- Gem From The Vault : The Dragon Flag
Al Kavadlo
Ready for a challenge? - Looking At : Jul 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 : Muscle-Ups For Reps
Nice one. btw, if you’re currently unable to do them, here’s the basic progression.
Gymchat 253 – Alpha Aesthetics (Personal Development In The 21st Century with Omar Atlas)
How do you become the ‘alpha dog‘ – the leader of the pack? And how do you use strength training to do it?
This week we’re exploring this enigmatic area – the intersection of bodybuilding and personal development. Tackling this is the wonderful Omar ‘Bromar‘ Atlas, joined by 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 Omar 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 : Physique Coach Omar ‘Bromar‘ Atlas, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Alpha Aesthetics (Personal Development In The 21st Century)
When : Monday Jul 22, 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 Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh’ll send out 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: Atlas Stone Technique
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.
As you may have already noticed, we’re constantly adding new pages to the Guides section of this site. One of the most recent additions looks at the many ways to lift heavy stones – good fun.
To get you in the mood for a little stone work, here’s the incredible Jouko Ahola explaining (and demonstrating) one of the most popular forms – Atlas Stone lifting. Love it.
NB : In addition to the technique itself, Jouko makes an excellent point near the end of the video. He notes that in his own training the platforms are a little higher than those used in competitions, and the stones are slightly heavier. Sage advice indeed.
Re-Reading : Raising the Bar
Remember this? Superb book.
Over the weekend I found myself discussing calisthenics with a friend of mine, which resulted in two things :
1. an impromptu workout
2. a re-reading of Al Kavadlo’s superb book, Raising the Bar : The Definitive Guide to Bar Calisthenics.
If you haven’t already, check it out. Love it.
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 : Standing Sled Rope Row
If you’ve ever tried a bit of sled work, you know just how versatile a sled + rope setup can be. Here’s a simple rope pull in action.
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.