Powerlifter Joe Sullivan has several notable marks and victories throughout his career. It’s his latest mission that could be the most ambitious yet.
On May 19, 2022, Sullivan shared footage of himself squatting 230 kilograms (507 pounds) for 19 reps. Per the caption of Sullivan’s Instagram post, the set is part of his preparation to attempt the 525-pound squat AMRAP (as many reps as possible) — inspired by 1980 Mr. Universe and bodybuilding legend Tom Platz.
Amidst an understandable challenge of endurance and strength, Sullivan was able to lock out all 19 reps before he eventually told his three spotters that he would not be able to rerack his barbell by himself. As they did, he had to work to regain his breath. The powerlifter wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves for the set.
For more context, in 1992, during the “Great American Squat-Off,” Platz faced off against powerlifting great Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield in a squat battle. During the second and final AMRAP phase of the head-to-head competition, Platz bested Hatfield by squatting 238.1 kilograms (525 pounds) for 23 reps. The 525 squat AMRAP has since become a high-class figure that strength sports athletes occasionally tackle.
Staying Positive
Despite coming up just short during this training session, it doesn’t appear Sullivan will let the failure deter him from his lofty pursuits. As he notes in his social media post, all it might take is a slight recalibration of his approach when that squat AMRAP attempt finally comes around the bend.
“Not where I wanted to be, and not something to inspire confidence,” Sullivan writes. “I didn’t control my cadence and went too fast and explosive at the beginning, which led to me fatiguing quicker.”
Sullivan is quick to maintain that while he outlines what went wrong with this squat, he’s certainly not making excuses. Amidst all of his apparent extensive preparation and planning, he’s simply explaining himself and trying to account for every factor as his hopeful goal looms on the horizon.
“All of these things are excuses, but ultimately I failed to execute,” Sullivan says. “And if I expect to do something noteworthy on June 4, I can’t allow that to happen again.”
All of that said, Sullivan looked ahead and took away some positives from this effort in the squat rack. It appears he knows that if he wants to match a strength sports legend, he has to keep his eyes forward and find silver linings.
“The positive is, watching the video, you can see that I never really got to the ‘push through the pain’ part,” Sullivan writes. “Which lends credence to the fact that it was just not my day, and on a better one, I may have gotten to show off the grit a little bit more.”
As he notes on his Instagram, it seems Sullivan will attempt the 525 squat AMRAP on Saturday, June 4, 2022. At the time of this writing, Sullivan hasn’t confirmed other details of the 525 squat AMRAP, such as the location or timing of the attempt.
Notching 23 (or more) reps at 525 pounds will be a considerable challenge for Sullivan if he wants to exceed Platz’s record. With enough diligence and that mentioned reset, he may enter rare company if matters can break his way.
Ricky Gervais, the comedy icon and creator/star of After Life returns to the stage with his latest Netflix stand-up special, SuperNature—which shouldn’t be taken too literally. We sat down with the actor to get the low-down on life lately, but first, some rapid-fire questions:
One wish?: An animal sanctuary.
Money or fame?: Money is real. Fame is what again? Random people waving at you?
If God exists…: He’s doing a horrible fucking job.
Epitaph?: He had a laugh, then found a lump.
Men’s Journal: SuperNature sounds even more ambitious than 2018’s Humanity, which began with you telling your audience “I prefer animals.” Can we assume the new title is ironic, you’ll be in a stained black T-shirt and drinking beer out of a can again?
Ricky Gervais: And very likely wearing bad jeans. I don’t believe anything is “supernatural.” If something exists, it’s natural and explainable—if not now, then eventually. I do explain irony at the start of SuperNature. I say, “That was irony. There’ll be more of it in the show. See if you can spot it.”
What draws you back to stand-up between your series work?
Initially, it was just the other thing I did and enjoyed. Now I realize it’s my favorite thing of all. My revelation with stage time is its efficiency. You can write for hours and never predict how it’ll go. With stand-up, you have your answer in seconds.
After Life is in its third and final season. What prompted you to relax your usual two-season-max rule with earlier shows like The Office [U.K.], Extras and Derek?
It’s a bigger world this time with more drama and characters to explore. I do think it’s funny, though, that people make a big deal of me doing a third [six-episode] season—when that doesn’t amount to a single U.S. season. I could’ve very happily done more.
Why not? It’s called After Life. It could’ve gone on forever, right?
Everything points that I should carry on. It hurts me to stop this. It’s stupid to stop this. But I already blurted it out, and I think it’s the right decision. At least this way I’m not canceled. I’ve never been canceled because I always cancel myself first.
Speaking of which, if you were starting out today would you pursue a comedy career in the “cancel culture” era?
I would because there’s always cancel culture. Once upon a time, it was the middle- aged Christian right who were the gatekeepers. Now it’s 20-year-olds on social media. You’ve just gotta ignore it all. A comic bemoaning cancel culture is like a sailor griping about waves.
What comes more naturally to you, insulting others or self-deprecation?
Self-deprecation usually wins. There’s a sneaky bit of it hiding in the insults too, tucked behind all of that faux arrogance, right? I also think it’s important to distinguish an actual insult from just teasing someone about what everyone already knows.
Your scene with David Bowie in Extras is the yardstick of televised humiliation. What was it like to be shredded in song by a music legend?
Amazing. People still don’t realize I wrote those words for him. It wasn’t a documentary.
Did he write the music for that “chubby little loser” scene?
I sent him the lyrics and asked, “Can you give me something sort of retro for this—like, ‘Life on Mars’?” He goes, “Sure, I’ll just knock off a quick fucking ‘Life on Mars’ for you.” That was amazing, too.
Does life make any sense or is it just a series of arbitrary events?
I assure you, the latter. The universe doesn’t give a shit about us. It doesn’t even know us. So we better just try and enjoy the ride.
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While it’s still growing in scope in the strongman sphere, the Shaw Classic already has plenty of notoriety as a noteworthy competition. This year’s edition, which will take place at the Budweiser Events Center on August 13-14, 2022, in Loveland, CO, should present a host of exciting obstacles.
On May 18, 2022, titular competition organizer Brian Shaw took to his YouTube channel to reveal the official events for the 2022 Shaw Classic.
Aside from the event announcements, Shaw noted that 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Oleksii Novikov would now be joining the competition roster. There is also an apparent plan for a livestream, with no further details at the time of this publishing.
From Shaw himself and defending champion Chance “Trey” Mitchell, to other strongman elites like 2021 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion Tom Stoltman, this year’s roster does not lack for big names. Here’s the complete 16-person lineup that will make its way to Colorado in mid-August:
Most of these events have made appearances in recent years, but some will present slight variations in spots.
Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
The Max Hummer Tire Deadlift was a Day Two staple during the first two Shaw Classics. Shaw explained that the hope is that the athletes will have less wear and tear now that the event kicks the competition off.
During last year’s Shaw Classic, JF Caron set the Hummer tire deadlift world record with a pull of 545 kilograms (1,202 pounds). His display wasn’t the only incredible feat of strength. On the whole, seven of the 16 athletes managed to pull over 1,000 pounds.
Super Yoke Event
In 2021, the athletes carried a 506.5-kilogram (1,117-pound) yoke for time across 80 meters. Shaw says he will probably keep the same weight for the event. Evan Singleton won last year’s Super Yoke by finishing the 80-meter course in 30.61 seconds.
Circus Dumbbell
Once more, the athletes will press a circus dumbbell for reps. Per Shaw, each of the competitors will go head-to-head. Additionally, last year’s 242-pound (110-kilogram) dumbbells will likely remain. Singleton hoisted the dumbbell seven times in the allotted 75 seconds for first place in 2021, while Mitchell took second place with six reps.
At this time, Shaw noted that he hasn’t decided whether the competitors will toss a bag or a keg for this event. That said, the 2021 Shaw Classic featured the competitors throwing bags over a 15-foot bar. Canada’s Maxime Boudreault took first place when he tossed all eight bags over the bar in 28.25 seconds.
Log Press
The log press will kick off Day Two, albeit with a new twist. As Shaw says, the athletes will have to judiciously accumulate their reps across three differently weighted logs, each of which might weigh 200 kilograms (441 pounds), 186 kilograms (410 pounds), and 172 kilograms (380 pounds).
American Log Press Record holder Bobby Thomspon and Mitchell tied for first when they both log-pressed 206.3 kilograms (455 pounds) during the 2021 competition.
Frame Carry Arm-Over-Arm Medley
Another event with a head-to-head format, this one will feature a straight frame carry that transitions into a giant arm-over-arm tower. The 2021 medley had an arm-over-arm pull but started with sandbags instead.
Car Leg Press for Reps
Arguably the most exciting addition to this year’s catalog of events, the competitors will now get to leg press a car. According to Shaw, organizers are still figuring out the logistics of this event. At the very least, he says that there will be strict stipulations. At its core, a car will be on top of a leg press a machine, and it’s up to the athletes to successfully press it up.
Atlas Stones
It simply would not be a strongman event without an appearance from the Atlas Stones. The athletes will hoist five stones — from 158.7 to 204 kilograms (350 to 450 pounds) — onto their assigned podiums with a 60-second time limit. According to Shaw, the event will operate with the same set-up as 2021.
The weekend of the Shaw Classic will also have a showcase of an open class for both men and women. The top 16 competitors for each division submitted their feats of strength online and have received invitations via email.
The men’s open events will have:
Log Press for Reps
Deadlift for Reps
Yoke Carry
Frame Carry
Atlas Stones
The men will compete in the first four events head-to-head. On Day Two, the men will perform the same heavy stone run as the pro class in front of the competition audience. The winner of the Men’s Open automatically qualifies for the 2023 Shaw Classic.
The women’s open events will have:
Log Press for Reps
Deadlift for Reps
Yoke Carry
Frame Carry
Bag Toss Over Bar
As with the men, the first four women’s events have a head-to-head structure, while the Bag Toss Over Bar will also be in front of the crowd at the Budweiser Events Center.
Few holidays encourage, and demand, beer drinking quite like Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. With temperatures pushing the mercury and backyard grills blazing bright, Memorial Day beers combat humidity and sunshine, while perfectly contrasting juicy burgers and hot dogs.
Sure, we could recite the virtues of session IPAs and pilsners, but on this flag-waving, fireworks-blasting weekend, you should really pledge allegiance to the most patriotic of beers. From an IPA brewed to celebrate Paul Revere’s ride to a porter formulated by George Washington and an amber ale literally packed with apple pie, here are the most proudly American brews to stock in your cooler.
Word to the wise: Stock up on these craft beers because the Fourth of July will be here before you know it.
Best Memorial Day Beers
Courtesy Image
1. Homefront IPA
Brewer: Left Hand Brewing
Style: American IPA
Back in 2011, to support folks in the armed forces, several craft breweries banded together to start the Hops for Heroes charity. Each year, participating breweries make an IPA that’s aged on untreated Louisville Slugger baseball bats (the wood is maple, if you’re curious), with all proceeds earmarked for a different organization. (The beneficiary for 2015 is Soldiers’ Angels.) As for the beer, Left Hand’s coppery Homefront IPA is a hit, smacking you with pine, grapefruit, and orange peel — zest is added right before the beer finishes fermenting.
An exercise’s name doesn’t usually hold too much value beyond summarizing what it is or how it’s done. The bench press has you lying on a bench while pressing. The barbell row has you, well, rowing a barbell. Squat’s gonna squat.
But when a specific exercise variation is named after an individual lifter or coach, it’s usually an indicator that the movement is next-level and should be used accordingly. John Meadows’ Meadows row, Glenn Pendlay’s Pendlay Row, Steve Romania’s Romanian deadlift (Kidding. Although, the more accurate “Nicu Vlad deadlift” would sound pretty cool, too.)
When it comes to eponymous shoulder training, the Arnold press is named after the quintessential bodybuilder of all bodybuilders — the Austrian Oak, the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here’s an in-depth look at this delt-builder from the seven-time Mr. Olympia.
How to Do the Arnold Press
The Arnold press is a variation of the standard seated overhead dumbbell press. It uses a different path of resistance and longer range of motion to recruit more muscles into the exercise.
Step 1 — Get Into the Starting Position
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs with a thumbs-up grip. “Kick” the weight straight up to rest the thumb-side of each weight on the fronts of your shoulders. When both weights are up, slightly lower your elbows and rotate your hands to have your palms facing your mouth.
You should almost be in the top position of a curl, with your arms fully bent and your pinkies facing each other. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back, don’t allow the weights to pull your body forward.
Form Tip: Pretend you’re extra-shy and focus on covering your mouth with the weights in this position. This is a good target for the bottom position and will help to encourage a full stretch and complete range of motion.
Step 2 — Press and Rotate
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
In a coordinated motion, begin pressing the weights up and back while gradually rotating your hands and arms. As the weights move overhead, your elbows should come to the sides in-line with your shoulders and your palms should turn to face forward.
Continue pressing the weights entirely overhead, bringing them together at the top. In the locked out position, the weights should be nearly touching and your palms should be facing forwards, identical to a standard dumbbell overhead press.
Form Tip: Some lifters have trouble performing the necessary movements simultaneously. Perform the lift slowly and focus on blending the upwards and backwards movement while rotating your hands. The exercise should eventually feel smooth and natural.
Step 3 — Lower to Your Chin
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
From the locked out position, reverse the entire process. Bring the weights down while shifting your elbows to the front and rotating your palms towards your face. In the bottom position, the weights should again be in front of your mouth.
The bottom position should again resemble the top part of a curl with your arms bent and your palms facing your head.
Form Tip: Like the pressing motion, some lifters have trouble performing the movement in reverse order. Go slowly and focus on blending each step to bring your elbows down and forward.
Arnold Press Mistakes to Avoid
Because the Arnold press involves so many moving parts, there are several common technique mistakes which can reduce the effectiveness.
Rotating Your Hands, Not Your Arms
The Arnold press isn’t simply “turning your hands while you press the weight,” because turning your hands doesn’t necessarily change the angle of your shoulder, which means you’re not necessarily recruiting more parts of the deltoid (shoulder).
Credit: Maridav / Shutterstock
The upper arms, not just the hands and wrists, need to move during the press. Moving the upper arm, which is controlled by the shoulder and upper back, is what changes the pressing angle and increases muscle recruitment.
Avoid It: Make sure your elbows transition from pointing forwards (in the bottom position) to pointing to the sides (in the top position). Your hands should rotate as a natural side effect of shifting your elbows.
Using a Short Range of Motion
Performing an exercise with a short range of motion has been shown to build less size and strength compared to a full range of motion. (1) The extended range of motion of an Arnold press is one of its defining features, and cutting that range of motion short will significantly reduce its benefits.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Some lifters keep the weights at eye-level rather than lowering to their mouth, or they don’t rotate their elbows back in-line with their shoulders and instead keep them angled slightly forwards, or they may avoid locking out at the top. All of these are mistakes that can reduce the overall muscle-building stimulus.
Avoid it: Remember three key points: Get your hands in front of your face at the bottom, have your elbows in-line with your shoulders at the midpoint, and have the weights nearly touching at lockout.
Benefits of the Arnold Press
The Arnold press is named after one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and it’s been used consistently for decades, so it’s going to be a “pretty good” choice for adding muscle.
Credit: Ihor Bulyhin / Shutterstock
Here are a few more reasons to add this complete muscle-builder to any upper body workout.
Long Range of Motion
Compared to the standard dumbbell shoulder press, the Arnold press extends the range of motion several extra inches. This added range increases the stretch, particularly on the front delt muscle, and is a strong stimulus for more growth.
Shoulder Size
The Arnold press is a serious delt-building exercise. The range of motion and long time under tension trigger muscle growth in the entire shoulder, specifically the front and side heads, with some assistance in the upper back and traps.
Muscles Worked by the Arnold Press
The Arnold press is primarily a shoulder exercise, but due to the weight’s path of motion, the upper back and even the biceps play a role in executing the movement.
Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
By controlling the weights from in front of the body to the sides, muscles are recruited in a unique way, which requires a degree of shoulder and upper back mobility but also delivers more muscle growth.
Deltoids
The deltoids, or shoulders, are composed of three separate heads of the muscle — the anterior/front, lateral/side , and rear. Each head has a slightly different role dictated by the arm’s position relative to the body. The front delt lifts the arm in front of the body, the lateral delt controls the arm out to the side, and the rear pulls the arm back behind the body.
Due to the motion of the weights, the Arnold press recruits all three delt heads significantly, with increased emphasis on the front delts which work extremely hard when the weight is in the bottom position.
Triceps
The triceps are made of three separate heads — the long, the lateral, and the medial. While the lateral and medial heads attach to the upper arm, the long head connects to the scapulae (shoulder blades), with each head being recruited when the arm is in various positions relative to the body (down by your sides, straight in front of your body, overhead, etc.). (2)
The triceps become highly activated during the Arnold press when the weights are roughly ear-level and are recruited to press into the lockout position.
Biceps
The biceps, consisting of the long head and the short head, are involved in bending or flexing the arm as well as rotating the forearms. The long head, specifically, also plays a role in raising the upper arm in front of the body.
The biceps aren’t activated during standard shoulder presses, however, the Arnold press recruits the biceps as stabilizers to control the weight during the lower half of the exercise when the arm is bent and rotated into the overhead position.
Upper Back
The upper back is a collective term for multiple muscles running from shoulder to shoulder and around the shoulder blades, including the trapezius, teres major and minor, rhomboids, and rear deltoids.
The upper back provides stability during the press and is actively engaged to pull the arms backwards during the Arnold press.
Who Should Do the Arnold Press
The Arnold press is a relatively advanced shoulder press variation that can be used by any lifter who can master its performance.
Lifters Training to Build Muscle
The Arnold press puts the shoulder through a long time under tension, which is shown to be a significant factor for building muscle. (3) This intense exercise will add size to your shoulders, arms, and upper back.
How to Program the Arnold Press
The Arnold press can play a role in any muscle-building routine, especially as one of the first exercises performed in a shoulder-focused workout.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Reps
Training this classic bodybuilding exercise with a classic bodybuilding method of three to four sets of eight to 12 reps is a reliable plan to grow wider delts. Be sure to use a steady, or slightly slow, rep speed and take each set to thorough muscular fatigue.
Mechanical Drop Set Technique
One advanced muscle-building technique that can be very effective with the Arnold Press is mechanical drop sets. It’s a way to continue training a body part after reaching muscular failure on a specific exercise.
While traditional drop sets allow continued training by using a lighter weight, mechanical drop sets use the same weight and switch to a slightly less challenging, nearly identical, exercise to immediately continue training.
For example, if you performed a set of Arnold presses to muscular failure using 40-pound dumbbells, instead of quickly grabbing 25-pound dumbbells and performing more Arnold presses, you would immediately begin performing standard overhead dumbbell presses using the same 40-pound dumbbells.
Because the range of motion with standard overhead dumbbell presses is shorter than with Arnold presses, the exercise is relatively less challenging and you will be able to perform several additional repetitions before hitting muscular failure again. This high-intensity technique allows more total volume to be performed, which can increase the workout’s muscle-building stimulus.
This same technique works for any related exercises, like front squats and back squats, incline bench press and flat bench press, or dumbbell curls and hammer curls.
Arnold Press Variations
The Arnold press can be relatively advanced, but there are several options to train the shoulders with similar size and strength benefits.
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
The seated overhead dumbbell press is a classic movement to train the shoulders and triceps. It’s a direct pressing exercise to work the shoulders and triceps.
This exercise is a simple and effective way to train the overhead press without excessive technique cues like standing stability, increased range of motion, or other variables.
Arnold Push Press
The Arnold push press is a standing variation which uses deliberate leg drive, as opposed to unconscious cheating leg drive, to move the weight from the bottom position.
This assistance allows you to use heavier weights while incorporating more total body strength and power.
Arnold Z Press
The Arnold Z press combines an exercise named after one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time (Arnold Schwarzenegger) with an exercise named after one of the greatest strongmen of all time (Zydrunas “Big Z” Savickas). So, yeah, it’s probably worth trying out.
Sitting unsupported on the floor forces your core to be active throughout the exercise and eliminates the ability to cheat the movement with momentum, making it an extremely focused shoulder exercise.
Arnold Press Alternatives
Not all lifters can perform the Arnold press, often due to shoulder mobility issues. There are some effective alternatives to deliver comparable results.
Neutral-Grip Overhead Press
The neutral-grip overhead press maintains your palms facing each other and your shoulders angled towards the front throughout the movement.
This adjusted hand and elbow position reduces shoulder joint strain and is the preferred pressing movement for any lifters dealing with shoulder mobility restrictions.
Landmine Overhead Press
The landmine overhead press is a unique and effective way to train the shoulders at an angle, rather than directly overhead. This makes it more suitable for lifters with mobility issues.
The angled pressing path slightly changes the muscle recruitment, increases core engagement, and reduces joint stress.
FAQs
I hear my shoulder “clicking” during the exercise. Is that bad?
Generally speaking, any noisy joints are a nuisance, but not a real concern. (4) It’s often air moving around the cartilage of the joint, not necessarily the joint grinding itself into oblivion.
However, hearing noises in the joint accompanied by pain and/or inflammation is an entirely different situation and can be an indicator of impending problems. When in doubt, get checked by an orthopedist, physiotherapist, or qualified professional.
It’s named after a bodybuilder, so is it only for big, jacked bodybuilders?
No, any lifter who wants more muscular-looking shoulders can benefit from the Arnold press. Just like any lifter who wants stronger glutes and hamstrings can benefit from the deadlift even though it’s one of the competitive powerlifts. You don’t need to be a competitive powerlifter to benefit from it.
The more exercises you have in your toolbox, the more options you have to fine-tune your own training program to reach whatever goals you’ve set. Experiment and learn plenty of movements – “bodybuilding” exercises, Olympic lift variations, gymnastic-type bodyweight exercises, whatever you think might be useful.
Just be sure to use good technique and sound training principles, and you’ll only get better in the long run.
Do The Arnold Press. Do It Now.
The Arnold press won’t necessarily turn you into an elite bodybuilder, and it certainly won’t turn you into an action star, but it will give you an intense shoulder workout and pack size onto your delts. So it’s time to terminate the excuses and get to work.
References
Pallarés JG, Hernández-Belmonte A, Martínez-Cava A, Vetrovsky T, Steffl M, Courel-Ibáñez J. Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2021 Oct;31(10):1866-1881. doi: 10.1111/sms.14006. Epub 2021 Jul 5. PMID: 34170576.
Kholinne E, Zulkarnain RF, Sun YC, Lim S, Chun JM, Jeon IH. The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018;52(3):201-205. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005
Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Pazzinatto, M. F., de Oliveira Silva, D., Faria, N. C., Simic, M., Ferreira, P. H., Azevedo, F. M., & Pappas, E. (2019). What are the clinical implications of knee crepitus to individuals with knee osteoarthritis? An observational study with data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Brazilian journal of physical therapy, 23(6), 491–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2018.11.001
The next step on the road to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games is almost here. On May 20, the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals will begin in three different countries. Then, over four weeks and on every continent except Antarctica, the Semifinals will determine which Men’s, Women’s, and Team division athletes advance to Madison, WI, for the CrossFit Games in early August.
On May 16, 2022, the CrossFit organization revealed the live-streaming information for folks to watch this year’s Semifinals events.
With the COVID-19 pandemic sidelining in-person competition since Spring 2020, many of the CrossFit athletes have become accustomed to videotaping their workouts and submitting them online. Last year, in 2021, half of the 10 Semifinals were online. This year will see the return of fans, who can watch the athletes at each of the respective events around the world.
If for some reason, a fan can’t attend an event in person, they will be able to live-stream all of the Semifinals events throughGames.CrossFit.com and YouTube.
2o22 CrossFit Semifinals Live-stream Schedule
The first weekend of the Semifinals will take place on May 20-22. From Australia to Knoxville, 80 athletes will go toe-to-toe individually, while 60 teams will square off.
Livestream links for the first day of the competition are available for the Torian Pro in Brisbane, Australia, the Lowlands Throwdown in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the Syndicate Crown in Knoxville, TN.
The Age Group Semifinals 1 (ages 14-15, 16-17, 35-39, 40-44, and 45-49) are scheduled for May 26-29. Age Group Semifinals 2 (ages 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, and 65+) will roll on June 2-5, the same weekend as the Adaptive Semifinals.
Both the Age Group and Adaptive Semifinals will be virtual. Those can be streamedon Games.CrossFit.com and on the CrossFit GamesApp. Semifinals workouts and updates for the leaderboard will be available on Games.CrossFit.com.
Last Chance
The athletes that miss out on qualification to the Games can look forward to the Last-Chance Qualifier from June 29 – July 1, 2022.
In North America and Europe, the sixth and eighth place athletes in the Semifinal events can partake in the Last-Chance Qualifier. In Oceania, the fourth to sixth place athletes are eligible, and in Africa, the second to fourth place finishers have the opportunity. Meanwhile, in Asia and South America, these spots will be for the third to fifth place athletes.
The top two women and the top two men from the Last-Chance Qualifier will secure the last spots in the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games. Those will occur in Madison, WI, on Aug. 3-7.
PARIS－Naomi Osaka returns to Roland Garros looking to banish the memories of her withdrawal 12 months ago, but hampered by concerns over her clay-court form and fitness.
The former world No 1 pulled out of last year’s French Open ahead of the second round, citing mental health issues.
She had been threatened with expulsion and fined by organizers over her refusal to attend media conferences.
Osaka then spent large parts of the remainder of the 2021 season off the court and has struggled this campaign with injury.
The Japanese star withdrew from last week’s Italian Open to rest an Achilles problem and try to regain full fitness for the Grand Slam tournament in Paris, where she will be unseeded at a major for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open.
The 24-year-old has slipped to 38th in the world rankings going into Sunday’s start of the French Open, but was as low as No 78 in March.
Osaka showed she could still compete for the biggest titles the following week, reaching the Miami Open final－her first on the WTA Tour since the 2021 Australian Open－before losing to Poland’s world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
“Only a couple of days ago I was celebrating getting back into the top 50 but I don’t take things like that for granted,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said after that defeat.
“I’m a bit more humble now about the opportunities I get. I can take a lot of positives from this.”
Osaka will fancy her chances of a deep run at Roland Garros for the first time in a wide-open women’s draw, with the exception of red-hot favorite Swiatek who is on a 28-match winning streak.
But she has plenty still to prove on clay, having never reached a WTA Tour final on the surface or even made the second week of the French Open.
Osaka’s preparations this time around have been far from ideal, and she has played only two matches on the red dirt this season.
She was visibly struggling with the Achilles injury in the second of those against unheralded Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in Madrid, losing 6-3, 6-1.
“I feel like I couldn’t play the way that I wanted to play, like I was limited,” Osaka said.
When she withdrew from Roland Garros last year, Osaka said she had been suffering from “bouts of depression” since her breakthrough US Open triumph over Serena Williams in the controversial 2018 final.
Osaka said she found media conferences akin to “kicking people when they’re down”.
She later skipped Wimbledon before returning at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.
Her decision to temporarily step away from the sport prompted an increase in elite athletes being more open about their mental health.
Four-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles missed part of the Tokyo Games to focus on her well-being, while English cricketer Ben Stokes also took a break due to mental health problems.
‘Very content’
Osaka, the world’s highest-paid sportswoman with a $57 million income last year according to Forbes, now believes she is more content both on and off the court.
“At this stage in my life I feel very content in my mental health journey. I feel comfortable in who I am and where I have come from,” she told Self magazine earlier this month.
“My main goal used to be winning. Lately I have tried to ask myself questions like, ‘Will this make you happy?'”
Osaka’s sporting focus will be firmly on the next two months and making a serious dent in the French Open and Wimbledon draws for the first time, with the added bonus of a potential rise back up the rankings.
I and University of Sydney colleagues have published anew studyshowing treatingsleep apnoeain older adults with mild cognitive impairment can improve memory, but not other areas of cognition, in the short term.
As there is no current treatment or cure for dementia, increasing efforts have focused on developing novel approaches to slow its progression. Mild cognitive impairment is the stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal ageing and the more serious decline of dementia.
Growing evidence suggests disturbed sleep may increase the risk of developing dementia. (Nine/Today)
In mild cognitive impairment, the individual, family and friends notice cognitive changes, but the individual can still successfully carry out everyday activities. Mild cognitive impairment is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia in subsequent years.
Researchers believe this is the optimal time to intervene to help prevent a future dementia diagnosis. Finding new ways to slow cognitive decline in those with mild cognitive impairment is therefore important.
How is sleep important for our brain health?
Sleep optimises the ability of our brains to stabilise and consolidate newly learned information and memories. These processes can occur across all the different stages of sleep, with deep sleep (also known as stage 3 or restorative sleep) playing a key role.
We also now know the glymphatic system, or the waste management system of the brain, ishighly active during sleep, especially during deep sleep. This process allows waste products, including toxins, our brain has built up during the day to be cleaned out.
Toxins in the brain include beta-amyloid, one of the key proteins in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Disturbing sleep could disrupt this cleaning process and lead to more accumulation ofbeta-amyloid in the brain.
The important role of sleep in these vital processes has led to the investigation of whether sleep disruption, including sleep disorders, could be associated with changes in our cognition when we age, and a possible link to the development of dementia.
Sleep optimises the ability of our brains to stabilise and consolidate newly learned information. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is estimated to affect1 billion peopleworldwide. In Australia,5-10% of adultsare diagnosed with the condition. Sleep apnoea causes the throat (also called the upper airway) to close either completely (an apnoea) or partially (a hypopnoea) during sleep.
These closures or obstructions can range from ten seconds up to one minute and can lead to a drop in blood oxygen levels. To start breathing again, a short awakening occurs without the individual being aware.
In a person living with severe sleep apnoea this process can happen 30 times or more an hour, causing very fragmented sleep. People with sleep apnoea may snore, toss and turn, and others may notice them stopping breathing, choking or gasping for air during sleep. These repeated disruptions to sleep can cause sleepiness and reduce alertness during the day which, for some people, leads to difficulties performing tasks.
Does sleep apnoea increase our risk of dementia?
The sleep fragmentation, as well as the drops in blood oxygen at night time, are a double blow in dementia risk. Studies have shown sleep apnoea to be associated with a26 per cent increasein the development of cognitive impairment, as well asgreater amounts of beta-amyloidin the brain. However, it is not clear if treating sleep apnoea could reduce this risk.
The gold-standard treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure therapy, commonly known as CPAP, in which a mask connected to a pump blows continuous air down the upper airway, keeping it open. When the machine is being used it stops the airway from closing. It is not known whether treating sleep apnoea will reduce the risk of dementia. Our new research, however, shows CPAP could be beneficial for memory in the short term.
The gold-standard treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure therapy. (Getty)
Our study aimed to understand whether treating older adults with both sleep apnoea and mild cognitive impairment could improve thinking and memory skills in the short term.
The trial assessed the effect of CPAP treatment on memory and thinking skills compared to no treatment. This was a crossover study, which means all participants had both CPAP and no treatment during the trial, but at different times. Some had CPAP first, then swapped. The others had no treatment first, then swapped. Trained staff helped participants get established with the therapy, and after using it for three months, participants underwent a series of cognitive tests.
The researchers found that compared to not treating sleep apnoea, thinking skills were not improved with CPAP, whereas some improvements in memory were observed. This suggests treating sleep apnoea could potentially improve outcomes in the short term, but it is unknown whether it would have any impact on long-term cognitive decline.
A previous study suggested CPAP could slow cognitive changes over one year in older adults with mild cognitive impairment andsleep apnoea. However, studies of longer duration are needed before we can say what the long-term effects look like.
ByCamilla Hoyos, Research Fellow, University of Sydney.
While body-warming bottles of merlot and pinot noir might command the bulk of wine lovers’ attention throughout the winter, summer is white wine’s time to shine. Now, Vinho Verde is finally ready for its closeup in the American wine market. Traditionally, wine drinkers have gravitated toward familiar varietals like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. There’s nothing wrong with having a classic go-to, but the rise in popularity of funky natural wines and once-shunned genres like rosé and orange wine has helped lure folks out of their vino comfort zones—creating more conscious, curious consumers.
The perfect wine for your summer table, Vinho Verde is known for its low price, mouth-watering levels of acidity, and subtle fizz. Much like the aforementioned wine types, Vinho Verde is actually nothing new, having been produced in northern Portugal for decades. Lucky for us, as its star continues to rise here in the U.S., more wine shop and bar owners are stocking wider varieties. Here’s why you should get your hands on a bottle as soon as the mercury rises above 75 degrees.
What is Vinho Verde?
Vinho Verde translates to “green wine,” but its name actually originates from the region where it’s produced. This differentiates Vinho Verde from other types of wine that are named for a specific type of grape, like cabernet sauvignon or riesling.
Found in the lush northern part of Portugal bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, Vinho Verde is the country’s largest demarcated growing region. The region, known for its rolling hillsides and winding river channels, is so green that one could easily assume this is how the “Verde” moniker arose.
Despite its name, Vinho Verde can actually be made from seven major white grape varieties and three popular reds found in the region. In other words, a bottle of Vinho Verde can actually be white, pink, or even red. Vinho Verdes are also typically created from a blend of multiple grape varieties from the region—each grape lending unique qualities that help produce a balanced final product. One grape might provide the wine with a smoother mouthfeel, while another is known for its heightened minerality.
Despite the wide berth of grapes that can be used to produce Vinho Verde, there are definite characteristics that set Vinho Verdes apart. For one, they’re not typically meant to be aged. You don’t generally buy a bottle of “vintage” Vinho Verde. It’s not the kind of bottle meant to collect dust in your cellar or on your bar cart. Instead, you should plan to consume your bottle soon after purchasing, while it still retains its fizz and freshness. This stereotype might be primed for a shift over time, as Vinho Verde continues to grow in popularity and winemakers in the region play around with the idea of aging single-varietal Vinho Verdes. Keep a lookout in the future for more complex oaked Vinho Verdes. For now, plan on buying to promptly consume.
Vinho Verdes are also sparkling (usually artificially), and can range from a subtle fizz to full-on bubbles, thanks to the injection of carbon by the winemaker. While most Vinho Verdes available at present are white, red Vinho Verdes are an excellent substitute for lambruscos and taste delicious chilled on a warm evening. The rare bottle that isn’t spritzy might provide more tasting clarity for those really seeking the acidity and minerality Vinho Verde is known for, but bubbles sure make everything more fun.
Those in search of the perfect summer bottle might want to keep an eye out for those blended with a grape called loureiro, which produces light-bodied wines with floral notes and is sometimes called “the riesling of Portugal.” If a high punch of acid is your thing, seek bottles with the inclusion of azal. Wine lovers seeking the finest on the market should check out arinto grapes, as they’re typically packed with notes of melon and citrus.
Vinho Verde price
Another reason to grab a bottle (or three) of Vinho Verde right now is the low price point. The average price for a bottle of Vinho Verde hovers between $10 and $15 dollars—ideal for wine drinkers on a budget who are still looking for something different. Wine shop owners, like Kilolo Strobert of Brooklyn, New York’s Fermented Grapes, believe there will soon be a wider market for Portuguese wines at all price points.
“Portugal is totally blowing up in popularity,” Strobert says. “There are a lot of importers right now who are building their books off Portuguese wines,” says. “And it’s because the wines are truly excellent. They have a long history of winemaking and they’re close to the sea. That coastal influence has a huge influence in their winemaking. They also have a special thing going there with their history. It’s just super rich.”
Who knows if those low prices will continue to hold as Vinho Verde’s popularity rises in the U.S., but for now some of the most popular bottles of Vinho Verde, like Chin Chin by Quinta do Ermizio and Niepoort’s Nat Cool will set you back $20 or less. Some popular bottles cost even less, with prices clocking in at as low as six bucks.
Best bottles of Vinho Verde to try
1. Vē-Vē Vinho Verde
“Casal de Ventozela is the winery behind the popular Vē-Vē Vinho Verde,” says Strobert. “It’s bright, fresh, and exactly what you think of when you ask for Vinho Verde. A definite crowd pleaser that uses sustainable farming practices at an extremely pleasing price point.” Arinto, loureiro, and trajadura grapes are used.
2. Quinta da Palmirinha Loureiro & Branco Vinho Verde
“The owner and winemaker for Palmirinha is Fernando Pavia, who’s considered the first Demeter-certified biodynamic producer in Portugal,” The certification is used in over 65 countries to confirm biodynamic products meet international standards. “You can really taste quality in these wines, so we had to include the Loueiro on our shelves. It exceeds in texture, taste, and quality. Limited amounts were made, so they’re always sure to sell out.”
3. Bojo do Luar Deu Bode Red, Tez Orange, and Luar Rosa
“We continued our love of Vinho Verde and Portugal by picking up these three wines that are directly influenced by Fernando Pavia,” Strobert says. “The wines are stabilized by adding ground-up chestnut flowers instead of sulfites. Fernando Pavia is the pioneer of that process. On the natural scale, these three wines hit every checkpoint!”
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There’s a new fitness tracker in the Garmin lineup — the $149.99 vívosmart 5 — that the company says was designed for individuals who are new to fitness and health tracking, or seeking a simple, easy-to-use device. But with advanced sleep tracking, blood oxygen saturation and respiration monitoring, energy level estimating, and a whole lot more, we have to ask: How simple can the vívosmart 5 really be?
After a two-week trial, here are my takeaways about the Garmin vívosmart 5, including what it does well and where it misses the mark:
It’s lightweight and comfortable
The swim-proof vívosmart 5 is one of the lighter and more comfortable wearables I’ve worn, with a thin, grippy silicone strap that doesn’t slide around easily. While the small/medium model fits wrist circumferences between 122 and 188 millimeters and the large one fits those between 148 and 228 millimeters, both sizes measure 19.5 x 10.7 millimeters; the only difference is length of the strap (217 millimeters versus 255 millimeters) and the weight (24.5 grams versus 26.5 grams).
Given its compact size, it would be reasonable to expect the vívosmart 5 to house a wimpy battery. But surprisingly, it can last up to a full week — though the memory only has capacity for seven timed activities and 14 days of activity tracking data.
It has a flick-to-activate touchscreen and easy-to-read display
Somewhat rare among straight-up fitness trackers, the vívosmart 5 (like its two predecessors) is equipped with a touchscreen. There are three ways to activate it: double-tapping the screen, pressing the button at the bottom of the screen, or flicking your wrist up and toward your face. Since the third option wasn’t always reliable, sometimes requiring a few attempts or an overly vigorous flick, I usually went with the other two methods.
To use the touchscreen, you swipe up or down to scroll through widgets and menu options, or right to see the control menu. It took me a day or two to get the hang of it, as the screen isn’t nearly as responsive as that of my iPhone. But once I got used to this particular touchscreen, it made for decently quick and smooth navigating.
For a fitness tracker, the display is generously sized. A full 66 percent larger than that of the vívosmart 4, it’s 0.41 inches x 0.73 inches, meaning larger, more readable text. I imagine the display upgrade will be especially appealing to older users, although some small text (like widget titles) remains.
The display is easy to read for most users.Credit: Becky Wade Firth/Mashable
The activity tracking is limited but automatic
Some Garmin watches track more sports and activities than the average person will ever attempt in their entire life. The vívosmart 5, on the other hand, is much more minimal in that regard, offering only a short list of activities to choose from. These include walking, running, biking, and pool swimming, plus several gym-specific activities (strength, HIIT, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, indoor rowing, treadmill running, Pilates, and yoga). During the setup process, you can select up to 10 activities (including walk, which cannot be disabled) that you want your device to display. The other five remain disabled until you swap them out in the app.
The vívosmart 5 offers two ways to make activity tracking more streamlined: Move IQ and Auto Activity Start. When enabled, they allow your device to identify which activity you’re doing, and automatically start and stop tracking it.
There are 20 widgets to choose from
Your vívosmart 5 experience largely depends on the way you customize your widgets. If, in addition to essential bits of information like date and time, you only want to see your basic health and fitness data (such as steps taken and calories burned), you can enable those and not even bother with any others. But if you want to take the deepest dive possible, you can set up your tracker to show any combination of the following: steps, intensity minutes, calories, distance, heart rate, stress, body battery, women’s health tracking, hydration, pulse Ox, respiration, and sleep (more on those last three soon).
Scrolling through the widgets, it can be tricky to digest the actual stats. That’s because the display shows three widget names in small text all at once, and then quickly flashes up the three corresponding numbers. Unless you’re paying very close attention or have memorized the order of your widgets, you’ll probably have to activate the screen a few times in order to process everything you’re seeing.
The vívosmart 5 shows you your stats, though some might be tricky to digest.Credit: Becky Wade Firth/Mashable
It has connected (not built-in) GPS
Before you invest in a vívosmart 5, it’s important to know that the device does not have built-in GPS, but instead relies on your phone’s GPS to track outdoor activities. In practice, that means that if you want to go for a walk, run, or bike ride, you have to select the activity on your tracker, open the Garmin Connect app on your phone, let the two connect, and then press “start” on your tracker. You must keep your phone with you for the duration of your workout in order to track it.
For individuals who always exercise with their phones on them, that won’t be a big deal. But for those of us who prefer to leave our phones behind when we pop out the door, the connected GPS may be enough of a burden to be a dealbreaker — or at least warrant consideration of other fitness trackers with built-in GPS.
Three safety features will put loved ones at ease while you’re out
The vívosmart 5 has three built-in safety features that, like the GPS, are enabled only when your phone is with you.
LiveTrack allows you to share information about your whereabouts with a designated person, including current location, average pace, elapsed time of activity, distance traveled, elevation gained, planned route, and heart rate.
Incident detection is a process by which your device detects that you may be in trouble and automatically sends an alert with your name and location (using LiveTrack) to your predetermined emergency contacts.
Assistance, similar to incident detection, lets you use your device to send an alert with your name and location (using LiveTrack) to your predetermined emergency contacts in the event that you need help. To activate this feature, simply hold down the button for a few seconds.
It tracks your heart rate all day and all night
While wrist-based heart rate trackers are not tremendously reliable, newer Garmin devices like the vívosmart 5 may do a better job than most, thanks to their 24/7 heart rate monitoring. They check your heart rate multiple times per second, all day and all night long, helping them to detect outliers and track sleep with greater accuracy than less frequent checks would allow.
Although it suffers from the same limitations as heart rate, the vívosmart 5 does offer advanced sleep tracking. It combines metrics such as heart rate, respiration rate, and body movement to identify when you fall asleep and wake up, and how much of the night you spend in light, deep, and REM sleep stages. It then assigns you a sleep score between 0 and 100 that frames the quality of your rest and readiness for the day ahead. While the vívosmart 5 shows you a snapshot of your sleep, you can find a more detailed overview in the Garmin Connect app.
Health features include a built-in pulse oximeter and respiration rate tracker
Among a host of health features — most of which I consider fluff: body battery and fitness age, for two — the vívosmart 5 is equipped with a pulse oximeter and a respiration rate tracker. According to Garmin, the pulse oximeter “measures how much oxygen (compared to maximum capacity) is in your bloodstream as it travels around your body” while respiration rate “describes how often you inhale and exhale in a minute.” Like heart rate, these measurements, when taken by a wrist-based tracker, should be seen as rough estimations rather than as hard truths.
Although nice additions, it’s hard to imagine that many people seeking a “simple” fitness tracker will find much value in such metrics. And given their limited accuracy, I can’t help but wonder why they’re even included in the vívosmart 5.
You can stay connected while on the go
Finally, although it’s not a suitable stand-in for a smartphone, the vívosmart 5 does offer several ways to stay connected and organized while you’re working out. When paired with a smartphone (either iPhone or Android), the device can show you the weather, your calendar, and texts, calls, and notifications. You can also use it to control music and find your phone, and, of course, use it as a timer, stopwatch, and alarm clock.
Greenlight the Garmin vívosmart 5?
In many respects, the vívosmart 5 was clearly engineered for newcomers to the fitness scene and older individuals who are motivated to move (or nudged to do so by a loved one). Its large and (mostly) easy-to-read screen, good battery life, trio of safety features, and limited activity list make it, in many ways, a nice foray into fitness tracking — especially for a user who may be intimidated by or have difficulty operating a more complex device.
However, a few design details hinder the vívosmart 5’s aim to be a fuss-free fitness tracker. The touchscreen and flick-to-activate feature can both be finicky, often requiring a few attempts. Some features, like blood oxygen saturation and respiration monitoring, not only have questionable accuracy, but may also prove to be overkill (at best) or overwhelming (at worst) to the type of user Garmin is targeting. And finally, the fact that you have to pair your device to your phone and keep both on you in order to track walks, jogs, and bike rides, and to enable the three safety features, may be a barrier to consistent or proper use for some wearers.
All in all, the Garmin vívosmart 5 is a solid fitness tracker that feels a bit confused about what it’s trying to do and who it’s trying to serve. In my opinion, you’d be better off spending $150 on a more sophisticated device (with built-in GPS, for instance) or $50 on a truly simple one.
