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 Heavy Bag (Gimp)
  Kira Robert ‘Fight Geek’ Clarke
  You’ll spend hours with it – get the best one you can afford.
  

• Looking At : Jul 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 : The STRONGEST 12-Year-Old on Earth?! Eddie Hall’s Son Deadlift World Record (Pana)

Great information.

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 212 we discussed How to Gain Muscle with Physique Transformation Coach Conor Kelly, together with Strongman & Personal Trainer Josh Hewett. 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 Josh’s Youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4CEEzabBk .
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 : Welsy Tech Scale (Full-Body Scanner)

Interesting device. The Welsy Tech Scale is a full-body scanner for use in tracking an incredible 56 metrics. There’s a full list over on the Indiegogo page. A little video :
The Welsy Tech Scale.

Tip of the Week : Try a Caffeine Nap

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.

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I initially wrote this back in 2006 during a brief period without coffee (I tried giving it up, but ultimately switched to the current ‘one cup per day’ routine), and it’s still a very intriguing idea. Although I take the occasional nap and get a regular caffeine fix, I rarely combine the two. For a start, they take place at different times of the day. I’m curious though – has anyone here sampled a Caffeine Nap? I’d love to hear your thoughts; particularly if it’s a regular thing.
From the article ‘Caffeine Napping‘ :

Sleep researchers at Loughborough University were looking at various ways to keep motorists awake on long journeys. The winner – perhaps somewhat surprisingly – was the ‘caffeine nap‘.

 

The idea is simple : drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a brief (15-20min) nap. This helps clear the body of adenosine, a chemical commonly believed to make you drowsy.

Very interesting indeed.

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.

Exercises Of The Week : How to Balance Weight Training and BJJ (Mike)

Weightlifting and martial arts training is the way to turn yourself into a beast of a human being. You will get stronger along the way and get the necessary cardio in place to get completely shredded and feel amazing about yourself. The hardest part about this is balancing your time in a way that still supports other aspects of your life. Making sacrifices is part of the process. In this article, we discuss how to balance BJJ and lifting!

How to Balance BJJ and Lifting

Balancing your martial arts training and still finding time to make it to the gym is a balancing act that is not easy to accomplish for most people. I speak from experience on this topic.

When coming to this crossroad you have to look at your schedule and identify the holes that are in it to fit some weight training in. Working out on a daily basis is not going to hurt you in the long term. As long as you are not maxing out on every lift, you will be okay. Mix this in with the cardio you get at your martial arts gym and you will end up shredded in no time!

Read on.

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Fitness Reading/Listening For The Week : ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers : The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping’ (by Robert Sapolsky)

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 friend of mine mentioned this one recently – Robert Sapolsky’s ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers : The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping‘. Although it’s a few years old now (this particular one’s the 2012 iteration), it’s a fascinating exploration of the body’s many responses during the different types of stress. Enjoy. 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.