The 2024 Olympics may be in the rearview, but weightlifting fanatics like us are still doing post-game reviews. The summer Games in Paris may have been the smallest Olympic-level weightlifting event in ... Continue Reading
Never Start Your Back Workouts With Pull-Ups
Back day is the best day of the week. If you disagree, take a number and form an orderly line. Almost nothing hits better than inflating your lats, traps, and yoke with a skin-tearing pump and crab-walking ... Continue Reading
“Daddy’s Home”: Chris Bumstead Announces Part Ownership of Gymshark
Bigger than bodybuilding: Chris Bumstead, five-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia and the world's most famous competitive bodybuilder, has announced a renewed partnership with and part ownership stake of ... Continue Reading
The “4+1” Protocol for Easy-Mode Calf Gains
I used to take an almost sick pride in skipping calves. Over the course of a decade-plus gym career, I'd find myself putting calf training on the back burner again and again. Why? Training calves is ... Continue Reading
Just Ridiculous: 220KG/485LB Bulgarian Split Squats by Cyclist Robert Förstemann
The biggest, strongest legs in the world may not belong to a bodybuilder — not if German cyclist Robert Förstemann and his almost-five-hundred-pound Bulgarian split squats have anything to say about ... Continue Reading
Jay Cutler’s Top 10 Bodybuilding Tips of All Time
When Jay Cutler speaks, we listen. The star of the Men’s Open division in the late ‘00s cemented his legacy in bodybuilding by dethroning all-time great Ronnie Coleman and, shortly after, becoming the only ... Continue Reading
The Best Training Technique to Gain Strength + Build Muscle After 40
If you're pushing (or have pushed past) 40, want to build muscle or increase strength, and aren't doing blood flow restriction, you're screwing up. Why is BFR particularly potent for middle-aged gym ... Continue Reading
Hugh Jackman Shows Off Ripped Six-Pack at 55 Years Old
Lean like Wolverine: At 55 years old, actor Hugh Jackman got back into fighting (and spandex) shape for Deadpool & Wolverine which hit theaters on Jul. 26, 2024 and has since grossed over a billion ... Continue Reading
Study Answers: Is Walking Enough to Prevent Obesity & Other Diseases?
How much is enough when it comes to physical activity and preventing or reducing the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions like obesity or hypertension? Let's take a look at the different ... Continue Reading
Dorian Yates Goes On (& On) About His Love for the Seated Cable Row
Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates loved the seated cable row so much he nearly got thrown out of a gym because of it. As Yates tells it, the seated cable row was one of his favorite back exercises, ... Continue Reading
Lasha Talakhadze Reveals His Heaviest Squat Ever
Lasha Talakhadze is stronger than he needs to be. The Georgian won his third Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024 earlier in August, cementing himself as the modern G.O.A.T. of competitive ... Continue Reading
Why Chris Bumstead Doesn’t Cold Plunge Post-Workout, Ever
It may seem like cold plunging is all the rage these days, but you won't catch five-time Classic Physique Olympia winner Chris Bumstead taking a chilly dip after his bodybuilding workouts. Cold ... Continue Reading
Jay Cutler’s 10 Top Bodybuilding Exercises for Each Muscle
Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler knew how to find the right tool for the job. The now-retired Cutler remains physically active well into his 50s, and relies on many of the same winning bodybuilding ... Continue Reading
Full-Body vs. Split Workouts for Fat Loss: This Study Declares a Winner
When it comes to fat loss, real change is made in the kitchen, not the weight room. You still need to hit the weights, though, and there's a bit of a debate raging about what kind of workout works ... Continue Reading
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Calf Exercise Was Super Weird, but It Worked
There's a deleted scene in Pumping Iron (1977) that shows seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger bent over a piece of equipment, mounted by a sweaty, scantily clad bodybuilder, bouncing up and down. ... Continue Reading
After Multiple Back Injuries, Layne Norton Deadlifts 725 Pounds
“Let me loose!” Howls Dr. Layne Norton as he slams a 725-pound barbell to the floor. For the good doctor, it’s much more than just another deadlift. “There was a time when I couldn’t even stand up or ... Continue Reading
1,000 Reps a Day: Frank Zane’s Legendary Ab Workout, Explained
At his peak, Frank Zane had perhaps the best abs in bodybuilding. His world-renowned midsection and mastery over the stomach vacuum technique helped Zane bag an Olympia three-peat in 1977, '78, and ... Continue Reading
“Retired” Weightlifter Tian Tao Smashes 550-Pound Front Squat
Chinese weightlifter Tian Tao retired after failing to qualify for the 2024 Olympics this spring — sort of. Known for having some of the strongest legs in the world of weightlifting, Tian despite his ... Continue Reading
This Ab Exercise Actually Slims Your Waist: Ms. Figure Olympia Erin Stern
The right ab exercise can make all the difference when it comes to creating a slim waist and hourglass silhouette. It's a cable ab exercise that combines two rock-solid core movements. We're going to ... Continue Reading
Will Hunter Labrada Make It to the 2024 Olympia?
Hunter Labrada is running out of time. The 2024 Olympia runs from Oct. 10 to 13 in Las Vegas, NV. Labrada, one of the big dogs in the Men's Open yard, has yet to qualify as of Aug. 31. If successful, ... Continue Reading
Dorian Yates on the “Greatest Bodybuilder” to Never Win the Mr. Olympia
Dorian Yates thinks Flex Wheeler is the greatest bodybuilder who never won the Mr. Olympia competition. Bodybuilders of all stripes hold Kenneth "Flex" Wheeler in high esteem. But only one man can win ... Continue Reading
Weightlifters Spam the Internet With Unofficial Records After 2024 Olympics
With the 2024 Olympics in the rearview, many of the world's best weightlifters are finally showing their hands after months of playing things close to the chest. BarBend is proud to partner with ... Continue Reading
Study Reveals the Hidden Danger of High-Rep Training for Hypertrophy
If you're trying to maximize muscle growth, high-rep sets might be quietly reducing your rate of hypertrophy. Here's what you need to know about rep ranges and the subtle ways they influence how much ... Continue Reading
Dad Strength: 56-Year-Old Shannon Sharpe Can Still Bench Press 300LB+ for Reps
Age is just a number — take 56 and 300. The former is the age of retired NFL superstar tight end Shannon Sharpe, and 300 is the amount of weight, in pounds, that Sharpe can comfortably bench press for ... Continue Reading