The unassuming plate raise requires minimal loading and no learning curve to be effective. You grab a weight plate by either end, brace your core, and raise it to your face level for stronger and more ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Chest-Supported Row for a Bigger and Stronger Back
You walk into a crowded gym on your upper-body or pulling day and you’re ready to do your rows, but you find that all of the barbells are taken. Here’s what you should do: spot an open weight bench near ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Plank Jack for Killer Abs and Better Conditioning
No exercise can do it all: Planks are a tried-and-true core-builder, but they don’t burn many calories. The jumping jack — a gym-class classic — will get your heart rate up and your blood pumping, but it ... Continue Reading
These Are the 10 Best Bodybuilding Cable Exercises for Consistent Muscle Growth
A good bodybuilder uses every tool at their disposal to build muscle: Barbells for maximal loading, dumbbells to identify and attack muscular imbalances, and, especially, cables. The cable tree is, in many ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown for Spectacular Back Development
You’ve probably heard that the best way to build your back is with rows, pull-ups, deadlifts, and so on. And, for the most part, that’s sound advice: Large and heavy compound exercises are phenomenal for ... Continue Reading
Do the Hex Press for Next-Level Chest Gains
If you train your chest seriously, you’ve probably done plenty of barbell bench pressing. And dumbbell bench pressing. Oh, and you can’t forget the incline press for those upper pecs, of course. And then ... Continue Reading
The 12 Best Upper Body Exercises and 5 Workouts
At BarBend, upper-body workouts are our bread and butter (but don't get it twisted; we love a good leg day). From bench presses to barbell rows and everything in-between, our editorial staff is packed to ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Muscle Snatch for Better Weightlifting Performance
If you’re on the hunt for a new way to improve your weightlifting game, the muscle snatch is an absolute game-changer. The muscle snatch can help you build explosive leg power, teach you how to be a ... Continue Reading
16 Best Quad Exercises and Quad Workouts for Muscle Gain
Quads are all the rage nowadays — we blame the rise of shorter shorts, but hey, we aren't complaining. If you're here for quad-focused exercises, the best quad workouts, or the best movements for quad ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Clean for Explosive Power, Muscle Growth, and Much More
The first time you ever saw someone doing a clean probably blew your mind. Most free-weight exercises are slow and controlled; take a bar (or pair of dumbbells) from here to there with a nice, consistent ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat for Superior Quad Gains
The movements you select on leg day make all the difference when it comes to making gains. You’re probably already doing the back squat and/or front squat. If you’re in the mood to switch things up, one ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row for Bigger Lats and Beefier Biceps
You might not realize it, but the moment you step into the gym, you’re racing against the clock. Whether that’s a literal time limit, or a perceived point of exhaustion, the truth is you only have so much ... Continue Reading
9 Best Upper Chest Exercises for Stronger Pecs
There’s a reason Mondays are colloquially known as “International Chest Day.” An impressive set of pecs can change your whole physique. Beyond helping you look good at the beach or pool this summer, we ... Continue Reading
Our Favorite Forearm Workouts, + the 11 Best Forearm Exercises
At BarBend, we’re big believers in getting a grip, both literally and figuratively. Your forearm muscles are essential for holding onto heavy objects — how else would you perform a deadlift otherwise? — ... Continue Reading
12 Best Exercises for Abs, From a CPT
We’ve got a bone to pick with ab exercises: They’re usually boring. Unfortunately, exercising your abs is a bit like eating your vegetables. It’s tedious, but necessary — this goes for both appearances and ... Continue Reading
Seated vs. Standing Shoulder Press: How to Know Which One Is Right for You
Certain aspects of exercise selection tend to dominate the conversation: Do sumo deadlifts beat out conventional pulls? Should you bench with a barbell or dumbbells? Are lat pulldowns better than pull-ups ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Cable Biceps Curl for the Best Arm Pump You’ve Ever Had
Think back to your very first days in the weight room. Unless you somehow found yourself wandering over to the squat rack, you probably bee-lined to the dumbbells and started banging out some ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension for Optimal Arm Gains
You can build big muscles with small movements. That’s a fact. While large, compound lifts should be your bread and butter as a bodybuilder, carving out the finest details of your physique requires ... Continue Reading
These Are 7 of the Best Exercises for Tall People
According to scientific data published in journals like The Lancet, the average height for adult men and women in the United States is 5'8" and 5'3", respectively. However, Hadi Choopan, the 2022 Mr. ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat — Technique Tips, Variations, & More
Single-leg training is the embodiment of the “no pain, no gain” philosophy. Not only do unilateral exercises help reinforce good posture and improve your balance, they’re also devilishly effective at ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Chest Flye for Proportional Pec Gains
All the best chest exercises involve both arms: the barbell bench press, the incline dumbbell press, the dumbbell flye, the cable flye, and even the humble — but underrated — push-up. On the other hand, ... Continue Reading
The Best Shoulder Exercises and Workouts for Bigger, Stronger Shoulders
A set of strong, broad shoulders signal to the world that you lift (hey, a little vanity is okay). Stronger shoulders also mean you can bench press and overhead press more weight while potentially staving ... Continue Reading
Front Squat Vs. Goblet Squat — Differences, Similarities, and More
When it comes to squat variations, there are plenty of options that you can perform in the gym. Two of the most popular front-loaded squat variations are the goblet squat and front squat. If you’re ... Continue Reading
20 Best Leg Exercises for Your Next Leg Day
You did not hear it here first, but it bears repeating: train your legs. Leg day can be a painful, DOMS-inducing experience, but ignoring your lower half also robs the body of more muscle, enhanced ... Continue Reading