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 : DIY - Home-Made Gym Equipment
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Ready to build your own? Here's how.

  
  

• Looking At : Jun 21, 2020
  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, get in touch.

Video : Garage Gym Build & Tour (Brian Alsruhe)

The pandemic's certainly rough on an awful lot of people, and here's a great way to deal with things - building an impromptu home gym. Nice one.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Facebook etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and 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.

Previously : In Gymchat 272 we discussed How Food Choices Affect Your Body with Nutrition Researcher Kamal Patel and Personal Trainer & Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Great conversation.


If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you'll find the entire video here.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week: Dynamic Thumb Training with the Titan's Telegraph Key

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

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I love a dose of grip work; it's a great way to challenge yourself. It's also a particularly fun way to train.

Still, there's always a different way of looking at things. Here's an excellent example of that - Jedd shows just how a piece of equipment like the TTK can be put to a slightly uncommon use. I'll let him explain.

From the article Getting the Most out of Your TTK :

Thumb training can be broken up into at least four different types: Dynamic, Static, and Extensor, and Multi-Planar.

The focus of this article will be Dynamic thumb training with the Titan's Telegraph Key, or TTK.

One way to mix things up a bit is to make the Range of Motion longer by adding something underneath the finger-side handle. A catalog is a perfect choice for this. This makes the hand work through a longer range of motion the muscles are not used to. The first time I did this, I was sore for several days from the new stimulus. This technique has worked great for me in my quest for lifting heavier and wider block weights.

A brief demonstration :

Love it.

Checking Out : LMP S2 (Reusable Protective Face Mask)

Nice one.

As you'd expect, there are plenty of face masks currently on offer. One of those I've been looking at recently is the LMP S2 - a re-usable setup which is already shipping.

The video below gives you a general idea of what's oon offer, and the site goes into detail on the various features. Looks good.

The LMP S2.

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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 Facebook, Twitter, in The Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Love it.

I came across this via the latest issue of Tim Ferriss' '5 Bullet Friday' newsletter - the MAPS Capstone Challenge. This challenge is to provide the funding necessary ($30 million USD) to complete the studies required for FDA approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Wonderful.

The abovelinked site contains more information on the challenge itself. If you'd like to know a little more about either Tim Ferriss or MAPS, here's a conversation from last year's 'Psychedelic Science Summit' :

MAPS Capstone Challenge.

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Nice one.

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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 : Using Pulse Rate to Determine Rest Break Length
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  How long do you rest between sets?

  
  

• Looking At : Jun 14, 2020
  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, get in touch.

Video : 5 Tips for Easier Pull Ups (Marine Sgt Michael Eckert)

Nice one.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Facebook etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and 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.

Previously : In Gymchat 271 we discussed Forskolin For Fat Loss & Building Muscle with Examine.com's own Kurtis Frank and Personal Trainer & Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Great conversation.


If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you'll find the entire video here.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week: Lifting Without a Spotter

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

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I love the home gym - it's definitely the perfect place to focus, and to really get to work. Particularly when you're training solo.

That said, there are a few things to keep in mind when lifting by yourself. In the Setting Up the Home Gym Gymchat, Andrew noted his own guidelines for Lifting Without a Spotter. Good stuff.

From Gymchat 167 - Setting Up the Home Gym :

My personal general rules for lifting without a spotter:

Don't do:

• 1. Anything I haven't done before.
• 2. Anything that could get me killed.
• 3. Anything that I am not 100% sure that I will get all the reps.
• 4. Anything that I cannot do with good form.

Do:

• 1. Anything that doesn't violate the "don't do" and will get me stronger!

Love it.

Checking Out : MAPS Capstone Challenge (Studying The Use Of MDMA To Help Treat PTSD)

Love it.

I came across this via the latest issue of Tim Ferriss' '5 Bullet Friday' newsletter - the MAPS Capstone Challenge. This challenge is to provide the funding necessary ($30 million USD) to complete the studies required for FDA approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Wonderful.

The abovelinked site contains more information on the challenge itself. If you'd like to know a little more about either Tim Ferriss or MAPS, here's a conversation from last year's 'Psychedelic Science Summit' :

MAPS Capstone Challenge.

---

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 Facebook, Twitter, in The Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Keen to dive in.

My list of 'videos to watch' (training-related and otherwise) seems to grow steadily, with new ones always appearing on the list. Next up is Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Conversations, which I'm about to dive in to.

If you're similarly intrigued, the first episode - a chat with Ory Ortega - is below :

Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Conversations.

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Nice one. It's always wonderful to see the many different approaches to fitness, in this case it's the US Marines' Obstacle Course.

---

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 : Holding the Bar in the Front Squat
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  How do you hang on to it? Like this.

  
  

• Looking At : Jun 7, 2020
  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, get in touch.

Video : Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi Takes on the US Marine Obstacle Course (Austen Alexander)

Nice one. It's always wonderful to see the many different approaches to fitness, in this case it's the US Marines' Obstacle Course.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Facebook etc) shortly.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - (there's an example below, and 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.

Previously : In Gymchat 270 we discussed 10 Tips for Achieving Balance in Your Life & Your Diet with Fitness Competitor Aeryon Ashlie and Personal Trainer & Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Great conversation.


If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you'll find the entire video here.

NB : if you'd like to take part in a future episode - either as an interviewee, or as a guest host - just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.

Tip of the Week: How a Paleo Diet Can Benefit Strength Training

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

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My diet has been gradually improving for years (since I began lifting weights), becoming cleaner and more streamlined over time. This was all with the purpose of having a greater intensity in the gym, and recovering faster. Of course there are many other benefits; these are just the two that were on my radar.
In May 2009 I decided to make a transition to a new eating approach altogether, the Paleo Diet. Not only did I experience a number of incredible health benefits, the intensity and recovery aspects increased markedly. Here's a brief look at the main benefits of the Paleo Diet, as far as strength-training is concerned.

From The Straight to the Bar Guide to the Paleo Diet :

As strength-training is a major part of my life, I was careful to ensure that the Paleo Diet integrated well with it. I'm pleased to report that it's a great mix, and even comes with a number of benefits. These include :

Energy levels maintained : as your body isn't being subjected to constant insulin spikes under the Paleo Diet, you'll have a much more stable level of energy going in to the gym. This is particularly noticeable after you've been on the diet for a few weeks or so.

Better recovery : although it's most notable in the form of improved sleep, you'll find that your body's ability to recover from your workouts is improved overall. And this is definitely a good thing.

Improved focus : one of the most surprising benefits from a switch to Paleo (in my case at least) has been an improvement in mental clarity. This change can have a very subtle effect on training; remembering exactly what happened in a prior session and just how much impact it had. Additionally, you'll find an array of subtle benefits from it when you're outside the gym. Love it.

Fantastic.

Checking Out : Aggressive Strength Conversations Podcast Episode 1 (Mike Mahler & Ory Ortega)

Keen to dive in.

My list of 'videos to watch' (training-related and otherwise) seems to grow steadily, with new ones always appearing on the list. Next up is Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Conversations, which I'm about to dive in to.

If you're similarly intrigued, the first episode - a chat with Ory Ortega - is below :

Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Conversations.

---

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 Facebook, Twitter, in The Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.