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 : Straight to the Bar 2012 – Strength-Training Resources
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We’ve certainly noted many, many books/DVDs/products over the years – here’s a sampling from 2012. Remember these?
  

• Looking At : Aug 4, 2024 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 Mix Calisthenics & Weight Training – The Hybrid Approach (Abnormal Beings)

I was asked today about mixing calisthenics & weight training, and this is the video I pointed to (my own training follows a similar approach).

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 149 we discussed Getting Started with the wonderful Chris Smith together with Personal Trainer ‘Captain‘ Kirk Fontaine. 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 : Lung Master (Breath Trainer)

Interesting idea. The Lung Master is a simple way to train your breathing – for strength, and for the associated calming effect. The video below shows it in action.
The Lung Master.

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.

Exercise Of The Week : Hanging Leg Extension

This exercise was born of necessity (not quite enough space in the home gym) : the Hanging Leg Extension. There’s enough room to perform Hanging Knee Raises, and enough room to extend the legs once you’re a couple of feet off the ground. Unfortunately, Hanging Leg Raises are out as there isn’t enough space to raise the feet through the first 30 degrees or so. The Hanging Leg Extension is simply a blend of the two (Hanging Knee Raise and Hanging Leg Raise). To perform it, hang from a bar, raise the knees as high as possible toward the chest, then extend the legs. Your body will be in an ‘L’ position at the end of it. Simply reverse the procedure to complete the exercise. This exercise neatly fits in the progression to L-pullups, and is slightly more difficult than a standard Hanging Knee Raise.

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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/Listening For The Week : ‘The Complete Book of Five Rings’ (by Miyamoto Musashi, translated by Kenji Tokitsu)

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. This is Kenji Tokitsu’s wonderful translation of the swordfighting classic by Miyamoto Musashi – commonly referred to simply as ‘The Book of Five Rings’. Enjoy. 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.