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 :
Transformation Techniques (with Jason Paris)
Jason Paris
If a physical transformation is one of your goals, check this out. Fantastic series.
Looking At : Sep 1, 2013
Scott Andrew Bird
We’ve been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.
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 : Deadlifting the 78k and 64k Inch Dumbbells Together
Love it. Nice one David.
Gymchat 211 – Training Approaches (Roundtable)
This week we’ll be holding the first of the Gymchat Roundtables. Group discussions featuring a number of fitness professionals and competitive athletes.
First up – ‘Training Approaches‘. Why everyone does what they do, when and how. Love it.
Details –
Who : Kirk Fontaine, Josh Hewett, Matt Palfrey, Jason Paris
Topic : Training Approaches
When : Wednesday Sep 4, 9pm EST
Questions : Post them here (please add your name if you’d like us to credit you on the show)
URL : We’ll be posting this shortly – both on the blog and in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.
How : Here are the details. And if you’d like to join us on the hangout, just drop Kirk a line. Cheers.
See you there.
Previously : In Gymchat 209 we talked about ‘Setting Up a Home Gym‘, with Strongman Josh Hewett and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great discussion.
If you missed the broadcast, the video is available over on Kirk’s Youtube Channel. That’s also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.
If you’d like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can send us a message privately here, or swing by our Community site on Google+. Look forward to hearing from you.
Tip of the Week: Become a Morning Person
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.
A study published in the American Psychological Association journal ‘Emotion‘ suggested that – at least anecdotally – there may be both happiness and health benefits to getting up early.
As I switched to being an early riser fairly recently (after 40+ years of being a self-confessed night owl), I’ve noticed a similar change myself. And in our conversations on Google+, Louis George helped explain exactly why :
Our evolution makes us more suited to the “lark” type behavior. The circadian rhythm is based on the pattern of day and night. Fighting it continually, with shift work and personal preferences usually ends badly.
More than behavior patterns, or being organised, I feel, the damage done to hormonal regulation by poor sleep is a bigger factor.
Good stuff.
Checking Out : AtLarge Nutrition Gold Membership
This looks great.
In the same vein as something like Amazon Prime, AtLarge Nutrition is now offering a discount on everything you buy, for a fixed fee. In this case it’s a 20% discount for only $75.
If you find yourself buying the AtLarge powders and supplements on a regular basis – and they’re highly recommended, well worth checking out – then this is a no-brainer. Definitely worth doing.
The AtLarge Nutrition Gold Membership.
Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently – superb idea.
As we noted, we’ll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here’s a brief video to explain the basic idea :
For more information, head on over to the official site – renaissancefitnessinc.com.
New Guide : Creating a Home Gym
We received some great feedback following the Setting Up a Home Gym Gymchat (if you haven’t seen it yet, the video’s here). Cheers for that – greatly appreciated. Thanks.
A new page has been added to the ‘Guides‘ area, The Straight to the Bar Guide to Planning, Designing & Building Your Own Home Gym. Would love to hear what you think.
And thanks again, these discussions are fantastic.
Incidentally, if you’d like to take part in an upcoming Gymchat, just drop Kirk a line. You’ll find him on Google+.
Exercise of the Week : GS vs HS Kettlebell Snatch
If you’ve ever pondered the difference between GS and HS kettlebell snatches, Kenneth Jay (aka The Dane of Pain) sums it up nicely :
GS snatch – Generation of only enough explosive power to get the bell overhead but not more.
HS snatch – Generation of maximal explosive power.
Perfect.
Incidentally, if you’d like to get in touch regarding this or any other aspect of strength, you can contact me here. Look forward to hearing from you.
Kettlebell Exercise Demonstrations & Tutorials
We’ve looked at a lot of kettlebell exercises and variations over the years – in the form of tips, tutorials and demonstrations.
Where do you find them all? Right here – a complete list of Kettlebell Exercise Demonstrations & Tutorials.
Enjoy.
A Daily Dose
Love this stuff? Same here. If you’re looking for a daily dose of strength-training goodness, grab the Straight to the Bar Daily.
Absolutely free.
Free Downloads from the Strength Kit
I recently added a number of resources to the Straight to the Bar Strength Kit, and as a Strength & Fitness Newsletter subscriber you’re more than welcome to download as many of them as you like. Several great eBooks, podcasts and videos – all absolutely free.
Just head over here, save them to your hard-drive, and dive in.
Good stuff.
NB : This is an ever-changing list. If you’d like to put your own work in front of a fantastic strength-focussed audience, let me know.
Want to Help Out?
As you’ve doubtless noticed, in addition to the main site is a Community on Google+, Facebook and Twitter. Wherever you are, a daily dose of strength isn’t all that far away.
To help run all of these sites, we’re on the lookout for several new Moderators. To welcome new community members, bring up new items to discuss and generally keep the conversations on track.
If you’re already spending a bit of time at any of the above sites, and would like to offer your services as a Moderator, just drop us a line below. And thanks for that, it really is appreciated.
Contact either :
Kirk Fontaine, Community Manager, Straight to the Bar
or me :
Scott Andrew Bird, Editor, Straight to the Bar
Thanks again. Look forward to hearing from you.