🏋️ boost your squat with these 15 accessory exercises

Yesterday saw the official end of daylight saving time until March 2023. As the days get shorter and darker in the coming months, we'll be sure to light up your inbox with the latest strength sports news and workout tips.

Martins Licis came up short in his quest to repeat as champ at the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational. Here's what he says went wrong with his performance.

You probably know rapper Method Man as one of the original members of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. You probably didn't know he could deadlift 500 pounds.

We know those pesky squat plateaus can be frustrating. These 15 excellent accessory exercises should help you break through to the other side.

Strongman

Martins Licis Retraces His Steps

Martins Licis entered the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational competition to repeat as champion. Alas, after an unfortunate biceps injury during the final event, he finished fourth behind Mitchell Hooper, Trey Mitchell, and overall winner Oleksii Novikov.

In response to what he felt was a disappointing finish, Licis posted a video to his YouTube channel late last week where he broke down his results. Perhaps more importantly, Licis detailed what he feels needs to change at the competition in the future, including earlier communication about event details so the athletes can train longer.

Celebrity Workouts

Method Man's Method to His Deadlift Madness

Clifford Smith Jr. — a.k.a. “Method Man” — is an icon in the rap world. He's likely best known for his work as part of the Wu-Tang Clan, but he's also found success both as a solo artist and an actor.

And while his credentials in the music industry are well known, it might be time to start recognizing what Method Man brings to the strength table.

The 51-year-old rapper recently shared a clip on his Instagram where he deadlifted an impressive 227.3 kilograms (500 pounds). This was a PR for the hip-hop pioneer, and he did it all with just wrist wraps and a lifting belt.

You know what they say: Wu-Tang (deadlifts) forever.

Training Tips

Break Through That Squat Plateau

Whether you’re training for muscle growth, absolute strength, power, or physique, the squat is a one-stop exercise shop. And to get better at it, you need to spend some serious time under the bar.

But at a certain point, hitting a plateau is almost inevitable when you're always squatting hard and heavy. If you're experiencing a slowdown in your squat that you just can't move beyond, we're here to help.

From barbell good mornings to ab rollouts, we've outlined the 15 best squat accessory exercises to help you iron out any weaknesses you may have. Regardless of your present goals, this superb guide should help you reach new heights in the squat rack.

Everything Else

Build Your Shoulders Like an Olympia Champ

• Four-time Men's Physique Olympia winner Jeremy Buendia is on the comeback trail. The bodybuilder shared a taxing shoulder to prepare for 2023.

• Speaking of bodybuilding prep, here's the diet reigning Bikini Olympia champion Jennifer Dorie is using to help defend her title in December.

• Looking for a low-impact, high-intensity training routine? We broke down how to properly use a rowing machine.

Sound Off!

Squat Break

The Results Are In!

What YOU Want!

To help celebrate Election Day in the U.S., we recently asked what you want to see more of in The BarBend Newsletter. Here are the results:

1. Exercise tips (36%)

2. Full workouts (32%)

3. Strength sports news (15%)

4. Supplement reviews (7%)

5. Athlete interviews (4%)

6. Feature articles and long reads (3%)

7. Other (3%)