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 : Visualisation
Scott Andrew Bird
See it first.- Looking At : Mar 29, 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 : Paused Benching
Great information.
Gymchat 279 – The Power & Importance of SLEEP (Adam Farrah)
What’s your sleep like currently? More to the point, what should it be like?
This week we’re taking a close look at this wonderful area, whether your goal is muscular recovery, a mental reset or simply to perform better throughout the day.
Joining us is Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and 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 Adam and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it 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 : Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : The Power & Importance of SLEEP
When : Monday Mar 30, 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: Holding the Bar in the Front Squat
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.
This tip is not so much ‘How to Hold the Bar in the Front Squat‘ (though the article shows no fewer than 10 ways to do just that), as much as a simple demonstration that there are often many ways to achieve the same result in strength training. If what you’re doing isn’t working (or you simply don’t enjoy it), try something else.
From the article Holding the Bar in the Front Squat :
If the Mike Boyle article on T-Nation has you considering the Front Squat, you may be mindful of just how awkward it can be to hold the bar. Like Zercher Squats, they’re often overlooked simply due to the difficulty.
There are several ways to hold the bar for the Front Squat. If one method doesn’t feel right, or your current flexibility or injury precludes it, try one of the others. It really is a great exercise.
Good stuff.
Re-Reading : The Anatomy of Stretching, Second Edition
Great book.
Although the paperback version first appeared a couple of years ago, the one I’m talking about here is the Kindle version of the Second Edition. Fantastic.
If you haven’t read it before, check out the ‘Look Inside‘ offering on the Amazon page. Suffice to say that it’s one of the best books on stretching you’ll ever see. Here’s a piece from one of the reviews to help explain why :
Walker’s book provides wonderful schematic drawings on how the muscles are involved at the very moment of each specific stretch. Unlike other stretching anatomy books, Walker’s provides a specific itemization of how to do the exercise, what body part is affected, what injury it treats, what sport it’s good for, and when to avoid the stretch if you have a particular injury. It’s the best diagrammed text around.
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 : Bottom-Up Kettlebell Carries
Jake just noted a great grip-heavy kettlebell exercise – the Bottom-up Kettlebell Carry. Love it.
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.