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Here’s what we’re talking about today:

• Nine high-protein, low-carb foods ideal for muscle growth.

• Why you should learn to love the chest press machine.

• And finally, we know a partial list of the 2023 CrossFit Games workouts.

Nutrition

Carb Down

It’s long been an axiom that lifters need to “eat to their goals.” For some, that fitness goal might require replacing that nightly trip to Papa Johns with something slightly less friendly to adipose. If this sounds familiar, welcome to the wonderful world of macronutrients (for everyone else, don’t forget the extra garlic butter sauce).

For meatheads and general health enthusiasts alike, the macronutrient known as “protein” is king, queen, emperor, and high priestess of all muscle-building foods. Carbs, on the other hand, act as an energy source (and remember, a calorie is a measurement of energy). Controlling the delicate ratio between your protein and carb intake can be clutch for putting on lean mass and realizing your physique-related dreams.

In order to do this, you can get out a graphing calculator and plot out your macros to the nth degree, or you can just stick to the nine high-protein, low-carb foods we’ve rounded up below:

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Exercise

Ditch the Barbell

Often underutilized by the underdeveloped, the chest press machine is maligned in the modern free weight-focused gym culture. However, the very attributes that are the cause of this derision are also its greatest strengths (there’s some sort of philosophic precept hidden in there).

Beyond being safer and more accessible for beginners, the chest press machine also has beneficial muscle-building properties for intermediate and advanced lifters. Chief among these positives is the machine’s knack for helping veteran gym-goers bust through stubborn plateaus.

It might be time to reshape your understanding of International Bench Press Day (Monday) by giving the barbell a rest for once. Whether you are chasing the pump or trying to bring up a weak point, try out these chest press machine tips and variations for greater gains.

CrossFit

Games Workouts (Partly) Revealed

We here at BarBend are gearing up for the impending start of the CrossFit Games in August. And to whet our appetite for the mayhem to come, the organization has posted a partial list of the workouts that competitors like two-time champion Justin Medeiros will face at the event. 

This in-progress list includes no-brainers like a cross-country 5K and a version of the benchmark workout, Helen, which typically involves running, kettlebell swings, and pull-ups.

Pulling in competitors and box dwellers from all around the country, this year's Games takes place in the capital city of Madison, on the great cheese plains of Wisconsin, from August 1-6. And the recently revealed workouts require all the requisite strength, speed, and stamina the sport has long been known for. Check out what we know so far below:

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Everything Else

Nothing but a Peanut

• Brian Shaw, strongman legend and one of the most powerful humans to ever live, recently tapped into his inner Ronnie Coleman and bench pressed 200-pound dumbbells for five reps while training for his final competition.

• A lounge chair for bigger arms? Use the incline curl to add variation to your workout and help pop those peaks.

• Boybuilding’s biggest stage, the Olympia, is taking shape as 10 recent winners from the 2023 Chicago Pro are added to the field.