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 : A Little Yoke Work – 10 Exercises for a Bigger Neck
Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
Whether it’s for protection, stability, or simply to look good in a suit – a strong neck’s a great thing to have.- Looking At : May 3, 2015
Scott Andrew Bird |
Follow @scottbird
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 : Road to Conviction (Episode 7 – Ground Zero)
A great series, looking at a handful of CrossFit journeys.
NB : Once again, they’re fairly lengthy videos. If you’d like to download them for later viewing, you can do that using something like Keepvid.
Gymchat 277 – 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 276 we discussed How to GRIND for Your Gains (with Strength Coach (and Strength Athlete) Nassim Jebran 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: Becoming Aware of Your Transverse Abdominis
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.
There’s an awful lot more to abdominal work than exercises like the humble crunch. Everything from Louie‘s infamous ‘Stand-Up Abs‘ to the many, many varieties of the squat.
Before doing any of that, however, it helps to understand a little about the various muscles being worked. For that, it’s over to Kat ‘The Mighty Kat‘ Ricker.
For starters, from Kat’s superb article Specific Training for the Transverse Abdominis: Belt It In, here’s a quick way to learn to feel what your TA is doing :
Begin by becoming aware of this muscle. Sit upright on a bench. Have a partner face you, place both of his hands on your shoulders, and gently push you backward (gently!). Your goal is to maintain your upright position, not allowing your spine to extend/your back to arch. Your TA will kick in to achieve your goal.
Good stuff.
Checking Out : The Natural Method
Cheers.
There’s a rapidly growing pile of books here (courtesy a recent donation from a friend), including the translation of the Georges Hébert classic The Natural Method (translated): Georges Hébert’s Practical Guide to Physical Education. This is the Kindle version, and I must say, it looks great. Take a peek at the ‘Look Inside‘ part of the Amazon page and you’ll see what I mean.
Full review shortly. In the meantime, I’m curious : what are you reading right now?
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 : Heavy Kettlebell Windmills
Nola Hessom demonstrating a great kettlebell exercise – The Kettlebell Windmill.
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.
Images of Strength
As you might expect, we love seeing training-related photographs. Pics of your home gym, DIY equipment, workouts, diet or competitions – it’s all fantastic.
If you’ve got an image or three that you’d love to share with a strength-focussed audience, just upload them to Flickr/Instagram/SmugMug and send us the link. Cheers.
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.