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Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• All the athletes skipping the 2025 CrossFit Open

• How to build a muscular, stage-worthy butt

• The best biceps exercise, according to science 

CrossFit

At a Crossroads

CrossFit has a problem: Top competitors are making it known that they are not pleased with the company, leading many to skip the 2025 CrossFit Open and the upcoming season altogether. 

Many of the opt-outs directly stem from the fallout surrounding Lazar Đukić’s death at the 2024 CrossFit Games. After the tragedy, many were already hesitant to continue supporting Dave Castro and CrossFit HQ, but the discord was exacerbated by the handling of the “internal investigation” into Đukić’s death and the lack of transparency that followed.

Luminaries of the sport, such as Annie Thorisdottir, have been outspoken about the matter, as has Lazar’s brother, Luka Đukić. Many of the world’s best CrossFit athletes are choosing to make their voices heard by focusing on other events instead — including Wodapalooza, the Rogue Invitational, and the World Fitness Project — in an effort to enact change. 

Find out who is skipping the 2025 CrossFit season in our comprehensive breakdown below.

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Training

Your Glute Guide

One look at bodybuilder Tefani-Sam Genadi Razhi will tell you she’s passionate about training her butt (and cannot lie). Though it used to be seen as an insult, saying someone has a big backside nowadays is a compliment for both men and women. (And, with better training education available, it’s understood as a sign of total strength).

In the article below, Razhi shares one of her favorite lower-body workouts and offers further advice on how to train for a big booty. And while the moves themselves are important, we’re also looking at her technique tips — including a focus on going to failure — to see if they measure up against the established science.

On a side note: If you learn nothing else from this article, you should at least follow Razhi’s lead by making the pendulum squat part of your leg day from here on out. It is an absolute game-changer for glutes and quads.

Exercise Science

Biceps by Science

Two biceps exercises tend to stand atop the mighty peak of elbow flexion greatness: the incline dumbbell curl and the preacher curl.

Today, we’re breaking down a recent video from House of Hypertrophy that centered on four studies to help determine which of these movements is better for growing sick arms.

Each of the studies looks at the issue from a slightly different point of view. Examine all the intricacies involved in training this much-loved body part, including excited fibers up and down the entire muscle, and how blood flow (and restriction) may play a part in whether or not you break out the tank tops this year.

Once the dust settles, you’ll learn which exercise is your best bet for building mass, gaining strength, and prepping your body for a sleeveless summer.

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Quick Hits

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