Big biceps don’t win strength competitions. Developing proficiency in the sport of weightlifting is about mastering both the snatch and the clean & jerk. If you’re pursuing the biggest total possible, ... Continue Reading
Build a Big Pec Shelf With the Guillotine Press
If you are looking to build a bigger chest, specifically your upper pecs, look no further than the guillotine press. The guillotine press is a means of achieving serious upper chest development with a ... Continue Reading
Upper Body Workouts for Transmasculine People to Help Build Muscle and Confidence
For trans and nonbinary athletes of all genders, the gym can be both a potentially unsafe and incredibly liberating place. If you’re a transmasculine person wanting to get started on — or reinvigorate — ... Continue Reading
4 Years from Weightlifting Newb to American Record Contender (w/Mary Theisen-Lappen)
Today I'm catching up with American weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen. A former collegiate thrower (track & field), Mary found weightlifting about four years ago through a USA Weightlifting recruitment ... Continue Reading
Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Finds His 2022 Bulking Diet
What is the starting point for an elite bodybuilder's diet? Well on Jan. 8, 2022, three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead took to his YouTube channel to share day one of his new bulking ... Continue Reading
The Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
Whether you have a personal resolution to get fit in the new year or have just decided to take your first steps towards bettering your health, you need a good roadmap. Pursuing a better bill of health ... Continue Reading
8 Strategies to Help You Break Through Strength Training Plateaus
Progress in the gym is much like the rest of life. It’s never in a straight line. There are times when you’re adding weight, adding reps, and making rapid gains. Then, the time comes when you and the ... Continue Reading
Bodybuilder and Powerlifter Bev Francis Was a Game-Changing Athlete
“I wanted to show the world that a woman could be strong.” (1) In November 2021, 66-year-old Bev Francis returned to powerlifting after a 36-year hiatus. Totaling 274.8 kilograms (606 pounds) and ... Continue Reading
5 Benefits of the Hook Grip
When you’re Olympic lifting, one of the last things you want to worry about is the security of your grip. There are several different types of grips, like the overhand, underhand, and mixed. A style that’s ... Continue Reading
The Best Strength Athletes in 2021
Any athlete who has the dedication and chutzpah to compete deserves a round of applause. Preparing for any strength or physique competition takes months of rigorous training and calculated dieting. Then, ... Continue Reading
How Chris Bumstead Bounces Back in the Gym After Recovering From COVID-19
The three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion, Chris Bumstead, is a bit behind this off-season compared to where he was a year prior. According to a video posted to his YouTube channel on Jan. 5, 2022, ... Continue Reading
A Look Back at Tiny Meeker’s New All-Time World Record Bench Press of 1,125 Pounds
Superheavyweight powerlifter Tiny Meeker has gone where no other lifter in history has before. He advanced the equipped bench press world record to a staggering 510.29 kilograms (1,125 pounds). Meeker ... Continue Reading
What You Should Know About Drinking Coffee Before a Workout
Coffee, java, joe. It's one of the most popular drinks in the world and contains one of the most widely-used performance aids on the market — caffeine. Caffeine is often added to pre-workout supplements ... Continue Reading
Here’s the Leg Workout Brandon Curry Used to Grow for the 2021 Olympia
When the 2021 Olympia weekend began, many fans felt that defending champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay would easily defend his title. The package he presented in 2020 was too much for then-reigning ... Continue Reading
The Resolutioner’s Guide to Gym Etiquette
Whether you’re a rank beginner or are comfortable with a barbell in your hands, public gyms can be intimidating places. There are plenty of rules — both spoken and unspoken — that govern good behavior in ... Continue Reading
How to Use Forced Reps to Level Up Your Training
Even if you’ve never used the term, you’re probably familiar with forced reps. These attempts to move beyond strict form to build more muscle can have a bad reputation, but they’re not unequivocally ... Continue Reading
8 Powerbuilding Program Benefits: Strength, Muscle, Focus, and More
Sometimes you’re training mainly to get strong. Other times, your primary focus is on gaining muscle mass. And still, other times, you want the best of both worlds — to lift heavy and build muscle. Enter ... Continue Reading
How I Switched from Powerlifting to Bodybuilding (with Amanda Kohatsu)
Today I'm chatting with a repeat guest on the BarBend Podcast: Powerlifter turned (now professional) bodybuilding competitor Amanda Kohatsu. Amanda originally made a name for herself in strength through ... Continue Reading
5-Minute Mobility Workouts for Beginners, Bodybuilders, Powerlifters, and More
You can program the best lifts in strength sports into your training regimen. But if you’re lacking a solid mobility routine, you’ll be leaving a lot of potential gains on the table. Whether you weave ... Continue Reading
Exclusive: Ronnie Coleman on Recent Weight Gain, Current Strength, and Health Progress
Fans of bodybuilding are familiar with the health struggles that have plagued eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman in recent years. Coleman has endured over a dozen surgeries to his neck and back and, as ... Continue Reading
Benefits of the Z Press: Stronger Lifts, Core Stability, Bigger Traps, and More
Looking for a new core-blasting upper body lift to weave into your training program? You don’t have to look any further than the Z press. Made popular by Strongman Žydrūnas Savickas, the Z press is a ... Continue Reading
The Incline Dumbbell Bench Press Will Unlock Your Muscle-Building Potential
The incline dumbbell bench press is prescribed in many training programs without a full appreciation of its versatility or value. Often glossed over as just an upper pec exercise, the incline dumbbell ... Continue Reading
The 8 Best Calf Exercises for Lower Body Support and Power
Unless you’re genetically gifted, most people have a stubborn muscle group that refuses to grow — and there are legitimate reasons for that (which we'll get into below). But you also don't want to throw in ... Continue Reading
Margaux Alvarez: The CrossFit Games, Wine, and Long Drive Competitions (Podcast)
Margaux Alvarez is a 7-time CrossFit Games athlete, long drive competitor, coach, and wine entrepreneur. She's one of the most multi-talented personalities in fitness, and her future in CrossFit — and ... Continue Reading