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 : Setting Up A Home Gym
Scott Andrew Bird
Ready to get started? Great.- Looking At : Jan 25, 2015
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 a little fitness writing and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here’s how.
Video : One Arm Pushup
How do you perform a One Arm Pushup? Like this.
Gymchat 274 – Forskolin For Fat Loss & Muscle Building (Kurtis Frank, Examine.com)
Forskolin (from Coleus Forskohlii). Although it’s often marketed in muscle building and fat loss contexts, there are a few things to consider before adding it to your arsenal.
This week we’ll be taking a deep dive into the history & research surrounding this one, examining the pros and cons of taking it. Helping to explain what it is and how it works (and whether or not it’s worth adding to your shopping list) is Examine.com‘s own Kurtis Frank, joined by Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.
NB : We love hearing everyones’ comments, questions and feedback in general. If there’s a particular subject you’d like Kurtis 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 : Examine.com‘s own Kurtis Frank and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett
Topic : Forskolin For Fat Loss & Muscle Building
When : Monday Jan 26, 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.
Coming Up : We’ve got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly – with Powerlifter Bill Piche, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we’re always scheduling more; if you’d like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.
Tip of the Week: Building a Bulletproof Body
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.
Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at some great pieces from Josh Hewett‘s excellent ‘Bulletproof Your Body‘ series. If you’ve missed any, here’s a quick overview.
To give you an idea, a brief piece from the post :
Fix muscle imbalances by addressing your weak or inhibited muscles rather than trying to stretch out the tight ones. The key is to address the root cause, not just the symptom. This is why I suggest to avoid passive stretching, and instead to employ active stretching, isometric exercise, and corrective isolation exercises.
Good stuff. And again, this is only a snippet from the full piece – swing by Josh‘ blog for the entire article. A great read.
Checking Out : The Cyclops Legend Bell Kettlebell
Say hello to the Cyclops ‘Bell : 20kg of beautifully weighted, sculpted kettlebell. Fantastic.
We’ll post a full review shortly; in the meantime, you can grab one here :
https://www.onnit.com/legend-bells/.
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 : Decline Negative Abs
If the Harlem Seals’ exercise on top of the rack got you thinking ‘a little closer to the ground, please‘; try this. Decline Negative Abs.
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.
Straight to the Bar Strength Calendar
Taking part in, helping out with or going to watch an upcoming strength competition?
Tell us about it.
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.