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 : How Many Calories Do I Need?
  Scott Andrew Bird | follow @scottbird
  How to calculate it.
  

• Looking At : May 17 2026 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 : HARDCORE HOME GYMS EP. 22 – The All GRIP Gym ft. Jedd “Napalm” Johnson (Jujimufu)

Big fan of both Jedd (he’s the reason I got into grip training in the first place) and this gym. Enjoy.

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 257 we discussed Muscle Activation Techniques with Core Strength‘s Eric Seifert, and Strength Athlete & 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 : https://straighttothebar.com/2014/09/16/video_for_gymchat_257_-_muscle_activation_techniques_eric_seifert/ .
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 : Squeeze (Hand Dynamometer)

Looks great. The Squeeze is a hand dynamometer with a rather simple (thought somewhat uncommon) design. The video will show you what I mean :
The Squeeze.

Tip of the Week : Holding the Bar in the Front Squat

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 is not so much ‘How to Hold the Bar in the Front Squat‘ (though the article shows no fewer than 10 ways to do just that), as much as a simple demonstration that there are often many ways to achieve the same result in strength training. If what you’re doing isn’t working (or you simply don’t enjoy it), try something else.

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From the article Holding the Bar in the Front Squat :  

If the Mike Boyle article on T-Nation has you considering the Front Squat, you may be mindful of just how awkward it can be to hold the bar. Like Zercher Squats, they’re often overlooked simply due to the difficulty.

 

There are several ways to hold the bar for the Front Squat. If one method doesn’t feel right, or your current flexibility or injury precludes it, try one of the others. It really is a great exercise.

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 : I Tried to Improve my Vertical Jump in 60 Days (Goal Guys)

A very interesting look at the Vertical Jump information currently available, and the possibilities that affords. And if you’re fortunate enough to have the relevant equipment available to you, now you know precisely how to put it to work. And how much improvement to expect. Incidentally, the Copilot system mentioned sounds great. Although I’ve been fortunate enough to check out many one-on-one training reviews in the past, I like the sound of this one.

Fitness Reading/Listening For The Week : ‘Eat the Planet Well : How to fix our toxic food system – one meal at a time’ (by Dave Goulson)

Dave Goulson’s ‘Eat the Planet Well : How to fix our toxic food system – one meal at a time‘ is a wonderful exploration of a fascinating area (and sadly, one which is often overlooked) – how our food system works, and how it arguably _should_ work. Dive in. — 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. 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.