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 :
Gem From the Vault : DIY Hanging Handles
Kat ‘The Mighty Kat‘ Ricker
If last week’s Gymchat got you thinking about all kinds of suspension training equipment, check these out. Brilliantly simple.
Looking At : Oct 14, 2012
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 : Hammer Get-Up
The Iron Tamer demonstrating a very unusual combination at the AOBS dinner. Nice one Dave.
Gymchat 188 – Training Athletes (with Kyle Bohannon)
How do you help someone become a highly successful athlete – to throw further, run faster and generally move more efficiently than everyone around them?
This week we’re returning to the sporting field to discuss precisely how to do this. Helping us tackle this one is Strength & Conditioning Coach Kyle Bohannonn, as well as Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Should be a great one.
NB : If this is the first time you’re joining us for one of the Video Gymchats, welcome. There are three basic ways to watch this (depending on whether you want to ask a question or two, or just sit back and take it all in) – full details here. However you like to do it, we’ve got you covered.
Details –
Who Strength & Conditioning Coach Kyle Bohannonn and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine
Topic : Training Athletes
When : Wed Oct 17, 9pm EST (here’s how to find out when that is in your timezone)
How : Google+ Hangout. Follow either Kirk or Scott for details on the live feed.
See you there.
Quick update on last week’s Gymchat, Bodyweight and Suspension Training (with Pierre Johnson) : Thanks to everyone who was able to watch live, always the best way to keep up with what’s going on.
Still, that isn’t always an option. If you missed the discussion (or just want to go over part of it again), it’s available on Kirk’s Youtube Channel. Enjoy.
Tip of the Week : A Moment of Silence
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.
How do you mentally prepare for a workout? Listen to heavy music and generally get psyched up?
Try doing the opposite. Parth explains.
In the article Silence for Intense Workouts, Parth shares an interesting idea :
There is a moment right between my warm-up, and workout. Sometimes it is brief, perhaps lasting a few seconds, but other times it is long, lasting almost ten minutes. It is a moment of silence. Of reflection. The quiet before a storm. The soothing nature of the wind, steadily picking up the dead leaves off the tree and dropping them gently on the ground before the final gust of wind begins the season of autumn.
This is my moment of ZEN. To make sure that I am mentally THERE. I don’t want to be thinking about my job interviews, about that girl I like, or about that thing I wanted to buy but was too broke ’cause I still live with my parents. No, it all goes away.
And yes, the music can come on right after this. Works well.
Checking Out : Convict Conditioning , Volume 5: Maximum Strength: The One-Arm Pullup Series
This looks great.
As the name implies, this is a progression of exercises designed to take you right up the the incredible one-arm pull-up. And if you’ve checked out any of the other Convict Conditioning offerings, you know just what to expect.
Beautiful.
Quick update on the StrongerGrip Modular Grip System (MGS) we mentioned recently – absolutely fantastic.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the video. Warning : you will want one.
Exercise of the Week : Russian Leg Lifts
Here’s a deceptively simple on – the Russian Leg Lift. If you love the occasional dose of bodyweight training, give them a shot. Good fun.
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.
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 might expect, at Straight to the Bar we’re always looking for new ways to share the love of strength-training with the world. Via the main site, the weekly Gymchats, this newsletter and a whole lot more.
We’ve got a new project coming up (a couple actually), and we’re looking for someone to help out with the graphics side of things. In return we offer not only our eternal admiration, but the sincere appreciation of the entire strength-training community. And, of course, the myriad connections and opportunities that go along with that.
If you’re a designer (think illustrations more than physical products) and have more than a passing fondness for the world of strength training, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.