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Here’s everything fit to print in this edition:

• Why deadlifts suck for building muscle

• Oblique workouts to torch your core

• The real deal behind exercise bikes and fat loss

Hypertrophy

Let’s Stir It Up

The deadlift is the biggest waste of time for hypertrophy. Kind of.

Look, Ronnie Coleman’s back doesn’t lie, but that doesn’t mean you should be spending time and energy on deadlifts if your goal is to build muscle and look like a bodybuilder. 

You don’t need to get wounded, offended, or triggered by learning your favorite lift isn’t doing anything for your physique. However, if your goals lean more toward muscularity rather than strength, you’re better off spending your precious time and energy on lifts that directly target the muscles you want to build. 

Can’t let go? Be like Rose and just let Jack (deadlifts) go. There really isn’t enough room on that piece of wood.

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Workouts

An Oblique Concept

In a land full of sit-ups, leg raises, and Photoshopped front angles of six-pack abs, it is sometimes all too easy to forget to train your core around 360 degrees. Training your obliques (your side abs) will result in better body control and shape, and BarBend has the best workouts for training your sides, no matter your level of fitness.

Moving the burn around the corner to your obliques can be as simple as taking some time out of your daily planking routine to rotate into a side plank once in a while (then, if you’re ready to progress, throw a push-up in there). If you have access to some cable machines, you can benefit from the ultra-hip Pallof press and side cable crunch.

If you check the clock on the wall, you’ll notice the time says Abs O’Clock, so you’d better get started.

Fat Loss

Pedal to the Metal

Exercise bikes are definitely a thing. From that metal contraption stuffed away in your aunt’s garage to every modern-day yuppy’s favorite bike brand (hey, embrace it), stationary bikes make up a significant portion of the exercise equipment market.

But do they actually provide enough fat loss to justify risking a numb butt? After all, “exercise” is part of the name, so you can, rightfully, surmise that getting a good workout with one is eminently possible. No fitness equipment exercises itself, however, so the onus is on you to understand how to use these two wheels to nowhere. 

You can easily mix up HIIT workouts with steady-state efforts on the bike, but you’ll need to understand how to set yourself up for weight loss success. We’re here to help with the article below.

Everything Else

Shake It Up

• Cross-training has been embraced by athletes for years as a way of building up their main sport’s capacity with alternative exercise. If your marathon training has become a bit stale, you can cross-train your way across 26.2.

• The UK version of the Arnold Sports Festival featured an IPF-sanctioned record-breaking raw deadlift. Watch in awe.

• DIY fitness enthusiasts don’t need to stop at wooden power racks; they can also learn to make electrolyte drinks in their own kitchen.