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
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
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
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
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