Strength athletes and the fitness industry at large just cannot stop talking about testosterone. And why should they? Healthy testosterone levels are incredibly important, and not only for ... Continue Reading
3 Unusual Strongman Assistance Exercises You SHOULD Be Doing
I’m a big believer in the basics. The way I see it, an athlete will get 80% of their results from a few key movements. The squat, the overhead press, and the deadlift will build the strength that they need ... Continue Reading
USA’s Kerri Keegan and Caitlin Hogan Medal at World University Championships
In the first session of Weightlifting at the 2016 World University Championships, USA Weightlifting (USAW) won six medals respectively between the first two women to compete. In a combined 48KG (106lb) and ... Continue Reading
The Top 6 Fitness Mannequin Challenges (So Far)
There's no question that social media has become a dominant force in our society. It's one of the few things that can cause the nation to come together and partake in similar challenges and movements. For ... Continue Reading
How to Watch the 2016 World University Weightlifting Championships
The 2016 FISU World University Weightlifting Championships is currently underway in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The competition runs from November 13th through the 17th, and the weightlifting portion is ... Continue Reading
4 Fitness Vacations That Will Make You Stronger
Need to get away but don’t want to lose progress in your lifts? Believe it or not, you don't have to! If you're the kind of person whose ideal week off involves sunshine, cocktails, and barbell ... Continue Reading
Olympic Weightlifting Medalist Mohamed Ehab Youssef’s Insane Push Press Fight
Egyptian weightlifter Mohamed Ehab Youssef is a World and Olympic medalist (as of Rio), and besides being one of the strongest 77kg males on the planet, he's known for a couple things: 1. His intensity ... Continue Reading
NFL Player Michael Pierce Squats 725 lbs Unbelted
No matter what role you have in the strength community - impressive feats of strength should always be awarded with respect and pats on the back. Michael Pierce, defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, ... Continue Reading
USA Weightlifting Releases Record Standards for New 90kg Weight Class
In an article published on the USA Weightlifting website, USAW has announced the record standards for the newly-established women's 90kg weight class. Next month's American Open Championships in Florida ... Continue Reading
Kelly and Caleb Williams Are an American Weightlifting Power Couple
December will mark "7" for my next weightlifting power couple: 7 years married, and also 7 combined National Championships. Unlike Jason and I’s coach/athlete relationship, Caleb and Kelly Williams ... Continue Reading
Could This Research Change the Way We Look at Muscles and Strength?
A study posted on Experiment, a science-based crowd funding site, could be a game changer for athletes everywhere. Lead authors Andy Galpin, Jimmy Bagley, and Irene Tobias believe this study could be ... Continue Reading
Elle Hatamiya: Follow the 11 Year Old Weightlifter’s Olympic Dream
It’s always a great day when strength sports receive mass media coverage. Bleacher Report recently did a story on Elle Hatamiya, an 11 year old weightlifter with an Olympic dream. Not only is Hatamiya ... Continue Reading
Coaches Roundtable: Hook Grip Your Way to Stronger Lifts
The hook grip has been around for years in weight training. While the exact creator and originator of this grip is still unknown, there are records of athletes using hook grips in the 1940’s. To perform a ... Continue Reading
Caber Tossing: Why Hurling Trees Is the Most Delicate Strength Sport
The bicycle, the telephone, the television, and penicillin are all great Scottish inventions, sure, but the country’s greatest contribution to strength sports is definitely the world-famous Highland ... Continue Reading
Strongman Eddie Hall Bench Presses 584 Pounds for 6 Reps!
Eddie Hall is the world's greatest strongman-style deadlifter (as evidenced by his record breaking 500kg pull this past July). Now, the British strongman — who made the podium for the first time at this ... Continue Reading
Canadian Weightlifter Boady Santavy Breaks Records, Aims for Olympics
Over the last five years, I have had several opportunities to venture north of the border and attend national events that were hosted by the Canadian Weightlifting Federation. In addition to friendly ... Continue Reading
Watch Larry Williams Crush the Powerlifting Total Record at 242 Pounds
Larry Williams — or Larry “Wheels” Williams as many know him — has been making waves in powerlifting since his teenage years. Now, 21, Williams from Bronx, NY, made a big statement this past ... Continue Reading
Reebok to Face Big Changes, Will Emphasize Fitness and Higher Price Points
In an article published in the Boston Globe, author Jon Chesto outlines several announcements coming from Reebok leadership following a quarterly earnings call from last week. Newly appointed Adidas ... Continue Reading
Watch Olympic Gold Medalist Aleksey Torokhtiy Make His Transition Into CrossFit
At BarBend we always love when elite athletes try out different forms of stength sports. For example, Max Lang, a 77kg German weightlifter “suffering” through a CrossFit® class and giving his thoughts ... Continue Reading
USA Weightlifting Announces Ursula Papandrea As IWF Executive Candidate
In meeting minutes released on October 14th of this year, USA Weightlifting (USAW) has confirmed they will support the endorsement of three candidates for leadership positions within the International ... Continue Reading
Nick Urankar Hits 315 Snatch, 395 Clean & Jerk. Is This the New Normal for Games Athletes?
The CrossFit Liftoff is currently underway, which means new personal records are stacking up for functional fitness enthusiasts across the globe. More women than ever are snatching above 200 pounds, and a ... Continue Reading
Ray Williams Just Squatted Insane Weight for a Double
Look, there's not a whole lot more we can say about powerlifter Ray Williams without sounding like a broken record. On October 16th, Williams became the first person to squat 1,000 pounds ... Continue Reading
Luke Richardson: The Teenage British Powerlifter Phenom You Need to Know
Luke Richardson is a STRONG teenage British powerlifter. At the young age of 19, Richardson has already built an impressive resume of lifts with a 320.5kg (705 lb) junior squat record, 330kg (726 lb) ... 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