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
Allergic to Your Barbell? Why Some Bars Give Lifters Itchy Reactions
Today at BarBend HQ I was speaking with David about front rack positions. We got into the topic of lifters with an allergy to nickel and how it can cause irritation and itching with some lifts. It was at ... 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
Siamand Rahman Does Insane Things in the Bench Press
Siamand Rahman is in a class by himself. The paralympic powerlifter and two-time defending Paralympic Champion is, depending on who you ask, one of the world's most dominant strength athletes. The question ... Continue Reading
Love of the Loss: How Losing in Strength Athletics Makes Your Life Better
As anyone who has competed in amateur strength sports knows, competing can be an amazing way to connect with your community, to push yourself past your perceived limitations and build confidence, as well ... Continue Reading
How Triphasic Training Can Improve Your Power Production
Every lift involves a concentric, eccentric, and isometric muscle action. Triphasic training employs the concept of loading each muscle action with the purpose of creating a specific training adaptation - ... 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
5 Signs It’s Time to Change Up Your Strength Training Program
Think of a strength training program as a roadmap: it’s the path that’s going to safely and effectively navigate you to your final destination. As with every road map, issues can arise. We may experience a ... Continue Reading
USA Weightlifting Looking to Recruit from CrossFit Liftoff Participants
The 2016 CrossFit Liftoff runs from November 3rd to 7th this year, and the remote competition will test athletes across max lifts in the snatch, clean & jerk, and a to-be-released conditioning ... Continue Reading
Alec Smith (Brother of CrossFit Games Champ Ben Smith) Cleans 400 Pounds
They raise kids strong in the Smith family, that's for sure. While oldest brother Ben Smith is perhaps the most famous of the Smith brothers for winning the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games — and standing on the ... Continue Reading
Check Out Dave Castro in These Navy SEAL Workout Videos from 2008
The United States Navy has a pretty fantastic YouTube page featuring everything from instructional videos on Navy Life Skills to candid interviews with personnel in a variety of key roles. ... 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
Ilya Ilyin Training Footage from 2012: 196kg Snatch, 240kg Clean & Jerk at 94kg Bodyweight
Instagram user Shin Yong Jin regularly posts training footage and competition archives from some of Asia's best weightlifters and weightlifting federations; his feed is equal parts hanging out with elite ... Continue Reading
Former Strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski Still Fighting in MMA
Arguably the greatest strongman competitor of all time, Mariusz Pudzianowski retired in 2009 with a record five World’s Strongest Man championships. He’s one of only four strongmen in the WSM Hall of Fame ... Continue Reading
How to Watch The 2016 World Open Powerlifting Championships
The 2016 World Open Powerlifting Championships will be held from November 13th to 19th in Orlando, Florida. This year, there are a recorded 255 competitors from 39 nations scheduled to compete: 145 men and ... Continue Reading
Eddie Hall’s Deadlift Versus Ray Williams’ Squat: Is One More Impressive?
Every now and then, I’ll have to fill out a form of some kind, and when I do, I always get stumped by what I actually do for a job. I write, I film, I photograph, I run competitions, scout athletes, and ... 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
Andrey Malanichev Squats 1,069 Pounds for a New World Record (in Wraps)
Russian powerlifter Andrey Malanichev is arguably one of the greatest athletes his sport has ever seen. Malanichev generally competes raw with wraps and in federations that utilize a monolift ... Continue Reading
Samantha Coleman Deadlifts 600 Pounds, Joins Handful of Women to Do So
This past weekend, United States Strongman held their annual Pro Women’s Worlds in Louisville, Kentucky. Samantha Coleman was among the attendees made a big splash with her 600 lb deadlift. Coleman is now ... Continue Reading
Going Old School: Inside the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongman Banquet
On Saturday, October 29th, I attended the 33rd annual reunion dinner for the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongman (AOBS) at the Marriott Hotel on the grounds of the Newark/Liberty Airport. This ... Continue Reading
Programming Corrective Exercise in Weightlifting and Functional Fitness: A Coach’s Perspective
Corrective exercises play a vital role in the long-term health, development, and overall success of training clients and athletes. One role of a coach is to prepare their athletes for optimal performance ... Continue Reading
Fight Bad Driving Posture with This Car Mobility Routine
Disclaimer: Always prioritize the safety of the road and follow all local laws related to driving. These exercises are intended to be performed prior to driving as well as at the conclusion of a trip, ... Continue Reading