Powerlifting and Barbell Training

When you walk into a strength training gym, you may notice a ton of different types of barbells. They all look similar at a glance, but they’re not. I'm going to explain the different types of barbells and how they affect your lifts. Most people don’t think about it. They grab whatever is open and start lifting. That works for a while. Then you wonder why certain lifts feel off or why your setup feels inconsistent. Here’s a simple cheat sheet for the different types of barbel

It’s 2026 and people are still trying to dodge deadlifts. I've heard a lot of excuses: "It's too risky," or "I'm not trying to get too big," they say. Meanwhile, I'm about to bonk someone over the head like Bam-Bam. Deadlifts work well for my caveman brain: Me lift heavy. Me drop heavy. But don’t let this simple exercise deceive you. Deadlifts are a powerhouse movement chock-full of real world benefits, and you’re leaving strength on the table when you leave deadlifts out of

I still see the bench press getting treated like a relic of the past. Many people think of it as an arm exercise, but it’s a full upper body lift that builds strength, shoulder stability, tricep power, and upper back in one pattern. It also teaches how to stay tight under load while producing force, which carries over into every other barbell lift. A solid bench starts with setup, not the unrack. Here's the lowdown on solid bench press form: Lie down and build a stable base.