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Welcome to The BarBend Newsletter! Here’s what we have for you today:

• 5 exercises to kick to the curb (and what to replace them with)

• Dispelling the dangers of eating too much protein

• The many triceps exercises of Jay Cutler

Exercise Science

Ditch ‘Em

Long past its heyday as an internet craze, the plank still remains a popular choice for getting in a quick ab training session. But is the enthusiasm surrounding the move justified? Dr. Mike Israetel says “no,” and recommends the significantly harder ab rollout as a significantly less lazy solution to the problem of your core training.

He doesn’t stop at the plank, either. Lampooning several exercises of various credulity, from rack pulls to triceps kickbacks, Dr. Israetel really, really wants you to make better choices in the gym by getting these five moves out of your routine.

We look at the moves Dr. Mike loathes and walk you through the alternatives below.

A Message From Lumen

Are You Eating Right for Your Metabolism?

Most people follow generic diet advice without knowing if it actually works for their body. Your metabolism is unique. What fuels someone else’s fat burn might stall yours.

Stop guessing. Start eating smarter.

This guide breaks down how to eat in sync with your metabolism. Learn how to:

✔ Identify whether you’re burning fat or carbs
✔ Adjust your meals to improve energy and weight loss
✔ Optimize your metabolism for long-term health

Don’t waste time on one-size-fits-all nutrition plans. Discover how to fuel your body the right way.

Read the full guide

Nutrition

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Protein intake remains a controversial subject in certain fitness circles. Despite every shred of scientific evidence to the contrary, some people still want to pretend that high protein intake can be bad for your health.

In refutation of today’s dispatch from the Alarmist News Network, Dr. Layne Norton calmly and rationally approaches the allegations that high protein intake leads to more fat accumulation (seriously, this is a thing).

“It’s a long journey from protein to amino acids to glucose or ketones then fatty acids,” Dr. Norton explains. 

While there may be an upper limit to the positive benefits of increasing protein intake, which may be the oft-cited 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, there don’t seem to be ill effects of going beyond that point (except maybe on your wallet… protein sources tend to be more expensive). 

Journey into the Land of Logic and understand what protein is and what it is not.

Exercise Selection

Triceps by Cutler

Like Hercules taught us, it’s much better to give them a sick burn than try to slice and dice. Jay Cutler, with a body to match any heroic figure, knows all about going toe-to-toe with the three heads of the triceps muscle, and if his (still) massive arms are any indication, he might know a thing or two (or, umm, three). Keeping up the trichotomy theme, Jay gives you one of his favorite exercises that helps you hit every part of the muscle.

A cable rope extension is the four-time Olympia Champion’s tool of choice, both for its muscle-building properties and for the more relaxed position it allows your joints to be in. Dissect the specifics of this triceps extension variant and find out how it can help you build arms bigger than you’ve ever imagined.

Quick Hits

🧀 Eat This: Should you choose a hunk of Parmesan cheese over a protein bar after your next workout? Verywell Health broke down the macros behind this TikTok trend, and it turns out those Gen Zers might be onto something. 

⚡️ Slam This: Fortunately for our bodies, we, as a species, are slowly losing our collective fear of sodium (not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s one of the things that makes your heart pump). These 10 electrolyte supplements provide enough of this less-scary-than-you-were-told mineral to fuel your workouts as well as your active lifestyle.

🚣‍♂️ Row This: If you’ve ever wanted to join the 1% and become a true outlaw, you might have noticed life isn’t quite as attractive as Sons of Anarchy makes it look. Instead, just make the renegade row your go-to for back and core training and keep the Harley dangling in the online shopping cart.

📕 Read This: Need a little Monday motivation to start your week? Check out our list of 11 retired bodybuilders who are still jacked years after walking off the stage.

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