Yes, I love the deadlift.

We'd love to hear from you.

NB : if you've already set up your own blog or fitness profile somewhere, point us to it. We love this stuff as much as you do.

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 : Setting Up A Home Gym
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Ready to get started? Great.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 1, 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 : STONELAND

Wonderful film.

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.

Adam Farrah.

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: Fix Your Feet

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 is from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. The real benefits of including your feet in your training.

Over to Josh :

You need to gradually strengthen your feet and slowly introduce them to greater range of motion. Walking barefoot on soft sand or grass is a great way to start... plus it feels good! If you have access to a beach or a well manicured lawn, slowly progress from walking barefoot for a few minutes at a time and working up to a longer duration, before introducing any more challenging barefoot activities.

For walking on solid surfaces such as concrete, I suggest you wear appropriate footwear that will provide minimal support while still allowing for greater natural movement of your feet.

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article [.pdf]. A great read.

Checking Out : The Olive (Low-Cost Hearing Aids)

The Olive is a pair of hearing aids with 'low cost' being the driving force - putting them within reach of an incredible number of people.

No doubt we'll hear a whole lot more on these once they're a little closer to production, in the meantime here's a bit of video to help explain the overall idea :

The Olive.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Batou (Ghost in the Shell).

• Suspected brain injuries are diagnosed on sporting field sidelines, while the play continues. Players are often cleared and returned within the same game.

  NB : even if a brain injury is discovered, it is quite possibly treatable. For more on this, see the piece on Therapeutic Hypothermia we looked at recently.

• Wearable devices begin to include constant blood glucose monitors. Paired with their health & fitness recommendations, these begin to become far more common.

  Particularly among professional athletes.

• Human trials of synthetic blood begin. It even gets used in surgery.

  NB : this doesn't wipe out the need for blood donations - yet.

• Virtual Reality has a vast number of potential uses, one of which is an anatomy app. Several of these are created, initially for educational uses.

  NB : as the technology improves, these apps become far more powerful - gradually incorporating more and more actual patient data.

• Pain levels become quantifiable - measured via an implanted or an external device. Initially for use solely in a handful of medical settings, quickly moving to hospice and home care environments.

• The X-Prize 'tricorder' competition wraps up, with the birth of several extremely promising medical diagnostic devices. Handheld, and able to automatically diagnose an ever-growing list of illnesses.

Over to you. What are your own thoughts on the various items above? What else would you expect to see, and when?

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 : Bars, Plates, Hooks and Collars
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  The Heart of The Home Gym.

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 18, 2016
  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 : Rock Climbing - Transitioning from the Gym to the Crag (Meagan Martin)

Great information Meagan.

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.

Adam Farrah.

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.

The Future of Fitness : Health & Fitness Predictions for 2017

Batou (Ghost in the Shell).

• Suspected brain injuries are diagnosed on sporting field sidelines, while the play continues. Players are often cleared and returned within the same game.

  NB : even if a brain injury is discovered, it is quite possibly treatable. For more on this, see the piece on Therapeutic Hypothermia we looked at recently.

• Wearable devices begin to include constant blood glucose monitors. Paired with their health & fitness recommendations, these begin to become far more common.

  Particularly among professional athletes.

• Human trials of synthetic blood begin. It even gets used in surgery.

  NB : this doesn't wipe out the need for blood donations - yet.

• Virtual Reality has a vast number of potential uses, one of which is an anatomy app. Several of these are created, initially for educational uses.

  NB : as the technology improves, these apps become far more powerful - gradually incorporating more and more actual patient data.

• Pain levels become quantifiable - measured via an implanted or an external device. Initially for use solely in a handful of medical settings, quickly moving to hospice and home care environments.

• The X-Prize 'tricorder' competition wraps up, with the birth of several extremely promising medical diagnostic devices. Handheld, and able to automatically diagnose an ever-growing list of illnesses.

Over to you. What are your own thoughts on the various items above? What else would you expect to see, and when?

Checking Out : The Intuitive Flow 'Daily Double'

The Intuitive Flow 'Daily Double' is simply a pair of exercise sets one for the morning, one for the evening. Basic bodyweight movements.

This video outlines the overall idea :

The Intuitive Flow 'Daily Double'.

NB : I'll share my thoughts once I've been doing these for a while. And yes, I'd love to hear your own experiences - both with this, and the entire Intu-Flow Longevity System.

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 : Glossary - Strength Training Equipment
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  What does it all do?

  
  

• Looking At : Dec 11, 2016
  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 : Back Angle on The Rower

Great information.

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.

Adam Farrah.