Results matching “log”

Roman Food at the British Museum
Roman Food at the British Museum. Photo by vintagedept.
There are a number of ways to get your regular fix of Straight to the Bar, including the many feeds & newsletters listed below. Whether you're after a general overview or a detailed inspection of a particular area, we've got you covered :

Feeds


Newsletters

Newspaper Vendor, Glasgow
Newspaper Vendor, Glasgow. Photo by zoetnet.
  • The Strength & Fitness Newsletter
    This is the easiest way to keep up with the world of strength. It's a weekly newsletter (delivered each Monday), containing highlights from the blog, details of upcoming gymchats, exercises, tips and a whole lot more.
  • The Straight to the Bar Daily
    A daily dose of the various things (generally fitness-related) we're talking about in the Straight to the Bar community. Grab it here.
  • The Better Sleep Nightly
    I've been fascinated by sleep for as long as I can remember. Here's a daily dose of tips & research into this wonderful area.
  • Leave it in the Ground
    On Straight to the Bar we talk a lot about air pollution, primarily from a gym-owner's perspective. This newsletter looks at the topic far more broadly - the gradual move away from the use of fossil fuels : Leave it in the Ground

Monday, 17 Aug 2015 - Issues

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'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 : Invention Factory - How Will Mind Overcome Matter?



Very interesting series.

Gymchat 277 - 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 253 we discussed Improving Recovery & Performance (with New Warrior Training Systems' Sincere Hogan, joined by Strongman & 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: When Possible, Buy Meat Locally

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.


In the article Fight Fat With CLA from eVitamins, Derek noted the value of getting some quality meat in your diet. One of the key factors is to keep an eye out for things like 'grass-fed beef'; another is to purchase from local sources whenever possible.

Jeff Marraccini explains :

Scott, I also look for local sources. Even grass-fed meat coming from far away likely has more risk of being exposed to excessive heat, cold, or other environmental conditions. Unfortunately, it is not always possible so I have to compromise from time to time.

Great point.


Re-Reading : Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2nd Edition)

Great book.

We first looked at this one a while ago, and a conversation on the weekend had me pulling it from the shelves once again. The 2nd Edition of Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength.

The title gives you a general idea, and a couple of brief comments will help fill in the gaps :


Readers will appreciate the combination of plain facts and expert advice. Anyone looking to build muscle mass will appreciate this thorough, no-nonsense guide to proper strength-training technique.

The book is very well written, and provides a complete, precise set of tables throughout the chapters that allow the novice or advanced bodybuilder or strength athlete to start using proven exercises/techniques to improve their appearance and/or performance. The "Rating" matrices of Time/Length/Difficulty/Results alone were, for me, worth the price of the book.

Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength. Good stuff.




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, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Monday, 10 Aug 2015 - Issues

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'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 : High Bar vs Low Bar Squats



Nice one.

Gymchat 277 - 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 223 we discussed Progressive Calisthenics (with Personal Trainer Al Kavadlo, joined by Strongman & 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: Training for Unusual Feats

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.


When Jeff Wilson was training for the Soda Can Crush (video below), he quickly realised that his usual training approach wouldn't work. For one thing, you can't progressively crush a can of soda.

In the article Unusual Goals Require Unusual Measures, he explains exactly how to tackle something like this. Here's a snippet to give you the basic idea :

I knew that without actually being able to accomplish the feat that my training would have to take a drastic turn from what I had become accustomed to over the years. The seemingly supplemental exercises of my workouts would now become my core movements.

I scoured my repertoire (as well as the training logs of top gripsters world-wide) for hand, wrist and grip exercises to find those that closely mimicked the movement I would use for the crush - and I came to the conclusion that the final crush of an unbraced bend was strikingly similar. With some alterations to my particular style of bending I knew I could get huge carryover to the soda crush. I upped my bending frequency a bit and focused on generating as much power as possible through the final crush down as I could with each piece of steel I attempted. During my bending sessions I used high volume, isometrics and pre-kinking steel that was a little out of my league, but I didn't want to bend too often because going too overboard with unbraced bending can potentially set you up for some pretty nasty injuries. I knew that I also needed movements that I could safely perform on a very regular basis that would have big carry over to the can crush, while having very little risk of injury in order to accomplish my goal in a timely manner.

And the feat itself? Over to Jeff :


Love it.


Checking Out : Muscle - Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder (Samuel Wilson Fussell)

Looks like an interesting read.

Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder is Samuel Wilson Fussell's experience of 1980s bodybuilding. Although my own copy was a chance find in a charity shop here, Amazon has a 2015 paperback version.

And as the Amazon page notes :

Alternately funny and fascinating, Muscle is the true story of one man's obsession with the pursuit of perfection. With insight, wit, and refreshing candor, Fussell ushers readers into the wild world of juicers and gym rats who sacrifice their lives, minds, bodies, and souls to their dreams of glory in Southern California's so-called iron mecca.

Keen to dive into it.




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.

Monday, 3 Aug 2015 - Issues

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'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 : Quadruped Crawl (Quadruped/Bear Crawl Combo) Progressions



Nice one.

Gymchat 277 - 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 223 we discussed Progressive Calisthenics (with Personal Trainer Al Kavadlo, joined by Strongman & 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: Addressing Squat Weaknesses - Bending at the Knees First

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.


Back
Back.

When it comes to the squat, Powerlifter Rick Walker clearly knows what he's talking about.

If you've ever tackled this wonderful exercise yourself and felt that your form just didn't feel quite right, check out his article Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat. To give you an idea of what it's all about, here's how he corrects one of the more common problems found in squat technique - the simple act of Bending at the Knees First.

Over to Rick.

This is a common problem among many beginning squatters as the lifter is usually afraid of falling backwards with the weight. Instead of sitting back first, the lifter will bend at the knees to go down. This causes the knees to go forward well over the toes and often times causes the lifter to go up onto their toes in the hole. This is not only dangerous, but you are limiting how much you can squat. The pressure on the patellar tendons in this position is tremendous and leads to big time problems down the road.

Yes, some lifters, especially Olympic lifters, can adapt to these kinds of stresses from having their knees that far forward.

However, the goal here is to improve the squat and move more weight, and that will be accomplished by sitting back into the squat.

How to fix it

The lifter must learn to sit back and not down. This can take a long time to get them to do, and even longer to get them to do it under maximum loads. I start all newbie squatters on a box.

I use a very high box and a very light load, usually the empty bar with some light JumpStretch© bands attached for tension. The basic commands I give are for the lifter to sit back like he is searching for a chair that is behind him. Once the lifter can get down to the high box by sitting back, I lower it an inch and start all over. Eventually the lifter will be able to sit back to a parallel box and the movement will become second nature.

Another possible reason for the lifter's inability to sit back is hamstring strength. If the lifter has weak hamstrings, he won't be able to sit back into a squat without falling. It gets much worse as the weight increases. To address this, get the lifter on the glute-ham machine pronto!

This is the best way to bring up lagging hamstrings and prepare the lifter for handling more weight in the squat correctly. I have also found Romanian Deadlifts and reverse hypers to be effective for improving the sit back portion of the squat.

And yes, I can assure you that it works. Cheers, Rick.


Re-Reading : HardStyle Abs

Great book.

This week I found myself chatting with a friend about abdominal work, and ended up diving back in to Pavel Tsatsouline's excellent HardStyle Abs. For the uninitiated, a couple of paragraphs from the main page to 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 Tsatsouline's HardStyle Abs.




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.

Monday, 27 Jul 2015 - Issues

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'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 Set Up Bands and Chains



Although he's demonstrating their use with the bench press, the same basic idea applies to any lift at all.

Gymchat 277 - 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 223 we discussed Progressive Calisthenics (with Personal Trainer Al Kavadlo, joined by Strongman & 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: Rice Bucket Rehab

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.


In the 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 (for Grip-Training Warmups)', a brief description :

The exercise is an extremely simple one; 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. To make it more difficult, use sand or even lead shot instead of the rice. Nice and painful.

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.





Checking Out : Rings of Power (Mike Gillette)

This looks superb.

Mike Gillette's 'Rings of Power' explains the various ways to use - progressively - this incredible tool. With clear emphases on both strength and rehabilitation, it's an ideal starting point for many. Particularly the 'over 40' (of which I'm a proud member) crowd.

For a glimpse into the world of 'Rings of Power', a brief quote from the review page :


If you care about getting strong, staying strong, and remaining injury free, Rings of Power is essential reading. I incorporated rings into my own training program a couple of years ago and am glad I did. At 45 years old, I am able to continue my strength pursuits unhindered by the joint and tendon injuries that plague many in the over-40 athletic community. - Dr Chris Hardy

Mike Gillette's 'Rings of Power'. Perfect.



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, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Want to take your conditioning workouts up a notch? Throw in a bit of sandbag training. Love it.

What to get

The equipment is pretty simple. I personally use an Ultimate Sandbag (which I highly recommend - full review); and there are also several DIY options (the basic idea here).

In terms of space, the workouts don't require all that much - though it's great if it's available. As long as you have room to swing the bag in front of you and to press it overhead, you'll be fine.


What to do with it

There are many, many ways to train with a sandbag. Here are a few of my favourites :

There are also a number of superb sandbag exercises on the High Octane DVD, and in Matt Palfrey's Sandbag Training books ( his latest is Sandbag Fitness - 150 High Intensity Workouts ). Highly recommended.


Where to find out more

There's actually quite a bit of info (both online and offline) available on sandbag training methods, including :


Final thought on sandbag training

Sandbag workouts are one of the few forms of training I perform daily. Once you try them, you'll quickly see why. Beautiful things.

Monday, 20 Jul 2015 - Issues

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'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 : Weighted Jumping Squats



Interesting combination.

Gymchat 277 - 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 223 we discussed Progressive Calisthenics (with Personal Trainer Al Kavadlo, joined by Strongman & 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: Atlas Stone 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.


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.


Checking Out : STRONGER! Bodyweight Workout Series 2

Remember the bodyweight training videos Lachlan Walker & Tyson Edwards put together a couple of years ago?

Their latest offering - STRONGER! Bodyweight Workout Series 2 - will soon be hitting the virtual shelves, and they've got a Kickstarter campaign to help explain what it's all about :

Sounds great. STRONGER! Bodyweight Workout Series 2.
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, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.
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