They say bodybuilding shows are won from the back. Even if you don’t have competitive aspirations, big lats and a beefy yoke set you apart from the average gymgoer. What’s more, your back is the foundation ... Continue Reading
Keep Your Eye on These Wellness Athletes at the 2022 Arnold Classic
The 2022 Arnold Classic weekend, scheduled to take place Mar. 4-5, 2022, in Columbus, OH, will host eight IFBB Pro League contests. Aside from the 34th edition of the Men’s Open Arnold Classic, the new ... Continue Reading
First Elite Strongman Contest of the 2022 Season, Força Bruta, Scheduled for February 13
The 2022 strongman season is upon us. The 2022 Força Bruta competition will take place on Feb. 13, 2022, in Cotia, Brazil. The single-day event will feature just four athletes competing in three events. ... Continue Reading
New Study Shows the Sooner You Swap to a Healthy Diet, the More Years You Can Add to Your Life
It's that time again when you read how eating a healthier diet means you'll live longer. However, this time there is research to back how life expectancy does increase for those who follow a diet primarily ... Continue Reading
How to Improve Your Deadlift Lockout
Deadlifting is an unforgiving game of physics — a true battle of you versus gravity. Missing a rep can be absolutely devastating. Sometimes the bar seems cemented to the floor, or even worse, the universe ... Continue Reading
Strongman Evan Singleton Deadlifts a Hulking 855-Pound Double In Training
Ever smash your forehead against a power rack, square up to a barbell loaded with a mammoth 387.8 kilograms (855 pounds), and lock it out twice wearing only a belt, lifting straps, and knee sleeves? If you ... Continue Reading
10 Benefits of Rowing Machines for Strength Athletes (and Everyone Else)
You’re exhausted after a three-rep set, and you can’t imagine what would happen to your lungs if you attempted a set of eight squats. You have nightmares about cardio, but you know you’ve got to do it if ... Continue Reading
10 Athletes With the Best Chests in Men’s Bodybuilding
If you follow bodybuilding at all, then you’re familiar with the phrase “international chest day,” which is associated with Mondays. The chest is a focus of every gymgoer, novice or veteran alike, because ... Continue Reading
Ample Recover Meal Replacement Review
Though the nutrients found in meal replacements can be great at any time of the day, many people do like to sneak in a meal replacement directly after a workout to help with recovery. The Ample Recover ... Continue Reading
Short on Time? Try These Bodybuilding Workout Tips
If you’ve ever entered the weight room ready to squat only to find the racks were taken, you know the pain of a disrupted workout routine. If you’re strapped for time in the gym, the last thing you need is ... Continue Reading
Two-Time Olympian and American Weightlifting Icon Oscar Chaplin III Dies at Age 41
The Olympic weightlifting community has suffered a huge blow. On Feb. 9, 2022, USA Weightlifting confirmed to BarBend via e-mail that two-time Olympian and decorated weightlifter Oscar Chaplin III died on ... Continue Reading
7-Time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath Shares His Chest and Shoulder Workout
Where has seven-time Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath been? In the gym, of course. Although "The Gift" chose not to compete at the 2021 Mr. Olympia contest after his seven-year win streak was stunted in ... Continue Reading
Learn to Do the Incline Barbell Bench Press For A More Complete Chest
The bench press is a chest day staple for a reason. It’s a beast of a lift that builds your chest, triceps, and shoulders; it even involves your back. Switching up your pressing angle with the incline ... Continue Reading
Inside the Creatine Shortage Affecting Consumers and Supplement Brands
This isn't some twisted meathead nightmare — if your typical creatine order seems outlandishly expensive or is completely unavailable, you'd be right. Creatine is in short supply and it's affecting ... Continue Reading
Strongman Tom Stoltman: “Autism Is a Superpower”
The 2021 World's Strongest Man (WSM) Tom Stoltman took to his YouTube channel on Feb. 4, 2022, to share his experience as someone with autism. At 26 years of age, Stoltman has two podium finishes at the ... Continue Reading
The 15 Best Resistance Band Exercises for Mass, Strength, and Endurance
The beauty of resistance bands is they don’t rely on gravity for resistance —like a dumbbell or pair of kettlebells — so you can perform various exercises at different angles to challenge your muscle ... Continue Reading
How a Mouthpiece Can Change Your Recovery (w/ Dr. Dena Garner, Brought to You By AIRWAAV)
Today I’m talking to Dr. Dena Garner, professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, the Director of Undergraduate Research and the Assistant Provost for Research and Policy at The Citadel in ... Continue Reading
Chinese Weightlifter Tian Tao Wants to Qualify for the 2024 Olympics at 89 Kilograms
With over three years until the Paris Olympic Games, the sport of weightlifting is seeing some early shake-ups. On Feb. 7, 2022, Chinese weightlifter Tian Tao announced on Instagram that he will be coming ... Continue Reading
The Clean & Jerk vs. The Clean & Press — Important Differences for Strength, Size, and More
There’s more than one way to take a barbell from the ground to over your head. The clean is a powerful expression of strength that gets the bar to your shoulders. After that, you have two solid options — ... Continue Reading
6 Healthy Fast Food Options, According to a PhD
Fast food is convenient, widely available, and often delicious. Whether you’re road-tripping, traveling to a competition, or just busy running errands, a quick stop at the drive-through makes life a lot ... Continue Reading
Bodybuilder Tom Prince, the 1997 NPC Nationals Champion, Dies at 52 Years Old
Former IFBB Pro League bodybuilder Tom Prince died on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at 52 years old. The former NPC Nationals winner faced numerous health issues over the last several years of his life; he was ... Continue Reading
Try These Dumbbell Shoulder Workouts to Build Strength, Size, or Get Flexible
When you think of dumbbells, the first exercise that comes to mind is undoubtedly some variation of a curl. After all, dumbbells are fantastic tools for building your arms. However, that doesn't mean that ... Continue Reading
A Review of Mat Fraser’s New Book: “Hard Work Pays Off”
After five-time Fittest Man on Earth® Mat Fraser hung up his leader jersey for the last time after the 2020 CrossFit Games, he picked up the pen and published his first book with the help of journalist ... Continue Reading
Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells Review
Editor's note: As of 6/5/25, Johnson Health Tech Trading has recalled BowFlex 552, 52.5 LB Adjustable Dumbbells and BowFlex 1090, 90 LB Adjustable Dumbbells due to impact hazard from the weight plates ... Continue Reading