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 :
From the Vault : Switching to a Paleo Diet
Scott Andrew Bird
There were some fantastic stories and experiences shared in the Long-Term Paleo discussion last week. If you’re considering a move to this nutritional regime yourself, this article will explain exactly how to get started.
Straight to the Bar Flickr Group
Various authors
I love photography (pics here from the New Zealand trip), and there have been several great photos posted here recently, notably by Roy Scott, Zach Wheeler, Davie Easton and Wild Kiwi. If you haven’t already, add some of yours. Love seeing where/how everyone trains and competes.
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.
Video : Underwater Kettlebell Drills
Fantastic.
Gymchat 148 – Training for Football II
No matter which sports you enjoy, if a spot of Football is on the list you’re in for a treat. Regardless of the flavour you follow, it’s certainly a great game to play (and to watch). Highly recommended.
This week we’re continuing our ‘Training for Football‘ series (we first looked at the wonderful world of Aussie Rules almost a year ago), with an examination of the American form of the sport. How to train, when to start and how to incorporate it into your other routines. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Running Back, certified Strength and Conditioning specialist and Student of Human Kinetics Justin Andrushko. Fantastic.
Details –
Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training for Football II
When : Wed Dec 14, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
Where: https://plus.google.com/113406428532094481598/posts/3iPVz43wjvi
How : Post a comment, question or reply
If you’ve never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.
See you there.
Quick update on last week’s gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Long-Term Paleo. Some superb ideas in there.
For those who missed out on the conversation, here’s the transcript. Was a great one.
Tip of the Week: Contrast Bath Technique
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, 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 from Bill Long’s great article Road to Recovery : Contrast Baths; and explains the basic technique.
Over to Bill :
Fill two tubs, one with hot water and the other with cold water. The temperature of the tubs should be about 55F/13C for the cold and for the hot tub make it as hot as you can handle. Now get into the cold water first and flex your muscles slowly and rotate your joints in small movements as best you can in the tub. Do this for 2 minutes. Then get out of the cold tub, transfer to the hot tub and do the same as before. But for only a time period of 30 seconds. Rotate back and forth for a total of 15 minutes ending in the cold tub. If you do not have access to these big tubs you can always do this at your home.
Takes a little getting used to, but the results are well worth it. Good stuff.
Checking Out : Keyboard Athletes Guide to Pain Relief & Prevention
As a long time (28 years) ‘Keyboard Athlete‘, I’m keen to check this one out. Looks great.
Created by Master Trainer Jen Waak, the Keyboard Athletes Guide to Pain Relief & Prevention is targeted specifically towards office athletes who suffer from neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, carpal tunnel, computer eyes, and other maladies related to being focused on a screen all day. If your lifestyle is anything like mine, you know how easy it is to fall into the ‘tied to your desk‘ routine.
Although my ‘books to read‘ pile has grown to insane proportions, I suspect this one will quickly make its way to the top. Looks great.
Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a couple of weeks ago : fantastic.
I’ll post up a full review shortly, but suffice to say that Jedd ‘Napalm‘ Johnson‘s latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you’re ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.
Exercise of the Week : Using the Rotating Perfect Push Up Handles
I first heard about the Perfect Pushup handles via Rob, over at Former Fat Guy. Since then I’ve seen them in use a number of times for the ‘traditional‘ style of push-ups – here they are used for several variations. Good stuff.
Over to Izzy.
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 Straight to the Bar eBooks
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.