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 :

• Gem From the Vault : Fix Your Body with a Foam Roller - The Basics
  Derek Peruo
  What exactly do you do with a foam roller? This.

  
  

• Looking At : Sep 23, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : Separating and Linking Resistance Bands

Very interesting indeed. Over to Dave.

Gymchat 186 - Metabolic Typing (with Stephen Duncan)

This week we'll be discussing Metabolic Typing, Allergy Testing and a whole lot more. No matter what your views are on these, join Kirk Fontaine and Stephen Duncan and fire in a question or three. See you there.
NB : if this is your first Gymchat, welcome. Just head over to the URL noted below, and join the hangout. We'll be starting at 9pm EST on Wednesday.
Details -

Who Balanced Fitness' Stephen Duncan
Topic : Metabolic Typing
When : Wed Sep 26, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Google+ Hangout. Follow either Kirk or Scott for details on the live feed.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to Kirk, Chas and everyone else who joined us for the discussion : Training for Marathons & Triathlons. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, you can grab the full video here. And to see future videos as soon as they're posted, just click 'Subscribe' at the top of that page. Welcome.

Tip of the Week: The Benefits of Getting Your Shoes Fitted (Rather Than Fitting Them Yourself)

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.

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There were a number of great points raised in the last Gymchat, including this suggestion from Chas. There are real benefits to having your shoes fitted, rather than simply picking the ones you think will work well.

Well said.

Checking Out : Upgraded Chef - 12 Core Recipes to Supercharge Your Body & Brain

This looks great.

I've been intrigued by Dave's work for a while now (he's at bulletproofexec.com if you'd like to check it out), and am really keen to dive in to this one. The latest incarnation of the Upgraded Chef ebook.

The book outlines his own philosphy when it comes to nutrition. The reviews on Amazon describe it well; here's a sample :

This book is meant for people who want to learn to cook with less toxins in less time and to eat a Bulletproof (or better-than-paleo) diet. It is not a self-upgrade manual; it's a cookbook for people who want to use healthy cooking techniques to upgrade the way their body works.

Good stuff.


Quick update on the StrongerGrip Modular Grip System (MGS) we mentioned recently - absolutely fantastic.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video. Warning : you will want one.

Beautiful.

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.

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 :

• Gem From the Vault : How To Do The Clean Pull
  Jason Paris
  Jason takes a look at an extremely powerful exercise - the Clean Pull.

  
  

• Looking At : Sep 16, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : Bench Press Foot Position and Leg Drive

When it's time for a little bench work, how do you position your feet? Clint explores.

Gymchat 185 - Training for Marathons & Triathlons (with Chas Melichar)

This week we'll be discussing both marathons and triathlons, together with Kirk Fontaine and Chas Melichar. See you there.
NB : if this is your first Gymchat, welcome. Just head over to the URL noted below, and join the hangout. We'll be starting at 9pm EST on Wednesday.
Details -

Who Ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar
Topic : Training for Marathons & Triathlons
When : Wed Sep 19, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Google+ Hangout. Follow either Kirk or Scott for details on the live feed.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to Kirk, Maik and everyone else who joined us for the discussion : Mental Preparation for Bodybuilding Contests. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, we'll be posting a brief version of the interview over on Kirk's Youtube channel. Details soon.

Checking Out : The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

This looks great.

If you're a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it's comprehensive is an understatement.


For full details of exactly what's on offer, swing by :

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/products/certification

Very interesting indeed.


Quick update on the StrongerGrip Modular Grip System (MGS) we mentioned recently - absolutely fantastic.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video. Warning : you will want one.

Beautiful.

This week we'll be discussing both marathons and triathlons, together with Kirk Fontaine and Chas Melichar. See you there.


NB : if this is your first Gymchat, welcome. Just head over to the URL noted below, and join the hangout. We'll be starting at 9pm EST on Wednesday.


Details -

Who Ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar
Topic : Training for Marathons & Triathlons
When : Wed Sep 19, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Google+ Hangout. Follow either Kirk or Scott for details on the live feed.

See you there.

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.

This week sees the beginning of the Video Gymchats - simply a video version of the discussions we've been holding for more than 3 years now. Same time, same topics.

One notable change : as my own bandwidth here's a little ordinary at best, these Video Gymchats will be held by Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. If you've joined us for the previous Gymchats, you'll appreciate just how incredible this is. Please make him feel welcome.


For the first of the Video Gymchats, Kirk will be interviewing Olympic Athlete / Bodybuilder / Personal Trainer Maik Wiedenbach; discussing the mental side of preparing for a bodybuilding competition. The what, how and why.

Looking forward to it.

NB : I'll post detailed instructions on the blog regarding 'how to watch live, how to ask questions, where to find the video later' and so on; in the meantime, just follow either Kirk or myself on Google+. We'll be starting at the usual time, 9pm EST on Wednesday.

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 :

• Calves : How to Build Them
  Maik Wiedenbach
  How do you train your calves? Maik has a few ideas.

  
  

• Looking At : Sep 9, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : R & P (Ring and Pinkie) Hub Lifting

Love it.

Gymchat 184 - Mental Preparation for Bodybuilding Contests (with Maik Wiedenbach)

This week sees the beginning of the Video Gymchats - simply a video version of the discussions we've been holding for more than 3 years now. Same time, same topics.

One notable change : as my own bandwidth here's a little ordinary at best, these Video Gymchats will be held by Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. If you've joined us for the previous Gymchats, you'll appreciate just how incredible this is. Please make him feel welcome.


For the first of the Video Gymchats, Kirk will be interviewing Olympic Athlete / Bodybuilder / Personal Trainer Maik Wiedenbach; discussing the mental side of preparing for a bodybuilding competition. The what, how and why.

Looking forward to it.

NB : I'll post detailed instructions on the blog regarding 'how to watch live, how to ask questions, where to find the video later' and so on; in the meantime, just follow either Kirk or myself on Google+. We'll be starting at the usual time, 9pm EST on Wednesday.

Details -

Who : Olympic Athlete / Bodybuilder / Personal Trainer Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Mental Preparation for Bodybuilding Contests
When : Wed Sep 12, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Google+ Hangout. Follow either Kirk or Scott for details on the live feed.

See you there.

Tip of the Week: Getting Back Into It

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.

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If you've been away from the iron for a while, how do you get back into it?
Vic takes a thorough look at this in the 'Returning to Heavy Training After a Break' ebook. For a brief overview though, check out the discussion we held on that very same topic.

In Gymchat 136 - Heavy Training after a Break, Vic noted :

I lost a LOT of strength on some lifts. It was surprising. That's why that initial 3 weeks of lighter work was important to me - it was smart to underestimate my strength at first.

And

It's important to consciously do less those first few weeks. I was off for almost 2 years - as a rule I did not put any more than 135lbs on the bar the first week. I did not push any sets to failure the next two weeks while still staying at 5 reps or less for most sets.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Martial Arts Stance Training (DVD)

This looks superb.

Paul Zaichik takes a look at a key component of almost every Martial Art or Yoga form; the stances. Not simply 'how to do them', but a detailed examination of the essentials behind performing them flawlessly.


From the main page :

There are three components to stances, which most people lack. These are:

• Flexibility or Depth
• Strength and Endurance
• Balance and Stability

In addition common requests had to do with muscle and joint pain while performing the stances. If you are reading this, there must be a part of your stances that you want to improve. What you may not know, is that all the factors mentioned above are very interdependent. Take balance for instance. If you try to go deeper than you flexibility allows, you will fall off balance. If your joints begin to hurt, you will get out of stance or will find yourself off balance as well. The same would happen if you lack strength or endurance, you are bound to fall in one direction or another. Now that you know the above, you may be surprised to find that your strength maybe lacking due to your lack of flexibility. Your joints may hurt due to poor strength, balance or flexibility as well.

Fantastic.


Quick update on the StrongerGrip Modular Grip System (MGS) we mentioned recently - absolutely fantastic.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video. Warning : you will want one.

Beautiful.

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.

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 :

• Gem From The Vault : Bars, Plates, Hooks and Collars
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Stocking up the Home Gym?

  
  

• Looking At : Sep 2, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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 : Diagonal Side Sit (Turbo Style)

Interesting movement. Over to Perry for the full explanation :

Nice one.

Gymchat 184 (Video) - TBA

Cheers to everyone who's already expressed an interest in being interviewed for one of the video Gymchats, it's enormously appreciated. Thank you all.

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion, I'll post those shortly (on the blog, Twitter, Google+ etc - you'll certainly hear about it). In the meantime, if you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, get in touch. Look forward to hearing from you.

Tip of the Week: Build Your Own Tire Sled

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.

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A tyre (or tire if you prefer) sled is a beautiful thing.
If you're considering adding a little sled work to your routines, but haven't tried it before, this is a great way to see if you like it. What's more, it's an incredibly quick (and easy, and cheap) DIY project. Well worth diving in to.

Matt explains the overall process in his article DIY : How to Build Your Own Tire Sled, but the video below - showing the sled in action - will give you the general idea.

Good fun.

Checking Out : Face Mash! Kelly McCann's Essential Self-Defense Moves for Winning Real Street Fights

This looks superb.

Although there are certainly quite a few sales going on around Labor Day (in the US, at least), it's a free ebook that caught my eye. In particular, Kelly McCann's Face Mash.


If you're at all familiar with Kelly McCann, well, you know what you're getting in to. And if not, here's a snippet from Black Belt to help you get up to speed :

Kelly McCann is a former U.S. Marine special-missions officer responsible for counterterrorism and counter-narcotics. He now serves as the president of Crucible, an elite empty-hand and weapons-training facility that provides security support services and trains military, government and law-enforcement operators to do whatever it takes to survive.

Nice one.


Quick update on the StrongerGrip Modular Grip System (MGS) we mentioned last week - absolutely fantastic.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video. Warning : you will want one.

Beautiful.