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 : DIY – Home-Made Gym Equipment II
  Scott Andrew Bird
  A few personal favourites.
  

• Looking At : Mar 23, 2025 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 : Fitness and Mental Health (The Bioneer)

Agree entirely.

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.
Previously : In Gymchat 187 we discussed Bodyweight and Suspension Training with Pierre Johnson and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Great conversation. NB : If you missed it the first time (or just want to go over a particular point again), check out the full video over on Kirk’s Youtube channel : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9WCYjVPOxo .
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 : Gpath Pin (Gym Assistant)

Looks great. The Gpath Pin is an assistant for the gym. A little hard to explain – the video below will show you exactly what it is. It’s certainly an intriguing idea.
The Gpath Pin.

Tip of the Week : Checking Your Squat Depth

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. This tip comes to us from a thread on the VirtualMeet Forums, looking at a device called the Safety Squat. Very interesting idea.

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Over to James Chochlinski :  

The safety squat arrived yesterday. No instruction manual, just a picture. Tried some squats with it using just the bar. Seems to work similarly to the youtube video sensor. Placement just above the knee requires deeper squat to trigger the sensor; Not as deep when placed higher up on the thigh. It’s just a level sensor, so the difference is due to the shape of my thigh. Happy with the safety squat so far.

James was also kind enough to share some video of the device in action : The obvious use is for powerlifters when training for a meet. However, on Google+, Raymond Ho shared an alternative way to put it to work :

The idea is actually good. I see people when they start loading up the bar (which is too heavy for them) they start to get higher out of the holes until it looks more like a partial rep. and if you squat by yourself then it stops you from cheating.

Sounds great. I’m curious : has anyone here used a device like this, and what are your thoughts on the idea?

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 : Plate Twist

I first saw this in a fitness magazine (I know, it was before I realised just how bad they are) some time ago – a great way to hit the obliques. Stand with a plate held at arms’ length in front of you, and move it from side to side. Move your arms to about 45 degrees, and you’ll quickly feel your obliques. This exercise can be made a little more difficult by performing it whilst kneeling, or whilst seated.

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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 : ‘Live Forever? : A Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death’ (by John Tregoning)

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. John Tregoning’s ‘Live Forever? : A Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death’ takes a thorough look at the possibility of living indefinitely, from a somewhat skeptical position. Interesting. 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.