A sound foundation of bodyweight strength is an asset to anybody that lifts weights, and we’re not just talking about pull-ups. (Though pull-ups are awesome.) It’s no secret that many of the world’s ... Continue Reading
Schiek Leather Lifting Strap Review
Many lifters know of Schiek because of their weightlifting belts. Since the early 1990s, Schiek has grown to become one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of lifting straps, gloves, and other gear. The ... Continue Reading
Want Optimal Testosterone Levels? Eat More of This
Strength athletes and the fitness industry at large just cannot stop talking about testosterone. And why should they? Healthy testosterone levels are incredibly important, and not only for ... Continue Reading
Strength Myth: Baseball Players Shouldn’t Lift Overhead
Editors note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein are the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been sourced exclusively ... Continue Reading
Bodyweight Training for Weightlifters: 10 Exercises to Master
Weightlifters, like most athletes, need to have a fundamental level of fitness, often expressed as General Physical Preparedness (GPP). Encapsulated within GPP training is the ability to have a fundamental ... Continue Reading
The Surprising Benefits of Club Training for Strength
It’s not often that an exercise is as cool-looking as it is effective, but club training is changing the game. Clubs, of course, are traditionally mêlée weapons (read: used for bashing heads in), and ... Continue Reading
Core Training for Weightlifters and Functional Fitness Athletes
Core training is a staple for athletes of all sports. The “core” is a term used to refer to the individual muscles that surround our spine to promote stability and absorb potentially harmful rotational and ... Continue Reading
3 Simple Exercises Strength Athletes Should Do for Stronger, Healthier Feet
Imagine wearing gloves for the entire day, from the moment you leave your house until you return again late in the evening. Do you think your hands will be affected, especially if you choose stiff gloves ... Continue Reading
Giants Pro Figure of 8 Lifting Straps Review
You may have heard of or seen the Figure of 8 lifting straps by Giants Pro before. These were the straps Eddie Hall used to break the deadlift world record with 500kg at the World Deadlift Championship in ... Continue Reading
The Lifter’s Guide to Magnesium: What This Nutrient Does for Strength
Ask the average strength athlete to list the supplements they can’t live or lift without, and the list will probably stop at protein powder and creatine. Folks with a higher budget might add fish oil, ... Continue Reading
Which Strongman Weight Class Is Right for Me?
Weight classes. For lifters of any discipline, being in the proper weight class is a large determinate of how well they do in their sport and how long they can compete at it. For a few it’s easy: They are ... Continue Reading
5 Weightlifting Accessory Exercises to Improve Overhead Performance
As weightlifters, our programming is pretty straight forward. Snatches here, clean & jerk variations there, and a steady diet of squatting and pulling. Accessory training is the term given to ... Continue Reading
How to Program Plyometric Jump Training Into Your Weightlifting Workouts
Plyometric and jump-based training has been shown to be extremely effective at increasing explosiveness, power output, and neuromuscular adaptations that increase athletic performance. Jump training, often ... Continue Reading
Deadlift Every Damn Day
When they first make that ever so important first trip to the gym, most teenage boys make a beeline straight for the dumbbell rack, hoping that 20 sets of curls will make their sleeves just that little bit ... Continue Reading
5 Life Lessons Olympic Weightlifting Can Teach You
Many lifters are drawn to Olympic weightlifting for reasons that we may not truly know. Some of us grew up playing sports and training the power clean, while others were more fortunate to get formal ... Continue Reading
6 Reasons You Should Invest In a Pair of Weightlifting Shoes
At this point in life I should be receiving some form of compensation for the amount of athletes I’ve convinced to invest in lifters. I’m always dishing my shoes in the gym to help others see the ... Continue Reading
The Sots Press – How To Benefit Your Training
The Sots press is an amazing strength and mobility exercise to for weightlifters, CrossFit® athletes, and even powerlifters. The benefits of performing such movement may very dependent the sport and/or ... Continue Reading
10 Questions Strength Coaches Should Ask Themselves to Become Better
Coaches play a pivotal role in the overall mental, physical, and even social development of an athlete, often wearing many hats. As a coach, I have come across numerous coaching and athletic environments, ... Continue Reading
Eugen Sandow Was a Groundbreaking Strength Pioneer and Father of Bodybuilding
Eugen Sandow is known as "The Father of Bodybuilding," and he acquired that title for good reason. Not only was Sandow strong, but he developed revolutionary strength training processes for his time ... Continue Reading
3 Assistance Exercises to Improve Technique, Confidence, and Performance in the Split Jerk
The split jerk requires a great deal of explosive power from the legs, footwork speed and technique, balance and coordination, and overhead strength and stability. Olympic weightlifters and functional ... Continue Reading
How Coffee Naturally Boosts Your Workout Performance
Coffee, noun; defined as a drink made from brewed and ground bean like seeds. For myself, and a lot of others we know coffee as a verb. “Did you see me coffee that PR?” and, “I need to seriously coffee ... Continue Reading
Lifters Rejoice: Strength Training Does The Brain Good
We’re well aware of the physical benefits exercise offers us. Strength training improves our muscular base, enhances our posture, creates stronger bones, and improves joint health. Cardiovascular training ... Continue Reading
6 Performance Enhancing Behaviors for Weightlifting WODs
Weightlifting is a vital aspect of both competitive and everyday fitness athletes’ training program. Weightlifting workouts of the day (WODs), often seen at the beginning of sessions (either in Olympic ... Continue Reading
The 3 Most Common Types of Training Periodization (and When to Use Them)
Very rarely is anything truly new in the strength training world, especially when it comes to programming. Yes, methods change and the industry perpetually matures, but the fundamental programming pillars ... Continue Reading