Monday, January 29, 2018

Nike Metcon 4 Vs. Reebok CrossFit Nano 8 Flexweave

Weightlifter Harrison Maurus PRs His Clean at 200 Kilograms

Dealing With and Working Past Bad Days In the Gym

The Viking Press: How to Perform and Include Them In Your Workouts

Eddie Hall Wins 5th Straight Britain’s Strongest Man

L-Sit Ultimate Guide

Why Do Some Lifters Screw Their Feet Into the Floor During Deadlifts?

CrossFit Releases Live Announcement Venues for 2018 Open

These Are the (Tentative) Events for the 2018 World’s Strongest Man

Universal Creatine Review — Where Is the Creatine From?

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Martins Licis and Jujimufu Try Strongman’s Most Brutal Grip Exercises

Very strong YouTube personality Jon “Jujimufu” Call met up with strongman Martins Licis — currently ranked as the fourth strongest man on Earth by the World’s Strongest Man contest — to experiment with some of the more unusual grip exercises in strongman.

Licis, who called grip strength “the golf of strength sports,” first introduced Call to the Thomas Inch dumbbell, a 172-pound dumbbell with a handle as thick as a Coke can. He could budge it off the ground, but he couldn’t lift it. (Licis’ coach, Odd Haugen, lifted it 63 times in ten minutes at age 67.)

[Want to know how guys like this train? Read our interview with Licis’ coach, the legendary Odd Haugen.]

Then came the grip gauntlet. First came the Rolling Thunder®, which is a little like a revolving deadlift handle for one-handed deadlifts. Then came the hubcap, which requires the athlete to lift with their fingers in a “tiger claw” position. Then things got harder. Check out the video below.

This is the second video that Call has put out this week. Just two days ago, he put up a 12-minute video of the two of them exploring Licis’ gym, the same place he prepares for the World’s Strongest Man. The clip starts with the Latvian pulling off a 600-pound, one-handed deadlift and follows with even more unusual strongman equipment like Wagon wheels, fat grip dumbbells, spherical weight handles, Viking press, loadable Atlas stones, and more.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what’s so different about strongman training, you’ll be interested in this clip. And if you’re a fan of strongman, this will feel a little like watching Willy Wonka giving a tour of his chocolate factory.

The gym is also the headquarters of Mas Wrestling USA, an event that Haugen considers a perfect combination of strongman and combat. Licis is the 2017 world champion of the sport and he even coached Call through his first matches — make sure you read our full article on its origins.

Licis during a Mas Wrestling match. Image courtesy of Odd Haugen.

Licis is a truly impressive athlete — check out his insane 500-pound Steinborn squat for more proof — and we can’t wait to see how he performs at this year’s World’s Strongest Man contest.

Featured image via Jujimufu on YouTube.

The post Martins Licis and Jujimufu Try Strongman’s Most Brutal Grip Exercises appeared first on BarBend.

CrossFit Mayhem Freedom Announces Final Two Teams Rosters

Dmytro Semenenko (105kg) Squats 405kg (891 lbs) for Two Reps In Wraps

4 Benefits of Weighted Pull-Ups

IWF “Had No Other Choice” Than to Give Ilya Ilyin a 2-Year Suspension

Is Kratom a Performance-Enhancing Drug?

IWF Publicly Announces Anti-Doping Results From 2017 World Championships

Survey Finds the Average American Spends Over $100k On Fitness In Their Lifetime

How much do you spend a month on your fitness? This could include things like gym memberships, supplements, equipment, meals, and so forth. A little over a week ago, the supplement company MyProtein posted an interesting report suggesting how much Americans spend on fitness.

The results? They’re kind of surprising, but will most likely not surprise many enthusiasts. Strength sports have been becoming more popular in recent years, along with the fitness industry as a whole. In MyProtein’s report, they surveyed 1,350 Americans between the ages of 18-65 in regards to how much they’re spending on fitness each month.

MyProtein found that the average American is spending roughly $155.00 a month on fitness, which they split across five sub-categories. These categories include: Supplements, gym memberships, personal training, meal planning/nutritional advice, and gym clothing. Within this $155.00, MyProtein took it a step further, and averaged out how these five categories were split. Check out how the five categories averaged out below.

Fitness Category  Average National Spending (1/mo)
Supplements $55.95 (36%)
Gym Membership $34.34 (22%)
Personal Training $13.83 (9%)
Gym Clothes $33.89 (22%)
Meal Plan/Nutritional Advice $16.92 (11%)

 

MyProtein then took that $155.00 and factored it in to an average American lifespan, which currently sits at 78-years of age. So how much was it? The lifetime average they found is more than what most people spend on their college tuition, and equates to roughly $111,554.48. Keep in mind, someone’s monthly fitness expenses will most likely decrease and fluctuate during different stages of life, and so forth.

[Interested in the MyProtein TheWhey protein powder? Check our review here.]

In the report, MyProtein also pointed out fun facts about each state, and highlighted which states spent the most on fitness, such as Oregon, California, and New York. Keep in mind, these are average numbers pulled from MyProtein’s survey, so there could be some bias to their findings.

How much do you spend every month on your fitness?

The post Survey Finds the Average American Spends Over $100k On Fitness In Their Lifetime appeared first on BarBend.

BodyCraft Xpress Pro Home Gym Review

Genius Brand Creatine Review — What’s AstraGin®?

Laurence Shahlaei Predicts Eddie Hall Will Win Britain’s Strongest Man

Monday, January 22, 2018

Coach’s Corner: Functional Fitness Training and Its Benefits for Every Strength Athlete

Official Strongman Games 2017: A Photo Essay

Over two days in December, the greatest strongmen and strongwomen from across the globe met in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the Official Strongman Games. I had the honor of capturing images of these world class competitors push, pull, and carry astounding weights. Here are some of my best images of well-known legends, as well as up and coming athletes, side-by-side in one of sport’s most difficult discipline: strongman.

The post Official Strongman Games 2017: A Photo Essay appeared first on BarBend.

The Best Answers from Mattie Rogers’ Reddit AMA

USA Powerlifting Announces 2018 Open Raw National Team

MET-Rx Creatine 4200 — What’s In These Pills?

Weighted Pull-Ups Alternatives

How Can Desk Jockeys Compete Against Career Strongmen?

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Win A Pair of Reebok CrossFit® Nano 8 Flexweave Shoes!

It’s that time of year again: New resolutions, new workouts, and new gains, which means it’s ALSO prime time for a new pair of training shoes. That’s why we’re teaming up with Reebok to give away TWO pairs of Reebok CrossFit® Nano 8s with Flexweave technology: one men’s pair and one women’s pair.

Enter below today for your chance to win!

[Looking for a new lifting shoe? Find out if the Reebok Legacy Lifter is right for you in our full review!]

Reebok CrossFit Nano 8 Flexweave Giveaway

Curious about the Reebok Nano 8? Learn more about the new model here.

The post Win A Pair of Reebok CrossFit® Nano 8 Flexweave Shoes! appeared first on BarBend.

How America’s Olympic Freestyle Ski Team Gets So Strong

Katrin Davidsdottir on the Next Five Years of CrossFit and How Long She’ll Compete

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Julius Maddox Makes a 700 lb Raw Bench Press Look Easy

Onnit’s Grass-Fed Whey Isolate Review — The Best Digesting Protein Powder?

5 Instant Game Changing Techniques for Strength Athletes

The clock is always ticking for the athlete. There is only so much time you will have in your life to play your given sport before you eventually will stagnate and begin to lose ground. If you haven’t reached your peak yet or if you are just starting to fall off, you may be able to get instantly better by using one or all five of these simple tactics.

Go to bed 45 minutes earlier.

As a heavy lifting, hard training strongperson, your recovery is key to your long term success. Sleeping is one of the most important things you can do to allow your body to heal, and most people just do not get enough of it. Lack of sleep can increase the body’s output of cortisol, and that can hamper your gains. You also run the risk of getting sick more often when you shortchange yourself here, and that can lead to missed workouts.

All athletes should have a self imposed bedtime. If you get up at six, getting to bed by ten only gives you the opportunity for eight hours sleep. Most people don’t fall asleep right away and wake up during the night, cutting into the precious repair process. Begin a nightly ritual of shutting off the devices sooner, taking a few minutes to destress, and maybe even doing light meditation before bed.

Stop complaining about anything.

It is nothing short of a miracle that you are alive at all. You are even luckier to be born in this time period where life is safe and you aren’t being hunted by kings or lions. The fact that people find things to complain about on a daily basis is insane! By complaining, your brain becomes wired to think about the negative. It also is stressful when you complain and nothing comes of it. The last thing an athlete needs is to have unnecessary stress and a negative mindset.

Whether you are are training, at a contest or just talking about the sport, make more positive statements and try to find the best aspects of everything you are doing. Smile and be excited just to be there. Being in a negative mindset while doing something you love will soon affect your performance.

Have your blood work done.

World class athletes are under a microscope, and I don’t mean that just metaphorically. They are constantly having their fat levels tested, Vo2 max checked and their blood drawn. If you can get your doctor and insurance to cooperate, I would have your blood checked at least two times per year; once when you are peaking for a contest, and later when your training volume is lowered. By having a full blood work panel done, you will have a better understanding of your blood sugar levels, where your hormones are, and if your vitamin D levels are all within optimal ranges.

Read for 15 minutes a day.

Most of the sport’s top coaches and athletes have a book or blog for you to get your eyes on. Besides the numerous benefits of reading, you never know when you may come across that one piece of information that totally changes your game. Taking the time to learn makes you a smarter, more dangerous competitor.

Start a journal.

Many of you log sets and reps, and that is a great start; but to really get to know yourself, you should keep a daily journal. Put your thoughts, feelings, attitudes about your day (and session) down on paper. This process is a great way to review your goals and get to know yourself even better. I am a big fan of going at this the traditional way and using a blank paper book and pen, but don’t feel that you have to go that way. Many people keep a personal video journal on their phone and it works out great! Just make sure you have enough storage and you take the time to review your thoughts however you capture them.

To really be great takes more effort than just showing up and putting in work. By structuring your life around being successful as a strongperson you will see more improvements on the field. Don’t settle for less by not living your life in accordance with your goals. Get to work today for that big payoff tomorrow.

Editor’s 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 sourced exclusively by the author.

Images courtesy Michele Wozniak.

The post 5 Instant Game Changing Techniques for Strength Athletes appeared first on BarBend.

Dave Castro Announces New Movement Standards With 18.0 Workout

Yesterday evening, we shared an article in regards to Dave Castro’s latest CrossFit Open 18.0 (zero) announcement/hint. Later that night, CrossFit went live streaming the announcement on their Facebook from CrossFit WIT in London. At the announcement, Castro was joined by some of CrossFit’s elite athletes including Tia-Clair Toomey, Dan Bailey, Scott Panchik, and Lucas Esslinger.

As it turns out, 18.0 will be an additional workout, but not connected with the regular Open (as stated by CrossFit in the comments section). Castro led off the announcement by stating the workout is a classic CrossFit couplet with a 21-15-9 structure. The couplet’s movements will be the dumbbell snatch and burpee.

18.0 Workout Couplet Details

For Time
Reps: 21-15-9
Movements: Dumbbell Snatch + Burpee
Dumbbell Weight: Men: 50 lbs & Women: 35 lbs

This workout may not seem all that shocking, but there’s a catch. Castro also included a few new movement standards in this workout for the dumbbell snatch and burpee.

New Dumbbell Snatch Movement Standards

Last year, an athlete had the ability to switch their hands on the dumbbell while it was overhead in-between reps. For 2018, Castro has announced that an athlete must bring the dumbbell below eye level before switching their hands in-between reps.

New Burpee Movement Standards

In addition to the dumbbell snatch being slightly re-worked, the burpee also had a change in its movement standard for this workout. An athlete must set the dumbbell down next to them in the direction they’re facing and jump over as so. For example, the dumbbell will lie in the same direction you’re standing (aka parallel to your foot), and you have to complete the jump over the dumbbell with the foot completely parallel/in-line with it before doing so.

Castro also pointed out that if at any point an athlete steps back or forward during the burpee portion, then they’re technically doing the workout scaled. The Rx’d burpee entails an athlete jumping back, and then jumping forward to count one rep.

Feature image screenshot from CrossFit Facebook page. 

The post Dave Castro Announces New Movement Standards With 18.0 Workout appeared first on BarBend.

L-Sit Hold Progression for Beginners

BPI Sports Best Creatine Review — 5 Kinds of Creatine?

Dave Castro Hints At CrossFit Open 18.Zero Workout

Jordan Weichers Talks Training, Growth of Weightlifting, and Olympic Predictions

Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Review — It’s Cheap, But What Else?

Romela Begaj May Lose Snatch Gold Medal for Doping Violation; Mattie Rogers in Line for Silver

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Powerbuilding Programs: How Much Assistance Work Do You Need?

4 Benefits of L-Sit Pull-Ups

Meet the CrossFit® Athlete Who Gave a Kidney to His Coach

Iron Biby “Strict” Presses an Insane 220 Kilograms (485 Pounds)

Mario Martinez, Three-Time Olympian and 1984 Silver Medalist, Passes Away At 60

Tom Martin Deadlifts a Huge Personal Best 410kg (903 lbs)

L-Sit Pull-Up Progression – The Complete Exercise Guide

BodyCraft Galena Pro Home Gym Review

With One Working Arm, James Spurgin Crushes His First Weightlifting Meet

Monday, January 15, 2018

Hafthor Bjornsson Deadlifts 435kg for a Double. Can He Take Hall’s Record in 2018?

How I Train Novices Differently for Strongman

I have played a number of different sports across my 45 years. All of them were in some way influential in the development of my mental and physical self. In that time every coach I have had has taught me something about how I now train people. One of the best things I have learned is that the same plan doesn’t work for everyone. A good coach will be fluid in recognizing and correcting for the unique attributes of each athlete. When someone is just starting out, there are a few points that all coaches show be aware of and use to the advantage of their competitor.

Hypertrophy work is just as important as strength building.

I have had plenty of people with zero experience in weight training go on to become fantastic athletes. For many of them the need to build mass and strength simultaneously was extremely important. The current lifestyle of many first world people places little emphasis on physical work and therefore, many people have underdeveloped musculature. I alway do the strength building work first (1-5 reps) then work on making the muscle larger by changing exercise execution and reps (8-15).

While we will primarily squat, press, and pull for strength at an explosive tempo, the lowering of the weight becomes one of safety and not emphasis. Weight can be lowered quickly or dropped during the strength portion of the session. To make the muscles grow, we obviously decrease the weight, increase the reps and also lower the weights under control. While some of the same exercises may be used, the implementation of them is radically different and so is the effect on the body. When all is said and done, 50% (or more) of the work performed in the first year may be this way.

Maximum personal best records are not very accurate, and this should be taken into account.

Beginners tend to be much less coordinated than experienced athletes. If you test an athlete and use those percentages, you may need to recognize that they may have the ability or hit a new PB every week. I tend to use them as a loose gage as to what weight they should be doing rather than absolutes.

Get comfortable with a straight bar on the overheads.

A weightlifting bar is more forgiving than an axle or log for the clean and press. The athlete will most likely get the feel of getting a bar in the correct positions faster than the standard implements. Same can be said for learning the positions of the circus dumbbell by substituting a standard one. Get the technique ironed out first then graduate to the implement. By using an object with a smaller diameter the athlete should have more ability to keep it close to the center of gravity and develop the coordination necessary for the odd object.

Condition, Condition, Condition.

The demands of this sport can be nothing short of pure agony for sixty seconds. The last thing I want is for a rookie to show up strong, but out of shape. I always put in two or three conditioning sessions each week for six weeks leading up to the contest. I ask them to build in intensity over those weeks so they become used to going full out multiple times on short rest. The best tools I have found for this and have minimal impact recovery are sleds. These workouts are often best performed in small groups to keep the competitive spirit burning.

Program for the long term goal, not their first contest.

I tend to look at the bigger picture and believe that having a good strength base at the start is essential for long term success. While I want to make sure that the athlete is comfortable with the events coming up, it is more important to make certain they have developed the fundamentals of the squat, pull and press. Add to that the stones, a front carry and tire flip and you will create a very well rounded athlete. These movements are the core of the sport and you can’t go wrong being comfortable with them as a base.

Getting a solid start with the basics, having a good level of conditioning, and learning how to look at the long term are just good ideas for a new athlete. Keep the pressure off them to perform to a level of a seasoned athlete and that should keep their interest high. You can never get a good handle on someone until they have a few contests under their belt so, encourage them to enjoy themselves and put in 100 percent!

Editor’s 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 sourced exclusively by the author.

Images courtesy Michele Wozniak

The post How I Train Novices Differently for Strongman appeared first on BarBend.

Junior Powerlifter Jessica Buettner Deadlifts 211kg (465 lbs) at 78kg Bodyweight

Katrin Davidsdottir and Streat Hoerner Top Elite Leaderboard at Wodapalooza

Six Star Pro Nutrition Creatine X3 Review — Why the Amino Acids?

Check Out Jaisyn Mike’s Latest 612 lb Raw Bench Press

L-Sit Pull-Up – Muscles Worked, Exercise Demo, and Benefits

John Haack Hits a Massive 895kg (1,973 lb) Total In Training

Powerbuilding Programs: How to Choose the Right Accessory Movements

Ilya Ilyin Eligible to Compete in 2018

Why the Belt Squat Could Be Your Secret to Strength Gains

Op-Ed: Why Gym Memes Make Me Cringe

Friday, January 12, 2018

Fernando Reis and Alyssa Ritchey Win 2018 Wodapalooza Weightlifting Face Off

Registration for the 2018 CrossFit Open Is Live

Nike Romaleos 3s Vs. Adidas AdiPower

4 Benefits of Jumping Pull-Ups

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB Review — What Does HMB Do?

Blaine Sumner’s 1,025-Pound Bench Press Is His Best Training Lift Ever

Harrison Maurus Hits a Very Strong 185kg Clean Triple for a New PR

Jumping Pull-Up – Muscles Worked, Benefits, and Exercise Demo

The 10 Commandments of Deadlift Day

Check Out Kianoush Rostami Taking His Workout to the Desert

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Sohrab Moradi Just Cleaned and Almost Jerked 9 Kilos Over His World Record

USPA Texas and Pioneer Team Up to Host $150,000 Cash Prize Meet

Small Changes, Big Gains: Why Program Hopping Can Be Your Worst Enemy

8 Hanging Knee Raise Alternatives

Dmitry Klokov Bench Presses a 231kg (508 lb) PR….Underwater

When you think of the name Dmitry Klokov, what comes to mind? At BarBend, there’s two things, a very strong elite weightlifter and someone who loves to push the boundaries of strength, while having fun.

In the latest video shared to Klokov’s Facebook page we find him bench pressing, which at first doesn’t seem crazy interesting until you realize it’s underwater in a pool. The video starts by highlighting a unique pair of gloves for the lift, then following Klokov underwater to watch him bench 231kg (508 lbs).

Check out the next installment of Klokov lifting underwater below.

Obviously, the weight weighs less because of its buoyancy and we’re aware of that, but it’s still fun to watch, as not many people have a rack and 231kg to submerge at any given time for their disposal.

And we say next installment because this isn’t the first time Klokov has been seen lifting weights in a pool. In 2016, he shared a video featuring a 150kg front squat to push press (out of water), then a 170kg fully submerged clean. Check out that video below.

Since his retirement in 2015, Klokov seems to be enjoying his time out of weightlifting and continually puts out fun videos like the two above. When his videos aren’t highlighting massive presses and Olympic lifts, he can be seen filming videos that often leave you scratching your head wondering “how on earth?”, or laughing for that matter.

By the way, speaking of pools and Klokov. Let’s not forget the time in 2013 when he attempted to be a diver. After a few very funny dives off the jumping board, Klokov eventually makes his way up to 7.5m (24.6 feet) to try and emulate a dive you’d see at a formal diving competition. The results? We’ll let you watch and find out.

These Klokov videos may not awe you in terms of his strength, but there’s no doubt they’re fun to watch. He’s no stranger to funny lifting antics, and we hope he keeps them coming. Honestly, we’re surprised no one has made a social page titled, “Klokov Doing Things” yet.

Feature image screenshot Dmitry Klokov Facebook page. 

The post Dmitry Klokov Bench Presses a 231kg (508 lb) PR….Underwater appeared first on BarBend.

Dennis Cornelius’ 412.5kg Squat Is His Heaviest of All Time

Eddie Hall Addresses the Hafthor Bjornsson Controversy From the 2017 WSM

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Check Out Clarence Kennedy’s Latest 290kg (640 lb) Pause Squat

The 5 Biggest Myths About Strongman

“It’s just fat guys lifting rocks. Right?”

That’s the typical response I get when I speak with someone unfamiliar with the sport of strongman. After suppressing a small bit of rage, it becomes my duty to explain to them why they couldn’t be more wrong with their concept of our beloved strongman contests. I understand how they can have that perspective (based on the limited TV coverage), but I am certain that if they knew what it really was about they would become a casual fan at the minimum, and we could possibly attract a larger audience.

Myth One: It’s Unskilled

While the Average Joe may not understand the skills involved in lifting heavy and odd objects, we know that the best athletes all have impeccable technique. It may only take one session to get the basic form down for lifting a stone but making it efficient and developing the neuromuscular patterns for elite lifting can take months or years. Not only does correct technique increase the poundages one can lift, but it keeps the person safe and ready to compete time after time.

Myth Two: Just Fat Guys

Weight classed competition has been around for 15 years now, and we also have a women’s division. There is literally a weight class for everyone, and age groups too! The sport is now enjoyed by 120 pound woman as well as three hundred pound men. Not to mention, most of the athletes are incredibly lean. Even some pros in the 400 pound range can lift up their shirt and show off an impressive six pack.

Myth Three: There Is Just One Contest Every Year

Having The World’s Strongest man on TV every year is a great way to promote the sport, but it also builds a false sense of what’s happening at the local level.  Almost everyone in the United States can get to see a live event every year within a short drive from their house. There are hundreds of local events every year and a handful of National and Professional level events too. Encouraging people to see the live action and helping them find a contest is a great way to be an ambassador for the sport.

Myth Four: I Could Never Do That

Most people who got started in strongman were intrigued by watching a contest. The challenge of five different events that all use a unique skill set provide not only a physical challenge, but a mental challenge as well. Stay-at-home mom’s, former athletes who had gotten out of shape, and never before lifters had made up part of my training group back in New York. All of those people now have qualified for nationals and many have won regional titles. You don’t have to have a specific background to get started, just a love for competition and a desire to work hard.

Myth Five: I Don’t Have the Time

One of the best things about strength training is that to get great results you don’t have to put in hours upon hours of work like you would in a sport like marathon or triathlon. Most people can build the strength to compete in just three or four sessions per week. With a great training group or coach the results will come fast and help lead to healthier lifestyle as well. A trainee can build muscle mass, lower body fat, and and improve their hormonal panel on a strength building program. With the variety afforded to devotees, boredom is never an issue, and a new challenge is just around the corner.

There is no better time than now to take up the modern version of centuries old tests of strength. Strongman has something to offer everyone and isn’t just for the big boys anymore. Forget what you thought you knew and get passionate about lifting the Stones of Strength!

Editor’s 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 sourced exclusively by the author.

Images courtesy Michele Wozniak.

The post The 5 Biggest Myths About Strongman appeared first on BarBend.

How I Trained America’s Strongest Teen

This Could Be The Hardest Pull-Up Challenge We’ve Ever Seen

The popular song “Flower” (known to most as “Bring Sally Up”) by pop artist Moby is making another resurgence with a fitness challenge attached to it. A few years ago, the song gained popularity when it was Tweeted about by CrossFit Games Champion Rich Froning. In his Tweet, Froning wrote, “CHALLENGE: to the song “Bring Sally Up” by Moby w/ a 135# barbell on back. Squat on “Bring Sally Down” Stand on “Bring Sally Up”

This then led to multiple gyms and athletes completing the challenge, which is roughly 3:30 minutes long and a total of 30 full reps. Both squats and push-ups have been commonly used to complete this grueling challenge, but Swedish obstacle course racer Fanny Josefine took the challenge to a whole new level.

[Want to learn more about Fanny Josefine’s insane training? Check out our in-depth interview with her!]

She completely ignored the squats and push-ups, and reached for a pull-up bar. Every time the song said “Bring Sally Up” she would do a pull-up, and hold it until the words “Bring Sally Down” were sung. Thirty paused pull-ups in the span of 3:30 minutes with no rest? We got tired just watching the video. Check out the full clip below.

If you don’t know Josefine, she’s famous for completing insane feats with a ninja-esque spin. She currently trains for obstacle course races and bodyweight challenge competitions, and has an insane upper body workload capacity when it comes to strength and grip.

To further this point, two days ago, Josefine shared a YouTube video highlighting her completion of 61 pull-ups in a row, a set that lasted roughly 8:30 minutes (as stated in the video’s description). Are they the strictest forms of pull-ups? No, but it’s an impressive feat nonetheless, and definitely explains how she did the “Bring Sally Up” challenge with ease.

When some people hear “fitness challenge” they roll their eyes, which is completely understandable, because they’re not meant for everyone, especially those following a specific program for competitive sport. And of course, there’s always a risk of injury when doing different feats, but that comes with most forms of exercise.

No matter what you think of the newest trendy fitness challenge, there’s no denying that this feat completed by Josefine was impressive!

Feature image from Fanny Josefine YouTube channel. 

The post This Could Be The Hardest Pull-Up Challenge We’ve Ever Seen appeared first on BarBend.

Op-Ed: The Case for Gaining Muscle on a Vegan Diet

Thursday, January 4, 2018

New Research Suggests Ammonia Has Positive Effects on Force Development

Here’s What Changed in the IWF’s 2018 Rule Book

I’m a Professional Powerlifter. This Is What I Think About Weightlifting

IWF Provisionally Suspends Oleg Chen for Doping Violation

Review: “Born Strong” Is the Deepest Strongman Documentary Yet

There are a lot of well-made documentaries about strongmen, like Eddie Hall’s Eddie Strongman, Brian Shaw’s Tossing Kegs on 7 Meals a Day, and Hafthor Bjornsson’s screentime in The Giants of Iceland. That’s why Born Strong, the new documentary about the 2015 Arnold Strongman Classic now available on Netflix, feels a lot like The Avengers — all of strongman’s greats assemble for one of their toughest battles yet.

It doesn’t just follow the athletes on the day of the competition. Born Strong dedicates its entire first half to introducing Eddie Hall, Hafthor Bjornsson, Brian Shaw, and Zydrunas Savickas in thorough, engrossing segments that follow their daily lives and explore their personalities and motivations through interviews with the athletes and their loved ones.

Image via Netflix

Even before we get to the contest, each of the profiles is worthy of being its own short film about the realities of strongman training. Each is haunting in its own respect: Eddie Hall’s segment includes a jarring scene in which he expresses an interest in pursuing another sport like fighting or bodybuilding once he’s done with strongman, which causes his wife to start weeping and ask him to “just be normal.”

Hafthor Bjornsson’s segment includes the line, “If eating shit would make me stronger, I’d probably do it.” In Brian Shaw’s, he laments that the strongman diet results in something like “reverse anorexia,” and Zydrunas Savickas’ short focuses on how growing up in Soviet-occupied Lithuania was like living “in a big prison” where gyms and strongman were banned.

The first half of the movie is about the why of strongman, which is as interesting as the competition itself and makes it a film that’s much more accessible to non-fans of the sport. Why would you force feed over 10,000 calories a day so you can increase your injury risk and possibly shorten your lifespan? (Both Eddie Hall and his physician confess that the longer he stays at his current weight, the shorter his life will be.)

Image via Netflix

Bjornsson’s segment suggests that Iceland’s Viking history is an undeniable factor in the country’s unusually high number of strongmen while for Hall, who gets the most screentime, the reasoning stems partly his drive to be the world’s ultimate alpha male (“If you don’t want that title, you’re lying to yourself in some deep way”) and partly because:

I think it’s just human nature to want to be better than your siblings. I’ve got a hole deep inside that I’m trying to fill. I’ve obviously way surpassed my brothers in strength, but now I see the Brian Shaws and the Thors have replaced my brothers. I’m just trying to fill that void, and I won’t feel satisfied until I do.

And this is what the obsession is: I will literally die trying to win the World’s Strongest Man to prove that status.

[Don’t miss BarBend’s interview with Eddie Hall on his training and his ambitions outside of strongman.]

Once the film moves to the Arnold Strongman Classic, pieces of an interview with Schwarzenegger himself explain the meaning of the events — “it didn’t matter how civilized (humankind) became, we always admired power” — and a series of cartoons help to explain the rules of the movements. It’s hard to imagine a strongman documentary that could be more accessible to the casual viewer, and it’s why this is one of the greatest films made about the sport.

Image via Netflix

As each athlete fails in certain events and is forced to reckon with their weaknesses, the viewer understands that while this is a unique sport, it is at its core about athletes who are trying to be the best they can possibly be.

If you’re a fan of strongman, watching Born Strong unfold is like unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. If you’re not, it’s about the best introduction to the sport — its stars, its psychology, and its dark sides — that you’re likely to find.

Featured image via Netflix.

The post Review: “Born Strong” Is the Deepest Strongman Documentary Yet appeared first on BarBend.

5 Benefits of Hanging Knee Raises

Dear Lifting Community: It’s Time to Lay Off the New Year’s Resolution Crowd

Powerlifting Grandma Hopes to Secure 300 Pound Deadlift By May

When Shirley Webb walked into the gym for the first time, a little over three years ago, she was scared, intimidated, and wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t for her then 16-year-old granddaughter, Dorian.

At the time, the now 80-year-old grandma couldn’t get off the floor without using a chair for support or walk up and down stairs without holding onto the handrail. Her granddaughter didn’t want to brave the gym alone and insisted that Webb join her. When her trainer asked her to get down onto the ground for an exercise during their first session Webb looked up at him and said, “I can’t because I won’t be able to get back up.”

Shirley Deadlift at Lab Gym in June 2016

Now, the grandmother of two from East Alton, Illinois, holds six American Records and 26 Illinois State records in the USAPL. She can deadlift 260 pounds, and her fan club continues to grow as videos of her have gone viral, she was invited to be on an episode of The Doctors, and she was even featured in the latest “Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Shatter your Senses!” book published in August.

“I just thought it was tremendous when my trainer told me that Dorian had lifted 185 pounds,” says Webb. “After he told me that he just said, ‘I’m starting on you next’. I always knew I was strong but I didn’t realize how strong I really was until he started pushing me. It wasn’t too long until I was lifting 225 pounds for three reps.”

The video of Webb deadlifting 225 pounds for three reps was the video that went viral with 17 million views—even catching the attention of professional football player JJ Watt.

Having not participated in any formal type of exercise until she was 76, Webb says her strength really manifested in all the manual labor she was required to do growing up on a farm.

“I’ll be tired and sore after exercising but I feel so much better overall than I did,” says Webb. “I would suggest that everyone start exercising and find a trainer who can help you, do what they say, and work hard. You won’t regret it.”

Webb says her trainer, John Wright, is always very conscious of what she does and makes sure she does not injure herself. She used to go into the gym for her training sessions about three times a week but since getting a bar, plates, and dumbbells in her basement, she is able to stay at home and get her training done with the help of her husband and sons.

Webb with her support crew and family

“Having all the equipment in my basement is different than in the gym because you don’t have all the people around and it’s not as exciting,” says Webb. “But my family is super helpful and it’s been a blessing to go down and get my training in whenever I want. I usually work out with my son at 4am everyday Monday-Thursday.”

Her dedication shows in the progress she has made in competition. She has competed in seven USAPL meets, two being Raw Nationals in 2016 and 2017, where she won her division (Raw Masters 4 last year and Raw Masters 5 this year in the 84kg+ weight class) both times. She has her eyes set on a meet in May where she hopes to deadlift 275-300 pounds and then to go onto Worlds in Calgary, Canada. She qualified for Worlds this past year in Belarus but opted not to go.

“I’m a nervous wreck during competitions,” says Webb. “I’m not a person that likes to perform in front of people but I really like the end results.”

She also says the community is really great. Webb has her own fan club wherever she goes, people she doesn’t know coming up to her and saying hi. Her son started a Facebook page for her called Team Shirley where he calls her HERcules and people can keep track of her progress and see what the powerlifting grandma is up to.

“My family is just so excited by all of this,” says Webb. “They really can’t believe that I can do all these things, and neither can I at times.” Webb is a true testament to “age is just a number” and continues to inspire people to try new things no matter how old they are.

Editor’s 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 sourced exclusively by the author.

The post Powerlifting Grandma Hopes to Secure 300 Pound Deadlift By May appeared first on BarBend.

How to Vote for the IWF’s Lifter of the Year

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The Secret to This 71 Year Old’s World Record Mile: Lots of Strength Training

Running and strength training aren’t always synonymous with each other — at least in the mainstream consciousness — but there’s no denying that they can hold benefits for each other’s performance. The cardiovascular benefits running comes with can positively influence strength training, while the strength improvement you experience lifting can greatly improve running performance.

Strength training is definitely not the only factor at play here, but it’s something that helped push 71 year old Gary Patton to set a new world record for the indoor mile. On December 7th, as first reported by Runner’s World, Patton broke the 30 year old indoor mile world record time for the 70-74 year old age group, running a ridiculously fast 5:29.81 mile at the New York Armory.

Last year, Patton ran the same race at the New York Armory and missed the world record mile by 2-seconds, finishing with a 5:34.9 time. While his new world record mile is more than impressive, that’s not what initially got our attention for this story. What got our attention was the change in Patton’s training, and how he prepped with more strength training for this year’s mile compared to last.

[Check out the multiple ways jogging can improve your strength training!]

This year, Patton was halfway into the race when he learned he was sitting at 2:49.2, and was off world record setting pace. After learning this he told Runner’s World, “And when I saw I was almost four seconds off the pace my thought was, ‘I’m just going to sprint this sucker and see how long I can last.’” For most, that would have been a risky move, but not for Patton, who supplements his running training with a full strength component.

To prep for this year’s race, Patton told Runner’s World, “This year I’ve added a morning session of a lot of squats, push-ups and burpees, and a lot of stretching. I spend 30 to 40 minutes every morning doing those. And I’m on a three-day rotation with my afternoon workouts—one day of running, one day of weight training, and one day of cross training.”

Could the extra squats, push-ups, and burpees have been the reason Patton was able to sprint out the final half mile, while making up the lost time? It’s hard to say definitively, but we’d like to believe that the extra strength training is what helped push him to run faster, longer.

The post The Secret to This 71 Year Old’s World Record Mile: Lots of Strength Training appeared first on BarBend.

Hanging Knee Raises – Muscles Worked, Exercise Demo, and Benefits

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John Haack Smokes a 227.5kg (501 lb) Bench PR

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Dave Castro Drops First Hint for 2018 CrossFit Open

Plate Pinch Press – Muscles Worked, Exercise Demo, and Benefits

Check Out Pete Rubish’s Latest 220kg Bench Press PR

5 Strength Training “Rules” You Can Completely Ignore

Drop Snatch – Exercise Benefits, Video Demo, and Programming Notes

Hafthor Bjornsson Deadlifts 390kg for a Speedy Five Reps

A History of Stone Lifting and Strongman

Since the dawn of time, man has substituted athletic competition for fighting as a means to safely determine group structure and organization. Running, throwing, and lifting have been the basis for individual sport, and all have unique components that break down to regional development.

Many of us enjoy a practice that has existed since the cavemen and has become an organized custom for over 1,000 years: stone lifting. A stone can remain unchanged for millennia, allowing a lifter gain a true measure of strength versus their ancestors from time immortal. Society has shown that people crave competition, and it is even more cherished when it creates a tradition that can span extreme periods of time.

The sport of strongman has some roots in the Viking traditions. The Norsemen were known throughout Europe and the Middle East as huge and fierce warriors. This reputation is slightly less accurate, as fishing and farming made up the bulk of their day to day activities. To ensure that everyone on the fishing boat actually belonged, a village established a stone series of increasing weights. To achieve a position on a boat, and to get better work, the viking would need to lift a certain stone to prove their worth. Stones could be labeled weakling, useless, halfm and full strength. According to lore, to earn top billing a stone would need to weigh a minimum of 341 pound and then be lifted to hip height. Even today, this is a challenge for many a trained strongman.

Over 200 years ago the Icelandic Village of Husafell became home to a stone of the same name that was featured in the 1992 World’s Strongest Man contest. The 409 pound stone is carried for distance in a contest, but traditionally would be walked around a goat pen. You can even travel to Iceland and try the feat yourself; if you have a posterior chain made from iron and the cardio to match. When I asked retired Pro Strongman Andy Vincent about his experience he replied:

“It’s hard to put that feeling into words. There’s something ancient and magical about Iceland, and this stone in particular. The strongest men that have walked this planet have carried that stone. Of all of my experiences and accomplishments in strength sports, this is one I’m most proud of.”

The tradition was carried on in Scotland centuries later where a boy would prove his manhood by lifting a certain stone. The McGlashen stones, Inver Stone, and Dinnie stones still exist today and have also been featured in modern international contests. As custom spread, the Welsh adopted the traditional tests of strength with the stones and also began to use them for regular exercises and strength building. Soldiers were tested on athletic abilities, including the ability to lift stones.

While the stones are most often associated with the Anglo-Saxons, a much larger stone lifting heritage was going on at the same time in Japan. Chikaraishi was the name given to the strength stones that were commonplace by the 800’s for Shinto religious rituals and strength contests. There are over 14,000 of these stones at temples scattered across the island and the government has set aside 300 of them as important pieces of Japanese culture. This was a widespread sport of the people in Japan, as stones can be had by even the poorest in society. Taking a similar path of the Vikings, heavier stones were lifted to varying heights. A 150 pound stone may be pressed overhead but a mighty 529 pound stone may be shouldered using rope handles and carried for distance! The city of Soja still hosts a yearly stone lifting contest.

The modern sport has two very exciting types of context where it is displayed: the aforementioned strongman (that I will come back to) and in the Basque Country on the border of France and Spain. This stone shoulder contest pits athletes head to head lifting stones to the shoulder for the most lifts in a time period. The stones come differently shaped: cylindrical, rectangular, cubed and rounded. During a contest the heaviest stones shouldered will weigh 467pounds, a feat that is worthy of today’s international competitions. The history of the sport has been lost, but has its roots in the farming life and also features events like tug of war and farmer’s walk.

The modern sport was introduced in the “Stones of Strength” event at the 1986 World’s Strongest Man contest and was won by legend Jon Pall Sigmarsson. The final McGlashen stone was billed at an “unimaginable 22 stone” or 308 pounds. Today this is the light, first stone at many contests. It is now common to see stones well in the 400 pound range lifted higher and faster than just 30 years ago. Today’s current modern stone records are mind blowing compared to the ancient lifts:

This greatest test of full body strength will continue to be the feature event of a strongman contest. Personally, I would love to see a contest that was all stones, featuring a representation of all the ancient disciplines:

  • Overhead Stone Press: Japan
  • Stone Carry: Iceland
  • Stone Shouldering: Spain
  • Stone Throw: Scotland
  • Stone Load: All cultures

I have no doubt Strongperson athletes would flock to be crowned the first all-stone champion. The crowd can relate to the size and weight of these visually intimidating objects, and best of all they can actually try and lift them themselves with a minimum of instruction. This timeless event is long overdue!

The post A History of Stone Lifting and Strongman appeared first on BarBend.

Rogue Fitness W-4 Garage Gym Review

Alan Thrall Teaches Us How to Overhead Press Efficiently

Alan Thrall, aka Untamed Strength on YouTube, does a phenomenal job at putting out informational content for the strength community. Thrall is a powerlifter and a strength coach who regularly creates straight forward educational content with a side of humor. If you’re trying to learn the form of an exercise, then there’s a good chance Thrall has made a video about it.

His latest video focuses on breaking down the barbell overhead press, which is a movement that can be increasingly troublesome for the new gym-goer, let alone if they don’t have a coach present.

To save anyone from a strained lower back, or stalled overhead progress, we wanted to break down Thrall’s video.

[Need motivation? Check out the 7 Undeniable Benefits of the Overhead Press!]

The Grip & Setup

Grip

Thrall recommends beginning the press by gripping the barbell just outside shoulder width. After doing so, Thrall advises placing the heel of the hand on the barbell, while the pointer fingers point towards each other. This creates favorable arm leverages by placing the barbell across the radial longitudinal crease and directly under the bar.

Image from Untamed Strength YouTube channel. 

Setup

For the setup, Thrall states to first step under the barbell and squat it out of the rack/stand. He then states to step back and place the feet shoulder width apart, or slightly wider with the toes facing out. The chest should be raised to the ceiling, and the elbows in front of the bar. Another useful cue Thrall points out is bring the elbows in towards each other, as opposed to being out.

Image from Untamed Strength YouTube channel. 

Thrall recommends thinking, “Tight armpits,” similar to as if you had to block karate chops to that area of the body. The barbell should lie between the clavicles and the chin, but doesn’t need to be fully resting on the clavicle (this position can vary).

The Press

Upper Body

With the head facing forward, Thrall states that you’re ready to press, and the correct pressing motion should have the barbell directly over the shoulder joint, along with being inline with the back of the neck.

Image from Untamed Strength YouTube channel. 

Upon locking out at the top, Thrall recommends to shrug the shoulders up to support and stabilize the weight. When bringing the weight down, it’s important to return to the exact position you started in to avoid wasting energy resetting.

Hip Usage

Thrall points out that you can press without the hips, but to optimize your press, then it’s a good idea to involve the hips in the exercise. For use of the hips Thrall recommends flexing the quads, glutes, and abs to create a rebound-esque motion when extending the hips prior to the press. This hip extension creates a clearing of the head prior to the press.

Image from Untamed Strength YouTube channel. 

He advises trying out the motion multiple times before implementing it into the full movement. Also, a mental cue Thrall recommend is, “Hips, press. Hips, press.”

Wrapping Up

To wrap up the video, Thrall points out a few common errors that can come along with the barbell overhead press. These errors are most often seen in new lifters trying to find their correct positioning, and working on the timing of the movement. We recommend watching the full video if you’re in question of perfecting your overhead press form.

Feature image screenshot from Untamed Strength YouTube Channel. 

The post Alan Thrall Teaches Us How to Overhead Press Efficiently appeared first on BarBend.

Kettlebell Clean and Jerk – Exercise Progressions, Video Demos, and Benefits