Eight athletes will face off in the Lone Star State.
Last updated on March 29th, 2024
The 2024 Houston Tournament of Champions Proshow will occur in The Woodlands, TX, on Saturday, March 30, 2024. The headline of this event will be the IFBB Pro League Wellness division, and eight athletes are slated to grace the stage and face the judges.
The contest’s winner will earn qualification to the 2024 Wellness Olympia on Oct. 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV. Going into the 2024 Houston Tournament of Champions, none of the contestants have yet qualified for the 2024 Olympia. The roster for this show is below, with names in alphabetical order, courtesy of the IFBB Pro League website:
Amanda Burnett is the defending champion, having won it in 2023. She will aim to repeat as champion and earn that Olympia qualification. Burnett competed in the 2023 Wellness Olympia in Orlando, FL, finishing outside the top 15.
Burnett was also the 2022 Legion Sports Fest Pro winner. She is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Wellness International UK event in Birmingham, England.
Jennifer Zollars
Jennifer Zollars ranked second to Burnett in the 2023 edition of this contest. She finished in the top five of all five pro shows she competed in during the 2023 season with two silver placings but did not achieve a win and, therefore, did not advance to the 2023 Olympia.
Zollars kicks off her third pro season at this show and hopes to secure her first victory in the pro ranks. The rematch with Burnett will certainly be one to watch.
Cassandra Pennington
Casandra Pennington was the runner-up to Bruna Seredich at the 2024 Sampson Showdown Pro show on March 23, 2024. Although that rank didn’t score Pennington qualification for the Olympia, she can still make it to bodybuilding’s grandest stage by winning a pro show before Sept. 15, 2024.
This will be the second show of Pennington’s second pro season. She kicked off her pro career in 2023 with two shows. Her best finish was silver at the Southern California Pro.
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Featured Image: @tiffany.padilla.9843 on Instagram
Vatthauer scored the win to become Olympia-qualified.
Last updated on April 1st, 2024
Twenty-four IFBB Pro League Bikini division athletes graced the stage at the 2024 Klash Series Championships Pro show in Orlando, FL, on March 30, 2024. After the judges compared all the physiques, the champion’s trophy and 2024 Olympia qualification were awarded to Alexandra Vatthauer.
Marie-Even Duchesneau of Canada was named the runner-up, and Iulia Baba rounded out the top three. The full results from the contest are below:
Vatthauer made her 2024 season debut at this show to kick off her second pro season. Along with the gold was the $2,000 prize purse. The scorecards showed all first-place votes for Vatthauer, resulting in her first pro win and Olympia qualification.
Vatthauer competed in four pro shows in 2023, scoring two silvers. The 2024 Olympia will be the 60th Olympia Weekend. It is set for Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024.
Second Place — Marie-Eve Duchesneau
Duchesneau garnered significant attention when she ranked third at the 2024 Bikini International UK contest in Birmingham, England, on March 16, 2024. This was her second show of 2024.
She has until Sept. 15, 2024, to win a show and qualify for the Olympia. There’s a good chance she will compete again before then.
Third Place — Iulia Baba
This was Baba’s first pro show of 2024. She was coming off a successful 2023 campaign, including her Olympia debut, finishing outside the top 15.
Baba shared on her Instagram page that she was happy with her performance in Orlando, FL. She competed eight times in 2023 and has shown she can maintain a competition-ready physique for extended periods of time.
The biceps get too much credit. Don’t get us wrong; training your biceps is a must for bigger and stronger arms. But your triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm mass and cover the entirety of the back of your arm. That’s a chunk of prime real estate.
With that in mind, here are 11 of the best triceps exercises and provide knowledge on how to train the muscle to help you improve your bench press strength and build a meatier pair of arms.
Recent Updates: This article was originally written by Mike Dewar, a veteran BarBend contributor and coach. Dewar has a number of certifications as well as a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology. On Mar. 26, 2024, BarBend Senior Writer Jake Dickson updated the exercise selections in this article to better reflect BarBend’s evolving standards for training content. You can read more about that process here!
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
This compound triceps exercise has you lift a bar with your hands set shoulder-width apart. This bench press variation shifts the load more to your triceps. You won’t be able to lift as much weight with the close-grip bench press, but you’ll strengthen your triceps.
The arms-in form you need to target your triceps will take the onus off of your shoulder joint. More muscle mass on the back of your arms will directly carry over to the lockout, or top portion, of your standard bench press.
How To Do It
Set yourself up similar to a flat bench press, with your hands set inside shoulder-width and your elbows tucked into the body.
Pull the bar out of the rack and stabilize it over your chest.
Pull the elbows inwards as the bar descends to the chest.
Once you have touched the chest, press through the palms, feel the triceps engage, and lift the weight back up.
Modifications
Make It Easier: If you prefer dumbbell triceps exercises, this move can be performed with dumbbells as well.
Make It Harder: Try pausing at the bottom of each rep with the bar on your chest.
Coach’s Tip: The barbell will make contact with your chest lower down than if you used a standard wide grip.
2. Dip
Equipment Needed
Dip station, plyo box or chair, wrist wraps (optional), dip belt (optional)
Muscles Worked
Triceps, chest, shoulders, core
Sets & Reps
2 – 3 x 10+
Performing regular dips on a set of parallel bars instead of angled bars or rings will recruit your triceps more as arms will be tucked in, not flared out. Your shoulders should feel better, too, since they’re in a more neutral position throughout the exercise.
You’ll also be more stable as the bars are closer together than angled dipping bars or rings. Lastly, we like dips since they can be done effectively with just your body weight.
How To Do It
Grab the parallel bars with your torso upright (with a slight lean forward) as you are suspended.
Have your elbows almost fully extended to support this position.
With the chest up and shoulder blades squeezed together, bend at the elbows as you lower yourself downward until the elbows reach 90 degrees.
Press yourself upwards until you fully extend the elbows and repeat.
Modifications
Make It Easier: The bench dip or chair dip are great options to help you progress toward doing full bodyweight dips.
Make It Harder: Add weight by wearing a dip belt or holding a small dumbbell between your ankles.
Coach’s Tip: Keep your shoulders depressed and away from your ears the entire time.
You can really isolate your triceps with the triceps pushdown. To perform the pushdown, you either grab a resistance band or a cable pulley, step back, so the band or cable is taut, and then push it downward by flexing your triceps. Since just your triceps are moving the weight, you can better hone in on them.
We think the pushdown is one of the best tricep exercises for mass because it completely isolates the muscle, which leads to great pumps and plenty of hypertrophy.
How To Do It
Set the cables or band at a high anchor point. With your body facing the band, place your feet together and elbows to your sides (by your ribs).
The chest should be up, and the back flat, with the hips angled slightly forward.
Grab the handles or band and fully extend the elbows to push the handles or band down, making sure to keep the elbows slightly in front of the shoulders.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Play around with different cable attachments until you find the one that is most comfortable for you.
Make It Harder: Try a drop set at the end of your pushdown workout.
Coach’s Tip: Press the band both down and into your thighs as well.
Straight or cambered barbell, weight plates (optional), flat bench
Muscles Worked
Triceps
Sets & Reps
2 – 3 x 10 – 12
This triceps exercise variation has you lower a barbell (or dumbbells or cable pulley or kettlebells) to your forehead to stretch the triceps muscle.
You’ll be able to isolate the triceps with the skull crusher, but in a position that also allows you to move heavier weight than you could with a pushdown. As a result, the skull crusher is a great free weight triceps exercise.
How To Do It
Start by lying back down on a bench, with the hands supporting a weight (a barbell, dumbbells, or various cable attachments) at the top of the bench pressing position. The back and hips should be set up identical to a bench press.
Pull the elbows back slightly so that they are pointing behind you (rather than directly vertical) as you bend the elbow joint, lowering the bar handle or loads towards your head.
The bar should nearly make contact with the forehead. Feel the stretch on the triceps and partially on the lats. Push the bar back up.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Do this move on the floor or work with dumbbells instead of a barbell.
Make It Harder: Lie on an adjustable bench with the backrest set at a low (10 to 20-degree) incline.
Coach’s Tip: Keep the insides of your upper arms pointing inwards at your head.
This is a popular bench press variation among powerlifters who need to strengthen the top portion of the lift. By pressing a barbell from the floor, you’re limiting your arms’ range of motion.
This means you can typically press more weight, which equates to a stronger bench press and stronger triceps. The floor press is also a suitable work around if you can’t bench with a full range of motion due to an injury or, even, because all the benches are taken in a busy gym.
How To Do It
Lay down in front of a power rack and extend your arms. Take note of where they end and adjust the hooks so that the barbell sits where your hands reach.
Get back under the now-loaded barbell and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
Grab the bar with your typical types of bench press grip. Lift the bar out of the rack, and lower the barbell to your sternum. Keep your elbows tucked in at 45 degrees. Press back up.
Coach’s Tip: Think about gently brushing your elbows against the floor.
6. Overhead Triceps Extension
Equipment Needed
Adjustable cable station, attachment of choice
Muscles Worked
Triceps
Sets & Reps
1 – 2 x 12 – 15
Triceps extensions are performed with a variety of tools and in a variety of postures. When performing overhead triceps extensions with a resistance band, the extra stretch on the band provides ample tension from the get-go and only gets harder as you extend the elbows.
This movement is great for both muscular hypertrophy and lockout strength. It’s also one of the only long head triceps exercises out there. If you prefer cable triceps exercises, you can do this one with a cable instead.
How To Do It
With the band underneath the middle of both feet, step forward with one foot and bring the handles of the band up behind your ears.
Standing tall and keeping your elbows tucked in, extend the elbows until lockout, and pause for a second.
Slowly lower down to the starting position and then repeat.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Try this move one arm at a time if you have inflexible shoulders. You can also do it seated if necessary.
Make It Harder: Try one-and-a-half reps to emphasize the stretched position.
Coach’s Tip: Try to get your upper arms exactly perpendicular to the floor for max triceps engagement.
If you can’t train your triceps pain-free, the standing landmine press can come in clutch. The nature of the implement used increases scapular stability and control.
The grip and upper arm position will also likely allow you to train around elbow or shoulder discomfort and still get a good session in.
How To Do It
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the end of the barbell just in front of your shoulder. Brace your core and lats and grip the barbell tight.
Then, press to lockout by extending the elbow and reaching forward at the end of the movement. Slowly lower back down and repeat.
Coach’s Tip: Resist any twisting at the torso while you perform your reps.
8. Diamond Push-Up
Equipment Needed
Exercise mat (optional)
Muscles Worked
Triceps, chest, shoulders
Sets & Reps
3 x 15
Like the close-grip bench press, the hand placement of the diamond push-up shifts more of the emphasis on the triceps. Due to the narrower base of support, you’ll get increased core stability while training the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Because of this, you may not be able to do as many reps as in your usual push-up, but your triceps will love it. You can also utilize diamond push-ups as an at-home triceps exercise.
How To Do It
Making a perfect diamond with your hands is not necessary, but the idea is to keep your hands close to focus on the triceps. Adjust your hand position to see what works for you.
Perform a push-up with control while keeping your core and glutes tight to keep your spine neutral.
Keep your elbows tucked alongside your ribcage, without flaring, during the entire movement.
Modifications
Make It Easier: You can do this one on your knees or with your hands not quite touching to make it easier.
Make It Harder: Try decline diamond push-ups by elevating your feet slightly.
Coach’s Tip: If this movement is tough on your wrists, consider a pair of wrist wraps.
With enough weight on the barbell, just about any pressing movement can be considered a triceps exercise as well. Overhead pressing is fantastic for overall upper-body strength, but your performance may not be limited by your triceps specifically.
By using your leg drive to power through the first half of the lift — where your shoulders do the most work — the push press helps you apply tons of mechanical tension to your triceps. Sets of five reps have never felt so hard.
How To Do It
Unrack a barbell from a squat rack and hold it in the front rack position with a loose grip and your feet planted under your hips or slightly wider.
Dip into a half squat; sink down until your knees come in line with your toes, but not much deeper.
Aggressively reverse the motion and push into the floor hard as if you were going to jump.
Your entire lower body should extend, at which point tilt your head back and allow the bar to fly off your shoulders.
As the bar passes your head, press with your arms to lock it out firmly overhead.
Coach’s Tip: Avoid pressing with your arms early. Allow your legs to do the work of getting the bar past eye level before you use your arms.
When it comes to triceps training, cables are your best friend. While free weights are in no way inherently dangerous, plenty of folks find it easier and more comfortable on the elbows to perform high-intensity training on the arm with exercises like the cable cross-body extension.
Bodybuilders in particular adore this movement for its hypertrophic potential; few exercises will allow you to apply so much stress to your triceps with such little weight. You also get the benefits of working each triceps separately during a simultaneous double-armed set. This saves time while not allowing one arm to pick up the slack of the other.
How To Do It
Stand between two cable trees with each shoulder-height attachment in your opposite hand; your right hand should hold the left attachment, and vice versa.
Take a step or two backward to pull the plate stack up and apply some tension to the cable. Your forearms should be crossed in front of your body forming an “X” shape.
From here, extend your elbows while keeping your upper arms tucked to your sides or slightly behind your body.
Coach’s Tip: You can play around with torso angle or arm position to find the posture that does the most damage to your triceps.
11. Cable Kickback
Equipment Needed
Adjustable cable station
Muscles Worked
Triceps
Sets & Reps
2 x 15
As dumbbell triceps workouts go, the kickback is less than ideal. Its biggest hindrance is the inconsistent resistance curve; your reps are very easy at the beginning and too difficult at the end.
Working with cables instead of a dumbbell resolves this issue and transforms an otherwise mediocre movement into a killer triceps exercise. Use this one to cap off your next arm workout and see for yourself.
How To Do It
Set a cable fixture at around waist height and grab the attachment in your palm. Use your non-working arm to brace yourself against the cable tree itself.
Tip over so your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and stagger your feet.
Tuck your upper arm back and against your torso.
Use your triceps to extend your elbow.
Modifications
Make It Easier: If you can’t hinge over, do this move standing up with your elbow pushed back behind your torso slightly.
Make It Harder: Try it with two cables at the same time.
Coach’s Tip: Keep your upper arm parallel to the ground as you perform your sets. Reduce the weight if you need to. Squeeze your triceps hard at the top of each rep.
4 Triceps Workouts To Try
Yes, your triceps will get plenty of action from your best chest exercises and shoulder exercises. But when you’re aiming to bust through some next level shirt sleeves, try the best triceps workouts out there to give your arms the boost they need.
As a beginner, targeted arm training may not be necessary to reap some gains in the gym. That said, if you’re looking to add triceps mass specifically, remember as a beginner that it is important to prioritize frequency and mindful practice over lifting the heaviest weights possible. Strength training is a long road, so set yourself up for success by building good habits early.
Perform this workout with higher training frequency and less intensity (meaning weight on the bar) for at least three to four weeks of consistent training. You can do this workout two to three times per week with the rest of your workout split.
A1. Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 x 10-12 reps
B1. Cable Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 x 15
C1. Cable Triceps Pushdown: 3 x 15
Triceps Workout for Muscle
To elicit muscle growth, you want to perform this workout with relatively high intensities and at a frequency of up to three times per week. That said, you’re only able to train as hard as you can recover, so prioritize your nutrition and rest so you can properly recover between intense workouts.
Skull Crusher: 3 x 12-15, followed by 2 x 8 – 10 at a slightly heavier weight
Weighted Dip: 3 sets at an RPE 8 with a moderate weight
Cable Overhead Extension: 3 x 15
Cable Single-arm Kickback: 3 x 15
Push-Up: 3 sets of as many repetitions as possible
Triceps Workout for Strength
You’ll hit two strength-focused workouts per week. In total, you’ll accumulate 29 sets for your triceps. You’ll also be lifting in a combination of rep ranges — six to 10 so you’re handling larger weights, and then 12 and up to ensure you build a fatigue resistance.
Assuming you want stronger triceps for a bigger bench press, the first two movements of each day are a bench press variation. Specificity is king, so if you want a stronger bench press, you need to bench press.
Big Bench Press Accessory Day 1
A1. JM Press: 3 x 10 / 2 x 6, rest 2-3 minutes between sets
B1. Cable Triceps Pushdown: 3 x 12-15
C1. Weighted Triceps Dip: 2 x 8, 2 x 6, rest 2-3 minutes between sets
Big Bench Press Accessory Day 2
A1. Pin Press or Floor Press: 3 x 6 / 2 x 4, rest 2-3 minutes between sets
B1. Skull Crusher: 3 x 8-10, rest 2-3 minutes between sets
C1. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension: 3 x 15 reps
C2. Cable Triceps Kickback: 3 x 15 reps
C3: Push-Up: 3 x AMRAP
Triceps Workout for Bodyweight
You’ve got options when it comes to building your triceps on any free weights. You’ll rely on high rep sets to near-failure since adding more weight to the bar isn’t an option.
Pick one workout and perform it a few times per week — minimum two times, maximum four times. “RIR” stands for reps in reserve and seeing “2 RIR” means you should stop two reps short of mechanical failure. As you progress, aim to add reps to your sets. Ideally, you can do more reps while still feeling as though you’re two reps from failure.
For Beginner Calisthenics Athletes
A1. Bench Dip: 3 sets x 2 RIR
B1. Elevated Push-Up: 3 sets x 2 RIR
*C1. Pike Push-Up: 3 sets x 2 RIR
*Bring chin or neck to bar or stair upon descent allowing elbows to brush the sides of one’s ribs
C1. Elevated Bodyweight Triceps Extension: 3 sets x 2 RIR
D1: Push-Up: 3 sets x AMRAP
Triceps Warm-Up
Especially if you’re going to do a heavy triceps workout, make sure you’re not going in cold. Even if you’re going to focus mainly on your chest or shoulders, your triceps will need to be ready for a hefty ride. Here’s a solid triceps dynamic warm-up to integrate into your program before your upper body workouts.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Banded Triceps Pushdown
1
20 – 25
Triceps Kickback
1
12 – 15 per side
Close-Grip Push-Up
1
10 – 15
How To Train Your Triceps
Depending on your workout split, you’ll want to either include short triceps-specific workouts at the end of days focused on bigger upper body exercises or simply take an extra rest day while you’re in the process of building your arms.
Exercise Selection: To build strength, prioritize free-weight, compound triceps exercises like bench presses. To isolate your triceps for growth, include cable triceps exercises as well and perform most sets to nearly failure.
Sets and Reps: We tend to prefer lower reps (5 to 8) for compound exercises like presses or dips, and higher reps in the 12 to 20 range for isolation moves.
Choose Your Volume
Most evidence-based recommendations regarding optimal training volume fall between 10 and 20 “working” sets per muscle, per week. (1) If you’re used to hitting it hard in the gym, this may seem like a light load.
However, the good news is that you can probably get the same, or better, arm gains without committing to multi-hour workouts. Mind also that compound lifts do factor into this benchmark; if you perform plenty of heavy bench or overhead presses twice a week, you probably don’t need 15 sets of triceps extensions on top of it all.
Find the Right Angle
It pays to be flexible in your pursuit of eye-popping, shirt-busting triceps. Yes, you need good mobility in your elbows and shoulders for some arm exercises, but you should really open yourself up to a wide array of exercises and angles during your workouts if you want to maximize your gains.
As a three-headed muscle, certain sections of your triceps will work harder than others on certain exercises based on your posture and leverages at any given moment. (2) For example, the long head of the muscle gets the most love when your arm is extended behind your head.
Go Overhead
Some compelling research has shown that overhead extensions, when your arm is raised up behind your head, can be more effective at both long head emphasis and overall triceps growth — even more than traditional press downs. (3)
Mix in at least one overhead-based triceps exercise every time you train your arms and the results will likely speak for themselves.
Benefits of Training Your Triceps
Bigger, stronger triceps make you, well, bigger and stronger. You aren’t going to win and bodybuilding shows if your guns are only loaded in the front. Your triceps may also be the limiting factor the next time you try to test your 1-rep max on the bench press. There are plenty of good reasons to prioritize your triceps in the gym.
Better Pressing Strength
Your triceps fight half the battle on all pressing movements, whether you’re on the barbell bench press or working with dumbbells. If your elbow extensors are underdeveloped or weak, don’t expect to lock out any of your max-effort reps. Some extra triceps work is a great way to safeguard yourself against missing a max attempt.
Balanced Physique Development
Well-developed arms may not win bodybuilding shows on their own, but if your triceps are lacking on the physique stage, it can bring down your entire physique. Even if you don’t have competitive aspirations, doing nothing but biceps curls and neglecting your tris is no way to build an impressive physique.
Your triceps make up the majority of overall muscle in your upper arm, and that’s before training. That means plenty of untapped hypertrophic potential. If you want to look symmetrical and proportional, carving out those horseshoes is an absolute must.
Triceps Anatomy
The triceps are made up of three muscles (hence the name, tri-ceps): The lateral head, the long head, and the medial head. All three of these muscles attach to your elbow and are responsible for extending your elbow.
The triceps are involved in the latter half of most pressing exercises. Think about how you bench press. Your pecs work hard at first to get the barbell off of your chest, but once your arms break 90 degrees, your triceps flex to extend your forearms and fully extend your arms. The same is true for an overhead press.
FAQs
How many triceps exercises should you do per workout?
Your triceps get a lot of work, even when you aren’t working them directly. If you perform upper-body exercises like bench presses or push-ups, we recommend including only one or two triceps isolation moves as well.
How do you work all 3 heads of the triceps?
Two parts of your triceps are used when you extend your elbow, no matter where your arm is. So, any triceps exercise will cover your bases. To target the long head, you’ll need to perform at least one overhead triceps movement.
Are dips a good exercise for triceps?
Yes, but there’s a catch — bodyweight dips are easy enough for most folks, but rapidly become quite difficult once you start adding weight. If you enjoy dips you can certainly make them a main triceps movement, but if they’re more trouble than they’re worth, feel free to discard dips for other moves.
References
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sports sciences, 35(11), 1073–1082.
Kholinne, E., Zulkarnain, R. F., Sun, Y. C., Lim, S., Chun, J. M., & Jeon, I. H. (2018). The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica, 52(3), 201–205.
Maeo, S., Wu, Y., Huang, M., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European journal of sport science, 1–11. Advance online publication.
Richardson’s lift was nearly 3.5 times his competition bodyweight as he preps for the ABS Clash of the Titans 2.
Last updated on April 1st, 2024
British powerlifter Dave Richardson is well-established as a driving force in the 125KG class. He’s a great all-rounder, but the lift that has been improving the quickest is his deadlift.
As recently as August 2023, Richardson’s best deadlift in competition was 397.5 kilograms. He swept that number away at the Nottingham Strong Qualifier in January 2024 with a massive 420-kilogram pull. However, Richardson did not pause to rest on his laurels.
On March 28, 2024, Richardson shared a training update to his Instagram page in which he locked out a staggering 430 kilograms. Take a look at this colossal lift below:
Richardson deadlifts with a conventional stance and utilizes a relatively narrow foot positioning for a heavyweight lifter. Using a lifting belt to increase intra-abdominal pressure, he took the barbell in a mixed grip.
The bar moved quickly from the floor, but there was a moment of hesitation at the top before Richardson achieved full lockout. He threw the bar down triumphally, which would draw red lights in competition but does not invalidate a gym lift.
The post also included a squat session in which Richardson makes short work of 372.5 kilograms for a triple in knee wraps. The depth and speed were on point, and Richardson looks in good shape in his prep.
Richardson is preparing to compete at the ABS Clash of the Titans 2 in Dublin, Ireland, on April 20, 2024. The event is billed as “The Strongest Show in Europe” based on total weight lifted rather than weight class or formula.
Richardson took the silver medal in 2023 with a 1,015-kilogram total. In 2024, Richardson recently posted a 1,070-kilogram total — a weight that would have easily won in 2023.
Richardson will face 2023’s winner, Fernando Arias, who also won the 140KG class at the 2023 WRPF American Pro 2, and one of South Africa’s strongest sons, Nicolaas du Preez. However, the big news is that USA’s Dan Bell is making a rare trip abroad, and anyone planning on lifting the winner’s belt at the end of the contest must beat the man with the all-time total world record — 1,182.5 kilograms.
The competition will occur on April 20, 2024, and can be watched on the ABS Powerlifting YouTube channel.
If you’re a pure strength athlete, you may have never been much of a cardio enthusiast. Your tendency has always been to look at cardio as a necessary evil that you need for your heart health. That’s when you scroll through TikTok and find influencers and weekend warriors alike dancing on treadmills. And suddenly, the treadmill looks…kind of fun.
Still, the footwork looks pretty complicated. The good news? You can pull off a treadmill dancing workout even if you have two left feet. We asked the Certified RRCA Run Coach Ludgina Dieujuste, who runs the YouTube channel Treadchic, to give us some insight into these kinds of workouts. She also gave us three workouts you can try out — and if it can spice up your cardio routine, why not?
What Is Treadmill Dancing?
Treadmill dancing is precisely what it sounds like. It’s the act of combining dance choreography with walking on a treadmill to create an entertaining workout set to music. Treadmill dance routines can include complex dance steps like the cha-cha, originating from Cuba, Zumba, and hip-hop.
Don’t let all this intimidate you if you’ve got no coordination or rhythm to speak of. Your workout can also consist of simple rhythmic hand gestures and head movements.
Try These 3 Treadmill Dancing Workouts
If you feel like adding some vibrant movements to your treadmill routine, here are three treadmill dance workouts that are safe and simple, yet strenuous enough to be a true workout. Dieujuste, who created these workouts, suggests that you begin with a brief dynamic warm-up before diving into each of these routines.
This is a simple workout to familiarize yourself with rhythmic walking. You’re not aiming for speed here — in fact, please go slowly, especially until you feel completely comfortable and confident. Even then, you’ll want to exercise caution. Keep the belt speed lower than your normal walking pace, particularly when you’re shuffling. Only increase the speed gradually.
The Workout
Perform these rounds 10 times.
One-minute walk
30-second side shuffle right
30-second side shuffle left
How Often to Do This Workout: This is pretty low-impact, so you can do it daily if you want!
Modifications
Make it Easier: Replace the side shuffles with a less complex simple side-step.
Make it Harder: Replace all of the walking with shuffle steps, or double the workout length.
Coach’s Tip: Always have your hands free and ready to catch yourself on the railing (and make sure your running shoes are tied!).
2. Incline Pyramid with Arm Movement
What’s a dance party without some arm action? Sure, in the gym, we typically think about the best arm exercises in terms of barbells and dumbbells. But on the treadmill, you’ll transform your traditional curls and presses into dance.
The Workout
Perform these rounds two times.
One minute at 1.0 incline
One minute at 2.0 incline
One minute at 3.0 incline
One minute at 4.0 incline
Two minutes at 5.0 incline
One minute at 4.0 incline
One minute at 3.0 incline
One minute at 2.0 incline
One minute at 1.0 incline
Throughout the entire workout, keep your arms out and away from the treadmill’s support arms. You’ll get a lot more tired, a lot more quickly, than you think.
How Often to Do This Workout: If your arms are up for it, you can do it every day.
Modifications
Make it Easier: Allow yourself to hold the treadmill and do a regular walk every other minute.
Make it Harder: Spend two straight minutes at each incline level up to incline five, and remain there for the final 10 minutes.
Coach’s Tip: This workout is intended to get you comfortable with keeping your arms free from the treadmill at every relevant incline. Move your arms freely, but maintain your balance.
3. The Medley
When you’re ready to up the ante and get super involved in the dance party (instead of bobbing your head on the side of the dance floor), Dieujuste recommends adding different walking patterns and even kicks to your routine. Yes, you’ll be doing exercises, but don’t forget to turn the music up — be as rhythmic as you can be here. (It’ll add to the fun, we promise.)
The Workout
Perform these rounds two times (switching sides in the second round where appropriate.)
Side Shuffle
One minute at incline 1.0
Side Shuffle
One minute at incline 2.0
Forward Kick
One minute at incline 3.0
Backward Walk
One minute at incline 4.0
Low Squat Walk
One minute at incline 5.0
How Often to Do This Workout: Again, this is pretty low-impact, so you could do it every day.
Modifications
Make it Easier: Replace the low squat walk with a simpler movement or with a regular walk, as the incline is relatively high.
Make it Harder: Turn this workout into a pyramid. Spend two minutes in your low squat walk, and then do the exercises again in reverse order.
Coach’s Tip: While these steps are exercise-like, remember that this is still dancing. You are intended to get into the groove, relax, and enjoy yourself.
Benefits of Treadmill Dancing Workouts
Treadmill dancing may sound like a bunch of fun and games — and it should be exactly that if you’re getting into the spirit of the workout with your favorite gym playlist. It also happens that all of your joyful movements have positive impacts throughout your body.
Cardiovascular Health
You may have gotten lost in music while dancing for an extended period, but you probably noticed before too long that you were out of breath, and your heart rate had skyrocketed. This is because dancing is excellent cardio, as is walking on a treadmill. The fact that your treadmill routine may look a little silly doesn’t make it any less beneficial to your heart.
“Treadmill dance helps to improve your cardiovascular health, specifically because when you’re dancing on the treadmill, your heart rate is going up, then it’s going down, then it’s going up, then it’s going down,” explains Dieujuste. “Your heart rate going up and down throughout the workout is very helpful with improving your heart health, which of course is really important in avoiding chronic disease. If you’ve ever danced on a treadmill — even if it was just for two-and-a-half minutes — your heart rate is going to jump.”
Joint Health
One of the selling points of aerobics and fitness-oriented dance classes is the fact that they tend to be relatively low-impact. Adding basic dance movements to walking on a treadmill gently varies a movement that is already intended to be easy on your joints.
“Compared with the outdoor workouts when you’re on hard services like concrete, these treadmill workouts offer more cushion,” says Dieujuste. “So, of course, it helps to reduce the impact on your joints. Treadmills make it easier for people that have joint pain or that are recovering from injuries to still get a workout in.”
Consistency, Fun, and Mental Health
When you enjoy your workouts, you’re more likely to stick to them consistently. And those workouts themselves — yes, including dance workouts — have been shown to improve people’s mental and physical health indicators. (1)
“Anything that keeps the average person coming back and motivated and consistent is a win,” says Dieujuste. “I think many people fail to be consistent because they don’t really enjoy what they’re doing and they fall off. But if you look forward to something, especially when it comes to fitness, that’s a great benefit. Walking or running can be boring to some people. What the treadmill dance offers a typical person is a chance to put on their favorite tunes while adding some dance moves and calling it a workout. It’s fun for them. We always want to listen to music. You can constantly change it up with different music and different levels.”
Tips for Doing a Treadmill Dancing Workout Safely
Trained dancers can make treadmill dance look effortless in their TikToks and other vids — Harry Shum Jr., anyone? But for the average gymgoer, the process of transforming an ordinary walking workout into a coordinated dance workout comes with its risks.
It can be fun to act like you’re recording a music video as you dance on the treadmill, but if you don’t take the proper safety steps, you can wind up with an unexpected injury. Here’s how to avoid a spill.
Use Your Hands
Falling down is never a pleasant experience, but a fall on a moving surface like a treadmill belt can be downright devastating to your body — not to mention embarrassing. Fortunately, much of the expressiveness of dance can be conveyed through your hands without involving your feet. This is important to remember because doing too much with your feet before you’re comfortable can have painful consequences.
“You want to start off with hand-type movements so that you can maintain full control of your feet,” says Dieujuste. “Sometimes we get so excited that we forget where we are and that can lead to other things. You can easily hurt yourself. That’s why starting with hand movements is far safer for beginners than trying to involve your feet too soon.”
Learn to Walk Without Holding On
If you are prone to hang onto the support arms of the treadmill for dear life while you walk, you’ll need to learn to let go if you want to add most dance movements to your workout. Frankly, even the most basic arm movements require you to go hands-free. You will still have your hands available to steady you, but make sure your balance and confidence are on point before starting with treadmill dances.
“The first thing you need to do is get comfortable with the treadmill and learn to do basic things like simply walk forward without holding on, and preferably at an incline,” advises Dieujuste. “That’s the big thing in general, where people get on the treadmill and they hold on. If you’re someone that can’t work out on a treadmill without holding on, you need to start by gaining the comfort to walk on a treadmill without touching anything first, and then you can think about adding in some dance movements.”
Keep It Simple
The complex choreography demonstrated by dancer Carson Dean as he acrobatically grooved to “Uptown Funk” is what sparked a lot of interest in treadmill dance. Frankly, what Dean displays in his dance videos has little to do with the simplicity of daily cardio. You can still keep the tunes of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars in your playlist, but your dance workout needn’t resemble a gymnastic floor routine to be effective.
“You don’t have to do intricate things, and that’s important to remember when you think about treadmill dance,” warns Dieujuste. “It doesn’t have to be these intense things that we see all these different TikTok celebrities doing. It can be quick, simple, easy movements that are dance-type moves, but also things that can be pretty effective. You don’t have to be hopping around the treadmill; that can be harmful or lead to injury. You can just do fun things like squatting low and keeping up with the beat of the music.”
FAQs
If you’re still wondering whether or not you should throw some treadmill dancing into your workout mix, we answer some key questions for you below!
What exactly is treadmill dancing?
Treadmill dancing combines aerobic dancing with walking on a treadmill with a belt that is in constant motion. The nature of the dance can vary greatly. It can range from simple acknowledgment of the beat through the timing of steps and head movements to more complex choreography involving your hands, feet, or the rest of your body.
Do dance workouts really work?
Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of dance workouts. A meta-analysis of 10 eligible studies showed that the adoption of ordinary lifestyle dance changed participants’ body mass, BMI, waist circumference, fat percentage, and fat mass. (2) A separate study also showed that dance fitness classes improved the vitality and mental health of middle-aged cisgender women. (1) It stands to reason that these benefits would hold for people of all genders.
How do I start a treadmill dancing workout routine?
The simplest way to start a treadmill dancing routine is by walking — hands-free — while keeping pace with your favorite music. From there, you can add additional steps like hand movement and more complex footwork as you gain greater comfort.
References
Barranco-Ruiz Y, Paz-Viteri S, Villa-González E. Dance Fitness Classes Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Women. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May 26;17(11):3771.
Zhang Y, Guo Z, Liu Y, Zhou Y, Jing L. Is dancing an effective intervention for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis of dance interventions on body composition. PLoS One. 2024 Jan 17;19(1):e0296089.
Marsden competed at the British Junior Powerlifting Championships in Solihull, UK.
Last updated on April 1st, 2024
British Powerlifting (BP) is growing in size and stature; a large part of that growth comes from the latest crop of Juniors. Gwen Marsden is one of those young lifters who looks set to have a bright future in powerlifting.
Marsden is new to the sport, having started competing in 2023 as a university lifter. She won her class at the British University Championships and secured the silver medal at the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World University Powerlifting Cup (WUC).
In 2024, Marsden dropped to the 43KG class, a weight class only available to Sub-junior (ages 14-18) and Junior (ages 19-23) categories. This does not appear to have impacted her strength, as her lifts are progressing quickly. Take a look at her meet recap from the 2024 BP British Junior Powerlifting Championships (BJC):
Marsden opened her squat on a Junior British record of 108 kilograms and extended it to 113.5 kilograms on her second. Her third attempt at 118 kilograms was a little too heavy. Still, she is only 1.5 kilograms away from the European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Junior squat record.
Marsden continued her historic performance by breaking the British Junior bench press record with her 71.5-kilogram opener and then taking 74 kilograms for her second, an unofficial European Junior record.
On the deadlift, Marsden’s opener secured the British Junior total record and an unofficial Junior total world record. She waited until her third attempt to take the British Junior deadlift record with a tough-looking 146.5 kilograms, exceeding the IPF Junior deadlift world record by half a kilogram, currently held by Cherry Yeung.
Marsden totaled 334 kilograms, 19 kilograms above the Junior total world record currently held by Italy’s Sara Ciaravino. This is the second biggest total ever done in the IPF in the 43KG class — only multiple-time world champion Tiffany Chapon has done more.
2024 BP British Junior Powerlifting Championships Results — Gwen Marsden, 43KG
Squat
108 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
113.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
118 kilograms
Bench Press
71.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
74 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial EPF Junior European record
75 kilograms
Deadlift
135 kilograms
142.5 kilograms
146.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial IPFJjunior world record
Total — 334 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial IPF Junior world record
Marsden swept the board of British Junior records and seems in reach of doing the same to the IPF Junior world records the next time she competes. It’s unclear whether that will be at the FISU University World Championships in Estonia in July or at the IPF Junior World Championships in Malta in August 2024.
With the exuberance of youth, she may well do both. She looks set to achieve another record-breaking performance, whichever path she chooses.
Israetel believes there’s a significant overlap between size and strength training, particularly for beginners. Many newcomers mistakenly believe building muscle requires low reps and heavy weights. However, Israetel emphasizes a wider rep range, from one to 50, can be effective for muscle growth.
The most productive rep range for muscle growth training is five challenging reps…close to failure…up to 30 repetitions.
Bodybuilders typically focus on higher rep ranges (eight to 12) and controlled movements to sculpt their physiques, while strongmen prioritize moving the heaviest weights possible.
Israetel suggested analyzing the potential for injury risk for each exercise before adding it to a training regime.
The heavier a weight gets, the more injury risk it has. Big weights can hurt more than small weights.
Strongman athletes must train heavy to be competitive. Since bodybuilders prioritize aesthetics, they have more flexibility in their training approach.
In the off-season, Israetel recommended hypertrophy-focused athletes who prefer lifting heavy to perform five sets of 10 reps per exercise. However, as they near a competition, they should switch to 20 to 30 reps with lighter weights to limit injury risk. Hooper added:
For [strongman athletes], our tendons and soft tissues are much more of a consideration than muscle.
Israetel advised strongman athletes to focus on hypertrophy training for a few weeks post-competition. Doing so can help rebuild muscle lost during peak week, boost overall strength, and reduce stress on joints and connective tissue.
Per Hooper, lighter-weight training can benefit strongman competitors in two ways. First, it allows the tendons to grow thicker and stiffer, reducing the risk of injury. Second, it allows the nervous system time to recover.
Burnouts in Bodybuilding and Strongman
Hooper shared that most strongman athletes usually take a week off after six weeks of intense training to avoid burnout and allow for recovery time. Israetel uses a deload week every four to five weeks. Deloads involve a purposeful reduction in training demand to prepare for future training cycles. (1)
Many bodybuilders train with insufficient weekly volume, limiting physiological challenges and fatigue accumulation. This allows them to train for eight to 16 weeks without requiring a deload.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is vital for strength and muscle gain. This training principle involves challenging the body by gradually increasing difficulty over time.
Progressive overload can be achieved in several ways, including lifting heavier weights, performing more sets or reps, or shortening rest periods between sets.
Per Hooper, the differences in periodization strategies between strongman and bodybuilding are that most strongman athletes meticulously determine how much weight they should lift each workout. In contrast, bodybuilders rely more on instinct and feel in the moment.
Israetel explained that training close to mechanical failure in each workout is enough to promote hypertrophy.
You will get more jacked and strong by pushing your body and resting and repeating this cycle.
Strongmen and bodybuilders can benefit from incorporating aspects of the other’s training into their routines. Hooper suggested the future of strength training might be the convergence of the two disciplines.
As bodybuilders and strongmen embrace a more well-rounded approach, we might see a new breed of stronger, more well-defined physiques emerge in future eras of both sports.
References
Bell L, Nolan D, Immonen V, et al. “You can’t shoot another bullet until you’ve reloaded the gun”: Coaches’ perceptions, practices and experiences of deloading in strength and physique sports. Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:1073223. Published 2022 Dec 21. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.1073223
To build your squat, you’ll need to squat — makes sense. Adding mass means hitting high-intensity sets targeting specific muscle groups — all in all, fairly simple. But the logistics of weight loss are a bit more complex. There are many cardio machines at your disposal to help you along your weight loss journey, and the workouts themselves are incredibly diverse.
Take the treadmill, for example. Walking, jogging, and running are your obvious choices here, but there’s a lot of potential creativity in there, too. You can manipulate your pace, incline, duration, and even intervals to completely customize your experience. With seemingly endless options available, here are the five best treadmill workouts for weight loss.
Best Treadmill Workouts for Weight Loss
Low-Intensity Steady-State
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) certainly has its place. But HIIT treadmill workouts can’t have all the glory.
Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio is a solid choice for athletes at any fitness level, but beginners may be particularly drawn to it. This gentle introduction to cardio workouts ticks all the boxes for any weight loss goal you might have. It contributes to your daily calorie burn, but is also easily broken up into an extended warm-up and cool-down.
The Workout
Low-intensity steady-state workouts place your heart rate into what a lot of people think of as your “fat-burning zone” and holds you there for an extended amount of time. While total fat loss appears to be more influenced by daily calorie balance, it’s still hugely beneficial for your heart health (and energy usage) to integrate some LISS cardio into the mix. (1)
How Often to Do This Workout: A low-intensity steady-state treadmill workout can be extremely easy to recover from. This means you may be able to perform one every day, especially if you opt for walking over jogging.
Modifications
Make it Easier: Choose shorter durations or slower pacing if you are just starting out.
Make it Harder: Aim for longer durations or higher pacing if you are trying to make the workout more challenging.
Coach’s Tip: Your goal is to slowly extend the length of time of your low-intensity steady-state workout. Chip away at the duration and gradually build up to 60 minutes per workout.
Incline Steady-State Walking
The incline option on your treadmill — perhaps especially notable if you have a dedicated incline treadmill — is a sneaky but effective way to increase the challenge of your workouts. Not only does your heart rate feel it, but your lower body does, too. Treadmill walking on a flat surface is great for burning calories, but a steady state on an incline smokes your glutes as well.
The Workout
The 12-3-30 treadmill workout — that you probably know from TikTok — is, indeed, a solid reference point for your incline steady-state goals. (During that 30-minute treadmill workout, you’ll walk on an incline of 12, at a pace of three miles per hour, for 30 minutes.) You are aiming for a manageable but moderate-duration workout. However, the addition of the incline and potentially faster pace cuts down the amount of time needed for your gains.
For a more customizable incline steady-state workout that’s still in line with the 12-3-30 method, try this out:
Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 50% of your heart rate max
How Often to Do This Workout: Your incline steady state walking sessions are still relatively easy to recover from, but they are more difficult than regular steady state. Aim to talk a day off after each session.
Modifications
Make it Easier: Choose the lower inclines, pace, or durations to make the incline walking workouts easier.
Make it Harder: Aim for the higher options for incline, pace, or duration. One option is taking on the full the 12-3-30 challenge.
Coach’s Tip: Aim for deep strides to really flex into your hips; your hamstrings, glutes, and calves should be very involved here.
Incline Pyramid
Take advantage of the incline for an even more dramatic treadmill challenge. To completely change your experience from simple treadmill walking, try organizing your workout into a pyramid. For each block of time, select an ever-increasing incline.
The Workout
Even the best budget treadmills often come equipped with a respectable incline capacity. That allows you to take full advantage of this unique fat-burning treadmill feature.
The incline pyramid works on the premise of increasing your incline grade for every block of time you are working out. For example, your goal is to slowly chip away at your highest incline (say, a 12-percent grade) before reversing course and bringing it back down to finish the day. Not only is this an effective weight loss tool, but the constant changes to your incline keep your mind plenty occupied — no time for boredom here.
Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 50% of your heart rate max
Set the incline to 5% grade*
Set the pace to 2-5-4.0 mph
Walk on the incline for 10 minutes
Increase the incline by 2.5% grade
Walk for 5 minutes
Increase the incline by 2.5% grade
Walk for 5 minutes
Increase the incline by 2.5% grade
Walk for 5 minutes
Increase the incline by 2.5% grade
Walk for 5 minutes
Decrease the incline to 10% grade
Walk for 2 minutes
Decrease the incline to 5% grade
Walk for 2 minutes
Decrease the incline to 1.5% grade
Walk for 1 minute
*Note: This is only one example of how to structure your pyramid.
How Often to Do This Workout: The incline pyramid workout is quite intense. Aim to incorporate it only once or twice per week along with your strength training.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Spend more time on the cooldown side of the pyramid. How long you spend in each segment is customizable, and if you need to expand the time you spend on the rough parts of this treadmill routine, that’s OK.
Make It Harder: Increase the pace or incline to create an even higher-intensity workout. If you do that, though, mind that you take extra rest days as needed.
Coach’s Tip: Try your hardest to avoid using the handrails if you can safely do so.
Interval Training
Interval training is a fantastic tool for weight loss, rivaling the fat-burning benefits of low-intensity steady state but in much shorter workouts. Interval training simply divides your workout into structured periods of high-intensity effort followed by recovery blocks of slower pacing. The treadmill is the perfect tool here.
The Workout
Your intervals will be structured to suit your fitness level. Each interval should be matched with an appropriate rest period where you are still moving on the treadmill, but at a much more reasonable pace. The goal is to crank your heart rate for a brief but high-intensity block and then spend a longer duration slowly moving to recover.
Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 50% of your heart rate max
How Often to Do This Workout: If you’re an experienced athlete, you can try this workout between one and three times a week. If you’re just starting out, stick to the lower end of that spectrum for now.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Increase the duration of time of your rest intervals or decrease the pace of your work interval.
Make It Harder: Increase the pace of your work interval or decrease the duration of your rest interval.
Coach’s Tip: Be sure to start at slower paces and practice the increase and decrease of your treadmill speed.
Sprint Interval Training
Sprint interval training is a form of high-intensity interval training — and arguably, it’s the hardest. Sprint interval training (or SIT) is designed to be all all-out effort for an extremely short period followed by extensive rest. Your workouts won’t be long, but they will certainly be intense.
The Workout
Sprinting and treadmills go together like peanut butter and jelly. Be sure to warm up thoroughly before dividing out your SIT work-to-rest blocks. Be extremely conservative with your work and generous with your rest when you’re just getting started.
Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 50% of your heart rate max
Set the incline to 1.5% grade
Perform W:R intervals of 1:11 (10 seconds hard, 110 seconds (1 minute 50 seconds) recovery walk
How Often To Do This Workout: SIT is one of the hardest treadmill workouts you’ll perform. It may even begin to bite into your recovery needs. Keep your frequency lower at one to two sessions per week tops, unless you’ve truly built up your work capacity and can meet all the recovery needs that a rigorous workout routine demands.
Modifications
Make It Easier: Increase the length of your rest or decrease the number of sprints.
Make It Harder: Decrease the amount of rest or increase the number of sprints.
Coach’s Tip: Be sure to keep your treadmill safety features engaged to slow the machine if you start losing pace.
Benefits of Treadmill Workouts for Weight Loss
The benefits of the treadmill for weight loss far extend beyond tipping your calorie balance. The treadmill itself is extremely customizable, lending itself to a wide range of challenges. Using it can also improve many cardiovascular health markers and may be a launching pad for other training styles or competitions.
Workout Customization
The treadmill might be the single most widespread piece of fitness equipment. You’ll find it in rows upon rows in many gyms, but also as a favored piece in homes everywhere. With such prevalent availability, the degree of customized workouts has also skyrocketed over time. From treadmill running to treadmill walking workouts, there’s a wide array of options.
From more standard variables such as pace, incline, or duration, to creative workouts such as 12-3-30, there is an option suited for so many athletes. Be it built into the machine itself or designed by a trendy fitness influencer, there’s always a new workout on the table for your treadmill session.
Heart Health
The main goal of the treadmill is to recruit big swaths of muscle and to challenge your heart. Although you may be using the treadmill more specifically for calorie balance, your cardiovascular health will be the biggest winner here.
Elevating your heart rate and maintaining that pace for the duration of a workout plays a solid role in improving blood pressure (along with other cardiovascular benefits). In fact, aerobic exercise such as treadmill work has been shown to assist in successfully managing hypertension among various populations. (2)(3)
Competitive Launchpad
Many different sports or events incorporate running. Marathons, track and field, or even hybrid training styles such as CrossFit have athletes to run — a lot. The treadmill is a powerful exposure point for running more broadly, allowing you to test the waters for future training styles while focusing on your weight loss goal.
Experimenting with several types of treadmill workouts (from incline walking to sprint interval training) is a gateway for other potential fitness goals. From a casual walk for your health to a full-on competitive career, it’s worth exploring your options.
FAQs
The treadmill is an extremely common choice for weight loss workouts. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
Is the treadmill good for losing belly fat?
The treadmill is effective for losing belly fat — indeed, fat across your whole body, as you can’t necessarily drive fat loss to a specific area. But remember that the treadmill is simply the means to an end.
Overall, high- or low-intensity cardiovascular workouts (of various machines or styles) have similar effects on fat loss, but the major factor is your energy balance. (4) A sustainable calorie deficit is the primary driver of losing belly fat.
Is 30 minutes a day on a treadmill enough to lose weight?
Spending 30 minutes per day on a treadmill can indeed help you start losing weight. The goal of using a treadmill (or any other form of cardio) is to build towards a daily goal of calories burned versus calories (or energy) taken in. You aim to land in a mild but consistent calorie deficit, meaning that 30 minutes on a treadmill may squeak you in the goal direction.
Is walking on a treadmill a good way to lose weight?
Walking on a treadmill is a a sustainable way to help you if you want to lose weight. It is low-intensity and chips away at your daily caloric expenditure needs. One of the biggest assets is that the low intensity makes it extremely recoverable. This means you’re able to perform treadmill walking essentially every day if you’d prefer, leaving you with benefits far beyond your calorie count.
References
Kim J. Y. (2021). Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome, 30(1), 20–31.
Chan, L., Chin, L. M. K., Kennedy, M., Woolstenhulme, J. G., Nathan, S. D., Weinstein, A. A., Connors, G., Weir, N. A., Drinkard, B., Lamberti, J., & Keyser, R. E. (2013). Benefits of intensive treadmill exercise training on cardiorespiratory function and quality of life in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Chest, 143(2), 333–343.
Dimeo, F., Pagonas, N., Seibert, F., Arndt, R., Zidek, W., & Westhoff, T. H. (2012). Aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure in resistant hypertension. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 60(3), 653–658.
Zhang, H., Tong, T. K., Qiu, W., Zhang, X., Zhou, S., Liu, Y., & He, Y. (2017). Comparable Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Prolonged Continuous Exercise Training on Abdominal Visceral Fat Reduction in Obese Young Women. Journal of diabetes research, 2017, 5071740.
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
If you’re a barbell devotee, you may be quick to dismiss quieter forms of exercise like walking, yoga, and Pilates. But that would be to the detriment of your routine. These low-impact forms of working out offer tremendous benefits — and we’ve chatted with a certified Pilates instructor to highlight the best parts of (you guessed it) Pilates workouts.
Believe it or not, Pilates exercises may just be the cheat code that makes your most demanding lifts both safer and easier. Aside from offering a strenuous core workout, Pilates is said to alleviate chronic lower back pain, improve posture, and upgrade overall stability. Even more convenient is how you can easily try out a Pilates workout plan at home.
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
What Is Pilates?
Pilates as we know it today is more about TikTok than world history. But the exercise method comes from an internment camp during World War I, established after the British government passed the “Aliens Restrictions Act” of 1914. This resulted in the interment of anyone the government deemed an “enemy alien.” Over 24,000 people were subsequently imprisoned at Knockaloe Camp, including Joseph Pilates. (1)(2)
Witnessing the physical deterioration of fellow prisoners and sparked by the metal coils attached to the headboards of hospital beds (think: modern-day Pilates reformers), Joseph Pilates engineered a form of exercise that was meant to strengthen the body and calm the mind, even during confinement, illness, and injury. (2)
What does that involve? As originally conceived, Pilates is a collection of 34 mat-based movements. The original name of Pilates’ workout routine was called “Contrology,” and stemmed from the concept of achieving strength by maintaining total control over your body. All of the moves in the original Pilates playbook are bodyweight exercises intended to boost strength and flexibility. (3)
A quick but important note: “Pilates” has been legally deemed to be a generic term, so many workouts have been developed as derivatives of the original Pilates routine. As a result, several workout routines and styles claim to descend from Joseph Pilates’ original set of 34 movements. This is true whether they are mat-based Pilates and require no equipment, or use Pilates reformers and call for specialized equipment.
Try This 20-minute Pilates Workout
There are certainly endless variations of Pilates sessions to try, with many promising — and providing — a solid ab workout that even beginner Pilates enthusiasts can take on. From home workouts to 30-minute full-body Pilates sessions in the studio complete with reformers, there are Pilates options for so many people out there.
But to Pilates purists, there is only one Pilates workout.
The traditional 34-exercise mat Pilates routine was prescribed in a precise sequence. If you adhere to the original timeframe for completing the exercises, they are likely to take you an hour to complete. However, this is by no means a binding rule, as the benefits of Pilates can be achieved over shorter workouts.
The Workout
When you’re talking about the original version, the primary difference between a beginner-friendly Pilates workout and an intermediate Pilates routine is the number of exercises you can perform.
Some movements may require you to improve your strength and flexibility over several training sessions. Even if you can’t complete every move the first time, this is a full-body Pilates workout that will sculpt your muscles and make you feel good without adding stress to your lower back.
“Even if you’re only getting 10 to 20 minutes, you can run through the series and get a lot done and feel a lot better,” encourages Butcher. “It’s also okay to do fewer movements, like 25 of the 34. Many of the classes that I teach do not have all 34 movements in them. That’s something people have to build up to as opposed to being able to do it right off the bat.”
You can also customize the movements as needed. For example, with high scissors, there’s no need to brace your body weight on your hands. You can easily perform this move lying down as normal, doing slow, controlled lying scissor kicks with straight or even bent legs.
The Hundred — Lift your legs with your back flat on the ground. Move your straight arms up and down (parallel to the ground), using your core to maintain stability.
The Roll Up — With your legs extended and your arms straight out above you, roll up to a seat (like a straight-legged sit-up).
The Roll-Over — Keeping your arms straight and stable by your sides, use your core to roll your lower back up and over your head. Keep your legs as straight as possible, aiming to touch your toes to the ground above your head.
Single-Leg Circles — With one leg flat on the ground, create a circle above your hips with the other leg, kept as straight as you can.
Rolling Like A Ball — Bend your knees and grab onto your lower shins or just above your ankles with your hands. Use your core to roll yourself up to a seat before rocking back.
The Single-Leg Stretch — With your lower back pressed flat into the exercise mat, your shoulder blades slightly off the ground, and your legs straight and extended diagonally out in front of you. Keep one leg extended while hugging your opposite knee to your chest. Switch legs, maintaining core tension.
The Double-Leg Stretch — Perform the hugging motion of the previous exercise, except with both legs at once.
Spine Stretch Forward — With both legs straight and extended in front of you, bend forward at your waist, extending your arms over your legs to bring your chest toward your thighs.
Open-Leg Rocker — Perform a movement similar to rolling like a ball, but with your legs straight and your hands braced on your ankles.
Corkscrew — Do a similar move to the roll-over, but starting with your legs on one side of your body and rotating as you complete the movement (like a corkscrew).
Saw — Sit up with your legs extended straight and your arms spread out like a T on either side. Rotate to the left with a straight spine and bring your right arm down to the outside of your left foot.
Swan — Lie on your stomach on the mat with the backs of your feet on the mat. Place your hands under your shoulders and press slowly up until your upper peels away from the floor.
Single-Leg Kicks — Brace your upper body weight on your forearms (without “dumping” all your weight there) and take turns bending your knees to kick toward your glutes with one foot at a time.
Double-Leg Kicks — This time, lower your upper body to the floor and kick both legs toward your glutes at once. In between kicks, extend your arms behind your lower back and raise your upper body slightly off the mat.
Neck-Pull — Sitting on your butt with your legs extended, clasp your hands behind your head. Curl all the way down toward your legs, then slowly lower down to the mat.
High Scissors — Brace your lower back and glutes with your hands so that your upper body weight is balanced on your upper back and shoulders. Kick one extended leg down at a time, like a “scissor” motion.
High Bicycle — Maintaining that upper body position, bend your knees and kick each leg in turn as though you were riding a bicycle.
The Shoulder Bridge — Rise into a glute bridge with your arms braced so that your hands can support your lower back. Straighten one leg and bring it toward the ground, raise it all the way up, and back.
Spine Twist — Perform a similar movement you did with the saw, seated with your legs out in front of you and your arms out like a T. Rotate with a straight back. Just don’t touch toward your toes like you would with the saw.
Jack Knife — Do the same move as you did with the corkscrew, but simply go up and down with your straight legs. No need to move from side to side.
Side Kicks — Lie on your side with your ears braced between your hands and your bottom leg straight out. Extend your top leg out into a swinging kick and bring it back with control.
The Teaser — Lie on your back and bring your extended legs up to a V position relative to your torso. Extending your arms and leading with them (but primarily working from the core), come to a V position with your full body with your arms raised above your head.
Hip Twist — Keep your legs in that V position and brace your upper body on your hands, extended with your hands resting on the mat behind you. With control, move your legs in a circular motion.
Swimming — Lie on your stomach and extend all of your limbs. With straight elbows and knees, alternate raising your arms and legs upside down (yes, like you’re swimming).
Leg Pull Down — Get into a push-up position. Press your heels away from the ground so that your body shifts up and forward (your weight into your arms and hands). Settle back and repeat.
Leg Pull Up — Flip your position so that you’re in reverse tabletop, but with straight legs. Keeping your upper body stable, raise one straight leg all the way up, then back down. Alternate.
Kneeling Side Kicks — Get on your side and brace your weight on the hand and knee of one side of your body. Brace your free hand on your head (like you were doing a classic sit-up) and straighten your free leg.
Side Bend — Start in the same side position but with your leg so that it’s straight. Let your hips dip down to the mat, then extend so that your hips rise.
Boomerang — Do a jack knife to bring your legs above your head. With control, come back to a V-sit, reaching toward your toes. Bring your arms behind you and brace as you let your straight legs come down to the mat in front of you. Bend at your waist to bring your chest close to your thighs.
Seal — Thread your arms through your bent legs and grab the outsides of your ankles from the inside of your legs. Carefully rock back onto your shoulder blades, then back to a curled V position.
Crab — Criss-cross your legs and grab your opposite feet with your opposite hands (so, your left hand grabs your right foot). Rock back onto your shoulder blades and carefully switch the position of your legs. Rock up to sit, continuing as far forward as you can without completely tipping forward.
The Rocking — Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and reach back to grab the tops of your feet with your hands. Rock back and forth while in this boat-like position.
The Control Balance — Lift your legs to above your head (ideally with your toes resting on the ground above your head), with your weight carefully balanced on your upper back and shoulder blades. Hold your ankles. Let one ankle go as you raise the leg. Slowly lower, re-grab, and alternate legs.
Push-Ups — Perform push-ups with your elbows kept close to your body.
Make it Easier: If you only have 20 minutes to spare for your Pilates workout, you have several options for shortening the routine’s duration. You can limit each exercise to 30 seconds in length, or conclude your workout at the 20th minute, no matter how many exercises you complete. It may also be advisable to skip or modify exercises in the sequence, as many moves are advanced.
Make it Harder: A full Pilates workout will be tremendously challenging already, but you can extend the length of time you’re doing each exercise if desired. You can also make it subtly more difficult by working to increase the range of motion in each of the exercises when you can.
The Benefits of Pilates
Bodies that have been built by Pilates are often known to be strong, firm, and flexible. (4) These attributes are advantageous to anyone interested in maximizing their health and vitality. Moreover, you’re also getting all of this at a low cost to your joints.
Core Connection
If you lift heavy weights, you know the importance of developing a strong midsection. Conversely, you also recognize how quickly a lift can break down if your core isn’t adequately involved in the lift, or if your large muscle groups have to compensate for a lack of core strength. Even at-home Pilates workouts will help you reestablish the connection of your core to the rest of your body.
“When you lift weights, sometimes you’re being so forceful that your big muscles like your quads, back, and butt start to take over and do all the work,” cautions Butcher. “Then your connecting muscles — even your abdominals — don’t engage as they should. Pilates is a low-impact way to build your core connection and teach your body what to do when you encounter a heavy weight. You’ll intuitively start to make those corrections without having to overload your body.”
Increased Stability
One of the benefits often attributed to Pilates is its ability to help you increase your stability starting with your center, and then progressively extend that stability outward through your limbs. With your back and abdominals properly strengthened and balanced through Pilates, Butcher says your core will become a more stable anchor point for all of your lifts.
“With Pilates, we hold the center strong and then reach out and away to start opening up and building the strength of everything else,” Butche explains. “We don’t individualize arms and legs; we use them as part of the whole. Pilates will help everything become stronger, safer, and more stable.”
Boosted Flexibility
Pilates is strongly linked to improvements in flexibility amongst people who repeat these movements week after week. (5) No, Pilates isn’t as simple as basic stretching, or quite as intent on using your breath to drive limb lengthening as yoga. Instead, Butcher attributes Pilates’ tendency to improve your flexibility to its ability to place your body into a long and strong configuration.
“Flexibility comes from stability,” asserts Butcher. “If you’re stretching your hamstring and your back is round and your pelvis is collapsed backward into that posterior tilt, you’re not really stretching your hamstring. Flexibility increases as soon as you start to learn how to stabilize your pelvis and organize your body during those postures. You need to have a stable core before those stretches start to do anything real.”
FAQs
If you still have questions about whether or not Pilates is the missing ingredient in your workout routine, we’ve supplied answers to some of those questions below.
What kind of workout is Pilates?
At its essence, Pilates is a calisthenic training (bodyweight) workout that prioritizes core strength and flexibility. (6)
Is 20 minutes of Pilates a day enough?
Although Pilates was conceived by its founder as an hour-long movement series, 20 minutes of Pilates training is generally sufficient to achieve several of Pilates’ benefits.
What is Pilates training?
Pilates training involves taking the body through a series of core-strengthening movements that are intended to improve posture, balance, strength, and flexibility. (3)
What are the benefits of doing Pilates regularly?
The benefits of performing Pilates regularly include an engaged core, heightened stability, and improved flexibility. (3)
References
“The Start of WWI Internment.” Knockaloe.im. Retrieved from: https://www.knockaloe.im/page_346204.html
Olorunshola, Yosola. (2021) “The Exercise Phenomenon Born in a Prisoner-of-War Camp.” National Geographic UK.
Kloubec J. Pilates: how does it work and who needs it? Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2011 Dec 29;1(2):61-6.
Emery K, De Serres SJ, McMillan A, Côté JN. The effects of a Pilates training program on arm-trunk posture and movement. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2010 Feb;25(2):124-30.
Desai R, thakrar G, Shukla H. Effects of pilates exercises on trunk strength, endurance and flexibility in computer professionals. Int J Health Sci Res. 2020; 10(12):80-85.
Emery K, De Serres SJ, McMillan A, Côté JN. The effects of a Pilates training program on arm-trunk posture and movement. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2010 Feb;25(2):124-30.
Check out the results from the final qualification event for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Last updated on March 31st, 2024
For many of the world’s best weightlifters, this is the final attempt. The 2024 International WeightliftingFederation’s (IWF) World Cup, which runs from Mar. 31 to Apr. 11, is the final qualification opportunity for any athlete who wishes to secure their Olympic dreams in Paris this summer.
This year’s Cup, held in Phuket, Thailand, will close out an 18-month long, globe-spanning qualification campaign. You won’t want to miss a minute of it. Below, you can find up-to-date results from every session:
Here are the full results from every Women’s Group A session at the 2024 IWF World Cup. Note that the notation below reads as, “[Athlete Name] (Country) — [Total in kilograms] ([Snatch] / [Clean & Jerk]“
Editor’s Note: Categories marked with “*” will be showcased at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Editor’s Note: Sim set new world records in the snatch, clean & jerk, and Total in this category.
49 Kilograms*
55 Kilograms
59 Kilograms*
64 Kilograms
71 Kilograms*
76 Kilograms
81 Kilograms*
87 Kilograms
+87 Kilograms*
2024 IWF World Cup | Men’s Results
Below, you can find the full results from all the Men’s Group A sessions at the 2024 IWF World Cup. Note that the notation below reads as, “[Athlete Name] (Country) — [Total in kilograms] ([Snatch] / [Clean & Jerk]“
Editor’s Note: Categories marked with “*” will be showcased at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The primarily viewing platform for this year’s Cup is via Weightlifting House TV pay-per-view stream, which you can find here. Portions of the competition are also being live streamed on YouTube via the Thailand TAWA Official channel.
