This Week on Straight to the Bar
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 :
Clapping Handstand Pushups
Scott Andrew Bird
Looking for a challenge? Once you’ve made your way through the list of 10 Challenging Bodyweight Exercises, have a go at these. Clapping Handstand Pushups.
Health & Fitness Research
Various authors
There has been some fantastic research posted recently, both on the forums and the Facebook page. Dive in.
Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They’re fantastic ways to share your ideas.
NB : I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment beneath the article itself, and share your views with the fantastic strength-training community. Cheers.
Video : CalChain Warmup – The Kettlebell Reinvented
Several ways to put the CalChain to work. Good stuff.
Twitterchat 116 – Getting Started : Training for Beginners
I absolutely love working out. Feeling great is a beautiful thing.
I understand though that getting started is more than a little intimidating. Where do you begin? What do you do? What happens if …? Whether you’re a beginner or have been training for years, you know what it’s like.
This week we’re discussing exactly how to get started. How much space & equipment you really need (not as much as you’d think), where and how to train. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Kevin ‘Sgt Sweaty‘ Miller (@SgtSweaty). Fantastic.
Details –
Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Getting Started : Training for Beginners
When : Wed May 4, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.
If you’ve never been to one of these twitterchats before, here’s how to join in the fun. Simple, quick to set up and free.
And to see when it’s on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.
See you there.
Quick update on last week’s twitterchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Strength & Conditioning for Judo. Some superb ideas in there.
For those who missed out on the conversation, here’s a brief summary. Was a great one.
Tip of the Week: See How It’s Done
Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, facebook, the forums, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there’s always a way to improve what you’re doing.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been training for years, one of the greatest ways to learn a new technique is to watch someone both demonstrate and explain it.
Accordingly, I’ve put together a number of tutorial videos – covering a range of training types – over on my YouTube page. Here’s an example :
For more, just head over here. And to add one, simply point me to it. Love seeing them.
NB : for more tips like these, swing by the Beginners areas of the forums. And for more on Block Weights (Blobs), check out Jedd ‘Napalm‘ Johnson‘s superb article The Many Types of Blobs. Good stuff.
Looking Forward To : Super Human Workshop DVDs
These should be fantastic.
The recent Super Human Workshop put on by Logan Christopher and Bud Jeffries was absolutely superb. A stack of great information being shared.
If you missed it, you’ll be pleased to know that Logan’s almost finished creating the DVDs from this event; a great way to take in the information from the comfort of your own home.
Brilliant.
Quick update on Home Made Strength II : Grip Strength Edition : A few weeks ago we noted Jedd’s most recent DVD – the second in the Home Made Strength series. Absolutely fantastic.
This is the one that shows precisely how to build – and train with – several fantastic grip tools. It really is top quality.
Thanks to everyone who grabbed a copy, and to those that left feedback; it’s greatly appreciated. If you haven’t yet got one for yourself, you can grab it here. Love it.
Exercise of the Week : Wide Pinch Work
Pinch work is always fun – whether you’re using a TTK, a couple of plates, or a block weight.
Still, I’m a huge fan of Chris Rice‘s Horizontal Pinch Device. Nice and smooth. If you’re looking for a new DIY Equipment project this week, this is a great one.
Beautiful thing.
Incidentally, if you’d like to get in touch regarding this or any other aspect of strength, you can send me an email here. Look forward to hearing from you.
Free eBooks from Straight to the Bar
As a Strength & Fitness Newsletter subscriber you get several great eBooks, absolutely free. Just head over here, save them to your hard-drive, and dive in.
Good stuff.
NB : This is an ever-changing list of books. If you’d like to put your own work in front of a fantastic strength-focussed audience, let me know.
Time for Some New Gear? Here’s What to Get, and How to Use It
Thanks to everyone who’s sent in feedback (via email, Facebook and Twitter) about the Straight to the Bar Guides – it’s greatly appreciated.
For everyone who hasn’t seen them yet, the Guides will help you decide what to get (and where), and how to train with it. There’s some great information in there.