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 : How to Build Your Own Sandbag
Derek ‘D-Rock’ Peruo
Whether it’s for the versatility, experimentation or budget constraints – this is the only way to go. - Looking At : Jun 1, 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 : Paleo Breakfast
Curious : what do you currently eat for breakfast? Cereals, this sort of thing or something else entirely?
Gymchat 249 – 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 247 we discussed The Power of Visualization (with Personal Trainers (and Strength Athletes) Jen Mulhall and 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: Tie Your Water Consumption to the Number of Calories You Burn
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.
I drink a lot of water (mostly in the form of green tea, unless it’s during a workout). Still, how do you work out how much you need?
From the article 8 Glasses of Water Per Day?, a bit of history that’ll make the whole thing a lot clearer :
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.
The 2.5 litres was changed to 8 x 8 fluid ounce cups in later recommendations, but is otherwise unchanged.
Incidentally, if you’re wondering how to work out the number of calories you’re burning these days – here’s how to work it out.
Re-reading : Never Let Go
I love this book.
I spent a fair bit of time over the weekend scanning the barcodes of fitness books (ready to add to the main part of Goodreads) following a book fair here. Love the things.
In the process I came across a few fitness gems, such as Dan John‘s wonderful Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning.
And as you’ll quickly see, it’s packed with incredible insights that Dan delivers in a, well, Dan John sort of way.
The book is based on a series of articles, each providing fantastic insights into Dan’s approach to training. To give you an idea, a quick comment from the Amazon page :
Anything will work for three to six months. What then? That’s the dynamic message I got from Dan’s book. Oh, there was a lot more here. But I generally take one or two new and interesting ideas from a book — assuming it’s a good book. And this one is.
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 : 5 x 5 x 5 Squats
Just noticed an interesting squat variation over on LiveStrong – the 5 x 5 x 5 squat. From the site :
Hold dumbbells that weigh a combined 10 to 50 percent of your one-repetition maximum. Perform five slow squats followed by five speed squats and then five jump squats.
Good mix.
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.