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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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The Ineffable Bro-ness of Rob Gronkowski

He was as much cultural default as football great

From Working Men to World-Class Athletes, Stone Lifting Has Always Been the Ultimate Feat of Strength

Stone lifting > deadlifting every time

The Dystopian Future of Extremely Expensive Fitness Equipment

Strength training was supposed to be for everyone — but now we're getting priced out

Enormous, Blood-Hungry Muscle Monsters Take Top Billing in Poland’s MMA

How Much You Can Bench Has Absolutely Nothing to Do With Strength

A Brief(s) History of the Pro-Wrestling Posedown

The Lonely Life of a Yacht Influencer

The Fine Art of Choking Out Another Human Being

Eating Myself to Death at Golden Corral

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

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

The Fake Strongmen of Instagram Have Only Gotten Bigger