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 : 8 Glasses of Water Per Day?
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Burn more, drink more.

  
  

• Looking At : Oct 26, 2014
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Sled And Sandbag Finisher

If the recent Gymchat Bite on Sled Training got you considering a little sled dragging in your own sessions, check this out. One of the many great ways to put a sled to work.

Gymchat 261 - How To Increase INTENSITY (Fadel D)

Fadel D.

This week we'll be exploring this somewhat enigmatic area; answering these and a whole lot more. Helping us is insanely strong Powerlifter Fadel D, together with Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We love hearing from as many people as possible. Join Fadel and Josh on the Hangout, or fire in your questions via the Q&A. Full details below.

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 : Powerlifter Fadel D, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : How To Increase INTENSITY
When : Monday Oct 27, 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.

Frank DiMeo.

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 : Lateral Sled Work

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.

This tip comes from the Gymchat Bite on Sled Training, with Strength Coach Frank DiMeo and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. How Frank performs Lateral Work with a Sled :

Good stuff.

Looking Forward To : Strength Training for Triathletes - The Complete Program to Build Triathlon Power, Speed, and Muscular Endurance

Strength Training for Triathletes.

It doesn't appear until Dec 15 (on Amazon, that is), but looks intriguing nonetheless. We'll be taking a look at it once it launches, in the meantime though, a snippet from the Amazon page :

Certified USA Triathlon coach and NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year Patrick Hagerman, EdD, reveals a focused, triathlon-specific strength training program that will enable triathletes to push harder during training and on the race course when the effort is hardest. Triathletes who master this progressive strength training program will also become more resistant to injury, meaning fewer missed workouts.

Strength Training for Triathletes. Nice one.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Thanks again to everyone who watched and joined in the discussion Gymchat Bite 1 - Sled Training [with Strength Coach Frank DiMeo and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett] - much appreciated. If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video.

Ready to Run.

Last week we looked at my own collection of fitness-related books (and cheers for all of the suggested ones to add - much appreciated); in particular Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard. Great read.

Kelly's new work - Ready to Run - Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally - comes out tomorrow, and sounds equally comprehensive. To give you an overall idea of the content covered in the book, and Kelly's thinking in general, check out his latest appearance on the Bulletproof Video podcast :

Ready to Run - Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally. Fantastic.

Bill Piche.

This week we'll be taking a deep dive into the wonderful world of Drop Sets; exploring answers to the questions above and a whole lot more. Helping us get a handle on this particular technique is Powerlifter Bill Piche, together with Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We love hearing from as many people as possible. Join Bill and Josh on the Hangout, or fire in your questions via the Q&A. Full details below.

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 : Powerlifter Bill Piche, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : How to Use DROP SETS for More Gains
When : Monday Oct 20, 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.

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 : Sandbag Training Protocols
  Matt Palfrey
  Get the most out of this amazing tool.

  
  

• Looking At : Oct 19, 2014
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Handstand Human Flag Hybrid

Looking for a challenge?

Good stuff Al.

Gymchat 260 - How to Use DROP SETS for More Gains (Bill Piche)

Bill Piche.

This week we'll be taking a deep dive into the wonderful world of Drop Sets; exploring answers to the questions above and a whole lot more. Helping us get a handle on this particular technique is Powerlifter Bill Piche, together with Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We love hearing from as many people as possible. Join Bill and Josh on the Hangout, or fire in your questions via the Q&A. Full details below.

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 : Powerlifter Bill Piche, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : How to Use DROP SETS for More Gains
When : Monday Oct 20, 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.

Kamal Patel.

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 : Finding a Personal Trainer

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.

It's about more than the money.

Nice one. Over to John.


From the article Eliminating the Lug Nuts: How to Find a Good Trainer, a few thoughts :

Get the Digits. Step one, ask your trainer for references that you can contact. Step two, contact those references. It is amazing how many people miss step two--apparently asking for references only as a bluff. When you call the list of references, ask about their results. Where did they start and how far has he taken them? Did their hard work combined with his training know-how pay off? Has he been reliable and professional?

Good trainers get results; lug nuts only get your money.

One Size Fits All. Is the nutrition/training sheet your trainer gives you just a black and white copy--the same one he hands out to all his clients? Or does she/he give you a personalized workout and nutrition plan? You are paying for a personalized approach, so make sure you get it!

Good Trainers Personalize, Bad Trainers Xerox

Can't we All Just get Along? There is nothing worse than putting down several hundred dollars on a personal trainer only to find that the two of you can't get along. So pay for a few individual sessions (even if it costs a bit more). This will give you an opportunity to get to know the trainer, see how he runs his shop, and strike up a rapport. You aren't auditioning him/her for the role of best friend, but you should expect a certain level of professionalism.

A good trainer is always professional

Good stuff.

Looking Forward To : Ready to Run - Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally

Ready to Run.

Last week we looked at my own collection of fitness-related books (and cheers for all of the suggested ones to add - much appreciated); in particular Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard. Great read.

Kelly's new work - Ready to Run - Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally - comes out tomorrow, and sounds equally comprehensive. To give you an overall idea of the content covered in the book, and Kelly's thinking in general, check out his latest appearance on the Bulletproof Video podcast :

Ready to Run - Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally. Fantastic.

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 : From the Fitness Shelves - Goodreads
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've talked about many, many books over the years - ones which help with various aspects of training, running a fitness business and a whole lot more. Here are several of the ones I own personally.

  NB : I'm always looking for new ones to add - if you're reading something which you'd strongly recommend, I'd love to hear it. Just swing by the Straight to the Bar Community area on Google+.

  
  



• Looking At : Oct 12, 2014
  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 more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Nutrient Timing - Is There a Post Workout Anabolic Window?

Very interesting indeed. Cheers Josh.

Gymchat 259 - Chronic Pain Research (Nutrition/Supplements/Habits - Kamal Patel)

Kamal Patel.

What's behind the pain itself; the foods you eat? Supplements you take? Your lifestyle?

Joining us this week is Nutrition Researcher Kamal Patel, together with Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We love hearing from as many people as possible. Join Kamal and Josh on the Hangout, or fire in your questions via the Q&A. Full details below.

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 : Nutrition Researcher Kamal Patel, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Chronic Pain Research
When : Monday Oct 13, 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.

Bud Jeffries.

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: Returning to Heavy Training - Inspecting the Equipment

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.

This tip is an answer to the question 'If you're using your old gear, how do you test things to make sure they're still safe and working correctly?', directed at Vic Magary during the Heavy Training after a Break Gymchat. A great discussion.

Vic Magary.

"I think the most important thing to inspect would be the J-cups where you set the bar. Also simply taking a wrench to all of the bolts of a rack to make sure they are good and tight. Depending on the type, you may want to double check the collars. I'd think the barbell and plates would be fine even after a few years as long as they were subject to normal conditions."

Re-Reading : Becoming a Supple Leopard

Becoming a Supple Leopard.

The Goodreads piece we noted earlier put me in mind of many superb fitness books, including Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard. Love it.

A quick overview on what the book's all about :

It's Kelly's approach to mobility. A detailed understanding of how the body works; in order to improve athletic performance, reduce injury time and a whole lot more.


From the Amazon page -

If you are like me you won't put this thing down. I am going through it a second time as I write this. I have already recommended it to all my patients, and this will be a staple in my office and it is a must read for anyone that has a BODY - I guess that covers all of you reading this. In closing I have spent thousands of dollars on seminar after seminar. I can say unequivocally that this book has more information in it, which by the way is very simplistic for you to implement, than all of the education I have received on the dynamics of the human body.

Becoming a Supple Leopard. Fantastic.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Cadence Based Gripper Training.

It seems as though my 'to read/watch' pile has exploded in the past week or two; although 'Napalm' Jedd Johnson's Cadence Based Gripper Training certainly made a rapid rise to the top. I have to say, it looks superb.

I'll post a full review once I finish the course (8 weeks); for the full explanation of what it's all about, over to Jedd :

Cadence Based Gripper Training.