The enigmatic Keith Lorino.

I had been working out for years in my athletic days but fell due to depression for several years, now I'm back lifting again but do not really have any heavy weights; only a pair of 17 pound dumbbells.

Being out for so long I am struggling to get my bodyfat and hormones in check. I love to lift, even do dumbbell cleans and snatches, but have no bench or barbells - I wish I had room for some.

I think my training sessions are not as effective but still get workouts in and do get a good sweat. I do sprinting on elliptical or outside after workout and burpees. My wife and I work together and I do try to teach her all the exercises learned from my sport days. Thank you and if you have suggestions on improving my training always grateful for suggestions or criticism.

Cheers Keith, greatly appreciated. Love hearing from people starting - or continuing - their training journey. It's a wonderful thing.

I've got a few thoughts on how to go about fine-tuning things, as do a great many members of the community here I suspect. Will share them below, as well as in the Google+ area.

NB : I'd also love to hear what everyone else would suggest for Keith. Leave a comment below, or over on Google+. Cheers.

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 Forgotten Squat
  James Jackson | Follow @GarageGymGuide
  Hack your way to massive thighs.

  
  

• Looking At : Nov 1, 2015
  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 : Bench Press Bar Path

Nice one Alan.

Gymchat 277 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ 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.

Craig Bongelli.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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 : Lateral Sled Work

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

This tip comes from the Gymchat Bite on Sled Training, with Strength Coach Frank DiMeo and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. How Frank performs Lateral Work with a Sled :

Good stuff.

Checking Out : GetStrength Front Squat Harness All-Sport

This looks great.

The various front squat exercises (including the lunge variation below) got me thinking about the Front Squat Harness; particularly the All-Sport version.

This is a more compact piece of equipment, as you can see here :

Will certainly be giving it a run. Review shortly.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Super Affiliate Handbook.

In this article, I'll outline the many affiliate products I promote on the site. If you're new to the idea of helping to sell other people's products, the idea is simple : each time someone buys one of the products, you earn a commission. Typically between 10 and 50%.

NB : if you're keen to learn everything there is to know about this wonderful process, I highly recommend Rosalind Gardner's The Super Affiliate Handbook. Brilliant resource.

Strength Tools

• Beast Sled | (Now at http://www.beastfitnessequipment.com/products/prowler-sled - no affiliate scheme available)
• Get Strength (Front Squat Harness)
• London Kettlebells | (No longer active)
• Dragon Door Kettlebells
• Pepperjam Network (Mbody) | (Needs updating)
• RMAX
• StrongerGrip | (No longer active)

Online Training

• Josh Hewett (Top Form Fitness)

Conditioning Tools

• Bodyweight Culture (Universal Strength Apparatus) | (No longer active)
• Gymboss
• Henkin Fitness Systems (Ultimate Sandbags) | (Needs updating)
• Fitness Anywhere (TRX)
• Monkey Bar Gym | (Needs updating)
• Ring Training
• Battling Ropes
• Valslides

Rehab & Prehab

• The Rotater
• Z-Health

Diet and Nutrition

• Paleo Brands | (No longer active)
• Precision Nutrition

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 : Kipping Pull-ups
  Al Kavadlo | Follow @alkavadlo
  Cheating, or just a different approach?

  
  

• Looking At : Oct 25, 2015
  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 Sit Out

Great exercise Mike.

Gymchat 277 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ 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.

Craig Bongelli.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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 : Finding a Personal Trainer

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

It's about more than the money.

Nice one. Over to John.


From the article Eliminating the Lug Nuts: How to Find a Good Trainer, a few thoughts :

Get the Digits. Step one, ask your trainer for references that you can contact. Step two, contact those references. It is amazing how many people miss step two--apparently asking for references only as a bluff. When you call the list of references, ask about their results. Where did they start and how far has he taken them? Did their hard work combined with his training know-how pay off? Has he been reliable and professional?

Good trainers get results; lug nuts only get your money.

One Size Fits All. Is the nutrition/training sheet your trainer gives you just a black and white copy--the same one he hands out to all his clients? Or does she/he give you a personalized workout and nutrition plan? You are paying for a personalized approach, so make sure you get it!

Good Trainers Personalize, Bad Trainers Xerox

Can't we All Just get Along? There is nothing worse than putting down several hundred dollars on a personal trainer only to find that the two of you can't get along. So pay for a few individual sessions (even if it costs a bit more). This will give you an opportunity to get to know the trainer, see how he runs his shop, and strike up a rapport. You aren't auditioning him/her for the role of best friend, but you should expect a certain level of professionalism.

A good trainer is always professional

Good stuff. And to answer the obvious question, Josh Hewett. Fantastic guy.

Revisiting : Warrior T Push-up Handles

Love these things.

When a friend pointed me this morning to the 'Neuro-Grips' over on the Dragon Door site, I showed him my own set of 'Warrior T' Push-up Handles. Same idea.

Both are great.

If you haven't seen either of them and are wondering what the general idea is, here are the 'Warrior T's in action :

Great way to challenge yourself.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Logan Christopher's 'Mental Muscle'.

Next on the reading list is Logan Christopher's 'Mental Muscle'. Very keen to dive into it.

To help explain what it's all about, here's a piece from the Dragon Door page :

Imagine: you have under 7 minutes to increase the reps on your hardest exercise by 350%... WITHOUT any changes to your physical technique. It is only by employing certain little-known secrets of mind-control that you can ever hope to blow through your PR barriers with this level of instant success.

I have to confess I was skeptical myself that ANY mental technique could ever result in an instantaneous 350% increase in an already ball-buster of a PR. Until I saw exactly that thing happen, right in front of me, at Dragon Door's recent Health and Strength Conference.

Good stuff.

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 : Why Conditioning is King
  Dean Coulson | Follow @DeanCoulson
  What exactly is conditioning? Should you be doing some? Over to Dean.

  
  

• Looking At : Oct 18, 2015
  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 to INSTANTLY Lift More Weight

Nice one Alan.

Gymchat 277 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ 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.

Brian Tabor.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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: Returning to Heavy Training - Inspecting the Equipment

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

This tip is an answer to the question 'If you're using your old gear, how do you test things to make sure they're still safe and working correctly?', directed at Vic Magary during the Heavy Training after a Break Gymchat. A great discussion.

Vic Magary.

"I think the most important thing to inspect would be the J-cups where you set the bar. Also simply taking a wrench to all of the bolts of a rack to make sure they are good and tight. Depending on the type, you may want to double check the collars. I'd think the barbell and plates would be fine even after a few years as long as they were subject to normal conditions."

Checking Out : Logan Christopher's 'Mental Muscle'

Logan Christopher's 'Mental Muscle'.

Next on the reading list is Logan Christopher's 'Mental Muscle'. Very keen to dive into it.

To help explain what it's all about, here's a piece from the Dragon Door page :

Imagine: you have under 7 minutes to increase the reps on your hardest exercise by 350%... WITHOUT any changes to your physical technique. It is only by employing certain little-known secrets of mind-control that you can ever hope to blow through your PR barriers with this level of instant success.

I have to confess I was skeptical myself that ANY mental technique could ever result in an instantaneous 350% increase in an already ball-buster of a PR. Until I saw exactly that thing happen, right in front of me, at Dragon Door's recent Health and Strength Conference.

Good stuff.

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

Good stuff Bret, looks great.