Quick reminder : in this week's Gymchat we'll be discussing the legacy of Mike Mentzer (and the many people he worked with), guided by Olympic athlete, Personal Trainer & Nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach. See you there.

plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/DwyWdW318Vq

Incidentally, if this is your first Gymchat, welcome. It's actually incredibly simple to take part.

The basic idea is to join us on Wednesday evening at 9pm Eastern (we go for an hour), on Google+ the above URL, and ask Maik any questions surrounding Mentzer's ideas. It'd also be great to hear a bit about your own training.

---

* If you'd like to learn a little more about Maik Wiedenbach and his own fitness career, there's a great interview in the March issue of World Physique magazine. Nice one.

The Gymchats are weekly discussions on a range of strength-training topics. Quite apart from being fascinating discussions in their own right, they're a lot of fun.

Started back in Feb 2009 by Scott Bird, they were initially held on Twitter (and called 'Twitterchats'). In Aug 2011 they moved to Google+, and were renamed 'Gymchats'.

In Sep 2012 we started doing video versions of the Gymchats, hosted by Personal Trainer 'Captain' Kirk Fontaine. These take the form of a Google+ Hangout, and are subsequently stored on Youtube for later viewing.

In Sep 2013 Josh Hewett joined the team, co-hosting a number of Gymchats as well as helping to schedule future interviews and roundtables. If you'd like to appear on the show (either for a one-on-one interview or as part of a group discussion), just drop him a line.

How the Gymchats Work (and How to Take Part)

These discussions take the form of interviews with various fitness professionals. In addition to the questions asked by Kirk/Josh directly, everyone else on the Hangout is able to fire in their own on the topic being discussed.

It's a great blend.

To find out the topic & URL each week, all you need to do grab the Strength & Fitness Newsletter (part of the Straight to the Bar Strength Kit), and you'll receive all the details. And as a bonus, you'll also receive tips on strength-training technique, unusual exercises and a whole lot more.

As for taking part, well there are three ways (depending on whether you want to be on the show, or just watch). Here are the details.

Topics

The topics are all aspects of strength-training, and change from week to week. Each gymchat is an hour-long discussion on a particular area.

To get an idea of the types of topics we cover, head over to The Complete List of Gymchats. If it relates to strength training, we'll be talking about it.

And if you'd like to suggest a topic for an upcoming discussion, or volunteer to be the 'interviewee' and answer random questions on the subject, just let us know.

Guest Hosts

As well as Kirk & Josh, we invite everyone to host a show or two. To interview someone about their own workouts & competitions. It's wonderful to hear how everyone trains.

If you'd like to offer your services as a Guest Host for the show, or suggest someone who you'd love to see interviewed about their training, let us know. Look forward to hearing from you.

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 :

• The Iron Guru - Vince Gironda
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Maik continues his superb series on bodybuilding pioneers with a brief look at the 'Iron Guru' - Vince Gironda. Superb.

  
  

• Start Here
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Just joined us? Excellent. This page will explain exactly how to get started, and what this site's all about.

  
  

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 : Mike Saffaie's 'Bar Training'.

Nice mix.

Gymchat 158 : Heavy Duty - The Mentzer Legacy

I love a spot of strength history. Many (though certainly not all) of the training approaches of past years are entirely valid today.

This week we'll be discussing the legacy of a well-known bodybuilder that Maik looked at recently - Mike Mentzer. Which of Mentzer's ideas are still useful, and how have they influenced your own training? Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach*.


Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Heavy Duty - The Mentzer Legacy
When : Wed Feb 29, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/DwyWdW318Vq

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.

* If you'd like to learn a little more about Maik Wiedenbach and his own fitness career, there's a great interview in the March issue of World Physique magazine. Nice one.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Tackling the Obesity Crisis. 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.

Tip of the Week: Use a Weight You Can Control

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.

This tip comes to us from the enigmatic Gerard F, and is a snippet from a series of very interesting conversations surrounding the insights of the 'Iron Guru', Vince Gironda. In particular, this thread on Google+.

---

The full quote is :

Use a weight you can control, and control the weight you use.

This applies to a lot of things, but in this case we were talking about the bench press. Gerard noted :

At best the Bench Press is an "OK" exercise even when done correctly, but nearly everyone performs it based on the wrong concept. Using 8-12 reps its OK, but what happens is, when the reps get tough, your form goes bad, the back arches and/or your torso torques; stress goes from the chest to the triceps to the shoulder/cuff, and your strong side lifts the load that your weak side can't handle.

Over bench pressing gives you a circle looking chest, that's when the shoulders and tris are developed because the chest can't handle the weight, and what happens is the shoulder and tris are targeted more than the pecs.

Very interesting. Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : RKC Instructor Workshop in Israel

I haven't been to Israel for years (last time, I was using a film-based camera, if that's any indication), and I love the Dragon Door certifications at any time. Superb.

The details are here, but it's essentially a Kettlebell Instructor Certification. If anyone here's planning on attending, I'd love to hear about it.

Looks fantastic.

Quick update on the superb Super Human Training Workshop (#2) we noted a couple of weeks ago. Looks fantastic.

I'll post a full review over on the forums shortly, but in the meantime, Logan's got all the details of who/what/when. Head over to http://superhumanworkshop.com.

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 :

• Heavy Duty by Mike Mentzer...is it the Holy Grail?
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Mike Mentzer had some very interesting ideas. Maik explores.

  
  

• Welcome to the Gymchats IV : 137 - 156
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've had some superb discussions recently.

  
  

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 : Weighted Inchworm Training

Love this exercise.

Gymchat 157 - Tackling the Obesity Crisis

It's widely agreed that there's a problem concerning obesity in many parts of the world. In short, people are gaining bodyfat at an alarming rate.
Of course, this is an extremely complex issue and there are likely to be a number of components to any decent solution. Education, advertising, legal changes and so on; in addition to a number of approaches that simply haven't been tried yet.

This week I'd love to hear your own views on how this affects you (and believe me, it does - no matter who you are), and the sorts of things that can be done to solve it. Over the short, medium and long term.

Whatever your views, if you have a suggestion or three on how we can address this global issue, we'd love to have you along. Join us for Gymchat 157 - Tackling the Obesity Crisis. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Tackling the Obesity Crisis
When : Wed Feb 22, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/fyVm7q8Egeo

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 Solving Nutrition Problems. 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.

Tip of the Week: Beginner Neck-Building Program

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.

This tip comes to us from the obscenely strong Mike 'The Machine' Bruce, and is a snippet from his superb article Building A Neck Of Steel. Take a look.

---

Neck work - whether you're a beginner, or have been training for years - doesn't need to be that complicated. And if you're new to the area of neck strengthening, this is a great place to start.

Over to Mike :

Now that's a neck harness lift.

Following is a beginner program to help get you started from Pencil neck to neck of steel.

• Neck Curls on a flat bench with weight 1-2 sets of 20-30 repetitions
• Neck Harness work [same as above]
• Side of Neck on a flat bench [same as above]

Do this every other day for the first month. Then you can increase the workload to everyday you train. Or increase the weighted repetitions to 5 sets of 50 repetitions. Once you can attain 100 straight repetitions in the 3 exercises then it is time to increase the weight.

Good stuff.

Getting Ready For : The 2012 Plateau Buster

This is the base of the latest incarnation of the Plateau Buster - fantastic tool.

Ryan's brilliant at constantly evolving these products (and the original one was superb, I can assure you); over the next few months we'll see an array of handle choices and grip attachments.

Really looking forward to it.

Quick update on the superb Super Human Training Workshop (#2) we noted last week. Looks fantastic.

I'll post a full review over on the forums shortly, but in the meantime, Logan's got all the details of who/what/when. Head over to http://superhumanworkshop.com.

Over the past few months we've had some superb discussions on Google+ : thank you all. It really is fantastic to hear your ideas and techniques on such a wide variety of training topics.
I've outlined the most recent conversations (the weekly Gymchats) below. First though, if you're not sure what they are (and how to take part in one), here's a quick summary :

The Gymchats are a mix of discussion and interview; looking at a different training-related topic each week. To take part, just add a question or comment to the main discussion thread (and the thread is announced in the newsletter, the forums and on Google+ itself - wherever you are, you'll see it).

NB : if you're a professional trainer, coach or athlete - and would like to share your experience with the fantastic audience here - I'd love to hear from you. Just post a comment below, or contact me privately.

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 :

• How To Do The Clean Pull
  Jason CSCS
  Exactly how to perform this fantastic exercise.

  
  

• The 10 Best Diet Foods - Or Are There Superfoods?
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Looking to reduce hunger, improve health or a little of both?

  
  

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 : GHP Gripper Review

These look amazing Wade, nice one.

In this video, the incredible 'Mighty Joe' Musselwhite reviews the Gillingham High Performance hand grippers. Beautiful.

Gymchat 156 - Solving Nutrition Problems

Looking back at my own nutrition history, it's safe to say that my diet's changed many, many times over the past 8 years. And yes, there's still room for quite a bit of fine-tuning.
This week we'll be looking at some of the more common dietary problems (fat loss, minimising hunger, reducing sugar intake and so on) and discussing the simplest ways to solve each one. Should be a great conversation.

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Solving Nutrition Problems
When : Wed Feb 15, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/113406428532094481598/posts/1DPap6MsJRq

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 Triathlon 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.

Tip of the Week: Using (and Making) a Fat Bar

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.

This tip comes to us from the obscenely strong Max Shank, in the form of a video from the article The Fat Bar. Take a look.

---

This video shows the bar in action. To read how it helps, and how to make one; head over to the article The Fat Bar. Nice one.

Over to Max :

Good stuff.

Getting Ready For : Super Human Training Workshop #2

This looks fantastic.

If you attended the first Super Human Training Workshop, you'll understand just how incredible these are. Superb information from all sides.

To see exactly what's in the second of these workshops, here's a bit of video.

Enjoy.

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.

The clean pull is a variation of the Olympic lift. It starts out identically, but doesn't have the same finish. With the clean pull, you don't take it overhead like you do with the clean and jerk or snatch exercises. Instead, the lift finishes around your mid section or chest area. It looks like a deadlift playing in fast forward.

Why Include the Clean Pull In Your Program?

Aside from being a fun lift, there are a few other reasons you will want to include this lift in your workout.

If you are looking to develop maximal power, I don't think you can find a weighted exercise to beat the clean pull. It is fast, fun, explosive, and works all the major muscles that help you jump higher and be more explosive. Training your explosive strength also trains your muscles to more readily activate the higher-threshold motor units. If you want to lift heavy, you are going to need them.

This one exercise can dramatically improve your power output giving you a greater ability to exert force at higher speeds. It teaches you to be explosive, working on the powerful triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles.

This increased power is invaluable to every athlete, providing the explosiveness necessary to gain that important half step on the competition.

Athletes and non athletes alike will also benefit from:

• increased balance


• speed development


• increased coordination


• improved flexibility


• improved concentration and coordination

There is also the benefit of added muscle mass. The clean pull works every muscle in your posterior chain adding a great deal of upper body thickness, especially through the upper back and shoulders. This is perfect for both bodybuilders and athletes.

And of course there is the issue of safety. This is an extremely safe lift. There isn't an eccentric component, but because of the incredibly fast bar speed, you can't handle the same load as a deadlift or squat. Never will you have to strain to finish the lift like you would with the squat, bench, or deadlift. All in all, the clean pull has an extremely low injury rate.

How to Do It

Just like with every other exercise, there are going to be some differences and variations with technique. But what I have outlined here is a great starting place. Follow the instructions below and you'll have a solid foundation to build upon, plus you'll have a safe and effective workout.

Set Up

This may be the most important part of the lift because without a good starting position it's extremely difficult to adjust during the lift to get a good rep. Without the proper setup, you are doomed before the bar leaves the floor.

The setup for the clean pull is a lot like a deadlift, but with a few subtle variations. Let's get started. Since there's no better starting point than the ground, we'll start with the feet and work our way up.

Feet

Your feet will be flat on the floor about shoulder width apart, in the same position they would be if you were about to do a vertical jump. Your weight is evenly distributed throughout the entire foot.

With the bar resting against your shins, firmly grasp the bar with an overhand grip just outside your shins. When standing and still holding the bar, your hands will be on the outside of your thighs, just missing them.

Grip

There are two grips that you can use...

1. regular clean grip


2. wide or snatch grip

The 2 grips are very similar. The only real difference is how far apart your hands are.

The snatch grip is the wider of the two. Because it is so much wider, it requires more flexibility and will reduce the amount of weight you can lift. For simplicity, let's stick with the regular clean grip. It's the more common of the two. After you master the clean grip, the snatch grip will be an easy transition.

Straps are something to avoid at all costs, so adopting a hook grip will become essential if you want to move big weight. You might as well get started now while the load is light. It's going to be uncomfortable at first, so get use to it with light loads. Taping your thumb will help somewhat, and is totally acceptable.

To do a hook grip, you are going to take an overhand grip. First, you're going to wrap your thumb tightly around the bar. Then you will grip the bar and your thumb with the rest of your hand. Depending on the size of your hand and your comfort level, you may only get one finger around your thumb, but shoot for getting your first 2 fingers around your thumb, your trigger, and middle fingers.

Now that you have a firm grip on the bar, rotate your elbows outwards so they are in line with the bar. Picture your elbows pointing out towards the weights at the end of the bar.

Torso Position

The set up for the clean pull is a lot like the deadlift. The major difference is in your shoulder position. In the deadlift, your shoulders are either directly over the bar or slightly behind it. In the clean pull, your shoulders are in front of the bar. There are different schools of thought on this approach, the Chinese go with the frog stance so their shoulders aren't as far over the bar. I don't recommend this for anyone but the competitive Olympic lifter. Instead, you will want your shoulders to be well in front of the bar. Make sure to keep a flat back and your chest up.

Before you pull, take a deep breath. Make sure your shoulder blades are pulled back and your chest is nice and high. You are set, ready to begin the first phase of the pull.

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 :

• Shopping to get in shape-or the big U
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Maik looks at a simple way to get a little more out of your grocery shopping.

  
  

• Gem From the Vault : DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform
  Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
  Following the DIY Equipment discussion we held last week, there were a few questions about the construction of an olympic weightlifting platform. If you're just putting together your own home gym, this one is well worth considering. Fantastic thing.

  
  

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 : The Belt Squat

I love the belt squat (and its various DIY cousins). Here's a great demonstration of what it is, and how it differs from the simple dip belt version often substituted.

Great exercise.

Gymchat 155 - Triathlon Training

If you enjoy a dose of sun/sand/surf, you'll love this.
This week we'll be looking at one of the toughest ways to physically challenge yourself, the triathlon. The nutrition, strength work and mental preparation involved.

Helping us get a handle on this gruelling trio is ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar
Topic : Triathlon Training
When : Wed Feb 8, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/Zg9MHTvL7gD

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 Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II). Some superb ideas in there.

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

Tip of the Week: Steel Bending Benefits - Increased Neural Strength

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.

This tip comes to us from 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass' superb article Why Bend Steel?; and looks at just one of the great benefits of a regular dose of steel bending. Increased Neural Strength.

---

Over to Adam :

First benefit is to your neural strength: Steel bending is an exceptional way to build your single unit application of tension. What I mean is this - you have to tense and load every muscle in your body, take out all "leakages", brace everything together and direct it through you hands with a sniper's precise angle. If you get sloppy punching on the nails ends, you will hurt yourself. You could possibly punch yourself in the face, roll your hands out of the groove, stab yourself, or any other combination of less desirable outcomes. This activity will turn your wrist to stone. Your ability to direct power will be significantly increased. This will directly carry over to any other strength-skill you currently have. The way I load up to bend a Huge Stainless Steel Bastard is exactly the same feeling as when I load up to pull a max dead, to press a 48kg bell, or to slam an axe through a log. It adds a critical power appliance to your "strength skill tool box".

This increase in strength and power naturally will carry over to an increase in your endurance. Anyone who has bent a nail will tell you the first time they bent it was so tiring. I have watched people sweat bullets bending their first respectable nail. As time goes on you gain huge reserves of power. A personal testament to this level of power for me was October 2007 when I bent 150 60D nails in one hour using the double under (DU) grip. That represented a massive improvement from Jan 2007, when bending 10-15 nails left my hands extremely fatigued.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Get Strength Lock-Jaw Collars

I'm a big fan of the Get Strength equipment in general (well made, nice and tough), and one thing I'm keen to try is their Lock-Jaw Collars. Look great.

I like this type of collar in any case (fast, and can certainly handle heavy loads); but I'm also keen to hear your thoughts. Have you used these collars before, and what were your experiences with them?

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.

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 :

• How I Started in Weight Training and Bodybuilding
  'Captain' Kirk Fontaine
  Following the gathering of user histories we posted recently is this inspiring story from the incredible Kirk Fontaine. Great read.

  
  

• I Just Don't Have the Genetics
  Maik Wiedenbach
  If you think that your genetics plays a big part in your training potential, think again. Maik explains.

  
  

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 : Chest Shoulder Opening with the Zenkahuna & a Rope

Great move.

Gymchat 154 - Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II)

Over the years we've discussed a lot of home-made equipment. Absolutely love it.
There are many reasons to opt for the 'build vs buy' route, at least initially; particularly when you're short on cash or just trying things out. This week we'll be looking at the equipment itself : the types of things you can make, common techniques, the basic gear you'll find yourself using all the time and where to get it. And if you're in the middle of your own DIY Equipment project, we'd love to hear about it.

Whatever your training is like, if there's a piece or two of home-made gear involved, we'd love to have you along. Join us for Gymchat 154 - Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength Training Fans
Topic : Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II)
When : Wed Feb 1, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/WTzMV38rtdz

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 Cycled Bulking. Some superb ideas in there.

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

Tip of the Week: Checking Your Squat Depth

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.

This tip comes to us from a thread on the VirtualMeet Forums, looking at a device called the Safety Squat. Very interesting idea.

---

Over to James Chochlinski :

The safety squat arrived yesterday. No instruction manual, just a picture. Tried some squats with it using just the bar. Seems to work similarly to the youtube video sensor. Placement just above the knee requires deeper squat to trigger the sensor; Not as deep when placed higher up on the thigh. It's just a level sensor, so the difference is due to the shape of my thigh. Happy with the safety squat so far.

James was also kind enough to share some video of the device in action :

The obvious use is for powerlifters when training for a meet. However, on Google+, Raymond Ho shared an alternative way to put it to work :

The idea is actually good. I see people when they start loading up the bar (which is too heavy for them) they start to get higher out of the holes until it looks more like a partial rep. and if you squat by yourself then it stops you from cheating.

Sounds great.

I'm curious : has anyone here used a device like this, and what are your thoughts on the idea?

Checking Out : Tickle Me Gripmo

I've been using a kettlebell for this sort of thing, but I'm seriously considering switching to something like this. The StrongerGrip 'Tickle Me Gripmo'.

A bit of video :

Looks great.

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.

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 :

• It's a Charity Thing
  Scott Andrew Bird
  In the Goals & Goal Setting gymchat we held a few weeks ago we discussed our goals for the year; as well as various ways to set them. A fascinating conversation.

  Although I didn't go into detail into the ones that fall outside the bounds of 'fitness & health', one of my own is to increase awareness of and support for various charities. One of these was noted in the post The Power of Transformation - Kiva.

  In line with that, I've just made a small-but-significant change to the forums. New users will now be asked to contribute a small annual fee (99c, although there's a PayPal donation button there if you'd like to donate more than this); with the money going to various charities. There's a full breakdown here.

  In return, you'll receive access to some fantastic extras. Here's a brief summary :

  • PDF versions of major articles.
  • Access to all newsletter archives (everyone else just sees the last 5 issues).
  • Advertising-free version of the Forums.
  • Access to additional Forum areas.
  • Strength & Inspirational Wallpapers.
  • Ability to post progress images.
  • Form review area.
  • Previews of merchandise.
  • Contests.

  Now, over to you. Do you agree with the charities I've selected, or are there others you'd prefer to support?



• Gem From the Vault : Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat
  Rick Walker
  If last week's Gymchat got you thinking deeply about your own squatting progress, you're not alone. Here's how to fix several of the common problems.

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

Video : Modified Inverted Rows

Very interesting indeed.

Gymchat 153 - Cycled Bulking

I've been chatting with Maik recently about his approach to bulking, and about his thoughts on nutrition in general. Fascinating to say the least.
In this week's Gymchat we'll be investigating this cycled approach to bulking, what it involves, and when to use it; as well as sharing a few ideas on bulking in general. Whether you're doing something similar there, have a competition coming up later in the year, or are simply curious about packing on a bit of mass; we'd love to hear your questions, comments and ideas.
Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Cycled Bulking
When : Wed Jan 25, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/A22kdSuBnzg

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 Leg Training. Some superb ideas in there.

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

Tip of the Week: The Modified Jefferson Lift

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.

This tip comes to us from Jason's superb article 29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner; and looks at just one of the many ways to put a partly-loaded barbell to work. The Modified Jefferson Lift.

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Over to Jason :

This is where you straddle the barbell with both legs, and grasp above the weights while you lower yourself straight down as if sitting down into a chair. The R.O.M. is limited so you can use heavier weights if you feel comfortable.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : 101 Fitness Myths (Kindle Edition)

This is a superb gathering of no-nonsense training information.
I'll post up a full review during the week, but suffice to say that this one contains some fascinating points. Maik's take on the strength-training world is not exactly mainstream; but it's certainly well-supported and highly effective.

A snippet from the reviews on Amazon :

"My only regret is that I did not have "101 Fitness Myths" years ago. Amid the din of conflicting exercise and diet advice out there, this book brings clarity to what really counts for self-improvement...background research, common sense, and an affirmation that the fundamentals of bodybuilding do work ."

Definitely a great read. No matter how far into your training journey you are, it's well worth checking out.

Maik Wiedenbach's 101 Fitness Myths.

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.