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At the turn of the 20th century, the eight-hour workday was a triumph for labor activists. Prior to this set schedule, laborers often faced little pay, harsh working conditions, and exhausting hours. While the eight-hour workday came out of a humanitarian labor movement and uplifted the Industrial Revolution, it has been left largely unchanged for...

Per BernalThese days, in gyms across the country, group training seems to follow a stale, thoughtless blueprint— one in which random exercises, outlandishly high work-to-rest ratios, and a penchant for chasing fatigue reign supreme. But one man is determined to change this. Former strongman, national record-setting powerlifter, and owner of Total Performance Sports in Malden,...

One of the biggest mistakes I see among people who exercise is they forget this core truth: we get fitter not from training, but from recovering from training. This doesn’t just occur in beginners either. Some of the most experienced, hardest-charging athletes I know fail to heed the importance of recovery. Hell, the reason my...

Chris LundAfter earning his pro card in 1997, Venezuela-born bodybuilder Gustavo Badell competed in more than 30 IFBB shows over the course of his 15-year career. Nicknamed the “Freakin’ ’Rican” after moving to Puerto Rico in his early 20s, Badell earned acclaim for taking third at the ’04 and ’05 Mr. Olympia competitions. With a...

Per BernalABS AND THIGH A hands-behind-the-head pose in which the competitor flexes abdominals and one leg. ARNOLD CLASSIC One of two esteemed bodybuilding events, held in Columbus, OH, each March. BIKINI The least muscular female division; emphasizes beauty. BODYBUILDING Where the big boys compete. Contests are judged on size, shape, symmetry, and conditioning. Unlike the amateurs, open pro...