🏋️‍♂️ 5 best upper-body workouts for huge gains

Today’s newsletter is presented by BetterHelp. Join the millions of people who have taken advantage of BetterHelp’s convenient and affordable online therapy services. Click here to get matched up with a licensed therapist who fits your needs and get 25% off your first month.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• Which is better, massage guns or foam rollers?

• 5 scorching upper-body workouts for strength and muscle gain.

• 7 benefits of using the leg press.

Recovery

Massage Showdown

Warm-ups and self-massages have come a long way from the days when people would try to grind out a knot in their back by leaning against the power rack like a bear scratching himself on a tree.

And while foam rollers have been a constant sight in gyms for decades, the humble massage gun has made a strong case for itself in recent years as the new Alpha in town. What are the differences between these two post-workout wonders, you might ask?

Each can soothe sore muscles or work out a knot before and after lifting weights, but sometimes, you can’t quite reach the affected muscle with the foam roller. Then again, accessibility and price can often work against massage guns. With so many pros and cons to deliberate, we examined both up close and personal to see which is right for you.

From Our Sponsor

Convenient and Affordable Help Online

Did you know nearly 5 Million people have connected to a licensed therapist on BetterHelp, the world's largest therapy platform done online?

Getting started is easy: take the quiz and get matched to a therapist who fits your needs and preferences in as little as 48 hours. Schedule your first live session via video, phone, or live chat. No more driving to and from appointments or getting on a waitlist.

Check out BetterHelp today. Bonus: BarBend readers get 25% off their first month.

Workouts

Beach Muscles

To certain people, the upper body is the entire body when it comes to working out. Nobody admits to skipping leg day for the third time this month, but there isn’t a human alive who misses an opportunity to get an upper-body pump.

Doing a deep dive into working out your chest, shoulders, back, and arms results in a litany of rep schemes, branded workouts with capitalized names (so you know they’re good), and all kinds of advice from that dude at the gym who insists he knows the secrets of getting big.

To help you cut through the noise, we’re detailing the five best upper-body workouts for all types of gymgoers. And once you pick the right one for your goals, just follow our guidance for bigger gains.

Exercise Tips

Legs With Benefits

When you see someone flaunting a pair of massive quads, you can bet they know their way around the leg press. It’s one of the go-to machines on leg day, allowing you to move obscene amounts of weight and providing tremendous benefits along the way.

The leg press is more beginner-friendly than the barbell squat and isolates the legs to a greater degree (and bigger legs mean a better life). If you aren’t training your legs hard with a leg press, this guide will help you discover the true joy of brutal lower-body training.

Everything Else

Fixing That Jerk

• If the highly technically jerk phase of the clean and jerk is holding you back from hitting a new PR, BarBend has got you covered with these tips. Sometimes, it’s good to be a jerk.

• The Man of a Thousand Memes, Mike O’Hearn, gives his opinion on the rumors that Hollywood actors often use steroids to build their superhero physiques.

• Black seed oil may be the best supplement you’ve never heard of. Also known as black caraway and black cumin, this spice is used in traditional foods all over the world for its distinct flavor and anti-inflammatory properties. Learn more about its benefits.