Being Fit To Serve Literally Saved Chris Ferrell’s Life

July 25, 2025

For the last four years, retired US Air Force Technical Sergeant Chris Ferrell has worked as an Air Force Special Operations Combat Training Specialist. His job is to facilitate live scenarios with Foreign and Domestic Special Operations OPs teams, so they are prepared to protect themselves and others in case the situation calls for it.

Whether it is training servicemembers, speaking on behalf of wounded veterans, or even being a part of the Warrior Games, Ferrell feels that he owes his efforts to those that came before him and helped him throughout his own life and time in service.

“I’ve had fantastic leadership throughout my career.”

Ferrell’s current position (one of several he has chosen to take on) is one that he has pride in, not only because of what it does for those he trains, but because of how close he came to losing his own life.

Service Was the Life He Chose

The native of Bossier City, Louisiana was a high school senior when the September 11th attacks occurred, and the son of a Navy lineman knew immediately what he was going to do later in life.

“I knew then I was going to live a life of service.”

After one year in college, he felt like it was time to make his move. Ferrell enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he became an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician.

“I wanted to be a pararescueman or combat controller, but I failed my eye exam. They told I could do EOD, and when they explained what it was, I said,‘cool, sign me up.”

By 2005, he was on his first of several deployments, traveling to Afghanistan. Throughout his career, he had found and disarmed several Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) to help his teammates carry out their operations.

Ferrell’s career and life changed dramatically on Dec. 15, 2009, when one of his teammates stepped on an IED during a kill or capture operation in conjunction with British forces. The teammate was killed, and the force propelled Ferrell and the other teammates 10-15 feet away. Ferrell recalled that the teammate, Tony Campbell, was in a blast hole with his hand up, almost waving goodbye before taking his last breath.

“Fast forward, I cleared the rest of the area, we were able to get MEDEVACed out.”

Following a week stay in a hospital, Ferrell could have went home but opted to stay and continue serving.

Two months later, he along with teammates and British Infantry forces would encounter another IED explosion incident. He was approximately 15 feet away, but it still killed one person and injured three others. Ferrell’s efforts helped the injured and clear the site. As a result, he was awarded a British Commendation from the Kandahar Airfield Commander for Heroism. By the time he was medically retired in 2017, he received many other honors from his own country as well, including a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Chris Ferrell

Being Fit Literally Saved His Life

The physical injuries that came with Ferrell’s incident were obvious, but as he found out, they could have been worse. He grew up small but was strong for his size and started weight training while playing football. Little did he know that his commitment to the iron would save his life. Once he started working as an EOD tech, he committed even more, especially to running, which he admitted he was never a fan of.

“Running was miserable and still is to this day, but I became very good at it.”

Ferrell knew he had to be in the best shape possible, and that decision paid off for him. During a mission in 2005, he had to run to help three teammates that were affected by an IED. One teammate suffered an amputation and two others were injured. Ferrell had to run a half mile to get to them and started casualty care. All three of them were saved.

“That was my introduction to the military at war. I realized that I had to be in shape so I could save guys. My training drastically changed.”

Fast forward to his own incident in 2009, and it turned out that passion for fitness saved him again. He was told by his doctors that his muscle mass and bone density literally saved him from taking extra damage from the explosion.

“I couldn’t be a hindrance to the team. I had to be an asset,” he explained. “The doctor came in and said that if we hadn’t been as dense as we were, our injuries would have been far more severe.”

Mental Tolls and Overcoming Them

The toll on Ferrell was far beyond his body, though. His mental, emotional, and spiritual health was also affected, but it wasn’t obvious to him until long after the incident occurred.

This was confirmed when he went to get his brain evaluated after noticing changes in his behavior and even attempting self-removal multiple times. Doctors told him that he had 32 dead spots in his brain. He also dealt with bilateral hearing loss and other issues he was not previously aware of.

Ferrell went through several different forms of treatments, was on medication, and even therapy, but he concluded that there was a difference between what he called “living” versus “existing.” Something was missing, and he found it while he was on his road to recovery.

“I realized that post-service, I needed to find a way to still serve.”

As he was getting involved with the Warrior Games, he saw there were many people that were in comparable situations to his. He also realized that he had a new way to serve and contribute. He could help his fellow heroes that were dealing with the same tolls that he was.

“Let me help those that are struggling just like I was.”

Ferrell became a public speaker and advocate with a personal mission to reach and connect with servicemembers facing their own adversities. He also focused on what he could do with training, which led him to Lynn Coffland and Catch-A-Lift.

“Lynn Coffland found me at my lowest point,” he recalled. “Fitness was the catalyst. That was the only thing I didn’t have to think anything about.”

Ferrell also credited Air Force Wounded Warriors, who have helped him personally and that he has worked with as well. He travels and speaks on leadership and trauma. Those endeavors and others have given him the incentive to keep going, keep serving, and enjoying making a difference.

As the husband and father concluded throughout his journey, if a bomb couldn’t kill him, and he couldn’t even do it himself, he should make the most out of the life he has, and that includes helping others make the most of theirs. He has lost many teammates both in battle and through other avenues. In Ferrell’s eyes, each life he can help save is one that is worth all the time he can commit.

“Once it gets dark, it can be very hard to see the light,” he shared. “Advocacy is a necessity. That is what gives me purpose now.”

Chris Ferrell throwing a shotput — Chris Ferrell

Chris Ferrell’s Century Workout

Over 20 years ago, Ferrell found a system that helped him train hard for strength and endurance, and he credits it for saving his life. He calls it the Century Workout program and invites you to take it for a spin. You pick a weight for each exercise that could be estimated at 65 percent of your one rep max. The goal is 100 total reps for each exercise, regardless of how many sets it takes.

“You do every exercise until you reach 100 reps with a 30-45 second break between sets,” he said. If you perform 15 reps on the first set, start the next with 16. Keep that count going until you reach 100 reps. You then move on to the next exercise. Ferrell stated that he still does this in retirement so he can keep proving himself when he trains other operators.

“The workout should last between 50 min to 1 hour and 10 min depending on the pace you use.”

Ferrell shared a sample push day workout that feels would be a challenge worth trying to any lifter, regardless of the fitness discipline they follow. Perform 100 total reps of each exercise on the list below.

Flat Barbell Bench Press
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Cable Crossovers
Dips
Pushups
Rope Extensions
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Presses
Skull Crushers
Straight Bar Tricep Extensions
Close Grip Pushups

M&F Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this article.

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Being Fit To Serve Literally Saved Chris Ferrell’s Life, 2025-07-25 15:08:00

By Fysical FitnessIn News

Hot Tub vs Sauna: Which Recovery Method Boosts Health and Immunity the Most?

July 24, 2025

After a demanding workout, there’s little better than recovering with a nice dip in the hot tub, or sitting inside a sweat-inducing sauna. But which one stimulates the heart and boosts our immune system the most? Experts at the University of Oregon have the answer. In a recent study published in the American Physiological Society, researchers from the Bowerman Sports Science Center at the University of Oregon pitted the effects of relaxing in a hot tub against sitting in a traditional heat driven dry sauna, or spending time in a more modern far infrared sauna. “No studies have compared the acute responses between the three,” said the study’s lead author, Jessica Atencio.

How was the study carried out?

The benefits of raising the core body temperature include lowering our blood pressure and are thought to extend to stimulating a better immune response. To find out whether hot tubs, dry saunas, or infrared saunas worked best the scientists worked with a relatively small sample of 20 people (10 male and 10 female) between the ages of 20 and 28 years. Before the participants engaged in the three different recovery methods, measurements such as body temperature, blood pressure, heart beats per minute, immune cell and blood biomarkers were collected. This data was then measured again during each recovery method, and finally once the activity was completed.

Which Wins? Hot Tub, Dry Sauna, or Far Infrared Sauna?

The experts found that all three methods were beneficial to a certain degree. “Increasing body temperature causes an increase in blood flow, and just the force of blood moving across your vessels is beneficial for your vascular health,” explained Atencio. But when it came to choosing a clear winner, one method went further than the rest. “We saw that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for these subsequent responses,” she added.

The hot tub was the only method associated with measurably increased cytokine levels—the body’s response to inflammation. “Hot water immersion gives you the most robust changes in core temperature because you can’t effectively dissipate heat as you can if you have contact with the air and you’re sweating to cool the body,” explained Atencio of the hot tub. “When you’re submerged in water, the sweat mechanisms aren’t efficient.”

The study was overseen by Chris Minson, a professor in human physiology. “There’s no doubt in my mind that if people are willing to do some heat therapy, it’s going to align with improved health, as long as it’s done in moderation,” he explained. “If you repeat these stresses over time, our lab and many others have shown that they are consistent with improved health.”

The report concluded that a single session of hot water immersion leads to the greatest physiological strain compared with both traditional and far infrared saunas. The significant increase in core temperature, bolstered by hot water immersion, resulted in “cardiovascular strain and immunological alterations, which may lead to beneficial health adaptations with repeated exposures.”

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Hot Tub vs Sauna: Which Recovery Method Boosts Health and Immunity the Most?, 2025-07-24 14:40:00

By Fysical FitnessIn Shoulder Exercises

Best 12 Anterior Delt Exercises Ranked: Build Wider Shoulders and Stronger Pressing Power

July 23, 2025

Want wider shoulders, better pressing power, and more defined arms? Then your front delts deserve dedicated attention. The anterior delt muscles plays a significant role in most upper-body compound lifts, especially pressing; however, it’s often either overtrained due to excessive volume or undertrained due to inefficient isolation work.

Your anterior delts assist in shoulder flexion, pressing, and lifting your arms forward. They receive a significant amount of indirect work through bench presses, push-ups, and overhead lifts, so targeting them effectively requires more than just adding some front raises.

In this edition of our Workout Series: From Best to Worst, we rank the best exercises for hypertrophy, strength, and shoulder balance. If you’re looking to train smarter, not just harder, this guide will help you optimize anterior delt development without overexertion or wasting time on subpar movements.

Halfpoint/Adobe Stock

Best Exercises To Build Your Anterior Delt

These are your go-to exercises for developing the front deltoids. They allow for heavy loading, long time under tension, and functional carryover to compound strength.

Barbell Overhead Press

A foundational movement that maximizes anterior delt overload while also strengthening the upper chest, triceps, and core. It’s one of the best compound lifts for front delt thickness and shoulder power.

Coach’s Tip: Press in a straight line with your chin tucked and glutes tight. Lower the barbell with control, capitalizing on the eccentric muscle action.

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Offers a more natural movement pattern than the barbell version and helps fix imbalances between sides. Allows for a deeper range of motion and more freedom at the shoulder joint.

Coach’s Tip: Press with palms facing forward or slightly neutral to reduce shoulder strain and emphasize the delts.

Z Press

This seated-on-the-floor press forces you to maintain an upright spine and eliminates momentum. Your anterior delts have to work overtime without help from your legs or lower back.

Coach’s Tip: Keep your core braced and don’t let the weight drift forward. Start light, it’s humbling and requires adequate shoulder and thoracic mobility.

Arnold Press

Combining shoulder flexion and rotation for a unique challenge that blasts the anterior delts. You achieve a greater range of motion than with traditional overhead presses.

Coach’s Tip: Use moderate weights and control each phase to maximize results. Don’t rush the rotation. Focus on the squeeze at the top.

Fit athletic female performing a landmine press exercise for a tone anterior delt muscles — master1305/Adobe Stock

Average Exercises To Build Your Anterior Delt Muscles

These exercises can contribute to growth, but typically aren’t strong enough on their own. They’re better used as accessories or for variation, not as your foundation.

Landmine Press

This hybrid movement targets the front delts through a more angled plane, making it a good option for lifters with shoulder limitations. It’s also easier on the joints than strict overhead presses.

Coach’s Tip: Keep your torso tall and drive through the shoulder, not your chest or elbow.

Front Plate Raises

A simple, straightforward movement that torches the front delts. Great for pump work, but not ideal for progressive overload.

Coach’s Tip: Avoid going too heavy. Use strict form and hold at the top for 1–2 seconds to increase time under tension.

Push Press

Allows you to use more weight than a strict overhead press, but the legs do a lot of the work. Suitable for power development, but not the most efficient tool for front delt hypertrophy.

Coach’s Tip: Use it in strength or athletic training phases; it’s not your go-to for isolation.

Incline Dumbbell Press (Low Incline)

Although this is primarily a chest exercise, a low incline angle shifts more stress onto the anterior delts. It’s a solid secondary builder.

Coach’s Tip: Tuck your elbows at 30–45 degrees to target the front delts more directly.

Young physically fit man performing dumbbell front raises to working out his delt muscles — Oscar/Adobe Stock

Below Average Exercises To Build Your Anterior Delt Muscles

These might stimulate the anterior delts to some degree, but they’re inefficient, easy to compensate through momentum, or simply redundant if you’re already pressing.

Front Dumbbell Raise

Classic but overused. These isolate the anterior delts, but most lifters already get enough front delt work from pressing. Plus, they’re easy to cheat with momentum.

Coach’s Tip: If you use them, go light, slow down the tempo, and avoid swinging.

Cable Front Raises

Similar to dumbbell raises, but with more consistent resistance. Better for mind-muscle connection, but still a limited growth tool if you’re pressing heavy already.

Coach’s Tip: Use them as a finisher, not a main lift.

Battle Rope (Front Raise Variations)

These look flashy and spike your heart rate, but they offer minimal mechanical tension for actual front delt development.

Sled Front Raise

Novelty over necessity. Sled front raises can be fun, but the tension curve is awkward and challenging to control. Save them for variety, not progress.

Top Training Tips For Anterior Delt Muscles Growth

Want to maximize growth and avoid burnout? Here’s how to structure your front delt training smartly:

Train front delts 1–2x per week: Ideally, within your push or shoulder days.
Prioritize overhead pressing: Don’t rely solely on front raises.
Use isolation moves sparingly: Most anterior delts get more than enough work through compound lifts.
Watch your shoulder volume: Too much anterior work (especially when paired with chest training) can lead to imbalances and joint strain.
Cycle intensity and volume: Alternate between heavy pressing days and moderate isolation and pump work.
Train through a full range of motion: Half-reps might feel intense, but they shortchange muscle hypertrophy.
Balance with rear and lateral delt work: This helps to maintain shoulder health and posture.

Your front delts already work hard in most upper-body lifts, but innovative programming can take them from overused to optimized. Build your foundation around the best, mix in the average for variety, and don’t fall for the below-average exercises that feel busy but deliver little.

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Best 12 Anterior Delt Exercises Ranked: Build Wider Shoulders and Stronger Pressing Power, 2025-07-23 18:59:00

By Fysical FitnessIn Interviews

How Robert Herjavec Completely Transformed His Body And Became Ripped At 62

July 22, 2025

Robert Herjavec loves a good challenge. That’s how he’s built billion-dollar companies, raced cars at elite levels, and became a household name as a Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank for two decades. His latest challenge, though, has nothing to do with business. Herjavec’s setting his sights on transforming his body to completely reengineer it beyond what even he thought was possible.

“I used to tell myself I was as fit as my body would allow,” Herjavec told Muscle & Fitness. “But then I asked: How much of that is the truth, and how much of that is just my own limitation?”

Turns out, it was the latter. So he made changes. Now at age 62, Herjavec’s sitting at 13% body fat, and feels better than ever.

“I feel like we’ve reversed my age,” he adds. “It’s really inspiring to me, because if I can do this in an area that I didn’t think I could get to, what else can I do in life?”

He shares that his drive is deeply personal. Herjavec is the father of 7-year-old twins. And as they continue to grow up way too fast, Herjavec is making sure he doesn’t become the elderly dad who can’t keep up with his kids.

“I’m not afraid of getting older. I’m afraid of becoming old in their eyes,” he says.

And his efforts show up in real life. Recently, he posted a video on his Instagram wakesurfing with his kids, cutting across the water like someone decades younger.

Inside Robert Herjavec’s Life-Changing Health and Fitness Transformation

Robert Herjavec made major shifts in four core areas of his health: cardio, weight training, diet, and sleep. He started intermittent fasting, often going from Sunday dinner to Tuesday lunch without food. “Fasting makes my mind clearer and sharper,” he says, though admits, “by the end of the fast, I am a little irritable.”

He also cut back significantly on alcohol. While his life involves plenty of social dinners and events, he doesn’t let that dictate his choices anymore. He makes smart adjustments, like skipping appetizers and desserts, and only eats if he’s actually hungry and not because he enjoys the social aspect of ordering food.

Additionally, he traded his old “I’ll-sleep-when-I’m-dead” mentality for deep, prioritized rest, because without adequate recovery, he wouldn’t be able to perform at a level that he wants to.

Yet his biggest shift was around exercise. For years, Herjavec leaned on cardio. He could run for days, smash SoulCycle classes, and effortlessly grind out five-mile runs. But weight training was not his thing. He avoided them.

In September last year, however, he hired a trainer and attacked the one blind spot he’d always danced around: strength training. He keeps at it, not because he loves it, but because he sees how far consistent small steps can take him.

“People want fast results. But I’ll take consistency over discipline all day long,” Herjavec noted.

His physical transformation showed results within just eight weeks, but the mental recalibration has been the bigger win. He’s set a non-negotiable to go no more than one day without training.

Even with his brutal travel schedule, he finds a way. Whether it’s bodyweight workouts, running, push-ups or pull-ups when there’s no gym in sight, consistency never fails him.

Next Challenge for Robert Herjavec: Recovery

That level of push leaves the body craving recovery, and Herjavec says it’s his “biggest challenge right now.” While the Shark Tank star gets massages weekly, his eyes are now set on exploring what the latest tech can offer. He’s exploring modalities like red light, hyperbaric chambers, and PEMF.

However, some “biohacks” don’t seem to fit. He jokes that he still can’t stand the cold plunge and doesn’t have the patience for long sauna sessions.

“I get really bored sitting in a sauna for 20-25 minutes,” he admits.

He’s endlessly curious to find what else is out there that can help him continue to perform at a high level and recover more efficiently. From just our brief conversation it was easy to tell that Herjavec doesn’t stop at one finish line. He finds another.

“I’ve done the thing I thought I couldn’t do,” he says. “Now I’m looking around and thinking what else am I leaving on the table?”

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How Robert Herjavec Completely Transformed His Body And Became Ripped At 62, 2025-07-22 16:21:00

By Fysical FitnessIn News

Sam Sulek Joins Gymshark: What His Power Move Means for Bodybuilding Business

July 22, 2025

If you haven’t heard yet, newly minted IFBB pro and social media sensation, Sam Sulek, just inked a deal to join the likes of Chris Bumstead at the Gymshark clothing company.

That’s right. The 240-pound wrecking ball of muscle, appetite, and unapologetic gym savagery is now officially on the roster with C-Bum—and whether you like it or not, the fitness world just tilted.

The announcement hit social media like a bunker buster. Sam posted the teaser with the caption: “It’s about damn time @gymshark,” tagging none other than the reigning king of Classic Physique himself, CBum—who, not so coincidentally was sitting in the passenger seat while a third Gymshark athlete, David Laid, hovered in the backseat.

The implication was as clear as a quad striation: This wasn’t a fashion move. It’s a power move.

Sam Sulek Is A Different Kind of Athlete

Let’s be honest. Gymshark built its name on aesthetics and influencers—clean lighting, matching sets, and more editing than effort. But Sam Sulek? He’s a throwback. A hammer in an era of scalpels. No fluff, no filters. Just a guy in a hoodie doing sets until his ears ring, slamming calories like it’s a part-time job (because for him, it is), and looking like a walking slab of beef while doing it.

He doesn’t pretend to be polished. He doesn’t care if the lighting’s good. He’s not there to sell you a lifestyle — he’s there to remind you that bodybuilding is supposed to be hard.

Now Gymshark’s got him.

What This Means

For Gymshark, signing Sam is more than a brand partnership—it’s an identity shift. They’re not just selling style anymore. They’re selling strength. They’re aligning themselves with the new era of iron culture: guys who care more about progressive overload than TikTok angles. Guys who train to suffer, not to trend.

And partnering him with Chris Bumstead? That’s just smart business. CBum is the golden boy—six Olympias deep, dialed in, aesthetic perfection. Sulek is the chaos to his control. Together, they hit every note: polished champion meets raw firepower. And fans are eating it up.

The Significance Behind Sam Sulek and Gym Shark Partnership

Sulek isn’t just popular—he’s a one-man movement. He’s everything the mainstream fitness scene said wouldn’t work: a bulking monster in a world obsessed with cuts, an unfiltered mess in a marketplace obsessed with optics. And somehow, he made it work. Organically. Authentically. On his terms. Just like Bumstead did. If you ask me, that’s the essence of the partnership. These guys understand and respect each other.

That’s rare. That’s valuable. And Gymshark just locked it down.

Final Set

This isn’t just about clothes. This is about culture. The addition of Sam Sulek to the Gymshark team marks the moment where clean edits and calorie calculators took a backseat to chalk, sweat, and work. It says that maybe—just maybe—the era of hardcore bodybuilding never went away. It just needed a new face.

And now it has one. Wearing a hoodie. Eating a family pack of chicken thighs. Doing bent-over rows like his life depends on it. This could be a really big thing. Or, it could mean absolutely nothing. The market and the community will sort it out. My take? Someone is making money.

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Sam Sulek Joins Gymshark: What His Power Move Means for Bodybuilding Business, 2025-07-22 15:42:00