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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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KCMitchell

How the World’s Strongest Amputee Lifts All That Record-Setting Weight

In some ways, KC Mitchell looks like the prototypical powerlifter — a mountain of dense muscle adorned with tattoos and topped with a ZZ Top…

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The Secrets of A Sports Supplement Mogul

If you were anything like me during the 1990s — an aspiring meathead adrift amidst the aisles of overpriced creatine tablets and whey protein powders…

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Elite Competitive Whistlers Put Their Lips to the Ultimate Test

Ron Deschenes, a bowtied, bespectacled Canadian advertising executive, had wanted to enter a competitive whistling event ever since he saw the documentary Pucker Up, which…

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MMA’s Favorite Chiropractor Wants to Put a Giant Chisel in Your Back

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The Fitness Influencer Who Pulls Off Insane Strongman Stunts in a Pink Tutu

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Every Fight Scene Should Be More Like Ultraviolent Anime

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Can We Trust Action Heroes’ Crazy Body Transformation Stories?

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In a 17th-Century Castle, the World’s Grandest War Game Comes to Life

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Inside Synthol Nation, Where Fake Swole Is the Goal

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I Started An Online Support Group for Men Who Can’t Get Rid of Their T-Shirts

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The Very Ballsy Ways Pro Wrestlers Decide What Kind of Trunks to Wear

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The Life of a Female Fast Car Hustler