If you’re a serious lifter, you probably work hard to make sure you’re doing enough accessory exercises and get enough sleep to improve your big three (or hopefully, your big four — the overhead press is ... Continue Reading
Watch Chinese Weightlifter Lu Xiaojun Train Tibetan Stone Lifters
Lu Xiaojun of China is a legend in the world of weightlifting. His dominance since his competitive debut at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Junior World Championships in 2004 where he ... Continue Reading
Added Sugar vs Natural Sugar | What You’re Missing on Nutrition Labels
Sugar gets a pretty bad rap these days. The sweet carbohydrates are all over the news being linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, and even skin problems.(1)(2)(3) Despite all these ... Continue Reading
The Ultimate Cross Training and Lifting Shoe Size Guide
One of the most daunting parts of purchasing new cross training and lifting shoes is how they're going to fit. Unlike a pair of generic, normal training shoes that you try on at any major retail store, a ... Continue Reading
2020 IFBB Pro League Schedule Announced: Competitions and Bodybuilders to Watch
2019 was a memorable year in the sport of bodybuilding. We saw new Olympia champions crowned in five of the eight professional divisions highlighted by Brandon Curry becoming the 15th man to earn the title ... Continue Reading
7 Team USA Weightlifters Share Their Favorite Accessory Exercises
While BarBend was down in Lima reporting on the IWF Grand Prix, we managed to find some time with six athletes and Team USA's Technical Director, Mr. Pyrros Dimas, to ask them one of the most common ... Continue Reading
Best Seated Row Bars
Seated row bars are usually metal cable attachments with a handle for each hand. When used properly, they enable exercises that can fill out and strengthen the traps, rhomboids, and lats. Although ... Continue Reading
Weightlifter Katherine Nye Named to Forbes 30 Under 30
Kate Nye's last two years have been nothing short of extraordinary. In this past year alone, she claimed gold at the 2019 IWF World Championships (the youngest American woman to ever win the title), the ... Continue Reading
Best Smart Scales
The biggest advantage to a WiFi or Bluetooth enabled smart scale is that your weigh-ins are automatically recorded via a phone app. For those with weight management goals, this long term information may be ... Continue Reading
4 Bench Press Variations When You Have Shoulder Discomfort
The bench press is a rite of passage for most gym goers. Even the newbies who know next to nothing about lifting always seem to know two exercises: the bench press and biceps curls. And ... Continue Reading
3 Mind Blowing 800+ Pound Jefferson Deadlifts, the Heaviest Performed to Date!
If you're heavily invested in the strength sports community on Instagram, then you may have noticed that an "unconventional" deadlift style is making a comeback in popularity...no pun ... Continue Reading
Watch Benjamin Downs Pull a Gargantuan 905lbs
Canadian powerlifter, Benjamin "Binnie" Downs, has wowed us with a herculean lift of a mythical weight. During training, he shared a new personal record on his Instagram page; an unbelievable 410.5kg ... Continue Reading
Best Core Sliders
Core sliders may be an affordable and effective way to switch up your exercise routine. Designed to be placed underneath feet or hands, these simple tools add a layer of difficulty to your existing ... Continue Reading
Watch 19 Year Old Powerlifter Enahoro Asein Deadlift 716lbs
Powerlifter Enahoro "Rocket Man" Asein of Nigeria is making a name for himself with some extremely impressive lifts despite only being 19 years old. He recently shared a massive pull of 325kg (716lbs) ... Continue Reading
Samuel Finn Performs 5,234 Burpees In 12 Hours for New Guinness World Record
"If I can sum up my experience in a few words: 12 hours of pain!!" This was a direct quote pulled from Samuel Finn's Instagram post highlighting that he had broken the Guinness world record for the ... Continue Reading
The Female Cycle and Strength Training: When to Push and When to Hold Back
(Men, feel free to sit this one out): The cramps are crippling. You feel bloated, and you keep running to the bathroom between sets of squats. You’re not sure if it’s the coffee or just period poo, but ... Continue Reading
CrossFit HQ Dishes Out Multiple Penalties for Open Workout 20.5
The final round of penalties have been announced for the 2020 CrossFit Open. Over the weekend, CrossFit HQ disclosed that 15 athletes have received penalties for their Open Workout 20.5 video ... Continue Reading
Fix Your Kettlebell Swing With the Water Bucket Trick!
This is one of my FAVORITE #kettlebelltraining tips. Is it EXACTLY mimicking a proper swing? No, of course not! (For one thing, you'd be using a LOT more "pop" and explosion from the hips if you were ... Continue Reading
Cailer Woolam Deadlifts 440kg/970lbs in Training
We've been writing about his deadlifting prowess for years, and powerlifter Cailer Woolam shows no signs of slowing down. Less than a month after he broke the all-time deadlift and total records at the ... Continue Reading
Best Power Cages
Power cages — also referred to as power racks — are a home gym staple. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a great home gym that doesn’t have a well-equipped power cage in it. At BarBend, we like to ... Continue Reading
Kate Nye Jerks 142kg In Prep for Olympic Qualifying Event
No, it's not an all-time PR for American weightlifter (and reigning Pan American, Junior, and World Champion) Kate Nye. But if this 142kg rack jerk is any indication, training is going well leading up to ... Continue Reading
Maddie Sturt’s Quest For a Fifth CrossFit Games
The CrossFit Games Open can be a bittersweet experience for many of us. We know we’re fitter than we were last year, but our performances on the leaderboard don’t reflect this. One moment we’re ... Continue Reading
10 Signs Coachability Is Harming Your Gym Progress
We have probably all heard of the term coachable before. And likely, we assume we’re coachable, because, well, who wants to be labeled uncoachable? But are we really coachable? Here are 10 ... Continue Reading
2020 Arnold Strongman USA Lineup Announced
The Arnold Sports Festival announced in September that the 2nd Arnold Strongman USA event will take place on January 18, 2020 at the Santa Monica Pier in California. Besides the title and being presented ... Continue Reading