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 : Tackling the One-Armed Push-Up
Al Kavadlo | Follow @AlKavadlo
Certainly an impressive feat.

Looking At : Jan 23, 2022
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 : How to Train for the ‘Centenarian Olympics’ (Peter Attia MD)

A very interesting way of looking at things.

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 265 we discussed WTF is Functional Training? with Performing Strongman/Author/Speaker Bud Jeffries and Personal Trainer Josh Hewett. Although I was deeply saddened to hear of Bud’s passing (more here), I’m always inspired by his approach to training. The above is certainly a great conversation.
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 : ONYX (Connected, In-Home Pilates Reformer)

Interesting combination. Although I don’t include Pilates in my own workouts, I’m intrigued by this combination. The ONYX is a pilates reformer for home use, complete with a connected component. Videos of various instructor, various workouts. A little video :
The ONYX.

Tip of the Week: Fix Your Feet

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. This tip is from Josh Hewett‘s excellent ‘Bulletproof Your Body‘ series. The real benefits of including your feet in your training. Over to Josh :

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You need to gradually strengthen your feet and slowly introduce them to greater range of motion. Walking barefoot on soft sand or grass is a great way to start… plus it feels good! If you have access to a beach or a well manicured lawn, slowly progress from walking barefoot for a few minutes at a time and working up to a longer duration, before introducing any more challenging barefoot activities.

For walking on solid surfaces such as concrete, I suggest you wear appropriate footwear that will provide minimal support while still allowing for greater natural movement of your feet.

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece – swing by Josh‘ blog for the entire article [.pdf]. A great read.

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 : Ginástica Natural

Ginástica Natural is a form of physical conditioning with natural movements at its core. From the site :

Ginástica Natural combines the techniques of stretching, flexibility and respiration of hatha-yoga, the ground movements of jiu-jitsu, and the natural movements of the human body. Idealized by Alvaro Romano, it is a revolutionary method of physical conditioning that has an objective of developing physical qualities associated with motor and mental skills.

Superb.

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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 For The Week : Born to Run Barefoot (by Chas Gillespie)

It’ll come as no surprise that we discuss a lot of fitness-related books; on this site as well as the various networks noted in the sidebar. Born to Run Barefoot takes an interesting look at both the claims and science surrounding the barefoot (or minimalist) running movement. And although it was written a while back, these aspects have barely changed in the interim. Good read. Incidentally, I’ve got an evergrowing list of ‘books to read‘, and I’m always looking to add to it. Suggestions welcome. There’s also a list of our all-time fitness suggestions over on Goodreads. Dive on in.