Dominate the Big 3 With a Two‐Plate Plan

A rising 212 star tragically passed away, CrossFit teased its 2026 season schedule, and bodybuilding’s biggest divisions are suddenly without longtime champions.

October 01, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Hitting a 225‑pound bench, 315‑pound squat, and 405‑pound deadlift is more than a macho milestone—it’s a rite of passage in the iron game. This 12‑week program lays out how to get there with three distinct phases: a foundation block to refine technique and build volume, an intensification block to add weight while trimming reps, and a peaking phase where you practice heavy singles and set new maxes. You’ll focus on the squat, bench, and deadlift multiple times per week while shoring up weak links with rows, lunges, and core work. Scheduled deloads and mobility drills keep joints happy as the numbers climb. [Crush the Two‑Plate Challenge!]

Science‑minded coach Jeff Nippard dropped seven unorthodox exercises that deserve a spot in your routine. He starts with the deadhang, a simple but potent grip and shoulder‑health move, then flips the classic curl on its head with Zottman hammer curls that overload the eccentric. Next comes the incline dumbbell Y‑raise, which uses a low bench angle to torch the side delts, and the side‑facing rear delt fly, where pretending to pick up dollar bills cues perfect form. He rounds things out with dragon flags—Bruce Lee’s favorite core move—Kelso shrugs for mid‑trap thickness, and seated cable deadlifts to blast glutes and hamstrings without frying your lower back. [Steal These Seven Secrets]

The chicken‑and‑broccoli diet promises rapid fat loss by restricting you to steamed poultry and greens for 10–14 days. It’s low‑calorie (about 1,100 kcal per day) and high in protein and fiber, so hunger pangs stay at bay while muscle sticks around. But the plan is a nutritional minefield: you’ll miss essential fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals like omega‑3s, calcium, and B‑vitamins, and the monotony makes compliance miserable. Severe restriction slows metabolism and can trigger binges, leaving you lighter in the wallet but no leaner in the long run. [Learn Why Variety Wins]

After six straight wins, Chris Bumstead has hung up his Classic Physique trunks, leaving a 60‑plus‑man field scrambling for his vacant title. The 2025 Olympia in Las Vegas (Oct. 9–11) will demand flawless posing, symmetry, and conditioning. German star Mike Sommerfeld leads the charge after pushing Bumstead last year and winning the 2025 Arnold Classic. Brazil’s Ramon “Dino” Queiroz, runner‑up in 2022 and 2023, is training with Derek Lunsford to dial in his peak, while Terrence Ruffin returns from injury with back‑to‑back wins at Pittsburgh and New York. Two‑time champ Breon Ansley is back, and dark horses Logan Franklin, Matt Greggo, Jose Manuel Munoz, and Michael Daboul all have momentum. [Size Up the Contenders Now!]

The lightweight division will pack heavyweight drama at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, where more than 20 Men’s 212 athletes battle in Las Vegas. Defending champion Keone Pearson has taken two straight titles and eyes a dynasty reminiscent of Flex Lewis. He briefly flirted with moving to the Open but insists his focus remains on 212, even as some pundits say he could hang with the big boys. Former champ Shaun Clarida is hungry to reclaim his throne; he sharpened his edge by competing in the Prague Pro Open and the 2025 Arnold Classic. Vitor Alves Porto de Oliveira (2024 Musclecontest Brazil Pro winner) and Kerrith Bajjo (2024 Japan Pro champ and 2025 Texas Pro Open competitor) bring momentum, while dark horses Giuseppe Zagarella, Francisco Barrios Zlk, Ahmad Ashkanani, and Mazin Al Rahbi could flip the script. [See Who Makes the 212 Cut]

Fresh off conquering Classic Physique, Germany’s Urs Kalecinski has jumped to the Men’s Open and believes he can one day hoist the Sandow. Critics questioned his size, so he brought a thicker look to the 2025 ProMuscle Italy Pro, making history as the first athlete to qualify for both Classic and Open Olympias in the same season. He doubled down with a win at the Europa Pro Championship, proving he can stand with giants. In a recent interview, Kalecinski admitted it sounds crazy, but he genuinely sees an Open Olympia title in his future—just not this year or next. He brushed off Shawn Ray’s advice to skip the show and is laser‑focused on improving, while Wesley Vissers predicts he’ll land in the top eight. [Hear the Miracle Bear’s Bold Plan]

With the 2025 Mr. Olympia days away, Dutch standout Wesley Vissers shared his podium picks. In the Men’s Open, he forecasts Samson Dauda retaining the crown, with Nick Walker, Hadi Choopan, and Derek Lunsford rounding out the top four and surprise rookie Urs Kalecinski cracking the top eight. He argues Walker’s return adds drama and contends the Pittsburgh guest pose-off showed Walker edging Lunsford despite the official result. For Classic Physique, Vissers backs Mike Sommerfeld as the clear favorite while seeing Ramon Queiroz and Terrence Ruffin battling for silver and Logan Franklin and Jose Manuel Munoz filling the next spots. [Check Out His Top‑Four Lists]

CrossFit fans can start planning: organizers have revealed the structure of the 2026 Games season, and the Quarterfinals are back. The season kicks off with the Open on Feb. 26 and runs for three weeks, with participants submitting workouts virtually. The top 25 percent advance to the Quarterfinals, where the top 2,000 men and women punch tickets to the next stage. Semifinals follow between April and July, mixing in‑person and virtual events as last‑chance qualifiers. The 2026 CrossFit Games will take place sometime in July, with 30 men and 30 women vying for the “Fittest on Earth” title. Detailed dates are still to come, but the roadmap is set. [Get the Full 2026 Schedule]

The IFBB community lost a promising talent when 212‑pound athlete Yeifer Asprilla passed away unexpectedly. Social media posts suggest pneumonia may have been the culprit, but no official cause has been confirmed. Asprilla had recently earned his Pro card, built an impressive physique through rigorous training and nutrition, and was preparing for his debut against Shaun Clarida and Keone Pearson. His family invited fans to pay respects at his funeral and asked for privacy, while tributes flooded his Instagram with messages of love and support. [Read the Tribute to Yeifer]

Body mass index is a quick way to gauge whether your weight falls into the underweight, normal, overweight, or obese categories. By entering your height, weight, gender, and age, this calculator returns a BMI score and even suggests a healthy weight range and Ponderal Index, which adjusts for very tall or short individuals. It’s easy to use—just choose imperial or metric units, fill in your stats, and hit calculate. Remember, BMI doesn’t account for muscle mass, bone structure, ethnicity, or genetics, so two people with the same score might have vastly different health profiles. [Check Your BMI and More]

Tonio Burton just dropped a peeled‑to‑the‑bone update and looks ready to crash the 2025 Olympia party📸💪

High‑Protein Breakfast Recipe of the Day: Mushroom Baked Eggs With Squished Tomatoes

Brush two large portobello mushrooms with oil, garlic, and thyme, then roast them until tender. Press halved tomatoes into each cap, crack an egg into the well, and bake until the whites set but the yolks stay runny. Finish with cracked black pepper and a handful of rocket for a peppery crunch. This easy dish serves two, delivers a hit of protein and veg, and feels like brunch without the fuss.

The Strength Bulletin

  • A new systematic review and meta‑analysis concludes that when training volume and load are equated, slow and fast rep tempos produce similar muscle growth, so focus on controlling the weight and progressing rather than counting seconds between concentric and eccentric phases. [Explore the Research]

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