🏋️ the right exercise order for bigger gains

Want the latest in fitness news and workout tips in less time than it takes to blend up a protein shake? You've come to the right place.

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Hafþór Björnsson, the 2018 World’s Strongest Man, announced he will take part in competitive powerlifting at his own meet this December. 

The superstars of WWE have some world-class physiques. And now you can follow along as Bobby Lashley and Sheamus walk fans through a punishing back and leg workout.

Are you paying attention to the order of the exercises you do at the gym? You should, and we’re here to tell you why.

Powerlifting

The Mountain Heads to Powerlifting

Earlier this month, Hafþór Björnsson revealed that he plans to break his weight over bar world record at this weekend’s Rogue Invitational event in Round Rock, TX. Turns out, the 2018 World’s Strongest Man winner isn’t done making announcements quite yet.

On October 22, the Game of Thrones star confirmed that he’s also taking part in competitive powerlifting at his own meet called Thor’s Powerlifting Event on December 3, 2022. Björnsson — a.k.a. Thor a.k.a. The Mountain — will compete in the raw division, meaning he won’t wear a bench shirt or squat suit and will only compete with a weight belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves or knee wraps. This will be Björnsson's first powerlifting meet since 2018 when he totaled 1,100 kilograms at his own event called Thor's Powerlifting Challenge.

His goal now is to hit a 1000-kilogram total across the bench, squat, and deadlift. He already posted videos of himself recently hitting two reps on the deadlift at 320 kilograms and squat at 310 kilograms — so he's certainly rounding into form. 

Workouts

A Tag Team Gym Routine

World Wrestling Entertainment is home to some of the fittest (and biggest) athletes on the planet. And two of them — Bobby Lashley and Sheamus — recently got together for a back and leg workout on Sheamus’s Celtic Warrior Workouts YouTube channel. The session is about as brutal as you’d expect, with the two perennial champions doing set after set of pull-ups, rows, lunges, and wall sits.

Throughout it all, Lashley expounds upon his fitness philosophy, including the fact that he doesn’t adhere to a strict gym routine and instead structures his workouts by how he feels that day. Oh, and he also said there’s nothing wrong with sneaking a cookie or two into your diet, which is something we here at BarBend wholeheartedly endorse.

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Training Tips

Order of Operation

Finding the right workout regimen for your goals is vital for any fitness routine — but how much thought do you put into exercise order? Haphazardly throwing exercises into your gym routine may be doing you more harm than good in some cases, and if you follow a pre-written plan, don’t think for a second that the move order is random.

To help you put your exercises in the proper order, we’re diving deep into the dos and don’ts of the whole thing. If you want to build strength, we’ve got you covered. If you just want size, we’ve got guidelines for that, too. When you’re finished, you won’t just know what orders to put your exercise into — you’ll know the logic behind it as well.

Everything Else

A Full Day of Eating

• Bodybuilder William Bonac walked fans through what he eats every day during his Mr. Olympia prep. And he looks absolutely miserable while doing it.

• You spend most of your time outside the gym, not in it. Here's how to maximize your gains off the platform.

• 67.5-kilogram powerlifter Nabil Lahlou isn’t known as “The French Phenom” for nothing. And his recent 362.8-kilogram deadlift further cemented his impressive reputation.