🏋️ 5 strength-boosting supps you can't miss

This newsletter is presented by PowerBlock. If you’re looking for top-rated home workout equipment that can actually save you money and space, you’ll want to learn all about PowerBlock’s new Pro 100 EXP adjustable dumbbells. Click here for more.

Start your week right with these must-reads:

• The best pushing exercises for size and strength

• Boost your power with these five ingredients and supplements

• Lateral movements for powerlifters

Workouts

Push It Real Good

Pushing, whether it be on a horizontal or vertical plane, is one of the fundamental human movements. Whether we’re trying to show how strong we are by pressing the biggest rock we can have overhead, or lying down on a bench with some dumbbells trying to sculpt a chest worthy of Crom, we all love pressing movements.

If shooting rocks overhead isn’t your thing, or you’re getting bored with the same old dumbbell presses, we have the salve to cure your pushing wounds. Explosive training with medicine balls may be the ticket, or it might be worth it to explore the great outdoors while pressing a sled through a cornfield. Either way, you can expand your horizons with these eight excellent pushing exercises.

From Our Sponsor

The Evolution of Adjustable Dumbbells

Does home workout equipment strike you as being just a little inferior when compared to what’s at your local gym? That’s not the case at PowerBlock. This company is renowned for its line of durable and reliable adjustable dumbbells that provide world-class workouts to lifters of all experience levels.

And now the company is breaking new ground yet again with the release of its upgraded Pro 100 EXP adjustable dumbbells. These top-of-the-line weights offer the comfort, reliability, and durability you need from a dumbbell in a compact package that can fit in any space.

Here are just a few of the ways the Pro 100 EXP adjustable dumbbells stand out from the competition:

• Compact design: Instead of filling an entire basement or garage with racks upon racks of free weights, the Pro 100 EXP is a single piece of equipment that does the job of up to 30 dumbbells. Plus, they can easily slide under a bed or into a closet when you’re done.

• Durable construction: The Pro 100 EXP dumbbells are built tough enough to get you through your most intense workout routines, thanks to their sturdy urethane-coated steel construction.

• Beginner-friendly: Fortunately, this new technology doesn’t require much (if any) practice to get your head around it. They’re as straightforward as traditional dumbbells, and switching between weights can be done in the time it takes to exhale after a great set.

• Versatility: The weight range and compact design help the Pro 100 EXP cater to gymgoers of all experience levels and training styles, from powerlifting to circuit training. This makes it ideal for families to share amongst themselves.

If you want to read more about how the PowerBlock Pro 100 EXP can shake up your workouts, head here.

Supplements

Power Hour

They say you are what you eat. Does the same apply to supplementation? Do you lift what you eat? Everyone has their favorite pre-workout and intra-workout pick-me-ups, with some even opting to go for strange (but tasty) options like gummy bears and Rice Krispie Treats.

But there’s a whole world of strength-boosting ingredients out there that you probably don’t know about. Ever heard of Citrulline? How about betaine? If your typical supplements are falling flat, the powerful ingredients in the article below may be of interest to you.

Exercise Tips

Lateral Moves

Strength is always specific to a task, but if the training is too specific, your body will develop other weaknesses that inhibit you in that task. It’s a paradox.

Powerlifting movements all occur on the sagittal plane, which separates the body vertically from right to left and involves moves that go straight up and straight down. So it makes sense to train in that plane for most of your powerlifting-centric lifts. But, by doing so, you open yourself up to lateral weaknesses (side to side) that may prevent you from stabilizing hard enough to complete a maximal lift.

Thus, the idea of lateral training was born. By doing things like side medicine ball throws and lateral lunges, you can strengthen the muscle throughout 360 degrees instead of creating a severe imbalance on one side. Not only will you lift more weight, you will avoid injuries. Learn how to incorporate some lateral movement into your life.

Everything Else

Feet of Strength

• It’s been said that the right shoe won’t help your lift, but the wrong shoe will definitely bury it. We’ve compiled the best shoes for all your weightlifting (and weightlifting adjacent) needs.

• Turn an old drinking convention into your next shoulder exercise with the bottoms-up kettlebell press. Learn how to do it the right way.

• Women’s powerlifting numbers just keep going higher and higher, including this recent world record bench press from Amélie Mierger while competing at the French National Championships.

Sound Off!

When Do You Lift?

The Results Are In

Your Protein of Choice

In the September 25, 2023, edition of The BarBend Newsletter, we asked you to name your go-to protein powder. Here’s how you voted:

1. Whey protein (38.92%)

2. Whey isolate (23.35%)

3. Plant-based powder (12.57%)

4. None of the above (10.18%)

5. Casein (6%)

6. Whey concentrate (6%)

7. Whey hydrolysate (2.98%)