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Oliver Lee Bateman

Oliver Bateman is a contributing writer to MEL Magazine. He writes about the extreme sides of fitness, the weirder sides of MMA and pro wrestling, and the unorthodox lifestyles of professional athletes. His writing on these topics has appeared in publications such as the Paris Review, the Atlantic, and the New Republic. Ever since he was a little kid, he's been really good at exercising.

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Eating Myself to Death at Golden Corral

I was 16 when I began college as well as started working. At the time, I had no support from my parents, and thus, no…

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This Controversial Theory in Pro Fighting Could Change Drug Testing for All Sports

The main event of UFC 232 — rangy, skilled striker Alexander Gustafsson versus returning light heavyweight great Jon “Bones” Jones — was supposed to be…

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No Matter How Hard I Tried, I Could Never Get Big Enough to Protect Myself From My Father

This is the latest installment in the Body Issue, our weeklong examination of the male form, where men get real about what they look like,…

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The Fake Strongmen of Instagram Have Only Gotten Bigger

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Is Fancy Weightlifting Gear Cheating? Not If Your Bros Don’t Care

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At the Gym With a Couple of ‘American Ninja Warriors’

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Butterbean Hasn’t Gone Anywhere. You Just Haven’t Been Looking Hard Enough

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The Wrestler Who Has Gone Full Frankenstein to Bring His Career Back from the Dead

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Talking to the Men Who Photoshop Female Bodybuilders Into Hulk-Sized ‘Fuck Warriors’

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Inside the Guts of the World’s Strongest Men

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This Pro Wrestler’s Signature Move Is Being One of Your Girlfriend’s Favorite ‘Bachelorette’…