CrossFit vs HIIT: What Workout Is Better For Weight Loss?Mike Beatty | Follow @stronghomegym
Absolutely.
Looking At : Jun 19, 2022Scott 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, get in touch.
Video : When Lifting Light Builds More Muscle (Mind Pump)
Very interesting discussion on the many ways to make use of lighter weights in your training.
Gymchat 278 – TBA
We’re still finalising the details for this week’s discussion. I’ll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Facebook 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.
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.
Checking Out : Lia (Posture Correction Wearable)
Looks great. The Lia is an AI-assisted posture correction wearable which vibrates each time poor posture is detected (and yes, it learns as it goes). It also provides a custom workout plan to help correct things. I’ll be putting this one to the test shortly. In the meantime, a little video :The Lia.
Ever Tried Kettlebells?
If you've seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.
Tip of the Week: How a Paleo Diet Can Benefit Strength Training
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, the blog; and the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.
My diet has been gradually improving for years (since I began lifting weights), becoming cleaner and more streamlined over time. This was all with the purpose of having a greater intensity in the gym, and recovering faster. Of course there are many other benefits; these are just the two that were on my radar.
In May 2009 I decided to make a transition to a new eating approach altogether, the Paleo Diet. Not only did I experience a number of incredible health benefits, the intensity and recovery aspects increased markedly. Here’s a brief look at the main benefits of the Paleo Diet, as far as strength-training is concerned.
From The Straight to the Bar Guide to the Paleo Diet :
As strength-training is a major part of my life, I was careful to ensure that the Paleo Diet integrated well with it. I’m pleased to report that it’s a great mix, and even comes with a number of benefits. These include :
Energy levels maintained : as your body isn’t being subjected to constant insulin spikes under the Paleo Diet, you’ll have a much more stable level of energy going in to the gym. This is particularly noticeable after you’ve been on the diet for a few weeks or so.
Better recovery : although it’s most notable in the form of improved sleep, you’ll find that your body’s ability to recover from your workouts is improved overall. And this is definitely a good thing.
Improved focus : one of the most surprising benefits from a switch to Paleo (in my case at least) has been an improvement in mental clarity. This change can have a very subtle effect on training; remembering exactly what happened in a prior session and just how much impact it had. Additionally, you’ll find an array of subtle benefits from it when you’re outside the gym. Love it.
Fantastic.
Unlock Your Hips, Unlock Your Squat
I get a lot of questions regarding the impact of ‘unlocking your hips‘ on heavy squatting. Rick Kaselj goes into it in plenty of detail in the ‘Unlock Your Hip Flexors‘ program; and I’ve also posted a brief video below which demonstrates/explains some of the exercises.
Both (working with Ryan, and Rick’s program) are highly recommended. And as always, we love hearing your feedback – if you sample any of the above exercises or the ‘Unlock Your Hip Flexors‘ program, we’d love to hear about it.
Exercise of the Week : Marathon Kettlebell Swinging
Kettlebell Swing.
For me, the humble kettlebell swing is usually part of a warmup (especially for squats and sumo deads). A recent post by Dustin Silveri has me considering its potential for strength endurance – just how many swings can you knock off in one hour?
500? 1,000? 1,600 (Tracy, you’re incredible)
NB : If you’re new to the swing, this clip [streaming, 4.2mb .flv download] by Lisa Schaffer will show you how. If you don’t have a kettlebell handy, use a dumbbell. It’s a great exercise.
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.
Fitness Reading For The Week : Iron on My Mind (by Dave Draper)
It’ll come as no surprise that we discuss a lot of fitness-related books; on this site as well as the various networks noted in the sidebar.
Iron on My Mind by Dave Draper is a wonderful gathering of Dave’s newsletter columns – timeless and insightful.
Love it.
Incidentally, I’ve got an evergrowing list of ‘books to read‘, and I’m always looking to add to it. Suggestions welcome.
There’s also a list of our all-time fitness suggestions over there. Dive on in.
