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 :
Tackling the One-Armed Push-Up
Al Kavadlo
Al looks at a great way to demonstrate some serious bodyweight strength (and, of course, build it at the same time) – the One-Armed Push-Up. Good stuff.
Leg Day – Going for 8s
Rob Sinnott
Another great day in the gym.
Ready to add your own workout log or training article? Just head over to the Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They’re fantastic ways to share your ideas.
NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Digg and Retweet icons beside them). Cheers.
Video – Improving Posture, Activating the Glutes
The Diesel Crew takes a look at dips, rows and other fun things. Good stuff.
Checking Out : MKB Kettlebell Backpack
I was chatting to a friend this morning about outdoor training (love the stuff – especially at this time of year), and he mentioned this – the Kettlebell Backpack (video).
Great idea; anyone here tried one? Would love to hear about it.
Coming Events
Twitterchat 62 – Training at Home : I love the home gym – everything’s always ready to go, set up exactly the way I like. Adjust weights, add bands/chains/other fun things and dive in. Perfect.
This week we’re taking a close look at the many ways to enjoy Training at Home – training partners, feedback, equipment and so on. The many ways to make the most of what’s available.
Helping us to navigate this fascinating area is Kira ‘Papa K‘ Clarke, better known as The Fight Geek – (@thefightgeek). Fantastic.
Details –
Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training at Home
When : Wed Apr 21, 9pm EST (1am UTC)
How : include #sbgym in your tweets.
To see when it’s on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.
See you there.
NB : If you’d like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It’s great to hear how other people are training.
Learning From : The Art of Expressing the Human Body
If you’ve ever watched a Bruce Lee film and marveled at his strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility or muscularity, this book should take pride of place in your collection.
Unlike many other writings covering everything from Lee’s training methods to nutrition, this book is based not on the recollections of people around him; but on Lee’s own notes, discussing his bodyweight, cardiovascular and strength training during the many phases of his brief career.
If you’ve ever seen an exercise being performed and thought to yourself ‘I’m sure I’ve seen that somewhere before‘, chances are that it’s in this book. Superb.
Exercise of the Week : Wheelbarrow Walking Up Stairs
Grab your training partner, and find a staircase. These are fun.
There are several variations of the Wheelbarrow Walk, and there are plenty of ways to make each easier or more challenging. Here’s one of my favourites – the Wheelbarrow Walk Up Stairs :
NB : a quick way to make this a little more challenging – try Wheelbarrow Walks Down Stairs. Backwards.