Latest news with #ClassicPhysique
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
5 Shoulder Exercises a Pro Bodybuilder Swears by for Building Boulder Shoulders
If there's one thing fitness enthusiasts can agree on, it's the desire for bigger, more defined shoulders. Whether you're male or female, capped delts are always in style. They may not be as flashy as a sculpted six-pack, but they make T-shirts hug just right and tank tops hit even harder. While there's no shortage of shoulder exercises to choose from, IFBB Classic Physique pro and RP Strength's Head Physique and Bodybuilding Specialist, Jared Feather, says there are a few key moves he swears by to build that coveted round, 3D facing away from a cable or Freemotion machine, feet shoulder-width apart, holding the cable or handle in each hand with palms facing each other. (Alternately, you can use resistance bands by stepping on them and holding one in each palm.) Keep your arms straight with a slight bend in the elbows, letting them hang slightly behind you for a deeper stretch. Bring both arms forward and raise them up to shoulder height simultaneously. Pause briefly at the top, squeezing your front delts. Lower the handles back down slowly with control. That's 1 rep. Attach a straight bar, rope, or handles to the low pulley on a cable machine, to start. (Alternately, you can use a resistance band by stepping on it and holding each end, making an X.) Stand facing the machine with feet shoulder-width apart, grasping the bar, rope, or handles with an overhand grip, hands about hip-width apart. Keep your chest up, back straight, and core engaged. Pull the bar or rope straight up toward your chin, leading with your elbows. Pause briefly at the top, feeling the squeeze in your traps and shoulders. Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position. That's 1 rep. "They're an amazing lateral delt exercise, amazing exercise overall for the musculature surrounding the delts, [and] encourage great trap involvement as well," Feather handles to the low pulleys on the Freemotion machine, to start. Stand facing away from the machine, feet shoulder-width apart, holding a handle in each hand with palms facing down. Start with your arms by your sides, elbows slightly bent. Raise both arms diagonally upward and outward to form a 'Y' shape. Pause briefly at the top, squeezing your upper back and shoulder muscles. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. That's 1 rep. "It's one of the only variations where you can actually come all the way across your body and get the full stretch for that lateral delt," says Feather. With a slight bend in the elbows, lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, to start. With control, slowly lower them back down. Avoid swinging the weights with momentum. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station, to start. Grasp an end in each hand with palms facing each other. Step back to place tension on the cable. Squeeze shoulder blades together and row the rope toward your face, leading the pull with your elbows. Hold the contraction for 1 second, then reverse. That's 1 rep. 5 Shoulder Exercises a Pro Bodybuilder Swears by for Building Boulder Shoulders first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 3, 2025
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Train Like Chris Bumstead With These 2 Classic Moves
Have you ever seen six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia Chris Bumstead? The man's an absolute unit. Standing 6'1" and tipping the scales at around 240 pounds on stage, he's brought that iconic 'golden era' aesthetic back into the spotlight—again and again. His long legs and full six-pack give him the statuesque look associated with some of the greatest legends of our time, like Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And even though he's technically retired, the guy's still in peak form. If you're going to steal a page from anyone's playbook, his isn't a bad place to start. Sure, not everyone's job is to be an Olympian, but that doesn't mean you can't train like one. Below, Bumstead shares the two moves he swears by for building a bigger, leaner physique. No, doing just two exercises won't make you look like him, but it certainly won't hurt."It's tough to pick just two, because honestly, there's no one-size-fits-all," he says. "Everyone's built differently and needs different tools at different times. But two exercises I personally love are the incline dumbbell press and the hack squat." Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° angle and lie back on it with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder-level. Press the weights over your chest before lowering back to the starting position. That's 1 rep. "The incline dumbbell press lets you move heavy weights with a full range of motion and hits both chest and shoulders without putting your body in a risky position," Bumstead says. Stand on a hack squat platform with your back against the pad and shoulders under the supports. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, unlock the safety handles, and lower into a squat. Push through your heels to return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. "The hack squat, especially the 45-degree version, is amazing for loading your legs while still staying safe and controlled," Bumstead says. "If you're able to get a deep range of motion with it, where your hamstrings touch your calves, it's one of the best tools out there for quad development."When you watch top athletes train, it's easy to assume you need to spend hours in the gym to see results. Sure, some of that time goes to mobility work—and let's be honest, some socializing—but the workouts themselves can be long too. According to Bumstead, that doesn't have to be the case for the average lifter. If you train with purpose and intensity, you can get a solid workout done in under an hour. Take a chest workout for example. "Start with a quick warm-up, then go right into incline dumbbell press, three sets [of] eight or so reps," Bumstead adds. "The aim here is to have a descending load, which means if you are pushing yourself hard enough, you will not be able to use the same weight for each set in order to hit the rep range. Then move to a flat machine chest press, do two working sets here, aim for 12 reps, on the first six reps do a slow controlled five-second eccentric, and then for the last six speed it up slightly but still controlled with a two-second eccentric." If your chest is on fire at this point, good, that means the workout's working. When you're finished with the first two exercises, move on to a chest fly and pushup superset. "Do four sets of flys for 12 reps with a slow five- to six-second eccentric, on the last rep hold the stretch for 15 seconds, and try to do a few quarter reps," Bumstead suggests. "Then go straight into pushups to failure. Keep rest under 60 seconds and don't slack on intensity."If you're new to lifting, you've probably heard the word hypertrophy tossed around like everyone's supposed to know what it means. In simple terms, it's just the process of your muscles getting bigger. And according to Bumstead, building muscle isn't nearly as complicated as most people make it out to be. "It comes down to time under tension, progressive overload, and a full range of motion," he explains. "The lifts I mentioned work because they check all the boxes: good tempo, large range of motion, heavy enough to push you. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Most people just need to train hard, be consistent, and keep showing up." Train Like Chris Bumstead With These 2 Classic Moves first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 1, 2025
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brazilian Bodybuilder Guilherme Henrique Dies at 30
The bodybuilding community lost a major figure earlier this week with the passing of Guilherme "Gui Bull" Henrique. Henrique was a standout figure in the Brazilian bodybuilding community, achieving major success at a young age. His passing has left family, friends, and fans in shock and mourning. "The cause of his death was asphyxiation due to bronchoaspiration and has nothing to do with the speculation that has been circulating," his partner, Jéssica Belenello, shared on Instagram. Brazilian authorities ordered an autopsy for the bodybuilding champion, who passed on Monday at the age of 30. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. Henrique earned five champion titles in Classic Physique and Classic Bodybuilding throughout his career. In addition to his bodybuilding achievements, he held a degree in biology from the State University of Paraná, along with a master's and Ph.D. in biochemistry. At the time of his death, Henrique was continuing his academic pursuits, studying for a Nutrition degree at the University Center of Maringá. Though he wasn't the most active social media user, fans flooded the comment section on his most recent Instagram post with kind messages and prayers. The Paraná Fisiculturismo Federation also took to social media to express their condolences, honoring Henrique's legacy and impact on the community. "Gui Bull was not just an athlete; he was a human being with a giant heart, who radiated energy and inspired everyone with his determination and sportsmanship," they said. His burial took place on Tuesday at the Municipal Cemetery of Paranavaí, his family's hometown.
