Blake Lehew has been a fixture in powerlifting for years. A former USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Juniors raw National Champion (2016) in the 74-kilogram weight class, Lehew now dominates at 82.5 kilograms. A stellar performance at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro, where the athlete attained the all-time heaviest total of 930-kilogram (2,050.3-pound), says as much. Judging by the latest update on his training progress, Lehew seems poised for even more pending greatness.
On Feb. 26, 2023, Lehew posted an Instagram video where he successfully pulled a 385-kilogram (848-pound) beltless deadlift. The powerlifter completed his pull from a sumo stance with a traditional grip, and he said he weighed 190 pounds at the time of the lift. What’s more, according to Open Powerlifting, the deadlift matches Lehew’s all-time raw competition best, also achieved at the latest American Pro.
“I believe the belt is a thing of the past for deadlifts.”
The beltless pull aside, Lehew had nothing else adorned to assist with the feat. He leaned fully on his strength to reach the lockout position.
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In the caption of Lehew’s post, he alludes to an impending competition on his calendar. He has been hinting at these plans since the start of 2023. At the time of this writing, it is unclear which contest he is referring to, as he has not offered specifics on his social media platforms. The “six weeks out” reference would line up with a date sometime around Easter Weekend 2023 in early April.
Given that Lehew has mainly featured as a WRPF and United States Powerlifting Association competitor lately, there are a variety of possibilities.
Per the WRPF 2023 events calendar, there is the WRPF Face Off on April 2, the Drug Tested Out For Blood 2, the Southwest Showdown, and the War for the Valley on April 15. According to the USPA 2023 events calendar, the only date and contest roughly matching Lehew’s timeline is the 2023 USA Powerlifting Battle at Bionic Barbell on April 2.
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Whichever event Lehew ends up featuring in soon, it seems apparent he’ll be ready to add another illustrious accomplishment to his resume. He should probably expect nothing less as one of powerlifting’s current stronger stars.
Featured image: @deadliftingorangutan on Instagram
Phil Heath stopped competing after his third-place finish at the 2020 Mr. Olympia. The seven-time champion (2011-2017) hasn’t been seen on a stage in over two years, but he never retired. Even as he stays active in other endeavors at age 43, the door for a potential comeback remains open.
On Feb. 24, 2023, Heath posted a video to his Instagram where he walks through a few biceps and shoulder movements in front of a dumbbell rack at an undisclosed gym. A combination of the icon’s jacked look and a heartfelt reflection about a positive mental attitude while overcoming adversity could paint the picture of someone planning to don their posing trunks again.
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To rise to the top of a rigorous sport like bodybuilding, an athlete has to sacrifice a lot in terms of nutrition and training on their respective journey. After making those kinds of sacrifices for years, it seems Heath is focusing on recalibrating himself gradually.
“One of the things which I had to fight throughout my life was my own reflection in the mirror,” Heath wrote. “I wasn’t staring into the mirrors in admiration of my hard work, but the work which is left to be done. Not just in my muscles but more importantly in my mind and spirit.”
It’s not clear what Heath is referring to precisely when he mentions his “fight,” but those are an intriguing choice of words. While characterizing where he’s previously put his energies — some of it elite bodybuilding — it’s almost as if Heath is setting the stage for a potential return.
“… My reason to fight will be my future version of self that achieves everything I’ve put my heart and soul into.”
While the 2023 Masters Olympia recently announced a $229,000 overall prize purse, Heath is not yet eligible for the Men’s Open portion of the returning contest. The competition starts its age guidelines for that division at 45. With a Dec. 18, 1979 birthday, Heath can’t feature there until late 2024 at the earliest. That doesn’t consider potential prep time and when future iterations of the Masters competition would take place.
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Heath is not competing in the 2023 Arnold Classic but will be on hand to interact with the athletes and spectators. If he does indeed have a comeback planned in the works, it seems the legend is taking his time dipping his toes back into the water. He’s undoubtedly earned the right to bide his time and weigh all options as one of the faces of the sport.
A viral ‘egg diet’ is the latest weight loss trend to sweep social media, as people continue to search for ways to drop a few kilos.
But while the hashtag #eggdiet has attracted over 68.5 million views with plenty of people sharing their weight-loss success, experts warn the extremely restrictive diet is not sustainable, and just another example of why most diets eventually fail.
According to users, the egg diet consists of eating only eggs for every single meal, alongside low-carbohydrate snacks such as fruit, low-carb vegetable, and some additional protein.
Whilst this diet will quickly boost your metabolism and burn fat in the short term, it can ultimately slow the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight in the future.
One TikTok user trying the diet admitted she had broken it, writing: “I think the last nine days of eating the bare minimum has caught up with me today. The whole day I just felt nauseous.”
The egg diet consists of eating only eggs for every single meal. (TikTok)
A diet focused on one food excludes many healthy food groups that are otherwise beneficial for your body. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, weight loss of unhealthy proportions, mood changes, muscle weakness, and hair loss.
Vidur Saini, nutrition expert fromFitness Voltsays most people fail to stick with their diet long enough for it to work sustainably. They are strong out of the gate but soon fall off the wagon and return to their previously sub-optimal eating plan.
“That’s why so many of us lose weight only to regain it shortly afterwards, and it seems long-term, sustainable weight loss is rare nowadays,” Saini says.
“Fortunately, healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or unpleasant, and weight management doesn’t have to take over your life.
A diet focused on one food excludes many others which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“You don’t even have to give up your favourite foods. However, you will need to quit looking for short-term fixes and adopt healthier long-term habits.”
Below, Saini shares six common reasons why most diets fail.
Foods are too restrictive
Most diets ban certain food or food groups. For example, the paleo diet excludes all processed foods, while keto severely limits your carb intake. Other diets will cut out sugar or alcohol.
The problem is whilst cutting out certain foods can help contribute to your daily calorie deficit, this technique is also guaranteed to trigger cravings.
Essentially, any diet that bans a particular food or food group will invariably result in cravings, driving you to cheat on your diet.
Allow yourself the smallest amount of this particular food or drink to allow your body to feel like it isn’t being deprived of something. Everything in moderation!
Many diets are too restrictive. (iStock)
The cost of ingredients
A diet of healthy, fresh ingredients is always good, but with food being one of life’s unavoidable expenses, it will be harder for you to sustain this diet plan long-term if you aren’t always financially stable.
For example, some diets specify that you must eat expensive foods and that somehow these products are better for weight loss than those that are more reasonably priced.
As a rule, if a diet promises something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so don’t fall for it.
Organic vegetables and grass-fed beef from free-roaming cattle cost a lot more than the basics you get at Costco but nutritionally are not all that different. They certainly won’t help you lose weight faster.
For a diet to be sustainable, you need to be comfortable with how much your food costs. For example, if your grocery bill doubles overnight, you have got a readymade excuse for quitting your new eating plan.
To make diets unique, they are often unnecessarily complicated. This complexity can often cause people to make mistakes or just give up after a while.
Food combing diets are a perfect example of this. Some may say things like “you can’t eat fat and carbs in the same meal,” which looks okay on paper but makes meal prep far more complicated than it needs to be.
Ultimately, for any diet to work, it needs to be simple enough to follow every day.
Perfection or failure
Diets can often be very prescriptive and allow no variation.
However, in everyday life, any diet can be difficult to stick to. Perhaps you have a friend’s birthday or an off day and you decide to indulge in something sweet.
The reality is that your diet doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to pretty good most of the time – which is more than enough to reach weight loss goals.
Putting a time frame on any diet sets you up for failure. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Not catered for the long-term
Putting a time frame on any diet sets you up for failure.
Some of the most common ways diets are advertised are through their quick fix time stamp, like “lose 15 kilograms in 90 days” or “30-day get ripped plan.”
Excess body fat accumulates over many years, and no one goes to bed lean and then wakes up fat.
Achieving your body goal could take many months – even years. To achieve a significant result in just a few weeks, any diet must be very restrictive and, therefore, it’ll be unsustainable as your body will soon put the weight back on it dramatically lost.
Before considering any diet, ask yourself, “can I follow it for the next 6-12 months?”
Based on little or no science
Some diets are based on very flawed science or may not be based on any science at all.
One example of this is calorie-burning or negative-calorie foods, such as celery. No food burns more calories than it contains, and these claims are very misleading.
Effective diets work by manipulating your calorie balance. Consume fewer calories, and your body will make up the shortfall by using stored body fat for energy. No deficit means no fat burning. There are no shortcuts around this law of thermodynamics.
As a rule, if a diet promises something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so don’t fall for it.
Ever drift off to sleep and suddenly feel like you’re falling, forcing you to wake with a start? Some people say they are startled alert by a loud snapping noise or a blinding light coming from inside their head, while others describe their muscles twitching involuntarily from a sudden electric shock.
“Sleep starts usually involve one strong jerk that moves most of your body, with the arms and legs more likely to be affected. This can jolt you awake before you have the chance to fall asleep,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
It’s recommended adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. (iStock)
Chris Breitigan, a 29-year-old podcast producer from Huron, Ohio, says he’s sometimes awakened by a rather ghostly experience. “I’ll be right on the verge of falling asleep and it’s like someone tickles me,” he said. “It starts from my back and moves down through my legs. I startle and get a sort of jerk in my body. “The experience may be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, faster breathing, sweating or a vivid dream or hallucination,according to scientists. Sleep starts, officially called “hypnic jerks,” are normal occurrences that can happen to men and women of any age and are typically nothing to worry about, Dasgupta said.
“It’s estimated that nearly 70 per cent of the population experience sleep starts at some point,” he said. “Medically speaking, hypnic jerks are classified as a type of myoclonus, which is a category of rapid, involuntary muscle movements. A classic example of myoclonus are hiccups. “No one knows precisely why the body twitches while falling asleep, but experts believe excessive caffeine intake, and physical or emotional stress may increase their frequency.
“They also may be facilitated by fatigue or sleep deprivation,” Dasgupta said. “However, most hypnic jerks occur essentially at random in healthy people. “Breitigan’s sleep is typically disturbed after going out with friends on Taco Tuesday nights. “I really don’t drink much,” he said. “But on Tuesdays, I go out with friends and we have some drinks with tacos. So for me it seems it’s triggered by alcohol because I don’t drink regularly.”
When you’re asleep and might get these ‘hiccups’ you might not even know they’ve happened – but your partner might. (Getty)
When to worry
There is no treatment for sleep starts, Dasguta said, and they are generally harmless. However, it’s time to visit the doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms: multiple muscle jerks during the day, an injury caused by hypnic jerks, tongue or mouth biting while you sleep, or wetting the bed.
“Hypnic jerks can sometimes be confused with seizures,” Dasgupta said. “While they may seem similar, they have some key differences: Seizures are a serious occurrence that can be a result of an underlying condition.
“Hypnic jerks, on the other hand, are benign phenomena that aren’t tied to any health conditions or concerns,” he said. “Mainly they’re just annoying, especially if they keep preventing you from falling asleep.”
However, some people develop a fixation on these jolts from slumber, leading to increased anxiety about the disruptive experience, he added. “This increased anxiety and fatigue increases the likelihood of experiencing these jerks, resulting in a vicious cycle of insomnia and sleep deprivation,” Dasgupta said.
Reducing caffeine intake can improve overall sleep quality. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Try these fixes
For anyone bothered by such events, Dasgupta has the following suggestions:
Reduce caffeine intake
Drinking less caffeine throughout the day can help improve your overall quality of sleep, Dasgupta said, especially if you avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and at night.
Avoid or reduce alcohol near bedtime
The same applies to alcohol, he said. Alcohol may make you sleepy but when the body is finished metabolising it, you will wake, typically in the middle of the night. That will increase your fatigue, making you more vulnerable to hypnic jerks.
Relaxing the body may ease that transition into sleep, making your muscles less likely to twitch, Dasgupta said. “Also, one of the best ways to help yourself fall asleep is focusing on breathing. Mostbreathing exercises for sleepingusually involves slow and deep breaths,” he said.
Keep to a sleep routine
Dasgupta said the best sleep requires a set bedtime – even on weekends and holidays. It also helps to avoid bright screens at bedtime.
“The bright light of a TV, computer or smartphone can affect your sleep patterns and keep you alert when you should be getting sleepy,” he said. “Sleeping is something you’ve done your whole life, but the older you get, the harder it can get to fall sleep, sopractice good sleep hygiene.”
With average monthly searches for ‘what to eat before a workout’ up 79 per cent this month and ‘what to eat after a workout’ up 23 per cent, Australians are looking for guidance on the best foods to support their workouts.
With this in mind, Hannah Gilbert, Director of Culinary Innovation and Operations at meal delivery serviceYouFoodzhas provided some useful insight into what food we should be having before and after our workouts to make the most of it.
For foods to eat before a workout, Gilbert, who studied exercise, sports science and nutrition at University of Sydney, said eating before exercise is key to an effective workout.
“Think of it like you’re fuelling up a car so that it’s ready to go. Eating at least two hours before exercise can help build your energy and burn more calories,” Gilbert says.
Eating before exercise is key to an effective workout. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“You should eat healthy carbohydrates that are high in fibre as these slowly release energy and lean protein, perfect for a workout.
“These foods can include whole grain cereal, whole wheat toast, whole grain pasta, brown rice, low fat or fat free yoghurt, fruits and vegetables. You should avoid saturated fats and most healthy proteins as these take longer to digest, taking away oxygen and blood from your muscles.
“The most important thing is to remember to drink plenty of fluids ahead of your workout. This will prevent you from getting dehydrated during your exercise.”
Once you’ve done your workout, it’s just as important to get the right amount of protein and carbs to help build your energy back up.
“It’s recommended to eat a nutritious, high-protein meal or snack within an hour after exercise. Eating after exercise helps your muscles recover and replaces their glycogen stores which is especially important if you’re just getting used to working out,” Gilbert says.
After a workout you need to build your energy back up. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
If you’re not going to eat a meal after your workout, Gilbert suggests definitely considering a snack like bananas, apple with peanut butter and energy bars.
“Again, a meal or snack with healthy carbohydrates and protein is beneficial at this point, just like those already mentioned, but also high protein foods like chicken, avocado and eggs. To help with blood sugar and build up energy, try a sports drink or diluted juice,” she says.
“One way to make sure you get all of the carbs and protein you need to help your fitness goals and support your exercise routine is to begin meal planning. This requires you to plan and cook a batch of a certain recipe so that you can have it over the next few days. This is great if you need an easy lunch to reheat in the office, or looking for a breakfast that is already made in the morning.”
American actor Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia, his family announced this week.
In 2022, the 67-year-old action movie star was diagnosed with aphasia – difficulty with language and speech. Aphasia can occur for a variety of reasons (most commonly stroke) but for Willis, it is now clear that these speech problems were the early signs of this particularly devastating form of dementia.
The condition – which goes by other names, such as Pick’s disease, frontal dementia, semantic dementia and primary progressive aphasia – tends to develop slowly, over several years.
Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming and ex Demi Moore revealed actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. (Instagram)
A build-up of abnormal proteins affects critical brain areas, leading to changes in behaviour, personality and speech. Unlike other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, memory is often only affected later in the disease’s progression.
There are three different variants of frontotemporal dementia: the “behavioural variant”, “non-fluent variant primary aphasia” and “semantic variant primary aphasia”. Each of these will initially present differently and can be mistaken for other conditions.
The earliest signs of the behavioural variant include changes in how a person acts, particularly in social situations. They may become tactless or make rash decisions. Or they may behave inappropriately, for example, by making sexual advances. Some may develop obsessive ritualistic behaviour, or lose all sense of empathy and caring.
The earliest signs of the behavioural variant include changes in how a person acts, particularly in social situations.
These symptoms reflect damage to the frontal lobes, an area of the brain involved in directing our behaviour, controlling our impulses, managing our emotions and generating speech and movement.
When they stop working, people tend to lack insight into their own behaviour or how they have changed. Their relatives find it particularly hard because they can’t have frank conversations with their loved ones as they can’t see what the problem is.
MRIs can allow signs of dementia to be detected and where in the brain is most affected. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Diagnosis can be difficult because these symptoms also occur in other conditions where the frontal lobes are injured, such as strokes and tumours, so a full medical history and brain scans play an important role. To make things even more tricky for doctors, there is also significant overlap with several psychiatric disorders – for example, depression, schizophrenia andobsessive-compulsive disorder. This can lead tomisdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis, especially in the early stages of the disease.
We don’t know which variant Willis has been diagnosed with, but his family has reported that his earlier symptoms relate to difficulties with speech, a feature that is typically seen at the onset of the other two variants. In these cases, there is a gradual loss in the ability to speak and understand language.
As the disease progresses, brain cells across the frontal and temporal lobes are destroyed. And, regardless of the variant, people will eventually experience many of the symptoms above. This is accompanied by increasing difficulty with walking and moving. By the end, most struggle to eat and swallow.
Frontotemporal dementia is a devastating and life-changing disease for which we have no cure and little in the way of treatment. For now, the focus is on managing symptoms and maximising quality of life. This may involve helping people develop ways to manage their emotions and behaviour, or drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.
There is some room for hope. In recent years, scientistshave made progressin understanding more about which brain cells are being affected. One in eight sufferers will have frontotemporal dementia in the family, and important clues about the disease process are emerging fromdetailed analysis of the genetics.
The key now is to translate this research into earlier and better diagnosis, and ultimately to develop drugs that will halt or reverse this devastating disease.
After a decade-plus absence, the 2023 Masters Olympia contest will return this summer on Aug. 26-27, 2023, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. While the complete list of participating athletes over 10 competitive divisions will be revealed on Apr. 24, 2023, the contest organizers have revealed what some of the bodybuilders can potentially expect to win with respective exemplary performances. (Note: The roster probably won’t include one legend.)
On Feb. 23, 2023, the Masters Olympia announced that the overall prize purse for the 2023 iteration of the competition would be $229,000. Presumably, the money is in reference to what will likely be the showcase event in the Men’s Open division (ages 45 and up). At the time of this writing, it is unclear how that money will be divvied up in that category or, if applicable, amongst the other respective divisions.
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In the last edition of the Masters Olympia, which took place in 2012, the 2008 Mr. Olympia champion Dexter Jackson won the Men’s Open portion. He would take home $75,000 for his efforts. For comparison’s sake to the competition’s modern return, here is an overview of the total Men’s Open winnings ($145,000) from the 2012 Masters Olympia:
If the $229,000 in 2023 is indeed only for the Men’s Open, that means the organization will have increased the winning incentive by $84,000. If it is the purse for the entire contest, it is unclear how both editions compare from a broad scale at the time of this article’s publication.
Here is an overview of the classifications for each division at the 2023 Masters Olympia.
2023 Masters Olympia Divisions
Men’s Open — Age 45 and up
Women’s Open — Age 45 and up
212 Bodybuilding — Age 45 and up
Men’s Physique — Age 40 and up
Women’s Physique — Age 40 and up
Classic Physique — Age 40 and up
Wellness — Age 40 and up
Bikini — Age 40 and up
Fitness — Age 40 and up
Figure — Age 40 and up
Participating athletes who wish to apply for a roster spot in the 2023 Masters Olympia have until April 10, 2023 to complete a relatively simple process. They must email contest organizers a “letter of intent”, which includes their age, nationality, competitive background, and any social media platforms. In their submissions, athletes have the choice to include a video that is no longer than one minute. They can also include any images of their physique. A full list of chosen competitors will then be announced on April 24, 2023.
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While much of the bodybuilding world will be understandably fixated on the upcoming 2023 Olympia contest, the return of the Masters remains noteworthy. Giving a platform to established veterans who want to compete on stage could be considered a quality step forward for the sport overall. When the official list of competitors is revealed, there will be a better idea of who might put on a show in Romania.
Featured image: @mastersolympiaofficial on Instagram
For those who’ve served in the United States military, the expression ‘own it’ is a cultural touchstone that encapsulates a valuable mindset. But the idea behind the phrase isn’t exclusive to the armed forces; it’s a universal principle that can benefit anyone striving for success. It means assessing the situation and accepting responsibility for your actions without shifting blame.
The question then becomes: What does it take to own it? The answer lies in self-accountability, self-discipline, and self-motivation—or what experts call intrinsic motivation. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a student, or a professional seeking advancement, owning it is essential.
Each person strives to achieve their definition of success, but it’s often challenging to navigate. The foundation of this journey lies in two essential components: accountability and self-discipline. These factors are paramount to taking responsibility for your actions, making the right choices, and staying focused on your goals.
At its core, accountability is recognizing that you’re in control of your life. It means owning your decisions and actions, whether they succeed or fail. This practice also fosters strong self-awareness, allowing you to identify, analyze, and learn from your mistakes. This approach minimizes the likelihood of repeating past errors, and this level of honesty helps build trust with others.
Self-discipline is a prerequisite to owning it. It involves regulating your behavior based on intrinsic motivations rather than external influences. Sticking with your goals and always doing the right thing, even when nobody’s around, are hallmarks of self-discipline. This practice lets you maintain focus even when distractions and challenges arise.
While owning it is an approach that can be challenging to adopt, the rewards are undeniable. You can take control of your life, make better decisions, and ultimately achieve success.
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
Motivation is the propelling force that drives us toward our goals and fuels our aspirations. Psychologists have identified two primary types: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards or punishments to encourage a desired action, behavior, or outcome. For instance, a child is motivated to perform well in school with the promise of a good grade or avoid a chore at home to evade punishment. However, the downside is that it causes individuals to focus on the outcome rather than the process.
In contrast, intrinsic motivation relies on internal factors such as enjoyment, interest, and personal growth to elicit an action. An example of intrinsic motivation is a child performing well in a particular class because of their genuine interest in the subject. Intrinsically motivated individuals engage in activities because they find them profoundly satisfying or meaningful. This type of motivation is associated with higher creativity, engagement, and persistence.
The differences between the two are significant. Extrinsic motivation fades once the leverage is removed and is inconsistent, unpredictable, and unreliable. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is self-sustaining, long-lasting, and more fulfilling since it aligns with our values, interests, and purpose. Some people possess natural intrinsic motivation, while others develop it over time. Here are seven tips for cultivating and nurturing intrinsic motivation:
Identify your passion: What excites and energizes you? While it may be a hobby, a skill, or a career path, pursuing it will motivate you and leave you deeply satisfied.
Set meaningful goals: Establish challenging yet achievable goals that align with your passion, values, and purpose. Make sure these goals are personally meaningful and you clearly understand why you want to achieve them.
Focus on the process: Rather than fixating on the outcome, focus on learning and growing. Enjoy the journey and embrace the idea that obstacles and failure are opportunities to improve your abilities and skills.
Practice autonomy: When you control your choices, decisions, and actions, you’re more likely to be motivated and engaged. Seek opportunities to exercise control over your environment, such as choosing projects, setting deadlines, or designing routines.
Celebrate progress: While small wins may feel insignificant, together they result in massive victories. Celebrating your progress and milestones can keep you motivated and engaged. Although Rome wasn’t built in a day, it became the center of one of the world’s greatest civilizations and helped sustain the Roman Empire for more than 1,000 years.
Build positive relationships: Surround yourself with people who support, encourage, and inspire you. Positive relationships can enhance motivation, confidence, and self-esteem, providing valuable feedback and guidance.
Cultivate curiosity: Curiosity is a powerful intrinsic motivator. You’re more likely to explore, experiment, and learn when curious about something. Ask questions, seek new experiences, and be open to different perspectives.
At its core, owning it is about seizing the reins of your life and assuming responsibility for your destiny. By embracing the challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties that come your way, you can shape your future and attain success in all areas of your life. Americans have long valued the principles of self-reliance, hard work, and personal responsibility. Developing a sense of intrinsic motivation allows you to carry that torch forward, fueling the eternal flame of our nation’s proud tradition. It’s up to you to unlock your full potential, achieve your goals, and pave the way for a brighter future.
So, the question is, are you ready to own it?
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The 2023 CrossFit Open is still underway. In week two of its multi-week format, the 23.2 workout has been revealed. CrossFit HQ made a live announcement of the workout at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. It was a showcase battle between 2021 CrossFit Games Men’s runner-up Patrick Vellner and 2022 CrossFit Games runner-up Roman Khrennikov.
Workout 23.2 is divided into two parts. Part A is a combination of burpee pull-ups and shuttle runs. Part B features a one-rep max thruster.
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Here’s an overview of workout 23.2’s variations across various divisions:
RX’d
23.2A:
Complete a max amount of reps of these movements with a time limit of 15 minutes:
Five burpee pull-ups
10 shuttle runs (one rep is 25-feet out and 25-feet back)
Add five burpees at the conclusion of each round.
23.2B:
Right after 23.2A, competitors have five minutes to do the following:
A one-rep max thruster (from the floor)
Scaled
Complete a max amount of reps of these movements with a time limit of 15 minutes:
23.2A:
Five burpees (jump to touch the pull-up bar on each rep)
10 shuttle runs (one rep is 25-feet out and 25-feet back)
Add five burpees at the conclusion of each round.
23.2B:
Right after 23.2A, competitors have five minutes to do the following:
A one-rep max thruster (from the floor)
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Foundations
23.2A:
Complete a max amount of reps of these movements with a time limit of 15 minutes:
Five burpees
10 shuttle runs or walks (one rep is 50 feet)
Add five burpees at the conclusion of each round.
23.2B:
Right after 23.2A, competitors have five minutes to do the following:
One-rep max thruster (for optimal technique and load)
Adaptive Divisions
Given that there are eightAdaptive Divisions in the CrossFit Open, each will have its own variations and movement standards.
These respective divisions are Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Multi-Extremity, Vision, Short Stature, Seated Athletes (With Hip Function), Seated Athletes (Without Hip Function), and Intellectual. As is the case with Individual and Age Groups, each division has a Women’s and Men’s category.
The 2023 CrossFit Open will continue during the final week of February 2023, heading into the first week of the month of March.
Want to live longer? Then prioritise sleep in your life: Following five good sleep habits added nearly five years to a man’s life expectancy and almost 2.5 years to a woman’s life, a new study found.
“If people have all these ideal sleep behaviours, they are more likely to live longer,” said study coauthor Dr. Frank Qian, a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School and internal medicine resident physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
“If we can improve sleep overall, and identifying sleep disorders is especially important, we may be able to prevent some of this premature mortality,” Qian said in a statement.
There are five sleep habits that can actually extend your life. (Getty)
What do you do? First, make sure you get a full seven to eight hours of sleep each night. That’s tough for many people: Nearly half (48%) of all Australian adults report at least 2 sleep-related problems, according to theAustralian Institute of Health and Welfare.
But you have to do more than just lay in bed longer – you also need have to have an uninterrupted, restful sleep more often than not. That means you don’t wake up during the night or have trouble falling asleep more than two times a week. You also have to feel well rested at least five days a week when you wake up. And finally, you can’t be using sleep medications to achieve your slumber.
“We’re talking about not just quality and quantity of sleep, but regularity, getting the same good sleep night after night,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. He was not involved in the study.
“Recent studies have shown irregularity in sleep timing and duration have been linked to metabolic abnormalities and higher cardiovascular disease risk,” he said. “Encouraging maintenance of regular sleep schedules with consistent sleep durations may be an important part of lifestyle recommendations for the prevention of heart disease.”
There is a difference in outcomes between men and women. (iStock)
A difference between men and women
The preliminary study, presented Thursday at an annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, analysed data from over 172,000 people who answered sleep questionnaires between 2013 and 2018 as part of the National Health Interview Survey. The annual survey is done by the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Each of the five healthy sleep habits – falling asleep easily, staying asleep, getting seven to eight hours of zzz’s, waking up rested and foregoing sleep meds – was assigned a number. People were scored on how many of the five habits they had.
About four years later, researchers compared those scores with National Death Index records to see if their sleep behaviours contributed to an early death from certain diseases or any cause.
The team then factored out other potential causes for a higher risk of dying, such as alcohol consumption, lower socioeconomic status and existing medical conditions.
“Compared to individuals who had zero to one favourable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30 per cent less likely to die for any reason, 21 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 19 per cent less likely to die from cancer, and 40 per cent less likely to die of causes other than heart disease or cancer,” according to a statement on the study.
Other factors like drinking alcohol were taken into account. (Getty)
Men who followed all five of the healthy sleep habits had a life expectancy that was 4.7 years greater than people who had none or only one of the five elements of low-risk sleep, the study found.
The impact of healthy sleep habits was much lower for women: Those who followed all five sleep habits gained 2.4 years compared with those who did none or only one.
“That was an interesting part of the study for me, and I hope we can find that answer with more research,” Dasgupta said. One potential reason for that gender difference, he added, could be the difficulty of evaluating women for obstructivesleep apnea, a potentially deadly condition in which breathing stops every few minutes. The more severe the apnea, the greater the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.
“Women with obstructive sleep apnea often get under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed because they may not present with the classic symptoms that we see when we’re evaluating men,” Dasgupta said. “Maybe we need to ask different questions or look at different parameters, or is there something we’re missing here?”
Would your score be less than five? Don’t fret – the good news is that you can easily train your brain to better sleep by following what is called good “sleep hygiene.” It’s important to go to bed at the same time on most nights and get up at the same time most mornings – even on weekends and holidays.
you can easily train your brain to better sleep by following what is called good ‘sleep hygiene’.
Make sure your sleeping environment is optimal – cooler and darker is better – and block noise or try a sound machine. Avoid booze before bed – it may seem like you’re falling asleep more easily, but when your liver finishes metabolising the alcohol at 3am, your body will wake up, experts say.
Set up a sleep routine, with no blue lights or distractions at least an hour before bedtime. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi, warm baths – anything that relaxes you is great.
Parents and caregivers can learn these habits and teach them to their children, thus providing them with a better shot at a longer life, Qian said.
“Even from a young age, if people can develop these good sleep habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many distractions and have good sleep hygiene overall, it can greatly benefit their overall long-term health,” he said.
“Just like we like to say, ‘it’s never too late to exercise or stop smoking,’ it’s also never too early. And we should be talking about and assessing sleep more often.”
