Results matching “Bird”

Thanks again to everyone who watched and sent in questions for the discussion Gymchat 240 - Periodization [with Strength Coach Karsten Jensen, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett] - much appreciated. If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video.

Monday, 17 Mar 2014 - Issues

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 :

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 : Handstand Pushups on Dip Bars


Nice one.


Gymchat 240 - Periodization (Karsten Jensen)

Periodization. It's quite possibly a term you've heard before, but what exactly is it? How did it start, and what's involved?
This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, answering all of the above and a whole lot more (we'll answer as many of your questions as we can - just jump in the Q&A, which'll appear during the discussion itself).

Taking us through the entire process is Strength Coach Karsten Jensen, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.

NB : In addition to the questions, we'd love to hear your comments & suggestions. If there's a particular area you'd like Karsten and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and drop us a line.

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 Karsten Jensen, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Periodization
When : Wednesday Mar 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.


Previously : In Gymchat 239 we discussed How to Get HUGE! (with Strongman and Strength Coach Craig Bongelli and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett). Great conversation.

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: Buying a Power Rack - Determining the width you'll need.

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 following a discussion I had over the weekend (I was helping a friend choose a power rack), and is a snippet from the article 'Buyers' Guide : the Power Rack'. Determining the width you'll need.


Although the width of a barbell never changes (within one type, that is - standard bars are about a foot shorter than their Olympic counterparts), the width of racks vary from brand to brand. The rack's minimum width will depend largely on what you're going to do with it.

Sumo squats and rack pulls will take the most room; somewhere around 40" would be an absolute minimum, but your best bet is to measure your own squat (outside one foot to outside the other).


If you intend to bench press in the rack, or use the bench as a seat for other exercises (such as the overhead work I mentioned earlier), make sure the bench fits. If you're buying them both at the same time, great. Test them out.

One more thing to note with the bench inside the rack - if you plan to use dumbbells from the bench, make sure there's plenty of room to drop the dumbbells once they get heavy. Oh, and something to protect the floor (in the drop zone) is always a good idea - a couple of rubber mats will do nicely.


Good stuff.

Re-Reading : Raising the Bar

Remember this? Superb book.

Over the weekend I found myself discussing calisthenics with a friend of mine, which resulted in two things :

1. an impromptu workout
2. a re-reading of Al Kavadlo's superb book, Raising the Bar : The Definitive Guide to Bar Calisthenics.

If you haven't already, check it out. Love it.




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.

Periodization. It's quite possibly a term you've heard before, but what exactly is it? How did it start, and what's involved?
This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, answering all of the above and a whole lot more (we'll answer as many of your questions as we can - just jump in the Q&A, which'll appear during the discussion itself).

Taking us through the entire process is Strength Coach Karsten Jensen, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.

NB : In addition to the questions, we'd love to hear your comments & suggestions. If there's a particular area you'd like Karsten and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and drop us a line.

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 Karsten Jensen, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Periodization
When : Wednesday Mar 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.


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.

Scott Andrew Bird. Artwork by Vince Palko.
Yes, I love the deadlift.
If you've just joined us, welcome. Here you'll find everything that grunts, groans and ticks in the world of strength training. The 30-second summary :


Straight to the Bar is the online home of serious fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible.

In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

Whether you're a Strength Athlete, Performing Strongman, Strength Coach, Personal Trainer or just someone who enjoys picking up insanely heavy objects; come and join us at straighttothebar.com.

It's safe to say that there are a lot of articles on this site. The most recent are in the Articles and Weekly Summary categories; I've also listed some personal favourites below. Dive in.

    DIY Equipment

    Ready to build your own? It's a great way to try new forms of training.

  1. DIY Gym Gear : How to Make Your Own Clubs - Scott Bird
    Build your own. Good fun.

  2. Making your own gym equipment : DIY grip tools - Scott Bird
    You want a grip tool that does what? Make one.

  3. How to Build Your Own Sandbag - Derek 'Body By D-Rock' Peruo
    It's easier than you may think.

  4. DIY: Home-made Gym Equipment (part II) - Scott Bird
    Build it yourself.

  5. DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform - Kat Ricker
    Beautiful.

  6. DIY Hanging Handles, psuedo "rings" - Kat Ricker
    Brilliantly simple.

  7. The Sled - Fight Geek
    Extremely creative.

  8. How to make your own bumper plates on a budget - Mehdi
    Quick, simple and inexpensive.

  9. How to Make a Rack-Mounted Wrist Roller - Rory Hickman
    Love your wrist work? Same here.

  10. How To Make an Adjustable Slosh Pipe - Joe Hashey
    Light weights, nice and challenging.

  11. Fattening Up the Chin-up Bar - Scott Bird
    A great way to thicken up any bar at all.

  12. The Fat Bar - Max Shank
    Incredibly simple, incredibly brutal.

  13. Let the voting begin - Scott Bird
    There were some brilliant entries in the DIY Equipment Competition.
  14. Old-Time Strongman Techniques

    Fantastic to watch, learn and do.

  15. Bare-Handed Nail Driving Basics - Ryan Pitts
    Want to learn how to drive a nail through a board with your bare hand? Here's how.

  16. Blast from the Past : The Forgotten Lifts (part II, III)
    Although these lifts aren't often seen in commercial gyms, they're absolutely superb. Give them a run.

  17. Tearing A License Plate - Chris Rider
    Yep, that's as hard as it sounds. Superb.

  18. Unusual Goals Require Unusual Measures - Jeff Wilson
    How do you train for something like this?

  19. The Human Rack Lift - Mike 'The Machine' Bruce
    You've got to see this.

  20. Jaw Lifting : What, Why and How - Ryan Pitts
    Training, technique and just a dash of determination.

  21. Pleasure Spiked with Pain : Training for the One Finger Lift - Jeff Wilson
    A superb feat - if a little painful.

  22. Building A Neck Of Steel - Mike 'The Machine' Bruce
    So you want a strong neck? It's actually quite simple.
  23. Hands, Wrists & Forearms

    This is where the fun (and real strength) begins. Love it.

  24. Nails : Converting imperial to metric - Scott Bird
    Next time you pop down to the hardware store, take this.

  25. Why Bend Steel? - Adam T Glass
    Simple question, great answer. Point your non-bending friends here.

  26. Straight to the Grip Contest (part II, III, IV, V and VI) - Jedd Johnson Getting ready for your first grip contest? Here's what to expect.

  27. The Many Types of Blobs - Jedd Johnson
    What's a Blob, and where did it all begin?

  28. Lifting the Inch Replica Dumbbell (part II, III, IV and V) - Jedd Johnson Want to train with a replica Inch? Here's how.

  29. Shot Tossing for Dynamic Grip Strength - Jedd Johnson
    Shot tossing? Great fun.

  30. Hammering Strength into the Wrists (part II)

  31. Leverage lifts: Reverse engineering turned to a breakthrough in power - Adam T Glass
    These lifts are downright fun.
  32. Free Weights

    The 'normal' things you'll see in the gym.

  33. The Step-up : a Real Squat Alternative? - Scott Bird
    Squats are undoubtedly key, but have you tried heavy step-ups lately?

  34. Holding the bar in the Front Squat - Scott Bird
    There are many ways to hold the bar.

  35. Bars, Plates, Hooks and Collars - Scott Bird
    Ready to hit the garage sales? Here's what to look for.

  36. A Little Yoke Work : 10 Exercises for a Bigger Neck - Scott Bird
    Traps maketh the man.

  37. Buyers' guide : the Power Rack - Scott Bird
    Ready to buy a rack? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

  38. Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat - Rick Walker
    Work on weaknesses = massive PRs. Here's how to find them.

  39. Innovative Training : Band Suspended Weight - Not Just for Bench - Justin Andrushko
    And the bands begin to play.

  40. 29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner - Jason Kirby
    This is absolutely superb.

  41. Specific Training for the Transverse Abdominis: Belt It In - Kat Ricker
    Time to tighten your built-in belt.

  42. Workout music : soothing or aggressive? - Scott Bird
    How do you like your tunes?

  43. 10 of the best : Parkour television commercials - Scott Bird
    Love watching Parkour? So do I.

  44. Taking advantage of your location : At last - some real outdoor space - Scott Bird
    Ready for some serious outdoor training?

  45. The Investments (part II, III, IV, V and VI) - Adam T Glass Several tools which form the basis of a great training plan.

  46. From Running to Kettlebell Swings - Jordan Vezina
    Why run when you can swing?

  47. Back To The Future : The Power Of Bodyweight Exercise - Adam Steer
    The training tool you always have with you.

  48. Outdoor Fitness: Log Flippin' - Daniel Lapic
    This is seriously fun.

  49. Blast from the Past : Squat Variations - Scott Bird
    There are many ways to get your squat on.


  50. Conditioning

    Time to get the sweat flowing.

  51. Why Conditioning is King - Dean Coulson
    What conditioning is really all about.

  52. Evolution of Sandbag Training (Part II)

  53. Conditioning without trying : Walking 10,000 steps per day - Scott Bird
    Time to go for a walk.

  54. Suspension Training 101 - Derek 'Body By D-Rock' Peruo
    What can you do with a TRX? Over to Derek.

  55. The Heavy Bag (Gimp) - Fight Geek
    Thinking about getting a heavy bag? Make sure you read this first.
  56. Recovery

    Ever get that 'just run over by a truck' feeling?

  57. Biphasic Sleep : 30 Day Summary - Scott Bird
    I switched to Biphasic Sleeping in September 2006, and have never looked back. Love it.

  58. Recovery and Regeneration for the Strength Athlete - Patrick Ward
    Tips for better recovery.

  59. Using Pulse Rate to Determine Rest Break Length - Scott Bird
    Use the pulse, Luke.

  60. Fix Your Body with a Foam Roller: The Basics - Derek 'Body By D-Rock' Peruo
    What exactly do you do with a foam roller? This.

  61. Strains and Sprains - Scott Bird
    What's the difference between a strain and a sprain?
  62. Diet & Nutrition

    Eating well makes a massive difference to your overall training.

  63. Fuel and Rest - Scott Bird
    There's a good reason I eat so much.

  64. 8 Glasses of Water Per Day? - Scott Bird
    Where did the current guideline of '8 cups per day' come from?

  65. The Truth about Honey - Sam Cox
    Honey has a lot more going for it than you might think.

  66. Transitioning to a Paleo Diet - Methuselah
    Ready to try Paleo? Great. Here's how to begin.

  67. 5 Steps to Build Your Own Personal Diet Plan - Cristian Stanciu
    Time to get started.

  68. Other

    There's always a new way of looking at it.

  69. Give it Away : Donating Disused Training Equipment to Charity (part II) - Scott Bird
    What happens to it when you update your home gym?

  70. Checklists and Complex Problems - Adam Stoffa
    How do you tackle complex problems like athletic performance? Like this.

  71. Starting your fitness journey : 10 things to consider - Scott Bird
    Where do you start? Right here.

  72. Ready for a Virtual Meet? - Kat Ricker
    This is a brilliant idea. Cheers, Kris.

  73. Training Partners - Fight Geek
    Sometime it's great to train with someone like-minded.

  74. Get Mental! The Psychology of Strength - Josh Hewett
    The thinking side is half the challenge.

  75. Small Victories - Josh Hanagarne
    Improve what you can improve, every day.

  76. Give Your Workout a Name! - Fight Geek
    This helps more than you'd believe.

  77. Working out in the Heat - Scott Bird
    It's getting hot in here.


Like to contribute something? I love hearing about how other people are training; if you'd like to write an article, record a video or tell us about a site you've discovered, get in touch.

Thanks again to everyone who watched and sent in questions for the discussion Gymchat 239 - How to Get HUGE! [with Strongman and Strength Coach Craig Bongelli, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett] - much appreciated. If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video.

Monday, 10 Mar 2014 - Issues

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 :

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 : Squat Battle - a Powerlifter, a Weightlifter, a Strongman and a Bodybuilder

Squatting your bodyweight - max reps in 5 minutes. Simple idea, great contest.




Gymchat 238 - Fitness Business Strategies (Matt Palfrey)

If you've been involved with the fitness industry for any length of time, chances are you've thought about setting up your own gym. Perhaps you've already got one.

Either way - how do you promote it? Attract new customers? Learn about what works, and what doesn't?


This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, answering all of the above and a whole lot more. Joining us is Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey, together with 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 Matt and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself) and jump in the Q&A.

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.

UPDATE (5 Mar 2014) :

Unfortunately a connectivity issue got in the way of this one, so we've rescheduled it for Monday (full details below). Apologies for that.

Scott



Details -

Who : Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Fitness Business Strategies
When : Monday Mar 10, 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.


Gymchat 239 - How to Get HUGE! (Craig Bongelli)

Whether it's for strength, competition or aesthetics, how do you go about packing on a serious amount of muscle mass? Is it just a matter of 'eating everything in sight' and training hard?
This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, explaining exactly how to tackle your hypertrophy goals. What's possible, how long it takes and a whole lot more. Taking us through the entire process is Strongman and Strength Coach Craig Bongelli, together with 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 Craig and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself) and jump in the Q&A.

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 : Strongman and Strength Coach Craig Bongelli, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : How to Get HUGE!
When : Wednesday Mar 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.


Previously : In Gymchat 237 we discussed Old-Time Strongman Training (with 'Physical Culture Renaissance Man' Logan Christopher and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett). Great conversation.

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: Use a Weight You Can Control

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 enigmatic Gerard F, and is a snippet from a series of very interesting conversations surrounding the insights of the 'Iron Guru', Vince Gironda. In particular, this thread on Google+.


The full quote is :

Use a weight you can control, and control the weight you use.

This applies to a lot of things, but in this case we were talking about the bench press. Gerard noted :

At best the Bench Press is an "OK" exercise even when done correctly, but nearly everyone performs it based on the wrong concept. Using 8-12 reps its OK, but what happens is, when the reps get tough, your form goes bad, the back arches and/or your torso torques; stress goes from the chest to the triceps to the shoulder/cuff, and your strong side lifts the load that your weak side can't handle.

Over bench pressing gives you a circle looking chest, that's when the shoulders and tris are developed because the chest can't handle the weight, and what happens is the shoulder and tris are targeted more than the pecs.

Very interesting. Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.


Re-Watching : Westside Dead Lift Secrets

Louie Simmons
Louie Simmons.
I'd almost forgotten just how good this is. Superb information.

Before you ask - why now? A DVD that's more than a decade old?

It's one of the first videos I watched when I began training in earnest. There's a full review here.

I'm watching it again because I now have a decade of training under my belt, and some of the details described may be things I can only fully appreciate now. The thinking underlying the equipment used and the techniques discussed.

Westside Dead Lift Secrets. Love it.




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.

Whether it's for strength, competition or aesthetics, how do you go about packing on a serious amount of muscle mass? Is it just a matter of 'eating everything in sight' and training hard?
This week we'll be discussing this area in detail, explaining exactly how to tackle your hypertrophy goals. What's possible, how long it takes and a whole lot more. Taking us through the entire process is Strongman and Strength Coach Craig Bongelli, together with 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 Craig and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat (during the discussion itself) and jump in the Q&A.

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.


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.

Görner the Mighty - SttB Articles

This is one of the books that Logan mentioned in the Gymchat last week - Görner the Mighty. Good stuff.

Although I was lucky enough to read the original book many years ago, I'm extremely keen to dive in to this version - the 2012 reprint - as soon as possible. I suspect that things will look quite different now; after training for a number of years.

Görner the Mighty.

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