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 : 30 Day Challenge - Becoming a Morning Person
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Is it possible to switch from being a 'night owl' to an early riser? Yep.

  
  

• Looking At : May 22, 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 : How to Hang Clean with a Kettlebell (NO WRIST BANGING!)

Great tutorial.

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 187 we discussed Bodyweight and Suspension Training (with the incredible Pierre Johnson, joined by Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine). 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: How a Paleo Diet Can Benefit Strength Training

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+,

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 : Australian Strongman Don Athaldo
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  The man behind 'The Athalding System'.

  
  

• Looking At : May 15, 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 : The Hook Grip

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 187 we discussed Bodyweight and Suspension Training (with the incredible Pierre Johnson, joined by Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine). 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: Constantly Fine-Tune Things

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.

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I've received more emails over the years on the transition to biphasic sleeping than almost anything else I've ever written. I can't thank everyone enough for those, they really are appreciated. Thank you.

Most of them take the form of 'do you think this would work...' and the answer is usually to try it and see. I really haven't made any large structural changes to the original routine; however there has been a little fine-tuning. A snippet from the article Biphasic Sleep : 30 Day Summary explains the overall idea :

When I started doing this, my idea was to have a 1.5 hour nap and a 3 hour main sleep period. This proved to be a little under what my body required, and I switched to a 3/4.5 hour split (3 hours by default, 4.5 on workout days). Once again this didn't feel like quite enough, and I changed to a regular 1.5 hour nap followed by a 4.5 hour sleep (every day). This feels right.

I say this to demonstrate that making small changes can be of benefit, and I'll continue to make them as required. As the volume of weight training increases (as it almost certainly will), as I age and as my life situation in general changes; the length of the main sleep period will change.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : StrongerGrip PUGS (Push Up Globe Spikes)

These look great.

For several years now I've been using the 'Warrior T' Push-up Handles (same basic idea), with no problems at all. Love 'em.

The StrongerGrip PUGS (Push Up Globe Spikes) are a slightly different shape, though with the same goal in mind - to make push-ups a little more of a challenge. In particular, the wrist plays a much bigger role.

I'll post a few thoughts shortly, and I'm also keen to hear from others who try them out. The StrongerGrip PUGS (Push Up Globe Spikes).

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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.

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.

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.

It's fair to say we use a lot of images on Straight to the Bar - photographs, diagrams, screenshots and so on. As a photographer myself (Australian Heritage), I'm a huge fan.

Here's a complete rundown of them all, the various sources and how you can contribute your own. Love seeing where everyone trains, and what they get up to.

Let's dive in.

Images in Articles

These are submitted by the author of the article, with credit given to the photographer (if known) or the source. Typically these are used to illustrate a key point being made in the post.

'Images of Strength' in the Sidebar

These are images (mostly photographs) of various strength feats, copied from the above articles and resized for display in the sidebar. Great sources of inspiration.

Header

The photograph used in the Straight to the Bar header is Heavy Lifting by Steve Collins. You'll find more of his wonderful work at https://500px.com/momofoto.

Wallpapers

Various-sized wallpaper images have been created by a number of designers over the years. You'll find them all here.

Portrait of Scott Andrew Bird

This image was drawn - based on a number of photographs - by artist Vince Palko. Swing by Vince's site - he does some amazing work.

Image of Binoculars in Weekly Summaries

This is from a series of photos I took around the Blue Mountains, on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. You can see the rest of the set here.

Clothing

We've sold a number of t-shirts over the years, featuring a variety of fitness-related designs. These have all been created by artists Rory Hickman and Glenn Bird.

Add Yours

Of course, we'd also love to see your own images - your own gym, training and competitions. Here's how you can get them in front of a fitness-focussed audience :

• SttB Group on Flickr
• Directly on Google+, Twitter or Facebook
• Accompanying an article you submit to Straight to the Bar (and here's how to go about doing that)

As you can tell, I love being surrounded by images - fitness-related and otherwise. Always look forward to seeing as many as possible.

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.

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.

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.

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.