5 bulky benefits of cheat meals

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

• Hamstring curl variations to liven up your training

• Cheat meals: the good, the bad, and the ugly

• All about reverse-grip lat pulldowns

Exercise Selection

The Spice of Life

It’s leg day, and you’ve decided to give your hamstrings the love they deserve. Unfortunately, everyone else in the gym has the same idea. You have a training schedule to stick to, and you don’t have the time — or the patience — to wait around for the hamstring curl machine to finally open up.

Don’t worry — there’s more than one way to curl a hamstring, whether you’re using resistance bands, core sliders, dumbbells, or even your own body weight. To make it even easier for you, we compiled our seven favorite variations below.

Many people are surprised at how much of a hambone pump they can get from a simple standing hamstring curl — no equipment needed. You can intensify the feeling with some bands or use the lightest dumbbells you can access for lying leg curls (you really won’t need more weight than that). Season your hamstrings a little more by diving into these unique recipes for leg training deliciousness.

A Message From Velites

Want to Win VIP Tickets to Wodapalooza?

Fancy a little fun and fitness in the Miami sun this January?

Well, you're in luck because Velites is giving away two VIP and five general admission tickets to Wodapalooza.

Here's how:

1. Follow them on Instagram.

2. Enter your email address here.

Then grab your shades and wait till January 10, when the winners are announced on Instagram.

P.S. Tomorrow's forecast for Miami is partly cloudy, with a high of 72°F.

Dieting

Cheat so Good

While undoubtedly useful, cheat meals aren’t a simple tool everyone should be using (or using as frequently as people want to believe). As with so many things in life, what makes cheat meals great is the very same thing that makes them dangerous when put into the wrong hands.

A cheat meal is basically a pre-planned way to take in more food, usually carbs, in the midst of a calorie-restricted diet. (For example, having a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs big enough to bathe a child in.) And it can have a bunch of benefits, like: 

• Replenishing depleted glycogen reserves for better workouts

• Bolstering your mental state for more difficult cutting to come

• Giving you something to look forward to when all the broccoli and plain rice are finished. 

It can also reinforce bad binging habits, weight gain, and psychological attachments to food. 

If you want a full rundown of the pros and cons, along with some expert tips on how/when to dive into a cheat meal, check out our full rundown below.

Training Tips

Talking Up the Pulldown

Lat pulldowns routinely become a mindless activity for even the most intelligent and dedicated of meatheads. Often put into a program as just “lats” or used because the machine is free and you really don’t feel like loading up a T-bar row, this potentially game-changing exercise deserves more respect than it is usually given.

Look at the pulldown machine with fresh eyes and embrace the reverse-grip lat pulldown as a new mainstay in your back and biceps training.

In this deep dive into the move, we examine the reverse-grip lat pulldown from all angles. This includes proper form, advice on programming it into your routine, and a few common mistakes you need to avoid.

Everything Else

Pump the Brakes On Your Break

• With the winter holidays finally in the rearview mirror, you might need some help getting back into your lifting program after a turkey and candy cane-induced layoff. Here’s how to get back in rhythm.

• If you understand the etymology of the word anabolic, it may not seem necessary to explain why not eating doesn’t increase anabolism. However, in light of the popularity of fasting, Dr. Layne Norton provides some assistance in reviewing the subject matter.

• Remember and honor the life of iconic CrossFit Games competitor Will Powell, who lost his seven-year battle with lung cancer on January 5.