It's common to see football coaches (often those lacking a strength coach) employ lifting straps for Olympic, or power based movements, but why? A recent video shared by the extremely strong Pittsburgh ... Continue Reading
Are These the First Pics of Adidas’ 2018 Lifting Shoes? (Leistung, Powerlift, and More)
Out of all the companies that make lifting shoes, it seems like Adidas is the brand that's constantly updating their models, releasing new color schemes, and tweaking shoes based off of user ... Continue Reading
Why People Get Hooked on Weightlifting
A few days ago, the father of one of my teammates gave me a call to talk to about my performance at the National Championships as well as a few other ideas he had. He also happens to be a coach for a high ... Continue Reading
12 Things All Morning Exercisers Do (But Won’t Admit To)
It takes a special type of person to wake up at the crack of dawn for a sweat session, so it's no surprise we have our own special (and little known) routines and habits. If you’ve been known to rise and ... Continue Reading
Bulgarian Split Squat vs Lunge vs Step Up – What’s the Difference?
Unilateral leg training is key for symmetrical muscular development, balance and coordination, and sound movement patterning. Lack of proper ankle, knee, and hip mechanics in a unilateral setting can spell ... Continue Reading
10 Undeniable Benefits of the Clean & Jerk
Sometimes, people are confused as to how Olympic weightlifting is just two exercises: the snatch and the clean & jerk. (And formerly the clean & press, which was part of the sport in the ... Continue Reading
How Long Does It Take to Get Good at Strength Sports? A Newbie’s Guide
"You just haven't been training long enough, don't sweat it," My boyfriend Mark said this me once when I was somewhat tearfully lamenting what I perceived as a stall in my overall progress. For a ... Continue Reading
Is Breakfast a Must for Strength, Muscle Growth, and Fat Loss?
When it comes to breakfast, it's not uncommon to hear things like, "It gets your day started right," and "It's the most important meal of the day," but is it? With the growing popularity of diets like ... Continue Reading
Bulgarian Split Squat vs Lunge vs Back Squat – Differences and Benefits
The back squat, Bulgarian split squat, and the lunge are three lower body movements that are fundamental to nearly every strength, power, fitness, and sport athlete. Neglecting both/either bilateral (back ... Continue Reading
5 Famous People Who Tackled “Murph” on Memorial Day
Memorial Day might be the most solemn of American holidays, being less about celebration and more about remembering the sacrifices the military has made for the country. The military and law enforcement ... Continue Reading
How Strongman Has Changed in the Past Year (and What’s on the Horizon)
As this month draws to a close, we celebrate my one year anniversary writing for BarBend! It’s exciting for me, and I hope in some way I have helped you become a better strongman through my (almost) weekly ... Continue Reading
Adidas Powerlift 3.1 Weightlifting Shoes Review
The Adidas Powerlift shoes are currently in their third generation and have steadily grown in popularity since their initial release. This shoe could be described as one of Adidas's most well-known ... Continue Reading
Ray Williams Matches World Record, 1,052-Pound Squat in Training
"Let's do this sh*t!" says Ray Williams, somehow managing to speak coherently, stand for more than ten seconds, and then squat 1,052 pounds (477.18kg). Over the weekend, Williams was getting ... Continue Reading
The Stiff Leg Deadlift – Exercises, Benefits, and Muscles Worked
Strengthening the posterior chain is a necessity for strength, power, and sport athletes. The ability to integrate fluid knee and hip flexion and and extension is at the root of force production for most ... Continue Reading
USA Weightlifting President Ursula Garza-Papandrea Elected First Female IWF Vice President
Earlier today, USA Weightlifting President Ursula Garza-Papandrea was elected the first-ever female Vice President for the International Weightlifting Federation. IWF elections are being held in Bangkok, ... Continue Reading
Deadlift vs. Leg Press – Which Is Best for Mass and Strength?
Two common movements seen in training programs and gyms for muscle hypertrophy and strength are the deadlift and the leg press. In this article I will briefly discuss both movements, and then dive ... Continue Reading
2017 CrossFit Games California Regional: Upsets & an Invite Declined
For one Games veteran, it was the end of an era. For another, the beginning of a new family. After nine consecutive years competing at the CrossFit Games, Rebecca Voigt came up short in qualifying, ... Continue Reading
Eddie Hall Announces Retirement from World’s Strongest Man; Hafthor Bjornsson Questions Press Score
Though contractual obligations with organizers prevent competitors from announcing results at this point, Eddie Hall has announced his retirement from World's Strongest Man competition via Instagram. From ... Continue Reading
CrossFit Games Pacific Region Recap: Webb & Newbury Win, Toomey Close Behind
The final day of 2017 CrossFit Games Pacific Regional has come to a close in Wollongong, Australia, and familiar names are at the top of the leaderboard. Kara Webb managed to edge out Tia-Clair ... Continue Reading
Breaking: Eddie Hall Wins 2017 World’s Strongest Man in Botswana
In what many strongman fans might consider a shocking upset, British athlete Eddie Hall has beaten his fiercest rivals to claim the 2017 World's Strongest Man title. Hall's win marks the first time since ... Continue Reading
Amazing Grass vs. Emerald Balance — Which Is Better Value?
Emerald Balance and Amazing Grass are both high in Vitamin C and they both contain plenty of spirulina, barley grass, green tea, rose hips, and probiotic bacteria. But both green superfood drinks have a ... Continue Reading
Dan Bailey Withdraws from 2017 CrossFit Games Central Regional
Multi-time Reebok CrossFit Games competitor and fan favorite Dan Bailey has withdrawn from the 2017 Central Regional. While Bailey's withdrawal was announced on the Region's live stream, no reason has ... Continue Reading
Organifi Green Juice vs. Patriot Power Greens — Which Superfood Powder is Better?
Here are two pretty popular green superfood drinks with very different approaches to marketing. Organifi has millions of Facebook likes and focuses strongly on the fact that it contains ashwagandha, a ... Continue Reading
CrossFit Games California Region Day 1: Veterans Make a Push, and Can Becca Voigt Qualify?
There aren't many constants in CrossFit, but Valerie Voboril is a rare exception. After sitting out the 2016 CrossFit Games season, the Games veteran and podium finisher is back to business and sits in ... Continue Reading