Gem From The Vault : DIY Equipment Competition – Let the Voting Begin
Scott Andrew Bird
Some wonderful ideas for a spot of DIY.Looking At : Aug 13, 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 : Why Alex Honnold Stopped Climbing Without Ropes (Dusted)
Great mini-biography of Alex Honnold.
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 234 we discussed Fitness Industry Posers with Powerlifter Bill Piche and Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) 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 :
https://straighttothebar.com/2014/02/05/video_for_gymchat_234_-_fitness_industry_posers_bill_piche/ .
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 : Kneeflow (Massage Therapy Device For The Knee)
Looks great.
The Kneeflow is a massage therapy device which combines soft massage airbags, infrared light and heat therapy.
Very interesting combination.
A spot of video :
The Kneeflow.
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 : Dynamic Thumb Training with the Titan’s Telegraph Key
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 grip work; it’s a great way to challenge yourself. It’s also a particularly fun way to train.
Still, there’s always a different way of looking at things. Here’s an excellent example of that – Jedd shows just how a piece of equipment like the TTK can be put to a slightly uncommon use. I’ll let him explain.
From the article Getting the Most out of Your TTK :
Thumb training can be broken up into at least four different types: Dynamic, Static, and Extensor, and Multi-Planar.
The focus of this article will be Dynamic thumb training with the Titan’s Telegraph Key, or TTK.
One way to mix things up a bit is to make the Range of Motion longer by adding something underneath the finger-side handle. A catalog is a perfect choice for this. This makes the hand work through a longer range of motion the muscles are not used to. The first time I did this, I was sore for several days from the new stimulus. This technique has worked great for me in my quest for lifting heavier and wider block weights.
A brief demonstration :
Love it.
Exercises Of The Week : Karl Gotch – Conditioning for Combat Sports
Just came across a great Karl Gotch video on Scientific Wrestling showing some very interesting moves. For a slightly longer look at one of them – The Push/Pull – take a look at this snippet on YouTube.
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 : ‘Paging Dr. Gupta’ (by Dr Sanjay Gupta)
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.
Paging Dr. Gupta is a wonderful look at the process of performing surgeries in incredibly harrowing circumstances. Love it.
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.