Stretching and Warming Up. We all know we should be doing some, but when? How? And perhaps most important : does it actually help?
This week we're going to discuss the various ways to get your stretch on, how to warm up and why you might want to do a little of both. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty. Fantastic.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Conor's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on stretching or warming up, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.

This Week on Straight to the Bar

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 :

• Conor's Corner : Hockey Training with the Overloaded Trap Bar Deadlift
  Conor Doherty
  The next phase of your trap bar training.

  
  

• Looking At : Mar 3, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : Front Lever on Door Ledge

Up for a challenge? How about a front lever on a doorframe. Nice one.

Gymchat 199 - Stretching & Warming Up (with Conor Doherty)

Stretching and Warming Up. We all know we should be doing some, but when? How? And perhaps most important : does it actually help?
This week we're going to discuss the various ways to get your stretch on, how to warm up and why you might want to do a little of both. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty. Fantastic.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Conor's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on stretching or warming up, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.

---

Details -

Who : Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You
Topic : Stretching & Warming Up
When : Friday Mar 8, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If you're keen to fire in a question or three, be sure to get there early. In addition to Kirk and the Interviewee, only the first 8 people to join us on the Hangout (and here's how) will be able to join in the conversation. Everyone else will be able to watch, but not ask questions.

See you there.

---

Previously : In Gymchat 198 we talked about 'The Science of Muscle Growth', with Chemist & Personal Trainer Kevin Stock and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the broadcast, the video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

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If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

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+.

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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.

Checking Out : Kung Fu TV Series Flashback - Behind the Scenes With David Carradine

Great read.
This is a reprint of a 1974 interview with Carradine (the time he was in the TV series 'Kung Fu'), that initially appeared in Fighting Stars magazine. If you watched the original series, this is a fantastic walk down memory lane.

Grab it (free) here.

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Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these just as soon as they're available. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

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

This Week on Straight to the Bar

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 :

• Conor's Corner : Trap Bar Deadlifts
  Conor Doherty
  A brief introduction to this wonderful exercise.

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 24, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : 1st Griptopz Champs - Susana Ferreira

A spot of video from the first Griptopz Championships. Nice one.

Gymchat 198 - The Science of Muscle Growth (with Kevin Stock)

How do you grow muscle in the healthiest, strongest and fastest way possible? Whether that's for strength, size & shape or simply because it makes everything you do just that little bit easier?

This week we're going to be talking about the science of muscle growth; what to do, when and how often. Helping us tackle this one is Chemist & Personal Trainer Kevin Stock, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You. Should be a great one.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Kevin's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on body composition and muscle growth, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.

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Details -

Who : Chemist & Personal Trainer Kevin Stock, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You
Topic : The Science of Muscle Growth
When : Wednesday Feb 27, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If you're keen to fire in a question or three, be sure to get there early. In addition to Kirk and the Interviewee, only the first 8 people to join us on the Hangout (and here's how) will be able to join in the conversation. Everyone else will be able to watch, but not ask questions.

See you there.

---

Previously : In Gymchat 195 we talked about 'Fitness Over 40', with Corporate Trainer Kevin Redman and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the broadcast, the full video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

---

If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

Tip of the Week: Beginner Neck-Building Program

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 Mike 'The Machine' Bruce, and is a snippet from his superb article Building A Neck Of Steel. Take a look.

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Neck work - whether you're a beginner, or have been training for years - doesn't need to be that complicated. And if you're new to the area of neck strengthening, this is a great place to start.

Over to Mike :

Now that's a neck harness lift.

Following is a beginner program to help get you started from Pencil Neck to Neck of Steel.

• Neck Curls on a flat bench with weight 1-2 sets of 20-30 repetitions
• Neck Harness work [same as above]
• Side of Neck on a flat bench [same as above]

Do this every other day for the first month. Then you can increase the workload to every day you train. Or increase the weighted repetitions to 5 sets of 50 repetitions. Once you can attain 100 straight repetitions in the 3 exercises then it is time to increase the weight.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : GripTopz LeverTop

This looks fantastic.
The above video reminded me of just how many GripTopz variations there are, including the superb LeverTop. The video will give you a good idea of how it works, and a snippet from David Horne's rules page will give you an idea of how brutal this thing can be :

This event is a test of wrist and pronator strength.

Start by kneeling down beside the apparatus.
Grasp the handle only, with one hand, in an underhand grip with the thumb side closer to the loading pin.

You have to start the lift with your elbow tip touching the thigh top as you kneel on the floor. This keeps you from dropping the elbow too low. The lift is started with the forearm approximately parallel to the floor.

The apparatus is lifted in this style until the mark (at 6.5" from the floor) reaches or goes above the horizontal bar placed at 16.5", measured from the underside of the bar to the floor. This allows a 10" lift.

At this height, the forearm still has to be parallel to the floor, and the referee will now tell you that the height is achieved. After this you will hold the weight, with the arm parallel to the floor for 2 seconds. So the referee will say "height, one, down". Taking two seconds from the word height to the word down. This is a strict lift. If the arm doesn't stay parallel then it is a failed lift.

Superb. The GripTopz LeverTop.

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Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these just as soon as they're available. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

How do you grow muscle in the healthiest, strongest and fastest way possible? Whether that's for strength, size & shape or simply because it makes everything you do just that little bit easier?

This week we're going to be talking about the science of muscle growth; what to do, when and how often. Helping us tackle this one is Chemist & Personal Trainer Kevin Stock, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You. Should be a great one.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Kevin's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on body composition and muscle growth, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.

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

This Week on Straight to the Bar

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 :

• Conor's Corner : Sport Specific Exercises
  Conor Doherty
  Do they exist?

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 17, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - One Arm Handstand Work Winter 2013

Good stuff Jim. It's great to see a progression like that.

Gymchat 198 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly; here are the various ways to watch/join in.

However you take part, enjoy.

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Details -

Who : TBA
Topic : TBA
When : Wednesday Feb 20, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If you're keen to fire in a question or three, be sure to get there early. In addition to Kirk and the Interviewee, only the first 8 people to join us on the Hangout (and here's how) will be able to join in the conversation. Everyone else will be able to watch, but not ask questions.

See you there.

---

Previously : In Gymchat 195 we talked about 'Fitness Over 40', with Corporate Trainer Kevin Redman and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the broadcast, the full video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

---

If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

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.

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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 : The Concise Book of Muscles, Second Edition [Kindle Edition]

Really looking forward to this.
This is the Kindle edition of the superb The Concise Book of Muscles; essential reading for anyone interested in anatomy at any level. One of my favourite books on the subject.

If you're keen to check it out, take a look through the preview on the main page (it's from the paperback version, but the content's the same). Dive in.

The only downside - you'll have to wait until next month to buy it. Fortunately it's worth every second of that.

---

Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these just as soon as they're available. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

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

This Week on Straight to the Bar

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 :

• Conor's Corner : Importance of Hip and Thoracic Spine Mobility For Hockey
  Conor Doherty
  Reduce Injuries, Improve Skills.

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 10, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : Club Warmup

Ready to warm up your shoulders, elbows and wrists? Grab a pair of clubs.

Nice one.

Gymchat 197 - Stretching & Warming Up (with Conor Doherty)

Stretching and Warming Up. We all know we should be doing some, but when? How? And perhaps most important : does it actually help?

This week we're going to discuss the various ways to get your stretch on, how to warm up and why you might want to do a little of both. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty. Fantastic.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Conor's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on stretching or warming up, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.

---

Details -

Who : Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and you.
Topic : Stretching & Warming Up
When : Friday Feb 15, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If you're keen to fire in a question or three, be sure to get there early. In addition to Kirk and the Interviewee, only the first 8 people to join us on the Hangout (and here's how) will be able to join in the conversation. Everyone else will be able to watch, but not ask questions.

See you there.

---

Previously : In Gymchat 195 we talked about 'Fitness Over 40', with Corporate Trainer Kevin Redman and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the broadcast, the full video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

---

If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

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.

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Over to Adam :

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.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Pushing the Limits!

This looks fantastic.
I'm a big fan of Al's work, and Pushing the Limits! certainly doesn't disappoint. I'll post up a full review shortly; in the meantime, here's a snippet from Jason Ferruggia's foreword (full version here) to give you an idea of what it's all about :

Pushing the Limits! is the book I wish I had when I first started working out. Knowing Al's secrets and various progressions would have saved me years of wasted time, frustration and injuries. As awesome as Raising the Bar was I think Al has taken it to another level with Pushing the Limits!. The variations of The Big Three and progressions Al lays out will keep you busy for years.

Al Kavadlo's Pushing the Limits!. Looks superb.

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Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these just as soon as they're available. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

Stretching and Warming Up. We all know we should be doing some, but when? How? And perhaps most important : does it actually help?
This week we're going to discuss the various ways to get your stretch on, how to warm up and why you might want to do a little of both. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Certified Athletic Trainer Conor Doherty. Fantastic.

NB : I'm very keen to hear both Conor's thinking on these areas, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on stretching or warming up, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.