🏋️ 8 ways to break through pesky lifting plateaus

In HBO's The Last of Us, humanity hangs onto a tiny thread of hope at the world's end. Whether the sun's shining or the sky's falling, we'll always bring you what's new in strength. 

Actor Jonathan Majors is known for diving headfirst into his roles. In preparation for a recent part where he played a fictional bodybuilder, he took his diet to another level.

The world's top strongmen will travel to South Carolina this April to decide the latest World's Strongest Man. We now know which 12 events they'll compete in.

Hit a daunting plateau in your training? We've got a road map of eight strategies to break through that pesky wall. 

Celebrity Workout

Jonathan Majors' 6,100-Calorie Bodybuilding Diet 

Heading into his role as Killian Maddox in Magazine Dreams, Jonathan Majors understood he'd have to go full throttle. If a bodybuilder is dedicated to their fitness, a performer like Majors must match such energy. Turns out, the actor went above and beyond for the movie, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20. 

In an interview with Variety, Majors revealed he ate an astonishing 6,100 calories per day ... for four consecutive months. That is not a typo. If you need a microfiber cloth for any glasses, we'd advise using it now. 

Majors seemed to enjoy this commitment. "I would train two hours, two times a day for the movie, and a third time after wrap [at the end of the filming day]," Majors said. "Meanwhile, you eat six times a day. Lots of chicken. Lots of elk, that’s just for me. I like it.”

Strongman

2023 World's Strongest Man Events Revealed 

Come mid-April, Myrtle Beach, SC, will feature some hulking titans lifting all sorts of heavy implements during the 2023 World's Strongest Man (WSM). And late last week, we learned the full event list for the competition. While the precise structure isn't clear yet, they are as follows:

Qualifying Stage

• Event One | Loading Race — Day One

• Event Two | Deadlift Machine — Day One

• Event Three | Log Ladder — Day One

• Event Four | Conan’s Wheel — Day Two

• Event Five | Kettlebell Toss — Day Two

• Stone Off — Day Two

WSM Final

• Event One | Fingal's Fingers — Day Three

• Event Two | Deadlift —  Day Three

• Event Three | Shield Carry — Day Three

• Event Four | Max Dumbbell — Day Four

• Event Five | Vehicle Pull — Day Four

• Event Six | Atlas Stones — Day Four

There will definitely be more WSM news in the months ahead, but it's good to have a strong (get it?) foundation for now. 

Training Tips

Launch Off That Plateau

Picture this. You're powering through an excellent training program and starting to see your hard work paying off in the mirror. But, at a certain point, the gains stop coming. The progress gradually slows down. And, eventually, you're in a clear rut, with no way of increasing your strength and fitness.

Hey, we've all been there. That's why we might be most equipped on how to advise you to get off that awful plateau. 

Our breakdown of eight strategies to break through a training plateau features a host of outside-the-box thoughts. Maybe a de-load week is the answer to your issues. Or perhaps you just need more sleep. Whatever the underlying plateau issue is, this guide should help you solve it. 

Everything Else 

An Early Look at Paris 2024

• With the Paris Olympics roughly a year and a half away, the IWF has revealed the early weightlifting leaders in qualification. There are a few surprises.

• Mike O'Hearn and Paul Wight, a.k.a. WWE legend "Big Show," tackled their biceps at the Gold's Gym in Venice.

• As for powering through plateaus, we've got the ultimate bench press workout that should be a virtual guarantee to increase your strength and muscle.

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