The Natural Method.

There's a rapidly growing pile of books here (courtesy a recent donation from a friend), including the translation of the Georges Hébert classic The Natural Method (translated): Georges Hébert's Practical Guide to Physical Education. This is the Kindle version, and I must say, it looks great. Take a peek at the 'Look Inside' part of the Amazon page and you'll see what I mean.

Full review shortly. In the meantime, I'm curious : what are you reading right now?

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 : A Little Yoke Work - 10 Exercises for a Bigger Neck
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Whether it's for protection, stability, or simply to look good in a suit - a strong neck's a great thing to have.

  
  

• Looking At : May 3, 2015
  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, here's how.

Video : Road to Conviction (Episode 7 - Ground Zero)

A great series, looking at a handful of CrossFit journeys.

NB : Once again, they're fairly lengthy videos. If you'd like to download them for later viewing, you can do that using something like Keepvid.

Gymchat 277 - TBA

Mystery Guest.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - there's 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.

Nassim Jebran.

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: Becoming Aware of Your Transverse Abdominis

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.

There's an awful lot more to abdominal work than exercises like the humble crunch. Everything from Louie's infamous 'Stand-Up Abs' to the many, many varieties of the squat.

Before doing any of that, however, it helps to understand a little about the various muscles being worked. For that, it's over to Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker.

For starters, from Kat's superb article Specific Training for the Transverse Abdominis: Belt It In, here's a quick way to learn to feel what your TA is doing :

Tara Scotti.

Begin by becoming aware of this muscle. Sit upright on a bench. Have a partner face you, place both of his hands on your shoulders, and gently push you backward (gently!). Your goal is to maintain your upright position, not allowing your spine to extend/your back to arch. Your TA will kick in to achieve your goal.

Checking Out : The Natural Method

The Natural Method.

There's a rapidly growing pile of books here (courtesy a recent donation from a friend), including the translation of the Georges Hébert classic The Natural Method (translated): Georges Hébert's Practical Guide to Physical Education. This is the Kindle version, and I must say, it looks great. Take a peek at the 'Look Inside' part of the Amazon page and you'll see what I mean.

Full review shortly. In the meantime, I'm curious : what are you reading right now?

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Strong Arm Tactics.

James Retarides' Strong Arm Tactics: Training and Technique in Competitive Armwrestling is a look at the world of competitive armwrestling - the various techniques and methods employed by a number of the sport's greatest athletes.

Take a peek at the 'Look Inside' part of the Amazon page, or grab the full version and dive right in. Strong Arm Tactics.

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 : The Hack Squat
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Wonderful exercise.

  
  

• Looking At : Apr 26, 2015
  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, here's how.

Video : Blueprint to Cut

A fascinating insight into Arnold Schwarzenegger's approach to training. Good stuff.

NB : It's a fairly lengthy (42 minutes) video, so sit back and put your feet up. And if you'd like to download it for later viewing, you can do that using something like Keepvid.

Gymchat 277 - TBA

Mystery Guest.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - there's 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.

Nassim Jebran.

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: A Routine for Neck-Training Beginners

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.

I love a dose of neck training. Using a neck harness, a fitness ball, bodyweight exercises and so on. There are certainly more than a few ways to do it.

This tip comes to us from one of the Gymchats on this area, and is a routine aimed at complete neck-training beginners who are looking to get started on this wonderful journey. Over to Andrew Nalepa.

Andrew Nalepa.

Good news for anyone who is beginning neck training, "you" are pretty much all you need. I like Mike Bruce's beginner program on Straight to the Bar, but another really simple beginner program is this :

Lay on your back on the floor, or on your bed, and just raise your head, curling your chin to your upper chest, as many times as you can. Then lay on your stomach, and raise your chin to the ceiling as many times as possible. Then lay on your side and curl your ear toward your shoulder as many times as you can, and then lay on your other side and do the same thing.

Many people who have never done any neck training have difficulty just laying on their back and curling just their head 20 times. It is a really simple starting point just using gravity. To progress, you could do more reps, do more sets, or start holding a book to your head as you do your repetitions.

Checking Out : Strong Arm Tactics

Strong Arm Tactics.

James Retarides' Strong Arm Tactics: Training and Technique in Competitive Armwrestling is a look at the world of competitive armwrestling - the various techniques and methods employed by a number of the sport's greatest athletes.

Take a peek at the 'Look Inside' part of the Amazon page, or grab the full version and dive right in. Strong Arm Tactics.

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 : Starting Your Fitness Journey - 10 Things to Consider
  Scott Andrew Bird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

• Looking At : Apr 19, 2015
  Scott Andrew Bird
  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, here's how.

Video : Explaining the Seal Row, Engaging the Lats, & Working on Deadlift Weaknesses

Very interesting insights, as well as a demonstration of the somewhat uncommon Seal Row. Good stuff.

Gymchat 280 - How to GRIND for Your Gains (Nassim Jebran)

Nassim Jebran.

Whether it's for your own training or in competition (or both), it's an essential skill. Helping explain exactly what's involved - and how to maximise things - is Strength Coach (and Strength Athlete) Nassim Jebran, and 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 Nassim 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 : Strength Coach (and Strength Athlete) Nassim Jebran, Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : How to GRIND for Your Gains
When : Sunday Apr 26, 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 shortly after the Gymchat.

Matt Palfrey.

Tip of the Week: Ice for Better Sleep

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.

Sleep is easily my favourite form of recovery. Huge fan of a well-timed nap, and the associated dietary fine-tuning. Love it.

This tip comes to us from the Gymchat on sleep as a recovery method, and is a comment by Personal Trainer Derek Peruo on how he helps his new clients get a solid dose of shut-eye. Very interesting approach.

Just Resting.

For sleep, I usually recommend zinc and magnesium. If those don't help, I also recommend an ice pack to the back of the neck right before bed.

The ice pack lowers core temperature and promotes the release of melatonin.

And yes, all of those things work extremely well. Good stuff.

Re-Reading : Card Tearing eBook

Card Tearing eBook.

When it migrated to a serious question-and-answer session, I pointed them to Jedd's 'Card Tearing eBook'. Wonderful resource.

The result? Pics in a day or two, but it's fair to say that they were pleased with the purchase. It really is a fantastic place to start.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Walking. Photo by Chris Preen.

At some point in the not-too-distant future (I suspect it'll be about 2020, but it doesn't matter all that much), it'll be possible to repair/replace damaged nerves. Think people with MS, paraplegics and so on. Full function restored.

This means that many people who are currently in wheelchairs will become clients for Personal Trainers. Looking to strengthen their legs (which they might not have used for years), as well as add some muscle mass to them.

What do you think - can you imagine this happening; and if so, when? Does 2020 sound reasonable, or perhaps a little ambitious?

Would love to hear your thoughts.