This is the Kindle version of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Arm Training course, for those of us who missed the original (or would simply love to have a Kindle version - nice and handy). Various arm training methods and a few specific routines.
A great way to dive into the 'Dinosaur' world.
Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Arm Training.
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 : How to Add 20+ Pounds to your Deadlift
Looking At : Aug 25, 2019Over 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.
Great explanation.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to the squat, Powerlifter Rick Walker clearly knows what he's talking about.
If you've ever tackled this wonderful exercise yourself and felt that your form just didn't feel quite right, check out his article Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat. To give you an idea of what it's all about, here's how he corrects one of the more common problems found in squat technique - the simple act of Bending at the Knees First.
Over to Rick.
This is a common problem among many beginning squatters as the lifter is usually afraid of falling backwards with the weight. Instead of sitting back first, the lifter will bend at the knees to go down. This causes the knees to go forward well over the toes and often times causes the lifter to go up onto their toes in the hole. This is not only dangerous, but you are limiting how much you can squat. The pressure on the patellar tendons in this position is tremendous and leads to big time problems down the road.Yes, some lifters, especially Olympic lifters, can adapt to these kinds of stresses from having their knees that far forward.
However, the goal here is to improve the squat and move more weight, and that will be accomplished by sitting back into the squat.
How to fix it
The lifter must learn to sit back and not down. This can take a long time to get them to do, and even longer to get them to do it under maximum loads. I start all newbie squatters on a box.
I use a very high box and a very light load, usually the empty bar with some light JumpStretch© bands attached for tension. The basic commands I give are for the lifter to sit back like he is searching for a chair that is behind him. Once the lifter can get down to the high box by sitting back, I lower it an inch and start all over. Eventually the lifter will be able to sit back to a parallel box and the movement will become second nature.
Another possible reason for the lifter's inability to sit back is hamstring strength. If the lifter has weak hamstrings, he won't be able to sit back into a squat without falling. It gets much worse as the weight increases. To address this, get the lifter on the glute-ham machine pronto!
This is the best way to bring up lagging hamstrings and prepare the lifter for handling more weight in the squat correctly. I have also found Romanian Deadlifts and reverse hypers to be effective for improving the sit back portion of the squat.
And yes, I can assure you that it works. Cheers, Rick.
This is the Kindle version of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Arm Training course, for those of us who missed the original (or would simply love to have a Kindle version - nice and handy). Various arm training methods and a few specific routines.
A great way to dive into the 'Dinosaur' world.
Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Arm Training.
Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :
Good stuff Bret, looks great.
Remember the 'sleeping on your side' video from a few weeks ago?
The Dullo Pillow looks ideal for doing just that. With customised 'craters' on each side (one for sleeping on your back, one for sleeping on your side) and two heights to pick from, it's far more customisable than the one I'm currently using.
Take a look at what I mean :
Great explanation.
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 : How to Become a Better ArmwrestlerLooking At : Aug 18, 2019Over 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.
Great explanation.
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.
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.
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.
In the discussion on Recovery Work for the Hands we noted several superb recovery techniques, including the ever-popular Rice Digs.
If you've never tried doing these, the process is incredibly simple. From the post 'Rice Digs (for Grip-Training Warmups)', a brief description :
The exercise is an extremely simple one; pour some uncooked rice into a bucket and repeatedly burrow your hands into it. Make fists, rotate your wrists and generally move your hands around whilst they're surrounded by rice. To make it more difficult, use sand or even lead shot instead of the rice. Nice and painful.
NB : All other things being equal, a finer material will feel more difficult. Things like lead shot have less give, and will quickly prove challenging. Rice is a good starting point.
And to make things a little clearer, have a look at the video below. Great exercise.
The Dullo Pillow looks ideal for doing just that. With customised 'craters' on each side (one for sleeping on your back, one for sleeping on your side) and two heights to pick from, it's far more customisable than the one I'm currently using.
Take a look at what I mean :
Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :
Good stuff Bret, looks great.
Love training outdoors?
The Zero Breeze Mark Ⅱ is a battery-powered portable air conditioner, designed for use in a tent/RV/truck - anywhere you like to spend a bit of time after a serious outdoor session. Or even a hike.
Although I'm slightly skeptical about the cooling potential of such a small device, I'm certainly keen to try one out here.
How about you - ever used anything similar (perhaps the first generation of the device)?
A spot of video :
Great information.
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 : Suspension Training 101Looking At : Aug 11, 2019Over 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.
Great information.
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.
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.
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.
As you may have already noticed, we're constantly adding new pages to the Guides section of this site. One of the most recent additions looks at the many ways to lift heavy stones - good fun.
To get you in the mood for a little stone work, here's the incredible Jouko Ahola explaining (and demonstrating) one of the most popular forms - Atlas Stone lifting. Love it.
NB : In addition to the technique itself, Jouko makes an excellent point near the end of the video. He notes that in his own training the platforms are a little higher than those used in competitions, and the stones are slightly heavier. Sage advice indeed.
The Zero Breeze Mark Ⅱ is a battery-powered portable air conditioner, designed for use in a tent/RV/truck - anywhere you like to spend a bit of time after a serious outdoor session. Or even a hike.
Although I'm slightly skeptical about the cooling potential of such a small device, I'm certainly keen to try one out here.
How about you - ever used anything similar (perhaps the first generation of the device)?
A spot of video :
Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :
Good stuff Bret, looks great.
