American weightlifting is on the rise. On Wednesday, Sep. 13, 2023, Team USA scored big wins at the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF) 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi ... Continue Reading
Liao Guifang (71KG) Scores Clean & Jerk and Total World Records at 2023 World Weightlifting Championships
Riyadh runs red. Halfway through the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF) 2023 World Weightlifting Championships (WWC), Team China has amassed more gold medals than any other country — and it's ... Continue Reading
I Competed in My First Powerlifting Meet at Age 42 — Here’s How It Went
If you’re a regular reader, or even semi-regular reader, of BarBend, then there’s a good chance you’ve come across at least one of my articles. My name is Roger Lockridge, and I’ve written over 1,000 ... Continue Reading
2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals Roster Confirmed
The 2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals are scheduled for Oct. 21, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland, and will feature the 2023 World Log Lift Championships. Among the athletes on the confirmed roster are 2023 ... Continue Reading
William Relf Triumphant at 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man U105KG
The 2023 Britain's Strongest Man U105KG contest occurred on Sept. 10, 2023, in Bexleyheath, UK. Twelve of the UK's top strongmen contended through five events during the single-day contest: Max Deadlift, ... Continue Reading
4-Time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Trains Urs Kalecinski Through Chest Day
German Classic Physique bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski placed fourth at his Olympia debut in 2021 and won a bronze medal in 2022. Kalecinski is extremely active on social media and travels around the world to ... Continue Reading
Women’s Bodybuilding Legend Lisa Lyon Dies at Age 70
IFBB Hall of Fame member and women’s bodybuilding legend Lisa Lyon passed away on Sept. 8, 2023, in her California home at the age of 70. A press release stated that Lyon died peacefully after a ... Continue Reading
300-Pound Bodybuilder Douglas Fruchey Demonstrates Back Training Techniques
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Douglas Fruchey performed a pull day in the gym with bodybuilder, fitness model, and podcast host Mike O’Hearn. Fruchey competes in the Men’s Open division, toting a gargantuan ... Continue Reading
Iran’s Mir Mostafa Javadi Wins Men’s 89KG Division in Major Upset at 2023 World Weightlifting Championships
As the Iranian flag was raised in the stadium, commentators at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships (WWC) remarked that they had just witnessed one of the most surprising upsets in years. In a move ... Continue Reading
How Coach Hany Rambod Helps Bodybuilders “Dry Out” Before Competition
Competitive bodybuilders are judged on muscle size, shape, symmetry, balance, separation, definition, and conditioning. To achieve a peeled look that exposes muscle detail and separation, a bodybuilder ... Continue Reading
Phil Heath Teaches Will Tennyson How to Train Shoulders
Seven-time Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath is among the most dominant of all time. He won his Sandow trophies in consecutive years from 2011 to 2017. Unlike other Olympia champions like eight-time champ ... Continue Reading
2023 Sasquatch Pro Bodybuilding Show Results
Over 90 IFBB Pro League competitors in three divisions entered the 2023 Sasquatch Pro show in Federal Way, WA, on Saturday, Sept. 9. 2023. 2023 Olympia qualifications for Men’s Physique, Figure, and Bikini ... Continue Reading
Ismara dos Santos Wins 2023 Heart of Texas Pro Wellness Show
Ismara dos Santos is the 2023 Heart of Texas Pro Wellness show winner. The Brazilian competitor placed first out of nine athletes in the contest held on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Dallas, TX. Ismara ... Continue Reading
Nathan De Asha Wins 2023 Flex Weekend Pro Men’s Open Show
The IFBB Pro League hosted three divisions at the 2023 Flex Weekend Pro in Milan, Italy, on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. Men’s Open, Men’s Physique, and Bikini division athletes took the stage with hopes of ... Continue Reading
Rahmat Erwin Abdullah (81KG) Sets 209-Kilogram Clean & Jerk World Record at 2023 World Weightlifting Championships
Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah is the dark horse of men's weightlifting. Since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Abdullah has made a name for himself as a podium contender in both the 73 and 81-kilogram ... Continue Reading
How an Unexpected Phone Call Could Get 36-Year-Old Weightlifter Caine Wilkes Back to the Olympics
When a tendon snaps off the bone, it feels more like a dull pop than the crack of a whip. If you’re distracted at that moment, say by the cold kiss of a steel bar slamming into your clavicles, you might ... Continue Reading
How Hany Rambod Helps Derek Lunsford Add Graininess to His Chest
Men’s Open bodybuilder Derek Lunsford is amidst his prep for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. To help Lunsford improve his chest granularity, his coach, Hany ... Continue Reading
2023 Sasquatch Pro Preview
The 2023 IFBB Pro League Sasquatch Pro is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Federal Way, WA. Men’s Physique, Figure, and Bikini divisions will be featured in this show, with the winners of those ... Continue Reading
2023 Heart of Texas Pro Wellness Show Preview
Nine IFBB Pro Wellness competitors will take to the 2023 Heart of Texas Pro stage in the Irving Convention Center in Irving, TX, on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Those nine competitors will vie the 2023 ... Continue Reading
Understanding Arm-Over-Arm Truck Pull Technique With the Stoltman Brothers
On Oct. 27-28, in Round Rock, TX, the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational (RSI) will pit 10 of the world's top strongmen in competition for the largest prize purse in the sport. Among those athletes are the ... Continue Reading
Learn The Exercises Derek Lunsford Trains to Build Granite Calves
Derek Lunsford’s debut in the Men's Open division at the 2022 Mr. Olympia was a classic underdog story. A decorated former 212 Olympia champion moving up a division to compete with the biggest athletes in ... Continue Reading
Gavin McNamee Wins 2023 UK’s Strongest Man U90KG
The 2023 UK's Strongest Man U90KG occurred on Sept. 3, 2023, in North Lincolnshire, UK. Eleven of the top strongmen in the 90-kilogram weight class clashed through five events: Max Log Lift, Deadlift ... Continue Reading
Mitchell Hooper Reveals Optimal Training Volume Per Muscle Group for Strength
What’s the optimal training volume for maximal gains? Are more exercises or increasing weight more effective? On Sept. 4, 2023, 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Mitchell Hooper delved into the ... Continue Reading
New Meta-Analysis Suggests Artificial and Stevia-Based Sweeteners Help Reduce Fat Mass
Fret not the artificial sweeteners! A 2023 review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition has concluded that zero-calorie sweeteners might actually be helpful for reducing fat mass. More ... Continue Reading