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 : Starting Your Fitness Journey – 10 Things to Consider
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Ready to transform yourself, but not quite sure how?
  

• Looking At : Apr 27, 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 : 15 BIOHACKS I Still Do From The 1 Week Experiments (pigmie – @focusedlucas)

Interesting list. Anything you’d add/change?

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 195 we discussed Fitness Over 40 with Corporate Trainer Kevin Redman, as well as 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 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqV0szOSom4 .
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 : JumpPal (Smart Jump Rope)

Interesting idea. And yes, I’ve got a question or three. The JumpPal is certainly an intriguing combination. Although aimed at children / young athletes, the noted functionality is fairly well suited to users of any age. Will know more once it launches. The JumpPal.

Tip of the Week : Using (and Making) a Fat Bar

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 the obscenely strong Max Shank, in the form of a video from the article The Fat Bar. Take a look.

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This video shows the bar in action. To read how it helps, and how to make one; head over to the article The Fat Bar. Nice one. Over to Max :
Good stuff.

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 : JM Press

JM Blakley is well known in powerlifting circles for bench-press abilities, and the JM Press is a magnificent tricep building exercise to help with this particular lift. Technique The JM Press is similar to both a close-grip bench press and triceps extension (aka French Press), and lies inbetween them. Think of it as a close-grip bench in which the bar is brought to a point just above the upper chest/lower face (the length of your arms will determine this). The upper arms are kept at a 45 degree angle from your torso. NB : The bar should move in a straight line up and down. In order to minimise shoulder involvement (and keep the workload on the triceps, as designed), keep the elbows tucked in. The bar is raised by straightening the arms, not by pushing with the shoulders. See also Official site www.jmblakley.com. Currently disabled. Videos Building the Perfect Beast XTM Bench Technique Westside Barbell’s Jim Wendler clarifying JM Press technique Articles J.M. Blakley’s Top Tips For The Bench Press Blakley’s 4×6 bench program

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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 : ‘Anchored : How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory’ (by Deb Dana, Stephen Porges PhD)

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. A recent conversation on biohacking led to a discussion on the vagus nerve, and mention of Deb Dana’s book ‘Anchored : How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory‘. Interesting read. 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.