Nearly everyone who has been bitten by the weightlifting bug has had the dream of making a living from it. Strongman athletes are no different. The desire to wake up and train, eat right and train some ... Continue Reading
4 Quick Tips to Improve Your Deadlift Lockout
Knees strong, palms are chalky. You wrap your fingers around the barbell at your feet, flatten your back, activate your lats, core, and glutes, and push your feet into the ground as you heave the weight ... Continue Reading
Infographic: The Greatest Wilks Scores of All Time
In powerlifting, the same weight can mean different things. When a 200-pound athlete and a 400-pound athlete both max their deadlift at 500 pounds, it’s generally understood that the 200-pound athlete ... Continue Reading
Working Out vs. Training vs. Movement: What’s the Difference?
“How often do you work out?” is easily one of the most common questions I get from people, both on the internet and in person. My response to this question is, “I never work out; I train and I move.” In my ... Continue Reading
Marijuana and Lifting Weights: What the Science Suggests
As of June 30, 2021, there are 19 states in the US where recreational marijuana, aka cannabis, is legal. Medicinal marijuana or CBD oil is legal in an additional 28 states. According to a 2019 National ... Continue Reading
Can Sex Impact Your Lifting, Sports Performance, and Gains?
"Women weaken legs." — Micky, from the original Rocky movie The above quote comes from the original Rocky movie. I was watching it last night, and it got me thinking: Is Micky right? Could sex ... Continue Reading
Improved Posture for Bigger Lifts and Better Exercise
Many people — athletes or not — spend much of their days sitting at a desk, hunched over a computer for their jobs. Sitting all day like this might pay the bills, but it often comes at an additional cost: ... Continue Reading
Nordic Lifting Gloves Review
Lifting gloves are a piece of supportive strength equipment that protects the hand, while also slightly aiding an athlete's grip. They can be used by a wide variety of athletes for multiple types of ... Continue Reading
Squatting Face Pull – Exercise Demo and Benefits
In an earlier article we discussed the face pull and all the wonderful benefits it has to offer for strength, power, and fitness athletes, ranging from shoulder injury prevention, increased upper back ... Continue Reading
The “Do”s and “Don’t”s of Critiquing a Stranger’s Lifting Form In the Gym
Editors note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein and in the video are the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been ... Continue Reading
Kinesiology Taping the Rotator Cuff
Kinesiology tape is used by many athletes to provide themselves with the perception of extra support and to assist with acute pain in various areas on the body. Tape's main purpose is to provide the body ... Continue Reading
Jay Robb’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein Review — Is This rBGH-free?
Jay Robb’s Grass-Fed Whey is the most-reviewed grass fed whey protein on Amazon. It's a whey isolate, meaning that it's very low in fat and carbs, and it's usually made from cows that aren't ... Continue Reading
Banded Face Pull Alternatives
Banded face pulls are a great exercise to increase posterior shoulder strength, scapular stability, and enhance external rotation, all of which are necessary for proper shoulder performance for strength, ... Continue Reading
Natrogix PrimeBuild Best BCAA Review — Do You Need Creatine?
Natrogix is a Wyoming-based supplement that makes products that are, in their words, "nourishment as nature intended." While their product line is full of alternative health items like cinnamon pills and ... Continue Reading
Did You Know Some People Are Allergic to Exercise?
Yeah, you read that title correctly. Some gym-goers (both male & female) at a rate of about 50 out of 100,000, actually have a legitimate excuse to be conscious of their exercise rates and abilities. ... Continue Reading
Kinesiology Taping for IT Band
Kinesiology tape can be a useful tool to support prolonged performance. Tape's main function to guide the body's perception of support and pain through proprioceptive feedback we gain from its touch on the ... Continue Reading
NutraBio Naturals Grass-Fed Whey Isolate Review — The Monkfruit Makes It
Nutrabio is based in Middlesex, New Jersey, and the company has been around for about 20 years. They sell an impressive variety of health and fitness supplements like vitamins, minerals, protein, fat ... Continue Reading
Renegade Row With Kettlebells
Throughout previous articles we discussed a total body movement that increases back and arm strength, core stability, and increases metabolic demands for any lifter performing them. The renegade row can be ... Continue Reading
NOBULL vs. Nike Metcon 3 vs. Reebok CrossFit Nano 7
With the rise of functional fitness training came the growth and formulation of cross training shoes. These shoes are designed to support a variety of activities strength athletes may encounter in a ... Continue Reading
Universal Nutrition BCAA Stack Review — Does Aspartame Matter?
Universal Nutrition is a stalwart in the world of bodybuilding. It's been around for forty years and they put out dozens of different products, including nine different kinds of amino acid supplements. We ... Continue Reading
Mojtaba Maleki Joins the 500kg Raw (With Wraps) Squat Club
Iranian strongman and powerlifter Mojtaba Maleki just passed a huge powerlifting milestone. Maleki recently squatted 500kg raw with wraps at a Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) meet. This makes him the ... Continue Reading
Renegade Row Alternatives
In an earlier article we discussed the renegade row and all that it has to offer. Increased core stability, strength, back isolation, and scapular mobilization were just a few. In this article we will ... Continue Reading
Garden of Life Perfect Food Vs. MacroLife Macro Greens — Which Has More Nutrition?
There's a lot to like about these two green superfood drinks: they're both inexpensive and they both have a nice, descriptive nutrition label — something that can be hard to find in this industry. Macro ... Continue Reading
How to Eat and Train for Healthier Ligaments
Some strength athletes spend an awful lot of time thinking about their joint health without giving much consideration to the health of their ligaments, the bands of tough-yet-flexible connective tissue ... Continue Reading