A marathon is a grueling event. They last for hours and take a strong mental and physical toll. The repeated impacts from your strides inevitably add up and the next day you’ll be sore like nothing else. ... Continue Reading
Are Exercise Bikes Good For Weight Loss? (+ Workout From a Personal Trainer)
Body composition is often top of mind for new gymgoers and weight room veterans alike. One of the most encouraging parts of starting (or continuing) a training program is the slow reveal of new muscle. In ... Continue Reading
Can You Train for a Marathon On a Treadmill? An Expert Running Coach Teaches You How
Almost by its very definition, a marathon is an exhibition of outdoor running endurance. The very first marathon — run by Pheidippides — was a 26-mile jaunt across the hilly Grecian terrain from Marathon ... Continue Reading
Is Walking Good Cardio? Certified Personal Trainers Explain
Walking is an underappreciated form of cardio exercise, often overshadowed by the ooh-ahh of high-intensity interval training, running, and other snazzy exercise routines. If you’re wondering, “Is walking ... Continue Reading
What Muscles Does An Elliptical Work? Plus Muscle-Building Elliptical Tips from a Personal Trainer
Elliptical training is one of the best sources of cardiovascular exercise around. It uses a rhythmic, low-impact motion that jacks up your heart rate while preventing undue soreness from all that banging ... Continue Reading
The Stomach Vacuum: What It Is, Benefits, & More From Bodybuilding Experts
In 1979, bodybuilder Frank Zane made physique sports history when he struck a now-iconic pose on stage at that year’s Mr. Olympia (history buffs will recall that Zane won that competition), captured at the ... Continue Reading
Check Out These 5 Expert Tips for Running on the Beach Safely (& Benefits)
This week’s leg day left you limping. After one final, excruciating set of calf raises, you grab your water bottle, skip over the treadmill, and decide to head off to the beach in search of a more scenic ... Continue Reading
The 5 Best Triceps Stretches to Push Your Presses to the Next Level
For lovers of barbells and dumbbells, stretching might be at the bottom of your list of priorities when you’re crushing a good workout. A sweet pump and rewarding burn may well take center stage — less ... Continue Reading
The 6 Benefits of Exercise Bikes (Plus Workouts From a Personal Trainer)
Exercise bikes have a simplicity to them that is very attractive. They’re easy on your joints and convenient, all the while providing tons of training benefits. Beyond their availability and relatively low ... Continue Reading
BarBend Equipment Testing Methodology
The BarBend team is full of personal trainers, Olympic-level weightlifters, endurance athletes, and general gym rats and fitness enthusiasts. Needless to say, we live and breathe fitness and all things ... Continue Reading
How Much Cardio Is Too Much? Running Coaches Weigh In
If you’ve been consistent with your strength training and want to show off your might in an athletic setting, cardio can condition you to dominate in any sport — yes, including powerlifting and ... Continue Reading
How to Achieve Proper Running Form, Explained By Running Coaches
No matter where you do your running workouts — indoors or outdoors — you’ll certainly notice that not everyone is running the way you do. If you compare yourself with the three runners closest to you in ... Continue Reading
How To Sprint Like a Pro, + Tips From a Collegiate S&C Coach
You might think sprinting is synonymous with “running fast,” but you’d be wrong. The fastest men and women in the world have spent years refining their sprinting form. If you want to be able to tear up the ... Continue Reading
Does Cardio Burn Fat? The Anatomy of a Fitness Myth
Of the many myths that populate the world of fitness, the notion that cardio exercise directly burns body fat might be the most pervasive of them all. A whole host of infomercials and influencers have ... Continue Reading
How to Run a Faster Mile, According to a Running Coach
There are 5,280 feet in a mile. For distance runners, this distance may be a pittance. For new runners, accomplishing a decent mile might be the ultimate goal. But uniting most runners across the board is ... Continue Reading
Does Green Tea Help With Weight Loss? A Health Coach and Nutrition Ph.D. Weighs In
If you run a quick internet search on supplements for weight loss, you’ll find thousands of products boasting evidence-based formulas to fuel rapid results. It’s easy to feel lost in the maze of marketing, ... Continue Reading
Hypertrophy vs. Strength Training: Key Differences + How To Do Both
If you’re new to the gym, you might see two people lifting weights side-by-side and think of them as doing the same thing for the same purpose. But one of these people is grimacing their way through a set ... Continue Reading
What Is BMR? Your Guide to Your Body’s Basal Metabolic Rate
When you think about calories being “burned,” you’re thinking about how much energy your body uses at any given time. Most often, we’re taught to think about daily calorie intake and expenditure in terms ... Continue Reading
HIIT Vs. LISS — Which Type of Cardio Is Better?
You’ve just started surrendering to your cardio-happy friend who insists that you do something in the gym aside from picking up heavy barbells and putting them back down. Fine, you say, you’ll do…cardio. ... Continue Reading
Is 10,000 Really the Magic Number? The Science Behind Taking 10,000 Steps a Day
If you’ve got a fitness tracker, the number of steps you need to hit to close those rings is often a crisp, clean 10,000. Even if you don’t wear a tracker on your wrist, plenty of smartphones are ... Continue Reading
Body Composition: What You Need to Know (+ How to Change Yours for the Better)
You’re made of stuff. The body you use to jog on the treadmill, play outside with your kids, or finally lift that new 1-rep max deadlift you’ve been chasing is composed of muscle, fat, water, bone, blood … ... Continue Reading
Your Abdominal Muscles, Explained (and How To Train Them)
The muscles that make up your abdominal region are good for a whole lot more than helping you look extra fit at the beach. In fact, your “six-pack” is just the tip of the iceberg. The muscles that encase ... Continue Reading
How to Identify Aerobic Vs. Anaerobic Exercise (And Why it Matters)
When you go to the gym, it’s to pick up heavy weights, put them back down, and repeat. But when your coach or gym buddy tells you it’s time to “do cardio,” you’ve got to admit that it’d be nice to be able ... Continue Reading
What Is Tabata Training? How to Get Fitter in Four Minutes
From calisthenics training to gathering the best dumbbells at your disposal for a sweat session, there are endless ways to pack in a quick, high-intensity workout. One of the most popular of these training ... Continue Reading