UK super-heavyweight powerlifter Joshua Ngoka has had a meteoric start to his career. His recent performance at the 2024 British Powerlifting (BP) British University Championships (BUC) was less than two years after his debut competition. In that time, he has added nearly 200 kilograms to his total.

Ngoka’s best squat in competition is the 340 kilograms he scored at the 2024 BUC. However, it looks like that personal record will soon fall as soon as Aug. 2, 2024. Nogoka shared a squat session on social media wherein he squatted a comfortable-looking 360 kilograms.

In the video, Ngoka shares his warm-ups from 315 kilograms upward. He squats using knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and a lifting belt, all permissible under classic (“raw”) rules. The squats shown were:

315 kilograms

335 kilograms

350 kilograms

360 kilograms

While 315 kilograms and 335 kilograms looked easy, 350 kilograms slowed Ngoka down. The 360 kilograms squat, however, seemed just as fast as the earlier warm-ups. This is reflected in the caption:

The top set moving faster than LWU [last warm-up] needs to end.

BP is the British affiliate of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and uses its weight classes and age categories. Until the end of 2023, Ngoka was in the sub-Junior category (ages 14-18) and made rapid progress.

Ngoka’s first meet was a local qualifier; a stepping stone to his first national event: the 2023 BP British Junior Championships (BJC). He won convincingly and took his first British title in only his second competition.

This secured Ngoka a place on the British team heading to the 2023 IPF Junior World Championships (JWC). Ngoka was over 150 kilograms ahead of his nearest rival. In just three competitions, he went from novice to sub-Junior world champion.

At his first international meet, Ngoka won gold medals in all three disciplines and broke the sub-Junior deadlift and total world records with 320 kilograms and 800 kilograms, respectively.

Not long after, in his final competition as a sub-Junior, Ngoka competed at the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Junior Championships. He swept the board of gold medals, finishing nearly 200 kilograms ahead of the silver medallist. He extended the sub-Junior deadlift and total world records to 330.5 kilograms and 838.5 kilograms, respectively.

In 2024, Ngoka moved into the Junior age category (ages 19-23) — a challenging transition. Adding 29 kilograms to his total was good enough for second place at the 2024 BP BJC. Ngoka recovered his winning streak at the 2024 BP BUC, hitting an 882.5-kilogram total.

Ngoka is on the roster for the 2024 IPF JWC in Malta at the end of August. He is listed in fifth place in the nominations. Given his recent improvements, he could be a contender for the podium.

Featured image: @ngokalifts on Instagram

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In 2009, Jay Cutler did something historic at the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition. After having his reign cut short one year prior by Dexter “The Blade” Jackson, Cutler returned in force to win the ’09 show.

That doesn’t happen in bodybuilding. Prior to and since Cutler’s reclamation, no bodybuilder has ever won the Sandow trophy back after losing it.

How did Cutler pull off a stunt like that? By breaking the minds of the audience (and nearly shattering the floor of the stage) with his iconic quad stomp pose. As Cutler tells it, the 2009 Mr. Olympia was over before it began.

Owning the Room

Cutler spoke with 2023 Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford on his podcast, Cutlercast, on Jul. 29, 2024. With about three months to go before the big day, Lunsford prompted Cutler for some sage wisdom as he faces down a similar challenge of defending his inaugural win this October. 

“Eye contact is really important, whether you can see the audience or not,” Cutler advised. “Samson [Dauda] walks out with his head down and, it’s like, f#@k that. You need to walk out like, ‘I command this sh$t.’” 

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Bodybuilding]

“I remember taking my clothes off backstage [in 2009], people were like, ‘What the…’ People were standing there in awe,” Cutler recounted, saying that nobody expected him to win that year.

That backstage awe spilled over onto the audience when Cutler stepped out under the lights. To seal the deal, the Massachusetts native famously stomped his leg on the ground, flexing his quad and stamping himself into the history books in the process.

“I walked out on stage and I had this whole thing where I was like, ‘alright motherf%#kers, I’m here,’” Cutler told Lunsford.

The quad stomp and run-the-room demeanor propelled Cutler to his best performance yet at the 2009 Olympia. By points, 2010 was Cutler’s magnum opus, but his return to form in ‘09 shut everybody up: 

2006: 22 points

2007: 28 points

2009: 15 points

2010: 11 points

Derek Lunsford’s “Jay Cutler Moment”

Lunsford is after something similar. After claiming his first Olympia win in 2023, Lunsford now faces his first title defense. Lunsford is known for having one of the best backs in the game — Cutler’s words, not ours — and expected 2022 to be his “Jay Cutler” moment: 

“When I came out [in 2022] and did the front-double-bicep pose, literally, it sucked the air out of the room.” 

[Related: Best Whey Protein Powders for Bodybuilding]

Lunsford placed second to Hadi Choopan in 2022, then beat him one year later. Both men are coached by renowned muscle-maker Hany Rambod. Come the ‘24 Olympia, Lunsford will look for his own quad stomp and cement his authority as the best bodybuilder on the planet. But Choopan, like Cutler, is looking to reclaim the title he lost.

“You will not be happy I am coming,” Choopan said on social media in June.

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Featured Image: @jaycutler / Instagram

The post “I’m Here, Motherf$#kers”: Jay Cutler Reflects on His Epic Quad Stomp at the 2009 Mr. Olympia appeared first on BarBend.

When Mitchell Hooper won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2023, it was kind of a big deal. Competitive strongman hadn’t seen a fresh face perform so ferociously, so quickly, in the sport’s modern history until Hooper burst onto the scene.

But it wasn’t just brawn that got Hooper to the top. Strength training is a brain game, and “the Moose” is one of the smartest minds in strength. Proper progressive overload — a core principle of all physical activity, from running to strongman — helped propel his rise.

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements]

If your gym progress has ground to a screeching halt, or you just can’t seem to build more muscle, you might be utilizing progressive overload incorrectly—or, worse yet, not at all. Don’t worry; Hooper is here to help.

The Right Way To Use Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is a bit like an iceberg. On the surface, the idea is simple enough. Put five pounds on your barbell each week when you deadlift, or squat, or whatever, and continue to do so until you pull 1,000 pounds like Hooper himself. 

If that’s all there was to it, we’d all be the World’s Strongest Man. But under the surface, factors such as frequency, volume, fatigue management, and more influence how much value you get from progressive overload. From the man himself: 

“Progressive overload has become a trope,” says Hooper. “I believe proper application is often lost in chasing new personal bests week after week. It’s much more expansive than people realize.” 

Sounds compelling, but let’s backtrack a bit. What exactly is progressive overload? According to Hooper, progressive overload refers to gradually increasing the stress placed on the body during bouts of exercise.

As your body adapts to squatting a certain amount of weight, or running a specific distance, that work becomes less stimulating over time — you’ve got to up the ante. 

Mitchell Hooper’s Top Tip for Using Progressive Overload

Progressive overload entails doing “more” week after week. But “more” is a broad term; you can implement progressive overload haphazardly and run the risk of plateauing or, worse, suffering an injury. Or, you can do things Hooper’s way. 

“I recommend an increase in stimulus between 2% and 5% on a week-to-week basis,” Hooper advises. “This allows for continual progression without pushing yourself too far.” 

[Related: Best Supplements for Muscle Growth]

Doing some simple math on your phone’s calculator will tell you what weight to lift, but it says nothing about how to disperse that stimulus across multiple sessions or account for the other tasks in your workout program. Training is a balancing act — throw things out of balance at your own peril.

The Ultimate Guide to Progressive Overload, From the World’s Strongest Man

Navigating progressive overload and applying it properly to build strength, muscle, or improve your endurance is easier said than done. Luckily, Hooper is taking the guesswork out of the equation. 

As part of his lifelong commitment to helping people lead happier, healthier lives — while continuing to build his legacy as one of the best strongmen in the world — Hooper has put together an all-in-one guide to progressive overload. Here’s the best part: It won’t cost you a dime. Click here for more.

Be warned. Side effects of evidence-based, expert-backed progressive overload include a bigger bench press, more muscular physique, fewer nagging aches and pains, and a whole lot more. You can’t go wrong with the Moose in your corner. 

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Featured Image: @mitchellhooper / Instagram

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For bodybuilders and beachgoers, a muscular lower body is essential for aesthetics. For athletes and gymgoers, a strong lower body is crucial for performance in most athletic arenas. With countless leg exercises, training subpar ones could sabotage gains. 

On July 30, 2024, bodybuilding coach Joe Bennett, the “Hypertrophy Coach,” detailed a four-exercise leg workout to maximize quad and hamstring growth.

Joe Bennett’s Four Leg Exercises To Build Muscle

Seated Hamstring Curl

Pendulum Squat

Leg Extensions

Lying Leg Curl

[Related: The Anatomy of Your Leg Muscles, Explained (and How To Train Them)]

[Related: Why Chris Bumstead Can’t Build More Muscle]

Maximizing Lower Body Hypertrophy

Limit warm-ups to four to six reps per set 

Use a seat belt during seated leg curls

Adjust training volume and intensity according to their recovery capacity and goals

Training to failure is not necessary for hypertrophy

Vary workouts to prevent burnout

Bennett suggests performing three sets of each exercise to optimize muscle stimulation and minimize systematic fatigue.

1. Seated Hamstring Curl

During seated leg curls, flex the hips at full extension to place more tension on the hamstrings in their fully lengthened position. (1) Bennett advises securing the legs between the thigh pads to ensure stability.

Bennett recommends tempo reps, incorporating five-second eccentrics, and pausing at the top. Post mechanical failure, perform lengthened partials. (2) 

2. Pendulum Squat

Use a squat wedge or weightlifting shoes to mitigate ankle mobility constraints and achieve maximum knee flexion.

Get your hamstring on your calves and pause there.

Choose a stance that feels natural. Bennett advises against a narrow stance, as it doesn’t isolate the quad sweeps and can restrict range of motion. 

“Most people will benefit from a wider stance, toes turned out, and slightly driving the knees out as they go to the bottom,” confirms Bennet.

3. Leg Extensions

After training the hamstrings and quads in the mid-to-lengthened position, Bennett recommends focusing on the mid-to-shortened range. Ensure the patellas point forward or upward throughout the exercise.

Not great for knee health if they point in or out.

Bennett suggests pausing at peak contraction each rep to maximize rectus femoris activation; actively pull into the seat throughout to prevent the hips from coming off the pad. This limits the quad’s range of motion and muscle activation.

4. Lying Leg Curl

Prioritize driving the thighs, rather than the hips, against the machine’s pad to prevent posterior pelvic tilt that could reduce tension on the hamstrings. Focus on contracting all the heads of the hamstrings to their fully shortened position.

The whole point is to load the hamstrings through the mid- and fully- shortened position.

Since the prone leg curl is often the only hamstring isolation exercise in most gyms, Bennett recommends performing shortened partials after mechanical failure.

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References

Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(4):825-837. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002523

Pedrosa, G. F., Lima, F. V., Schoenfeld, B. J., Lacerda, L. T., Simões, M. G., Pereira, M. R., Diniz, R. C. R., & Chagas, M. H. (2022). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European journal of sports science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199

Featured image: @hypertrophycoach on Instagram

The post The Only 4 Leg Exercises You Need To Build Quads and Hamstrings appeared first on BarBend.

Classic Physique star Ramon Rocha Queiroz was considered the biggest contender to five-time Olympia champ Chris Bumstead’s Classic Physique throne. However, Queiroz’s second-place finish to Wesley Vissers at the 2024 Arnold Classic revealed some weaknesses. 

Queiroz’s silver medal finish at the 2023 Olympia qualified him for the 2024 Olympia, which will be held Oct. 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV. After adding size and thickness during the off-season, Queiroz is fine-tuning his physique during his 2024 Olympia prep.

The Brazilian bodybuilder arrived in Las Vegas early to acclimate to the weather and refine his conditioning. On Jul. 26, 2024, Queiroz showcased a back workout with seven-time 212 Olympia champion James “Flex” Lewis:

Ramon Rocha Queiroz 2024 Olympia Back Workout

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Iso-Lateral Front Pulldown

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

T-Bar Row

Seated Cable Row

Machine Preacher Curl

[Related: Flex Lewis Breaks Down How He Trained During His Olympia Reign]

[Related: Why You Need a Spotter on Machine Exercises for Max Muscle Growth: Bodybuilding Coach Explains]

Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown

Queiroz opened with an isolation exercise to pre-exhaust the lats. This approach maximizes muscle stimulation during compound movements without lifting super heavy. Queiroz used lifting straps on the rope attachment to isolate the lats and minimize reliance on grip strength.

Iso-Lateral Front Lat Pulldown

Unilateral exercises are potent for identifying and ironing out muscle and strength imbalances. Queiroz emphasized peak contraction by slightly turning his torso during the concentrics while keeping his elbow tight to the body.

The front lat pulldown machine’s line of pull ensured a deep stretch in the lengthened position, promoting muscle growth.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Queiroz initiated the pull by driving his elbow toward the ceiling and drawing the dumbbell toward his hips. He positioned his torso at 45 degrees while his non-working hand rested on the dumbbell rack. His feet were staggered.

He lowered the dumbbell until it was a few inches from the floor to maximize the lat stretch. Lewis stressed prioritizing technique over heavier weights as the former is better for muscle stimulation.

T-Bar Row

Queiroz transitioned to chest-supported T-bar rows, which promote back thickness by leveraging a deep stretch in the bottom position without the need for stability from the erectors.

The 29-year-old pushed through mechanical failure via forced reps assisted by Lewis.

Seated Cable Row & Preacher Curl

Queiroz grabbed the bar with a neutral grip and flared his elbows during concentrics. He avoided leaning forward to limit lower back engagement. He concluded with preacher curls using tempo reps, slowing the eccentrics to three seconds, and pausing briefly at the bottom to increase the time under tension. (1)

Queiroz is not expected to compete until the 2024 Olympia when he will aim to dethrone Bumstead for the division’s top spot. The challenge has grown more difficult over the past two years, given the improvement from the rest of the division and the momentum that Vissers and Breon Ansley have built during the 2024 season.

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References

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

Featured image: @ramondinopro on Instagram

The post Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz Mounts 2024 Olympia Comeback With Flex Lewis appeared first on BarBend.

When sports fans think of two-sport athletes, Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders are among the names that come to mind. However, several strength sports competitors have excelled in multiple fitness disciplines. 

For example, several female powerlifters, including Hunter Henderson and Marianna Gasparyan, have competed in bodybuilding and earned their pro cards; both competed in the 2024 IFBB Pro League season. Brianny Terry is another female powerlifter who will make her pro bodybuilding debut in 2025.

Johnnie Jackson and Mike O’Hearn are known for their excellence in powerlifting and bodybuilding. This means multi-strength-sport success can be achieved. The latest male powerlifter to create buzz online is Russel Orhii.

Orhii set an IPF world record squat at the 2024 IPF World Classic Championships with a lift of 321 kilograms, the latest in multiple records to his credit. As documented by Open Powerlifting, his best lifts in each of the three movements are below:

Russel Orhii’s Top Competition Lifts

Squat — 340 kilograms

Bench Press — 195 kilograms

Deadlift — 350 kilograms

[Related: Learn To Lat Spread From 7X Mr. Olympia Phil Heath]

Orhii as a Bodybuilder

Orhii has bodybuilding experience already. According to NPC News Online, Orhii placed second in the 2016 NPC Lee Labrada Classic, the only show he is credited with on record. 

Even if it has been eight years since he last stepped onstage, the bodybuilding bug is still with Orhii. His YouTube channel description describes him as a powerlifter and bodybuilder. Furthermore, multiple Instagram posts display Orhii performing bodybuilding poses, including the front double biceps, the rear lat spread, and the side triceps.

[Related: The Evolving History of Bodybuilding Poses]

Orhii appears confident when posing and has the shape to stand on a competitive bodybuilding stage. It would likely not take him long to diet and improve his conditioning. 

Orhii set his IPF world record as an 83KG competitor. If he were to enter an NPC show, he could compete as a middleweight after losing four kilograms or as a light-heavyweight by maintaining his weight. Odds suggest Orhii would get as shredded as possible to make the middleweight category.

If Orhii were to compete in bodybuilding, would he compete in traditional bodybuilding or enter a different division, such as Men’s Physique or Classic Physique? The years of powerlifting training could prove advantageous for muscle maturity and density.

Regardless of what division or class Orhii were to enter, he has shown the potential to be the latest of several multi-sport strength athletes who could excel in powerlifting and bodybuilding. The questions left to answer are whether he would compete and, if so, what show he would enter.

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Featured image: @russwole on Instagram

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