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 : Why Conditioning is King
Dean Coulson |
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What exactly is conditioning? Should you be doing some? Over to Dean.
Looking At : Oct 18, 2015
Scott Andrew Bird |
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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, get in touch.
Video : How to INSTANTLY Lift More Weight
Nice one Alan.
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 an example below, and 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 248 we discussed Establishing Standards for Strength & Progressions (with Personal Trainers (and Strength Athletes) Brian Tabor and 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.
NB : if you’d like to take part in a future episode – either as an interviewee, or as a guest host – just drop us a line. Love hearing how everyone else trains.
Tip of the Week: Returning to Heavy Training – Inspecting the Equipment
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 an answer to the question ‘If you’re using your old gear, how do you test things to make sure they’re still safe and working correctly?‘, directed at Vic Magary during the Heavy Training after a Break Gymchat. A great discussion.
“I think the most important thing to inspect would be the J-cups where you set the bar. Also simply taking a wrench to all of the bolts of a rack to make sure they are good and tight. Depending on the type, you may want to double check the collars. I’d think the barbell and plates would be fine even after a few years as long as they were subject to normal conditions.”
Good stuff.
Checking Out : Logan Christopher’s ‘Mental Muscle’
Looks great.
Next on the reading list is Logan Christopher’s ‘Mental Muscle’. Very keen to dive into it.
To help explain what it’s all about, here’s a piece from the Dragon Door page :
Imagine: you have under 7 minutes to increase the reps on your hardest exercise by 350%… WITHOUT any changes to your physical technique. It is only by employing certain little-known secrets of mind-control that you can ever hope to blow through your PR barriers with this level of instant success.
I have to confess I was skeptical myself that ANY mental technique could ever result in an instantaneous 350% increase in an already ball-buster of a PR. Until I saw exactly that thing happen, right in front of me, at Dragon Door’s recent Health and Strength Conference.
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 Shrugs
Another great exercise idea via Rick Walker – Heavy Kettlebell Shrugs.
Over to Rick :
Kettlebell Shrugs: 70s in each hand, 20 reps, held for 15 seconds, 15 reps, held for 30 seconds, 10 reps, held for 60 seconds. Holy shit this was hard. You never set the kettlebells down and you cannot rest them on your legs. I figured my grip would be good to go, those last 15 seconds you could hear the kettlebell sliding in my hand. Fierce!!! We are going to use the 70s again next week, then move on to the 82s.
Good stuff.
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.
Want to Guest Host a Gymchat?
I love the Gymchats – great show. Fantastic to hear how everyone trains.
To help uncover even more, I’d like to extend an invitation. For you to act as a Guest Host, and interview someone you know about their own workouts & competitions. Whether that’s a work colleague, training partner or just someone you know who likes to lift.
If you’d like to Guest Host an episode or two of the show, let me know. And if you haven’t watched any yet and would like to see what they’re all about, there’s a full list here. Cheers.
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.