On March 15th, COVID-19 became a lot more real for those of us in France. The French government announced restaurants, entertainment venues and all non-non-essential stores would close as of midnight. The ... Continue Reading
Managing Strength Training Through Menopause
“We don’t quit playing because we age, we age because we quit playing.” - George Bernard Shaw A beautiful quote indeed, but tell that to a woman going through perimenopause or menopause, and she might ... Continue Reading
Brian Shaw Breaks Down How to Do the Car Deadlift
One of the appealing aspects of strongman is the unique ways in which the athletes display their power. Lifts like the car deadlift are simply more interesting than a barbell version. While the visual is ... Continue Reading
2020 Weightlifting Events Canceled or Postponed Due To Coronavirus (Updated)
The coronavirus pandemic is causing multiple Olympic weightlifting events to be canceled, postponed, or otherwise affected. We at BarBend decided it would be helpful to have a continuously updated ... Continue Reading
2020 CrossFit Events Canceled or Postponed Due To Coronavirus (Updated)
With more and more events being either canceled, postponed, or otherwise affected by the coronavirus pandemic, we at BarBend decided it would be helpful to have a continuously updated list of CrossFit ... Continue Reading
6 Great Bodyweight Exercises for Powerlifters (Try These At Home!)
What happens when we're matched with a time frame where equipment might be slightly limited and we have a need for a routinely high training stimulus? We find ourselves trying to as creative as ... Continue Reading
Krzysztof Wierzbicki (-100kg) Deadlifts All-Time World Record 433.5kg/955.7lb
The 28 year old Polish powerlifter, Krzysztof Wierzbicki, has done it again. Known as "Mr. Deadlift", Wierzbicki is notorious for pulling some of the heaviest weight around. He has a tendency to not only ... Continue Reading
Best Men’s Compression Shorts
Compression shorts are a piece of apparel that often go unseen; similar to underwear, compression shorts often sit underneath layers of shorts or pants. However invisible they may be, they can play a ... Continue Reading
Brian Alsruhe: Lifting Through Rock Bottom (Podcast)
Brian Alsruhe is a champion strongman athlete who has overcome an astounding list of setbacks: two back breaks, a brain tumor, parasites, and a bone marrow infection, to name just a few. After finding help ... Continue Reading
Coronavirus Pandemic Triggers 2020 CrossFit German Throwdown Postponement
The World Health Organization (WHO) made the assessment on March 11th that the coronavirus (COVID-19) can be considered a pandemic. Multiple CrossFit Sanctionals™️ competitions have already made the ... Continue Reading
Is This Common Ab Training Mistake Limiting Your Progress? How to Fix It
The biggest mistake I see beginners make with ab training is not doing too many isolation movements: it’s the failure to isolate the targeted muscle. Now, in most situations, this isn’t all that ... Continue Reading
Best Elbow Support
Elbow support braces are worn by a wide range of people. Some athletes who have hurt their arms in the past may absolutely need an elbow brace to help ease their minds. There are also athletes who are ... Continue Reading
7 Tips to Avoid The Dreaded Kettlebell Forearm Flop
You want to improve your strength, conditioning, power, and grip strength, and you know that kettlebells can do it all. But you have visceral memories of forearm pain from the dread kettlebell flop: ... Continue Reading
Coronavirus Lockdown Causes 2020 CrossFit Italian Showdown to Move Online
According to a press release by CrossFitHQ, the CrossFit Italian Showdown scheduled for April 24th-26th at the Riccione Play Hall in Northern Italy will now take place online instead due to the ... Continue Reading
Olympic Torch Relay Continues With Adjustments as WHO Declares Pandemic
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have encountered a lot of difficult circumstances recently. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic (as declared by the World Health Organization) has compelled governments ... Continue Reading
Sling Shot Extreme “X” Vs SBD Knee Sleeves | Who’s the Winner?
There are a lot of different knee sleeve options on the market and it can be overwhelming at times finding the perfect pair for your needs. Factor in that most sleeves come with a fairly hefty price tag ... Continue Reading
Both the European and African Weightlifting Championships Have Been Postponed
The International Weightlifting Federation has announced that two significant events in the sport’s calendar have been postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak: The European Weightlifting ... Continue Reading
Elite Gymnast Shares Core Training Progressions and Tips
There are a lot of ways to train your core with a lot of the industry's top coaches giving their input. The type of core training any given athlete decides to incorporate into their training can ... Continue Reading
The Best Exercise Dice
One of the hardest things about working out, no matter your age, skill level, or the type of fitness you practice, is the monotony of it. Everyone should give themselves as many opportunities to be excited ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Ashton Rouska (-93kg) Wins Arnold Grand Prix, Sets Multiple Records
This was bound to happen. Ashton Rouska's inevitability as the dominant player in the -93kg weight class could have been predicted when he first stepped on the competitive stage at just 15 years old and ... Continue Reading
Best Wrist Support Braces
Wrist braces, or sometimes sleeves, wrap around or cover the wrist joint for support. Examples of support can be maintaining alignment or alleviating pressure when bearing weight. They can differ in design ... Continue Reading
Want to Build a Resilient and Strong Body? Try Using Bulletproof Trisets
If you are a strength training junkie, then you eat, sleep, and live for a heavy barbell in your hands. There is no doubt about it, locking out a heavy deadlift makes you feel like the strongest person on ... Continue Reading
Powerlifter Blaine Sumner Squats a World Record Shattering 515kg (1,135 lbs)
If you're in need of a jaw dropping feat of strength, then look no further than Blaine Sumner's latest performance at the USA Powerlifting Arnold Grand Prix by SBD that took place at this year's ... Continue Reading
2020 Arnold Classic Saturday Night Results
There was an elephant that was hanging around every room in Columbus, Ohio when the Arnold Sports Festival started. The expo was cancelled and spectator restrictions were enacted due to the risk of the ... Continue Reading