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Welcome to The BarBend Newsletter! Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• 5 protein myths to stop believing

• 9 triceps exercises for size and strength

• Stop doing pull-ups early in your workout

Nutrition

Myth-Conceptions

Despite the increasingly rational world being created by 1s and 0s all around us, mythology still has deep roots in the inner workings of the human mind and heart. Unfortunately, in this quest for a shared cultural mythos, we sometimes find ourselves face-to-face with expanded cinematic universes, retreads of classics, and misunderstandings about macronutrients.

Yes, our biggest shared myths aren’t about nighttime hobgoblins or Darth Vader, but long-standing misconceptions about protein. Mitchell Hooper, somewhat of a mythical moose creature himself, is on the case to help rid the world of these pervasively held beliefs.

“You either eat food and you gain weight, or you don’t eat food and you lose weight,” Hooper says about the myth that women need specifically female-centric protein supplements. He similarly brushes off topics such as the anabolic window and protein’s potential for kidney damage. 

Learn more about protein and, in turn, optimize your muscle-building potential by reading the article below.

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Exercise Selection

Horseshoe Growth

There’s really one way to build your triceps, and that’s to extend your arms. Virtually any isolation movement for the triceps is a triceps extension. You’re probably familiar with a handful of them — like the rope pushdown or overhead extension. However, a crucial factor in adding mass to the back of your arms is to vary the movements you use.

The triceps extension variations in this article are sure to stretch your sleeves and help you set new personal records. We’ll take you through nine of these triceps exercises, explain the anatomy of the muscle, and discuss the benefits of triceps-specific training.

Workouts

Pull Up…But Not Right Away

Almost nothing hits better than inflating your lats, traps, and yoke with a skin-tearing pump and crab-walking sideways out of the weight room. Heck, blast your lats hard enough and you could probably fly home. But a back workout is only as good as the movements within. 

When it comes to the best back exercises, pull-ups (and chin-ups) often rank quite high, and rightfully so. But we’ve got a bone to pick with the pull-up, especially as the first exercise in a back workout. Don’t worry — this isn’t some rage-bait think piece. We’re looking at the evidence and also providing you with advice on when you should do pull-ups.

Big Lifts

Less than 12 weeks out from Nationals, @hamptonmorris snags a five-rep PR on his front squat at 193 kilos/425 pounds.

Quick Hits

📚 Read This: Tired of quality sports news being stuck behind a paywall? Sign up for Press Sports, a FREE 2x/week newsletter that goes beyond just headlines and highlights to help you know that it'll satisfy all your sports news in 5 minutes.

💪 Flip This: Break out everyone’s favorite Uno card and hit the backward button on your next arm workout by swapping hand position with the reverse grip curl.

🏋️ Observe This: Mitchell Hooper still has plenty of PRs left in him. His deadlift training, done as part of preparation for the 2025 World’s Strongest Man, stands as a testament to his (still) increasing strength.

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