🏋️ how to work out once a week and still make gains

Cardinals legend Scott Rolen was the only person voted into the 2023 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame last night. The articles in today's newsletter? They're all Hall of Famers. Let's get to 'em!

What’s it like to train with some of the most accomplished CrossFit stars on Earth? We sent a writer to CrossFit Mayhem’s athlete camp to find out.

Rhianon Lovelace never ceases to amaze us, and her recent ​​101-kilogram (222.6-pound) axle press just solidifies her spot near the top of the strength world.

Contrary to popular belief, you can make gains even if you just go to the gym once a week. Here’s how to do it.

CrossFit

Firsthand Mayhem

From January 18-21, 2023, BarBend contributor Brian Friend participated in an athlete camp hosted at CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, Tennessee. He was joined by about two dozen athletes who have competed at the Semifinal level or higher in the past couple of CrossFit seasons.

The purpose of this endeavor was twofold: Have Brian survive the week (he did!) while learning more about the athletes and coaches at CrossFit Mayhem. Below is a recap of the experience, including an in-depth account of the workouts he faced.

Strongwoman

Rhianon Lovelace Strikes Again

Rhianon Lovelace is one of the strongest competitors in the world of strength sports — and in one of her first significant competitive appearances of 2023, she continued to impress. The highlight feat went down on January 22, when Lovelace captured a 101-kilogram (222.6-pound) axle press during the 2023 Kaos New Year Push/Pull 2023 contest at the Kaos Strength Gym in Preston, England.

The astonishing lift is an all-time U64 (64-kilogram weight class) world record, proving that Lovelace is using the momentum she built throughout 2022 to etch her name even further into the record books in 2023. Everyone competing against her should be on notice.

Exercise Tips

Your Once-a-Week Gym Plan

Hitting the weights multiple times per week is generally considered a foregone conclusion for making gains, whether you want mountains of muscle or a massive powerlifting total. Then what are you supposed to do if you want to put on some mass but don’t have the hours or days to spare?

Can you make commendable gains by training bodybuilding once per week? As it turns out, you can — if you’re smart about it. Here’s how to squeeze every last drop of juice from one weekly bodybuilding workout.

Everything Else

A Championship-Caliber Shoulder Workout

• WWE Superstars Braun Strowman and Sheamus geared up for a monster shoulder workout. You can follow along if you’re really into punishing yourself. ​​

• Strongman Mitchell Hooper started his 2023 season off with a bang by winning the Australia’s Strongest International contest on January 21. Here are the full results.

• Build core strength and stability while giving your shoulder joints a break with the landmine press. Check out our in-depth guide.