Jumping lunges are performed in both general fitness programs and sports performance systems to enhance lower body power outputs, movement mechanics, and injury proof the body. In this article we will ... Continue Reading
Why Do Some People Orgasm When They Work Out?
We all know that working out does a body good, but for some of us, the pleasurable feeling from working out can reach a whole new level. In a famous 2012 study published in Sexual and Relationship ... Continue Reading
Why Does the Sumo Deadlift Get So Much Hate?
If you're a regular social media user, then you're probably accustomed to the frequent flack the sumo deadlift receives. No matter what - even when the weight is crazy impressive - it always seems like ... Continue Reading
How to Start Powerlifting After 40
Plenty of people think the squat, bench, and deadlift are timeless movements, eternal truths that will forever be fundamental to the strength and wellbeing of the human body. Powerlifting exercises are ... Continue Reading
How Often Should You Work Out Your Abs? Plus Tips from Celebrity Personal Trainers
If you got a bunch of aesthetically-focused gym goers in a room and asked them to rank their prized muscle groups, chances are that a six-pack will be fairly high on people’s lists. In pursuit of a ... Continue Reading
How to Use Exercise As a Jet Lag Remedy
Understatement of the century: jet lag is awful. There are few things worse than spending hours and hours flying to an exotic part of the world only to effectively lose part of the trip to that cursed ... Continue Reading
Are Pistol Squats Bad for Your Knees?
In general, NO, the pistol squat is not bad for your knees, just like squatting isn't bad for your knees. Rather, a poor pistol squat is bad for your knees… In an earlier article I discussed five ... Continue Reading
The History of the Deadlift: How Did This Lift Become So Popular?
The deadlift is the simplest of the compounds, yet it's one of the most rewarding to perform. There's something about the grit and tenacity that comes with picking up a dead heavy weight from the ground; ... Continue Reading
Are the Somatotypes Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph Relevant In Training?
Most athletes have heard about the three different somatotypes used to classify different body types. These include the terms ectomorph, mesomorph, and endormorph. Each somatotype ropes everyone into these ... Continue Reading
How 7 Elite Powerlifters and Weightlifters Warm Up for Squats
Every body is different, and the warmup that's perfect for one athlete can = be subpar for others. As one of the most challenging movements the body can perform, there are a lot of ways people approach ... Continue Reading
Is Being Strong Low Class?
What does a big, muscular body mean? Show a photo of a broad shouldered powerlifting type to ten people, and you’re likely to get ten different answers. Note that we said “big, muscular body,” which is ... Continue Reading
Should You Spend More Time Warming Up During Fall and Winter?
What's your warm-up look like? Any weathered strength athlete, or coach will push the importance of a quality warm-up. This is the strategic bout of time that a lifter takes prior to their programmed ... Continue Reading
Using Strongman to Build Mass: A 4-Week Hypertrophy Program
A love of the iron is often accompanied by a desire to increase the muscle mass on one’s frame. Ask most new trainees and eye popping muscles are one of the things that attracts them to the weight room. ... Continue Reading
7 Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve (And Why You Should)
When talking about strength and wellness, you don’t hear a lot about nerves. You might be told that heavy lifting “jacks up” your central nervous system, but you don’t hear much about how you can ... 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
Working Out vs. Training vs. Movement: What’s the Difference?
“How often do you work out?” is easily one of the most common questions I get from people, both on the internet and in person. My response to this question is, “I never work out; I train and I move.” In my ... Continue Reading
Marijuana and Lifting Weights: What the Science Suggests
As of June 30, 2021, there are 19 states in the US where recreational marijuana, aka cannabis, is legal. Medicinal marijuana or CBD oil is legal in an additional 28 states. According to a 2019 National ... Continue Reading
Can Sex Impact Your Lifting, Sports Performance, and Gains?
"Women weaken legs." — Micky, from the original Rocky movie The above quote comes from the original Rocky movie. I was watching it last night, and it got me thinking: Is Micky right? Could sex ... 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
Kinesiology Taping the Rotator Cuff
Kinesiology tape is used by many athletes to provide themselves with the perception of extra support and to assist with acute pain in various areas on the body. Tape's main purpose is to provide the body ... Continue Reading
Banded Face Pull Alternatives
Banded face pulls are a great exercise to increase posterior shoulder strength, scapular stability, and enhance external rotation, all of which are necessary for proper shoulder performance for strength, ... Continue Reading
Did You Know Some People Are Allergic to Exercise?
Yeah, you read that title correctly. Some gym-goers (both male & female) at a rate of about 50 out of 100,000, actually have a legitimate excuse to be conscious of their exercise rates and abilities. ... Continue Reading
Kinesiology Taping for IT Band
Kinesiology tape can be a useful tool to support prolonged performance. Tape's main function to guide the body's perception of support and pain through proprioceptive feedback we gain from its touch on the ... Continue Reading
Renegade Row Alternatives
In an earlier article we discussed the renegade row and all that it has to offer. Increased core stability, strength, back isolation, and scapular mobilization were just a few. In this article we will ... Continue Reading