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 : Why Conditioning is King
Dean Coulson
Have you got what it takes?
Looking At : Apr 13, 2014
Scott Andrew Bird
What’s been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.
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’re keen to do more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here’s how.
Video : Belt Squat Protocol
Very interesting idea, and a fantastic exercise – the Belt Squat.
Gymchat 244 – TBA
We’re still finalising the details for this week’s discussion. I’ll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly.
In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show – there’s a full list here. And if you’ve got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we’d love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.
Previously : In Gymchat 243 we discussed How to Improve Your Pull-Ups (with Strength Coach Frank DiMeo and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett). Great conversation.
If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.
Tip of the Week: Ice for Better Sleep
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.
Sleep is easily my favourite form of recovery. Huge fan of a well-timed nap, and the associated dietary fine-tuning. Love it.
This tip comes to us from the Gymchat on sleep as a recovery method, and is a comment by Personal Trainer Derek Peruo on how he helps his new clients get a solid dose of shut-eye. Very interesting approach.
Over to Derek :
For sleep, I usually recommend zinc and magnesium. If those don’t help, I also recommend an ice pack to the back of the neck right before bed.
The ice pack lowers core temperature and promotes the release of melatonin.
And yes, all of those things work extremely well. Good stuff.
Checking Out : Improving Your Pull-ups (Frank DiMeo)
Good stuff.
I’m a huge fan the various forms of pull-ups, and the Gymchat last week was certainly an excellent exploration of the area. Nice one guys.
Improving Your Pull-ups is one of the many superb resources mentioned in the discussion. This is the Kindle edition of Frank’s own book on the subject, outlining a 12 week program that does exactly what the title suggests. And in no small way.
Highly recommended.
Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently – fantastic thing.
Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :
Good stuff Bret, looks great.
Exercise of the Week : Push-ups With Chains
Possibly the best way to add weight to push-ups – chains.
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.
New Guide : The Straight to the Bar Guide to Fat Loss
We’ve received some fantastic feedback following Vic Magary‘s Gymchats on Fat Loss, cheers. Greatly appreciated.
If fat loss is one of your own fitness goals, and you haven’t yet watched the discussions, you’ll find them all here. I’ve also added several other fat loss resources we’ve noted over the years – all of them highly recommended. Dive in.
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.
A Daily Dose
Love this stuff? Same here. If you’re looking for a daily dose of strength-training goodness, grab the Straight to the Bar Daily.
Absolutely free.
Giving
If you’ve been training for a while, gradually cleaning up your diet, no doubt you’ve experienced the amazing power of transformation. It’s a tremendous feeling.
If you’re ready to give someone else a hand to transform their own lives – through education, sharing equipment, financial help – take a look at the full list of organisations on the Giving page. Cheers.
Images on Straight to the Bar
Finally, a quick guide to some of the incredible images we use on Straight to the Bar. It’s safe to say that there are quite a few of them, and you’ll find all the details here.