🏋️‍♂️ 11 best pulling exercises for back strength

Today’s newsletter is presented by LMNT. Step up your hydration game with this zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix, and get a free sample pack with any purchase by heading here.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• Jesus Olivares topples another (unofficial) record

• The best pulling exercises for your back

• Does eating more than 40 grams of protein in a meal go to waste?

Powerlifting

Olivares Is Ready

The Sheffield Powerlifting Championships are less than a month away, but Jesus Olivares has all but demolished the world record for a raw deadlift during his training for the contest. We’ve followed Olivares’ journey during his training for the meet, and his current form is justifying all the hard work he has put in. 

In a recent training video, Olivares deadlifted a staggering 426 kilograms (939 pounds), a full 16 kilograms more than the current IPF raw world record. While it won’t count for “real” if he can’t replicate the feat at the showdown in Sheffield, Olivares is seemingly on a roll that can’t be stopped by Hadrian’s Wall. Watch the lift below and marvel at the world-record weight Olivares moved in practice.

From Our Sponsor

Why “Drink More Water” May Be Bad Advice

Contrary to popular belief, dehydration isn’t the biggest problem facing athletes. Overhydration is. 

Misguided hydration guidelines often lead to over-hydration and hyponatremia, a condition of low blood sodium causing symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps.

So, how to prevent overhydration?

1. Drink to thirst

2. Consume enough electrolytes

Enter LMNT.

LMNT is a zero-sugar, science-backed electrolyte drink mix created by research biochemists that contains vital sodium, potassium, and magnesium, without sugar, artificial colors, or harmful ingredients.

Used by elite athletes and teams, including Team USA Weightlifting, NBA, NFL, and Navy SEALS, LMNT supports not just athletic performance but also enhances energy, sleep quality, and daily productivity.

With flavors like Citrus Salt, Raspberry Salt, Mango Chili, and new Chocolate Salt, there's a favorite for everyone.

Visit DrinkLMNT.com/BarBend for a free sample pack with any purchase.

Workout Tips

Pull Your Weight

A big back never goes out of style. Whether you want to fly higher than Icarus on wings of latissimus dorsi muscle, or you want to straight-up block out the sun like a supervillain, having a wide back is essential to your day-to-day life. To get that width, though, you need to understand how to tug, and these 11 pulling exercises can put you on the path to an enormous V-taper.

None of these picks are controversial — back training is all about hitting it simple and hard. Pull-ups and chin-ups are staples for a reason, as is deadlifting massive weight from the floor. You can get a little fancy with various kinds of cable pulls, but it still won’t make you hold your tea with your pinky finger in the air. Get back to the back training you know you should have been doing all along.

Nutrition

The Key to Comedy and Nutrition

Nutrient timing has been the hot thing in exercise nutrition for as long as social media has existed, and the old axiom that “the body can only absorb 25 to 30 grams of protein at a time” predates color television. (Probably.)

Both of these suppositions are now being challenged by a new study that states that the body can receive an anabolic response from up to 100 grams of protein at a time without wasting any of it. How does this alter your pre- and post-workout nutrition and eight-meal-a-day food-prep routine? Read the study and find out if your optimum food intake has never really been all that optimal at all.

From Our Sponsor

NativePath Collagen PM invites you to unwind with a dream team of four clinically proven ingredients, elevating your typical nightcap. Infused with melatonin, magnesium, and L-theanine, it's more than just a drink – it's a prelude to serene sleep.

Bonus: BarBend readers can get a variety pack for FREE. Shipping's on you, but the priceless dreams? They're on us.

Everything Else

Reverse the Polarity

• By simply moving your hands from an underhand grip to an overhand grip, you transform a biceps curl into the most powerful Uno card: the reverse curl. Learn how to do it.

• The 2024 HYROX Maastricht competition had it all: One-kilometer runs, rapid-fire exercises, and athletes for each division. Here are the full results. 

• Follow the journey of former Navy SEAL and six-time CrossFit champion Josh Bridges as he details the changes he’s made to his training since turning 40.