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 : Thomas Topham – The First Modern Strongman
Scott Andrew Bird
Where it all began.- Looking At : Jul 6, 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 : Pec Poppin’ Pushups
Gymchat 252 – The Power of Mental Strength (Dru Patrick)
How important is it to be mentally strong? Does it help you gain physical strength?
This week we’ll be looking closely at the area of Mental Strength – explaining exactly what it is, how it impacts physical strength and how to go about acquiring some. Helping us tackle this fascinating area is Powerlifter Dru Patrick – Powerlifting Instructor at Crossfit Gulf Coast – together with Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.
NB : We’d love to hear your questions and comments. If there’s a particular subject you’d like Dru and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask them directly.
And if you’d like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the ‘share‘ button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.
Details –
Who : Powerlifter Dru Patrick, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : The Power of Mental Strength
When : Wednesday Jul 9, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Josh to one of your circles, and he’ll send you the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We’ll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.
Previously : In Gymchat 251 we discussed Gaining Maximum Functional Muscle Mass (with Performing Strongman Bud Jeffries 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: Planche Nugget
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.
Noticed this nugget on the Bodyweight Culture Forums (login required), in a discussion on the Planche :
The skill is very simple to describe but hard to do. Here we go:
- Take the ab-wheel.
- Get into a pushup position while holding an ab wheel.
- Now instead of rolling it toward your head, roll it toward your feet and back.
If you can roll the wheel with straight arms down to the point where the wheel will touch your pubis (lower front of hipbone) and bring it back up to the pushup position, you should hurry and take Paul Hamm’s spot in the Olympics.
Nice one.
Checking Out : Maximum Functional Mass
Superb.
If you watched the Gymchat last week, you’ll know exactly what to expect. Bud Jeffries shares some truly incredible information.
We’ll post a full review shortly, but in the meantime, here’s a piece from Bud’s own site to help explain what Maximum Functional Mass‘s all about :
The first in our new series on how to build muscles – Large muscles! Powerful muscles! Muscles that can do more than they look like they can do. Muscles that actually work, not just look impressive.
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 : 186kg Shoulder Press
A 186kg / 409lb shoulder press – not bad at all.
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.