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 : Soothing Music and a Handful of New PRs
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Relax, breathe deeper, perform better.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 31, 2021
  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 : How Weightlifting Changed My Life (Henry Rollins)

Feel like working out right now? You certainly will (and likely quite a bit more) after watching this.

NB : Incidentally, if you ever have an opportunity to help someone else begin their own fitness journey, take it. As you can see, it really can have a massive impact.

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.

Chris Lutz.

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.

New Writer : Mike Beatty

Mike Beatty.

Checking Out : Pivot Bed (A Folding Bed Which Transforms Into A Home Gym)

Interesting combination.

The Pivot Bed is a wall-mounted bed which can be quickly transformed into a basic home gym. Space for a little free-weight work, inbuilt bars for chin-ups and assorted ab exercises, and a variety of mounts for video screens. Perfect.

It even has connections for an optional power rack and dip bars.

A little video :

The Pivot Bed.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Interesting device.

Follow Me is a small sensor-laden device which sits on your upper back, keeping an eye on your posture. A curved spine will immediately result in a notification being sent to your phone.

Additionally, the device keeps track of your daily step count; and has an hourly stand reminder (many smartwatch owners will already be intimately familiar with both of these). It'll be interesting to see if they add more of these fitness-centric features over time.

For now, a little video :

Follow Me.

Two weeks ago we noted Andrew's wonderful book 'Ageless' (highly recommended). If you're more of a visual learner - or know someone who is - you might like to check out the above presentation. Loved it.

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 : The Lost Art of Overhead Pressing
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  How much? Time to find out.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 24, 2021
  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 : 'The Future Of The Science Of Aging' Presentation (Dr Andrew Steele)

Two weeks ago we noted Andrew's wonderful book 'Ageless' (highly recommended). If you're more of a visual learner - or know someone who is - you might like to check out the above presentation. Loved it.

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.

Adam Klymkiw.

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 : Knee Rehabilitation Progression

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

This tip is from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. The 'right' way to fix your knees after surgery.

Over to Josh :

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article. A great read.

Checking Out : Follow Me (Real-Time Posture Trainer)

Interesting device.

Follow Me is a small sensor-laden device which sits on your upper back, keeping an eye on your posture. A curved spine will immediately result in a notification being sent to your phone.

Additionally, the device keeps track of your daily step count; and has an hourly stand reminder (many smartwatch owners will already be intimately familiar with both of these). It'll be interesting to see if they add more of these fitness-centric features over time.

For now, a little video :

Follow Me.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Interesting combination.

Although you may not be doing all that much travelling right now, you may wish to keep this in mind for later in the year. Or whenever you plan to start looking at hotels again.

The device in question is the Whipr - a portable ERG machine which combines paddling, rowing, swimming and kayaking. Great mix.

To give you an idea of just what's on offer, a little video :

Whipr.

Very interesting look at the Sleep Cycle app on the Apple Watch. Not bad at all.

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 : Row, Row, Row
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  There are many, many ways to perform the humble row.

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 17, 2021
  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 : Sleep Cycle App Review - Apple Watch Science Test (The Quantified Scientist)

Very interesting look at the Sleep Cycle app on the Apple Watch. Not bad at all.

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.

Matthew Palfrey.

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: Fix Your Feet

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.

This tip is from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. The real benefits of including your feet in your training.

Over to Josh :

You need to gradually strengthen your feet and slowly introduce them to greater range of motion. Walking barefoot on soft sand or grass is a great way to start... plus it feels good! If you have access to a beach or a well manicured lawn, slowly progress from walking barefoot for a few minutes at a time and working up to a longer duration, before introducing any more challenging barefoot activities.

For walking on solid surfaces such as concrete, I suggest you wear appropriate footwear that will provide minimal support while still allowing for greater natural movement of your feet.

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article [.pdf]. A great read.

Checking Out : Whipr (Travel-Focused Training Machine)

Interesting combination.

Although you may not be doing all that much travelling right now, you may wish to keep this in mind for later in the year. Or whenever you plan to start looking at hotels again.

The device in question is the Whipr - a portable ERG machine which combines paddling, rowing, swimming and kayaking. Great mix.

To give you an idea of just what's on offer, a little video :

Whipr.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.