🏋️ one exercise that can build a killer core in 2023

We're still figuring out our goals for 2023, but we do have one crucial resolution: To pack more strength and fitness into our humble newsletter than ever. 

Six-time CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey will not compete during the 2023 CrossFit season. We broke down the potential contenders to win the women's division in her absence. 

Two-time reigning World's Strongest Man Tom Stoltman usually succeeds at whatever he puts his mind to. As Stoltman looks ahead to 2023, he won't defend his Britain's Strongest Man title. 

Looking for a surefire path to washboard abs and an impeccably strong core in 2023? The renegade row will be your best friend. 

CrossFit

A Look at 2023 CrossFit Games Contenders

Six-time CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey will put her reign on pause in 2023 as she prepares to welcome her first child. Her absence leaves a massive void for fans — but it creates a new opportunity for all the athletes in the women's division. As the 2023 season creeps ever closer, we tried to make sense of who might be the new royalty on CrossFit's top throne. 

Could it be the 2021 CrossFit Rookie of the Year and 2022 Games runner-up Mal O'Brien? What about 2022 third-place finisher Laura Horvath? Perhaps a past champion and established legend like Annie Thorisdottir might rise back to the top? 

One thing's for sure: With Toomey not defending her title, all sorts of controlled kettlebell chaos may ensue. 

Strongman

Tom Stoltman Centers His Strength Elsewhere

Only three men have won the World's Strongest Man (WSM) and Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) in the same year. Brian Shaw first managed the feat in 2011, and Žydrūnas Savickas (2014) and Hafthor Björnsson (2018) followed suit. In 2023, the two-time defending WSM champion Tom Stoltman will attempt to become the fourth. However, such a path means he'll have to make tough competitive decisions. 

In a recent YouTube video, Tom Stoltman and his brother Luke announced that they will compete in the 2023 ASC in March. Usually, it wouldn't really be news that two elite athletes are participating in an elite competition. You know: Big strong guy lifts big objects. Rinse, repeat. However, in preparation for the ASC in early March, Stoltman also announced that he would not defend his Britain's Strongest Man (BSM) title later this month. 

It's not a decision Stoltman made lightly, but it could serve the greater good as he focuses on making history in 2023.

Training Tips

Rip Your Abs Up Like a Renegade

As you venture into the new year with new gym goals, you'll probably want some fresh ideas to make your workouts more interesting. And not many exercises are better suited for the job than the renegade row. 

The basic principle behind this core-focused move is that you perform a plank while making a rowing motion with a comfortable dumbbell weight. But it's not that simple. To get the most out of this killer movement, we've compiled a step-by-step guide of potential mistakes, benefits, and ways to implement it seamlessly into your routine.

Oh yes. You, too, can train like a renegade. It's that easy. 

Everything Else

Phil Heath's Battles with Self-Esteem

• Just because he has seven Mr. Olympia titles doesn't mean Phil Heath hasn't fought his share of mental battles. The bodybuilding icon discussed self-esteem and negativity in a recent episode of The Mike O'Hearn Show.

• Speaking of the Mr. Olympia, the IFBB has already announced its qualification system for the 2023 contest.

• You normally think of just swinging a kettlebell, but deadlifting one can be just as gnarly (and beneficial!) for your body.