💪 the worst back exercises for muscle growth

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Here’s what we’ve got to start your week with:

• Standing vs. sitting calf raises

• Jeff Nippard ranks back exercises

• The top incline treadmill workouts

Muscle Building

Grow Them Calves

If, like Johnny Drama from Entourage, your calves are your livelihood, you know about direct calf training. But what if you’re a novice and don’t know how to start bulking up these stubborn muscles? Fret not because, according to science, it’s been proven (kind of) that the standing calf raise can offer up to twice the muscle growth as its seated cousins.

A new study took 14 untrained people and had some of them do seated calf raises while others did them standing, and the results for the latter engulfed the results of the former like a dragon devouring the sun. Have you been unhappy with your calf training choices? See what the world of science has to say and adjust accordingly.

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Exercise Tips

Guess Who's Back (Back Again)

In the gorilla world, the alpha-ape is the one with the largest lat spread (probably). Humans share much in common with their almost genetically identical great ape cousins, and the need for a large back to compete in society is one of the most profound (again, probably).

Internet fitness personality Jeff Nippard knows all about big backs, and he recently ranked the top 20 back exercises from best to worst. (Nippard may ruffle some feathers with his ranking of the internet-favorite deadlift, but remember, this is specifically for back hypertrophy, not social media bragging rights.)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his favorite exercises for posterior muscle growth are those that emphasize the muscular contraction of the back muscles rather than balance or full-body strength. So which moves made the list? Check out the full article below.

Workout Tips

Are You So Inclined?

Getting a good workout on your friendly neighborhood treadmill is simpler than the droves of cardio zombies walking their lives away under fluorescent lights make it seem. Instead of doing as close to nothing as possible while on the treadmill, crank the incline up and learn how you can really break a sweat with the workouts in the article below.

The key to blasting your lungs and legs is dependent on your fitness level and the extent to which you can manipulate work and rest phases. If you’re feeling fit and spry, the internet-popular 12-3-30 protocol (that is, 12% incline, 3.0 speed, for 30 minutes) is a fine way to spend your time walking in place. You can push even harder for shorter periods if you use a 1:5 ratio of work to rest (your work should be appropriately hard).

The world is your oyster on a treadmill if you plan ahead and want to get some serious work in. All it takes is knowing the systems.

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Everything Else

A Triumphant Return

• BarBend’s Strength Weekly podcast is bringing you all the news from around the barbell game. This week, we're covering North Korean weightlifting world records, Haley Adams’ return to CrossFit, Chris Bumstead’s Olympia prep, and more! Watch it here.

• Strongman Brian Shaw underwent hydrostatic submersion testing to figure out his true body composition. Check out the results.

• Stay and hang out for a while with the notoriously tough and overlooked hanging leg raise. Your entire core will be happy you stayed.