Video - Chain Yoke

Looking for a simple way to test out some yoke work? Rig up one of these. Great idea.

Greg Matonick

Adam pointed me in the direction of old-time strongman Greg Matonick, who enjoys some pretty astonishing feats. In addition to the usual forms of lifting, bending and tearing; Greg destroys everything from coins (with his teeth) to horseshoes (teeth again). Good stuff.

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OK so lets face it, the bodyweight crowd out there doesn't really need to purchase any equipment that couldn't either be made or found, but presuming you're one of those people who wants all the latest and greatest gear, or just someone looking to add a few more tools to the toolbox and try something new. Here are a few pieces of equipment definitely worth looking into, and can add almost an unlimited amount of ideas and variation to your training regime.
So skipping the obvious tools like gloves, belts, straps, ipods, and nonsense of that nature lets choose to look at some of the best ideas out there that require little space, a small budget, and a bit of creativity. Going in no particular order I will give the pros and cons of some of the best equipment I have found out there, broken up into categories.

Suspension Equipment

This comes in all shapes and sizes but there are about 3 really decent pieces of equipment and after trying them all I will have to put my vote on two of them. TRX Suspension Trainer- this is essentially a webbing system with some foam hand grips, and foot cradles that can be hung on almost anything sturdy enough to hold you, and an optional doorway mount can be purchased if you have no choices left but your door.

Pros: The sky is the limit with this piece and while not everything that can be done with this is difficult you can make up your own exercises or opt to intertwine the straps together and go from two grips to just one. The difference can be huge. I will say that bulgarian split squats, leg curls, flys, power pulls, and t's are personal favorites that can be made more or less challenging depending on the angle you are standing or leaning.

Cons: The price is a bit high for a piece of webbing and all the claims about it being created by a Navy Seal are extremely annoying. If you need ideas you can purchase DVDs, posters, or a virtual trainer, but again you are paying way more than you should be.

EXF Rings- this brings us to the next nifty piece and that is a set of gymnastic rings. Simple and effective, they come in two colors, red and black, and can be hung in similar nature as the TRX although I recommend using something like a truss, pull up bar, power rack, or cable crossover station.

Pros: if you think bodyweight training isn't difficult try holding an iron cross or doing a one arm chin (OAC). The rings add an element of instability that just can't be replicated with free weights. Looking to shore on some size to your shoulders, chest, and back, then flys, push ups, dips, chin ups, and even levers can do just that.

Cons- while not as expensive as the TRX these are not cheap given their simple nature, they are also a bit harder to set up if you're indoors and do not have a sturdy object to attach them too.

Jungle Gym- this is essentially a cheaper version of the TRX and an affordable alternative too. Virtually all of the same exercises can be used as well.

Pros- its almost half the price and is even lighter and more portable.

Cons- with price reflects quality, these things aren't as sturdy or as comfortable, but hey, who said exercising had to be comfortable.

Regeneration Tools

There are as many variations as the foam roller, myo ball or massage stick as there are colors in a paint store, but keeping it simple there are a few brands that are worth delving into. The beauty of self-myofascial release is that apart from the speedy recovery time in between workouts, it also loosens up scar tissue, connective tissue, and kneads the muscles, sort of like a sport massage, except its' just you.

Foam Roller- K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Stupid! You don't need anything fancy, but what you buy is what you get. I prefer Perform Better's PB Elite Molded Foam rollers, since they last much longer and are a bit stiffer.

Pros- They feel great, they loosen up sore areas, can help with thoracic mobility and they can be used for additional balance training.

Cons- For a piece of foam they aren't that cheap, but unless you want to buy a 6 inch PVC pipe which can be much less forgiving, or go the tennis ball route this is not a bad choice at all.

Myo Ball- essentially a mini, foam, gel, or air ball that may or may not have spikes that does essentially the same job as a foam roller. I like Perform Better's Spikey Ball.

Pros- the spikes get you even deeper, and feel amazing on tired feet.

Cons- the small ball takes longer to get your whole body.

Massage Stick- I've used tons of these things and I prefer Perform Better's Tiger Tail or the Core Performance STS Bar. They essentially both do the same thing but the STS bar can be attached to elastic band or a cable pulley and used for torso training.

Pros- the stick is much more portable than the previous tools, and can hit places that the ball and roller just plain can't.

Cons- couldn't really think of any, this isn't really necessary, if money is an issue stick with the foam roller.

Video - Overhead Squat Progression

This is a great video on the overhead squat progression from this week's Minute of Strength. Nice one.

NB : if you're looking for more info on the Jefferson Squat (part of the progression), head over here.

Aaron 'The Mighty Mac' Mckenzie

'The Mighty Mac' is certainly no slouch when it comes to old-time strongman feats. For a solid dose of bending, tearing and other fun things, swing by Mighty Mac's blog. Good stuff.

Got a site, event or product you'd like to recommend? Drop us a line.

A great week here on Straight to the Bar. The highlights :

Here's a great exercise combo from Joe Hashey's Bull Strength manual - 'stone' lifting and Moving Men. Good stuff.

Video - DIY Stones with Eye Bolt

This is a very interesting idea, small (relatively) home-made stones with a removable eye-bolt for lifting. Nice one.

Max Brawn

Max Brawn is :

'a social community for fitness fanatics, strength trainers, bodybuilders, powerlifters, weight lifters, and anyone else looking to get in shape and forge the body of their dreams'

by Muscle & Brawn's Steve Shaw. Good stuff.


Got a site, event or product you'd like to recommend? Drop us a line.

From the ever-inventive Joe Hashey (just take a look at the superb Bull Strength manual), a very interesting exercise - the Hammer Grip Pickup.

Video - Decline GHRs

This is a superb piece of equipment, used here to demonstrate the particularly challenging Decline GHR. Love it.

Explosive Mechanics

Explosive Mechanics is Jared Bidne's athletic training centre, incorporating a range of dynamic strength and conditioning techniques. To get an idea of just how creative their approach is, head over to the video section. Good stuff.

Got a site, event or product you'd like to recommend? Drop us a line.

There were some fantastic articles in the 5 Years of Straight to the Bar competition, thankyou.

To vote for your favourite (full list below), either send me a message on twitter, via email or leave a comment below - sometime during the next 7 days. I'll tally up the results and post them here.

Now, the list :

• Resolutions and Goal Setting (Joe Hashey)
• Why I Love To Weight Train (Girlwith Noname)
• Is Chocolate the Ultimate Testosterone Booster? (Sam Cox)
• What Weight Training Can NOT Do For You (Girlwith Noname)
• The Investments Part V : Impervious Shoulders ('Unbreakable' Adam T Glass)
• Outdoor Fitness: 'Why it's Good' (Dan Lapic)
• Advanced Circuit Training Techniques (Parth Shah)
• Lovable Leucine (Sam Cox)
• Push-Up Variations (Vic Magary)
• Recovery for the Tactical Athlete (Bill Long)
• Visualization : The Vision Wall (Girlwith Noname)

As you can see, there are some great articles in there. Enjoy.

Along with just over 21 million people, today I'll be out celebrating everything that is Australia Day. In the meantime, check out a few of the articles which have already appeared this year :

• Resolutions and Goal Setting (Joe Hashey)
• Why I Love To Weight Train (Girlwith Noname)
• Is Chocolate the Ultimate Testosterone Booster? (Sam Cox)
• The Investments Part V : Impervious Shoulders ('Unbreakable' Adam T Glass)
• Outdoor Fitness: 'Why it's Good' (Dan Lapic)
• Advanced Circuit Training Techniques (Parth Shah)
• Lovable Leucine (Sam Cox)


• Push-Up Variations (Vic Magary)


• Recovery for the Tactical Athlete (Bill Long)


• Blast from the Past : Burpee Variations (Scott Bird)

Enjoy.