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Go into nearly any commercial gym, and you’re likely to find a Smith machine or two in a corner somewhere. More often than not, you might find it deserted in favor of lifting platforms and highly-muscled folks deadlifting 500 pounds. Indeed, the popularity of barbell exercises from the back squat to the clean & jerk has made the humble Smith machine seem obsolete.

But if you’re training alone and aiming to push yourself through failure on the bench press, you might want to reconsider the next time you ignore the oft-neglected apparatus. The Smith machine bench press is an outstanding exercise that offers significant yet untapped upper body gains.

Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock

Countless lifters from years past have made the Smith machine bench press a staple in their routines. Here’s how to do it, why you should try it, some alternatives, and common mistakes to avoid.

• How to Do the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Smith Machine Bench Press Variations
• Smith Machine Bench Press Alternatives
• Benefits of the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Muscles Worked by the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Who Should Do the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Common Smith Machine Bench Press Mistakes
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Smith Machine Bench Press

The Smith machine bench press is performed similarly to your standard bench press, but there are some unique differences. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1 — Setting Your Base Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Place an adjustable bench in the Smith machine rack. Lie down flat on your back with the bar lined up approximately midway between your collarbone and your belly button. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and that you’re able to unrack the bar.

Coach’s Tip: Remember to take advantage of the safety bumpers. Line them up at approximately chest height when you’re lying on your back.

Step 2 — Setting Your Grip

Tuck your shoulder blades back and down, engaging your lats with your arms fully extended in front of your body. Grip the bar evenly between each hand, taking care to stay dead center on the bench and the machine. Maintain this grip width with your shoulders back and down for the duration of the set.

Coach’s Tip: If your Smith machine bar doesn’t have any markings, create your own. Try draping a lifting strap in the middle of the bar before you set up.

Step 3 — Arch Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Keep your hands on the bar and create a tight natural arch through your thoracic spine. Pull your upper back toward the bar, keeping your lats engaged. Plant your feet flat on the floor where your body has moved to create the arch to maintain this new position.

Coach’s Tip: The bar should now be directly above the highest part of your chest due to your arch. 

Step 4 — The Descent Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Maintain five points of contact — both feet on the floor, your butt, upper back, and head on the bench. Begin a slow and controlled descent through the first repetition, making micro-adjustments to your grip to accommodate your body type and mobility. Stop once the bar reaches your chest or you feel your hands, wrists, elbows, or shoulders starting to lose position.

Coach’s Tip: The Smith machine bench press may not reach your chest on each repetition, and that’s okay! The full range of motion (ROM) is going to be unique to your body.

Step 5 — Press Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

With your feet flat on the floor, create huge leg tension by pushing into the ground. Maintain your arch and use this leg drive to stay as tight as possible. Push the bar back to the starting position, making sure to stop before you untuck your shoulders.

Coach’s Tip: Think of performing a quad extension to engage your leg drive.

Smith Machine Bench Press Variations

The Smith machine bench press is a great asset for building your upper body strength. There are also a handful of useful variations to complement your chest workouts further — here they are.

Close-Grip Smith Machine Bench Press

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1. Set up your close-grip Smith machine bench press in the same way as your standard setup.
2. Adjust your grip an inch or two closer than normal on either side.
3. Perform repetitions, emphasizing your triceps by keeping your arms tucked closer to your body.

Paused Smith Machine Bench Press

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1. Set up on the Smith machine as you normally would, getting tight before you unrack.
2. Lower the bar under control, reaching your chest or the point where you feel you would begin to lose position any lower.
3. Pause the bar for one to two seconds before driving it back to the starting position.

Incline Smith Machine Bench Press

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1. Set up on the Smith machine and adjust your bench to the first or second inclined position.
2. Sit down on the bench. Set your grip by placing your shoulder blades back and down and grabbing the bar.
3. Drive your body into the bench by pushing with your legs.
4. Descend the bar until it touches your chest or where you feel like you’d lose position. Drive the bar back to the starting position and perform for repetitions.

Smith Machine Bench Press Alternatives

If you’re looking to swap out the Smith machine bench press for some helpful alternatives, look no further than the Smith machine push-up, chest press machine, and Smith machine JM press.

Smith Machine Push-Up

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1. Set the height of the Smith machine bar to accommodate your strength or repetition goals. The higher the bar, the less load you press.
2. Set your shoulders back and down to find your grip, place your hands evenly on the bar, and lean your body weight into the machine.
3. Control your descent by slowly bending your elbows. Use the ball of your foot to create a pivot point on the ground. Press yourself back to the starting position once your chest has reached the bar.

Chest Press Machine

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1. Choose the chest press machine of choice: either flat, incline, or decline. Converging machine orientations work best here.
2. Adjust the seat so the hand grips align roughly with your armpit height.
3. Push yourself into the bench using your feet, grip the handles tightly, and drive out until your elbows are fully extended. Control the descent back to the starting position, and perform for repetitions.

Smith Machine JM Press

[Read More: How to Do the Lat Pulldown for a Wider Back and Better Pull-Ups]

1. Set up on the Smith machine similar to how you would do your close-grip bench press.
2. Initiate your descent by bending your elbows, but keep your arms tucked close to your body. 
3. Each repetition will be a combination of a skull crusher and a close-grip bench press. The bar path should be roughly over the top of your nose.
4. Lower the bar as you would with a skull crusher, keeping your upper arms in place but bringing your forearms down with the bar toward your face. Maintaining that same position, press the bar up as you would with a close-grip bench press.
5. Reset and repeat for reps.

Benefits of the Smith Machine Bench Press

Although the Smith machine bench press gets a lot of negative attention from those would would prefer a barbell, it is extremely beneficial. This lift allows you to perform one of the best upper body exercises using an extremely stable machine. This makes building muscle extremely straightforward — and less risky when you’re training alone.

High Stability

Free weights are a huge asset in the gym. They are easy to use for progressive overload as you increase strength and build muscle over time. However, before a free weight is as effective as it should be, you first need to groove the pattern. Learning to stabilize an exercise is a prerequisite to safely and effectively executing it for your goal.

With the Smith machine, the bench press pattern itself is maintained in a very specific position. The restricted range of motion makes the exercise extremely easy to execute without running into stability plateaus. This higher level of stability makes it a lot easier for you to simply hop in and sprint towards gains.

[Read More: The Ultimate 10-Week Powerbuilding Workout Routine for Mass and Strength]

It should be noted that if you’re a powerlifter, you might want to avoid using this as a training tool since you’ll want to train as specifically as possible for the barbell bench press. That said, if you’re in the offseason and want to train without a spotter — or concern for stability — you’re in luck here.

Upper Body Strength With Less Fear

The Smith machine bench press is a subtle twist on your standard bench press. Both recruit a ton of muscle mass and are some of the most highly loadable upper body exercises in the gym. 

The higher you’re able to load an exercise the more top-end strength you’ll unlock. Add in the high stability benefit of the Smith machine and your upper body strength can skyrocket.

Credit: Image Source Trading Ltd / Shutterstock

If you’re training alone, this is a tremendous asset. When you don’t know anyone who can spot you in the gym, the Smith machine comes with built-in safeties. A quick twist of your wrist, if you start failing a rep, can save you from a disaster. This way, you can load up feeling confident that you can safely miss your lift.

Muscle Gain

Similar to building strength, the Smith machine bench press makes it easy to chase major muscle gain. Squeezing out those last few repetitions — the ones that are the hardest and really challenge your progress — is a bit more intimidating on a free bench. 

You’re going to need to push yourself, preferably with an experienced spotter, to accomplish progressive overload. The Smith machine helps reinforce your technique, safety, and confidence in training hard enough for muscle gain.

Muscles Worked by the Smith Machine Bench Press

Like any horizontal upper body pressing exercise, the Smith machine bench press primarily targets your chest, triceps, and shoulders. 

Chest

The chest is the clear motivator behind nearly every horizontal pressing exercise. Your chest (or pectoralis major) is a fan-shaped muscle that attaches between your collar bone, sternum, and upper ribs to a..

When it comes to flat abs, endless crunches don’t work!

Regardless of your age, the key to a flatter stomach is training your entire core, including exercises that target different areas of your abdominals.

So, if you can’t stand crunches or simply want to mix up your core workout routine, try these 14 effective ab exercises that target all of your abdominal muscles, including your obliques, lower abs, and upper abs.

1. V-Ups Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

V-ups are one of the best ab workouts because they also develop incredible balance.

1. Lie flat on the floor and extend your arms behind your head. Keep your feet together and your toes pointed.
2. Keep your legs straight and lift them up as you simultaneously raise your upper body off the floor. Keep your core tight as you reach for your toes with your hands. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.

Targets: transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus

2. Side Plank Dips

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Side plank dips are oblique exercises for anyone looking to develop core strength and enviable side abs.

1. Start by laying on your right side with forearm below shoulder, body lifted and legs long, and feet stacked. Keep body straight, abs tight, and place left hand on hip.
2. Dip your hips down towards the mat and lift back up using your obliques and core muscles.

Targets: internal obliques, external obliques

3. Side Plank Reach Through

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The side plank reach-through is one of the best ab oblique combination movements. You must keep your core engaged the entire time – you’ll be feeling this move!

1. Begin in a full side plank position with the right hand below shoulder, left arm reaching high above left shoulder, and legs long. (Modify by placing bottom knee onto mat if needed)
2. Tighten the abdominals and slowly scoop the left arm under the body, following with your eyes until you see behind you.
3. Slowly reach the left hand back to start position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and switch sides.

Targets: transverse abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominus

4. Toe Reach

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The toe reach is different than the classic crunch you see in most ab workouts. This move focuses more on total core engagement.

1. Start on the back with legs long-reaching towards the ceiling.
2. Bring the head, neck, and shoulders off the mat and reach arms up towards the feet. Return to the tips of the shoulders and repeat.

Targets: rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus

5. Forearm Plank

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The plank is a staple of most ab workouts because it recruits the entire core.

1. Begin lying on the floor with your forearms flat on the floor, making sure that your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders.
2. Engage your core and raise your body up off the floor, keeping your forearms on the floor and your body in a straight line from head to feet. Keep your abdominals engaged, and try not to let your hips rise or drop.

Targets: transverse abdominus

6. Bicycle Crunches

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The bicycle crunch builds coordination and a strong core, and is one of the best ab movements out there!

1. Start lying on your back with feet off the floor and legs in a tabletop position. Hands are behind the head, and the head, neck, and shoulders are flexed off the mat.
2. Bring one knee in and reach the opposite elbow towards it. Repeat on the other side in a crisscross motion working the obliques.

Targets: transverse abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominus

7. Boat Pose

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The boat pose is deceptively simple. This move takes incredible core strength and builds core strength. A win-win.

1. From a seated position, draw your navel in toward your spine, bracing the abdominals.
2. With your hands on the floor behind you, bring your legs up off the floor with your knees bent in front of the chest.
3. Keeping abdominals tight, slowly lift hands off the floor and reach them forward and up while lengthening legs upward. Your body will look like a “V” shape. Lengthen your spine as you hold. (If your hamstrings are too tight, you can bend your knees.)
4. Keep abdominals tight and breathe. Stay for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can.

Targets: transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus

8. Sweeping Scissors

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Ready for a challenge?

1. Start lying on the mat with arms over your head and legs long.
2. Sweep arms out to the sides and bring your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat.
3. Reach your arms long and lift one leg up and in towards the chest.  Reach your arms forward on the sides of the leg. Roll back to the mat, lowering your leg, and repeat on the other side.

Targets: transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus

9. Side To Side Obliques

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

The side-to-side oblique move is one of the best ab exercises for targeting the obliques.

1. Lie on the mat and bring your knees into the chest, forming a tabletop position. Bring the head, neck, and shoulder off the mat while coming into a crunch, reaching your arms long at the sides.
2. Exhale as you reach your right fingers to the right side in a forward motion, then return to center on the inhale. Exhale and reach left fingers to the left side in the same motion. Switch side to side without lowering onto the mat.

Targets: transverse abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominus

10. Bend Extend Ab Tuck

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Ab workouts don’t have to be boring. There’s always a new variation to try, just like this bend extends ab tuck.

1. Start seated on the mat with arms behind you, hands on the mat, and fingers facing your backside. Sit back on your hands and lift up your feet off the mat keeping the knees bent.
2. Keep abs tight and press your legs out long while slightly lowering your back. You should feel your lower abdominals working, then push yourself back up and pull your knees in to return to your starting position.

Targets: transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus

11. Spiderman Abs

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Spiderman abs is a move that hurts so good! Give it a try, and your lower abs will be at attention.

1. Start in a plank position with hands on the mat slightly wider than shoulders, legs long behind you, and abdominals and glutes squeezed tight.
2. Pull the left knee toward the outside of your left elbow and hold for one count. Return to the starting and repeat on the right side.

Targets: transverse abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques

12. Forearm Star Plank

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

This forearm star plank is a variation on the plank that will help you strengthen your core and those elusive lower abs.

1. Begin lying on the right side, forearm on the floor, body lifted, and legs extended long on the mat with feet stacked.
2. Tighten the abdominals and lift the left leg and arm up in the air. Hold them straight and keep the body still for the desired amount of time. Switch sides.

Targets: external obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominus

13. Hip Dips

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Hip dips really build those oblique muscles!

1. Begin in a forearm plank position with your forearms flat on the mat, making sure that your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders, your core is engaged, and your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet.
2. Lower your left hip toward the floor until it almost touches, and then immediately raise back to the center.
3. Repeat on the right side.

Target: transverse abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques

14. Double Leg Stretch

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

You’ll definitely feel the burn with this one. (Which is a good thing!)

1. Start lying on your back with knees bent 90 degrees and arms lengthened alongside the calves. Your lower back should be pressed against the mat with your head, neck, and shoulders flexed up off the mat.
2. As you inhale, stretch your arms straight behind your head and legs straight to a diagonal position in front. As you exhale, circle your arms around and back to your legs while drawing your knees back into the 90-degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Targets: transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus

Strength Training for Women Over 50: 11 Best Moves Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

While aging is inevitable, aging well is not.

There are many factors involved in maintaining good physical and mental health as you age, but one of the most important things to consider as you grow older is weight training. Thesestrength training exercises are proven to get results for women over 50.

Strength Training for Women Over 50: 11 Best Moves

3 Walking Workouts For Weight Loss Photo Credit: Depositphotos

If you want to start working out or get back in shape after taking a break from exercise, there’s no better—or more convenient—form of exercise than walking. Walking is low-impact and doable for almost everyone, but if weight loss is your goal, we’re here to tell you that intensity is the key to success.

3 Walking Workouts For Weight Loss

The Best Love Handle Workout Photo Credit: Shutterstock

These five exercises specifically target the love handles and will have you feeling the burn!

Combine this workout with a healthy diet and cardio, and you’ll watch that belly fat “waist” away.

The Best Love Handle Workout

The 2023 Netherlands Strongest Woman contest was held on Sept. 17, 2023, in Earnawâld, Netherlands — one day after the 2023 Netherlands Strongest Man U105KG competition. Patricia Smit stood atop the podium in the former contest, while Yoell Blom ranked first in the latter.

Smit scored 61 of a possible 72 points across six events against 11 other strongwoman athletes. Blom raked in 65 of a possible 72 points through the same five events: Deadlift, Bag Toss Medley, Yoke Into Sandbag, Farmer’s Walk, Overhead Ladder, and Atlas Stones.

2023 Netherlands Strongest Woman Results

1. Patricia Smit — 61 points
2. Mayke Van Wouven — 59 points
3. Femke Huisman — 58 points
4. Elisa Hessels — 51 points
5. Kelly Franssen — 48 points
6. Jamie Lee Boudri — 42 points
7. Christel Veenstra — 31 points
8. Rowena Wehnes — 31 points
9. Chelsea Schweiger — 25 points
10. Linda Schenk — 24 points
11. Yvonne Allards — 21 points
12. Femkje Buijs — 17 points

[Related: Mitchell Hooper Explains How Better Cardio Fuels Strength Gains]

2023 Netherlands Strongest Man U105KG Results

1. Yoell Blom — 65 points
2. Joey Henraath — 57.5 points
3. Wim Van De Groep — 53 points
4. Christian Van Elderen — 48 points
5. Randy Doornekamp — 45 points
6. Ruben Van Kreij — 45 points
7. John-Mark Bolwerk — 44.5 points
8. Jeffrey Laterveer — 38 points
9. Tom Van De Burg — 26 points
10. Toni Pieters — 23 points
11. Alex Schiltmans — 13 points
12. Kane Verberkt — 10 points

[Related: How To Do the Alternating Dumbbell Press (+ the Best Variations for Muscle and Strength)]

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2023 Netherlands Strongest Woman Event Results

Below are the results for each of the five events comprising the 2023 Netherlands Strongest Woman contest:

Deadlift For Reps

Each athlete was tasked to lift 140, 160, 180, 200, and 220 kilograms for as many reps as possible in the 75-second time cap. A single rep at a higher weight trumped any number of reps at a lower weight.

1. Patricia Smit — Three of 220 kilograms in 65.59 seconds
2. Femke Huisman — One of 220 kilograms in 42.17 seconds
3. Mayke Van Wouven — One of 200 kilograms in 71.62 seconds
4. Kelly Franssen — One of 200 kilograms in 21.52 seconds
5. Yvonne Allards — One of 200 kilograms in 43.93 seconds
6. Elisa Hessels — Two of 180 kilograms in 49.37 seconds
7. Jamie Lee Boudri — Two of 180 kilograms in 53.58 seconds
8. Rowena Wehnes — One of 180 kilograms in 16.02 seconds
9. Linda Schenk — Five of 160 kilograms in 66.11 seconds
10. Christel Veenstra — Four of 160 kilograms in 72.27 seconds
11. Femkje Buijs — Two of 160 kilograms in 30.33 seconds
12. Chelsea Schweiger — One of 160 kilograms in 20.52 seconds

Bag Toss Medley

The Bag Toss over a four-meter bar consisted of five implements weighing 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 kilograms.

1. Patricia Smit — Four in 26.06 seconds
2. Mayke Van Wouven — Four in 40.71 seconds
3. Kelly Franssen — Four in 48.86 seconds
4. Femke Huisman — Three in 23.27 seconds
5. Elisa Hessels — Three in 25.05 seconds
6. Jamie Lee Boudri — Three in 26.8 seconds
7. Rowena Wehnes — Three in 59.95 seconds
8. Femkje Buijs — Two in 17.77 seconds
9. Chelsea Schweiger — One in 5.68 seconds
10. Christel Veenstra — One in 11.83 seconds
11. Linda Schenk — One in 12.8 seconds
12. Yvonne Allards — One in 15.74 seconds

Yoke Into Sandbag

The yoke and sandbag weighed 210 and 80 kilograms, respectively. Each implement had to be carried down a 15-meter course.

1. Elisa Hessels — Two in 15.91 seconds
2. Patricia Smit — Two in 17.04 seconds
3. Mayke Van Wouven — Two in 18.78 seconds
4. Femke Huisman — Two in 19.19 seconds
5. Jamie Lee Boudri — Two in 21.79 seconds
6. Kelly Franssen — Two in 22.09 seconds
7. Christel Veenstra — Two in 23.63 seconds
8. Chelsea Schweiger — Two in 27.47 seconds
9. Linda Schenk — Two in 30 seconds
10. Yvonne Allards — Two in 30.62 seconds
11. Rowena Wehnes — Two in 34.47 seconds
12. Femkje Buijs — Two in 35.57 seconds

Farmer’s Walk

Each athlete carried 60 kilograms down a 20-meter course for distance.

1. Christel Veenstra — 93.9 meters
2. Chelsea Schweiger — 91.8 meters
3. Mayke Van Wouven — 82.2 meters
4. Elisa Hessels — 83.5 meters
5. Femke Huisman — 80.5 meters
6. Jamie Lee Boudri — 80 meters
7. Linda Schenk — 70.8 meters
8. Patricia Smit — 67.2 meters
9. Yvonne Allards — 66.1 meters
10. Kelly Franssen — 65.7 meters
11. Femkje Buijs — 60 meters
12. Rowena Wehnes — 59.8 meters

Overhead Ladder

Within the 75-second time cap, each athlete attempted to lift 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 kilograms. One rep at a higher weight outranked any number of reps at a lower weight.

1. Femke Huisman — Four of 80 kilograms in 62.8 seconds
2. Rowena Wehnes — Three of 80 kilograms in 63.9 seconds
3. Mayke Van Wouven — Three  of 80 kilograms in 67.14 seconds
4. Patricia Smit — Three of 80 kilograms in 74.85 seconds
5. Kelly Franssen — Two of 80 kilograms in 69.8 seconds
6. Jamie Lee Boudri — Two of 80 kilograms in 70.42 seconds
7. Elisa Hessels — Two of 70 kilograms in 64.02 seconds
8. Femkje Buijs — One of 70 kilograms in 30.67 seconds
9. Linda Schenk — One of 70 kilograms in 35.24 seconds
10. Yvonne Allards — Four of 60 kilograms in 64.3 seconds
11. Christel Veenstra — Four of 60 kilograms in 72.2 seconds
12. Chelsea Schweiger — Three of 60 kilograms in 61.61 seconds

Atlas Stones

The six Atlas Stones weighed 50, 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 kilograms.

1. Patricia Smit — Six in 41.68 seconds
2. Mayke Van Wouven — Six in 52.75 seconds
3. Kelly Franssen — Five in 29.83 seconds
4. Femke Huisman — Five in 40.09 seconds
5. Elisa Hessels — Five in 54.08 seconds
6. Jamie Lee Boudri — Four in 28.65 seconds
7. Rowena Wehnes — Four in 30.74 seconds
8. Christel Veenstra — Four in 36.52 seconds
9. Linda Schenk — Four in 42.36 seconds
10. Chelsea Schweiger — Four in 45.58 seconds
11. Femkje Buijs — Three in 33.11 seconds
12. Yvonne Allards — Three in 81.02 seconds

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2023 Netherlands Strongest Man U105KG Event Results

Below are the results for each of the five events comprising the 2023 Netherlands Strongest Man U105KG contest:

Deadlift For Reps

The available weights were 200, 220, 240, 260, and 280 kilograms for as many reps as possible in the 75-second time cap. A single rep at a higher weight outranked any number of reps at a lower weight.

1. Tom Van De Burg — Five of 280 kilograms in 65 seconds
2. Yoell Blom — Five of 280 kilograms in 74 seconds
3. Ruben Van Kreij — Three of 280 kilograms in 60 seconds
4. John-Mark Bolwerk — Three of 280 kilograms in 64 seconds
5. Wim Van De Groep — Three of 280 kilograms in 70 seconds
6. Joey Henraath — Two of 280 in 45 seconds
7. Jeffrey Laterveer — One of 280 kilograms in 47 seconds
8. Randy Doornekamp — Three of 260 kilograms in 63 seconds
9. Christian Van Elderen —Two of 260 kilograms in 70 seconds
10. Toni Pieters — Two of 260 kilograms in 75 seconds
11. Alex Schiltmans — One of 260 kilograms in 36 seconds
12. Kane Verberkt — One of 240 kilograms in 14 seconds

Bag Toss Medley

The Bag Toss over a four-meter bar consisted of five implements weighing 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26 kilograms.

1. Randy Doornekamp — Five in 17.62 seconds
2. Yoell Blom — Five in 21.56 seconds
3. Christian Van Elderen — Five in 22.9 seconds
4. Ruben Van Kreij — Five in 25 seconds
5. Joey Henraath — Five in 30.07 seconds
6. Wim Van De Groep — Five in 46.97 seconds
7. Jeffrey Laterveer — Four in 14 seconds
8. John-Mark Bolwerk — Four in 22 seconds
9. Toni Pieters — Four in 42 seconds
10. Tom Van De Burg — Three in 38 seconds
11. Kane Verberkt — Two in 11 seconds
12. Alex Schiltmans — Two in 12 seconds

Yoke Into Sandbag

The yoke and sandbag weighed 340 and 120 kilograms, respectively, to be carried down a 15-meter course.

1. Joey Henraath — 19.97 seconds (T-first)
2. John-Mark Bolwerk — 19.97 seconds (T-first)
3. Wim Van De Groep — 21.78 seconds
4. Jeffrey Laterveer — 22.94 seconds
5. Yoell Blom — 23.63 seconds
6. Christian Van Elderen — 24.15 seconds
7. Ruben Van Kreij — 25.4 seconds
8. Randy Doornekamp — 36.47 seconds
9. Tom Van De Burg — 39.65 seconds
10. Toni Pieters — 42.66 seconds
11. Kane Verberkt — 48.01 seconds
12. Alex Schiltmans — 50.69 seconds

Farmer’s Walk

This walk for distance along a 20-meter course involved 110 kilograms.

1. Wim Van De Groep — 64.3 meters
2. Yoell Blom — 60 meters
3. Joey Henraath — 59.1 meters
4. Christian Van Elderen — 54.5 meters
5. Randy Doornekamp — 52.1 meters
6. John-Mark Bolwerk — 49.75 meters
7. Jeffrey Laterveer — 41.35 meters
8. Ruben Van Kreij — 40 meters
9. Kane Verberkt — 33 meters
10. Alex Schiltmans — 24.1 meters
11. Tom Van De Burg — 23.3 meters
12. Toni Pieters — 23.1 meters

Overhead Ladder

The weights were 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 kilograms. A single rep at a higher weight outranked any number of reps at a lower weight.

1. Yoell Blom — Three of 120 kilograms in 58.27 seconds
2. Joey Henraath — Three of 120 kilograms in 60.62 seconds
3. Randy Doornekamp —Three of 120 kilograms in 65.37 seconds
4. Christian Van Elderen — Three of 120 kilograms in 70.78 seconds
5. Ruben Van Kreij — Three of 120 kilograms in 73.37 seconds
6. Jeffrey Laterveer — Two of 120 kilograms in 60.18 seconds
7. Toni Pieters — Two of 120 kilograms in 65.75 seconds
8. Wim Van De Groep — One of 120 kilograms in 39.83 seconds
9. John-Mark Bolwerk — One of 110 kilograms in 35.11 seconds
10. Tom Van De Burg — One of 110 kilograms in 39.61 seconds
11. Alex Schiltmans — One of 110 kilograms in 47.26 seconds
12. Kane Verberkt — One of 100 kilograms in 23.46 seconds

Atlas Stones

Within 90 seconds to a 1.15-meter platform, each athlete loaded six stones weighing 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 kilograms in the fastest time possible.

1. Yoell Blom — Six in 79.53 seconds
2. Wim Van De Groep — Five in 32.54 seconds
3. Joey Henraath — Five in 61.18 seconds
4. Christian Van Elderen — Five in 88.28 seconds
5. John-Mark Bolwerk — Four in 32.52 seconds
6. Ruben Van Kreij — Four in 55.71 seconds
7. Toni Pieters — Three in 58.86 seconds
8. Randy Doornekamp — Two in 14.74 seconds
9. Jeffrey Laterveer — Two in 15.85 seconds
10. Alex Schiltmans — Two in 18.65 seconds
11. Tom Van De Burg — Two in 23.65 seconds
12. Kane Verberkt — One in 18.05 seconds

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• Brian Shaw Suffered a Torn Pec at the 2023 Shaw Classic

Featured image: @miss_silverback on Instagram

The post 2023 Netherlands Strongest Woman Results — Patricia Smit Victorious appeared first on BarBend.

There has been a renewed interest in incorporating raw foods into the diet the past few years. I make a point of eating raw food 80 % of my dietary daily intake and encourage my clients to do the same. Eating raw food has several health benefits. The process of cooking food depletes vitamins, destroys enzymes that help us digest our food, and damages vital fats and protein. While raw food is raw and unprocessed, cooked food creates free radicals which are major contributors to cancer and many other illnesses.

The most important reason to eat raw is to benefit from the enzymes. Enzymes can rightfully be called the fountain of youth. They are necessary for breaking down and absorbing the food that we eat. Enzymes are essential for the body’s vitality. Simply put, we are not what we eat we are what we digest. All food that we eat must be broken down. Our cells cannot absorb large structures. Protein must be broken down into amino acids, complex carbohydrates into simple sugars and fats into fatty acids. This is a huge job for our bodies and where most health problems begin. Without enzymes digestion can become very compromised. When we cook our food, we lose the enzymes. Heating food to over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys the enzymes present in the raw ingredients. Food that contains few or no enzymes depletes your body of its own natural resources, accelerates the ageing process, and can cause illness due to a struggling digestion system.

If possible, try to eat fruits and vegetables that are organic. Crops today are heavily sprayed with herbicides and pesticides and this can be very toxic to the gut microbiome. If you are unable to purchase organic food, try using a vegetable and fruit cleanser, available in most health food stores. This would help to remove bacteria and pesticide residue. Scrub root vegetables with a stiff brush that you use just for your food. There is a list well documented from the EWG called the “CLEAN 15 AND DIRTY DOZEN” that you could take a look at for what is recommended to go strictly organic and where you can be more flexible. https://eatrealamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/EWG-Clean-15-and-Dirty-Dozen-PDF.pdf

Try not to go overboard on spinach, Swiss chard, and kale. These foods contain oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of the essential mineral’s calcium, magnesium, and zinc. This does not mean that you must avoid them completely as they do contain important nutrients. Adding these greens to your salads a couple of times a week would be fine.

Other benefits from eating a raw food diet include experiencing an improvement in skin and increased energy. It is important to stay fully hydrated if you want nice skin and the fact that fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water allows you to do just that. In fact, the quality of the water in organic fruits and vegetables is much safer and higher than in tap water as there are no chemicals, only nutrients. If you eat raw food, you will notice that you are less thirsty and therefore can get away with drinking less water.

If you are looking to lose some weight, eating rawer will certainly help you do just that. Raw foods, being unprocessed, there is no need to worry about extra fats, sugars, and additives which are the main contributors to weight gain. Added to this, the quantity of fiber that you get eating raw as opposed to cooked will increase elimination resulting in less bloat and constipation.

To conclude, I am not suggesting that we all gravitate to a completely raw diet. But it would make a big difference if we all focused a little bit more on what we are fueling our body with. Perhaps just try to include more fruit and salads each day. When you are eating a cooked meal adding some leafy greens for added enzymes can make all the difference on how you digest that meal.

The post reasons to go raw appeared first on Total Gym Pulse.