Ryan Girts

Aug 24, 2024 | barbend.com | Ryan Girts |Jake Dickson

Want to cash in on building muscle with the lat pulldown? There are five key elements you need to be mindful of. You can find a lat pulldown in just about every gym — and in every gymgoer’s back workout as well.

Aug 5, 2024 | barbend.com | Eric R Helms |Ryan Girts |Jake Dickson

Chris Bumstead has a problem. The reigning and five-time champion of the Classic Physique bodybuilding division at the Olympia was long considered nearly untouchable: Bumstead, 29, first claimed the title in 2019 and has been regarded as a model physique for bodybuilding’s hottest new men’s category since his Olympia debut in ‘17.

Jul 12, 2024 | barbend.com | Ryan Girts |Jake Dickson

Arnold Schwarzenegger commands attention. Whether he’s running his mouth on camera in Pumping Iron, serving up iconic action movie one-liners, or taking to the political podium, people listen to what the Austrian Oak has to say. And for good reason. Schwarzenegger is perhaps more responsible for ushering bodybuilding into popular culture than any man living. So when the G.O.A.T. calls the dumbbell pullover a “forgotten gem” and one of bodybuilding’s “must-do” movements, we certainly take note.

May 29, 2024 | barbend.com | Ryan Girts |Jake Dickson

When it comes to hypertrophy, all roads lead to Rome. Most of the best bodybuilders in history — think Sergio Oliva, Dorian Yates, or Arnold Schwarzenegger — had their own unique approaches to building muscle, and they all worked pretty darn well. 2013 Women’s Physique Olympia winner Dana Linn Bailey is particularly partial to drop sets. On May 28, 2024, Bailey posted a back workout to YouTube that incorporated drop sets throughout.

May 18, 2024 | barbend.com | Ryan Girts |Eric R Helms |Jake Dickson

If you aspire to a career in bodybuilding, know that you can’t just waltz out on stage. Regardless of division, physique athletes dedicate months of their time to contest prep — the 10-to-20-ish-week period before show day. Bodybuilding contest preps allow athletes to shed the body fat they’ve been carrying, practice and hone their posing posture, and hit all of the “extra” bells and whistles like costume fitting, tanning, and so on.