Gem From The Vault : Nails – Converting Imperial to Metric
Scott Andrew Bird
Get the ‘right’ size.- Looking At : May 28, 2023
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, get in touch.
Video : The Power of Horse Stance – 5 Minutes a Week Can Change How You Move (The Bioneer)
Perfectly timed – just put this one back into my own workouts. Great exercise.
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.
Previously : In Gymchat 223 we discussed Progressive Calisthenics with Personal Trainer Al Kavadlo and Strongman & Personal Trainer Josh Hewett. Great conversation.
And if you missed it the first time (or just want to go over a particular point again), check out the full video over on Josh’s Youtube channel :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86C7VRc_Cq8.
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 : Eigen Fitness Nodes (Wearables For Strength-Training)
These look great.
The Eigen Fitness Nodes are wearables that are attached to individual limbs, to measure the precise lift you’re currently doing. Nice and granular.
And because they’re tracking both extremes of each exercise, the companion ‘phone app will tell you things like the ROM you’re reaching with a particular weight. Perfect.
A spot of video will show you what I mean :
The Eigen Fitness Nodes.
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: A Routine for Neck-Training Beginners
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.
I love a dose of neck training. Using a neck harness, a fitness ball, bodyweight exercises and so on. There are certainly more than a few ways to do it.
This tip comes to us from one of the Gymchats on this area, and is a routine aimed at complete neck-training beginners who are looking to get started on this wonderful journey. Over to Andrew Nalepa.
Good news for anyone who is beginning neck training, “you” are pretty much all you need. I like Mike Bruce’s beginner program on Straight to the Bar, but another really simple beginner program is this :
Lay on your back on the floor, or on your bed, and just raise your head, curling your chin to your upper chest, as many times as you can. Then lay on your stomach, and raise your chin to the ceiling as many times as possible. Then lay on your side and curl your ear toward your shoulder as many times as you can, and then lay on your other side and do the same thing.
Many people who have never done any neck training have difficulty just laying on their back and curling just their head 20 times. It is a really simple starting point just using gravity. To progress, you could do more reps, do more sets, or start holding a book to your head as you do your repetitions.
NB : if you like the sound of this and want to further explore the wonderful world of neck training, check out the free guide here. The exercises, equipment and techniques you’ll need.
Exercise Feat Of The Week : Three Pieces
Dunkster finding a great use for an Argos catalogue.
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/Listening For The Week : ‘Heartfull: What to Eat for a Healthy, Happy Heart’ (by Dr Joanna McMillan)
It’ll come as no surprise that we discuss a lot of fitness-related books, courses & podcasts; on this site as well as the various networks noted in the sidebar.
‘Heartfull: What to Eat for a Healthy, Happy Heart’ is Dr Joanna McMillan’s fascinating look at nutrition for the reduction/prevention/partial repair of various cardiovascular illnesses. Dive in.
Incidentally, I’m always looking to add to the ‘books to read‘ list. If you’ve come across something which you’d love everyone else to check out, drop me a line.
There’s also a list of our all-time fitness suggestions over there. Dive on in.