Gem From The Vault : 29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner
Jason Kirby (All Things Strength)
Extremely versatile.
Looking At : Sep 3, 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 : Live to 100 – Secrets of the Blue Zones (Dan Buettner)
This is a wonderful documentary series on the longevity ‘Blue Zones’, and whether it’s possible to artificially create one.
Enjoy.
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 237 we discussed Old-Time Strongman Training with ‘Physical Culture Renaissance Man‘ Logan Christopher, together with 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/2014/02/25/video_for_gymchat_237_-_old-time_strongman_training_logan_christopher/ .
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 : Zercher Squat Pad (Strongergrip)
Definitely.
Strongergrip’s Zercher Squat Pad is exactly what it sounds like; making the Zercher somewhat more tolerable.
The video below will show you what I mean :
Strongergrip’s Zercher Squat Pad.
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 : Training for Unusual Feats
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.
When Jeff Wilson was training for the Soda Can Crush (video below), he quickly realised that his usual training approach wouldn’t work. For one thing, you can’t progressively crush a can of soda.
In the article Unusual Goals Require Unusual Measures, he explains exactly how to tackle something like this. Here’s a snippet to give you the basic idea :
I knew that without actually being able to accomplish the feat that my training would have to take a drastic turn from what I had become accustomed to over the years. The seemingly supplemental exercises of my workouts would now become my core movements.
I scoured my repertoire (as well as the training logs of top gripsters world-wide) for hand, wrist and grip exercises to find those that closely mimicked the movement I would use for the crush – and I came to the conclusion that the final crush of an unbraced bend was strikingly similar. With some alterations to my particular style of bending I knew I could get huge carryover to the soda crush. I upped my bending frequency a bit and focused on generating as much power as possible through the final crush down as I could with each piece of steel I attempted. During my bending sessions I used high volume, isometrics and pre-kinking steel that was a little out of my league, but I didn’t want to bend too often because going too overboard with unbraced bending can potentially set you up for some pretty nasty injuries. I knew that I also needed movements that I could safely perform on a very regular basis that would have big carry over to the can crush, while having very little risk of injury in order to accomplish my goal in a timely manner.
And the feat itself? Over to Jeff :
Love it.
Exercises Of The Week : Wing Chun Strength Exercises
Some Wing Chun strength exercises. A couple of interesting ideas in there.
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 : ‘Cannabinoids and the Brain’ (by Linda A. Parker)
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.
‘Cannabinoids and the Brain‘ is a wonderful look at the various components of the cannabis plant – their current and potential medical uses, and the surrounding research.
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.