What's This?

The Strength & Fitness Newsletter is a weekly email newsletter which summarises the things added to Straight to the Bar (as well as a few gems from the archives). Absolutely free.

btw, I’d love to hear your feedback – both on the individual items and the newsletters themselves. Drop a comment below the relevant issue, or swing by Twitter ( I’m @scottbird ).

cheers,

Scott

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

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Podcasts

I listen to an ever-changing pool of podcasts, discussing the many aspects of training and nutrition possible. Most recently :
FoundMyFitness (Dr Matthew Walker on Sleep)

Over to you. Any you’d recommend?

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Strength Training on Instagram

It’s fair to say that we’ve checked out quite a few images over the years – on Flickr & Smugmug in particular.

A friend of mine just pointed me to Chris Stanciu ‘s Instagram feed, which contains a great mix of nutrition and workout images :

instagram.com/officialgainsthetics.

NB : if you’d like to share your own images, just add them to one of the sites noted above and send us a link.

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Strength Training on Facebook

I suspect you love talking about strength training constantly (certainly the case here), and you’re always on the lookout for places to do that. Comments on various sites, forums as well as various in-person communities.

Online, I gravitate toward both Twitter and Facebook. In addition to the SttB offerings, here’s another one you may wish to check out :

Garage Gym Reviews (Cooper Mitchell’s page)

We’ve noted a few of his videos in the past, and they’re great for diving in deep on a particular type of equipment. Nice one.

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Twitter Lists

I use Twitter for a number of things, as I’m sure everyone else here does. To talk about strength training, nutrition and many other topics. Works well.

To make this a little easier – and so people can dive right in to the topics that interest them – I use Twitter’s ‘List‘ functionality quite a bit. There’s a full list of them here :

https://twitter.com/scottbird/lists

Whatever you’re in to, it’s all there.

NB : the above lists are always being fine-tuned. If you know of someone who tweets regularly about a particular subject and should be on one of them, let me know.

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Other (Daily) Newsletters You Might Like

Finally, for a daily dose of tangentially-related information – check out the following. All are compiled daily, and cover the following topics :

Aging & Longevity (living for a very, very long time)
Electric Cars in Australia (great way to help tackle air-pollution)
Better Sleep Nightly (my favourite form of recovery)

And yes, they’re absolutely free.

Bruce Lee : The Art of Expressing the Human Body (Bruce Lee & John Little)

If you’ve ever watched a Bruce Lee film and marveled at his strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility or muscularity, this book should take pride of place in your collection. Unlike many other writings covering everything from Lee’s training methods to nutrition, this book is based not on the recollections of people around him; but on Lee’s own notes. Brilliant.

Definitely worthy of a place on the fitness shelf.

Bruce Lee : The Art of Expressing the Human Body.

Monday, 20 Nov 2023

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 : The Bodyweight Aficionado’s Guide to Gear
Jason Kirby (All Things Strength)
Not essential by any means, but extremely helpful.
Looking At : Nov 19, 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 : Meta Just Achieved Mind-Reading Using AI (ColdFusion)

Very powerful indeed – with both incredible and rather negative potential uses.

Gymchat 278 – TBA

We’re still finalising the details for this week’s discussion. I’ll post them on the blog (and X, 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.

Bud Jeffries.

Previously : In Gymchat 251 we discussed Gaining Maximum Functional Muscle Mass with the incredible Bud Jeffries, who I first saw performing in 2006 (he was tackling a bottom-up-squat with an insane 1,000lb) 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/2014/07/02/video_for_gymchat_251_-_gaining_maximum_functional_muscle_mass_bud_jeffries/ .
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 : CLOMP (Running Analytics Device)

Looks great. The CLOMP is a running-focused analytics device, measuring the amount of oxygen your muscles require at any one time. A smartphone/watch app feeds the information to you, as you train. A little video :
The CLOMP.

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 : Finding a Personal Trainer

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via X (Formerly Twitter), the blog; and the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.

It’s about more than the money.

When it comes to getting a fitness professional who’s going to help you clarify and reach your goals, finding one is half the battle. Offering a couple of suggestions in that area is Total Transformation’s John Kaiser, who’s had more than a little experience himself. Nice one. Over to John.
From the article Eliminating the Lug Nuts: How to Find a Good Trainer, a few thoughts :

Get the Digits. Step one, ask your trainer for references that you can contact. Step two, contact those references. It is amazing how many people miss step two–apparently asking for references only as a bluff. When you call the list of references, ask about their results. Where did they start and how far has he taken them? Did their hard work combined with his training know-how pay off? Has he been reliable and professional? Good trainers get results; lug nuts only get your money. One Size Fits All. Is the nutrition/training sheet your trainer gives you just a black and white copy–the same one he hands out to all his clients? Or does she/he give you a personalized workout and nutrition plan? You are paying for a personalized approach, so make sure you get it! Good Trainers Personalize, Bad Trainers Xerox Can’t we All Just get Along? There is nothing worse than putting down several hundred dollars on a personal trainer only to find that the two of you can’t get along. So pay for a few individual sessions (even if it costs a bit more). This will give you an opportunity to get to know the trainer, see how he runs his shop, and strike up a rapport. You aren’t auditioning him/her for the role of best friend, but you should expect a certain level of professionalism. A good trainer is always professional

Good stuff.

ExercisesFeats Of The Week : Arnold Strongest Man Compilation

Via Strength News : a great video compilation ahead of the upcoming Arnold Strongest Man competition. Great workout inspiration. NB : These are some of the highlights from the 2006 competition, featuring some rather familiar names. Enjoy.

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 : ‘Indian Superfoods : Change The Way You Eat’ (by Rujuta Diwekar)

Indian Superfoods : Change The Way You Eat

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. Rujuta Diwekar’s ‘Indian Superfoods : Change The Way You Eat’ is an interesting look at several of the nutrient-rich foods common in India until recently, and the various properties of each. It also contains a great deal of information relating to the nutrition of ‘Superfoods’ from all over the globe. 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.