In our previous episode, we talked about preparation for meet day and things to consider while getting ready for your first meet and when you’re packing. In this episode, we’re going to go over some of the ... Continue Reading
Why Olympic Weightlifting Improves Mixed Martial Arts Athletes
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a multi-faceted combat sport that combines many striking and grappling disciplines such as wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, and kickboxing. Matches generally consist of 5 minute ... Continue Reading
Fat Loss for Athletes: The Right Way to Approach Calories and Hormones
Whether you’re a strength athlete or a bodybuilder — in fact, even if you’re neither — there’s an extremely good chance that at some point in your life you’ve wanted to lose fat while losing as little ... Continue Reading
Three Hour Strongman: How to Stay Strong and Competitive on Limited Training Time
Time. We all have the same amount of this precious commodity but have different demands on how we allocate it. Most people who train for the sport can manage to spend five or six days per week in the gym ... Continue Reading
Why Jack LaLanne Is One of the Most Influential Athletes of All Time
Speaking to reporters in the late 1990s, a then vibrant eighty-three-year-old Jack LaLanne told his bemused audience, ‘I can’t afford to die, it’d ruin my image.’(1) Earlier that morning, LaLanne had ... Continue Reading
Why Your Workouts Need More Good Mornings
The good morning is one of the oldest and most effective movements a strength athlete can perform. It’s also one of the most controversial. Here’s why. The exact origin of any barbell exercise is pretty ... Continue Reading
The Real Reason Your Deadlift Lockout Is Weak, and How to Fix It
If you have missed a deadlift near lockout, then you probably have been told that you need to do more block/rack pulls. In theory, it makes sense right? If the top end of the lift is weak, train it more ... Continue Reading
I’m a Professional Powerlifter. These Are My Thoughts On Strongman
Editor's Note: This article was updated on December 5th to reflect changes made in regard to the World's Strongest Man air dates and Strongwoman on the main stage at the Arnold Classic. In the prior ... Continue Reading
Are Preworkouts Worth It?
When you’re looking at workout supplements, there are a handful that have stood the test of time: protein powder, creatine, and preworkouts. First introduced to the market in 1982 — read about the first ... Continue Reading
What Should You Look for in a Cross Training Shoe?
Cross training shoes continue to grow in popularity among both serious and recreational strength athletes. These shoes are designed with versatility in mind and have become a staple for any weight bearing, ... Continue Reading
Should Weightlifters Do Lunges/Split Squats?
Olympic weightlifting requires great amounts of leg strength to produce successful snatches, cleans, and jerks. Movements like back squats, front squats, and pulls are the main movements used to acquire ... Continue Reading
5 Big Changes After 30 Days Of Cold Water Immersion
As longevity seems to be one of this year’s hot topics, it comes to no surprise that cold water immersion ranks pretty high on the list. Although this practice has been around for centuries, its popularity ... Continue Reading
Weightlifting Training for Baseball Players
Olympic lifts have been shown to increase athletic potential. Most arguments for and against the usage of Olympic lifts for baseball players are not over the effectiveness of Olympic lifts making better ... Continue Reading
Why Olympic Weightlifting Will Make You a Better Sprinter
As an athlete, life is easier when you are fast. In many sports, sprinting speed is one of the predominate physical characteristics that differentiates an athlete’s level of playing ... Continue Reading
The Hip Thrust Mistake Everyone Keeps Making
Last week, I posted a video of some hip thrusts on Instagram. As you can see, even with the awesome machine from Sorinex, they weren’t easy! I struggled with just 80 ... Continue Reading
Is Powerlifting Safe for Kids?
Editor’s note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein and in the video are the author’s and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been ... Continue Reading
This Is the Best Study on Fasting and Strength Training to Date
When it comes to the benefits of fasting there are a lot of studies on overweight individuals and people with chronic illnesses, but there aren't actually all that many on strength athletes. This is one ... Continue Reading
3 Major Reasons You’re NOT Progressing In the Gym
I see a lot of mistakes made in the gym, and the thing is, many of them are the same mistakes, made over and over and over again. Of course, the reason I notice is probably because I’ve made all the same ... Continue Reading
Should You Train Core Every Day?
Core training is something nearly every strength/power athlete and everyday fitness enthusiast are concerned about, in one way or another. Some athletes and coaches are looking at ways to improve core ... Continue Reading
Why Women Can Handle More Training Volume Than Men
Strong /strôNG/ adjective: having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks. [Synonyms: muscular, brawny, strapping, sturdy, burly, heavily built, meaty, robust, ... Continue Reading
How Timed Holds Can Improve Your Squat, Bench, and Deadlift
Back in the 1960s, the iron game world was a lot smaller than it is today. Now, we’re nearly overwhelmed by choices — what websites to read, which barbell is best, what shoes to wear, and dozens or ... Continue Reading
Does Soy Lower Testosterone? What Athletes Need to Know
One of the most controversial topics in sports nutrition has got to be soy. The humble, unusually high-fat bean has been a dietary staple in much of Asia for thousands of years and today it makes up some 7 ... Continue Reading
The Pros and Cons of Lifting Belts
A lifting belt can be an extremely useful piece of supportive strength equipment for the gym. Yet, with that extreme usefulness comes an equal level of understanding for when, how, and why you should wear ... Continue Reading
Best Weightlifting Shoes for Beginners
If you've landed on this article, then more than likely you're newer to lifting shoes and need guidance before investing. Whether you're new to competing in strength sports or you're just a recreational ... Continue Reading