POWERED BY:

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• How to train the body’s oft-forgotten muscles

• Get stronger without lifting heavier

• Brian Shaw’s shocking body transformation

Training

Tibialis Anterior? I Hardly Know Her

If you're struggling to kick your physique into gear, it may be that you are simply neglecting the five often-overlooked muscles we're detailing in the article below. Biceps, pecs, and glutes might be the body's quarterbacks, pitchers, and point guards, but there's no "I" in "team," and there's no such thing as an individual victory in a group sport.

Your serratus anterior and tibialis anterior are, as their names suggest, very much front and center when your body is on display. Adding specific training to these sometimes glossed-over body parts can help you create something beautiful enough to take to the Louvre. 

From the best hip adductor machines to some top-notch neck exercises, we’ve got the whole shebang waiting for you below. Plus, we go over what makes these muscles so important and the real-world benefits you’ll receive from strengthening them. 

A Message From Lumen

Understand Your Metabolism to Stay on Track During the Holidays

If you’ve been dieting, lifting weights, and doing cardio without seeing the results you want, you might be missing out on one key piece of the puzzle: your metabolism. And with Lumen, you can get a better understanding of your metabolism right at your fingertips. 

Lumen is the world's first portable device that measures your metabolism with a single breath by tracking the CO₂ concentration in your breath. With the help of Lumen, you receive:

• Guidance on whether you are burning fat or carbs as fuel so you can choose your pre-workout meal accordingly.  

• Pointers on how to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and stress management

• A personalized nutrition plan for the entire day based on your measurements so you know whether your body needs a low-carb or low-fat day.

• Complete macro breakdown that leads to improved metabolic flexibility, which is your body's efficiency in shifting between using fats and carbs

The result of all this data? More sustainable muscle growth and fat loss tailored to your individual needs and goals.

If you want to unlock the potential of your metabolism and start crushing your fitness goals, read more about Lumen here. And right now, BarBend readers will get an exclusive 15% discount on their purchase. 

Exercise Tips

Save the Plates

Do muscles only grow from increasingly heavier resistance? In short, no. Two-time Figure Olympia champ Erin Stern swears by four intensifier techniques for strength gains without increasing the loads — and we’re going over all of them today.

These techniques include the use of partial reps and slow negatives, which help Stern blow past plateaus and take her training to the next level without risking injury. Check out all of the techniques — and learn the science behind them — at the link below.

Sales

All the President’s Deals

Even the best budget home gym equipment can get pretty pricey. But that doesn’t mean your workout goals need to fall by the wayside.

Right now, you can shop some of the best Presidents’ Day fitness equipment sales of 2025. We’ve gathered the best deals from some of our favorite fitness brands like Rep Fitness, Sole, and Onnit. Browse some of our top picks and keep your fitness goals on track (while saving some money, of course).

Strongman

You’ll Be Seeing Less of Brian Shaw

A big part of being a professional strongman is, well, being big. At 6'8", four-time World's Strongest Man winner Brian Shaw had the vertical axis of the size game gifted to him through genetics. Still, when it came to filling out that tall frame, he had to regularly consume exorbitant amounts of calories.

Since retiring from the sport to pursue other endeavors, Shaw has radically changed his physique, and, as witnessed by this body fat test, may well be on his way to winning the World’s Leanest Man contest (not really…)

Trying to lose weight while maintaining lean body mass is always tricky, but Shaw has been committed to his new journey. Check out the radical change his body has undergone, and see what tactics and tricks he has used along the way.

Quick Hits

📚 Read This: Tired of quality sports news being stuck behind a paywall? Sign up for Press Sports, a FREE weekly newsletter that goes beyond just headlines and highlights to help you know that’ll satisfy all your sports news in 5 minutes.

💪 Cut Back on This: Science has something to say on the matter of constantly adding more volume to your programming. It turns out you might not need so much of it, after all.

📺 Watch This: Over on YouTube, ATHLEAN-X walks viewers through what he considers to be the most scientifically sound triceps workout available to your arms.

Sign Up