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

I've been fascinated by sleep for years. As a form of muscular recovery, a way to assist creativity, to help the healing of injuries and a whole lot more.

There are a number of articles on this site looking at the various aspects of sleep (both helping to improve it and explaining how everything works); I've listed a few favourites below.

Enjoy.

• 30 Day Challenge : Becoming a Morning Person
  Is it possible to switch from being a 'night owl' to an early riser? Yep.


• Napping in the Afternoon
  Do you sleep at all during the daytime?


• 7 Health & Fitness Monitoring Devices
  We've noted a number of health-related devices, sites, equipment and people over the years - including a number which specifically monitor & aid sleep. Here's just a taste.


• Biphasic Sleep : 30 Day Summary
  I switched to Biphasic Sleeping in September 2006, and have never looked back. Love it.


• Fuel and Rest - Scott Bird
  There's a good reason I eat so much.

Want more? No problem. If you're looking to improve your own sleep (and you really can - I was an insomniac for a long time, and now enjoy 6-8 hours a night), consider the Better Sleep Nightly newsletter. Absolutely free.

NB : if you're looking for something specific, just take the search box (top of each page) for a run or click the tag 'sleep' on any of the above articles.

And of course, you can always contact me directly. Details here.

I knew lifting weights was for me when I was 12 years old; the year was 1997 and we had just moved from London out to the countryside. My father continued working in London and had to make the two hour commute every day, so he had to wake up every morning at 5am.
I have always looked up to my father, and during my summer vacations as a child I used to wake up with him at 5am to spend time with him. Every morning we watched those pointless infomercials all trying to sell the latest gadgets, tools and fitness products, we used to joke about how pointless and funny they were, but yet we still watched. I was always interested in the fitness products and distinctly remember this ab crunch machine, it was basically a red seat with two handles and it promised a six-pack in only 30 days or "your money back!"

The ab crunch machine is where it all started, from that point on I was bitten by the fitness bug. Although I was a little different, I was more interested in looking bigger and stronger compared to looking like a lean fitness model. So in the summer of 1997 at the young age of 12 I remember starting my fitness regime, I would run or cycle twice a week to keep up my fitness and to get stronger I did body weight exercises, such as pullups, press ups, sit ups etc. Doing this worked well, even at such a young age, but I quickly progressed and needed to take the next step - lifting weights.

So, for my 14th birthday my parents bought me something I had wanted since I started my fitness regime, a set of dumbbells. I was ecstatic, I had a set of dumbbells totalling 50lbs, I was finally ready to start lifting weights. For the next couple of weeks I read books on the many different exercises you can do with dumbbells, I must have tried 50 or more exercises, most of which I can't even remember. My favorite of all exercises was the dumbbell biceps curl, which I'm sure is a favorite for many young guys. I distinctly remember doing dumbbell curls twice a week in my bedroom, I remember curling 10lbs each arm for 2 minutes, resting for 30 seconds then starting again for another 2 minutes, I did this for a total of 30 minutes!

I've always enjoyed writing. Poetry, short stories, novels, screenplays and so on; if there are words involved, I'll give it a go. Love it.

Several years ago I began to combine this with another passion of mine - web development. For the past 10 years or so, I've been both helping people develop their sites and creating/refining content for them.

It's the content creation aspect of this combination I'm now very much focused on. Specifically the following :

• web-based copywriting, proofreading and editing
• content for website marketing campaigns
• conversion of existing web-based content into books (both online and offline)

To discuss any aspect of your own web-based writing needs, drop me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

• Blogger


• del.icio.us


• Digg


• Flickr


• Facebook


• iTunes Ping


• LinkedIn


• Myspace


• Netscape


• Stumbleupon


• Squidoo


• Technorati


• Seti


• Straight to the Bar Forums


• Twitter


• YouTube

I've been taking photos of one kind or another for almost 30 years now. Here are links to my recent works, groups and my collection of half-frame cameras.

Enjoy.

Recent work

• SmugMug
• Flickr

Groups

• SttB on Flickr

Collections

• Cameraderie

I write regularly for a number of sites; on a variety of cooking, environmental and strength-training topics. Here's just a sample :

Blogs

I write for a number of blogs on a regular basis (primarily on environmental and fitness topics), as well as providing ad-hoc articles to many others. A few of my favourite pieces are :

• The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food (part I, II)
  
• Saving Water (part I, II, III, IV, V, VI)
  
• Inspiring Transformations
• What to look for when buying fish
• Making the most of Libraries and Family Tree Research Centres
• Getting your first kettlebell

In addition to these, I'm the editor of (and regular contributor to) :

• Straight to the Bar
• Scott Bird's Family Tree
• Cameraderie

and many forums, boards and social networks.

eBooks

I've written several ebooks, most of them elaborating topics which are mentioned on Straight to the Bar. These include :

• Buying your first kettlebell (a revised version of the article I wrote for Harrow Drive, reprinted with permission)
• 10 Essential Conditioning Tools
• How to paint a kettlebell

I'm the editor of the strength training site Straight to the Bar. I believe that the human body is an amazing machine, and the site looks at the fastest, strongest and most powerful athletes in a range of fields.

My goal on this site is simple - to help people change their own lives through information and inspiration. I've been extremely fortunate over the years and genuinely enjoy every aspect of my life; hopefully my articles will help you reach a similar point.

**A bit about me personally**

I've been surrounded by cameras and computers for a little over 20 years now, and am passionate about each. Perhaps this is unsurprising; my father was a professional motor racing photographer for many years and my mother shared her love of language, reading and writing. A quick glance at my bookshelves confirms that she succeeded.

The two passions - photography and computing - have seen me engaged in everything from travel photography (I love travel, so this was a natural combination) to 9-5 banking work. Perhaps 8-6 would be more accurate.

Lately I've returned to the areas of language, reading and writing. The expression of ideas is a vital concept, and these areas - together with the photography - cover that perfectly.

Quick reminder : in this week's Gymchat we'll be discussing the various ways to train when you simply don't have the equipment available. Join us for Use What's Around You.

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Whether you're just starting out, on-the-road or simply don't have the finances available; there's not much you can do in the way of effective strength-training without some decent equipment. Or is there?

This week we're taking a look at the many ways to get a solid workout in, using the things that are around you. A little bit of bodyweight work, a heavy object or two and a whole lot more. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than combat athlete Andrew Nalepa. Fantastic.

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 : Lifting the Inch Replica Dumbbell (part II, III, IV and V)
  Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
  For the guy that emailed me last night asking 'where do I start with the Inch?' - right here. This is a brilliant series.

  
  

• Looking At : Apr 15, 2012
  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 : World Record Caber Tossing

In terms of quantity, that is. 32 at once.

Gymchat 165 - Use What's Around You

Whether you're just starting out, on-the-road or simply don't have the finances available; there's not much you can do in the way of effective strength-training without some decent equipment. Or is there?

This week we're taking a look at the many ways to get a solid workout in, using the things that are around you. A little bit of bodyweight work, a heavy object or two and a whole lot more. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than combat athlete Andrew Nalepa. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Combat athlete Andrew Nalepa
Topic : Use What's Around You
When : Wed Apr 18, 9pm EDT (here's how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Link : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/NbTG88BTYJD

If you've never been to one of these discussions before, here's how to join in the fun. Simple, quick to set up and free.

And to see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Online Training. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

The Hunt for Broken Links

Straight to the Bar has been around for more than 8 years now, and there are a lot of articles/videos/photos/reviews to say the least. Nearly 6,000 in fact (there's a full list here).

Unfortunately, this number also means there's inevitably a video that's no longer available, or a link to a site which has just moved. Whatever it is, I'm always looking to fix it as quickly as possible.


To help me find the problems : if you spot something that isn't quite working right - a video that's been removed, or a link that no longer works - let me know. Leave a comment, or send me a message on Google+, Twitter or Facebook (all of the details here). As a bonus, you'll receive a selection of strength-training goodness shortly afterward. Not to mention my eternal gratitude.

Thank-you.

Tip of the Week: Becoming Aware of Your Transverse Abdominis

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

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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 :

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.

Here's a visualization to help you zero in on this muscle: imagine you are pulling your belly button into your spine. Place your hand on your belly button and try it, and you'll realize what a dramatic difference actuating this muscle makes. Strengthen it, and you'll have just that much enhancement to the appearance of your midsection.

Here's something you can do while you're driving. Whenever you hit the brake, contract your TA. The momentum of moving forward will provide tangible, manageable resistance. This is a great way to get in some TA work in daily life.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : The Blank Slate

This looks fantastic. Anyone here tried one?

The Blank Slate.

Quick update on the superb Convict Conditioning II we mentioned last week. I'll post up a full review shortly, but suffice to say, it's a great read.

Love it.