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 : Strains and Sprains
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Causes and treatments.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 21, 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 a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : The Chaos Row

Looking for a challenge?

Gymchat 270 - Are Saturated Fats Really That Bad for You? (Kirsten Gallagher)

What's the research like on saturated fats and cholesterol - what levels are optimal? How much do we need, and what sorts of things should we avoid?

This week we'll be tackling these and a whole lot more, together with Personal Trainers Kirsten Gallagher and Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Kirsten 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' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Personal Trainers Kirsten Gallagher and Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Are Saturated Fats Really That Bad for You?
When : Monday Dec 23, 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.

Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Powerlifter Bill Piche, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Fix Your Feet

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 real benefits of including your feet in your training.

Over to Josh :

---

You need to gradually strengthen your feet and slowly introduce them to greater range of motion. Walking barefoot on soft sand or grass is a great way to start... plus it feels good! If you have access to a beach or a well manicured lawn, slowly progress from walking barefoot for a few minutes at a time and working up to a longer duration, before introducing any more challenging barefoot activities.

For walking on solid surfaces such as concrete, I suggest you wear appropriate footwear that will provide minimal support while still allowing for greater natural movement of your feet.

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article [.pdf]. A great read.

Considering : The Straight to the Bar 'Got Yoke?' T-Shirt

Although the 'Circus Strongman' t-shirts we ran recently were insanely popular, my personal favourite is still the 'Got Yoke?' design we did a while ago. And as we've received a number of requests recently for this wonderfully simple design, it's back on the virtual shelves for a week or two.

If you're doing some last minute shopping for a fitness-minded friend, you'll find it here :

cafepress.com/straighttothebar.1461650272

Cheers.

---

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.

What's the research like on saturated fats and cholesterol - what levels are optimal? How much do we need, and what sorts of things should we avoid?

This week we'll be tackling these and a whole lot more, together with Personal Trainers Kirsten Gallagher and Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Kirsten 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' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Personal Trainers Kirsten Gallagher and Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Are Saturated Fats Really That Bad for You?
When : Monday Dec 23, 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.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

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 : How to Make a Sandbag for $10
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Time for a bit of DIY.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 14, 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 a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Different Squats for Different Roles

Was chatting about this with a friend over the weekend, and Dave explains the concept well here. The use of different squat variations to suit different applications.

Nice one.

Gymchat 268 - Bulking on a Budget (Adam Klymkiw)

How do you pack on a bit of mass without spending a lot of money? Is it realistic to do so, and to what extent?

This week we'll be examining this area in detail; looking at what to get, when, why and how much it's all going to cost. Tackling it is Personal Trainer Adam Klymkiw, joined by 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 Adam 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' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Personal Trainer Adam Klymkiw, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Bulking on a Budget
When : Monday Dec 15, 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.

Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Powerlifter Bill Piche, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Stretching Causes Weakness

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 impact of stretching on both strength and injury.

Over to Josh :

---

Exercise physiologists have concluded that passive stretching not only has no effect on preventing injuries, but it can actually make you even more likely to get hurt. But I didn't take their word on it... I've experienced the effects of passive vs. active stretching first hand. I've also worked with biomechanics specialists who use Applied Kinesiology muscle testing as a reproducible way to measure muscle strength and responsiveness. They demonstrated that in almost every case a passive stretch is performed the muscles will test weak after. On the other hand, active isometric exercise will improve muscle activation.

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

The Future of Fitness : Health & Fitness Predictions for 2015

We've looked at the possible future of both health & fitness many times over the years - Workout Clothing, Virtual Training Partners, various medical discoveries and of course the Gymchats. Particularly #224.
It's time once again to peek into the near-term future. Here are just a few of the health & fitness-related things I think we're likely to see over the next year or so.

• Far more discussion & research surrounding the potential of 'smart fabrics'; with the idea of creating clothing (for everyday use - not just in workouts) to monitor/record/share various types of biometric data. Heart rate, glucose levels and so on.
• Addition of various sensors and devices - both mobile and static versions, for people and buildings - to monitor ambient air quality in many areas. Real-time maps ultimately created from this information.
• Significantly more (than in 2014) 3D-printing of prostheses, and assistive devices.
• A number of attempts to create metamaterials (which are completely synthetic - don't exist anywhere in nature) to solve specific medical problems.
• Much more realtime health monitoring possible, and used in a number of small trials.
• Growing medical use of information from commercial fitness devices (the many types of fitness wearables on the market). I suspect this information will be used in much the same way by an ever-growing number of fitness professionals.

Over to you. Do you agree or disagree with the various things listed; the items themselves or the timeframe? And is there anything you'd add to the list - anything you think we'll probably see in 2015? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

---

Of course, there's a whole lot more - on these, and other aspects of health & fitness. Head over to the 'Futurism' category and jump in the conversation.

We've looked at the possible future of both health & fitness many times over the years - Workout Clothing, Virtual Training Partners, various medical discoveries and of course the Gymchats. Particularly #224.
It's time once again to peek into the near-term future. Here are just a few of the health & fitness-related things I think we're likely to see over the next year or so.

• Far more discussion & research surrounding the potential of 'smart fabrics'; with the idea of creating clothing (for everyday use - not just in workouts) to monitor/record/share various types of biometric data. Heart rate, glucose levels and so on.
• Addition of various sensors and devices - both mobile and static versions, for people and buildings - to monitor ambient air quality in many areas. Real-time maps ultimately created from this information.
• Significantly more (than in 2014) 3D-printing of prostheses, and assistive devices.
• A number of attempts to create metamaterials (which are completely synthetic - don't exist anywhere in nature) to solve specific medical problems.
• Much more realtime health monitoring possible, and used in a number of small trials.
• Growing medical use of information from commercial fitness devices (the many types of fitness wearables on the market). I suspect this information will be used in much the same way by an ever-growing number of fitness professionals.

Over to you. Do you agree or disagree with the various things listed; the items themselves or the timeframe? And is there anything you'd add to the list - anything you think we'll probably see in 2015? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

---

Of course, there's a whole lot more - on these, and other aspects of health & fitness. Head over to the 'Futurism' category and jump in the conversation.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

How do you pack on a bit of mass without spending a lot of money? Is it realistic to do so, and to what extent?

This week we'll be examining this area in detail; looking at what to get, when, why and how much it's all going to cost. Tackling it is Personal Trainer Adam Klymkiw, joined by 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 Adam 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' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Personal Trainer Adam Klymkiw, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Bulking on a Budget
When : Monday Dec 15, 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.

This looks great.

Although it's not out until early in the new year (Jan 15), the third edition of Tudor Bompa/Carlo Buzzichelli's Periodization Training for Sports promises to be a fantastic read. From the Amazon page :

In this new edition of Periodization Training for Sports, Bompa teams with strength and conditioning expert Carlo Buzzichelli to demonstrate how to use periodized workouts to peak at optimal times by manipulating strength training variables through six training phases (anatomical adaptation, hypertrophy, maximum strength, conversion to specific strength, maintenance, and tapering) and integrating them with energy system training and nutrition strategies. Coaches and athletes in 35 sports have at their fingertips a proven program that is sure to produce the best results. No more guessing about preseason conditioning, in-season workloads, or rest and recovery periods; now it's simply a matter of identifying and implementing the information in this book.

Tudor Bompa/Carlo Buzzichelli's Periodization Training for Sports.

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 : Napping in the Afternoon
  Scott Andrew Bird
  

  'Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.' - Edgar Allen Poe

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 7, 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 : Training Progressions for the 'Pistol' Squat

Ready to begin working up to a Pistol Squat? Josh explains the progression here.

Nice one.

Gymchat 267 - Carving out a Niche in the Strength Equipment Business (Eric Chessen)

Whether you're on the 'fitness enthusiast' or 'fitness professional' side of the fence (or perhaps a little of both), chances are you've had an idea at some point for a new piece of equipment. Or perhaps a change to an existing one.

This week we'll be discussing the various ways to go from 'wouldn't it be good if...' to having your own line of fitness equipment. Where do you start? How do you get the word out? Who do you ask for help?

Helping us tackle this one is Exercise Physiologist Eric Chessen, joined by 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 Eric 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' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Exercise Physiologist Eric Chessen, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Carving out a Niche in the Strength Equipment Business
When : Monday Dec 8, 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.

Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Powerlifter Bill Piche, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Setting a Gripper

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 incredible Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson, and takes the form of a superb video. Enjoy.

---

Incidentally, if you want to learn more techniques like this, check out Jedd's own The Grip Authority.

Fantastic site.

Looking Forward To : Periodization Training for Sports (3rd Edition)

This looks great.

Although it's not out until early in the new year (Jan 15), the third edition of Tudor Bompa/Carlo Buzzichelli's Periodization Training for Sports promises to be a fantastic read. From the Amazon page :

In this new edition of Periodization Training for Sports, Bompa teams with strength and conditioning expert Carlo Buzzichelli to demonstrate how to use periodized workouts to peak at optimal times by manipulating strength training variables through six training phases (anatomical adaptation, hypertrophy, maximum strength, conversion to specific strength, maintenance, and tapering) and integrating them with energy system training and nutrition strategies. Coaches and athletes in 35 sports have at their fingertips a proven program that is sure to produce the best results. No more guessing about preseason conditioning, in-season workloads, or rest and recovery periods; now it's simply a matter of identifying and implementing the information in this book.

Tudor Bompa/Carlo Buzzichelli's Periodization Training for Sports.

---

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.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.