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 :

• Blast from the Past : The Forgotten Lifts III
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Love using exercises that have other gymgoers scratching their heads? Here's another gathering of 'Forgotten Lifts' to add to your arsenal.
  
• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  Hard and heavy.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Self Defense - Falling into a Wall

How do you absorb the shock and defend yourself when thrown against a wall? Like this.

DIY : Strongman Yoke

Looking for an inexpensive way to knock up a yoke? Take a look at this.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 81 - Training for Armwrestling

Whether you're challenging your friends or just getting in to serious competition, a spot of Armwrestling is superb.

This week we're taking a look at this wonderful sport, with the absolute beginner in mind - specifically the Training side of the fence. Everything from the techniques and psychology to the many facets of hand, wrist and forearm work. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than StrongerWrist's, Scott LaTella (@strongerwrist). Fantastic.


NB : If you've been following Scott's work for any length of time, no doubt you're familiar with the wristball (brilliant thing). As a thankyou to participants in this discussion, Scott is donating a wristball to one of the questioner/commenters at random. Just use the #sbgym hashtag during the discussion.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training for Armwrestling
When : Wed Sep 1, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Setting Up The Home Gym. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are you looking to gain a little weight, whether for a competition, or performance in the gym? How?

Checking Out : Wrestle and Win

Wrestle and Win: The Wrestler's Guide to Strength, Conditioning, Nutrition and College Preparation is Steve Kimpel's new book; arriving on Sep 23rd. A very interesting gathering of information.
A brief description from Amazon :

'Wrestle and Win: The Wrestler's Guide to Strength, Conditioning, Nutrition and College Preparation is your guide to success in high school and college wrestling. Every wrestler has a daily mat practice, but great wrestlers know that it's what you do outside of practice that gives you the edge. This book is a comprehensive guide to the in-season and off-season training habits necessary to succeed at the state or national level. First, find out exactly what kind of strength training and conditioning you should be doing, including how to get the most out of your time in the weight room and what type of workouts to do during the off-season. Then get the facts on eating right, making weight and evaluating supplements. Finally, learn how to successfully make the transition from high school to college wrestling, including an inside view of the recruiting process and a step-by-step plan for getting recognized by college coaches.'

Looks good.

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 :

• 10 Questions With Greg Everett
  Yael Grauer
  A great interview with Olympic Weightlifting coach and author Greg Everett. Dive in.
  
• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  Hard and heavy.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Quick Home-made Wrist Roller

When it comes to DIY Gym Equipment, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Over to Smitty.

Nice work Adam.

DIY : Heavy Clubs

More club-training goodness from DIY Strength. Enjoy.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 80 - Setting Up The Home Gym

Whether you're training for competition or just for the benefits of looking after yourself, the home gym can be a truly incredible place.

This week we're taking a close look at Setting Up The Home Gym; the equipment and space you'll need (not as much as you'd think), combining indoor and outdoor setups and integrating the home gym with commercial facilities, work gyms and hotel areas. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Body by D-Rock's, Derek Peruo (@bodybydrock). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Setting Up The Home Gym
When : Wed Aug 25, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

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

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Checking Out : Paleo Brands

I've been following a Paleo diet for a while now (started in April 2009), and I'd strongly recommend it to anyone. I've never felt better, or stronger.

Quick question : has anyone here tried any of the Paleo Brands meals? They look fantastic, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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 :

• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  Hard and heavy.
  
• Training & Loss Aversion
  Adam Stoffa
  Superb question (particularly for coaches and trainers) - would love to hear your thoughts.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : World's Strongest Hands

There's a stack of great video coming out of the World's Strongest Hands grip contest; here's a sample :

Nice work Adam.

DIY : Clubs

When it comes to home-made equipment, one of the items I get asked about the most is the humble club.

Here's just one of the many ways to construct this wonderful training tool. The video above shows off the finished product, and details of construction are here :

DIY Gym Gear : How to Make Your Own Clubs

Good stuff.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 79 - Bulking

With so much focus on the idea of weight loss, you could be forgiven for overlooking the other side of the coin - intentionally gaining weight.

This week we're taking a close look at Bulking, whether it's for an upcoming competition or simply to assist things a little in the gym. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Food and Fitness', Anthony Paradis (@foodnfitness). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Bulking
When : Wed Aug 18, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Your First Strongman Competition. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever considered competing in a Strongman competition? Which one?

Checking Out : Wild Black Jack 21

I love rope training; especially outdoors. Great fun.

This double-disc DVD not only explains the many techniques involved in using ropes as conditioning tools, it provides a couple of superb workouts; making use of the ropes by themselves, as well as with a kettlebell or two.

Fantastic.

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 :

• Gym Marketing Lessons From Your Favorite Sex Shop
  Yael Grauer
  Ever wondered why there are so few women in your gym? Yael has a few thoughts.
  
• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  Hard and heavy.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : USAJG - Using Anything.

Here's a quick look at just a few pieces of home-made training equipment. As you can see, you can certainly get a lot done regardless of what's available.

Nice one.

DIY : Rack-Mounted Wrist Roller

One of the many great training tools discussed in the DIY Training Equipment twitterchat was @GoodyGirl77's rack-mounted wrist roller. Fantastic thing.

If you're not quite sure what a rack-mounted wrist roller is all about, the video shows one in action (with an incredible 303lb, no less). And you'll be pleased to know that they're fairly easy to construct. Rory has detailed the process here, and this forum thread has an extra image or two.

Beautiful.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 78 - Your First Strongman Competition

One of the many great topics brought up in the Incorporating Strongman Training discussion was 'how to get started'. Where to find the competitions, what the events are, and how to know if you're ready to compete. Good stuff.

This week we're taking a close look at these, and many other aspects of Your First Strongman Competition. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than The Strength Doctor, Tim Hull (@THull); who's currently in serious training mode for an upcoming competition himself. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Your First Strongman Competition
When : Wed Aug 11, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

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

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What would you love to make, but aren't quite sure how? Would you happily learn skills such as welding in order to put together a solid DIY Equipment project?

Getting Ready For : Paleo Cookbook

I've been a fan of all kinds of food for several years now, and definitely fall into the 'foodie' camp.

Switching over to a Paleo diet in May 2009 certainly didn't diminish that at all, it just made me aware of a rather large oversight in the field of 'Paleo foodie' books. Helping to correct that, Health Habits (author of Paleo Diet for the 21st Century, pictured at left).

To say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement.

Exercise of the Week : Handstand Tiger Bend

The Handstand Tiger Bend (aka the Handstand version of the Mantis Push-up).

To perform the Handstand Tiger Bend, start by kicking yourself up into a handstand. Lower yourself as if beginning a Handstand Push-up, then allow yourself to fall back onto your forearms (you'll still be in a handstand at this point, just with your forearms completely resting on the floor).

From this position, kick your legs and lift yourself back into the original handstand position. The following video demonstrates this.

And yes, it's as hard as it looks. Enjoy.

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 :

• Giving it Away II
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We first looked at the idea of donating your used strength-training equipment more than a year ago, and a lot of people shared stories of how they did just that. Thank you all, sincerely.
  
• 30 Jul 2010 - Pull-up Challenge
  Adam Stoffa
  The road to a consistent 25 pull-ups. Good stuff.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Chad Kovach - Grip Feats

Here's a gathering of pinching, squeezing and gripping to show just how much can be achieved in a short time.

Nice work Chad.

Keen to Try : WristBall

Recently Ryan noted armwrestler Scott Latella's new site - StrongerWrist. Excellent.

Many great things on the site (as well as a number which will be arriving shortly), including the WristBall. Very keen to try one out.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 77 - DIY Training Equipment

Over the years this site's looked at the idea of making your own gym gear from a number of angles. Everything from the 'how to make a ...' to the tools and techniques involved.

This week we'll be discussing all of these aspects of DIY Training Equipment, for anything used in your workouts. Indoor, outdoor; whatever it is - if it can be home-made, we'll discuss how. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : DIY Training Equipment
When : Wed Aug 4, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Daniel Ng (@daniel_hautjobb) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Photographing Strength Athletes. Some superb ideas in there.

Thanks also to everyone who added photos to the SttB Flickr Group (and to those that are still adding them). Greatly appreciated; there are some superb shots in there. And if you haven't added your images yet? They're all welcome. Swing by.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you take video or still photos at strength competitions? How do you keep track of the athletes, events, weights and so on?

Checking Out : The Sling Shot

Mark Bell's Sling Shot is now available. Looks great.

Exercise of the Week : Barbell Hack Squats

These are superb. Although the Hack Squat often referred to makes use of a simple machine, I much prefer the barbell version.

The basic version is shown below; there are certainly plenty of variations. Different bars, off-centred weights, bands and so on. Great exercise.

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 :

• Three Technique Corrections for Tearing Your First Deck of Cards
  Jedd Johnson
  Just getting started? Perfect.
  
• Combat Trainer Chronicles
  Rob DeCillis
  Rob's training log. Good stuff.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : How to Climb a Rope

Keen to add a little rope-climbing to your training mix, but not quite sure how?

Jim explains the most common techniques. Nice one.

Constructing : Suspension Handles

Want a great project for your next free evening? How about building a few sets of handles for use with sleds, suspension trainers and much, much more. Inexpensive, simple to make and incredibly versatile.

Over to Ryan.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 76 - Photographing Strength Athletes

Two things I've been immersing myself in for years are a passion for photography (ranging from creating images to collecting vintage cameras), and a serious love of strength training. Doing, watching, supporting, and of course, talking about. Absolutely love it.

This week we'll be combining these two incredible pastimes, taking a look at the best ways to photograph/video either yourself or a competing strength athlete. Everything from 'which camera to use', to how to record the audio so people can hear it over the wind noise, to the ways of getting some great - and legal - music onto your Youtube videos. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Daniel Ng, (@daniel_hautjobb); a man who's been combining some serious odd-object work with photography for years now. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Photographing Strength Athletes
When : Wed Jul 28, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Tim Hull (@THull) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Incorporating Strongman Training. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you incorporate a little Strongman work in your training, and in what form?

Getting Ready For : The 1,000 Pound Total

The third part of Brooks Kubik's (Dinosaur Training) incredible Legacy of Iron series (Legacy of Iron and Clouds of War) is arriving soon.

This volume - The 1,000 Pound Total - covers the real-life battle between Steve Stanko and John Davis to become the first man in history to total 1,000 pounds in the three Olympic lifts.

Fantastic.

Exercise of the Week : TTK Negatives

These are superb. For more brilliant ways to put the Titan's Telegraph Key (TTK) to work, swing by Jedd's excellent article Getting the Most out of Your TTK. Good stuff.

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 :

• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  Hard and heavy.
  
• Australian Fitness Tour
  Various Authors
  Superb idea for a trip. Which places, competitions and groups would you suggest?
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Brad Pilon - 6 Meals per Day

No doubt you've heard the '6 Meals per Day' advice at some point. But just what qualifies as a meal? You may be surprised.

Over to Brad.

Deal of the Week : TRX Kettlebell - Iron Circuit Conditioning

A blend of kettlebell and TRX goodness - fantastic.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 75 - Incorporating Strongman Training

I've been a fan of Strongman training for as long as I can remember; the beautifully simple idea of 'picking up something heavy, and putting it down somewhere else'. Love it.

This week we're taking a close look at the world of Strongman, specifically at how to integrate it with your existing training. No matter whether you're a professional athlete or just someone who loves taking care of themselves.

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than The Strength Doctor, Tim Hull (@THull); a man who's been exploring the possibilities of Strongman work in his own training. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Incorporating Strongman Training
When : Wed Jul 21, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Robert DeCillis (@CombatTrainer) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Conditioning. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What sort of conditioning do you favour, and in what form? How do you measure your progress?

Getting Ready For : Super Human Training

Super Human Training is a series of interviews (one per week) with some of the strongest guys around.

Hosting the discussions is none other than Logan Christopher (certainly no slouch himself in the arena of Strongman). And to give you an idea of just how cool this is, here are a few of the guys you'll be learning from :

• Andrew Durniat
• Steve McGranahan
• Adam Glass
• Mike Mahler
• Ryan Pitts

And many more. Fantastic.

Exercise of the Week : Lever Side Bend

This is one of the many superb exercises detailed in Adam's brilliant Leverage Lifts article; definitely a keeper. Dive in, and enjoy.

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 :

• Rob's Training Log
  Rob Sinnott
  Hard and heavy.
  
• Floral Apron Adventures
  GoodyGirl77
  The serious training gets underway again. A great feeling.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Kettlebell Sit-up and Press on GHR

This is the first exercise in the Diesel Crew's Hardest Core Exercise EVER series - the Kettlebell Sit-up and Press on GHR. Good stuff.

Deal of the Week : APT Heavy Duty Adjustable Pulley Straps

APT are currently giving away their Adjustable Pulley Straps (pictured) - one per order. Anyone here tried them? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Oh, and to grab one for yourself, head over to prowriststraps.com and enter the coupon code AdjustStrap when you're checking out. Good stuff.

Want more? As a bonus, they're also knocking 15% off the price of your order. Perfect.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 74 - Conditioning

I love a dose of conditioning work, especially the outdoor varieties. Sandbags, tyres, ropes and so on.

This week we're taking a close look at the world of Conditioning- everything from 'what it is' and 'the benefits it can bring' to the many, many great ways to get a dose in your own training. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is certified strength and conditioning coach Rob DeCillis, better known as Combat Trainer (@CombatTrainer). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Conditioning
When : Wed Jul 14, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Ryan Pitts (@strongergrip) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Training with Clubs. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are clubs a part of your current training? Fixed-weight, or the loadable variety?

Reading : The Big Book of Clubbell Training

There were several great books mentioned during last week's discussion on Training with Clubs, but one we didn't get to was Scott Sonnon's The Big Book of Clubbell Training. I'm about to dive into it here, and would love to hear your own thoughts.

Anyone read it? What did you think?

Exercise of the Week : GHR Variations

While you're using the GHR, try a few of these : several great GHR Variations from the guys at Octogen. Nice one.

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 :

• Checklists and Complex Problems
  By Adam Stoffa
  How do you solve a complex problem like 'Improving Physical Performance'? Over to Adam.
  
• My Visit to Nashville Kettlebell House of Hardstyle.
  By Mike 'The Machine' Bruce
  Mike swings by Dave 'Iron Tamer' Whitley's new training facility. Nice one.
  

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.

Video : Speed, Quickness, Reactive Drills for Athletes

How do you train for speed and reaction times? Over to Smitty.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 73 - Training with Clubs

I absolutely love leverage training, especially with clubs. Superb things.

This week we're taking a close look at the Club Training world - everything from 'what they are' to the many, many great ways to put them to work. Helping us get a handle on these great tools is none other than StrongerGrip's Ryan Pitts (@strongergrip), certainly no slouch when it comes to a dose of club work himself. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training with Clubs
When : Wed Jul 7, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Karsten Jensen (@CoachKarsten) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Periodization. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. How are you making use of periodisation in your own training? Which form are you currently putting to work?

Reading : Supertraining (6th Edition)

Several great books were mentioned during last week's discussion on Periodisation, including the superb Supertraining. During the week I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the latest incarnation (6th edition), which looks very promising indeed.

Really looking forward to diving in.

Exercise of the Week : Kettlebell Juggling for Two

Now here's my idea of a good time - grab your training partner and toss a kettlebell their way.

Kettlebell Juggling for Two.

The ideas below flow from four seminal works :

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Strategic Negotiation by Brian Dietmeyer
The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond
and
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


I have borrowed heavily from each for key concepts and examples and wish to give the works and their authors full credit for anything beneficial that you derive from this article. If you find this article at all interesting (which I hope you do), then I recommend that you review the above texts, as they are all excellent reads. Also, I am indebted to those that participated in Scott Bird's Twitterchat #69. The generosity of the participants in sharing their best practices and personal experience helped me to refine my thinking and encouraged me to follow-up with this article.

Checklists: A Strategy for Managing the Complex Problem of Improving Physical Performance

During the last century, the world's greatest achievements came from solving complicated problems. For example, splitting the atom and putting a man on the moon, required multiple people and teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties were frequent and timing and coordination of the work was critical. However, as experience was gained, we were able to repeat and refine the process, until it was nearly perfect.

Encouraged by our success, we entered an age of specialization. This is no less true in the strength and fitness world, where we now have a panoply of experts from science, medicine, and coaching focused on particular and specialized aspects of exercise, nutrition, and recovery. There are experts, including entire sub-specialties for doctors, physical therapists, kinesiologists, and dietitians and technical experts, who can be certified generally (e.g. CSCS for strength training and conditioning) or specifically (e.g. particular training methods like kettle bells). Professional athletes now assemble teams of experts to help with their training. Amateur athletes and serious exercise enthusiasts have access to physicians, personal trainers, nutrition professionals, and various therapists to help with recovery, not to mention the wealth of information and data that can be pulled from the Internet.

Unlike building a rocket ship, maximizing individual athletic performance includes variable factors that are different every time. These factors differ between athletes and even within the same athlete (training methods change as athletes age, are injured, gain strength, improve skills, etc.). It is this variability that makes training a complex problem.

So, what is a complex problem? Well, complex problems are not simple problems. Simple problems are best managed by following an established set of actions with little or no variation in technique. Think of baking a cake from a mix. If you are careful and follow the instructions, you will successfully bake a cake.

Complicated problems like building a rocket ship and sending it to the moon and back, cannot be accomplished by following a recipe. Complicated problems require multiple people or teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties are frequent and timing and coordination of work is critical. But, with complicated problems, you can repeat and refine the process, until it is nearly perfect.

Complex problems, like raising a child, helping a client manage a lawsuit, or maximizing athletic performance include variable factors that are different every time. Expertise as a parent, attorney, or trainer is valuable, but not sufficient to adequately address complex problems, because their outcomes remain highly uncertain.

This does not mean that acceptable outcomes for complex problems cannot be achieved or are merely the result of good fortune. Rather, there are certain strategies that greatly enhance the probability of achieving acceptable outcomes. As our awareness and understanding of complexity improves, it becomes clear that the job of a professional is not just to be an expert in a particularized field, but to become a team member actively engaged in achieving an acceptable outcome.

As an attorney, the most important question that I can ask a client is, "What do you believe is an acceptable outcome?" Notice the term acceptable. Perfect outcomes are not achievable. A client that is hoping for a perfect outcome to a complex problem is sure to be disappointed, as trade-offs become necessary, when responding to unexpected problems.

Determining an acceptable outcome is really a matter of negotiating. On the one hand, there is the wish list that defines a perfect outcome. After clients have brainstormed or told me about everything that they would like to achieve, we put those interests in rank order. Then, we turn and consider competing interests. These often include incompatible goals, conflicting obligations, the interests of other parties, and limits on time and resources (this by no means exhausts the list of potential competing interests). Comparing the two lists helps define an acceptable outcome and determines where efforts can be focused to achieve the greatest results.

When dealing with a complex problem, any plan for achieving an acceptable outcome must include a list of necessary tasks and a plan for maintaining communication. The task list ensures that routine steps are not missed. The communication list guarantees that everyone talks through and contributes to resolving the unexpected and hard problems.

Properly formulated task focused checklists are very good at reducing the probability that a key step will be skipped or missed, because they engage the thinking part of the brain. In the field, key steps are not so much consciously skipped, as much as they are missed due to environmental distractions. By creating an agreed upon checklist of action items, you decrease the risk that you, your client, or another member of the team will skip a key step due to distractions. The checklist serves as a cognitive safety net, making it easy to embrace the project at hand, without skipping simple steps.

An example from training might be properly warming up. Everyone knows it's foolish to engage in physical training without warming up first, but with time pressure, competing interests, or environmental stress, this step occasionally gets skipped. The risks associated with skipping this step, are significant. Pulled muscles are a major setback to a training program. When you balance the interests involved, saving a few minutes versus suffering a major setback, the risk associated with skipping this key step is unacceptably high. Therefore, item number 1 on your checklist could be:

1. Complete Warm Up Exercises