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
Very interesting look at the exercise-based assessments done after a heart failure, and the reasons for them.
Previously : In Gymchat 253 we discussed Pillars of Paleo, with Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Great conversation.
If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you’ll find the entire video here. 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.
The Aquarest.
Gem From The Vault : DIY Equipment Competition – Let the Voting Begin
Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
Although the competition itself is over, there are certainly some wonderful ideas.- Looking At : Aug 29, 2021
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 : What REALLY Happens When You Exercise (Medlife Crisis)
Very interesting look at the exercise-based assessments done after a heart failure, and the reasons for them.
Gymchat 278 – TBA
We’re still finalising the details for this week’s discussion. I’ll post them on the blog (and Twitter, 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 253 we discussed Pillars of Paleo, with Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Great conversation.
If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you’ll find the entire video here. 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 : Aquarest (Water-Filled Spinal Recovery Pillow)
Interesting idea. The Aquarest is a water-filled pillow, which automatically adjusts to suit the shape of your head & neck. No matter how you like to sleep. I’ll assess how well it works once I’ve had an opportunity to try one for a while. In the meantime, a spot of video to show you what’s on offer :The Aquarest.
Ever Tried Kettlebells?
If you've seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.
Tip of the Week : Rice Bucket Rehab
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, the blog; and the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.In the discussion on Recovery Work for the Hands we noted several superb recovery techniques, including the ever-popular Rice Digs. If you’ve never tried doing these, the process is incredibly simple. From the post ‘Rice Digs (for Grip-Training Warmups)‘, a brief description :
The exercise is an extremely simple one; pour some uncooked rice into a bucket and repeatedly burrow your hands into it. Make fists, rotate your wrists and generally move your hands around whilst they’re surrounded by rice. To make it more difficult, use sand or even lead shot instead of the rice. Nice and painful.NB : All other things being equal, a finer material will feel more difficult. Things like lead shot have less give, and will quickly prove challenging. Rice is a good starting point. And to make things a little clearer, have a look at the video below. Great exercise.
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 Feat of the Week : Sandbag Lifting in Competition
120kg sandbag carry in a Hungarian Strongman competition. Love it.
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.
