I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : Blast from the Past - Neck Training Methods
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  For strength, safety or simply to look great in a suit.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 10, 2017
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.

Video : How to Muscle Up

Fantastic tutorial. If you're learning this wonderful movement, start here.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and a full list here). And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.

Previously : In Gymchat 267 we discussed Carving out a Niche in the Strength Equipment Business (with Exercise Physiologist Eric Chessen and Personal Trainer 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.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week: Setting a Gripper

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

This tip comes to us from the incredible Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson, and takes the form of a superb video. Enjoy.

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

Fantastic site.

Checking Out : The Radius™ F1 - Smart Bike Light

I think it's fair to say that I'm a huge fan of cycling as a means of getting around. Great way to exercise and to explore the world around you.

This device helps to address the safety side of things - particularly when riding at night. The Radius™ F1 - Smart Bike Light, which becomes brighter as you cycle faster.

Fantastic.

A spot of video :

Sounds great.

---

NB : We've recommended a number of books, DVDs & pieces of equipment over the years. Here's the complete list :

straighttothebar.com/articles/reading.

---

Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : CBD for Improved Athletic Performance
  Alex Eriksson | Follow @anabolic_health
  Love building your own equipment?

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 3, 2017
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.

Video : The Best Way To Grip The Human Flag

Nice one Ed.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and a full list here). And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.

Previously : In Gymchat 266 we discussed The Art of Reciprocity: Give More to Get More from Clients, Colleagues, & Yourself (with New Warrior Training Systems' Sincere Hogan and Personal Trainer 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.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week: License Plate Tearing Technique

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 performing Strongman Chris Rider, and is from his superb article Tearing A License Plate. Enjoy.

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Following a thorough description of the safety requirements for performing this feat (and it really can be a dangerous one, so proceed carefully), comes the basic technique involved. Over to Chris :

Now that we have ourselves protected, it's time to grab the plate. I personally like to tear plates at chest level, and that is the method I am going to discuss. As a dry run without a plate, place your dominant hand in a hammer style grip. Place the pinky side of that hand just above the bottom of the sternum. Now place the other fist in the same manner below the dominant one so you have the thumb side of the non-dominant and the pinky side of the dominant meeting. Squeeze as hard as you can and push your hands in opposite directions with the top hand going slightly upward and the bottom hand going slightly downward. If you push straight through, the potential for being cut dramatically increases.

Want more? No problem. Head over to the original article, and watch the video below to see it in action. Beautiful.

Checking Out : GO2SLEEP

Yes, I'm somewhat obsessed with tracking my sleep (currently I like the various smartphone apps for doing this, my own favourite is MotionX 'Sleeptracker'). Here's another contender - the GO2SLEEP.

The GO2SLEEP takes the form of a ring, worn throughout the night and recharged (and synced) when you wake up. Very interesting idea.

To give you an idea of what this unorthodox pairing looks like, check out the video below :

The GO2SLEEP. Look forward to trying it out.

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NB : We've recommended a number of books, DVDs & pieces of equipment over the years. Here's the complete list :

straighttothebar.com/articles/reading.

---

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.

I love this time of year - everywhere you turn, people are doing wonderful things : for the sake of it. Fantastic feeling.

Below are a few of the 'Christmas Greeting' photos & videos we've stumbled across over the years. And if you'd like to point us to another one (perhaps your own), just swing by the Google+ Community area and drop us a line.

Now, links to the posts themselves : http://straighttothebar.com/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&tag=Christmas

Cheers.

NB : if you're wondering about the commercial side of things (the various holiday deals), it's all in the newsletter. Grab it here.

http://straighttothebar.com/strengthkit/

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

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : DIY - How to Build Your Own Tire Sled
  Matt Hunt | Follow @njstrongman32
  Love building your own equipment?

  
  

• Looking At : Nov 26, 2017
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.

Video : 600lb Deadlift Technique

Nice one Omar.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and a full list here). And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.

Previously : In Gymchat 265 we discussed WTF is Functional Training? (with Performing Strongman/Author/Speaker Bud Jeffries and Personal Trainer 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.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week : Why Warm Up?

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 Kirk Fontaine, and is a snippet from the discussion Stretching & Warming Up. Was a great one.

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In response to a couple of questions on 'Why Warm Up?' :

If you are to participate in exercise the first thing you need to do is warm up. The warm up is important to prepare your mind and body so that you can get the very best out of the exercise. The effect of a warm up on preventing injury is not clear however research does suggest increased muscle temperature decreases the risk of muscle tear.

Warming up will :

• Increase your heart rate to give you increased blood flow around the body to the muscles
• Improve oxygen delivery to the muscles
• Stimulate faster muscle contraction
• Improve the joints' ability to endure stress.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Sleep Phaser

I'm always on the lookout for an automatic, hands-free sleep-monitoring solution. This is one of the most promising ones I've come across - the Sleep Phaser.

Curious : what do you currently use? Ever tried the Sleep as Android app?

---

NB : We've recommended a number of books, DVDs & pieces of equipment over the years. Here's the complete list :

straighttothebar.com/articles/reading.

---

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.

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : Odd Object Training
  Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller | Follow @SgtSweaty
  Ready for something a little different?

  
  

• Looking At : Nov 19, 2017
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.

Video : Assistance Exercises and the Spectrum Of Specificity

Nice one Alan.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and a full list here). And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.

Previously : In Gymchat 263 we discussed Building an Indestructible Body (with 'Physical Culture Renaissance Man' Logan Christopher and Personal Trainer 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.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week : Bending Steel = Increased Strength Endurance

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.

---

A friend of mine asked me over the weekend why I bend things. It's partly because it's fun, and partly, well, I'll let Adam explain.
There are many great reasons for bending things, as 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass notes in the article Why Bend Steel? Apart from the simple 'because it's downright fun' :

The 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 : KetoneAid (A Ketone Ester Drink)

Interesting idea.

Billed as 'The Perfect Human Fuel', KetoneAid is a performance enhancer which aims to mimic the feeling of being on a 5-day Fast. Not having tried it personally, I can't say how close it comes to this goal.

How about you - ever tried something like this? And would you, or are you more on the 'Ketogenic Diet' side of the fence?

---

NB : We've recommended a number of books, DVDs & pieces of equipment over the years. Here's the complete list :

straighttothebar.com/articles/reading.

---

Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : How to Build Your Own Sandbag
  Derek 'D-Rock' Peruo | Follow @DerekPeruoCSCS
  Whether it's for the versatility, experimentation or budget constraints - this is the only way to go.

  
  

• Looking At : Nov 12, 2017
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, get in touch.

Video : How To Hook Grip (fairly painless if done correctly)

Someone asked me about these this morning : over to Clint.

Great explanation.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and a full list here). And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.

Previously : In Gymchat 262 we discussed Learning from Experts Outside of Your Discipline (with Strength Coach Frank DiMeo and Personal Trainer 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.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week : Use Checklists in your Training

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.

---

Checklists are one of those things that seem so simple as to be almost pointless. Not really worth the effort.

However, they're very powerful things indeed.


The basic logic behind using a checklist is pretty straightforward. As Adam Stoffa notes in the article Checklists and Complex Problems :

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

And yes, although it looks almost laughably simple, this absolutely works. The checklist approach is very highly recommended indeed.

Checking Out : Dragon Door Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

It seems that Dragon Door is starting their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale a little early this year (which is great for me personally). If you want to get in on the action, just head over to their site; fill your cart and use the code 'BFCM2017' at checkout.

40% discount.

(And yes - once it arrives, we'd love to see it. Swing by the Google+ Community area and add a pic or two.)

---

NB : We've recommended a number of books, DVDs & pieces of equipment over the years. Here's the complete list :

straighttothebar.com/articles/reading.

---

Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

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