Results matching “Bird”

Monday, 16 Jul 2012 - Issues

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 :

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 : Learning the Planche? Try this.

If you're progressing toward the planche, try this exercise. On a Pommel Horse, or anything else that provides plenty of stability and a little clearance. Nice one.


Gymchat 178 - Exercise and the Brain

As you're no doubt aware, a regular dose of exercise has many, many benefits.
This week we're taking a look at just one of those; an aspect of physical fitness that's often overlooked. The impact of exercise on the brain.

What happens to the brain during periods of exercise, and during recovery? How can you adjust your own fitness regime (and your lifestyle in general) in order to maximise these benefits? From the other side of things, can you use a regular dose of exercise to help heal the brain after an injury? Improve memory? Increase IQ?

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than personal trainer Kirk Fontaine. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Personal trainer Kirk Fontaine
Topic : Exercise and the Brain
When : Wed Jul 18, 9pm EDT (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Link : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/ieWBkYrftys

For everyone who's joining us for their first Gymchat, welcome. Just dive right in, and ask Kirk any training-related questions you like.

See you there.


Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion : Recovery Work for the Hands. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


Tip of the Week: Rice Bucket Rehab

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.


In last week's discussion on Recovery Work for the Hands we noted several superb recovery techniques, including the ever-popular Rice Digs.

If you've never tried doing these, the process is incredibly simple. From the post 'Rice Digs', a brief description :

Pour some uncooked rice into a bucket and repeatedly burrow your hands into it. Make fists, rotate your wrists and generally move your hands around whilst they're surrounded by rice.

NB : All other things being equal, a finer material will feel more difficult. Things like lead shot have less give, and will quickly prove challenging. Rice is a good starting point.

And to make things a little clearer, have a look at the video below. Great exercise.


From the post Rice Bucket Rehab :

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Body Hero

This is a great mix.

As much as I like Dragon Door's HardStyle Magazine, it tends to focus on a fairly narrow area of training. Their new offering - Body Hero - contains a much broader array of information on physical transformation. Everything from bodyweight conditioning to mental toughness.

It's a great blend.

To see what I mean, take a look at the first issue. Body Hero.


Quick update on the superb Fixing Elbow Pain we mentioned recently. There's a full review here, but suffice to say that if you've ever experienced conditions like Tennis Elbow or Golfer's Elbow, it's essential reading.

Love it.

Binoculars at Echo Point
Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

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.

Review : Fixing Elbow Pain - SttB Articles

Fixing Elbow Pain
Fixing Elbow Pain. Highly Recommended.
Being an avid gripster and weight lifter, I have experienced pains in various areas of the body. One of the biggest, most annoying areas to experience pain is in the elbow region of the arm; this type of injury can put even the strongest individual out of the weight lifting game regardless of their lifting resume!

The question that is always asked is, "How do I fix this? I haven't lifted in weeks because of the horrible pain!"

This is where Jedd Johnson's E-book "Fixing Elbow Pain" comes into play. Jedd focuses on various ways to reduce or even eliminate this pain to get any individual back to the activities they love in no time flat!


Exercise Prevention

This category covers a vast area for sure; pre-hab, preparation/ activation, and recovery methods are just a few areas covered by Jedd throughout his E-book. This is an important area because an emphasis on proper movement patterns corrects compensations that could be leading to the problem causing the pain (Jedd also addresses "antagonistic balance").

Pre-hab exercises

From Jedd's selection, some of my personal favorites for pre-hab include rubber band finger extensions, rice sand digs/ finger extensions, and the leverage bar rotations. The first exercise, rubber band finger extensions, requires the least amount of weights or equipment; this exercise can be completed in the office, at home, or simply on the go with a thick rubber band or a few smaller rubber bands. The second exercise, rice and sand digs/ finger extensions, can be completed with just a bucket and a bag of rice/ sand. The final exercise requires a bar a bit longer than 12" and a light weight plate with a standard circumference. I would tell everyone how to complete the exercises but that would spoil all the fun... ;)

Preparation/ activation

A huge problem with the way our society takes on fitness is the lack of knowledge that goes around the community as far as tissue integrity and activation is concerned. This to me is the most important factor when it comes to all things exercise; without a good warm up and activation of the muscle tissue, the body cannot mechanically perform properly!

Jedd covers this topic extensively throughout his E-book. Some of the best exercises in this section include foam rolling the problem areas, SMR with a lacrosse ball, and the rolling pin SMR option. The first exercise calls for the use of a foam roller which can be picked up online through fitness type websites. The second exercise utilizes the simple lacrosse ball, putting the ball on areas that are painful, and waiting for the pain/ tightness to go away; this is a great way to take care of problems when at work or even sitting at the dining room table taking care of the bills! The third exercise takes advantage of the rolling pin; take the roller right out of the kitchen... just make sure to clean off all of the cookie dough.

Monday, 9 Jul 2012 - Issues

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 :

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 : Coming Soon - Mike 'The Machine' Bruce's World Record Attempt

If you've ever read articles by the incredible Mike 'The Machine' Bruce (or been lucky enough to see him perform live), you may have seen this feat. It's the one pictured at the top of this piece.

As he explains in this video, he's getting ready to perform it one more time - setting a new world record in the process. Fantastic.


Gymchat 177 - Arm Training

Arm training can be a complex beast.
Considering the first exercise that comes to mind for many people is the humble bicep curl, it's somewhat surprising that it's a little tricky to encourage arms to gain size and strength in all the 'right' ways. The ones that help with your own goals, whether you're a professional Armwrestler, Powerlifter or Olympic Gymnast.

This week we're looking at Arm Training overall. What's involved, how it helps, and how to make sure it works for you. And if you've got any specific questions on your own arm training, fire them in. We'll get through as many as we can.

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach. Fantastic.


As a bonus, we'll also be having a bit of a giveaway this week. Maik will be giving out 5 copies of his latest ebook, 30 Secrets for Bigger Arms shortly after the gymchat, to randomly chosen commenters. If you'd like a chance to win copy of the book, just fire in a question or comment at any point during the discussion.


Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Arm Training
When : Wed Jul 11, 9pm EDT (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/ED17tPr1Ubw

If you've never been to one of these discussions before, here's how to join in the fun. Simple, quick to set up and free.

For everyone who's joining us for their first Gymchat, welcome. Just dive right in, and ask Maik any questions you like on arm training.

See you there.


Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion : Fitness & Health Devices. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.



Incidentally, we noted a number of people, products and services during the discussion. I've put all of these into a Google+ Circle, which I'm more than happy to share with everyone looking to keep up with the world of Fitness Devices. If you'd like a copy, just let me know.


Tip of the Week: Finding Running & Cycle Routes When Travelling

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.


When you're travelling, how do you find a suitable running or cycle route for your training? Chas has a few ideas.
From the discussion Gymchat 176 - Fitness & Health Devices :
For bike routes and running routes, strava.com, mapmyfitness, garmin connect, and dailymile.com are all good sources of information for routes. With mapmyfitness, I can even download the routes into my Garmin forerunner watch and actually have it navigate along the exact same route - and in some cases, even race against the person who made the route!

Well worth checking out.


Checking Out : HardStyle Abs

Really looking forward to this.

I've long been a fan of Pavel Tsatsouline's work, and I'm certainly keen to check this one out. It's currently next on my 'virtual reading pile'.


A couple of paragraphs from the main page will explain what it's all about :

The sole goal of Hardstyle Abs is to achieve an extraordinarily strong mid-section. But not simply to swivel heads with your rippling "six-pack". For, according to Pavel, your abs should be simultaneously weapon, armor and force generator. The six-pack is just a side effect of the coiled power with which you now operate.

Hardstyle Abs will give you impenetrable body armor--to withstand a direct hit of the greatest magnitude. Hardstyle Abs will give you the generative force to retaliate with a devastating backlash. And Hardstyle Abs will help you lift more weight than ever before--more safely.

Pavel's HardStyle Abs. Looks great.


Quick update on Industrial Strength Grip II : last week we mentioned the imminent arrival of Volume 2 of the Industrial Strength Grip DVD. To get an idea of what it's all about, check out the sample video here.

If you've ever seen 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass in action, you'll appreciate just how powerful these techniques are. Superb.

Binoculars at Echo Point
Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

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.
Pipe Dream
Soon to be a wrist roller.
"How do I get my forearms bigger!?!" is a question I hear a lot at the gym and when I talk to clients who are unhappy with the size of their lower arms. What is the answer to the mysteriously huge forearms of the pros? The wrist roller! This is the easiest, most effective (in my opinion) exercises for building forearms like Popeye without all of that crazy canned spinach business (no disrespect towards Popeye of course!).
"But where do I get one and won't it be expensive?" is the next question that follows my first comment immediately. You can buy a wrist roller from a fitness equipment distributor, order one off of a website or you can simply head over to Home Depot, pick up some cheap materials and build your own. If you have the money for a high quality made wrist roller, I would highly recommend it but if you are living on a limited budget then the home made version is for you. All you will need is a few cheap materials to complete your wrist roller build :
  • 25" PVC pipe with a diameter of your choice (I would go with 2 or 2.5" though)
  • 5' strap or rope

Monday, 2 Jul 2012 - Issues

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 :

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 : Mighty Joe's Forearm Training

A superb look at the way 'Mighty Joe' Musselwhite tackles his forearm work. Nice one.

NB : the video's been split into two parts. The first part is above; you'll find the second one here. Enjoy.


Gymchat 176 - Fitness & Health Devices

Having an IT background, it's no surprise that I spent years surrounded by electronic gadgets of all shapes and sizes.
What was a surprise, however - at least initially - is just how many of them there are in the world of health and fitness. Helping you to do everything from running more efficiently to finding the perfect way to lift a little more weight. Love it.

This week we'll be diving in to this world, looking at both what's currently possible and the various things we'd love to see. Helping us get a handle on this is ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar.

Join Chas and I for Gymchat 176 - Fitness & Health Devices. Fantastic.


Details -

Who Ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar
Topic : Fitness & Health Devices
When : Wed Jul 4, 9pm EDT (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/daqWtGT81Cb

If you've never been to one of these discussions before, here's how to join in the fun. Simple, quick to set up and free.

For everyone who's joining us for their first Gymchat, welcome. Just dive right in, and ask Chas any questions you like on fitness devices.

See you there.


Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion : Stretching. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


Tip of the Week: Atlas Stone Technique

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.


As you may have already noticed, we're constantly adding new pages to the Guides section of this site. One of the most recent additions looks at the many ways to lift heavy stones - good fun.

To get you in the mood for a little stone work, here's the incredible Jouko Ahola explaining (and demonstrating) one of the most popular forms - Atlas Stone lifting. Love it.

NB : In addition to the technique itself, Jouko makes an excellent point near the end of the video. He notes that in his own training the platforms are a little higher than those used in competitions, and the stones are slightly heavier. Sage advice indeed.


Looking Forward To : Industrial Strength Grip II

'Unbreakable' Adam Glass has just announced that Volume 2 of the Industrial Strength Grip DVD will be available shortly. This contains a whole lot of information on the various ways to put the humble weight plate at the heart of a solid grip workout.

To give you an idea, check out the video here - featuring a super simple one-plate arm workout. Good stuff.


Bonus : if you've ever considered the idea of using Isometric work in your training, no doubt you've checked out the Extreme Power with Isometrics DVD (and if not, give it a look - it really is superb).


If you're just looking for an idea of what it's all about though, grab the PDF below. A great read.

11 Reasons You Must Do Isometrics

Absolutely free.

Binoculars at Echo Point
Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

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.

Lifting stones is without doubt one of the greatest ways to test your strength. Whether you're a Strength Coach passing the skills on to others, a Strongman looking for a competitive edge or a serious fitness enthusiast just wondering what it's all about; you've come to the right place. This page will tell you what, why and how to do a little stone lifting.

Varieties

Firstly, let's take a look at the different types of stones commonly available. These vary enormously in size and weight, so there's an ideal starting point for everyone.

  • Dinnie Stones

    Bodybuilder Imlach Shearer
    Bodybuilder Imlach Shearer.
    The Dinnie Stones are perhaps the best-known example of Scotland's 'Clach cuid fir', or "Manhood Stones". Traditionally, a young man was welcomed into manhood when he was able to lift his clan's testing stone to waist height.

    Although originally intended for a different purpose (they were used to assist the pointing of the bridge over the Dee at Potarch), they're now used as a test of strength for lifters the world over.

    Comprising two stones weighing about 785lbs between them, each with a metal handle (through which was placed a rope, to do the pointing noted above), there have been a number of attempted lifts over the years. The successful ones are listed here.


  • Kviahellan (Husafell Stone)


    Vladislav Alhazov carrying the Husafell stone at the 2006 Iceland's Strongest Man contest
    Photo by Hjalti Arnason.
    The Husafell Stone (aka Africa stone) is a fairly flat, almost triangular stone weighing around 175kg (385lb) which has been used in Strongman events for a number of years.

    This stone originally formed the basis of a challenge in Iceland's Husafell Valley (hence the name). The task was to lift and carry the Kviahellan approximately 50 meters around Sira Snorri Bjornsson's goat pen - quite a feat. Those who were able to achieve this are known simply as 'Fullsterker' (fully strong).

    In the World's Strongest Man competitions the Husafell stone is lifted from a waist-high platform to chest height, and carried for distance. Once the stone is dropped, or in the case of the competitor moving outside their designated lane, the carry is terminated and the distance measured. During the years in which this event took place on African soil, the stone was known as the Africa stone (and shaped accordingly).


  • Atlas Stones


    Hugo Girard
    Canadian strongman Hugo Girard.
    The Atlas Stones frequently seen in Strongman events are based on another variant of the Clach cuid fir' ("Manhood Stones") mentioned earlier, the McGlashen Stones.

    The modern variants are perfectly spherical (or as close to it as possible), and range in weight from 100kg to 160kg. In total there are 5 of these stones.


  • Basque Stones


    Cynthia Morrison lifting Basque Cylinder
    Cynthia Morrison ('Cindini') lifting Basque Cylinder.
    Stone lifting is a popular form of herri kirol or rural sport in the Basque Country area. Although the sport includes several stone-lifting events, perhaps the most well-known is the 100kg zilindroa, or Basque Cylinder. Other stones range from 125 - 212.5kg in weight.

  • Found Stones - Typically on a Beach or Riverbed


    If you're up for a challenge, head for the beach. Max explains the process well in the article Real Stone Lifting, but this snippet will give you an idea :

    When you lift real stones, each lift is a battle. You and mother nature and nothing else. There are no handles on a real stone, and there is nothing easy about lifting it off the ground. You'll know an ab workout when you zercher squat a stone.

    Good stuff.


The Equipment

Atlas stone lifting with strap
Atlas stone lifting with strap.
There are four basic types of equipment when it comes to training to lift stones, and all have value at different points. They are :
  • plate-loading 'virtual stones', typically based around loading pins
  • home-made stones, designed to accurately replicate what you'd be using in competition
  • the 'genuine' stones used in competition
  • accessories which aid the training and competition aspects of many of the above
To see all of these in action, head over to Youtube, equipment manufacturers such as Strongergrip for pins and handles, and Marc "Spud" Bartley's site for accessories such as Stone Straps.

Learning What to Do

How to Make Atlas Stones
How to Make Atlas Stones.
There are several ways to put the stones to work (various incarnations of lifting, carrying and throwing), but by far the most common is the basic Atlas Stone Lift. This is probably the lift you first thought of when you saw the term 'stone lifting' at the top of this page.

The technique itself is relatively straightforward, though it will certainly take a bit of practice. For a detailed look at both the manufacture and use of your own home-made Atlas Stones, grab a copy of 'Napalm' Jedd Johnson / Steve Slater's superb 'How to Make Atlas Stones' DVD. The perfect way to learn.

You can grab a copy right here :

Love it.


Further Reading

Want more? No problem. There's a wealth of stone-lifting information on this site, the forums and a whole lot more. Here are a few of my favourites.

NB : with any of the stone training articles on Straight to the Bar, just click the tag 'stone lifting' to see a constantly-updated list of the many aspects of it we talk about on here. Enjoy.

Final Thought on Stone Lifting

As I said in the beginning, lifting stones is without doubt one of the greatest ways to test your strength. The perfect combination of physical strength, planning, tenacity and much, much more.

Love it.

Well it has been 18 months since I opened the Terminal City Barbell Club. I could lie and say it has been easy and everything has rolled along smoothly but I thought instead I would share a few hard-earned insights:
- Keep doing work. Do not wait for a "great idea". Digging into the mundane is where inspiration and better ideas will emerge. I have espoused this philosophy in the past when it comes to writing but it only struck me the other day that it equally applies to running my gym. And really, even without an inspired marketing campaign just getting something done ensures that "something" gets done.

- Be very clear on what you want to do and whom you want to train. You are not working for a globo-gym for a reason. Remember that reason. You've got to keep your heart in the work. Also, in this field, it seems like people appreciate a specialized environment. If you are highly-specialized, however, then make sure you have a big enough population base to survive or find a secondary income source. Take away point: pursue specialization but not over-specialization.

- Be open to the unexpected. I was very happy to have a women in her early-60s show up at my gym for her first session and pull out her weightlifting shoes. She was totally keen on the barbell lifts and she was prepared, without me even mentioning the right shoes for the job. What I am getting at, I think, is that despite knowing "who" you are reaching out to you will be surprised by remarkable individuals who do not fit the mould of an aspiring strength-athlete.

- Keep your expenses as low as humanly possible. Rent the smallest space that is practical. You might not need the Eleiko plates to start with. Or the really cool $40 collars (I bought two pairs). Buy the best bars you can afford though, and proper plates.

- Avoid going into debt. Mark Rippetoe and Steve Pulcinella have both written about how hard it is to make a decent living at this game. They are not bullshitting you. If making money is your priority then you might want to find another avenue for making it.

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