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 : Tackling the One-Armed Push-Up
  Al Kavadlo
  Up for a challenge?

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 23, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : San Francisco Phonebook Tearing

A spot of phonebook tearing goodness. Nice one.

Gymchat 237 - Old-Time Strongman Training (Logan Christopher)

Logan Christopher.

They're certainly uncommon areas: how do you train for them? What are the benefits of these approaches? What sorts of equipment is involved?

This week we'll be discussing the entire field of Old-Time Strength in obsessive detail. Joining us is 'Physical Culture Renaissance Man' Logan Christopher, together with Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


If you've got questions/comments for Logan or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat. And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : 'Physical Culture Renaissance Man' Logan Christopher, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Old-Time Strongman Training
When : Wednesday Feb 26, 9:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Jason Paris.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: Using (and Making) a Fat Bar

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 comes to us from the obscenely strong Max Shank, in the form of a video from the article The Fat Bar. Take a look.

This video shows the bar in action. To read how it helps, and how to make one; head over to the article The Fat Bar. Nice one.

Over to Max :

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Intervention - Course Corrections for the Athlete and Trainer

Intervention.

When chatting with someone this morning I realised that although I'd been fortunate enough to see the DVD version (thanks Laree!) of Dan John's Intervention seminars a couple of years ago, I'd never read the book. And believe me, it's well worth having.


To give you an idea, here's a short clip from the DVD that'll help explain what 'Intervention' is all about :

Dan John's 'Intervention'. Fantastic.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : DIY - How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform
  Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
  Setting up a home gym?

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 16, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : High Intensity, Low Rep Calisthenics

Good stuff. Great exercises, and I love the overall idea.

Gymchat 236 - Programming for Strength vs Hypertrophy (Jason Paris)

Jason Paris.

This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, explaining exactly how to prioritise either one - or train for a mix of the two. Tackling this is Strength Coach Jason Paris, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


If you've got questions/comments for Jason or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat. And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Strength Coach Jason Paris, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Programming for Strength vs Hypertrophy
When : Wednesday Feb 19, 9:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Kurtis Frank. Photo by Kira Beriault.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: Steel Bending Benefits - Increased Neural Strength

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 comes to us from 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass' superb article Why Bend Steel?; and looks at just one of the great benefits of a regular dose of steel bending. Increased Neural Strength.

Over to Adam :

Adam with a reconfigured #5 Draft Horse Shoe.

First benefit is to your neural strength: Steel bending is an exceptional way to build your single unit application of tension. What I mean is this - you have to tense and load every muscle in your body, take out all "leakages", brace everything together and direct it through you hands with a sniper's precise angle. If you get sloppy punching on the nails ends, you will hurt yourself. You could possibly punch yourself in the face, roll your hands out of the groove, stab yourself, or any other combination of less desirable outcomes. This activity will turn your wrist to stone. Your ability to direct power will be significantly increased. This will directly carry over to any other strength-skill you currently have. The way I load up to bend a Huge Stainless Steel Bastard is exactly the same feeling as when I load up to pull a max dead, to press a 48kg bell, or to slam an axe through a log. It adds a critical power appliance to your "strength skill tool box".

This increase in strength and power naturally will carry over to an increase in your endurance. Anyone who has bent a nail will tell you the first time they bent it was so tiring. I have watched people sweat bullets bending their first respectable nail. As time goes on you gain huge reserves of power. A personal testament to this level of power for me was October 2007 when I bent 150 60D nails in one hour using the double under (DU) grip. That represented a massive improvement from Jan 2007, when bending 10-15 nails left my hands extremely fatigued.

Checking Out : My Own Supplement Regime

Nutritional supplements. Photo by Clean Wal-Mart.

A few of the recent Gymchats (especially 214 and 235) - as well as a conversation I had over the weekend - have convinced me to take another look at my own supplement regimes. Details shortly, but suffice to say there'll likely be a few changes involved. As well as a couple of additions, of course.

In the meantime - what's your own supplementation regime like? What do you currently take, and why?

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : The Bodyweight Aficionado's Guide to Gear
  Jason Kirby
  A few extras that can add a whole lot of possibilities.

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 9, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Kettlebell Hand Switches with Jeff Martone

Nice one Jeff. Great information.

Gymchat 235 - Supplementation for Focus & Stress Relief (Kurtis Frank)

Kurtis Frank. Photo by Kira Beriault.

There have been a number of claims surrounding these areas - particularly concerning both Rhodiola Rosea and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR). This week we'll be examining these two in detail; discussing exactly what works (and the research surrounding it) and what doesn't. Helping us uncover this fascinating topic is Examine.com's own Kurtis Frank, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


If you've got questions/comments for Kurtis or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat. And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Examine.com's own Kurtis Frank, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Supplementation for Focus & Stress Relief
When : Wednesday Feb 12, 9:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Bill Piche.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: Checking Your Squat Depth

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 comes to us from a thread on the VirtualMeet Forums, looking at a device called the Safety Squat. Very interesting idea.

Over to James Chochlinski :

The safety squat arrived yesterday. No instruction manual, just a picture. Tried some squats with it using just the bar. Seems to work similarly to the youtube video sensor. Placement just above the knee requires deeper squat to trigger the sensor; Not as deep when placed higher up on the thigh. It's just a level sensor, so the difference is due to the shape of my thigh. Happy with the safety squat so far.

James was also kind enough to share some video of the device in action :

The obvious use is for powerlifters when training for a meet. However, on Google+, Raymond Ho shared an alternative way to put it to work :

The idea is actually good. I see people when they start loading up the bar (which is too heavy for them) they start to get higher out of the holes until it looks more like a partial rep. and if you squat by yourself then it stops you from cheating.

Sounds great.

I'm curious : has anyone here used a device like this, and what are your thoughts on the idea?

Checking Out : How to Transform Your Physique

How to Transform Your Physique.

How to Transform Your Physique is one of the many resources that Josh Hewett and Bill Piche mentioned in last week's Gymchat - Gymchat 234 : Fitness Industry Posers (Education vs Experience). Was a great discussion.

We'll be posting a full review shortly, in the meantime here's a quick comment from Bill's own site to give you an idea of what this book is about :

What you'll find in this excellently composed e-book is a simplified, easy-to-understand road map guiding you in living up to what its title promises. That is, to "transform your physique". This really is an honest, no B.S. approach.

How to Transform Your Physique

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : Bare-Handed Nail Driving Basics
  Ryan Pitts
  Looking for a serious challenge? Try this.

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 2, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : 100lb Plate Hold for Time

A deceptively simple challenge - holding a couple of 100lb plates for as long as possible. Try it, and you'll see what I mean.

Nice one Logan.

Gymchat 234 - Fitness Industry Posers (Education vs Experience) (Bill Piche)

Bill Piche.

This week we're tackling this area - discussing the value of education vs experience when it comes to training. How to evaluate what's on offer, and the types of things to consider when choosing someone to work with. Helping us tackle this one is Powerlifter Bill Piche, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.

If you've got questions/comments for Bill or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat. And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Powerlifter Bill Piche, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Fitness Industry Posers (Education vs Experience)
When : Wednesday Feb 5, 9:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Tyler Thor Jefferis.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: The Modified Jefferson Lift

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 comes to us from Jason's superb article 29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner; and looks at just one of the many ways to put a partly-loaded barbell to work. The Modified Jefferson Lift.

Over to Jason :

This is where you straddle the barbell with both legs, and grasp above the weights while you lower yourself straight down as if sitting down into a chair. The R.O.M. is limited so you can use heavier weights if you feel comfortable.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Basic Anabolic Hypertrophy Training

Basic Anabolic Hypertrophy Training.

Josh Hewett's shared some fantastic information over the years - in the form of videos, articles and, well, just doing it. Good stuff.

His latest offering, Basic Anabolic Hypertrophy Training, is certainly no exception. A detailed guide to putting a little more muscle on your frame; regardless of your starting point. If you're ready to put the work in, Josh is ready to help.

Best of all - he's used this program with a number of clients, so you know it works. Basic Anabolic Hypertrophy Training.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : The Fat Bar
  Max Shank
  Looking for a way to challenge your grip? Throw in a little thick bar work. Good fun.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 26, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Mobility for Powerlifting

Good stuff Clint. Excellent advice.

Gymchat 233 - The Basics of Getting STRONG (Tyler Thor Jefferis)

Tyler Thor Jefferis.

This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, explaining exactly how to go from being 'about as strong as the people around me' to 'the strongest person I know'. Taking us through the entire process is Powerlifter Tyler Thor Jefferis together with Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.

If you've got questions/comments for Tyler or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat. And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Powerlifter Tyler Thor Jefferis and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : The Basics of Getting STRONG
When : We're holding this one a little earlier in the week. It'll be on Tuesday Jan 28, 9:15pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Jen Mulhall.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here. And if you'd like to work with Jen 1 on 1, you'll find her at Thrive 365.

Tip of the Week: Finding a Good Training Partner

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 comes to us from the Gymchat on 'Motivation', and is part of a longer discussion of training partners. Enjoy.

Over to Roger :

Roger Lawson.

Finding a good training partner is rough and really all depends on the person's temperament. Some like to train with someone who is far above them as motivation to get better while others like someone who is at their level or slightly beyond them, otherwise they get discouraged because the gap is so wide (a prime example of that negative self talk).

I would start by just searching the gym for someone who does a similar style of training (or something completely different if you're in to trying new things) that you do or someone who has attributes that you'd like to have (e.g. freaky strong, etc) and strike up a chat with them. You already have at least the gym in common, so start there.

Checking Out : Stretching Your Boundaries - Flexibility Training for Extreme Calisthenic Strength

Stretching Your Boundaries.

Making its way instantly to the top of my 'books to read' list is Stretching Your Boundaries - the latest offering from the inimitable Al Kavadlo. And as the name implies, Stretching Your Boundaries is Al's own thinking on the use of stretching with bodyweight training. Perfect.

Full review shortly; in the meantime though, here's a quick comment from the Amazon page to give you an idea :

What is fantastic about this book is the first part - a complete manifesto about stretching and stretch safety. If you had any doubts about stretching, this part of the book is worth the money alone.

Stretching Your Boundaries.

NB : the links above are for the Kindle edition; a paperback version is available over on the Dragon Door site.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : Why Bend Steel?
  'Unbreakable' Adam Glass
  An incredibly rewarding way to train.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 19, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : The Strength Athlete - Deadlift Cues

Good stuff Bryce. Excellent information.

Gymchat 232 - Self-Hypnosis For Strength Gains (Jen Mulhall)

Jen Mulhall.

This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, examining the thinking behind it, and the way to make use of it in your own training. Taking us through the entire process are Personal Trainers (and Strength Athletes) Jen Mulhall and Josh Hewett. If you've got questions/comments for Jen or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself). Details below.

Details -

Who : Personal Trainers (and Strength Athletes) Jen Mulhall and Josh Hewett
Topic : Self-Hypnosis For Strength Gains
When : Wednesday Jan 22, 9pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone)
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Vic Magary.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here. And if you're looking for the site that Vic mentioned at the end, it's fatlossforfree.com.

Tip of the Week: Building a Bulletproof Body

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.

Over the past few weeks we've looked at some great pieces from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. If you've missed any, here's a quick overview.

To give you an idea, a brief piece from the post :

Fix muscle imbalances by addressing your weak or inhibited muscles rather than trying to stretch out the tight ones. The key is to address the root cause, not just the symptom. This is why I suggest to avoid passive stretching, and instead to employ active stretching, isometric exercise, and corrective isolation exercises.

Good stuff. And again, this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article. A great read.

Checking Out : Bones of Iron - Collected Articles on the Life of the Strength Athlete

Bones of Iron - Collected Articles on the Life of the Strength Athlete.

I missed this one originally, and had actually forgotten all about it - until someone mentioned it today. Matt's fantastic gathering of articles on Olympic Weightlifting - Bones of Iron - Collected Articles on the Life of the Strength Athlete.

Full review shortly; in the meantime, here's a quick comment from the Amazon page to give you an idea :

Matt Foreman is one of the truly "good guys" in Olympic Weightlifting, and his book reads just like he's sitting next to you on the platform sharing the tips that make the difference between a PR and abject failure (which he understands only too well is a thin, thin line...). Foreman's approach is pragmatic, easy to understand and conversational, making it enjoyable to read and applicable to your own training. His wit is only matched by his vast knowledge and experience and both come out in spades in this book.

Bones of Iron - Collected Articles on the Life of the Strength Athlete.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : 5 Surprising Factors That Drive Training Results
  'Napalm' Jedd Johnson
  Is your progress grinding to a halt? Try changing some of these.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 12, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Fitness for Google Glass™ in Action

In previous Gymchats we've discussed various ways to use Google Glass in your training. To give you an idea of what it might look like, here's a brief demo video of the Lynxfit app in action.

Good stuff.

Gymchat 231 - Fat Loss 101 (Vic Magary)

Vic Magary.

This week we'll be discussing this fascinating area. Whether you're looking to do a little fine-tuning or shed a load of 'extra material', we'll detail precisely how to do that. Taking us through the entire process is Online Fitness Coach Vic Magary, joined by Personal Trainer Josh Hewett. If you've got questions/comments for Vic or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself). Details below.

Details -

Who : Online Fitness Coach Vic Magary and Personal Trainer Josh Hewett
Topic : Fat Loss 101 (for Beginners / Intermediates)
When : Wednesday Jan 15, 9pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone)
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Jeff King.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

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.

Re-Reading : The Grip Masters Manual

The Grip Master's Manual.

A friend of mine mentioned the can-crushing feat the other day (it's a superb feat - here's a bit of video if you've never seen it), and we got to chatting about this superb book. An incredible collection of John Brookfield's training ideas and approaches.

Rest assured, if you're looking for world class grip strength, make sure you've got a copy of this.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat
  Rick Walker
  Knees caving in? Falling forward?

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 5, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : The Samurai

Interesting combination. And yes, it's much harder than it looks.

Gymchat 230 - World's Strongest Disabled Man

Jeff King.

In the Gymchat this week we'll be talking to Strength Athlete and Personal Trainer Jeff King. About strength athletics in general, and competitions such as the World's Strongest Disabled Man.

Joining him is fellow Strength Athlete and Personal Trainer Josh Hewett. If you've got questions/comments for Jeff or Josh, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself). Details below.

Details -

Who : Strength Athletes and Personal Trainers Jeff King and Josh Hewett
Topic : World's Strongest Disabled Man
When : Wednesday Jan 8, 9pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone)
How : Watch the live stream, and ask questions, directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

See you there.

Ben McLaughlin.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: How to Fix Your Shoulders

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 fix up your shoulders.

Over to Josh :

The pain and other problems of the forward head are sometimes referred to collectively as "Upper Crossed Syndrome". But just because it's called a syndrome doesn't mean it's a disease or structural problem you have to accept and live with. It is simply mechanical pain from poor slouching posture, and can be fixed.

Here are some exercises you can start incorporating on a daily basis (or whenever you have time). I also suggest you use some of them as a warm up before your upper body workouts:

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 : HyperWear Weight Vests

HyperWear Weight Vests.

A friend of mine is currently considering a weighted vest of some sort, most likely something similar to the one pictured. If you're in the same boat, you'll be very pleased to hear that the HyperWear ones are currently on sale : just enter the code HYPERJAN at checkout, and get a tidy 10% off orders over $100.

Good stuff.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 : Starting Your Fitness Journey - 10 Things to Consider
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Ready to transform yourself? Perfect.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 29, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : How to Heavy Bench Press Safely Without A Spotter

Nice one Jorrell.

Gymchats in 2014

Josh Hewett.

In the meantime, check out some of the fantastic discussions we held in 2013. There's a full list here.

Ben McLaughlin.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: How to Fix Your Back

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 fix up your back.

Over to Josh :

What happens when you sit all day (at a desk, watching TV, or while driving) is that certain muscles, ie: glutes, can become lengthened and weak while other muscles compensate and become tighter to take up the slack, ie: QL (lower back) and psoas (hip flexors). This can lead to all sorts of issues including back pain. Weak abdominal muscles is also a culprit.

So what can you do to restore muscular balance and function to get rid of that pain? The progressions I follow are very similar to what I outlined in my Fix Your Knees blog post:

1. If it's an acute injury see a medical professional and get assessed. Rest and ice.
2. Test your Active Range of Motion as comfort allows (avoid passive stretching).
3. Use Isometric Exercises to activate the weak muscle groups.
4. Once muscles start to "fire" better, you can add in some isolation exercises to target and strengthen those muscles.
5. Progress towards compound multi-joint exercises that incorporate those muscles.

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 : Goodreads

Goodreads.

We took a look at Goodreads a little earlier in the year, for cataloguing and recommending books. On strength training, or anything else.

Chances are that when you're defining your goals for 2014 you're re-reading a few things (certainly the case here). Here's a peek at what's on my own fitness shelves; and I'm keen to add a few others to that list.

Any training-related books you'd recommend?

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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 :

• The Future of Fitness : Predictions for 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've looked at some pretty incredible fitness-related technologies this year. Now it's time to peer a short distance into the future - here are a few of the things I'd expect to see in 2014.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 22, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Plate Rim Fingertip Curls

Nice one Daniel.

Gymchats for 2013

Josh Hewett.

If you missed any of them - or just want to go back and check out a particular point again - you'll be pleased to know that the videos are all recorded and stored on Youtube. Here's the full list :


Dec 18, 2013 | Gymchat 229 - How to Prepare for a Powerlifting Competition (Josh Hewett and Ben McLaughlin)
Dec 11, 2013 | Gymchat 228 - In-Season Training for Hockey (Josh Hewett and Conor Doherty)
Dec 4, 2013 | Gymchat 227 - The Tempo Matrix (Josh Hewett and Karsten Jensen)
Nov 27, 2013 | Gymchat 226 - Advances in Strength & Power Development (Josh Hewett and Craig Bongelli)
Nov 20, 2013 | Gymchat 225 - How to Master the Inner Game (Josh Hewett and Jen Mulhall)
Nov 13, 2013 | Gymchat 224 - The Future of Fitness (Roundtable) (Josh Hewett, Chas Melichar, Chris Lutz, Karsten Jensen and Nassim Jebran)
Nov 11, 2013 | Gymchat 223 - Progressive Calisthenics (Josh Hewett and Al Kavadlo)
Nov 6, 2013 | Gymchat 222 - The Difference Between Exercise & Training (Why You Should TRAIN!) (Josh Hewett and Ryan Burgess)
Oct 30, 2013 | Gymchat 221 - The Paleo Approach to Health & Physique Transformation (Josh Hewett and Adam Farrah)
Oct 23, 2013 | Gymchat 220 - High Intensity Training : HIT (Josh Hewett and Chris Lutz)
Oct 16, 2013 | Gymchat 219 - Assessing Current Fitness Trends (Josh Hewett and Adam Klymkiw)
Oct 10, 2013 | Gymchat 218 - Alternative Approaches to Exercise Prescription (Josh Hewett and Matthew Palfrey)
Oct 9, 2013 | Gymchat 217 - Underground Strength Training (Josh Hewett and Zach Even-Esh)
Oct 8, 2013 | Gymchat 216 - Fat Loss Nutrition (Josh Hewett, Ryan Phillips and Rob Spencer)
Oct 2, 2013 | Gymchat 215 - The Health, Fitness, & Fat Loss Benefits of GARLIC (Josh Hewett and Kurtis Frank)
Sep 25, 2013 | Gymchat 214 - How to Create an Effective Supplement Stack (Josh Hewett and Paul Teixeira)
Sep 22, 2013 | Gymchat 213 (Roundtable) - How to get BIGGER and STRONGER (Josh Hewett, Suneet Sebastian, Louis Farone, Paul Marsland and Jason Paris)
Sep 19, 2013 | Gymchat 212 - How to Gain Muscle (Josh Hewett and Conor Kelly)
Sep 11, 2013 | Gymchat 211 - Training Approaches (Roundtable) (Josh Hewett, Adam Klymkiw, Jason Paris, Chris Lutz and Kurtis Frank)
Aug 14, 2013 | Gymchat 209 - Setting up a Home Gym ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Josh Hewett)
Jul 31, 2013 | Gymchat 207 - Body Transformation ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Jason Paris)
Jul 24, 2013 | Gymchat 206 - Sandbag Training ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Matt Palfrey)
Jul 17, 2013 | Gymchat 205 - Paleo Dieting ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Adam Farrah)
Jul 10, 2013 | Gymchat 204 - Training & Competing with Google Glass ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Chas Melichar)
Jul 4, 2013 | Gymchat 203 - Explaining Crossfit Principles ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Dai 'The Moose' Manuel)
Jun 29, 2013 | Gymchat 202 - Intermittent Fasting ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Josh Hewett)
Jun 22, 2013 | Gymchat 201 - Hormonal Optimisation ('Captain' Kirk Fontaine and Josh Hewett)
Mar 20, 2013 | Gymchat 200 - Beginning Powerlifting (Chadwick Haines)
Mar 8, 2013 | Gymchat 199 - Stretching & Warming Up (Conor Doherty)
Feb 27, 2013 | Gymchat 198 - The Science of Muscle Growth (Kevin Stock)
Jan 9, 2013 | Gymchat 195 - Fitness Over 40 (Kevin Redman)

NB : the links above are for the Gymchats we did in 2013. For the ones we did prior to that, check out the Complete List of Gymchats over on the main site. They're all there.

And yes, we'll be taking a couple of weeks off over the holidays; beginning again in early 2014. Full details shortly.

Ben McLaughlin.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: Knee Rehabilitation Progression

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 fix your knees after surgery.

Over to Josh :

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 : Insane In-Season Hockey Training

Insane In-Season Hockey Training.

We mentioned this one briefly last week, and we'll be posting a full review on the blog early in the new year. In the meantime though, a quick look at what it is :


In Gymchat 228 - In-Season Training for Hockey Conor Doherty outlined his approach to training for Ice Hockey, during the season itself. Very interesting discussion.

The Insane In-Season Hockey Training package is a detailed look at this area. Becoming stronger, faster and generally more powerful during the season. What to do, and when.

Full details shortly; if you're ready to get a head start though, swing by the official site. Dive in.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.