If you’ve lifted weights for any length of time you’ve probably hurt your shoulder. That sucks. The shoulder is a shallow ball and socket joint that has the very handy ability to move in multiple ... Continue Reading
Biggest Lifts Week 3: Dan Bell Deadlifts 855 lbs, Jessica Buettner Reps 405 lbs, and More!
Each week we're fired up by the big lifts we see. We see athletes across all the various strength sports putting up huge numbers, testing their limits, and crushing both personal and national/world ... Continue Reading
Egyptian Weightlifter Mohamed Ihab Announces Retirement
One of Egypt's most decorated weightlifters, Mohamed Ihab, has announced his retirement from the sport, according to Ahram Online. This news comes just after Egypt's National Olympic Committee (NOC) ... Continue Reading
7 Steps for Nailing the Perfect Squat (Feat 2-Time IPF World Champion Taylor Atwood)
There's a lot that goes into a great squat. The un-rack, walkout, descent, and ascent all need to be perfectly aligned to move efficiently under a loaded bar. An important lesson to learn under ... Continue Reading
The History of Bodybuilding’s Messy Journey to the Olympics
Bodybuilding truly deserves a place in the pantheon of Olympic sports. It dates to the original Olympic Games of the ancient Greeks, which inspired the modern Olympics. Between competitive events, the ... Continue Reading
Weight Over Bar Guide: How-To, Benefits, and Programming Tips
Weight over bar is a classic strongman event. This event is contested in a couple different ways in strongman and Highland Games competitions. In the weight over bar event, athletes will throw an object ... Continue Reading
Steve Cotter: Kettlebell Culture and Upping Your Mental Game
Steve Cotter didn't invent kettlebells, but it's impossible to talk about their popularity in the Western world without mentioning his name. Since the early 2000s, he's given over 600 seminars and ... Continue Reading
Emily Rolfe: Proving She’s No One-Hit Wonder At the 2019 CrossFit Games
When the Ruck event was announced at the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games, those with a running and triathlon background—Sam Briggs, Kristin Holte, Tia-Clair Toomey to name a few—likely rejoiced. Unbeknownst ... Continue Reading
Strongman Hafthor Bjornsson And Team Try To Eat 200 Burgers In One Sitting
Professional strongmen love eating challenges. We've seen Brian Shaw take on a seven pound burrito eating challenge, ultimate cheat days, and everything in-between. Hafthor Bjornsson, the 2018 World's ... Continue Reading
5 Great Bulking Foods for Digestion, Intra-Workout, and More
Winter is here, and that means it’s bulking season! Personally, I’m aiming to move up from my competition weight of 184 lbs to a whopping 240 pounds this offseason – a pretty massive gain, but one I ... Continue Reading
The IPF and SBD Are Teaming to Host a “Champion of Champions” Meet
The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and SBD Apparel announced a new IPF category event that will bring together 12 men and 12 women for one weekend to battle it out for the title of Champion of ... Continue Reading
Nike Metcon 5 Vs. Reebok CrossFit Nano 9: The REAL Winner
The Nike Metcon 5 and Reebok CrossFit Nano 9 have both been on the market for a few months now, so I figured it was about time to highlight each of them in an epic showdown. One of the most frequently ... Continue Reading
Introducing the NOBULL Dress Shoe, Is It a Hit Or Miss?
Need to get a quick lift in before your next job interview? Have no fear, NOBULL has you covered. Over the last three years at BarBend, I've reviewed over 40 of the best cross-training and lifting ... Continue Reading
Tom Boyden: Tricking, Jujimufu, and the New Age of Fitness Media
Tom Boyden is one half of the dynamic duo Juji & Tom. Find out how he partnered with Jujimufu and cracked the code on the way to building one of YouTube's craziest and most successful video ... Continue Reading
Best Running Socks
Shopping for running socks can often feel like a difficult run with no end point. There are so many makers and styles on the market, it can be an overwhelming process to find the perfect ... Continue Reading
8 Best Protein Shakes for Weight Loss in 2025, Tested and Dietitian Approved
Drinking protein shakes can help support your weight loss goals by increasing your protein intake. (1) But finding the best protein shakes for weight loss can feel overwhelming with new brands popping up ... Continue Reading
Kianoush Rostami and Saeid Alihosseini’s 2020 Tokyo Contention Appears Bleak
Two of Iran's top weightlifters' hopes for qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are looking very bleak. According to an Instagram post from @weightlifting_me, and Weightlifting House first ... Continue Reading
5 Ways to Improve Your Bench Press Lockout
Getting stuck in the bench press can be caused by a wide variety of issues. It can be related to strength, mechanics, muscle imbalances, and more. The bench press is like a chain of commands and if ... Continue Reading
Best Digital Scales
One of the most objective ways to measure one’s health and fitness achievements against personal goals is by calculating weight. Having a personal scale can be an incredibly useful aid in making sure one’s ... Continue Reading
The Founders of NOBULL Share the Vision Behind Their Fitness Film Festival
NOBULL is trying to change the way we consume their fitness products and content. The fitness footwear, apparel, and accessory brand has built a considerable amount of momentum in the training space with ... Continue Reading
Why Powerlifters Should Be Accessory Lifting With A Swiss Bar
Maybe you’ve seen the bulky, kind of odd-looking bar in your gym, or maybe you’re contemplating buying yourself a new toy for your garage gym. Or maybe you’ve just finished a meet or hit a lifting plateau, ... Continue Reading
The First NOBULL Short Film And Fitness Film Festival Coming This November
NOBULL, a footwear, apparel, and accessory fitness brand is making headlines with their recent announcement of a Fitness Film Festival set to debut in November. NOBULL has not only founded the event, but ... Continue Reading
Arnold Sports Festival to Debut “Wellness Division” in 2020
The Arnold Sports Festival, the group that runs the Arnold Classic contests around the world, announced this week that there will be a new amateur “Wellness Division” contest taking place at their ... Continue Reading
Machines Vs Free Weights: Pros, Cons, and Which Is Best for Strength and Mass
Man, talk about a topic that’s been beaten to death. The “free weight versus machines” debate has raged as long as I’ve been a lifter – and probably much longer, though that’s not a topic on which ... Continue Reading