Strongman and strongwoman shows have grown tremendously in popularity over the past decade and a half. Where once shows struggled to attract competitors, interest in strength has never been higher. ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Julius Maddox Bench Presses 525 Pounds for 50 Total Reps
Julius Maddox is a bench press savant known for his one-rep maxes. Seriously, Maddox can bench press more than most people can deadlift. It turns out Maddox can toss around some serious volume, too. On ... Continue Reading
How Bodybuilding is Judged, Different Divisions, and Scoring
Bodybuilding is unlike any sport in that it may just be the most subjective and, therefore, the hardest to judge. In ball sports, you know who’s winning based on how many points a team has. Combat sports ... Continue Reading
USA Weightlifting 2020 National Championships Will Be Virtual
It has been a rollercoaster year for Olympic weightlifting competitions. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced varying closures and restrictions on large gatherings in numerous states. As a result, many ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Eric Lilliebridge Squats 3.6 Times His Bodyweight
Eric Lilliebridge is insanely strong. He holds the all-time world record total in the 140-kilogram weight class with knee wraps, a monstrous 1,115 kilograms (2,458.2 pounds), set on July 16, 2016, at the ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Kristy Hawkins Deadlifts Colossal 275 Kilograms (606 Pounds)
On Nov. 9, 2019, powerlifter Kristy Hawkins competed in an epic deadlift battle against Brianny Terry at the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) Slingshot Record Breakers in the 75-kilogram ... Continue Reading
Strongman Gabriel Pena Pulls 1,145-Pound (520-Kilogram) Deadlift Off Blocks
Eight days after being hospitalized with heart issues, World's Strongest Man competitor Gabriel Pena pulled 520 kilograms (1,145 pounds) off 18-inch blocks. Ok, then. You can check out the impressive feat ... Continue Reading
Bear Crawled a Marathon (with Devon Lévesque)
Today we're talking to Devon Lévesque, a trainer and fitness influencer based out of Jersey City, New Jersey. Devon is probably best known for — and I promise I’m no exaggerating here — bear crawling a ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Amanda Lawrence Sets Three American Records
A lot can happen in a year. If you're Amanda Lawrence, you apparently add 73 pounds to your already elite powerlifting total and set three new American and unofficial world records. On Nov. 21, 2020, ... Continue Reading
Jonathan Withers Wins 2020 NPC Nationals Overall Bodybuilding Title
Ever since 1982, the National Physique Committee has held their Nationals bodybuilding contest to determine the best amateur bodybuilder in the country. The first champion to be crowned was Lee Haney, who ... Continue Reading
Professional Strongman and Father Aaron Page Dies
British professional strongman Aaron “The Rage” Page died on Nov. 20, 2020. No official cause of death has been made. However, on Nov. 12, 2020, a post from Page's girlfriend Chloe Woodford was ... Continue Reading
CrossFit’s Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: Inclusion
The close of the 2020 CrossFit Games seemed like the perfect time to write a piece capturing the tumultuousness of the year for the CrossFit brand and to cast a hopeful light on 2021. After all, despite a ... Continue Reading
5 Bodybuilders to Watch at the 2020 Mr. Olympia
Bodybuilding’s biggest contest is nearly upon us. The 2020 Mr. Olympia is the premier bodybuilding competition and features 10 unique divisions. However, the one fans always clamor for is the Men's Open — ... Continue Reading
What Virtual Fitness CAN’T Replace in Coaching and Strength
When I was 15 years old, I was an aspiring young athlete, hoping to play sports (basketball and golf) in college. I didn’t know much about strength training at the time, and 30 years ago we couldn’t just ... Continue Reading
Dr. Jordan Shallow: Your Warmup Is Broken
As we approach the holiday season, BarBend wants to celebrate by revisiting some of our most popular podcasts from the past 12 months. This episode with Jordan Shallow prompted a ton of discussion, and ... Continue Reading
2020 Olympia Weekend Moves to Orlando, Florida
The 2020 sports calendar has been flipped and re-arranged on all levels thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bodybuilding is no exception. Earlier in the year, it was announced that the Olympia weekend ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Ashton Rouska Sets 2 All-Time Tested World Records
Ashton Rouska is the juggernaut of the 105-kilogram weight class. On Nov. 14, 2020, the 23-year-old powerlifter competed in the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Virginia Winter Wrecker competition at a ... Continue Reading
Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Bill Passed, Controversy Ensues
On Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, the United States Senate unanimously passed the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (RADA) — named after Grigory Rodchenkov, the whistleblower in Russia's state-sponsored doping at the ... Continue Reading
Nick Shaw, Founder of Renaissance Periodization, on Being “Fit for Success”
All around the country, people can (accurately!) argue that 2020 has been a particularly rough year. For 33 year-old Nick Shaw, it was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Shaw is the founder and CEO of ... Continue Reading
World’s Strongest Man Athletes Reveal Their Strongman GOAT Picks
The 2020 World's Strongest Man (WSM) contest had some of the most decorated strongmen on the planet all converge in Bradenton, FL to compete, give commentary, or partake in the refereeing of the event. ... Continue Reading
Action Bronson Channels His Inner Strongman, Loses 127 Pounds
Action Bronson is primarily known for two things — spitting creative rhymes and hosting Fuck, That's Delicious on Viceland. You can add "crushing it in the gym" to that list. Since April of 2020, ... Continue Reading
Strongman Corporation Nationals 2020 — A Tale of Resilience and Grit
Logan Pragovich was two weeks into auto stem cell therapy for his second battle against cancer when he decided to compete in Strongman Corporation Nationals. No stranger to training, Pragovich had ... Continue Reading
Yury Belkin Deadlifts All-Time World Record 445 Kilograms (981 Pounds)
On Nov. 15, 2020, in a deadlift-only event, Yury Belkin made a single attempt — and that was all he needed. Belkin pulled an all-time world record 445 kilograms (981.1 pounds) raw deadlift at a ... Continue Reading
Fittest One Arm Man on Earth (with Logan Aldridge)
Today we're talking to Logan Aldridge, training director of Adaptive Training Academy and the fittest one arm man on earth. After a wakeboarding accident that resulted in the loss of his arm at a young ... Continue Reading