On the Forums

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 a training routine or two, head over to the forums :

• Next Program
  Fight Geek
  It’s always great to see how other people train. Here’s what Fight Geek has planned.
  
• Bull Neck
  Mike ‘The Machine’ Bruce
  Ready to begin working on your neck strength? Mike shares a basic program for doing exactly that.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click ‘Post to Your Blog’. That’s all there is to it.

Video - Breaking Eggs with His Head

Omelette anyone?

Coming Events

Twitterchats : there are some brilliant discussion topics coming up, with a fantastic range of coaches, trainers, physiotherapists and athletes. To find out the details, swing by the twitterchat calendar.

NB : if you’d like to be a guest on an upcoming chat, get in touch. It’s always great to discover how other people are training.

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how’s your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details - and to add an event - swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Bodyweight Blueprint

This week marks the launch of Adam Steer’s brilliant Bodyweight Blueprint package. Although the official launch isn’t until Wednesday, I’ve arranged a special preview for readers of this newsletter.

If you love bodyweight training, make sure you check out Bodyweight Blueprint. Superb.

Exercise of the Week

When was the last time you did some serious rope climbing? Here’s how - the Cinch and Pinch. Good stuff.

On the Forums

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 a training routine or two, head over to the forums :

• Grip on the Cheap
  Al Heineman
  Ready to add some grip work to your training, no matter where you work out? Al explains.
  
• Routine for Building a Massive Chest
  Mike ‘The Machine’ Bruce
  Looking for some serious size? Mike has a suggestion.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click ‘Post to Your Blog’. That’s all there is to it.

Video - The Right Way to Use the Reverse Hyper

As Smitty points out, the Reverse Hyper is a brilliant machine - when used correctly. What’s the right way to use it? Like this :

Coming Events

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how’s your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Sledgehammer Strike. Got a couple of tyres, a sledgehammer and a few minutes to spare? Brilliant.

Incidentally, in this particularly case, Rob is raising money for Children in Distress. To throw a couple of bucks his way, head over to Just Giving. Fantastic idea.

On the Forums

• More Pressing Thoughts
  Dan Cenidoza
  What's the result of an increase in overhead pressing volume? Dan explains.
  
• Fight Geek's Training Log
  It's always great to see how other people train. Here's how Fight Geek does things.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Outdoor Training Ideas

There are many, many great ways to train outdoors - here are just a few. Nice one.

Coming Events

Twitterchat : This week we'll be discussing something that impacts everyone who weight-trains, the many forms of therapy that you can apply yourself. Foam rollers, sticks, tennis balls and so on.

Helping us to navigate through this fascinating world is The Strength Doctor, Tim Hull. Whether you're after some temporary pain relief or seeking to make the most of the work you've just done in the gym, Tim has a few suggestions. Looking forward to it.

Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Manual Therapy Methods
When : Wed Sep 16, 9pm EST (1am UTC)
How : include #sbgym in your tweets

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Battling Ropes Pole Pull. If you haven't yet experienced the brutal power of the Battling Ropes (seriously, it'll knock the wind out of you), take a look at the many varieties of Pole Pull. Brilliant exercise.

On the Forums

• Steel Bending, VFF, Yoga & Dan John
  Dan Cenidoza
  Dan takes a look at his current training - it's a great mix to say the least. Love it.
  
• Fight Geek's Training Log
  It's always great to see how other people train. Here's how Fight Geek does things.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Homemade Indian Club

There are a couple of great ways to make your own clubs - here Jerry Shreck demonstrates the Wiffle Bat technique (part II). Nice one.

Coming Events

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Neck Bridge. If you're slightly hesitant to do your bridging work (but know how important neck training is), take a look at these variations. Good stuff.

On the Forums

• Receiving corrections well: How to benefit from feedback
  Frank DiMeo
  How well do you take feedback? What do you do with it? Over to Frank.
  
• Mike F's Training Log
  It's always great to see how other people train. Here's how Mike does things.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Home Climbing Wall Construction

How do you build your own climbing wall? Like this.

Coming Events

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Zercher Slosh Walk. Love the Zercher Squat? Love your Slosh Pipe? Combine them.

Enjoy.

Zercher Slosh Walk. Great exercise.

On the Forums

• Building a Better Wheel
  'Unbreakable' Adam Glass
  This is the first instalment of a fantastic series, taking a look at the requirements for training those in the military. Superb read.
  
• Armored Core
  Mike 'The Machine' Bruce
  Mike takes core training seriously. Find out how.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Colorado Parkour : National Jam Trip

How do you celebrate two years of training? Like this.

Coming Events

Twitterchat : Looking for explosive performance in the gym, every time? Rapid recovery perhaps? How about being the only person you know who never gets sick?

We're all in search of The Perfect Diet.

This week's twitterchat takes the form of a round table discussion on the 'right' things to eat. If you've got an opinion or three (whether your preferred approach is Paleo, Low-carb, Vegan, 'Anything Goes' etc), make sure you're there. We'd love to hear what you think.

Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : The Perfect Diet
When : Wed August 26, 9pm EST (1am UTC)
How : include #sbdiet in your tweets. See you there.

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Ice Cream Maker. Just got yourself a pair of Rings? Try this.

Yes, it's much harder than it looks. Enjoy.

On the Forums

• Kettlebell Training?
  'Unbreakable' Adam Glass
  If you've ever wonder 'what can kettlebell training do for me?' here's your answer. Nice one.
  
• Mental Toughness
  Frank DiMeo
  What does it take to keep going no matter what? A bit of Mental Toughness. Frank explains.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Explosive bench pushups

Another great variation from the Wild Man - Johnny Grube. Good stuff.

Coming Events

Twitterchat : What do Formula One drivers, rugby players and many combat athletes have in common? Incredible neck strength. To help explain how to get it, Old-Time Strongman Mike 'The Machine' Bruce will be joining us for this week's Twitterchat.

If you're keen to do a little neck work yourself, or you've got a neck-related question for Mike, the twitterchat's the ideal place. See you there.

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Hopper Dip. One of several brilliant Dip Variations.

Joe Hashey demonstrates the Hopper Dip (and several other dip varieties) in this clip. It's a plyometric version of the bodyweight standard; and much harder than in looks. Give it a shot.

On the Forums

• Torsion Grippers
  'Unbreakable' Adam Glass
  Should you be training with grippers? Definitely.
  
• Warrior Diet, Tool & Technique Program
  The Fight Geek
  If Methuselah's recent posts got you considering the Warrior Diet, take a look at this. The Fight Geek gets ready to put it through its paces.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - Yet another training video

Ready for a dose of Parkour? Same here.

Coming Events

Twitterchat : this week we'll be chatting with 'The Strength Doctor' Tim Hull about several common varieties of rehab work. What to do, and how to keep training without worsening the injury. See you there.

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The One-Armed Deadlift. Love it.

There are a couple of ways to perform this lift - with the bar positioned in front of the lifter, or by the lifter's side (a Suitcase Deadlift). Here's a quick demonstration from 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass :

Good fun.

On the Forums

• Training Logs
  Various Authors
  No matter what your training goals, it's always great to see how other people train. Head over to the Training Logs area and dive in.
  
• Bending my 2nd Yellow Nail in a Fancy Suit
  Josh Hanagarne
  Josh takes a look at his new toys from IronMind. Formal clothing optional.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - DIY Suspension Straps

Looking for an inexpensive alternative to Blast Straps? Try these.

Coming Events

Kettlebell Juggling Contest : how's your kettlebell juggling? For details, head over here. Good stuff.

Card Tearing Contest : or a spot of card tearing perhaps? Now this one will be fun. Find out why.

Grip Contests : There are also several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• USHS Nationals
• USGS Nationals
• Finnish Open Grip Strength Championships

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Barbell Hack Squat. The original and best. Love it.

For information on the history of this wonderful lift, and to see how it's performed, head over to Part III of the Timeless Exercises series. Enjoy.

On the Forums

• Training Logs
  Various Authors
  No matter what your training goals, it's always great to see how other people train. Head over to the Training Logs area and dive in.
  
• Which Kettlebell to Get
  Jordan Vezina
  Jordan takes a great look at the many reasons he's a big fan of the Dragon Door kettlebells. If you're in the market for a new 'bell, this is a great place to start.
  

NB : Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Articles & Logs page and log in, and click 'Post to Your Blog'. That's all there is to it.

Video - TDmonkeys' David Sampler 2009

Yes, he's insane.

Coming Events

Twitterchat : In this week's twitterchat we'll be joining Synergy Athletics' Joe Hashey for a discussion on running a garage gym. A fantastic way to earn a living.

See you there.

Grip Contests : There are several grip contests coming up shortly, including :

• Backyard Bash 5
• USHS Nationals
• The Steel Slayer Showdown
• Global Grip Challenge 2009

For details, swing by the Grip Contest Calendar.

Exercise of the Week

The Dand (Hindu Push-Up). This has been at the heart of my bodyweight training for several years now (thanks to my original Judo coach, who first taught me this wonderful exercise). Love it.

To see how it's performed, here is Steve Maxwell in action. Note that the taekhte (push-up board) is optional, but great for exercises such as this.