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Here is what we have for you today:

• An interview with Adaptive CrossFit athlete Amy Bream.

• Ten squat variations to mix up your leg training.

• Tips for working out after getting a tattoo.

CrossFit

Adapting to Compete

Amy Bream’s story is remarkable. She overcame a rare congenital disorder that resulted in missing the majority of her right leg and is now one of the standouts of CrossFit’s Adaptive division. But perhaps most impressive of all, she didn’t pick up a barbell until 2019 and never set foot in a CrossFit box until the week before her first competition in 2021.

We caught up with Bream after she placed fourth at the 2023 Games to learn more about her story and what she sees for the future of CrossFit’s Adaptive division. If you enjoy competitive excellence and want to understand how a high-level athlete approaches training and life, this is a good interview to check out.

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Exercise Tips

10 More Squats to Hate

If the first thing you do when you enter the gym is walk straight to a squat rack and stake your claim to it for the next hour, you’re definitely ahead of the curve. For everyone else, the traditional back squat can be a heavy, monotonous (and sometimes painful) affair.

So, if you’re looking for a way to add some extra flavor to your leg day outside of traditional squats, may we suggest the oft-forgotten Spanish squat? Or maybe you’d like to flaunt your love of the MCU with the Kang squat.

Look, nothing will replace the primal efficacy of the barbell back squat, but we’ve got 10 variants that can be used both as a supplement to your other leg training and a way to back off traditional squats if you have an injury. As always, start light and focus on perfecting the form. Remember, you’re learning to squat all over again.

Tattoos

Lifting in a Post-Ink World

The science of tattoo skin care has taken a massive leap forward since your merchant marine great-grandfather got an anchor put on his arm after a drunken night somewhere in the South Pacific. Tattoo shops now look like high-end spas with a vast collection of ointments and salves to help your skin heal and color stay fixed in place.

But no matter how much care and attention you give your new ink, abrading your skin with a needle can lead to further problems when undertaking a sweaty endeavor such as working out. That begs a few questions: How long should you wait between getting a tattoo and going back to the gym? And should you stop putting on mass to avoid potentially stretching your new body art? (As if..)

Fortunately for you, there’s plenty of advice you can follow to keep your new tattoo looking pristine without halting your gains. Do your best to learn these simple tips from an experienced tattoo artist, and go forth.

Everything Else

Overcoming the Odds

• On this edition of The BarBend Podcast, David Tao talks to powerlifter and founder of Metpro Angelo Poli about his journey from spending a decade walking with a cane to stepping onto the lifting platform.

• Probiotics have been on the mainstream radar for long enough to have entered the commercial supplement space with all the requisite pomp and marketing inherent in that field. Stop guessing about your gut health and get the skinny on the best probiotics available for you.

• Often left to rot in the weird corner of the gym with the Arm Blaster and busted-up chunks of old bumper plates, the trap bar can unlock big gains when you use it to deadlift. Here’s how to do it.