I created Lift Lab Co a little over three years ago. This is the second gym I've owned, and prior to that I was teaching and coaching at Purdue University. Before that, I was in coaching purgatory—a ... Continue Reading
5 Plyometric Exercises for a Stronger Deadlift
Plyometric movements are a great way to increase overall fitness, power, and strength, which can lead to a stronger barbell movements like the deadlift, explains Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified ... Continue Reading
Catching Up with Chris Peil, Movement Coach to Eddie Hall and Zydrunas Savickas
The age of gigantic immobile strongmen is over. Long live even bigger, more athletic strongmen. While strength might be the name of the game in strongman, there is much more to the sport than just being ... Continue Reading
Why Visualizing Success Is So Important for Powerlifting
Editor’s note: This article is part three of a three part series that will share insight into Charles Okpoko’s lifting career. The series will cover Okpoko’s athletic beginnings, his developing and ... Continue Reading
How to Make Strongman Your Day Job
Nearly everyone who has been bitten by the weightlifting bug has had the dream of making a living from it. Strongman athletes are no different. The desire to wake up and train, eat right and train some ... Continue Reading
The “Do”s and “Don’t”s of Critiquing a Stranger’s Lifting Form In the Gym
Editors note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein and in the video are the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been ... Continue Reading
So You Wanna Be A Powerlifter? Registering for a Meet
In our last episode, we talked about equipment – defining the parameters of raw/classic and equipped powerlifting. Now that you’re in the know, and also have some information regarding federations from our ... Continue Reading
Rethinking Overhead: How to Fix a Stalled Split Jerk
Over the years I’ve found that athletes either love the split jerk or they hate it. There is no middle ground. Regardless of which side you fall on it’s a necessity in weightlifting and for most, always a ... Continue Reading
The Pitfalls of Social Media In the World of Strength and Fitness
With the age of social media, we’re bombarded by the lives and experiences of everyone around us. It’s difficult to scroll through Facebook or Instagram without seeing a picture or video of someone hitting ... Continue Reading
8 Tips For Improving Your Rope Climb
What used to be a staple of 1970s gym classes has become a common test of gymnastic skill, coordination, upper body endurance, and grip strength for CrossFit Regionals and Games athletes. The rope climb ... Continue Reading
Why You Should Add Crawling To Your Warm-Up and Workout Routine
Contrary to the belief of time-constrained lifters, stretching and warming up are not the same thing, and passive stretching is not enough to ready the body for weightlifting. A proper warm-up increases ... Continue Reading
Olympic Weightlifting or Calisthenics? Why You Should Do BOTH!
Olympic weightlifting and calisthenics: at a glance, they may seem like disciplines on complete opposite sides of the strength training spectrum. One involves lifting an external object through space, and ... Continue Reading
Who Are the Strongest Women in Strongman?
The sport of strongwoman is one that is slowly garnering more attention. It isn’t on the same level of visibility as the men’s version, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t any less competitive. The athletes ... Continue Reading
How Sports and Teammates Built My Powerlifting Mindset
Editor’s note: This article is Part Two of a three part series that will share insight into Charles Okpoko’s lifting career. The series will cover Okpoko’s athletic beginnings, his developing and changing ... Continue Reading
Finding Success in Missed Lifts: A Reflection on Competition
A few weeks ago, I competed in what felt like my millionth weightlifting meet. No matter how many meets I do, somehow my total remains the same. It's become a bit of a joke that I end each meet with a ... Continue Reading
The Growing Gap Between Coaching and Online Training
The fitness industry has transformed with the boom of CrossFit® and social media. The participation and value in fitness has exploded and with that there's been boosts in sports like weightlifting and ... Continue Reading
How Using Atlas Stones Can Benefit Almost Every Type of Athlete
The Atlas Stones are often regarded as one of the signature events in the World's Strongest Man contest. They’re typically the final event of strongman competitions, and this event often determines the ... Continue Reading
Breaking Down the Competition Bench Press (With Example Program)
In the following article we'll be going over technique in the competition-style bench press (not to be confused with the average commercial gym bench press), programming strategies for improving your bench ... Continue Reading
Breaking Down Famous Back Squat Programs for Weightlifters
The back squat needs no formal introduction. By now, we have all heard it introduced as the king of all exercises, and personally, I wouldn’t label it any other way. The squat uses muscles including the ... Continue Reading
6 Indoor Rowing Workouts That Won’t Bore You To Death
Walk into any standard gym, and you’ll see a line of treadmills and ellipticals, all occupied, while the rowing machines remain almost completely empty, which is ridiculous because rowing is an incredible ... Continue Reading
American Weightlifters Prep for Summer Universiade in Taipei
On Saturday, August 19th, the 29th Summer Universiade begins in Taipei, Taiwan. This event lasts 13 days, involves over 120 countries, and includes 22 sports. The event is put on by the International ... Continue Reading
7 Reason Strength Athletes Should Try Obstacle Course Racing
If the appearance of an Obstacle Course at the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games was any proof, Obstacle Courses are having a moment in fitness right now. But Dave Castro isn’t the first to notice. This year ... Continue Reading
Chains & Bands Are the Secret to Stronger Front Squats
The front squat is a popular squat variation to develop leg and overall strength. For some athletes, the front squat is a slightly more challenging squat variation, and with the usage of band/chains, then ... Continue Reading
5 Ways a Major Knee Injury Changed My Squat
Injuries suck. 2017 has been a real test of my tenacity toward my progress under the bar. This February, I was prepping for a powerlifting meet to qualify for USAPL Nationals (83kg weight class), and ... Continue Reading