On Oct. 2, 2024, four-time Men’s Physique Olympia champ Jeremy Buendia announced via social media that he’ll likely retire from competitive bodybuilding after the 2025 season. Buendia has already started his prep for the 2025 Arnold Classic (AC), scheduled for March 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio — his AC debut.

Buendia is laser-focused on his strategy, as showcased in the first workout of his prep — a push session.

After losing his Olympia crown in 2018, Buendia took a four-year hiatus from the competitive stage before returning in the 2023 Olympia, where he ranked eighth overall. The California native had high hopes for redemption at the 2024 Olympia, but they were tarnished due to re-injuring his Achilles tendon while running in April. 

Buendia still needs to apply for and receive an invitation to the 2025 Arnold Classic. The rules differ from those of the Olympia, in which Buendia holds lifetime eligibility as a former champion, with the exception of a five-year gap between appearances. 

High-Volume Chest Workout 

Below are Buendia’s six chest exercises ordered in performance sequence:

Hammer Incline Press

Pec Deck Flye

Dumbbell flat press

Standing Cable Flye

Machine Press

Bodyweight Dip

[Related: Jay Cutler’s 2024 Mr. Olympia Predictions]

Buendia’s Push Techniques 

How does Buendia build thick upper pecs? He prioritizes incline presses using an overhand grip. After working to a max set of 320 pounds on the Hammer Strength machine, Buendia stripped fifty pounds to drop set for three sets of eight to 10 reps, including partial reps.

There are two benefits of this strategy. First, incline chest exercises have been proven to grow the upper chest growth better than flat or decline angles. Second, studies indicate that half reps performed in an exercise’s stretch phase enhance results. (1)(2)(3)

Precision Tactics and Free Weight Functionality 

Buendia paired the press with machine flyes, extending his arms back to overload his pecs in a deeper stretch. He then pulled them together for optimal pec isolation. To vary the stimulus, he drop set again, pushing through 190, 120, and 70 pounds. 

Buendia employed a similar strategy, alternating between neutral and underhand grip cable flyes, moving horizontally and low to high, to bias the middle and upper pecs, respectively. The advantage of cable versus pec deck flyes is more angle variety.

The former champ included dumbbell flat presses for functional mass and strength. He reached a top-end set of seven reps with the 100-pounders, touching the weights to his outer chest, which helped keep the motion in a safe and efficient movement path. 

More Bodybuilding Content

Do You Agree With These Critiques of Ronnie Coleman’s Thick Back Workout?

Fitness Coach Dan Go’s 6 Tips To Get in Better Shape Than 99% of People

Top Bodybuilding Coach Makes Chris Bumstead Do “Roller Flyes” for Chest Gains. Here’s Why

Featured image: @jeremy_buendia on Instagram

The post Jeremy Buendia Will Contend 2025 Arnold Classic Title; Hints at Retirement appeared first on BarBend.

Muscle memory is more than just a buzzword. Understanding its real mechanisms can revolutionize your training approach to optimize gains, thereby allowing you to achieve your physique goals faster.

On Oct. 4, 2024, Dr. Milo Wolf, Ph.D. in Sports Science, and Dr. Kevin Murach, Ph.D. in Human Bioenergetics, explained the science behind muscle memory and its implications for health, fitness, and athletic performance.

Key Takeaways

There are two specific types of muscle memory:

One is related to the nervous system and motor learning.

One is related to muscle physiology.

After detraining, muscles can be rebuilt faster than it took to initially gain them.

Muscle cell nuclei play a vital role in muscle growth and memory.

Myonuclei addition and epigenetic modifications are the leading theories behind muscle memory.

Exercising early in life can have lasting impacts on muscle health and the ability to regain muscle even after long periods of inactivity.

Muscle memory can help athletes recover muscle mass and strength quickly after injury breaks.

Wolf outlines the two primary definitions of muscle memory. The first relates to the nervous system’s ability to retain motor skills, like riding a bike, even after long periods of inactivity. 

The second definition, and the focus of Wolf’s discussion, involves muscle physiology. It concerns the muscle’s capacity to rebound quickly after a break in training, regaining size and strength faster than it took to build them initially.

Wolf cites several studies where, following a period of detraining, participants regained lost muscle and strength significantly faster — in some cases, up to four times faster — than during their initial training. This rapid recovery is muscle memory in action. (1)(2)(3)

Notably, a few studies suggest that muscle memory only works for experienced athletes and that its full potential might not be realized within a short timeframe (e.g., 10 weeks). 

Why Does Muscle Memory Exist?

Muscle memory hinges on myonuclei, the ‘control centers’ within muscle fibers. Murach explains that myonuclei are crucial for muscle growth, acting as blueprints for protein synthesis.

Wolf presents two leading theories — the myonuclei addition theory and the myonuclear epigenetic modification theory. The former suggests that training adds new cell nuclei to muscle fibers, which persist even after detraining, enabling faster regrowth. The latter proposes that training alters the expression of genes within existing nuclei, optimizing them for future muscle growth.

Murach acknowledges that these theories’ exact mechanisms and relative contributions are still under investigation. He suggests that myonuclei addition may drive short-term muscle memory, whereas epigenetic modifications could dominate long-term adaptations.

Practical Implications of Muscle Memory

Murach underlines the lifelong benefits of exercising earlier in life, emphasizing that it enhances muscle health and the capacity to regain lost muscle later in life, even after prolonged inactivity. This, he argues, contributes significantly to preserving independence and quality of life in old age.

Muscle memory offers a silver lining for athletes sidelined by injury. Wolf highlights that any muscle and strength lost during these periods can be recouped at an accelerated rate, minimizing the interruption’s impact on athletic performance.

More Training Content

5 Reasons You Can’t Skip Barbell Squats on Leg Day

5 Science-Based Hacks for Muscle Growth That Actually Work

Exercise and Mental Health: Statistics and Insight From a Physician

References

Ogasawara, R., Yasuda, T., Sakamaki, M., Ozaki, H., & Abe, T. (2011). Effects of periodic and continued resistance training on muscle CSA and strength in previously untrained men. Clinical physiology and functional imaging, 31(5), 399–404. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-097X.2011.01031.x

Ogasawara, R., Yasuda, T., Ishii, N., & Abe, T. (2013). Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6 months of continuous and periodic strength training. European journal of applied physiology, 113(4), 975–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2511-9

Staron, R. S., Leonardi, M. J., Karapondo, D. L., Malicky, E. S., Falkel, J. E., Hagerman, F. C., & Hikida, R. S. (1991). Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985), 70(2), 631–640. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1991.70.2.631

Featured image: @kevinmurachphd on Instagram

The post Muscle Memory: What It Is, + How It Helps You Build Muscle Faster appeared first on BarBend.

At the 2024 Mr. Olympia, last year’s winner, Derek Lunsford, has a chance to establish the next great bodybuilding dynasty. This year’s “O” runs from Oct. 11 to 12 in Las Vegas, NV.

Since seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath’s last victory in 2017, only Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay has been able to win the Sandow trophy more than once. Ramy won’t be in Vegas this year.

The stakes are high for Lunsford, who made history in 2023 when he became the first bodybuilding athlete to have won the overall title in both the 212 and Men’s Open divisions. But Lunsford has a secret advantage that might help him become the back-to-back champ.

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Bodybuilding]

Derek Lunsford’s Secret Advantage at the 2024 Mr. Olympia

For bodybuilding’s most devoted fans, it’s more of an open secret: The reigning Mr. Olympia’s advantage is based around not having to qualify for the event in the first place.

“Derek Lunsford has got the ideal situation,” four-time Olympia champ Jay Cutler said during a podcast on Oct. 4, 2024. 

Cutler explained how the current Mr. Olympia can sit back and watch as the division takes shape, including which competitors look the best and who isn’t worth worrying about.

“He can stay locked in all year since he doesn’t have to qualify. [Lunsford] can just sit back and analyze each guy and say, ‘What do I need to do to beat you?’” Cutler continued.

[Related: Best Whey Protein Powders for Bodybuilding]

In addition to having a longer off-season period and, thus, a smoother contest prep, Lunsford also has a geographical advantage against some of his Men’s Open competitors.

“It’s hard for, like, an Andrew Jacked, who comes all the way over from Dubai and has to train out of his element,” Cutler said. “It’s hard for Hadi Choopan to train out of his element.” 

Lunsford spent most of his time training for the 2024 Mr. Olympia at the world-renowned Mi40 Gym in Tampa, FL. But for some of his competitors, the journey to the Olympia stage is more than a figurative one. 

Many of the presumptive top bodybuilders at the “O” this year live and train abroad — Samson Dauda is based in the United Kingdom, Rafael Brandao spends most of his time in Brazil, and so on. 

Can Derek Lunsford Win the 2024 Mr. Olympia?

The Mr. Olympia is anyone’s game. That the Sandow trophy has so regularly changed hands over the last decade speaks to the division’s tremendously competitive climate. 

In September, Cutler made note of the rise in competitiveness compared to his era of the sport, saying, “I’m just glad I’m not in there.”

[Related: Best Fat Burners for Getting Shredded]

As the defending champion, the Mr. Olympia is Lunsford’s to lose. Furthermore, they say bodybuilding shows are won from the back. Lunsford boasts perhaps the most impressive back of any bodybuilding athlete on the planet. If he hits his mark with conditioning and poses well, Lunsford’s sit-back-and-watch strategy for the 2024 Mr. Olympia will likely pay off. 

More Bodybuilding Content

Was Kai Greene the Best Natural Bodybuilding Athlete Ever?

Why Chris Bumstead Can’t Build More Muscle

The Risks & Rewards of Extreme Leanness on the Road to the Bikini Olympia

Featured Image: @dereklunsford_ / Instagram

The post Derek Lunsford’s Secret Advantage at the 2024 Mr. Olympia appeared first on BarBend.

The department alleges that LA Fitness has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act for its failure to maintain pool lifts and elevators relied upon by members with disabilities

A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleges that LA Fitness has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for inoperable pool lifts and broken elevators, preventing access to members with disabilities.

In the filing, the department outlines the experiences of several individuals, including a woman (“Patron A”) who has multiple sclerosis and has encountered inoperable pool lifts at her LA Fitness location.

“Even when a pool lift appears to be working, Patron A has experienced being stuck and dangling over the water, requiring assistance from LA Fitness employees to exit the pool, and being unable to use the pool,” the department alleges.

Despite members complaining about the issues to LA Fitness, the suit argues that the fitness operator didn’t address them in a suitable timeframe.

In addition to requesting the court to direct the gym and fitness club operator to make its facilities and equipment accessible, the department is seeking monetary damages.

“Access to physical fitness activity is crucial for promoting the health and well-being of all Americans, including those with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For over 30 years, the ADA has prohibited gyms and fitness clubs like LA Fitness from denying patrons with disabilities the opportunity to use and enjoy facilities enjoyed by patrons without disabilities. Through this lawsuit, the Justice Department seeks to eliminate LA Fitness’s discriminatory barriers and ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to fully participate at their local LA Fitness gym and fitness clubs.”

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California added that ensuring accessibility is fundamental to safeguarding civil rights.

“Our office is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have access to public accommodations by enforcing the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Estrada said. “When we support those with disabilities, our entire community benefits.”

Fitness International, the parent company of LA Fitness, acquired XSport Fitness over the summer with plans to invest in the clubs and rebrand them under one of its four brands.

LA Fitness didn’t immediately respond to ATN’s request for comment.

The post LA Fitness Sued By Justice Dept. for Disability Discrimination appeared first on Athletech News.

The brand’s weighted vests and clothing can level up your everyday workouts with extra weight

Omorpho was founded in 2017 by Ben Williams and Stefan Olander, who had a goal to reinvent the prototypical weighted vest. Frustrated by unevenly distributed weight in vests, Olander and Williams developed a new vest with MicroLoad technology, where small amounts of weight are evenly distributed across all of its garments.

Now, Omorpho also makes G-Wear, which is apparel with built-in MicroLoad spheres throughout that can be worn alone or with a vest. The apparel is designed to level up strength training, runs, hikes or any other workout that could benefit from a little extra weight. Athletech News put both the Omorpho G-Vest and G-Wear to the test.

Pros

Omorpho’s G-Vest is form-fitting and flexible, comfortable even during long runs. For those who care about fashion, the vest also comes in multiple colors, like black, purple, blue and gray.  Some colors even have a subtle trim of illuminated fabric for easy visibility in the dark. The G-Vest also comes in different sizes, which makes it easy and comfortable to add a little weight to your workout, particularly for someone on the smaller side.

It has shoulder straps and side-cinch pull cords that make it easy to tighten the garment against your body. The man’s vest is 10 pounds, and the woman’s is 5 pounds for the G-Vest and 6 and 3 respectively for the G-Vest Sport (the lighter version of the vest).

The G-Vest has built-in extra weight through small, raised spheres over the fabric. Despite the extra weight, the clothing is soft and stretchy enough for HIIT or strength workouts. I was worried about washing the items after sweaty workouts, but they can be thrown in the washer and dryer along with other clothes. The spheres did not hurt or rub against my skin, and overall I found wearing the items more comfortable than I expected.

Both apparel items were great for making your standard workouts a little bit harder. I have increasingly seen weighted vests on runners, and now I understand why–it’s an easy way to improve your strength and endurance. I also felt stronger wearing the vest during bodyweight workouts or strength training in a subtle but effective way. Neither the G-Wear clothing nor the G-Vest were bulky or unwieldy but I noticed myself feeling stronger after multiple wears.

Cons

The G-Vest’s premium price of $279 for women and $299 for men, is more expensive than many other weighted vests. If you’re newer to workout vests, you might be a little less ready to invest in such an expensive piece of equipment.

As for the G-Wear, although the clothing itself was soft and stretchy and the added weight evenly distributed, I found wearing clothes with spheres all over the fabric a strange sensation, particularly for the leggings. When I ran or did standing workouts, the spheres did not bother me, but during yoga or mat workouts, I found the spheres uncomfortable. I would prefer wearing a weighted vest over standard workout wear, but for those who are doing more dynamic workouts, the apparel could level up your goals. The apparel was more reasonably priced than the vests, ranging from $99-$150, but still more expensive than other weighted clothing.

Overall, if you’re ready to commit to leveling up your workout with a weighted vest, Omorpho’s G-Vest is a premium product that will help you increase your endurance, build strength, and improve your agility. If you want a little extra weight in your apparel and don’t mind a raised texture of your clothing, check out G-Wear.

The post Product of the Week: Omorpho Vest and Weighted Apparel appeared first on Athletech News.

On September 24, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published an updated list of prohibited substances and methods, which will become effective on January 1, 2025.

Remind me: WADA was formed in 1999 as an international independent agency to lead a collaborative initiative to combat doping in sports. On its website, WADA states that its primary goal is to “develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.”

[Related: Best Treadmills]

CrossFit and WADA

As a sport, CrossFit follows WADA guidelines and carries out its drug testing in partnership with Drug Free Sport International. 

Drug Free Sport International is an organization that “administers comprehensive drug testing programs; manages national and international collections; develops drug testing policies; and provides educational services to a wide range of colleges, universities and amateur athletics organizations around the world.” 

CrossFit athletes can be tested randomly during the off-season and at in-person competitions. They are also required to provide CrossFit with up-to-date contact and whereabouts information every quarter of the year. 

Testing is witnessed by a doping control officer, and the samples are then sent to WADA-approved laboratories. Afterward, Drug Free Sport reports the test results to CrossFit, which then alerts an athlete in the case of a failed test. 

The Big Picture

Ultimately, it’s the athlete’s responsibility to stay up-to-date with what substances are legal and which ones are banned following WADA guidelines. 

A summary of WADA’s “major modifications” and explanatory notes can be found here, and the full list of WADA’s banned substances can be downloaded here.

More CrossFit Stories

Seher Kaya Shines at TYR Cup, Thrives on Team World

Gui Malheiros Leaves TYR Cup Refreshed, Ready for More

Reps Ahead Pro 4 Results: Jayson Hopper and Anikha Greer Victorious

Featured image: @wada_ama / Instagram

The post The World Anti-Doping Agency Releases 2025 Banned Substances Updates – How Does This Affect CrossFit? appeared first on BarBend.