The second week of October is bringing a fresh batch of strength-sport results, athlete moves and research. Rather than recycling last week's stories, here are the developments making noise right now.
If you follow bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman, nutrition or exercise science, these are the stories worth having on your radar.
Powerlifting: Sonita Muluh Sets a Historic Raw Squat Mark
Sonita Muluh reportedly produced the heaviest raw squat ever recorded in women's powerlifting at the 2026 Avancus Houston meet, making the performance one of the week's biggest strength-sport stories.
The result is a reminder of how quickly elite powerlifting continues to push absolute strength higher. For everyday lifters, the useful takeaway is less about copying elite attempts and more about the years of progressive training behind them.
Powerlifting: Jesus Olivares Pushes the Top End of the Total
Jesus Olivares also made headlines at Avancus Houston after posting enormous raw numbers in the super-heavyweight class, with unofficial IPF world-record-level performances reported for squat and total.
Elite totals are built through specialized preparation. Recreational lifters should take the inspiration without assuming that maximal competition attempts belong in ordinary weekly training.
Strongman: The OSG European Championships Crown New Champions
The 2026 OSG European Championships produced new men's and women's champions this week, with Fredrik Johansson and Claire Myler taking the top spots in their respective competitions.
The result adds another major event to an already crowded October strongman calendar and gives fans another set of performances to follow before the Rogue Invitational later this month.
Bodybuilding: More 2027 Arnold Storylines Are Already Forming
The 2026 Olympia is no longer the only bodybuilding story dominating the conversation. Coaches and athletes are already discussing the 2027 Arnold Classic, with Hadi Choopan confirmed as a competitor and Nick Walker talking openly about chasing the title.
That early buildup shows how quickly the professional bodybuilding calendar moves from one major contest to the next.
Bodybuilding: Missy Truscott Retires From Competition
Three-time Fitness Olympia champion Missy Truscott has announced her retirement from professional bodybuilding, closing an important chapter in the Fitness division.
Retirement stories matter because they highlight the career length, preparation and physical demands behind elite competition rather than just the results on a contest stage.
Nutrition: New Review Says Muscle Health Needs a Bigger Role
A new expert review highlighted by Texas A&M this week argues that muscle health should be treated as a central part of clinical nutrition, particularly during aging, illness and weight loss.
The authors emphasize that muscle health is broader than muscle mass alone. Strength, physical performance, endurance and function all matter, and simply telling someone to consume more protein is not a complete strategy.
Exercise Science: ACSM Questions Rigid Cycle-Based Training
The American College of Sports Medicine published a new discussion this week on menstrual-cycle phase-based training, arguing that athletes should think carefully before applying rigid phase-specific prescriptions.
The practical message is useful well beyond this particular topic: individual response, symptoms, performance and recovery can be more informative than blindly following a calendar.
What to Watch Next
October still has plenty of strength-sport action ahead, including major strongman events and more professional bodybuilding contests. The training research calendar is also moving quickly, so new studies are likely to keep feeding the conversation.
For recreational lifters, the best way to use the news is as context and motivation—not as a reason to change a working program every time a new headline appears.
The Gym Log Takeaway
Elite records, contest results and new research are worth following, but your own training history is still the most useful source of information about your progress. Choose a sensible program, record the work and let your results guide the next decision.
Choose a routine from the Gym Log program library and start tracking your training.
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