I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :
- Gem From The Vault : Odd Object Training
Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller
Ready for something a little different? - Looking At : Jan 24, 2016
Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.
Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.
NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.
Video : Legless Rope Climb
Simple idea, much more difficult than it looks. Good stuff.
Gymchat 277 - Barefoot Running - Believe the Hype! (Steven Sashen)
Barefoot running - a fascinating, yet somewhat divisive, area. (And yes, I'm on the side of 'bare feet whenever possible'. Running, some forms of training and just walking around the house).Taking us through it is Xero Shoes' Steven Sashen; covering everything from 'what it is' to 'how to go about it', and of course the many benefits of doing just that. And joining Steven is Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.
NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Steven and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.
And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share event' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.
Details -
Who : Xero Shoes' Steven Sashen, Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Barefoot Running - Believe the Hype!
When : Sunday Jan 31, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.
If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.
NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.
Tip of the Week: Strengthen Your Neck, Reduce Pain, Increase Lifts
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.
This tip is from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. The 'right' way to strengthen your neck.
Over to Josh :
When starting a neck strengthening program, you must be careful to be very progressive... start slow and easy and work your way up to more challenging exercises over time. For example, you can begin your exercise program by doing simple chin tucks while sitting or standing. (See video)Once you get comfortable with basic sitting/standing chin tucks, you can try doing the exercise lying down. Build up to doing around 10 reps, holding for 5 to 10 seconds each rep. The goal is to increase the muscular endurance of your muscles as well as their strength. Your neck is designed to carry the weight of your head all day, not to lift trains or buses!
Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article. A great read.
Checking Out : Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches [Kindle Edition]
Good stuff. Digital editions (both Kindle and iBooks) of Greg Everett's Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.As the title suggests, this book details the lifts themselves as well as teaching a number of cues, variations and progressions. It really is a wonderfully comprehensive offering.
(The Amazon page has a complete list of topics covered.)
Full review shortly. Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.
Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.
Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :
Good stuff Bret, looks great.