🏋️‍♂️ do you need a bench press arch?

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Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• The importance of a proper bench press arch

• Ventsislav Dimitrov’s massive deadlift

• All there is to know about spirulina

Lifting Technique

Arch de Triomphe

To properly express your raw strength, you need technique — and when it comes to the bench press, few things are as important as establishing a proper arch. While there are extreme examples of competition bench presses that create almost zero range of motion, the type of arch you need can be a little more subdued.

Locking your shoulders in place for a more stable base to push from doesn’t mean your arch needs to look like a suspension bridge. When done properly, you can push up more weight and build more muscle. Embrace the arch with the tips below.

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PR Alert!

The 500KG Club

Deadlifts can be a touchy subject. People take issue with everything from a lifter’s stance to choice of equipment, making it difficult to make sense of the strength feats seen on social media. But with all those provisions in place, the recent 505-kilo deadlift by Bulgarian Ventsislav Dimitrov is impressive any way you cut it.

The lift occurred at the 2023 Eisenhart Black Competition in Bavaria on December 2. Using straps and a sumo stance, Dimitrov deadlifted 1,113 pounds, which is more than any other human has ever pulled. Dimitrov’s deadlift is not an official world record; lifting straps are prohibited in powerlifting competitions, and the Black Competition was not full power (it omitted the squat).

To date, 2017 World’s Strongest Man champion Eddie Hall is the only man to pull 500 kilograms in a conventional stance in sanctioned competition — he did so at the 2016 World Deadlift Championships. Though unofficial, Dimitrov pulled five kilos more.

You can check out the lift below and decide who you think deserves to be crowned the “King of the Deadlifts.”

Nutrition

Spiraling Into Spirulina

Algae occasionally breaks into the news for its impact on climate and potential viability as a sustainable fuel source, but its biggest claim to fame yet may be hiding in the supplement aisle. That’s because spirulina (dried algae) has supposed superfood-esque properties that make it an easy addition to your protein shake lifestyle.

Used by NASA to keep astronauts healthy while in space, spirulina has been eaten for hundreds of years for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Technically not an animal, algae also provides a complete protein source for vegans and anyone else looking for plant-based muscle.

Understanding the powerful effects of this readily accessible plant may even boost your in-gym performance. See what algae can do for you.

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Everything Else

Give ‘em an Inch

• Squiggle and squirm your way to a better warm-up with the no-equipment-needed inchworm exercise. Here’s how to do it.

• Many people in gyms across the world would be elated to deadlift almost 500 pounds, but Bulgarian weightlifter Karlos Nasar decided to set a clean and jerk world record by throwing it over his head instead.

• The Dubai Fitness Championships are in the books, and Karin Freyová and Roman Khrennikov came away victorious. See the full results here.