💪 Mike O’Hearn's Tips for a Beastly Back

April training brings May gainz. Today's newsletter is brought to you by Kylea’s Total Living Drink Greens. This super shake is the perfect way to start your day and this week's edition of The Ripped Report.

The professional bodybuilding season is heating up, but for us normies, it's prime time to work on building our biggest, densest backs. And bodybuilding/gladiatorial legend Mike O'Hearn has just what the doctor ordered. (Disclaimer: Mike O'Hearn is not a registered physician, nor does he play one on TV.)

Oh, and beach season is on your radar? We've got a list of ab workouts tailored to your experience level and goals. And we also dive deep — DEEP — into an IFBB pro's shopping cart.

And there's a rumor Bikini Olympia Champion Janet Layug is entering her first show since 2020. (Spoiler: It ain't a rumor, folks.)

TRAINING

Bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn Shows How To Build A Beastly Back

There's a myth that smartphone cameras were invented so Mike O'Hearn could take post-training progress shots.

But we don't buy into the myths. We want cold, hard facts. And training tips. We love those.

Four-time Mr. (Natural) Universe Mike O’Hearn knows his way around a gym. The six-foot, two-inch tall, 300-pound bodybuilder and fitness model posted a workout to his YouTube channel on April 17, 2022, and offered some training advice for building a strong and muscular back.

O’Hearn was joined by the Titan crew, including his partner Mona Muresan. The video opened with O’Hearn repping out the entire weight stack on the cable lat pulldown machine using an underhand (supinated) grip, and the rest of the session did not disappoint. Check it out via the video at the link below.

READ: Bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn Shows Techniques To Build A Beastly Back

TRAINING

The Best Bodybuilding Ab Workout For Your Experience Level

There's no such thing as the correct goal for abs. Some people want a strong-as-all-get-out core for moving big weight. Some people care about showing off an 8-pack stacked like so many Hawaiian sweet rolls. And a lot of folks want something in between: strong and delicious looking.

You do you.

If you’re after a rock-solid midsection that looks good on the beach, or you’re prepping for your first appearance on the bodybuilding stage, you can’t have your path clouded by maybes and mysticism.

You need core workouts that work, no matter if you’re new to the gym or are a seasoned veteran. Below are three different ways to tackle your next ab day, tuned just right for your experience level.

READ: The Best Bodybuilding Ab Workout For Your Experience Level

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THE DROPSET

Everything Else Around the Web

• Janet Layug is returning to the stage for the first time since her Olympia win in 2020. The bikini competitor has entered the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro, set to occur the weekend of May 6 in Pittsburgh, PA.

• Muscles are built in the kitchen, or maybe at the local Costco. IFBB Open division bodybuilder Brett Wilkin did a “Sunday Funday” errands run and Costco shopping haul and shared a video of it.

• Jay Cutler may be retired from pro bodybuilding, but he's still training hard and sharing his progress. The 4-time Mr. Olympia with an all-time-great physique shares a combo delts and legs workout.

Last week, we asked "Who would win in a posedown RIGHT NOW between Kai Greene and Phil Heath?"

31% of you said "Kai, all the way."

26% said "Phil Heath — gotta go with 'The Gift'"

And a whopping 43% said "Arnold would run onstage and crush them both."

Don't get mad. We're just reporting the data, folks.

The best feedback on the poll?

Why thanks, anonymous respondent. We think so, too.