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 : 30 Day Challenge – Becoming a Morning Person
Scott Andrew Bird
As challenges go, this was certainly a big one. The idea was simple : to find out if it’s possible to go from a long-term (40 years) ‘night owl‘, to a morning person in only a month. It is.- Looking At : Nov 18, 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 : Increasing the Ankle’s ROM
Good stuff.
Introducing the mini-Gymchats – the ‘Gymchat Bites’
I love these discussions – can’t get enough of them. Superb ways to find out how everyone else is training, and benefit from their experience. Fantastic.
In addition to the regular full-length Gymchats, we’ve decided to create a series of shorter conversations : Gymchat Bites. Just 10-15 minutes in length; same great topics. Good fun.
We’ll be holding the first of these shortly. For everyone who’s joining us, the details are :
Who : Personal Trainer Derek ‘D-Rock‘ Peruo, Kirk Fontaine, and You
Topic : Supplementation
When : Tuesday Nov 20, 11am EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you’ve never been to one, here’s how to take part.
See you there.
NB : If you’re keen to fire in a question or three, be sure to get there early. In addition to Derek and Kirk, only the first 8 people to join us on the Hangout (and here’s how) will be able to join in the conversation. Everyone else will be able to watch, but not ask questions.
See you there.
If you’d like to suggest a future topic, or schedule an interview for one of the upcoming discussions, you can contact us here. Look forward to hearing from you.
Last Week : In Gymchat 190 we discussed Olympic Lifting with Karsten Jensen. Thanks to everyone who was able to watch live, always the best way to keep up with what’s going on.
If you missed the broadcast, the full video is also available over on Kirk’s Youtube Channel. That’s also the best place to subscribe to the videos directly, and to see previous discussions.
Tip of the Week: License Plate Tearing 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 performing Strongman Chris Rider, and is from his superb article Tearing A License Plate. Enjoy.
Following a thorough description of the safety requirements for performing this feat (and it really can be a dangerous one, so proceed carefully), comes the basic technique involved. Over to Chris :
Now that we have ourselves protected, it’s time to grab the plate. I personally like to tear plates at chest level, and that is the method I am going to discuss. As a dry run without a plate, place your dominant hand in a hammer style grip. Place the pinky side of that hand just above the bottom of the sternum. Now place the other fist in the same manner below the dominant one so you have the thumb side of the non-dominant and the pinky side of the dominant meeting. Squeeze as hard as you can and push your hands in opposite directions with the top hand going slightly upward and the bottom hand going slightly downward. If you push straight through, the potential for being cut dramatically increases.
Want more? No problem. Head over to the original article, and watch the video below to see it in action. Beautiful.
Checking Out : Deadlift Dynamite
This looks great.
Deadlift Dynamite is a package by none other than Andy Bolton & Pavel Tsatsouline, designed to seriously increase your deadlift. The video below explains the details; but briefly, Deadlift Dynamite contains invaluable information on :
- building a massive deadlift using proven strength techniques
- a step-by-step beginner’s plan for getting started in the iron game
- becoming stronger year after year, even if you are an intermediate or advanced lifter
- assistance exercises to take your strength and muscle mass to the next level
- building enough speed and explosive power to dominate in any hard-core sport
- smashing your bench press and squat PRs
- minimising injury risk and ensuring your strength training longevity
And now the video :
Good stuff.
Quick update on the The RKC Book of Strength and Conditioning we mentioned recently – an incredible collection.
As you’ll see, this book manages to distil an awful lot of RKC wisdom into a single package. A snippet from the Dragon Door site will give you the overall idea :
Since 2001 and the world’s first Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) Instructor Certification workshop, thousands of individuals–martial artists, first responders, military, and fitness and strength professionals, have learned how to use kettlebells quickly and safely. And then introduce the remarkable benefits of the kettelbell to a global community of kettlebell enthusiasts.
Many of these RKCs have created a wide variety of effective workout programs for their clients, customers, teams, and units. So, who better to answer the question “How do I use kettlebells to get the best possible results for ME and MY goals?” than these same RKCs?
We asked the RKC Instructors to submit their most prized workouts, so you can not only see, but also use proven programs that have been successfully used by these qualified experts. The result became The RKC Book of Strength and Conditioning, replete with time-tested, results-producing kettlebell workouts that can satisfy the needs of newbie and pro alike, for years to come.
Some workouts are used to develop strength. Some are used for conditioning. All have produced results either for the instructors themselves, their clients, or both. Enjoy the pain!
Once again, it sounds fantastic. And if you check it out, drop me a line – I’d love to hear what you think. Cheers.
Exercise of the Week : Modified Farmers Hold with Bands
Here’s a very interesting idea – a Modifed Farmers’ Hold with Bands.
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.