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.

One of the many fascinating aspects of strength-training is that everyone has a slightly different approach; based on their own goals, available equipment and information. Love it.


This week we'll be returning to our discussion on training approaches, looking at many aspects of fitness as well as the lifting itself. What's your current diet like, and do you take any supplements? What sort of music do you listen to whilst training, or do you prefer to lift in silence? Other than getting a good nights' sleep, how do you recover after a heavy session?

However you train, we'd love to hear about it. Join us for part five of the incredible 'How Do You ...' series. Fantastic.

Helping keep us on track is Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. If you love talking about training (particularly the way you do things), join us on the Hangout. Details below.


Details -

Who : Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You
Topic : How Do You...V
When : Wed Aug 21, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
URL : Join us at https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/ciq4jtoqt529ed29lclh27k6bdo and in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.
How : Here are the details. Alternately, just mention to Kirk that you'd like to join us, and he'll help you get set up.

See you there.

Each week, I'll cover a different aspect of the transformation process: What it is, How to do it, plus a bunch of other tips, tricks, techniques and workout ideas to make the the process as quick and straight forward as possible.


A transformation will mean different things to different people. Some will want to lose the love handles, belly, or man boobs. Others will want a bigger chest, bigger arms, or get toned legs and butt. We'll cover all that.

By the end of the series, you'll know everything you need to transform your physique and get the body you want and deserve.

Enjoy...

To kick things off we're going to start at square one.

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 : Nails : Converting Imperial to Metric
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Love bending things? Live in a part of the world where the metric system reigns supreme? Same here.

  
  

• Looking At : Aug 18, 2013
  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 : Going from Beginner to Advanced

Very interesting look at how training changes over time. Nice one Dan.

Gymchat 210 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly; here are the various ways to watch/join in.

However you take part, enjoy.

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Details -

Who : TBA
Topic : TBA
When : Wednesday Aug 21, 9pm EST
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.
How : Here are the details. Alternately, just mention to Kirk that you'd like to join us, and he'll help you get set up.

See you there.

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Previously : In Gymchat 209 we talked about 'Setting up a Home Gym', with Strength Athlete Josh Hewett and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the show, the video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

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If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

Tip of the Week: Maximising 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.

This tip comes to us from Synergy Athletic's Joe Hashey, and shares some simple ways to ensure you get the most from your training sessions.

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From the article 5 Ways to Maximize Your Workout :

Whether your time is devoted to your family, a career or anything inbetween, chances are your schedule is pretty-well full. Wasting time in the gym simply isn't an option.

Here are a couple of tips to make the most out of that invaluable gym-time.

• Monitor Rest Periods.

  
  In order to achieve your goals, you should be aware of a proper rest period. Also, the rest period should vary according to your objectives. Not only will this save you time, but it will make your workout more effective.



• Be Creative With Conditioning

  
  Many people are looking "to get in better shape." This doesn't have to mean trotting away the hours on a treadmill. You can lift AND condition on the same days. Since we are focused on athlete training, strength development is important, however it won't go far if the person is always fatigued. During pre season preparation, we include things like 6 x 30 yard hills, DB circuits, rope battling, and sledgehammer conditioning. Often, these exercises only take 10-12 minutes to perform at a high intensity.

These are general principles that can be adapted to fit your training goals. For example, my rest periods on maximal effort lifts are longer than on repetition and supplemental exercises. That doesn't mean I shouldn't pay attention to time, it just means I need to adapt the rest period to meet my goals.

With everything on your plate, your training session should be well paced and planned to be efficient and maximize results! Remember, make corrections, not excuses.

Good stuff.

New Guide : Creating a Home Gym

We received some great feedback following last week's Gymchat (if you haven't seen it yet, the video's here). Cheers for that - greatly appreciated. Thanks.
A new page has been added to the 'Guides' area, The Straight to the Bar Guide to Planning, Designing & Building Your Own Home Gym. Would love to hear what you think.

And thanks again, these discussions are fantastic.

Incidentally, if you'd like to take part in an upcoming Gymchat, just drop Kirk a line. You'll find him on Google+.

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Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

Introduction

A Home Gym is a wonderful thing. In this guide we'll explain exactly how to create your own - everything from the goal-setting and initial planning through to a fully functioning, always-available home gym.

Perfect.

First things first - goals and planning.

Before you start planning the gym itself (we'll get to that in a minute), sit down and think about what you'd like to achieve by way of your training. Is it to aid a particular sport or activity? Are you looking to compete in a particular field - perhaps one of the many varieties of bodybuilding? Or maybe it's just a matter of getting - and staying - 'in shape'? That was my own plan when I started training.

All of these are certainly realistic, and the basics are much the same. The goal will simply answer any 'this one or that one?' questions that arise.

Let's dive in.

Josh Hewett - Strength Athlete and Personal Trainer (bio below) recently posted a great video on 'Creating a Home Gym'. If you're just getting started, or considering the idea, this covers the process well.

Over to Josh :

About Josh

Other Considerations

One thing I've found which has helped with my own home gym is to always have it available. It's in permanent 'standby mode'.

This means that if I've got a few minutes to spare, I can immediately jump in there and do something. A micro-workout if you like.

The benefit of having equipment always set up the way you like it, and always available, is something I didn't really appreciate until I had it. It's a wonderful feeling.

Something else to think about : if you're going to be doing something like Olympic Lifting or Rock Climbing in your home gym (both of which are certainly possible), you're going to need a little extra space and suitable equipment/environment. In addition to everything that Josh outlined, you'll need things like a weightlifting platform & bumper plates; or a climbing wall and various training tools like a campus board.

Equipment

There was an incredible amount of equipment shown in that video above. If you'd like to create something similar, or simply want to check out the prices of various things, here's a complete list :

• An Olympic weight set. We recommend the York Barbell 300lb Olympic Weight Set.
  NB : it's easy to find additional plates (either new or second-hand) when you find you need more. Still, 300lb will keep you going for a while.


• Power Rack (sometimes called a Power Cage). Fantastic thing - perfect for all manner of squats, pulls and presses. We recommend the Valor Athletics Inc. BD - 7.


• Adjustable Bench. Together with the rack, this is very much the heart of your home gym. We recommend the Universal Five-Position Weight Bench.


• Dumbbell Handles. Not absolutely essential, but strongly recommended. We like the Body-Solid Heavy Duty Handles.


• Chinning Bar : If you're buying a rack, you'll find that there's a chinning bar (for chin-ups and pull-ups) as part of it. If not, just grab a door-mounted one such as this.


• Dip Handles. Again, if you're buying a rack, dip handles are frequently an optional extra (they clip onto the rack itself). If not, consider grabbing something like this.


• Suspension Straps. We recommend the Jungle Gym.


• Resistance Bands. We recommend the Jump Stretch Bands.


• Stability Ball : optional, but great to have. Something like this is ideal.


• Power Wheel : again this is optional, but great to have. Consider something like this.


• Flooring : Something like these Anti-Microbial Puzzle Mats, or any large piece of rubber or carpet that's available.

And of course, the smaller items - grip toys, chalk, ropes and so on. The good stuff.

Recommended Resources

Over the years we've noted a number of books/DVDs/people/articles that really come in handy with a project like this.

If you'd like to find out a little more about creating your own home gym, check out :

• Straight to the Bar Guides : Returning to Heavy Training After a Break [PDF] (Vic Magary)
• Buyers' Guide : the Power Rack (Scott Andrew Bird)
• Bars, Plates, Hooks and Collars (Scott Andrew Bird)
• Glossary - Strength Training Equipment (Scott Andrew Bird)
• Video for Gymchat 209 - Setting up a Home Gym (Kirk Fontaine, Josh Hewett)
• The Home Workout Bible (Lou Schuler, Michael Mejia)
• The Ultimate Home Gym Guide (Mighty Joe Stankowski)
• Home Climbing Gyms: How to Build and Use (Randy Leavitt, John McMullen, Anthony Scoggins)
• High Fit Home: Designing Your Home for Health and Fitness (Joan Vos MacDonald)
• Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors (Randy Roach)

And of course the Straight to the Bar Guides. Dive in.

Where to go From Here

As you've no doubt seen, the idea of Building Your Own Home Gym is actually quite a realistic proposition in many cases. If, however, you have any questions - or just want to double-check something, come and join us over on Twitter. You'll feel right at home.

There's also a load of invaluable information on this site, as well as in the newsletter. If you see an article that sparks a question or two, fire away. We'd also love to hear what worked in your particular case, so we can fine-tune things.

Finally, thank you. I hope this helped, and got you Planning, Designing & Building Your Own Home Gym.

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.

This looks great, and the subtitle alone - Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance - will explain why. Love it.

I'll post a full review when it arrives; in the meantime, here's a quick snippet from Amazon to help explain what it's all about :

David Epstein delivers an interesting and impressive narrative, through extensive research on sports and genetics. The author highlights what makes a successful athlete, and how to obtain excellence to become one of the elite. The stories and interviews are thought-provoking, and inspiring. This insightful account is a must-read not only for athletes, but coaches, and parents as well. Of all the sports information I've read in books about athletes, this one is a golden gem on this topic. The science behind an athlete's performance is covered to a great extent, and the more you read, the more interesting it becomes. Informative, and educational. Highly recommended!

The Sports Gene. Looks great.

The Home Gym. If you're just getting started, training at home may be the perfect option : the ability to do what you want, when you want; without anyone looking on.
So where do you start - what do you need in terms of space/budget/equipment etc? Should you buy new stuff, second-hand or make your own? Do you miss out on anything by training at home, rather than in a commercial gym somewhere? Helping us tackle this one is Strongman Josh Hewett, alongside Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. If you'd like to ask a question or share your own love of training at home, join us on the Hangout. Details below.
Details -

Who : Strongman Josh Hewett, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You
Topic : Setting up a Home Gym
When : Wed Aug 14, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
URL : https://plus.google.com/events/cbsi22atenft1q6f68skqhvplj0. It'll also be streamed in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.
How : Here are the details. Alternately, just mention to Kirk that you'd like to join us, and he'll help you get set up.

See you there.

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
  We'll certainly be going into this in detail in this week's Gymchat (details below), but suffice to say, this will help explain what the various types are all about. Great when you're buying second-hand gear.

  
  

• Looking At : Aug 11, 2013
  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 : 555 lb Partial Jefferson Deadlift

Remember the Jefferson Deadlift? Great thing.

Here's the rack-pull version in action. Nice one Logan.

Gymchat 209 - Setting up a Home Gym (with Josh Hewett)

The Home Gym. If you're just getting started, training at home may be the perfect option : the ability to do what you want, when you want; without anyone looking on.
So where do you start - what do you need in terms of space/budget/equipment etc? Should you buy new stuff, second-hand or make your own? Do you miss out on anything by training at home, rather than in a commercial gym somewhere? Helping us tackle this one is Strongman Josh Hewett, alongside Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. If you'd like to ask a question or share your own love of training at home, join us on the Hangout. Details below.
Details -

Who : Strongman Josh Hewett, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You
Topic : Setting up a Home Gym
When : Wed Aug 14, 9pm EST (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.
How : Here are the details. Alternately, just mention to Kirk that you'd like to join us, and he'll help you get set up.

See you there.

Previously : In Gymchat 207 we talked about 'Body Transformation', with Strength and Conditioning Coach Jason Paris and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.

If you missed the broadcast, the video is available over on Kirk's Youtube Channel. That's also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.

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If you'd like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.

Tip of the Week: When Possible, Buy Meat Locally

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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In the article Fight Fat With CLA from eVitamins, Derek noted the value of getting some quality meat in your diet. One of the key factors is to keep an eye out for things like 'grass-fed beef'; another is to purchase from local sources whenever possible.

Jeff Marraccini explains :

Scott, I also look for local sources. Even grass-fed meat coming from far away likely has more risk of being exposed to excessive heat, cold, or other environmental conditions. Unfortunately, it is not always possible so I have to compromise from time to time.

Great point.

Checking Out : The Sports Gene

This looks great, and the subtitle alone - Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance - will explain why. Love it.

I'll post a full review when it arrives; in the meantime, here's a quick snippet from Amazon to help explain what it's all about :

David Epstein delivers an interesting and impressive narrative, through extensive research on sports and genetics. The author highlights what makes a successful athlete, and how to obtain excellence to become one of the elite. The stories and interviews are thought-provoking, and inspiring. This insightful account is a must-read not only for athletes, but coaches, and parents as well. Of all the sports information I've read in books about athletes, this one is a golden gem on this topic. The science behind an athlete's performance is covered to a great extent, and the more you read, the more interesting it becomes. Informative, and educational. Highly recommended!

The Sports Gene. Looks great.

---

Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

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.