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Here’s what’s going on in today’s newsletter:

• Exercises the world has forgotten (but needs to remember)

• The worst exercises for gaining muscle

• Dorian Yates’ stiff-legged deadlift technique

Gym History

Forget Me Not

The next time you’re tearfully singing “Auld Lang Syne” after a night out at the pub, stop yourself from pouring one out for these four forgotten exercises and remind yourself that just because they are fading from memory, it doesn’t mean they are completely dead if you keep them in your heart.

Three out of four of these forgotten lifts are named after famous lifers — and it kind of makes sense. As new generations of fitness personalities take center stage, some of the stalwarts of years past (along with the exercises they created) have been relegated to the dustbin of history. Still, that doesn’t mean these eponymous exercises should be left off your routine.

The next time someone posts a “throwback” video of “Captain” Kirk Karwoski and his silverback-inspired silhouette, remember that he built that immense bulk with his patented Kirk Rows. Your bumper plates might say “Pendlay” on them, but you might forget the story behind legendary Olympic lifting coach Glenn Pendlay and his underrated Pendlay row. (Seriously, this move packs such a punch that we dedicated an entire article to it.)

Rediscover the great tidings of the days of yore and enlist their favorite lifts into your own hyper-modern life.

A Message From NUNORM

Upgrade Your Training with NUNORM Shoes

Why a Zero-Drop Sole Matters

NUNORM’s zero-drop sole keeps your heel and forefoot level, unlike traditional training shoes with elevated heels. This improves:

• Ground Contact – Enhances force transfer and stability in heavy lifts.

• Posture & Alignment – Supports an upright torso in squats and deadlifts, reducing injury risk.

• Proprioception – Increases body awareness for better balance and control.

The Wide Toe Box Advantage

Unlike narrow shoes that restrict movement, NUNORM’s wide toe box allows natural toe splay, leading to:

• Stronger Feet – Activates foot muscles for improved stability.

• Better Grip & Balance – Provides a solid foundation under heavy loads.

• Reduced Fatigue – Improves circulation for long training sessions.

Built for Strength Athletes

Ideal for powerlifters, weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and barefoot training enthusiasts. Train harder and move better with NUNORM.

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Exercise Selection

The Bottom 10 

Bodybuilding is (literally) a game of inches. Sculpting muscle in the right place at the right time is the difference between earning the physique of your dreams and falling just short.

Once you get past the early stages of newbie gains, you need to be more miserly with your choice of exercise. If hypertrophy is your goal, and having a symmetrical, aesthetic shape is your life’s great passion, these 10 exercises are the ones you need to kick out of your program for good.

Look, nobody is saying deadlifts or good mornings are bad exercises; they’re just not the right exercises if you’re simply focusing on building muscle. (You might want to swap in barbell hip thrusts or Romanian deadlifts instead.) The same goes for the famed upright row — you’re much better off doing cable face-pulls to supercharge your frame.

There may be a phase of life for each of these 10 “worst” movements, but if more muscle is your chief objective, you can (and should) leave them behind for now.

Training Tips

Pull Like Dorian

With all the mass monsters running around in the 2020s and with recency bias becoming increasingly heightened as we forget more and more of our shared history, sometimes people forget what an absolute freak Dorian Yates was.

The Warwickshire man has many traits lifters in the internet age should be copying, perhaps none more than his stiff-legged deadlift technique. Luckily, BarBend is on the case, and the article below will fill you in on how to leverage this lift just like the six-time Mr. Olympia champion.

As part of our research, we did a deep dive into Yates’ 1998 training book, A Warrior’s Story, to get some tips from the man himself in his prime. (And if we’re going so far as to read books, then you know we’re taking this seriously.)

So stretch those hammies, get familiar with Yates’ teachings, and pull like you’ve never pulled before, with some help from the article below.

Quick Hits

🥗 Subscribe: For evidence-based tips on weight management and nutrition, subscribe to Weight Loss Tales. Join 20,000+ readers 3x per week (all for free) as this expert-backed newsletter tackles subjects like intermittent fasting, the efficacy of weight-loss drugs, and more.

🔨 Hammer This: The folks at Garage Gym Reviews peel their eyes off his physique and radiant eyes for long enough to take a good hard look at Chris Hemsworth’s Centr treadmill to see if it’s worth the hype.

🇺🇸 Marvel at This: In more MCU-related news, new shield-bearer Anthony Mackie gives a rundown of the workout he used to get in shape for his turn at playing Captain America.

💪 Lift This: Choose between these nine great reverse flye variations to build up the posterior portion of your upper body.

☕️ Drink This: A new study suggests the benefits of drinking coffee can be combined with mitigating the potential risks by only consuming the life-sustaining dark beverage during the morning hours.

🏋️‍♂️ Show Us Your Strength: Next time you want to showcase your latest feat of strength for the rest of the fitness world, post the video to Instagram and use the hashtag #BarBendLifts so we can feature you on our IG page.

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