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 Power to Give And Take Away In a Fight
  Rob Pilger (Pilger’s Training Systems)
  How close?
  

• Looking At : Aug 10, 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 : Rebuilding Mum & Dad – Setbacks and Big Wins as My Parents Get Stronger in Their 80s (The Honest Channel, @ClareS_J)

Wonderful project. Out of interest, ever tried something similar with your own friends or family?

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 214 we discussed How to Create an Effective Supplement Stack (Josh Hewett and Paul Teixeira) with Physique Transformation Coach Conor Kelly, together with Bodybuilder Paul Teixeira & 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=FCXfF_Mm0GA .
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 : Acemate (Tennis Robot for Rally Play)

Interesting idea. The Acemate is a tennis robot for rally play. The video will show you what I mean :
The Acemate.

Tip of the Week : Training When Travelling

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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We’ve had a number of questions over the years along the lines of ‘how do I train when travelling?‘. Mark Konen’s approach (from the article Pack Light, Train Hard) :

Well traveled suitcase.

I am visiting my sedentary family soon and I will not be near a gym so here is my plan:

 

First, there is a wide variety of bodyweight exercises I can do including push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, squats, pull-ups and jumping rope. I can fashion these as a circuit or even as a Tabata workout. So, the first thing I will pack is the Gymboss interval timer. Since I will already have my laptop with me, I could also use an online Tabata timer.

To make the bodyweight exercises even more challenging, I will bring along my jumpstretch bands; specifically the mini-bands. I can add resistance to any exercise I do and can also use it for assistance in pull-ups and range of motion (ROM) work. I also have a couple minor, nagging injuries that would benefit from some band work.

I will bring some running gear and would run in areas where I could also find some things like rocks to lift and throw. I may add in some hills and speed training. (I do use the word “speed” with a sense of humor)!

I’ll toss in a Captains of Crush Gripper. I can use that while watching sports on the tube.

OK, so far so good. But I really would like to do some heavy lifting so what can I do that is the same as what I would do at my home gym? Sandbag training! All I have to do is to take my sandbag liners of 50, 25 and 10#, empty them at home and then go buy a couple of 50# bags at a hardware store close to where I’ll be staying. Sand is cheap.

That about covers all I could possibly need to get in great workouts while out of town. Since I am going to a colder clime, it may be unlikely there will be a heavy snowfall this early in the season, but if I happen to be in a big snowstorm, you can’t beat snow shovelling! Snow shovel intervals could be interesting, challenging and fun. Come to think of it, I’ll have to look in my dad’s garage. I wonder if he has a sledgehammer? I may be able to talk my mom into steering the car while I push it down the street for time or reps!

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.

Exercises Of The Week : Her FITNESS Transformation | Newbie to ATHLETE (Mark Lewis)

A great overview of the various fitness improvements a beginner can make in just a few months. Wonderful.

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Fitness Reading/Listening For The Week : ‘Unhooked : How to Quit Anything’ (by Dr Frederick Woolverton & Susan Shapiro)

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. Dr Frederick Woolverton & Susan Shapiros’ ‘Unhooked : How to Quit Anything‘ is a fascinating look at a rather painful area – that of addiction, to anything. Both difficult and wonderful. 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.