured, the Arnold is an event anyone can attend! Not just attend, but achieve greatness!

4. Overall, what events at this year’s ASF were BIG hits for the fans?? What event(s) bombed?

BEN TATAR: The strongman is the biggest hit for the fans. This is where world records are broken. There is always so much energy. The events are so gimmicky and interesting with maxes. It’s more popular than the ESPN World’s Strongest Man contest because the events are based more on brute strength. 

The Mountain set a new world record in the Rogue Elephant bar by locking out 1,041lbs. He attempted 1,100lbs and just missed. The Wheel of Pain strongman event was very interesting to the masses. In powerlifting, Ray Williams set another squat record as he squatted 1,080lbs.

The most heartfelt moments for fans was when Miles Taylor who has Cerebral Palsy deadlifted 185lbs. The lifters with disabilities have incredible hearts and toughness.

For what events bombed? Well, there are over 80 events. There are even new events like foosball. Not every event can bring in big audiences. So some events don’t necessarily bomb, but aren’t being watched by big audiences. The Arnold is so big that events are scattered everywhere. I’m one of few who try to follow as many as possible, even if it means looking up information after the event happens. 

5. How has the Arnold changed since you started attending? What got better and what got worse? 

BEN TATAR: I think almost everything has changed since I started going. The events on the main stage are different. Thousands of the athletes, freaks, celebrities and models have come and gone. The way information is followed and communicated is also very different today.

Six things that have improved:

1) Today there are more competitions. The attendance is higher. Basically, everything has expanded, and there is more of something for everyone.

2) There are more booths, supplements and models.  There are new extravaganzas like “Arnold pop culture.”

3) The world records are higher / bigger / more impressive than ever before.

4) There are more divisions for physique competitions. There are more competitions for female competitors and for people with disabilities. 

5) Today we have the kids’ expo. Events are happening in more locations which also controls the crowd.

6) There is a stronger emphasis on health today.

Back in the 90s it was much smaller and the events were contained in Veterans Memorial. In 2006, the Arnold became the Arnold Sports Festival. However, so many exciting events have been added since then! Today the events are changing and more events are added every year. There are more events at today’s Arnold than there are at the Olympics!

Here are six things I miss from the old expos:

1) I liked the old Jason Dhir after Parties. Back then the celebrities and everyone from the booths were all at the same Saturday night parties. The Saturday night party stopped in 2013.  (However, I love the Phil Heath ‘Make It Fit’ for Autism event on Friday Night. This event started in 2013 at the Arnold’s 25^th anniversary and didn’t exist prior to 2013.)

2) Many people liked how the fitness industry was more of a magazine industry. Not everyone can be in magazines, but everyone can be on social media.

3) Today there are fewer freaks. It has less of the feel of being on another planet.

4) I miss casually running into big name celebrities who would just hang out in the lobby such as Bones Jones, Hulk Hogan, Ray Lewis and John Cena.

5) The Arnold had the WPO powerlifting competition on the main stage. It was a hardcore vibe.

6) I definitely miss some of the friends I made over the years who aren’t attending.

However, when something goes down, something else goes up. For example, today people can market the Arnold more on social media. Certain things aren’t better or worse, but just different. I think the Arnold does a good job each year of improving and expanding! What isn’t healthy or isn’t working goes out of style. The Arnold now appeals to a more diverse audience.

Lastly, Ben, you are an ASF guru, an expert….

PLEASE list your TOP 10 ASF experiences of this year and tell us ‘why’ they were great.

BEN TATAR: Top 10 experiences in no particular order:

*** I enjoyed eating dinner with Tiny Meeker the first and only man to ever bench press over 1,100lbs. It’s fun talking to someone who knows every bencher. Not many people are like that. Plus, he eats an insane amount. 

*** I enjoyed the whole entire social experience of the 2019 Arnold.

*** I enjoyed making friends with leaders in the industry.

*** I really enjoyed the VPX models and the VPX energy. Everyone was in beast mode.  

*** Rob Jones’ birthday dinner was great. It’s always fun to celebrate his birthday with the Under Construction crew. 

*** The Phil Heath “Make it Fit,” event for Autism was fantastic. All the best hearted stars in the fitness world come together and make a difference.

*** I really enjoyed staying at the convention center. This is huge because I can bring stuff to my room throughout the day and it’s a time saver.

*** It’s always awesome seeing old friends and making new ones. Everyone is always so pumped.

***I was glad I was able to make it through the expo with a foot and ankle injury. Realizing it never held me back. I also loved overcoming adversity and setting a record. 

***Miles deadlifts a new record with cerebral palsy.

*** I enjoyed the celebrities and going to the kids expo. 

The Aura of the Arnold experience is always incredible! History is always being made in some awesome form. Lastly, I want to thank CriticalBench and Chris Wilson for the interview. I will be back for next year’s Arnold and I hope to see everyone there. There is no other place quite like it. 

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 Featuring Ben Tatar, Interviewed by Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson: What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 coronavirus impacting this year’s Arnold and the reactions by competitors and fans?

Ben Tatar: Personally, my dad was telling me for weeks before March that there was a strong possibility the Arnold Expo could get canceled. My parents are intuitive.  I watched the reaction of fans around the world after the expo was canceled and spectators were banned from the events.  Fans from around the globe were freaking out! This just tells you how much the fans love the Arnold weekend!

But it wasn’t just the Arnold, for the first time ever events around the world got canceled in record number. Large and small businesses are way down. At the time of writing this article, people are being quarantined on cruise ships and festivals around the world are canceled while they’re banning Americans from traveling to Europe. 

The NBA, NHL MLS, PGA golf, and MLB have all been suspended. Individual events like track, wrestling, any Olympic sport and high school sporting events have been canceled. I just heard that March Madness has been canceled for the first time in its history. Disney World has been canceled.  I’m talking mostly sports and entertainment here, but this is affecting families in all different kind of ways. The latest news I have just heard is that many schools have been suspended for the next month. They will probably be canceled for the year. 

I’m sure more updates will take place long after this interview is published!

We haven’t had an event that would have canceled expos since 1918 with the Spanish flu. The Olympia and the Arnold has never been canceled. Disasters and tragedies are a part of life and maybe we have been so fortunate to not have faced such issues before this year’s ASF. It goes to show you can’t take anything for granted and how fortunate we have been.

A few of my friends were already in Columbus before the cancelation even happened.  Many had a pretty good time. How you ask? In Columbus you have some of the most hardcore gyms in the world. A lot of my weight lifting friends went to Westside Barbell, Elitefts, Lexen, The Spot, Pinnacle Performance, and Powerhouse gym.

There also were the single ticket finals.  Some attended a few of the strength competitions as family members/coaches to some of the lifters. Most of the best powerlifters would go out for meals and unite.  Some of them like Ryan Kennelly knew, despite the adversities of the Arnold weekend, a good time was still the only option. After the event was over, the Arnold had an online expo. I believe, in the future, supplement companies will have virtual expos to do business year-round as well as at LIVE events like the Arnold Expo.

Check out the new Arnold Virtual Expo: https://arnoldvirtualexpo.com

CW: How do you see the future of the Arnold? Do you think this year’s COVID-19 Coronavirus will mostly impact it in a positive or in a negative way?

BT: As Arnold said at the end of the Arnold Sunday Showcase, “I will be back.” The Arnold is scheduled to return to Columbus Ohio on Thursday March 1^st of 2021!

I hope the event will be even bigger and better. The fans will be fired up. The fact that we didn’t have a 2020 expo just adds that much more hype for next Arnold! The Arnold friends are missing their friends that much more, and they want to see the events they missed this past year! All these questions and MORE will be answered next year! I believe that this year’s Arnold adversity will be a storyline to make the next Arnold even better! Plus, there is that much more time to prepare to make the next Arnold amazing! I’m already excited for the next Arnold.

The Arnold USA has a contract to be in Columbus until 2023. However, I think it will last longer because of the friendships built there. There are always conventions in other places and the Arnold has become an international event at places such as: the Arnold Australia, Seville Spain, and Johannesburg South Africa. The Arnold Australia and South America event have been postponed. They have had the Arnold in Rio Brazil. There are other fitness events such as the Fibo in Germany, the Olympia in Vegas and now American conventions happening all over the world. 

However, the Columbus Arnold USA is definitely by far the most liked fitness event in the world! When it comes to the best athletes, the most competitions, the highest level of competitions, the most booths, the best booths, the most stars, models and energy, the other events don’t compete. 

CW: So, moving on from the coronavirus, what ‘ten things’ would you like to see occur at next year’s Arnold?

Ben Tatar: With all the adversity going on around the world with the coronavirus, I really hope and can’t wait to see everything return to next year’s usual awesomeness at the Arnold.  These events include:

The Fitness EXPO, The Kids Expo, Pro fitness/Figure/Classic Physique/ Wellness, 5K Pump and Run, Arm Lifting, Arm Wrestling, Arnold Education, Art, Bodypainting, Crossfit, Lifestyle Fitness& Yoga, Fencing, Foosball, Grappling, Jump Rope, Kettlebell, Fitness, Rogue Record Breakers, Strongman/woman (Pro& Am,) Scottish Highland Games, Spartan, Sunday Showcase, Ultimate Teen Challenge,  World’s Strongest Teen, USA Powerlifting, Weightlifting, WPO Powerlifting, XPC Powerlifting,  XPC Sling Shot show, Youth DanceSport, Arnold SportsWorld Kids& Teen EXPO, Baton Twirling, Cheerleading& Dance, Fustal, Gymnastics, Martial Arts Festival, IFBB Meet& Greet, Table Tennis, Wolf Pack Train Run, Ninja Warrior, Model Search, Art at the Arnold, Mas Wrestling, Pickleball, Swimming, 50+ DanceSport, Soccer, Fencing, Yoga, experience Arnold, The Arnold Hall of Fame, NFL Hall of Fame, Axe Throwing, Foosball, Disco Golf, Express LIVE, every sport/ competition at the Kids& Teens Expo, and the constant entertainment extravaganza’s surrounding around Arnold Weekend.

As you can see, there are more events going on during Arnold weekend than there are at the Olympics. I would also like to see the following ‘ten things’ occur:

-The return of Athletes from over 80 different Nations, 22,000 athletes, 250,000 fans and over 1000 booths.  Of course, without COVID-19 or any new pandemics.

-The return of the Arnold Pop Culture. (One on one time and photos with Arnold, plus various stars.) Also, the debut of the Arnold’s Legend Experience.

-I would like to see the current world records get broken. I would also like to see the debut of the World’s Strongest Teen, the return of the Animal Cage, the NFL Hall of Fame, or a new record set in any of the strength competitions.

-This year was the much-anticipated debut of medieval fighting. I would like to see medieval fighting and other new events enter the Arnold Experience.

-I would like to see The Phil Heath MakeItFit event for Autism comeback. If Phil can’t make it, I would like to see other charity events occur.

-I would like to see the return of something like the old MegaBash party.

-I also like the Kids Expo on Saturday as all the stars are there and it’s a great event for kids/ families of all ages.

-I can’t wait to see the lifters with disabilities go at it again. They are so inspiring! What does Miles Davis (the deadlift World Record Holder with cerebral palsy,) and new inspirations have for us next year?

-I can’t wait to see all my friends who have been in the industry since day one! Also, the new friends who enter the Arnold Sports Festival family.

-I can’t wait to see all the new entertainment and strength challenges the booths bring. Sometimes it’s a surprise, but it’s always a blast.

CW: What were you most excited about leading up to this year’s Arnold?

BT: I was excited about so many things but I’ll zero on my personal top 5 features:

-It was a year for the freaks. All my former “king of freak champions” were going to attend this year’s Arnold.  If there was a year that was about “the king of monsters,” the 2020 Arnold was it. It would have been the first time they all have mingled with each other all at the same time. Some examples of these individuals include Ed Russ, Frank Budelewski, Ryan Kennelly, Julius Maddox, Tiny Meeker and others.

-The Arnold pop culture. I was excited to take professional photos with Arnold Schwarzenegger for my Report.

-All my friends from GLC2000 and all the booths as we party together! I was looking forward to seeing friends from all around the world.

-The new company and Arnold Sponsor, Reigns. The Arnold was definitely going to have a new feel this year! All my friends were also pumped for Reigns.

-Obviously, the main expo with over one thousand vendors and the kids expo.

CW: What are your three favorite ASF Events?

BT: My three favorite events are:

When it comes to competitions, the Strongman competition is usually the best. So many new world records are broken and they always put on the best events.

The Powerlifting because of all the World Records and the intensity.

Finally, the Expo is my favorite, but that’s where so many things take place! The Expo is huge and has the best of the best.  You can have anything from Jerry Rice with the GOAT energy booth, to the best models/ lifters/ athletes from around the world. There are a lot of “out of this world” entertainment that the expo provides. Childhood heroes of mine attend like Mark Coleman to new and old friends. The Expo is definitely the most popular.

CW: What do you think was the most impressive performance of the weekend?

BT: The most impressive performance was when Julius Maddox bench pressed 770lbs raw! That was so insane! When the Arnold became the Arnold Sports Festival back in 2006, the raw bench press world record was 711lbs by James Henderson. Maddox is benching more today RAW than what the top bench pressers were benching with the assistance of a bench press shirt back in the 90s.

Now let’s compare today, 2020 to the year 2000! In 2000, Glen Chabot won the Arnold with a 722lbs bench press with a bench press shirt. In 2020 (twenty years later,) we have Julius Maddox bench pressing 770lbs raw. Isn’t that amazing? It’s also great seeing older greats like Tiny Meeker and Ryan Kennelly becoming friends of the new greats.  

Some other honorable mentions:

Mateusz Kieliszwoski had an incredible strongman feat. He tore his biceps last fall and made history with the stones in 53 seconds. Tom Stoltman was the first man to ever load a 600lbs atlas stone!  During the cyr strategic dumbbell press, Kiliszkowski set a world record with 320lbs! I remember Mark Henry did 173lbs with one arm with a much thicker dumbbell back in 2002 called Thomas inch dumbbell. The dumbbell was two and a half inches in diameter. I would say the strongman of today like Mountain would beat the 2002 strongman competitors by a lot. Mountain won the 2020 Strongman competition. He has now won his last three strongman competitions in a row!

Blaine Sumner squats 1135lbs and sets an IPF record. That was very impressive.

The bodybuilding was epic. William Bonac “The Conqueror, “won his second Arnold in three years.  Dexter Jackson has won five Arnold’s and I always see him at the booths. He has been competing in the Arnold main event going back to 1999. Big Ramy is good for the sport in the sense that he keeps the “freak,” mentality alive. He competes at 300lbs and won the first ever Franco Columbu award! I think the Franco Columbu award definitely adds to the Arnold experience because now you have the champion for overall/symmetry/posing, but also a most muscular bodybuilding award as well.  Steve Kuclo won the first Arnold Brazil and he has worked for different companies over the year such as All Max and BSN. Sergio Olivia and Cedric McMillan competed and have left a mark in the bodybuilding universe.

It’s great to see the top lifters from different eras become friends with each other. I think the whole Arnold community is great like that. There are so many greats with big hearts. It was definitely a record shattering weekend.

CW: What was the highlight of the event based on the outcomes? Any big underdog victories or “feel good” comeback stories?

BT: The only events that were open to spectators this year were the Saturday night single ticket finals.  Here are the top five results for each Saturday night event:

ARNOLD CLASSIC:

1^ST place: William Bonac

2^nd place: Dexter Jackson.

3^rd place: Mamdough Elssbiay
(famously known as Big Ramsey)

4^th place: Stephen Kuclo

5^th place: Sergio Olivia Jr.

Strongman:

1^st place: Hafthor Bjornsson (Mountain)

2^nd place: Mateusz Kieliszkowski

3^rd place: Martins Licis

4^th place: Jean-Francois Caron

5^th place: Oleksii Novikov

Wheel Chair Bodybuilding:

1^st place: Harold Kelly

2^nd place: Antoni Khadraoui

3^rd place: Bradley Betts

4^th place: Johnny Quinn

Men’s Physique:

1^st place: Andre Ferguson

2^nd place: Brandon Henrickson

3^rd place: Steven Cao

4^th place: George Brown

5^th place: Carlos DeOliveira

Bikini International:

1^st place: Elisa Pecini

2^nd place: Angelica Teixeira

3^rd place: Janet Layug

4^th place: Priscila Leimbacher

5^th place: Etila Santiago Santos

Some of the other competition winners:

Men’s Bodybuilding- Fabio Rezende

Classic Physique- Faban Mayr

Men’s Physique- Drelyn Hunt

Women’s Physqiue- Ana Harias

Fitness- Amanda Ciani

Figure- Anita Davis

Masters figure- Lynn Centino

Bikini- Gabrielle Messias

Masters Bikini- Yeirfer Zerpa

Wellness- Francielle Mattos

I would say Dexter Jackson competing at fifty and coming in second was a great story. William “The Conqueror” Bonac made a comeback after placing second last year. The wheel chair bodybuilders always have great stories.  Seeing bodybuilders like Morgan Aste evolve every year or Zerpa Yeirfer who trains and eats completely differently than her boyfriend Tiny Meeker (first and only man to ever bench press over 1,100lbs,) is quite the story.  I think the bottom line is at THIS level, YOU NEED A BIG STORY TO BE ON THIS BIG STAGE!

CW: How would you compare the modern-day Arnold to the beginning days of the Arnold Sports Festival? In what ways are they mostly the same and in what ways are they mostly different?

BT: One day I may write a book about the Arnold Sports Festival.  Right now, I will compare how they are different:

 Today the Arnold is way more organized and has a lot more going on! Many things can be viewed online in advance. It’s easier to use time productively due to the high level of its organization.

Certain things have changed greatly since the Arnold first began in 1989. In the 1990s, it was way smaller and the events were contained in Veterans Memorial.  The Arnold Sports Festival emerged in 2006. I remember in 2006, they had events like Sumo Wrestling, Figure Skating and Hockey Skills competition. Today there are far more events. The Events that had the best turn out in the past, still remain.

The supplements have changed. For example, in 2006, they had supplements like Blocker, VAULT, NitroBolic Extreme, Lumatol AC, No-Explode, Cell Mass, Beverly International and 17HD. In recent years, those supplement companies don’t go anymore.  Currently, they organize supplements in Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsor categories. Some of the people have changed. For instance, back in 2006 we had Little Hercules at the booths or Matt Hasselbeck from the Seattle Seahawks. However, we have loyal stars like Paul Levesque who is famously known as Triple H. Triple H was at the first ASF event and we took a picture together! He was just awarded “The 2020 LifeTime Achievement Award,” during the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival. Congratulations Triple H!

Now, here are five advantages of the Arnold TODAY and five advantages of the back in the beginning days of the ASF event:

Advantages now:

Celebrities— Now you can see a celebrity without waiting in a three-hour line. They now have events like the Arnold Pop Culture/ or the Arnold Legends experience which didn’t exist before. At the Arnold Pop Culture, you buy a photoshoot with a celebrity of your choice at a scheduled time. In addition, you can go to the kid’s expo and see many celebrities all at the same time and place.  The Arnold scheduled all of the Arnold Hall Of Fame abductees at the kid’s expo. This saves time and allows you to do everything else you want to do. Years ago, the option was to wait in a long line at unknown times.

Friendships are more pure— When I think of the Arnold 15 years ago, so much of everything was “Can you get me into a magazine?”

Location organization—everything is organized. Do you want to avoid the Saturday crowds? Head over to the kid’s expo, CrossFit, powerlifting or any event of your choice. The examples are endless.

More Booths/ more Fans and more everything!  Today there are over 250,000 fans and over 1000 booths.

More competitions and variety of products! The products today are much more creative and interesting. There are far more competitions such as disco golf, foosball, pickle ball and over eighty others. In addition, the Arnold Expo now has three different big stages. The Arnold has figured out ways to stay fresh and evolve.

Advantages of the past:

There was nothing quite like the WPO era of bench pressing on the main Arnold stage! The equipped powerlifters and fans really miss it.

There were more celebrities in lobbies of the hotel and more night time parties. For example, years ago you could party with Bones Jones, John Cena, Carmen Electra, Ray Lewis and Hulk Hogan in the main lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel.

Since it was more of a booming magazine era period of time, I think that motivated some people. People were constantly exchanging business cards, looking to get published in every magazine or television show. My experience is that many people who were only caring about publicity didn’t last.  

The mysterious factor—Before Facebook/iPhones existed, many people didn’t really know what the Arnold was!  They couldn’t watch the events online or see parts of the expo online.  Everything was new! The expos were also not happening all over the world at a frequent rate.  The Arnold was more like a secret paradise.

It was more hardcore- The crowd was stronger and there were fewer events. The hardcore crowd perceives the addition of many events to be watering things down. They like seeing less to highlight the hardcore components of the industry.  Today health is paramount and more non lifting related events makes the Arnold an event that all walks of life can enjoy.

As far as what remains consistent at the Arnold…

First, I will add at the 2020 Arnold event celebrities like Frank Shamrock, Forrest Griffin, Eddie George, Rocky Bleier, HHH and Randy Couture were major celebrity attractions. I was seeing and hanging with all of them at the 2011 Arnold! Some other ways the Arnold is the same:

-Champions are made! Doesn’t matter the year, there are always champions!

-Freaks and Models—There are freaks and models everywhere!

-Friendships that last forever—past or present, the friends you make at the Arnold are often friends for life.

-The excitement of everyone there- there is always an aura at the Arnold that you can’t get anywhere else.

-Celebrities/Pro Athletes/ Inspirations from people with disabilities.

I will also add there are more champions and more of everything today.  The Arnold expands in all these areas whether it’s the disability competitions or the level of performances every single year!

With all this said, I like the new era of the Arnold. I wouldn’t go back and bring the old Arnold back. However, I might bring some old friends from the old Arnold back into the new Arnold!

CW: What lessons have you learned about the models/ freaks/ and Arnold fans in regards to the way the event has evolved each year?

BT: I have learned that the fans often attend for life! I have so many friends who started going to the Arnold back in 1989 when it first began. They still continue to go every year! I have many older friends of the Arnold who introduce the event to their kids, nephews, grandkids or much younger friends of theirs.

Some of the older fans have their daughters work the booths or have their kids compete. The fans have a lot of respect from me for their passion and loyalty to the event. This is one of many reasons why the event grows in popularity in addition to the event expanding each year.

For the models? I have discovered many models don’t last for a long time. Some of the booths have new model searches every year. Some booths don’t return every year. There are a lot of reasons why the models don’t return.  I have some model friends who have always been fans and have been going since they were little kids.

For the freaks? I have found the freaks to last! I have also found the celebrities to last. Many are fans of the event for decades to life. They might or might not return every year, but they love the Columbus gyms, the Arnold competitions and the Expo. They enjoy the friends they have made over the years and seeing the best in the world.    

I have enjoyed making friends with the models, freaks and fans over the years.

CW: What are you MOST excited about for NEXT year’s ASF?

BT:  I really can’t wait for next year’s Arnold especially after this year’s adversity. There will be a magical feeling being able to know everything is back with surprises that haven’t even been thought of yet.  A lot of things have been missed and having everything return with extras will make for a very special experience.  

I would like to give special thanks to you Chris for the interview.  I’m glad to see so much positive history was made during some of the competitions that happened during the 2020 Arnold. The historic moments will always be remembered.  I can’t wait for the next Arnold! I will see you all there!

as told to CriticalBench.com by Ben Tatar

Jake Prazak has bench pressed 909 at 220lbs and 920 at 242lbs. These are both world records. Let’s meet bench press world record holder Jake Prazak!

CB:      Jake, tell us about yourself.

JP:      I am 35 years old and live in the small town of Rock Falls, Ia. I am married to Jessica and have 4 kids. Hunting, fishing, lifting, and wrestling is how I spend most of my time. My family by far is the most important thing in my life.

CB:      Jake, you benched 909 at 220lbs and 920lbs at 242lbs, both world records. What went through your mind after you achieved both of those lifts? How did you celebrate?

JP:      They both felt amazing. In bench there are a lot of ups and downs. To finally get the records was a relief because I had been close so many times. We celebrated just like we do after any competition…with lots of beer to replace lost carbs and rehydrate.

CB:      Tell us about your bench press routine!

JP:      Monday- Shoulder preventative maintenance, close grip bench, accessory triceps

Tuesday- Shoulder preventative maintenance, Squat/Deadlift, leg accessory, bi’s, forearms

Wednesday- Shoulder preventative maintenance, Upper Back work and some more   shoulders

Thursday- Shoulder preventative maintenance

Friday- Shoulder preventative maintenance, Bench, accessory chest

Saturday- Nothing

Sunday- Shoulder preventative maintenance, bodybuilder day (core, cardio elliptical sprints)

CB:      Can you tell us a little more about what you do during shoulder preventative maintenance days and why they are important?

JP:      I look at my body as a complex machine. If you don’t do any preventative maintenance (PM) on machines, especially the complex and most used parts, they will start to not work correctly and eventually break. That is how I look at my shoulders. Your shoulders take a beating daily, they need to be taken care of. For my PM for shoulders I do active stretching, light band work, and several different rotator cuff movements.

 Bill Carpenter with Jake Prazak

CB:      Jake, give us 10 keys to a scary strong bench press!

JP:      1-Training partners that are on the same page as you

2-Listen to your body. Your body will tell you when to deload, no program should.

3-Do not get into a comfort zone…handle weights that takes you out of that zone.

4-Analyze how each accessory exercise you do can help your bench

5-Don’t worry about anyone else’s numbers but your own.

6-Eliminate as many distractions as possible throughout each day.

7-Constantly work on improving your form, setup, and technique

8-Know how to supplement correctly.

9-Travel and do a training sessions with the best out there. This hands on knowledge is priceless.

10- HAVE FUN and be yourself.

11- SPEED, SPEED, SPEED

12. Orgasm often…best thing for your body by far.

CB:      Thanks for the 2 bonus tips 🙂  Thus far in your bench press journey, list for us a) your favorite moment b) a crazy moment and c) a moment that changed you the most

JP:      a.) Watching any teammate hit their first multi-ply bench

b.) Watching bones break, quads detach, bicep tears… it’s so painful and crazy to see in        person.

c.) Hearing my kid’s voice over everything else while laying on the platform.

CB:      Where do you train? What is it like?

JP:      I train at N.I.P. & Fitness Center. I own it with one other partner. It is a 5100 sq ft, brand new facility in Mason City, Ia. We have Powerlifting, Strongman, Dedicated Women’s circuit and lots of pin select and plate loaded equipment. We cater to everybody, no matter what your fitness goals are. www.northiafitness.com is our website. We have a forum and online supplement store. You may also find us on Facebook under N.I.P. & Fitness Center.

CB:      That’s awesome. Everyone make sure to check out Jake’s gym.   How did you get started in bench pressing? Did it ever occur to you that you would be a world record holder?  That makes you one in 7 billion people.  How does that feel?

JP:      I started bench pressing in 5^th grade and never quit. My first competition was when I was in 10th grade and I think I benched 185. I never in a million years believed I would hold any all time world records. It doesn’t even sink in until you say, “7 billion people” and then you start to look back and realize what you have achieved.

CB:      What are your future goals?

JP:      In the near future, I want to up the 242 record and within the next 2 years want to be the lightest ever to bench 1000.

CB:      What are your 10 favorite exercises for a bigger bench press?

JP:      1-Splitting wood by hand

2-Pull ups

3-Close Grip Bench

4-Dumbbell military presses

5-Incline Straight Bar

6-Squats

7-Deads

8-Elliptical Sprints

9-Close grip bench with bands

10- 12 oz arm curls

CB:      #1 and #10 are my favorite.  How are you going to remember your bench press journey? How do you want to be remembered?

JP:      I will remember all of the great friends I have met throughout the world. Powerlifters in general are the most down to earth, non self centered people I have ever met (for the most part)…until you disrespect them! That is what I will remember and love about the powerlifting community. I don’t really care how I am remembered, everyone else will decide that on their own.

CB:      Well, Jake you’re so much stronger than the rest of the world. How do people usually respond when they discover that you can bench press over 900lbs?

JP:      Most don’t believe it and most don’t understand multi-ply lifting.

CB:      What was the best advice you ever received? What was the worst?

JP:      Best: You have to live in your shirt.  Worst: You train in your shirt way to much.

CB:      I’m going to name a powerlifting topic. I want you let me know what comes to mind.

JP:      Ok.

CB:      225

JP:      Me in 11th grade. I thought I was big shit getting 225.

CB:      315lb. bench presser

JP:      Believe me, I don’t mind taking plates off for you. I want you to be 405 lbs presser. I am just happy you are bench pressing and wanting to get better.

CB:      405 lb. bench presser

JP:      Same as the 315 lb presser.

CB:      500 lb. bench presser

JP:      Same as the 405 lb presser.

CB:      600 lb. bench presser

JP:      Same as the 500 lb presser.

CB:      700 lb. bench presser

JP:      Same as the 600 lb presser.

CB:      Bencher who fears the shirt.

JP:      You have to surround yourself with people who know how to use them…they will cure your fear.

CB:      Bencher who disses the shirt.

JP:      They have obviously tried it…they just can’t handle multi-ply benching. Do you want to say you bench 400 raw or 600 equipped? Human nature in all of us says we want to say 600 equipped. Sounds way cooler! Raw and equipped are two completely different sports. I got really bored with raw and became addicted to handling as much weight as possible. I have the utmost respect for anybody who competes and will never diss anybody.

CB:      People who look up to you.

JP:      Don’t be scared to talk to me and ask me any question. This is what I enjoy.

CB:      Your fans.

JP:      Thank You!

CB:      A bencher comes up to you and says, “I haven’t gotten stronger in years. I need help! I feel like I have reached my potential and I’m just not into it.” What do you say to get them going again?

JP:      I say get into it and stop feeling sorry for yourself. There many people who have it way worse than you. So be thankful you can even lift weights! Once they change their attitude I will help them as much as they need.

CB: What’s your nutrition plan?

JP:      I have no nutrition plan. I try and eat as clean and healthy as possible. I try and stay anabolic 24/7. Everybody knows what they should and shouldn’t eat, I don’t need it on paper. I love burgers, brats, and beer!

CB:      I’m going to list five aspects of powerlifting. Tell me which you think are most important: Diet, Genetics, Mind/Heart, Training Partners, Rest.

JP:      Mind /Heart

            Training Partners

            Rest

            Diet

            Genetics

CB:      Jake, if you could be any kind of animal, what would you be?

JP:      A dog…They are pretty intelligent and obviously for the other reason.

CB:      What makes Jake different in the gym than everyone else?

JP:      I am driven to be the best at what I do. I am not happy with 2^nd.

CB:      Jake, it has been great interviewing you today. You have really shocked the world with the numbers you have been putting up in the bench press. We wish you all the best with everything you do. In closing who do you want to thank?

JP:      I want to thank my wife Jessica and my kids for the sacrifices they have put up with while allowing me to be selfish in accomplishing my goals in this obsession of mine! They are my biggest fans. My training partners deserve a lot of credit as well, without a dedicated team no records would have been broken. My sponsors Rudy Rosales with OVERKILL STRENGTH EQUIPMENT, American Muscle (http://americanmuscle.us/), Rhino Power Gear (https://www.rhinopowergear.com/), HAAS Chiropractic, Synergy Worldwide (http://us.synergyworldwide.com/). I am proud to represent these elite companies. I take who I represent very seriously. Finally, thank you CRITICAL BENCH for taking the time to get to know me!

Guest post by Andy Bolton of Deadlift Dynamite

1. Realize that strength training is a violent pursuit

You may have never thought about strength training as something violent, but it is.  Think about it: when you squat, you put a weight on your back that could potentially cripple you if it all goes wrong. When you bench, you lift a bar above your body that if dropped on your neck will probably kill you.

And the deadlift encourages you to lift weights from the floor that could break your back if you don’t have the correct form and know how to stay tight.

Indeed, if you don’t get a buzz from watching MMA, boxing, rugby, American football or some other “violent” sport, you are probably not cut out for serious strength training.  However, if you do get a kick out of watching those sports and have a passion for getting stronger, you need to develop…

2. Aggression

If you want to dominate the kind of weights that the average lifters can’t even hope to lift, you have to be aggressive.

When you are in the hole on the squat, with your max on your back, you have to drive that bar back to the start position like your life depends on it.

The same goes for the bench press: when the bar touches your chest, you have to crush it with serious aggression and drive it back to the start position.

And as for the deadlift, I don’t think any other lift is so dependent on being in the right state of mind. Watch my world record deadlifts and you will see my training partner slap my face beforehand for several minutes.  As Dave “Bulldog” Beattie does this I am allowing my aggression to build. When the time comes I push Dave out of the way (not easy to do given that he’s 300lbs) and then I unleash hell on the bar.

That’s the kind of attitude all the best guys have.  If you want to see aggression, watch me lift, watch Captain Kirk lift, watch Chuck Vogelphol lift, watch my training partner Brian Reynolds lift—all great lifters, all very aggressive.  You can get ok strength without aggression, but if you want to be super strong, you have to be an animal.

With that said, you also need…

3. Clarity

The ability to think clearly and see things as they are is of vital importance to the strength athlete.  Only when you think clearly will you be able to objectively work out your weaknesses and address them accordingly.

Only when you think clearly will you know when to push and when to hold back, when to get psyched up before a lift and when to just be aggressive when you are actually under the bar.  Only when you think clearly will you be able to stay injury free and ensure your own longevity.  Clarity is essential for success. Most people are unclear and unsuccessful. There is a pattern right there.

4. Visualization

Visualization is a simple yet highly powerful mental skill that all successful people have.  Science has proven that if you think about something over and over again and with enough intensity, your brain can’t actually tell the difference between whether or not you have actually done what you are thinking about or just imagined it.

So… the trick is to visualize yourself going for and SUCCEEDING with personal bests over and over again before you actually attempt them.  I “saw myself” lift 1,008lbs thousands of times before I actually pulled it for real.  When the time came to do it in competition, I actually felt like it was nothing new.  Embrace visualization and use it to help you get stronger.

At the same time…

5. Avoid excess negativity

The reason why I say to avoid excess negativity and not just to avoid negativity is because we all have negative thoughts and we always will have.  The difference is that some people dwell on negative thoughts and allow them to sabotage their success, while others quickly eliminate them and/or work out if there is a hidden message.

In relation to lifting, the biggest example of negativity is people who see themselves missing personal bests.  Never, ever do this and if you catch yourself doing this, stop it straight away and imagine yourself succeeding 10 times.  In order to ‘catch’ negative thoughts before they get out of hand, you must have…

6. Focus

Tony Robbins says that most people live their lives like a leaf on a river. In other words—they go where the river takes them, with no real control over where they are going.  If you want control over your life and your strength, you must be like the speed boat on the river; able to pick its course and do what it wants—instead of being dictated to by your surroundings and circumstances… you must take control and make things happen.

When you are focused, you will naturally take control and spend your time more wisely.  Right now, do a quick exercise that will get you focused…

• Take out a sheet of paper
• Write down three 30 day goals
• Write down three 3 month goals
• Write down three 12 month goals
• Write down a big, outrageous 3 to 5 year goal

Read these goals every day and tick them off as you do achieve them.  Finally, you must be:

7. Flexible

Bruce Lee talks about flowing like water.  You must be the same. No matter how well you plan, things will always need to be tweaked and altered along the way. That goes for strength training and everything you do in life.
Do not be stubborn, be flexible.  If something’s not working, be man enough to change it.

Click to Increase Your Bench Press, Squat & Deadlift Fast

Guest Post By Rick Kaselj Creator of Muscle Imbalances Revealed

There is a good chance you have been doing the squat wrong for a long time.  The squat builds leg strength and shape but also it is important in saving those knees.  You want those knees to be happy so you can keep lifting for a long time.

Lets test to see if you are doing the squat all wrong.

Do this Test to See If You Are Getting the Most Out of Your Squat

Look in the mirror or have someone look at your squat.

Perform a bodyweight squat.

Look to see how far down your hips go.

Do your hips stay above your knees or do they dip down past your knees?

If your hips do not dip past your knees, you are not getting the most out of your squat and you are not helping strengthening knees and hips in order to protect your knees.

Lets chat about why letting your hips pass your knees is important.

Knee and Hip Strength Through Full Range

You want to build strengthen around the knee and hip through full range of motion.  If you are stopping, just above the knees, you are not building full strength in the hips and knees which leaves the knees exposed to injury when the hips pass the knees.  The hips pass the knees often when you are doing day to day things and working.

If you let the hips pass the knees, you strengthen the knees over a larger range of motion plus you work the hamstrings, hip flexors and gluteus maximus which all help in decreasing the stress on the knees and keeping the knees happy.

Testing Out the Squat to See if It will Help You

You can test out what I am talking about.

With your non-dominant hand, grab something very stable like a squat rack or door frame.  Lean back and move into a squat position.

With your dominant hand feel the muscles around your knee and hip area.

Do a few repetitions of the squat and make sure to see what is happening with your quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and gluteus maximus.

Perform the squat to different heights.

Try a half squat.

Try a squat with your hips above your knees.

Try a squat with your knees in line with your hips.

Try a squat with your hips below your knees.

What happened to your knee and hip muscles at different depths?

Did you feel an increase in activation of the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and gluteus maximus when hips pass your knee?

If yes, keep reading on.

What Can You Do About it?

You have done the assessment, now it is time to do a few exercises that will help out.

Finger Squat

A finger squat is a bodyweight squat that will help you build strength around the knee and hip during greater range of motion.

Start in a squat foot position and place your palms together, in front of you.  Keep your arms straight and squat down to a point in which your fingers touch the ground while looking straight ahead.  When you touch the ground, return back to the starting position.

Performing the finger squat will force you to dip your hips below your knees so you strengthening at a greater range of motion of your knees and your hips.

You can do this as a warm-up to your leg program or you can do this at the end of your leg program as a recovery.

Front Squat Hip Dip

Adding a twist to the front bar squat.  For your first set, start off with a warm-up weight.  Perform the front squat and work on dipping those hips past knees on the bottom position.  I am not saying bring your seat to your heels, just dip them past.  You will feel how the squat changes when you do this.

Doing this with the front squat, based on where the bar is, it allows you to lean back more and activate your gluteus maximus muscles which is important for hip health but also knee health.

Wrapping Up

Test out your squat to see if you are going deep enough.  If you are not going deep enough, you are not strengthening your knees in order to prevent injuries and you are not strengthening the hips in order to keep them strong and decrease the strain on your knees.

Make sure to test out your squat depth and give the finger squat and front squat hip dip a go to help improve your squat depth in order to make your knees happy for the long haul.

Hears to getting strong and to happy knees.

Rick Kaselj, MS

Are You A Fitness Professional That Needs To Earn CECs and CEUs?
Take Rick’s Home Study Course “Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Assessment & Exercise”

Andy Bolton is an English powerlifting and strongman legend. He was the first guy to deadlift one thousand pounds in a powerlifting competition. Andy won his first competition at the age of 21 and just kept going from there, never looking back. He is the current World Powerlifting Organization world record holder (2,806 pounds) and holds the WPO world records in squat (1,213 pounds) and deadlift (1,009 pounds). His best competition bench press is a whopping 755 pounds.

In his latest work, Super Size Your Strength, Andy teams up with fellow powerlifter Elliot Newman to share their insiders’ secrets for driving your squat, bench press and deadlift to new, amazingly powerful highs. Let’s take a look and see what they have to say.

Supersize Your Strength is a 16-week training program to build raw/unequipped strength. In other words, if you wear knee wraps on your squats this program is suitable for you but if you wear squat and deadlift suits and bench shirts, then you need to look elsewhere.

The book is broken up into eight easy-to-read chapters that cover everything you need to know to follow the program and build your squat, bench press and deadlift. The sharp focus on these ‘big three’ exercises is one aspect of this book that I really like. If you’re a powerlifter this sharp focus makes perfect sense. If you’re not a powerlifter but just a guy who wants to get strong, this approach still makes sense because by focusing on the big three lifts, you’re building absolute strength from head to toe. In other words, Supersize Your Strength helps you build the foundation you need to grow all over your body. All of this is covered in chapter one.

The next chapter provides an overview of the complete 16-week program. The program is designed for a four-day training schedule and is designed to be followed exactly as-is, without modification. The only modification allowed is a switch to a 3-day switch schedule.

Chapter three covers the all-important warm up. If you expect to be lifting the kinds of weight these guys do, it is absolutely critical that you properly warm up—no exceptions. Extensive photographs are provided for each warm up exercise.

Chapter four outlines the 16-week training program. The guys include handy charts that cover each four-week period of the program. The number of exercises performed each day ranges from a low of four to a high of seven. Rest periods between the sets should be between 60 and 180 seconds, depending on the type of exercise you’re performing. You’ll need to read chapter five though first, because this is where all of the exercise movements are laid out for you. Again, like in chapter three, pictures demonstrate proper form.

The very few modifications that are allowed in the Supersize Your Strength program are covered in chapter six. For example, if a four-day cycle doesn’t work for you, it is acceptable to switch to a three-day split routine by combing certain exercises. The program includes 20 minutes of cardio per week. However, you are allowed to add some additional cardio time to this schedule. Keep in mind though that the goal of the program is to build super strength so it is important that you not spend too much time doing cardio.

Chapter seven is focused on things you can do to increase your strength gains. Specifically, this chapter highlights pre-, during- and post-workout nutrition, along with the all important recovery. I found the nutrition section of this chapter especially useful. The guys provide a lot of great information about carbs, protein, timing your nutritional intake and more. Remember that nutrition is the foundation of all gains in size and strength. You can lift until you can’t lift any more, but if you don’t have the proper nutritional foundation, the gains just won’t happen. The recovery section in chapter seven is also very well done.

The last chapter outlines your post-program strategy to maintain your gains.

Andy and Elliot also include four bonus books: Explode Your Squat; Explode Your Bench; Explode Your Deadlift; and Bigger Lifting Through Stronger Abs. Each of these volumes provide a nice range of tips and tricks to keep exploding your results beyond the 16-week Supersize Your Strength training program. All-in-all I’m happy to give the program a solid recommendation. Andy and Elliot obviously know what they are doing in terms of strength training and they do an excellent job of conveying their knowledge and wisdom to the reader.

Click Here To Supersize YOUR Strength!

Do THIS And You’ll Get Bigger, Stronger And Faster – Guaranteed.
By Andy Bolton author of Supersize your Strength

You may wonder what it is that I’m referring too. After-all, to guarantee that you’ll get BIGGER, STRONGER and FASTER is a pretty bold claim, right?

But it’s a claim I can back up with results.

My own results (multiple world records and titles).

My training partners results.

My clients results.

Now, what the hell am I talking about?

Good question.

Here’s your answer…

I’m talking about Training Program Design.

You see, the right training program can accelerate your gains in the gym faster than virtually anything else, but the wrong program can leave you without any gains for months (or even years) and can lead you down a road of injury and frustration.

The trouble is, it sounds easy – all you have to do is write an effective training program and you’ll achieve all your muscle-building and strength goals.

BUT – it’s not easy!

Not by a long way.

I see many guys hurt themselves and make little or no progress in the gym because they are clueless when it comes to training program design.

Some Bench Press 6 times a week.

Others only train the ‘mirror muscles’.

Others only train their upper body’s.

The list of mistakes goes on and on.

The most important things you need to get right if you want to get big and strong are:

– Good sleep

– Proper nutrition and hydration

– Lifting technique

– Training program design

Without a good training program you are doomed to failure. With a good training program it can be like removing the brakes, adding the Supercharger and saying “HELLO” to a whole new world of gains.

When I was starting out in the world of strength I found the best lifters I could and I studied what they did. At first I copied their programs and made decent gains.

Over the years I added my own unique flavors to the mix and made even better gains. Now I share my knowledge and wisdom (20+ years worth) with other lifters and athletes and they very often experience the best gains of their lives.

They add muscle.

They get stronger.

They get faster and build explosiveness.

Nice.

If you’d like me to help you to get bigger, stronger and faster, by providing you with a “kick-ass” training program, click the link below:

Supersize Your Strength

Lets keep this simple. If you’d like to win one of ten free copies I’m giving out of my new Bench Press Explosion eBook that contains 18 of the best bench press routines I have ever come across here’s your big chance!

The problem as I see it is addressing how powerbuilders can simultaneously achieve big numbers in their bench press weight and still develop sculptured, striated pecs in a minimal amount of time. That is the challenge I strive to address with this book.

Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win.

Look over these two interview posts below (will open in new windows) where I talk about my powerbuilding approach to bench pressing for BOTH strength and size.

Part 1: How To Bench Press 300 Pounds & Beyond!
Part 2: How To Bench Press 300 Pounds & Beyond!

Now leave a comment below on this page using 250 words or less explaining why you want to increase your bench press to get bigger and stronger and how my new eBook Bench Press Explosion would help you reach your goals of gaining this strength and size.

This contest will be open until the end of the day on Monday, March 12th. Everyone has the same fair chance to win and all entries will be read. Just do me a favor and don’t use lack of finances as a reason you want to win. Even if you don’t win I’m going to make this super affordable so everyone can get their hands on it next week when it’s released.

Good luck. Enter you comment below to win. Contest ends at the end of the day on March 12th.

If you’re an athlete, you need to be explosive… unless of course you’re a marathon runner, in which case you can just slowly jog away from this article right now because this doesn’t apply to you.

But if you’re involved in any other sport that is worth watching, like MMA, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc, then explosive power is what makes those exciting plays happen.

You know, when someone lands a big knockout punch or takedown, a running back breaks through the middle of the line, or Blake Griffin soars through the air and throws down a big dunk.

Well there’s no better way than adding in the Olympic lifts.

In fact, science has proven it.

In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 1993 called “A Review of Power Output Studies of Olympic and Powerlifting: Methodology, Performance Prediction, and Evaluation Tests”, author John Garhammer performed a biomechanical analysis of the Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Deadlift, Squat and Bench Press to determine how much power was being generated during each exercise.

Before we get into the results of the study, you must understand how power is calculated.

Power is calculated by the following equation (it’s math lesson time – yay!):

Power = Force x Velocity

While velocity is simply how fast you move the weight, Force = Mass x Acceleration, how much weight you move multiplied by how much you accelerate the weight.

That’s why with respect to power output, lifting heavier doesn’t always mean lifting more powerfully, because whenever you add weight, you will be slowing down the lift.

Now let’s take a look at the results of Garhammer’s study…

Garhammer analyzed video of elite lifters and calculated their power outputs through some really intense mathematical analysis.

If you’re a science geek who wants to see the details, click here to download the entire study.

Basically, what Garhammer found was that during the Clean exercise, a 100 kg lifter generated 4191 watts of power, while during the Deadlift, 1274 watts of power were generated!

The reason why over 3x more power is generated by the Clean is because the lift is performed so much faster and over a much bigger range of motion – it takes about 1 second to get the barbell from the floor to the front rack position during a heavy Clean, while it can take anywhere from 4-6 seconds to get the barbell from the floor to the thighs in a Deadlift.

Plus, because you cannot perform the Olympic lifts slowly, you’re forced to be explosive!

Just check out this video of Chinese lifter Liao Hui, lifting 198 kg (435 lbs) in the Clean and Jerk… at a bodyweight of only 69 kg (151 lbs)!

So if you’re looking to improve your explosive power for your sport, jump higher, or just learn these highly technical exercises because you’ll get a kick out of seeing the looks on people’s faces as you do these in the gym while they’re sitting on the leg extension, check out my friend Eric Wong’s (trains UFC fighters) Olympic Lifting Mastery Course to learn more about the Olympic lifts and becoming a more explosive athlete or powerful lifter.

Who Else Wants To Quickly Master The Most
Explosive Exercises On The Planet?
Click Here

Ask most anyone that lifts weights what the three most critical lifts are and I can almost guarantee that he will say the bench press, the deadlift and the squat. Of the three, the squat is arguably the most important compound exercise you can perform because it not only works all of the major leg muscles but it strengthens the core and supports muscle growth throughout the body too.

Each of these three exercises is a compound movement that simultaneously recruits multiple muscle groups, making them all critical to explosive gains in strength and mass.
Even more important, all three movements push the body’s endocrine system into overdrive, triggering the release of powerful hormones such as testosterone that drive strength gains and muscle growth.

A guy named Andy Bolton understands this concept better than just about anybody. He’s spent more than 20 years figuring out what works and what doesn’t and has gotten really good at it. Andy is a 7-time WPC World Powerlifting Champion, a 2-time WPO Champion and the first man ever to pull a 1000 lbs Deadlift in competition. In fact, he’s squatted an unbelievable 1214 pounds, benched an incredible 755 pounds and deadlifted more than 1,000 pounds, not once–but twice!

His “Explode” books (one for squats, one for the bench press and one for the deadlift) outline Andy’s techniques for making these critical moves the foundation of a training routine that will blast out more size and strength gains than you ever thought possible.

Although each book covers a different topic, the overall layout of each is very similar. In all three the first couple chapters offer some interesting and useful background information. First, in each book Andy starts out by discussing the spotlighted movement, providing a historical overview of his strength gains in each movement over the years–it’s pretty impressive.

In the Squat and Bench Press books he then moves into a discussion of raw movements, which means that you’re not using any equipment other than a lifting belt, knee wraps or wrist wraps. In the next chapter he moves on to talking about doing the movements equipped. In both cases, this chapter is primarily geared towards competitive powerlifters.

In the Deadlift book, he talks about what to wear and then points out the differences between a “Sumo Deadlift” and a “Conventional Deadlift.” This is excellent information because it enables you to determine which of the two is best suited to you. Some trainers favor one style over the other and try and force their beliefs on everyone, which can lead to injuries.

After these discussions, in all three volumes Andy launches into the heart of the matter, starting with proper set-up. Here he talks about how setting up is the most fundamental element of a solid movement. Obviously, if you aren’t on-target with this critical step from the start, you won’t get the results you want and more important, you set yourself up for failure and even serious injury. In all cases, Andy includes clear descriptions and a photo to demonstrate proper set-up.

In the subsequent chapters, he walks you through all of the various phases that make up the movements. I like the fact that his descriptions are clear, providing enough information so you can perfect the movement, but not so much that it’s distracting. Pictures help you to make sure you’re performing the movements properly. Throughout all three books he offers tips and suggestions to help you get the most out of each exercise.

Afterwards, he shifts to a discussion that to me, is one of the most important chapters in the book and a personal favorite of mine. Here, Andy talks about the importance of having the proper mindset. While yes, proper form and executive are both absolutely critical, if you don’t have the mindset of a champion, you’ll never see the results you want to see. It’s not a very lengthy chapter but Andy does provide his most important tips and suggestions for mentally positioning yourself to explode your squat.

One look at his incredibly impressive record of triumphs and it becomes very apparent that Andy Bolton knows what he’s talking about. Here’s your opportunity to learn from one of the best. So if you are really looking to experience explosive gains in size and strength like never before, check out Explode Your Squat, Explode Your Benchpress or Explode Your Deadlift (or all three) for yourself and see just how far you can go–you might be surprised!

Are You Ready To Explode Your Squat, Bench & Deadlift?

http://criticalbench.com/goto/BoltonStrength

Guest post by Jedd Johnson

Hi, my name is Jedd Johnson, and I bend steel with my hands.

That’s right, I take steel bars, wrap them in suede to prevent a cut to my hands, and bend them into a U-shape.

“Why the hell would he want to do that?” you might ask…

I’ll tell you straight up…

Because it makes me feel like a friggin’ animal.

It makes me feel like I am a 800-lb rain forest gorilla that can destroy anything put in front of me.

And I like that feeling…

Maybe that description is too wild, and you can’t identify with it, so let me describe it a little differently…

A PR Bend is like adding 50 lbs to your deadlift, and holding it there while you scream before dropping it back to the platform like a bomb from an airplane.

Completing a bend you never were able to do before is like hitting 100 snatches in 5 minutes for the first time ever, and letting out a warrior cry because it took so much hard work and determination to get there.

Much like the landmark feats described above, I love taking a perfectly good nail or bolt and making it completely useless.

Some people think this is ignorant, but they don’t realize that BENDING IS THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT to movements such as the kettlebell snatch and the deadlift…

Now, you’re probably thinking: What!?!? How in the world could bending steel compliment my snatch and deadlift work?

The answer is the principle of Antagonistic Balance.

“Antagonistic” means opposite, against, contra-indicative.

Think of a Broadway Play. The agonist is the main character and the antagonist is the character that plays opposite him or her. Many times these two are enemies, or their views are somehow contra-indicative of one another – they are opposites; they disagree.

So what is Antagonsitic Balance, then?

Well, your body works the best, improves its performance, and is at its healthiest when the antagonistic muscle groups in the joints and opposing sides of the body are within a reasonable balance.

Think of the shoulder. If you do too much bench pressing and not enough rowing, pull-ups, retractions and other opposite movement patterns, you can really do harm to your shoulders, messing up the posture, pinching off nerves, and thus ruining progress on the bench.

You’ve heard of this before probably a hundred times and you are well aware of it in your training, right?

And you know, if you do too much pushing and not enough pulling, you could be setting yourself up for a serious fall down the line.

Now, where does this come into play with respect to the relationship between steel bending, the kettlebell snatch and the powerlifting deadlift…?

To fully understand this, let’s look at the movement patterns of these movements individually.

KETTLEBELL SNATCH

The Kettlebell Snatch is marked by Extension throughout the body.

The athlete starts in a flexed position with the knees, and hips bent. The bell is swung back through the legs, loading the hamstrings.

The momentum of the bell is reversed with controlled violence and then extension begins throughout the body. The hips and knees extend to give momentum to the bell. The spine is lengthened.

And finally, the arm punches itself into a straight, extended position.

DEADLIFT

The Deadlift is very similar.

The lifter starts out in a crouching position, grasping the bar as it sits on the floor.

From there, the lifter pulls the weight up along the body, extending the knees and the hips.

Once the bar is pulled to its highest point, the lifter further extends himself, pulling the shoulders back into a position of pride.

COMMON THREADS

Upon analyzing both of these movements, the action that is repeated time and again is extension: extension in the knees, hips, shoulders and arms.

So, what is the natural antagonistic balancing action for the movement pattern of Extension?

There has to be some kind of contra-indicative movement pattern that essentially will negate these two big lifts, right?

The answer is Flexion.

To repeat, we are looking for an antagonistic, or opposite movement pattern, and we already said that KB work and Deadlifts involve a lot of force into extension, so the natural antagonistic movement pattern would be flexion.

BUT WAIT – I thought that, just like the ghost busters crossing the streams, having your “body in flexion” was bad!?!?

Sure, sitting at your desk all day in flexion is BAD. In can have a huge toll on your body over the years, so let’s try to avoid that…

How about Crunches?

SCREW THAT! BORING!!!

There has to be some other exhilarating strength training practice that involves flexion, while also requiring the same level of dedication, the same level of discipline, and the same level of technical precision in order to succeed that the Kettlebell Snatch and the Deadlift require. But what is it???

The answer – STEEL BENDING.

Don’t believe me? Let’s look at steel bending, now, and the movement patterns involved.

STEEL BENDING

The athlete starts out by grasping the nail high up under the chin with the spine, hips, and knees extended.

From there he takes a small step forward, initiates pressure into the steel and begins to lean forward into flexion.

As the steel heats up under the pressure, he feels it begin to move and puts on one last pulse of flexion as he “crushes the can,” compressing his abdomen down and further bending the nail.

Hit after hit on the nail, he does the same thing, flexing his body, until the ends of the nail are within two inches.

Flexion.

Being stuck in it at an office desk or behind the wheel of a car all the time is a bad thing. It makes you tight in the hip flexors, it can weaken the glutes and it can hurt your posture.

However, performing flexion in order to translate the power from your core and torso into your hands and to make the steel tap out to your strength is a good thing.

And not only does it help balance out all of the other training you do all the time, it makes you feel like you are a monster with green skin that can smash through concrete walls.

I’ll warn you right now, though…

As fun as it is, Nail Bending isn’t easy.

If it were easy, everybody would do it. The hard is what makes it great.

If you want to learn how to bend nails the right way, I’ll show you.

Check out my killer DVD: Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands. <= Click that link right away! All the best in your training, my friends. Now go get your SAVAGE on! AFFILIATE LINK: Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands. <= Click that link right away! Jedd Jedd Johnson is a certified Red Nail Bender, a CSCS, RKC and Captain of Crush. He is a World Record Holder in the Two Hands Pinch, AND he likes to bend sh*t.

Sean Nalewanyj Interviews Mike “Westy” Westerdal

1) Hey Mike, welcome to this Muscle Gain Truth Inner Circle interview. How are things?

Doing great Sean, excited to talk shop with you.

2) You’re the creator of the well known “Critical Bench” program which teaches readers how to dramatically increase their bench pressing strength in the shortest period of time possible. Why do you think it is that the bench press has become such a landmark for measuring strength?

Don’t get me started Sean. First things first. What’s the most common question people ask you when you tell them you run a muscle building site? Probably, “How Much Do Ya Bench?” Why do they ask this? It’s an extremely popular well known exercise and for a reason. People don’t realize this but it’s literally a full body exercise. When performed correctly your legs will be sore, your lats will be sore, not to mention your chest, shoulders and triceps. It’s a great mass builder and carries over to a lot of field sports as well. I’m biased I’m the founder of CriticalBench.com but if I could only train one exercise the bench press would be it. Followed a close second and third by the deadlift and squat. Multi-joint free weight compound movements are always the best muscle builders.

3) Were you always naturally strong on the bench press? What kind of weight are you capable of moving now?

As a kid I was really skinny. In fact my freshman year of high school I weighed 120 pounds and couldn’t even bench press my own weight. Even when you stick up for yourself it seems that the smallest people always seem to be the ones that get picked on the most and have to constantly defend themselves. Like so many others I got myself a cheap Weider weight bench with the plastic weights and started lifting in my basement while practicing my punches on a heavy bag. Things were progressing slowly, but I was hooked on the muscle mags and reading everything I could get my hands on.

My family moved to CT my sophomore year of high school. Not having a ton of friends I spent a lot of my time in the YMCA weight room. In fact I probably spent way too much time there. I’m sure I was overtraining doing a full body workout 5-7 days a week, but as a beginner I was still making gains. I had to gain weight so I wouldn’t get pushed around the football field as defensive back, so I kept at it. By my senior year of high school I weighed 185 pounds and benched 275. Nothing amazing, but it was a huge improvement for me.

My lifting workout had been improving the more I read, I was eating as much as I could and training a lot smarter. I still wasn’t training the right way to add serious muscle but I was doing alright. After high school I walked onto a D-IAA football team and became a starter by my junior year. The summer of my sophomore year I figured out with the help of one of the team captains that you get stronger and put on size by doing heavy compound movements for low reps. When I dropped my reps and increased the weight my bench soared from a 315 to 400+ in a matter of a year.

Post college I kept at it reaching a 450 raw bench. I decided it was time to start competing. After moving to Florida and joining a barbell club I started competing in powerlifting. I compete in equipped powerlifting using a bench shirt I pressed 622 this past December. A week after the meet I benched 315 for 15 reps in the gym. I’m always trying to improve.

315 for 15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmWAXwgx8Xk

630 Equipped Bench
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhxd15mWCuM

4) Surely there are individual differences, but as a general guideline, how fast can a trainee expect to increase his or her bench pressing strength when using the right program?

Sean I love this question. The reason is it’s entirely up to the person that’s trying to increase their bench press. If you’re the kind of person that thinks 50 pounds in 10 weeks is impossible than you’re completely right, you’ll never accomplish it. Likewise if you believe you can do it and have a good plan there’s no limit. I can’t set limits for people. This is one of my favorite quotes;

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”

-William Arthur Ward

Based on results I’ve seen I would say if you bench press less than 400 pounds you can increase your bench press by 50 pounds in 2.5 months. After that you start reaching your genetic potential and the gains certainly start getting harder.

A complete beginner will improve the most. Just practicing the lift and learning the motor skills will allow the trainee to bench more even without getting much stronger.

In addition if you haven’t trained with heavier loads and lower reps before you’ll likely react very well to this kind of program. Your CNS has to adapt to the heavier weights for you to get stronger.

5) What are some of the most common mistakes that you see lifters making when training for strength on the bench press, and how can we correct them?

Mistake 1: Overtraining
Let your CNS and your muscles recover and strengthen before hitting the bench again. Once a week is enough when training the bench.

Mistake 2: Pre-fatigue
Don’t do shoulders or triceps before a bench workout. You’re exhausting the primary movers you are going to need to bench. Don’t do cardio before a heavy bench workout and don’t deplete all your energy by doing way too many warm up sets. Save your energy for the max effort sets!

Mistake 3: Self Doubt
Get your head on straight. Get rid of all this self doubt and negativity. Don’t start a set by saying you’re going to “Try” or you “Hope” you’re going to get this rep. Your subconscious mind listens to you so program it with positive encouraging visions rather than self destructing criticism.
If you’re not confident, fake it. You have to picture yourself as a great bencher before you can become one.

Mistake 4: Lack of Goals
Would you head out on a cross country trip without a road map? Goals need to be realistic, measurable and specific. Be accountable. Tell people what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it. Remind yourself of your goals daily.

Mistake 5: Rep Ranges
High reps are not going to get you stronger in the bench press. Triples build power! If you’ve never done triples start with fives and work your way down over a few weeks.

6) What is your opinion on the use of advanced techniques such as forced reps or heavy negatives? Is it necessary to employ these techniques on the bench?

Forced reps are okay when used in moderation. You just don’t want to have your training partner getting a trap and bicep workout in when you’re benching. It’s good to grind out the weight but when you’re stuck you’re stuck.

As for heavy negatives bench presses, I do not recommend these for beginners. They may not have the tendon strength or the stabilizers to control a weight well over their max. In addition if you’re getting sore from the regular workouts you don’t want to push it with a movement that is almost entirely eccentric which we all know causes muscle soreness.

For an intermediate or advanced lifter heavy negatives can be a huge confidence booster. Having felt and controlled such heavy weight sure makes the weight feel lighter when you go back to your working sets. There’s a lot of people from the school of thought that think eccentric training is good for strength and muscle, so I think it’s a good tool to utilize sparingly from time to time. See how you respond to it but make sure you have three spotters in place.

7) What about those delicate rotator cuffs that are so prone to injury. How can we prevent injuries when trying to move such heavy weights?

When you bench press there are four tiny muscles that play a major role in whether your bench press takes off or if you’re going to suffer from a bench press blowout. Build these muscles up and you can dramatically decrease the chance of blowing out your shoulder. If you’re benching heavy weight and not paying attention to these muscles you run the risk of muscular imbalances, shoulder pain, and getting stuck in a serious plateau.

To avoid rotator cuff issues I recommend warming them up prior to a bench press workout by doing some very very very light external rotation exercises. You definitely do not want to fatigue these muscles prior to benching. Than on a different day at the end of your shoulder workout do 3 or 4 sets of 15 reps with a similar exercise. Some rotator cuff exercises you can incorporate include the Cuban press, and Cable Internal and External Rotation.

8 ) Can these same techniques be used as part of a bodybuilding program for the chest, or are they strictly geared at building strength?

Sean we may disagree here but I believe that when you lift heavy with compound movements you involve the most muscle groups, release more testosterone and growth hormone and produce bigger and stronger muscles. If you strongly believe that you need to 10 reps for muscular hypertrophy than do the heavy bench press workout first than move on to some assistance exercises using higher reps. This way you get the best of both worlds. Do you want to look strong? Or do you want to be strong? Or would you rather look and be strong? I’ll take the third.

9) Do you have any other additional advice for increasing bench pressing strength fast?

You can probably utilize these two tips immediately to see some gains.

Big Bench Tip #1: Shorten the distance the bar travels. Move your fingers out an inch or two on the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and flare your lats to create a nice solid base to press from. Chest out, shoulders back. Now arch your back so that your traps and butt are in contact with the bench and your feet are planted on the floor. You should be able to fit a foam roller under your lower back. Combine these three techniques and you’ve reduced the path the bar travels by 6-inches or more which should give you a nice boost in the weight you can move. This is not cheating; it’s legal in a powerlifting meet. Stay tight!

Big Bench Tip #2: Hold your air. Instead of taking a big breathe as you lower the weight and exhale as you push I want you to hold your breathe from start to finish. Why? By doing this you will stabilize your torso and create a more solid base to press from. Holding your air will help you keep the pressure tight.

Thanks for the interview, Mike!

Anytime Sean, thanks again for having me. Anytime you want to talk about the bench press I’m you’re man.

If you’re looking to build muscle and increase your bench press at the same time than be sure to look into my Critical Bench Press Program 2.0. It’s a full body strength training program designed to up your max by 50 lbs in 10 weeks.

I’ve got something really cool to share with you today courtesy of Steve Thompson from GetStrength.com

But First Here Are 4 Reasons why you must Front Squat…

* The ultimate exercise for posterior chain and quad development.
* The Front Squat teaches muscle awareness.
* Huge upper back development
* Gains in flexibility and mobility

Now that you know the value of front squatting check out this 12-Week Front Squat Cycle for Strength & Mass. Below is the direct download link to the PDF program:

 
Having problems with front squats?

Before I started using this training aid called the Front Squat Harness I didn’t really like front squatting that much. I know it’s a great exercise and it’s awesome for your entire core, but the dang bar would dig into my delts.

Sometimes I had trouble keeping my elbows up as well and the bar would start to fall forward.

Well there’s a solution, No more shoulder pain, Instant technique adjustment, No Squatting depth issues, Train the legs to there full potential. Check out this page that Steve set up for us about the Front Squat Harness. There’s a chance to win one for free and he’s cool enough to offer free shipping worldwide.

Enjoy the 12-Week Front Squat Cycle! You don’t “need” the front squat harness to do it, but it sure will make the program more fun and get you better results when you focus on lifting the weight instead of shoulder pain and balance issues.  Besides like Steve  says it’s the ultimate tool for posterior chain development.

guest post by Jason Ferruggia

What is “Working Up” and Who is it Good For?

Beginners shouldn’t work up. Novice lifters should always stick with straight weight and use what’s known as a “sets across” approach. So if the program calls for five sets of five they should pick a weight they could do for maybe eight reps and do all five sets with that weight.

For example:
135 x 5 x 5

Advanced lifters, on the other hand, should “work up.” So instead of doing five sets of five with the same weight they would work up to one top end set of five and maybe hit one back off set after that. All in all they may end up doing more than five sets. It might be closer to ten. But only one or two is a real heavy work set.

For example:
Bar x 10
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
250 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5
295 x 5 (back off set)

That ends up being nine total sets. Just because only one or two sets is heavy doesn’t mean the others are useless. As anyone who has practiced speed training or the Dynamic Effort Method understands, you get a training effect with weights at as low as 50-60% of your max and above.

In the previous example, if the lifter was working up to a near five rep max with 315 we can assume a one rep max of around 370 pounds. Therefore every set above 222 will give him a training effect. In this case their are five productive sets. This is a much better approach and easier to recover from than if he just did five straight sets of five with say 295-305 pounds.

As long as you are exploding each of the “working up” sets as fast as humanly possible you are training speed while en route to your maximal strength sets. Essentially you are killing two birds with one stone. Especially if you do a large number (6-10) of “work up” sets, which I highly recommend for the big barbell lifts.

There have been plenty of times in the past where I’ve said that there’s very little reason for an advanced lifter to do more than one or two heavy sets on a big barbell exercise. On occasion people mistook that to mean I was a big proponent of HIT (High Intensity Training). That’s not the case. As you can see from the example above it’s actually closer to ten total sets but with only one or two being really heavy.

So what sets count as warm up sets and what sets count as work sets? I don’t even think about it to be honest. The line is blurred. Anything above 60% definitely elicits a training effect so if you wanted to count that would be the place to start.

The last thing I want you to do is a couple quick, half-assed warm up sets and then one or two work sets. That’s a terrible approach that doesn’t fully fire up your central nervous system and makes you more prone to injury.

What Exercises Should I “Work Up” On?

All of the big, compound barbell exercises. I never have intermediate/advanced lifters do more than one or two heavy sets on exercises like squats, deads, bench presses, military presses or deadlifts. I like to do all of these exercises for eight reps or less, for the most part, in order to maintain perfect technique and reduce the risk of injury. So we always work up to a top end set here. Note that it’s never a true rep max, just a good, clean heavy set.

You never want to do slow, grinding, ugly reps. That’s a prescription for weakness and injuries.

Certain assistance exercises are best done for sets across and others lend themselves well to working up. Bodyweightexercises like inverted rows and glute ham raises are usually best done for sets across. These types of exercises don’t beat you up too much so you can tolerate more volume on them.

Even if you are advanced it’s always best to do any new exercises you are trying out for sets across as well. For example, if you are just starting handstand pushups there is no way to really work up. So just do something like six sets of two. Or if you are just starting ring dips for the first time it would be best to do multiple sets of low reps with a constant load.

Other assistance exercises like a one arm dumbbell press lend themselves well to working up. So you might do something like this:

70 x 8
75 x 8
80 x 8 (top end set)
75 x 8 (knew you wouldn’t be able to get the 80’s again so you dropped down for one more set)

If your assistance lift is very similar to your main lift you need very little in the way of warm up or “work up” sets. If you bench press as your big lift of the day and follow it up with an incline dumbbell press your sets might look something like this:

90 x 8
100 x8

And that’s all she wrote.

The Same But Enormously Different

In my brand new ebook, Minimalist Training, I have a wide variety of set and rep schemes listed. The beauty part is that if you know the difference between “sets across” and “working up” the same loading parameters can be used for both beginner level and more advanced lifters.

Let’s say Little Johnny has a max squat of 185 and Big Bill has a max squat of 495. The program calls for ten sets of three.

Little Johnny will do ten sets of three reps with 160 pounds.

Big Bill will get to his ten sets like this:

Bar x 10
95 x 3
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 3
425 x 3
445 x 3

If they are doing dumbbell military presses for assistance work, Little Johnny will do four sets of eight reps with the 40’s.

Big Bill will do this:
70 x 8
80 x 8
85 x 8
90 x 8

Of course, I have different programs and different frequencies for beginner and advanced lifters but some of the set and rep schemes are sometimes similar.

The huge, colossal, magnanimous difference, however, is the “working up” part. High level intermediate to advanced lifters simply can’t do heavy “sets across” on big compound barbell or dumbbell exercises.

If you haven’t done so already pick up your copy of Minimalist Training. All the cool kids are talking about it.

guest post by Lee Hayward
Competitive Bodybuilder and Powerlifter

The pullover is an exercise you seldom see done in the gym anymore. Yet back in the “Pumping Iron” days of bodybuilding it was a staple in almost everyone’s routine.

In fact, way back in the old days before the invention of bench presses with upright racks for holding the bar, guys would do a barbell pullover, lifting the bar from the floor to their chest, and then do their bench presses. But gradually over the years this exercise got pushed to the wayside and is hardly ever done by the average gym goer.

The main benefit from pullovers is that they help expand the rib cage and work all the supporting muscle groups along the torso, chest, lats, arms, and shoulders through a full range of motion. This can really help add thickness and depth to your torso, which is one area that a lot of people lack these days.

I know from the majority of people that I see at the gym that very few of them have a well developed torso. It’s actually quite common to see a guy with muscular arms and shoulders stacked on a slim chest and torso. But by adding pullovers to your routine you can help fill out and expand your rib cage and correct this problem.

Your rib cage is the frame work that supports all your upper body muscles. So if you have a well built frame underneath, the muscles of your chest, shoulders, lats, and arms will look much more impressive.

I was fortunate enough to have included pullovers as a regular exercise in my workouts from the start and I think this has certainly helped me to develop a large rib cage and good chest expansion, which is clearly seen when I hit a side chest pose as in the pic above.

The main reason I even did this exercise was the fact I started training in a simple home gym and didn’t have access to a lot of the fancy machines that are so common in most gyms today. So from having limited equipment I tried to include as much training variety as I could using basic free weight barbell and dumbbell exercises. For this reason I sometimes feel that training with limited gym equipment can be a blessing in disguise.

There are two basic variations to the pullover, the barbell version and the cross bench dumbbell version. One is not necessarily better then the other, both work well. I personally feel that the dumbbell pullover stretches the chest a bit more and the barbell pullover places a little more emphasis on the lats. But you can pick the one that feels the best for you, or if you have no preference you can alternate back and forth between both variations. The main thing is that you just do them.

Dumbbell Pullover

Barbell Pullover

The pullover is a stretching exercise, so you’ll make better gains from using a moderate weight, higher reps, and really working through a full range of motion. Add weight to the exercise in a gradual progressive fashion, but never at the expense of sacrificing your exercise form.

Depending on your body structure and how you do the exercise you may feel it working the chest, or you may feel it working the lats, or a combination of the two. So you could include pullovers with your chest or back workouts. The main thing is that you do them consistently so you reap the results that they have to offer.

The first time you do the exercise start off with a light weight and just get used to the movement and the range of motion required. Then go up by 5 – 10 pound jumps in weight each set. By going through this process you’ll naturally find the sweet spot where you have enough weight that allows you to stimulate the muscles hard, yet still be able to perform the exercise through a deep range of motion and fully stretch out your entire rib cage, chest, and lats.

Start off with 1 – 2 warm up sets and then take a working weight that allows for 15 reps with good form. Do 2 – 3 working sets and really focus on feeling the muscles stretch and contract with each rep. Another little tip that will help add to the effectiveness is to take a deep breath before each rep and hold your air in as you lower the weight. This will give you an even deeper stretch throughout the rib cage.

You’ll get more benefit from doing pullovers at the end of your workout when your muscles are already pumped. Doing stretching exercises when you are pumped up and the muscles feel tight will aid in muscle growth because the connective tissues are already being stretched from the blood volume in the muscles, and then by doing stretching exercises at this time as well you get a double whammy effect. This really stretches the connective tissue and increases your muscle growth potential.

By doing pullovers as a staple exercise in your workout routine you are going to experience a good upper body growth spurt and also notice an improvement in your flexibility and mobility for a lot of your other exercises as well. Give it a try and don’t be surprised if you add an inch or two to your chest measurement in as little as 6 weeks.

Looking for a proven Mass & Strength system that has been tested by thousands for more than ten years? Click here for the Ultimate Muscle Mass and Power-Building System.

The post Pullovers – A Forgotten Exercise For Chest Mass first appeared on Critical Bench.

Guest post by Mike Robertson

There are times when bench press training can feel like an exercise in futility.

I’m definitely not the best bench presser to ever walk the face of the Earth. While my squat and deadlift were always quick to go up, I always struggled with the bench press.

With that being said, I’m constantly reminded of a quote from Brad Gillingham. While I may mix up the numbers, the gist of the quote stays the same:

“If you start with a 200-pound bench press at the age of 20, if you only increase your bench press by 10 pounds every year, you’ll be a 400-pound bench presser by the time you’re 40.”

That little quote has always kept me motivated to keep pressing.

But as we get older, injuries start to creep up. It could be sore and achy joints, or the occasional muscle pull. But if we want to get that consistent 10 pounds every year, then staying healthy is key.

If our goal is to stay healthy and bench press heavyweights for extended periods of time, they are three key areas of the body that we must focus on. Those three areas are:

#1 – The thoracic spine

#2 – The scapula

#3 – The rotator cuff

Let’s examine how efficient training of each of these areas can not only keep you healthy, but keep your numbers going up for years to come.

The thoracic spine

The thoracic spine may still be one of the most misunderstood areas of the human body. As powerlifters, we’re taught to rely on the strong muscle of our lower back. However, if our goal is to not only maximize performance, but to minimize injury, we must improve the extensibility of our thoracic spine.

If you watch any elite level bench presser, chances are they have a high degree of thoracic extension, which leads to a solid setup and big arch.  If you’re forced to get all your extension from your lumbar spine, you’ll not only lose some of your arch but you’ll probably suffer from low back pain as well!

The easiest way to improve thoracic extension is to drive thoracic extension on either a piece of PVC pipe, or a foam roller. The exercise is simple: lay the pipe or roller perpendicular to your body around the area of your mid back.  Once set up, place your fingertips behind your head and pull your elbows together in front of your face.

Gently brace your stomach, and slowly wrap your upper back around the roller or pipe. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and then slowly work the roller up and down your upper back.

This exercise is effective whether it’s used pre-workout, post-workout, or simply throughout the day to loosen up your upper back. Not only will better thoracic extension spare your lumbar spine, but it will also improve your upper extremity biomechanics as well. This simple tip could be the difference between a healthy body and jacked up shoulders or elbows.

The Upper Back

Once thoracic extension is in place, it’s now time to lay the foundation for a big bench press. In this case, a thick and stable upper back will allow you to maximize your bench press poundage’s.

The key, however, is not only maintaining stability through your upper back, but to build strength and mass as well.

When setting up to bench press, the name of the game is stability. The upper back is crucially important, and we need stability in both scapular retraction (pulling the shoulder blades together), as well as scapular depression (pulling the shoulder blades down).

Basic stabilization exercises such as prone I’s, prone T’s, and prone Y’s may not look like much at first blush. However, these exercises focus on recruiting the appropriate musculature to stabilize our scapula. Far too often, we’re forced to use big, prime mover muscle groups to not only produce motion, but prevent it as well.

Instead, our goal should be to strengthen our stabilizers so they are on par with our prime movers. When we do this, we allow our prime movers to do the job they’re best at – move heavy weights!

Once we build the basic stability with low-level activation and recruitment exercises, it’s time to really focus on strength and muscle mass throughout the upper back.

We know that big, compound movements are ideal when it comes to building muscle mass. However, we need to develop strength both in horizontal pulling movements, as well as vertical pulling movements.

Exercises such as chest supported rows, dumbbell rows, and low cable rows are fantastic for building width through the upper back, as well as strength and stability in scapular retraction.

When rowing, think about pulling through your elbows, and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Dorian Yates used to say that if you can’t hold the midpoint contraction for a second or more, you are simply using momentum to lift the weight. This couldn’t be truer in our case, as a maximal bench-press often lasts anywhere between five and 10 seconds.  You need that maximal contraction.

Instead of massaging your ego with ridiculous poundage’s, make sure to use the appropriate muscles, and really focus on squeezing at the midpoint of each repetition.

In contrast, chin-up and pull-up variations are ideal for not only training scapular depression, but also for building our lats.  The lats are critical for controlling the weight, as we will use to help actively pull the bar down to our chest when bench pressing.  This “active” pulling helps maintain our stability and control on the negative portion of the lift.

Much like the row, we still need to focus on pulling through the elbows to initiate the contraction on vertical pulls. However, at the bottom, instead of pulling the shoulder blades together, we should be focused on actively pulling them downwards. Pavel describes this as pulling your shoulder blades into your back pocket. This is the essence of scapular depression, and it’s something that many trainees often struggle with.

The Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is the final piece of our puzzle. While many of us know that the rotator cuff is important, far too often rotator cuff training is quickly forgotten. Rather than taking a few extra minutes at the end of a session to train the rotator cuff, we leave it as an afterthought and figure we’ll get to it the next work out.

Exercises that emphasize the pecs and lats strengthen the internal rotators of the shoulder. To help maintain muscular and structural balance at the shoulder joint, we need to incorporate external rotation work in our programs.

Standrard exercises such as external rotations on the knee, or side-lying external rotations can get us started.  However, I also like bigger bang exercises such as face pulls where we not only train external rotation of the shoulder, but we also get some upper back strength/stability as well.

Bringing it all together

One of the best times to get healthy and lay a better foundation is the off-season.  Here are some simple tips to help regain structural balance, and put you in an optimal position to start training for your next meet or competition.

First and foremost, start your upper body workouts with a heavy pulling movement first. If you’re used to always pressing first, leading off with a pull-up or rowing variation will allow you to get more out of these exercises. You won’t be as fatigued as you normally are, and you’ll be surprised at how much more energy you have to train these lifts.  With my powerlifters, we’ll often do this for the first 2-3 months of their off-season just to make sure we’re putting an emphasis on upper back strength and stability.

Along those same lines, the off-season is an ideal time to place an emphasis on all the little guys such as our rotator cuff, our scapular stabilizers, etc. Remember, the little guys are important for stabilizing the joint, and allowing the prime movers to do what they do best – move heavy weights. If we don’t bring our stabilizers up to par, we’re never going to see improvements in our primary lifts.

Summary

Whether your goal is to set a PR in your next powerlifting meet, or just be the biggest bench presser in your gym, the tips above can help take you to the next level.

Take a few weeks (or months) and build them into your next training cycle. I promise, you won’t be disappointed with the results.

About the Author

Mike Robertson has helped clients and athlete from all walks of life achieve their strength, physique and performance related goals. Mike received his Masters Degree in Sports Biomechanics from the world-renowned Human Performance Lab at Ball State University.

Mike is the president of Robertson Training Systems, where you can find tons of free blogs, podcasts, and even register for Mike’s free newsletter.

Mike is also the co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training, which was recently named one of America’s Top Ten Gyms.

A variety of powerlifting training methods are featured in this video being seen FIRST, at Critical Bench.

Included in the video is training footage of Washington Redskins, Defensive End, Phillip Daniels co-owner of the Monster Garage Gym. Some training methods seen in this video include: Deficit deadlift, reverse green band bench press, rackable cambered squat bar box squats and rackable cambered squat bar good mornings, small band deadlift, safety squat bar box squats, close grip bench press, and more.
Monster Garage Gym is the premier powerlifting gym in Northern, Illinois and Southern, Wisconsin and is a hard core supporter of Critical Bench.com!!!! Learn more at http://www.monstergaragegym.com/

Guest article by certified strength coach Lee Hayward

One of the most neglected types of training for the average gym goer is explosive strength. Almost everyone is taught to lift weights with a “slow and controlled movement”. However, in all sports athletes need to be explosive. When a baseball player swings a bat, when a soccer player kicks the ball, or when a boxer troughs a punch they need explosive strength.

If your goal is to get really strong, explosive speed training is one of the most important elements. Powerlifters and Olympic weight lifters do a lot of light weight explosive speed training exercises. Unlike a lot of bodybuilders and gym buffs who do mainly slow and controlled training and pump out reps until failure.

With the bench press a lot of lifters have a sticky point a few inches above their chest. If you have ever spotted someone who gets stuck in a bench press you will often find that when you just barely assist them past this sticky point they can then finish the rep on their own. With proper explosive speed training you will be able to lift the weights more forcefully and blast past your sticky point and set some new personal strength records.

Push-ups are a great exercise to develop explosive speed training for the bench press. When you do a push up you lift approximately 60% of your bodyweight. And unlike weight training exercises, you can lift more explosively by doing push ups. I am sure that you have seen people do “clap your hands” push ups before. Where they push up so fast that they actually lift their upper body off the floor and clap their hands in between each rep.

This is an awesome explosive strength building exercise. It will take some getting used to. I suggest that you start with just regular push ups and do them as quickly and explosively as you can before trying a “clap your hands” push up (you don’t want to fall flat on your face).

Westside Barbell Club (one of the most famous powerlifting clubs) uses 8 sets of 3 reps using 50% of their 1 rep max for dynamic bench press training. These are not just numbers that they just randomly picked, but what they found to be the most effective for building bigger bench presses. This type of training is for developing force and speed. Not absolute strength. They do not train to failure or use heavy weights on this day.

For the push up routine you would do 8 sets of 3 reps with 1 minute rest in between each set. Each rep should be done as fast as possible. If you can, clap your hands in between each rep, this will ensure that you are using maximum speed and explosiveness. You can do this routine once a week at home on an off days from your regular gym workouts.

When doing the push ups keep your hands just a bit wider then shoulder width. Try to keep your elbows tucked in by your sides at about a 45 degree angle from your torso, don’t let them flare out to the sides. This will place more stress on the triceps.

Actually clapping your hands is not necessary, the main thing is to do the push ups so explosively that your hands actually lift off the floor. I find doing the push ups with your hands on an exercise mat or thick carpet helps to absorb some of the shock when coming back down.

Make sure to warm up before doing this workout. Do some arm circles, and a couple slower tempo sets of push ups to warm up your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Them move right into the 8 sets of 3 reps of explosive push ups.

Give this push up routine an honest effort for a few months. It will only take about 20 minutes once a week and you will be on your way to setting some new personal strength records.

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Are you excited for the release of the Critical Bench Program 2.0?  The big day is June 14th!

I have teamed up with my good friend Lee Hayward to celebrate the fact that we have both been in business now for 10 YEARS helping guys pack on muscle mass and strength time and time again.

Truth be told, I like Lee because he walks the walk. He doesn’t just preach, he takes his own advice, he competes in bodybuilding and has built a solid reputation as a strength coach and business man.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to take advice from a fat personal trainer or a skinny muscle building expert.

I also don’t want to be all show with NO GO! When it comes to building muscle take my word for it, you have to get stronger. If you build strength and get stronger and stronger every week you’ll muscles will grow, it’s just the way it works. Plus you don’t want to be that guy that looks great, but gets thrown around and out performed in the gym do you?

Lee and I are big believers in Power-Building. Finding the balance of looking like a bodybuilder but attaining the strength of a powerlifter to match.

And that’s why we have joined forces to create the Ultimate Mass and Power Building System!

Not only do you get my New and Improved Critical Bench Program 2.0 you also get Lee’s Blast Your Bench Program Ten Year Anniversary Edition.

What’s the catch?

We’re cool guys and all, but this is our way of saying thanks for your support over the yeas and this offer is only good till Friday at midnight, June 18th, 2010.

This is the biggest sale I’ve ever run in the history of the site, so you might want to go check it out here:

http://www.criticalbench2.com

Over The Weekend Lee & I ran a blog contest to give away five copies of our Mass and Power System. Thank you so much to everyone that entered, we got over 400 entries last time I checked.

Here are the winning entries!

1) Justin Realizes There’s No Magic Bullet!

Justin Stine
June 13, 2010

I will be a high school senior in the fall, and my ultimate goa
l is to win the 2011 state weightlifting championship of Florida.
This year, I have qualified for the 2010 championship, and
once I received the news, I googled the fastest way to obtain a
bigger bench press.

Fortunately, the first link that popped up was that letter that
Mike Westerdal shares with the public, advertising the Critical
Bench Program. Once I saw it was for a ten week period, I
decided to start the program the week following the state finals.

I searched for other solutions, only to realize that time was a
critical component in building a bigger bench. During the
4-5 weeks I had left to prepare, I did what I could, following the
tips and guidelines outlined in the 50 tips to gaining a bigger
bench e-book.

Even though I worked hard, ate right, and followed these
guidelines, I came in last place. Weightlifting is my life, and
I have a dedication and passion for this sport.

Wanna know why I fell short, it is because I had been committed
to a muscle building magazine, and fell victim to its false
information and biased principles and concepts. I have wasted
my time training by their false guidlines for 3 years, and went
NOWHERE. I am still hitting my head with a barbell to this day.

I began the critical bench program the Wednesday after states,
preparing for the next state final matchup. I am just completing
week 7, and I have actually gained strength with this program.

I have never seen any fast paced progress such as this. I bench
pressed 315 at states, and benching 350 pounds now! That is
unbelievable, and it is because I have found a source of reliable
information pertaining to this sport. The Critical Bench Program
shares the unvarnished truth with the public.

I am continually searching for other important information and tips
out there on the web that will help me in my goal and mission.
I am considering becoming a personal trainer, as that will expose
me to alot of information of the sport I love. I have a low income,
minimum wage job, and can barely keep up with my diet and
supps as it is.

If I am one of the chosen 5 to receive the Critical Bench 2.0 for
free, great. If not, I will buy it ASAP. I will continue to work hard,
push myself to failure on every set, and continue to educate myself
with this sport that my passion lies in. If I continue to work hard,
and follow what I’ve learned, I am sure that 365 days is enough
time to win the state finals of my senior year! Thank you for the
information that you have shared with me so far.

http://www.criticalbench2.com

2) Cancer Survivor Trains For National Record!

Ted
June 13, 2010

Lee & Mike,

Building a big, strong, muscular body is so important to me and
I NEED a ‘Proven Mass and Power Building Training System’ to
help me achieve my fitness goals Right Now!

I’m a 59-year young cancer survivor. Two years ago I was diagnosed
with throat cancer. After the first surgery I was told I could not lift
heavy weights anymore because the nerve was removed that controlled
my left TRAP. It was removed because it ran through one of the lymph
nods that had cancer. Therefore no left TRAP.

After Chemo and Radiation and losing 30 LBS, I found myself back
at the gym trying to prove everybody wrong. I gained body weight,
but not the strength I wanted.

I found ‘Blast Your Bench”!

Using this program I increase my bench by 30 lbs while losing 11 lbs.
body weight. I went from 21% body fat down to 13.5%

This May I tied the NJ State record for Bench Press for my age
and weight with the WNPF.

I’m using the “Blast Your Bench” program now for my next meet
on June 27, which I hope to set the NJ record for bench press for my
age and weight. If I’m successful I will go the world meet in Nov
in Atlantic City, NJ.

I need this program to get to the next level. I would like to set the
national record for bench press for my age and weight.

Credit given where Credit is Due!!!
Thanks for all your emails and videos!

http://www.criticalbench2.com

3) Beginner Gains 100 Pounds On Bench And Loses Fat!

Jonathan Lezondra
June 11, 2010

I’m 43 years old and I started “serious” weight lifting just this past
July 2009. In the past I have been lifting weights just for the heck of
it, no serious goals and my objectives were pretty superficial.

I would make a go at it then stop totally all together. This was in my
younger years. Now that I’ve gotten older and wiser, the “need” to
become more healthy was becoming apparent. Before I embarked on a
serious determination to be physically fit, I did a lot a research and the
idea of weight lifting always hovered my mind. In one of these researches,
I came across LeeHayward.com and found insights that were pretty down
to earth, real world scenarios where a common individual like me could
actually follow your advice.

I started lifting weights and at my age, I have made great progress
that has made me appreciate my body and have a positive outlook
on a healthy life. Ever since becoming a “follower” of your site, I have
learned valuable tips and advises that I have incorporated in my
workouts. From a starting bench press of just lifting the bar for
about a month, I have progressed to a lifting weight right now of about
140lbs and I can 1-rep max 150lbs. Not much for a beginner like me
who’s only been lifting for a year but I am very proud of the achievements

I have made over the past year. Its been over a year and I have not
looked back. And the benefits I am reaping right now from a slow
struggle to a maintained attitude has boosted my self confidence in
terms of how I look and how I feel. I have gotten stronger, my body
has taken shape and form that I have not imagined of ever having.

Although I am far from having a ripped form like you do Lee, I know
with a lot of hard work and enthusiasm, I would get to where I would
like to be. In one year of lifting weights, I have lost weight (around 25lbs)
and I have gained some form in my chest, biceps, triceps and shoulders.

People at work noticed this physiological change, my family noticed
the change. And every time I hear them say something is music to my ears.

Although competing is the farthest thing from my mind, my first and
foremost objective in building a strong, muscular body is to be healthy.

And then all other things follow. Thanks so much for your tips and
advises. It has made me appreciate my body more than I can ever
imagine. Weight lifting has provided me with a drive to strive for
more. Thank you so much.

http://www.criticalbench2.com

4) Never Give Up On Your Dreams!

Michael Hayes
June 11, 2010

I have one reason to build a healthy, strong body. To live longer.

I was injured in Iraq in 2006 in an IED explosion. I lost my left leg
above the knee and suffered serious burns. Those injuries alone
have taken years off my life that Im fighting everyday to keep.

I’ve been going to the gym regularly now for sometime but its
starting to reach that plateau. I’ve been a subscriber of yours now
for quite awhile and have had some success following your tips.

But now is the time to take it to the next step and reach that hard,
strong body that I want. I may even be able to take this to the next
limit and start training for paralympic type sports.

My main goal in all of this is just to be as healthy as I can be for
as long as possible. Im only 24 and I refuse to let my injuries
stop me from starting a family and living a long fruitful life.

This tool well help me jumpstart and take my fitness to the
next level. Thanks for the opportunity.

http://www.criticalbench2.com

5) Something In Bill’s Mind Snapped!

Bill Ramsey
June 12, 2010

I’m 45, retired military, retirement lead me down the wrong path, i
became…. well a couch potato. Upon my divorce, i looked in the
mirror and saw what i had become, something in my mind snapped,
i decided to do what i had always wanted to do, build a physique that
could compete, show the world my what I’m made of, but recently
three things have occurred my oldest son has a child and now my
youngest is going to be a father, and i have a new wife.

Fat out of shape people don’t live long, and even if they do their in
no shape to enjoy life or grandchildren. I’ve turned my life around,
i watch what i eat, i train, slowly but surely things are changing,
and i realize that it will take time and effort, both of which i have.

But i want things to go beyond mere change, i want to make an
impact, and i can only properly do that with the right tools.
I’ve watched and read allot of Lee’s posts, watched him online,
gleaned all i could from his website and that has caused a steady
upswing in the re-composition of my body. I feel that with Lee’s
program i can attain what i desire. Lee stands out among his peers
and i know he has the knowledge i need to succeed. I want to
show people that there is no age limit to good health and proper physique.

http://www.criticalbench2.com

I just put up this new PowerBuilding audio interview with Mike Schwanke. Mike is a training partner of mine at Tampa Barbell and he’s a pro division powerlifter.

You’ll like it because Mike is super lean and strong at the same time and shares his cardio/conditioning schedule.

A lot of people ask how much cardio is too much when you are trying to stay strong so this should shed some light on the topic.

By the way did I mention Mike weighs 220 lbs and has squatted 1000 lbs, benched 700 lbs and deadlifted 800 lbs in competition! So you’ll definitely want to listen to Mike’s tips.

[podcast]http://www.criticalbench.com/dl/WMBEIS/Schwanke.mp3[/podcast]
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