Fitness
Meaty and Marbled: The Best Grass-Fed Steaks You Can Buy Online
No offense, standard grocery meat, but nothing beats a deep-red, well-marbled steak. Not only do grass-fed steaks look more appealing—even in their raw state—those webs of white fat running through the cut finish off juicier, meatier, more flavorful, and also healthier. Grass-fed steaks contain up to five times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef with lower levels of saturated fat.
Grass-fed operations have also proven to be a more ethical and environmentally sound way of raising cattle. In general, fields of grass promote land and soil biodiversity as well as drought resistance while inhibiting floods. Moreover, grass-fed beef production can sequester carbon, which helps offset methane emission and reduce greenhouse gas levels.
No question, grass-fed steaks are the healthier and tastier choice for grilling. So where do you splurge on some? Order your premium slabs from one of these five outstanding operations.
Where to Buy the Best Grass-Fed Steaks Online
Verde Farms Courtesy Image
1. Verde Farms
During a trip to South America, the founder of Verde Farms was so inspired by how reverently the gauchos (cowboys) treated and raised their cattle—he adopted their tenets: Respect the animals; honor the land; value family, simplicity, and integrity.
The company now sources its USDA organic, 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished beef from just a few family farms in Uruguay—one of the world’s top grass-fed beef producers. Free-range and antibiotic- and hormone-free, Verde Farms products also include ground beef, sausage, roasts, and stew meat.
[From $11; verdefarms.com]
Belcampo Courtesy Image
2. Belcampo
This network of eight farms began with one 30,000-acre spread at the base of Mount Shasta in Gazelle, California. The founding mission: bring pasture-raised beef to market with regenerative farming practices while using certified-humane slaughtering processes.
Dedicated to allowing its animals to remain in herds and rotate frequently through robust fields, Belcampo is committed to healthier animals and ecosystems. Aside from grass-fed steaks, the company also sells premium pork, lamb, poultry, bacon, sausage, offal, bones, and jerky.
[From $14; belcampo.com]
3. White Oak Pastures
Based in Bluffton, Georgia, this former industrial farm began switching over to regenerative farming practices over 25 years ago. Emphasizing organic and holistic farming, White Oak Pastures ethically raises 10 species of livestock, while making efforts to capture soil carbon to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions from cattle.
A zero-waste farm, the company uses every part of an animal after processing. Hides are dried for pet rawhide or made into leather. Fat is rendered down for tallow. Other parts are composted to serve as fertilizer.
In addition to grass-fed steaks, several other premium meats are sold here—including poultry, lamb, heritage pork and Iberico pork, plus specialty meats like bison, boar, elk, and gator.
[From $16; whiteoakpastuers.com]
4. Alderspring Ranch
This cattle ranch is run family-style with seven daughters in tow over 46,000 acres of rangeland near May, Idaho.
The Alderspring Ranch crew is dedicated to raising cattle according to the animal husbandry method—a timeless technique requiring close attention to livestock’s natural tendencies, meeting animal needs on their own terms. They also practice “stockmanship”—the art and science of proper herding.
Beef is purely grass-fed, certified organic without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones or GMO crop feeding. Lamb, pork, poultry, dairy, and a home-grown jerky line called Wild Cow are also available.
[From $19; alderspring.com]
5. Carman Ranch
This small group of Oregon ranchers was spearheaded by a multigenerational family raising cattle in the state for over a century. Carman Ranch and its five producers are fully dedicated to regenerative farming practices that sequester carbon while restoring and building soil utilized for livestock production.
All animals are grass-fed and grass-finished on free-range pasture, and never fed antibiotics or hormones. In addition to all cuts of steaks, Carman Ranch sells lamb, poultry, pork, bone broths, hot dogs, beef sticks, and hook-and-line caught tuna and cod.
[From $17; carmanranch.com]
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The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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