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 :
Thomas Topham : The First Modern Strongman
Scott Andrew Bird
A close look at a fascinating 18th century Strongman.
Health & Fitness Research
Various authors
There has been some fantastic research posted recently (particularly surrounding Vit D, and new stem cell trials), both on the forums and the Facebook page. Dive in.
Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They’re fantastic ways to share your ideas.
NB : I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do the +1 thing, leave a comment beneath the article itself, and share your views with the fantastic strength-training community. Cheers.
Video : Squatting : A Loaded ‘Happy Baby‘
Very interesting indeed.
Twitterchat 121 – Fat Loss
There are many approaches to fat loss; combining nutrition and exercise in various ways.
This week we’re taking a look at the high-protein approach, how it works and why it’s effective in many cases. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Food & Fitness‘ Anthony Paradis (@foodnfitness). Fantastic.
Details –
Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Fat Loss
When : Wed Jun 8, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.
If you’ve never been to one of these twitterchats before, here’s how to join in the fun. Simple, quick to set up and free.
And to see when it’s on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.
See you there.
Quick update on last week’s twitterchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Exercise Variations. Some superb ideas in there.
For those who missed out on the conversation, here’s a brief summary. Was a great one.
Tip of the Week: 8 Glasses of Water Per Day?
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, facebook, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.
This tip comes to us via Straight to the Bar‘s own Scott Andrew Bird, and looks at the origins of the guidelines surrounding water consumption. Enjoy.
Most people are aware that the drinking of plenty of water is advisable, and anecdotal evidence suggests that more = better (up to a point). However, where did the current guideline of ‘8 cups per day‘ come from?
According to Valtin (i) the origin is probably the 1945 recommendation made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the US National Research Council. This stated :
A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances. An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.
Think ‘ml per calorie‘, rather than a fixed amount. After all, everyone’s different.
NB : The 2.5 litres was changed to 8 x 8 fluid ounce cups in later recommendations, but is otherwise unchanged.
Checking Out : Old Sports & Strength Videos
I love these.
Whilst researching the various strength feats of Thomas Topham I stumbled across a collection of sporting and strength videos from the early 20th century. Everything from films which include a strongman show to movies of sports events from the period.
Right now I’m watching several of the boxing trailers and newsreels, featuring the incredible Jack ‘The Manassa Mauler‘ Dempsey (pictured).You’ll find all of these – absolutely free – over at archive.org. Dive in.
Quick update on Explode Your Deadlift : A few weeks ago we mentioned Explode Your Deadlift, Andy Bolton‘s much anticipated ebook on deadlift training.
As I’m more than a little partial to the deadlift, I’m a big fan. What do you think – has Explode Your Deadlift helped you in your own quest?
A great read.
Exercise of the Week : Kettlebell Hot Potato
If you’re looking for a bit of variety, give this one a go. Great fun.
The Kettlebell Hot Potato is really just an advanced version of the childrens’ game, using a moderately heavy kettlebell. The ‘bell is passed from hand to hand, with both speed and the gap determined by your own comfort level.
Here’s a demonstration to show you the basic form of the exercise :
Not feeling it? Looking for a challenge? Move your hands slightly further apart, and toss the kettlebell rather than passing it. You can also perform these sitting or lying down; more like a Russian Twist.
And keep in mind Adam‘s excellent advice from his brilliant series The Investments :
If you have tried this in the past and didn’t feel the effects on your arms, I will tell you how to fix it. As my little brother would say “put some stank on it” – you need to throw it higher with more leg drive, and decelerate the bell in the heel of the palm with it stuck to the rib cage.
Love it.
Incidentally, if you’d like to get in touch regarding this or any other aspect of strength, you can send me an email here. Look forward to hearing from you.
Free eBooks from Straight to the Bar
As a Strength & Fitness Newsletter subscriber you get several great eBooks, absolutely free. Just head over here, save them to your hard-drive, and dive in.
Good stuff.
NB : This is an ever-changing list of books. If you’d like to put your own work in front of a fantastic strength-focussed audience, let me know.
Time for Some New Gear? Here’s What to Get, and How to Use It
Thanks to everyone who’s sent in feedback (via email, Facebook and Twitter) about the Straight to the Bar Guides – it’s greatly appreciated.
For everyone who hasn’t seen them yet, the Guides will help you decide what to get (and where), and how to train with it. There’s some great information in there.