May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, so if you have any family member, friend or associate you think might benefit from some form of exercise, motivate them in a positive way to do so. If you love ’em or like ’em, hell even if you hate ’em, be there as a support to help them get moving! Follow @fitnessgov to get the latest updates from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.
If you need some extra motivation to hit a new PR, we are taking it up a notch. Whether you are putting the final touches on your beach body or in the midst of a summer workout program, we want to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and inspire you to work harder by showcasing some awesome feats of muscle and fitness. We are kicking things off with this sensational squat from Andrey Malanichev, who set the record squat with knee straps at 1,014 pounds in February.
In a Reddit AMA, Malanichev talked about the mindset he needs to hit his marks: “Working with extreme weights is often more psychological than physical. When I am about to lift a weight my body often tells me ‘Don’t do it’ and I still do this anyway. I don’t like deliberating too much. I just set the weight and attack it. You need to set goals, not just train aimlessly. If you don’t have a goal or you aren’t focused on the goal you won’t achieve much. You may be doing everything right, have the right amount of strength and yet fail.”
Here is Malanichev’s response to the following question from the chat Q: “What training advice do you have for novice and intermediate lifters looking to excel at the sport?” A: “As to beginners and intermediates, stay away from all gear other than the wraps. Lift raw! It’s important to build up muscles doing raw lifts. Do a lot of basic exercise. Make sure to do everything in perfect form. Do longer sets: 5-8 reps usually.”
Check out the man in action, and get moving this May!
