Results matching “Australia”

Looking At : Dec 7, 2014 - SttB Articles


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, 8 Sep 2014 - 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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.


Video : 907x5 Deadlift with Reverse Bands


George Leeman doing a little band work. Good stuff.


Gymchat 256 - Injury Prevention & Management (John Paul Catanzaro)

Have you ever been unable to train (or unable to do the things you'd like to do) due to injury? How do you minimise the risk of it happening again?

And if you're fortunate enough to have avoided them completely, what sorts of things can you do to ensure it stays that way?

This week we'll be joined by Exercise Physiologist John Paul Catanzaro, together with Strength Athlete & Personal Trainer Josh Hewett looking closely at these and a whole lot more. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like John and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.


Details -

Who : Exercise Physiologist John Paul Catanzaro, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Injury Prevention & Management
When : Wednesday Sep 10, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video on the main site shortly after the Gymchat.


Previously : In Gymchat 255 we discussed The Pillars of Paleo (with Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete 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.


Tip of the Week: Fine-Tuning Your Lifestyle

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.


One of the areas that Josh Hewett and Adam Farrah covered in Gymchat 255 - Pillars of Paleo was the general approach to fine-tuning your lifestyle. Though the specifics will obviously vary from person to person, Adam outlines the basic idea :

Good stuff.


Checking Out : Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning (Zach Even-Esh)

Fantastic.

I've long been a fan of Zach's approach to training (for a bit of an overview, check out Gymchat 217), and suffice to say I'm looking forward to this one. Full review shortly, in the meantime a couple of lines from the main page :


"From the minute I began reading I was completely captivated. The mixture of life lessons along with powerful workout information is what makes this book truly phenomenal and one that belongs on any strength enthusiast's book shelf." -- AJ Roberts

Zach Even-Esh's 'Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning'.




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, 1 Sep 2014 - 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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.


Video : Josh Hewett's Pursuit of a 600lb Deadlift

Fantastic goal.

Josh is working with Strength Coach Craig Bongelli (who we chatted with in Gymchat 246 - great discussion), specifically targetting a 600lb pull. Good stuff.





Gymchat 255 - Evolutionary Eating (The Pillars of Paleo)

What's your current diet like? What do you eat, and why?

In Gymchat 205 we talked to the wonderful Adam Farrah about the basics of the Paleo Diet, and how it can help.

This week we're returning to the conversation - looking at things in detail. Examining exactly how everything works, and how to tweak it in order to get what you want.

Once again we're joined by Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Adam and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.


Details -

Who : Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Evolutionary Eating (The Pillars of Paleo)
When : Apologies for the late notice; we had to adjust the date for this one. It'll be on Friday Sep 5, 3:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video on the main site shortly after the Gymchat.


Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Personal Trainer Jaime Smith, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.


Tip of the Week: The Power of Naming Your Workouts

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.


Here's a simple technique which greatly increases the potential of your workouts. Kira describes the full process in the article Give Your Workout a Name!, but here's a quick story to give you the basic idea :
A few years ago, a couple of young dudes I trained with (Muay Thai), wanted to do some extra conditioning work. I offered to take them on a run up Puke Hill on the weekends.

After a few nervous side-glances, both of them asked, "Why is it called Puke Hill?" After striking a suitably melodramatic pose, I just smiled and then walked away.

When they finally got to do the run, I noticed three distinct changes to the way they normally trained:

  • Intensity - It was the hardest I'd seen either of them train.
  • Team-work - When one of them almost gave up, the other one slowed down and ran beside his friend--helping him to complete the last set of sprints.
  • Accomplishment - After the run, neither whined or complained. In fact, despite their exhaustion, both had shit-eating grins plastered across their ugly faces.

Of course Puke Hill is just a hill. Sure it was steep, and using it for interval-sprints was quite challenging, but what hill sprints aren't challenging? So here's the point of my story: I believe that by simply giving the run a name, my two padawans trained harder, worked together better, and gained a greater sense of individual and shared achievement.

Good stuff.


Checking Out : Master The Kettlebell (Max Shank)

Looks great.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell' is quite simply the book I wish I'd had when I was first experimenting with kettlebells. I'll post up a full review shortly; in the meantime, here's a snippet from the main page on Dragon Door :


This book is a must-have for current or aspiring RKC or HKC instructors, or anyone who needs real, practical, and POWERFUL advice for kettlebell use. The exercise descriptions, mobility information, and solid program design strategies are incredibly worthwhile. My advanced clients will love having a resource to reference when practicing new intermediate/advanced moves at home too. A great all around approach and one that I will be very proud to regularly reference and share.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell'.




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, 23 Jun 2014 - 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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.


Video : Adam Glass' Flag Progress, May - Jun 2014


This video says a lot about Adam Glass - incredible tenacity and experimentation. Good stuff.


Gymchat 249 - Serious Training for Ignored Populations (Bill Kociaba)

This is a fascinating area, and quite possibly one you haven't spent much time thinking about - strength training for the blind, those in wheelchairs and anyone else with reasonably uncommon requirements.

On this week's show we'll be talking to Personal Trainer & Massage Therapist Bill Kociaba - who himself is completely blind. Bill teaches exercise classes via the Blind Cafe online community, runs his own gym and promotes a number of bodybuilding shows.


Joining him is Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Bill and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask them directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.


Details -

Who : Personal Trainer & Massage Therapist Bill Kociaba, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Serious Training for Ignored Populations
When : Wednesday Jun 26, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, or join the hangout (get your questions ready), directly on the Event page. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.


Previously : In Gymchat 248 we discussed Establishing Standards for Strength & Progressions (with Personal Trainers (and Strength Athletes) Brian Tabor and 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.


Tip of the Week: Training When Travelling

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.


We've had a number of questions over the years along the lines of 'how do I train when travelling?'. Mark Konen's approach (from the article Pack Light, Train Hard) :

Suitcase
Well traveled suitcase.
I am visiting my sedentary family soon and I will not be near a gym so here is my plan:

First, there is a wide variety of bodyweight exercises I can do including push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, squats, pull-ups and jumping rope. I can fashion these as a circuit or even as a Tabata workout. So, the first thing I will pack is the Gymboss interval timer. Since I will already have my laptop with me, I could also use an online Tabata timer.
To make the bodyweight exercises even more challenging, I will bring along my jumpstretch bands; specifically the mini-bands. I can add resistance to any exercise I do and can also use it for assistance in pull-ups and range of motion (ROM) work. I also have a couple minor, nagging injuries that would benefit from some band work.
I will bring some running gear and would run in areas where I could also find some things like rocks to lift and throw. I may add in some hills and speed training. (I do use the word "speed" with a sense of humor)!
I'll toss in a Captains of Crush Gripper. I can use that while watching sports on the tube.
OK, so far so good. But I really would like to do some heavy lifting so what can I do that is the same as what I would do at my home gym? Sandbag training! All I have to do is to take my sandbag liners of 50, 25 and 10#, empty them at home and then go buy a couple of 50# bags at a hardware store close to where I'll be staying. Sand is cheap.
That about covers all I could possibly need to get in great workouts while out of town. Since I am going to a colder clime, it may be unlikely there will be a heavy snowfall this early in the season, but if I happen to be in a big snowstorm, you can't beat snow shovelling! Snow shovel intervals could be interesting, challenging and fun. Come to think of it, I'll have to look in my dad's garage. I wonder if he has a sledgehammer? I may be able to talk my mom into steering the car while I push it down the street for time or reps!

Good stuff.


Re-Visiting : How to Make Atlas Stones

Superb.

A conversation during the week (on Strongman competitions in Australia) led to a discussion on the best way to make & train with Atlas Stones. For the answer, well, let's just say that this DVD should be on your shopping list. Jedd Johnson / Steve Slater's 'How to Make Atlas Stones'.

Good stuff.

NB : regarding the Australian Strongman competitions, there are actually quite a few on the calendar. I'll post up a full list shortly; if you're running one there and would like me to spread the word, let me know. Cheers.




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.

The images used on this site come from a number of sources. These are :

1,500lb rack pull
Yes, that's a 1,500lb rack pull. Incredible.

Header

There are two images currently used in the header for this site :

Greatly appreciated guys, cheers.


Sieg Klein
Siegmund Klein demonstrating Exercise #4 in his Super Physique course.

Articles

These come from a number of sources; notably Flickr (those which have been licensed for this purpose). The remainder are either sent in from readers, my own, or purchased for use with a particular story.

Sidebar

There are several images used in the sidebar for this site, notably :

  • The 'Images of Strength'
  • The 'In The Wild' pictures from readers, wearing their Straight to the Bar Gear

We talk about The 'In The Wild' photos in the 'T-Shirt' section below. As for The 'Images of Strength' :

These are from the 'photos' category, shown randomly throughout the site. You can see all of them here.

If you'd like to point us to one you've seen elsewhere (no watermarks please), drop us a line and send us the URL. We'll add as many as we can.

NB : wherever possible, we ask the original photographer if it's OK to re-publish their work. If you know who that is (or it's one of your own images), just let us know. Cheers.

T-Shirts

As long-term readers will attest, we've commissioned a number of T-Shirt designs over the years looking at the world of training from a number of angles. One-off designs for specific events, as well as those designed for more general wear.

You'll find the current collection here.

Note that :

  • The main designer we use - Glenn Bird - is my brother (for more of his work, check out glennbirdart.com). If you're thinking 'that name sounds familiar', that's why.
  • We also love seeing these clothes 'in the wild'. If you'd like to share your photo, just upload it somewhere and send us a link. We'll post these in the sidebar. Cheers.

Wallpapers & 'Phone Backgrounds

Now it's over to you - time to show us your design skills.

We love seeing (and using!) your strength-related images as backgrounds for various computers and mobile devices. If you've got a design you'd love to share with the superb audience here, just save it in the various sizes used by different devices (we've got a couple of examples to show you what they are), upload them somewhere and send us a link. We'll share them on the main site, on Google+ and so on.

Other Merchandise

During my own workouts, I like to keep track of what I'm doing - notably the exercises, weights and reps - using a simple spreadsheet on an iPhone. It's not necessarily any better or worse than the typical pencil & paper notebook combination; it's just what I like using.

If you're the same, check out some of the iPhone Cases & Skins my brother Glenn has designed. Beautiful.

The 'Looking At' Articles

These articles summarise the various things we've been discussing during the week - on Google+, Twitter and the blog itself. It's a great way to keep up-to-date with the world of strength training.

The image is a photo I took at the Echo Point lookout in Katoomba, next to the Three Sisters. If you're planning a visit to Sydney, Australia, Echo Point is well worth a look. Great place.

(btw, if you're looking for 'Things to see in Sydney, Australia', here are a few other places to check out. )

The images used on this site come from a number of sources. These are :

1,500lb rack pull
Yes, that's a 1,500lb rack pull. Incredible.

Header

There are two images currently used in the header for this site :

Greatly appreciated guys, cheers.


Sieg Klein
Siegmund Klein demonstrating Exercise #4 in his Super Physique course.

Articles

These come from a number of sources; notably Flickr (those which have been licensed for this purpose). The remainder are either sent in from readers, my own, or purchased for use with a particular story.

Sidebar

There are several images used in the sidebar for this site, notably :

  • The 'Images of Strength'
  • The 'In The Wild' pictures from readers, wearing their Straight to the Bar Gear

We talk about The 'In The Wild' photos in the 'T-Shirt' section below. As for The 'Images of Strength' :

These are from the 'photos' category, shown randomly throughout the site. You can see all of them here.

If you'd like to point us to one you've seen elsewhere (no watermarks please), drop us a line and send us the URL. We'll add as many as we can.

NB : wherever possible, we ask the original photographer if it's OK to re-publish their work. If you know who that is (or it's one of your own images), just let us know. Cheers.

T-Shirts

As long-term readers will attest, we've commissioned a number of T-Shirt designs over the years looking at the world of training from a number of angles. One-off designs for specific events, as well as those designed for more general wear.

You'll find the current collection here.

Note that :

  • The main designer we use - Glenn Bird - is my brother (for more of his work, check out glennbirdart.com). If you're thinking 'that name sounds familiar', that's why.
  • We also love seeing these clothes 'in the wild'. If you'd like to share your photo, just upload it somewhere and send us a link. We'll post these in the sidebar. Cheers.

Wallpapers & 'Phone Backgrounds

Now it's over to you - time to show us your design skills.

We love seeing (and using!) your strength-related images as backgrounds for various computers and mobile devices. If you've got a design you'd love to share with the superb audience here, just save it in the various sizes used by different devices (we've got a couple of examples to show you what they are), upload them somewhere and send us a link. We'll share them on the main site, on Google+ and so on.

Other Merchandise

During my own workouts, I like to keep track of what I'm doing - notably the exercises, weights and reps - using a simple spreadsheet on an iPhone. It's not necessarily any better or worse than the typical pencil & paper notebook combination; it's just what I like using.

If you're the same, check out some of the iPhone Cases & Skins my brother Glenn has designed. Beautiful.

The 'Looking At' Articles

These articles summarise the various things we've been discussing during the week - on Google+, Twitter and the blog itself. It's a great way to keep up-to-date with the world of strength training.

The image is a photo I took at the Echo Point lookout in Katoomba, next to the Three Sisters. If you're planning a visit to Sydney, Australia, Echo Point is well worth a look. Great place.

(btw, if you're looking for 'Things to see in Sydney, Australia', here are a few other places to check out. )

Looking At : Dec 15, 2013 - SttB Articles


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

Looking At : Oct 20, 2013 - SttB Articles


During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.
Binoculars at Echo Point
Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

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