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 :

• Twitter Lists
  Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbird
  Whatever you're in to.

  
  

• Looking At : Feb 7, 2016
  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 : Double Nail Drive

Driving two 20d nails at the same time. Good stuff Chris.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ 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.

Steven Sashen.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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.

Tip of the Week: Finding a Good Training Partner

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

This tip comes to us from the Gymchat on 'Motivation', and is part of a longer discussion of training partners. Enjoy.

Over to Roger :

Roger Lawson.

Finding a good training partner is rough and really all depends on the person's temperament. Some like to train with someone who is far above them as motivation to get better while others like someone who is at their level or slightly beyond them, otherwise they get discouraged because the gap is so wide (a prime example of that negative self talk).

I would start by just searching the gym for someone who does a similar style of training (or something completely different if you're in to trying new things) that you do or someone who has attributes that you'd like to have (e.g. freaky strong, etc) and strike up a chat with them. You already have at least the gym in common, so start there.

Checking Out : 14% Off StrongerGrip Clubs

StrongerGrip Clubs.

In a great bit of timing, they've got a sale currently on which includes the very things I'm in need of (new training partner) - Indian Clubs. Full details here :

www.strongergrip.com/categories/Indian--Clubs

Have a look around, it really is superb stuff. StrongerGrip.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Twitter Lists.

To make this a little easier - and so people can dive right in to the topics that interest them - I use Twitter's 'List' functionality quite a bit. There's a full list of them here :

https://twitter.com/scottbird/lists


Why lists? It makes it possible for everyone to follow a specific topic, and to see what a particular group of people are talking about. Whether that's a specific training-related area such as 'Clubs & Maces', or a completely unrelated topic like 'Electric Vehicles'.

Whatever you're in to, it's all there.

NB : the above lists are always being fine-tuned. If you know of someone who tweets regularly about a particular subject and should be on one of them, let me know.

The Fitness Blogger Podcast.

One that a friend pointed me to recently is Jim Davis' Fitness Blogger Podcast, which you can grab (for free) either via the blog or somewhere like iTunes. Looks good.

Curious : what else are you watching/listening to these days - any other fitness podcasts you'd recommend?

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 : DIY - How to Build Your Own Tire Sled
  Matt Hunt
  Love building your own equipment?

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 31, 2016
  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 : Home-Made Exoskeleton - The Big Test

Very interesting series - building an exoskeleton that can help increase strength.

Gymchat 278 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ 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.

Steven Sashen.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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.

Tip of the Week: Building a Bulletproof Body

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

Over the past few weeks we've looked at some great pieces from Josh Hewett's excellent 'Bulletproof Your Body' series. If you've missed any, here's a quick overview.

To give you an idea, a brief piece from the post :

Fix muscle imbalances by addressing your weak or inhibited muscles rather than trying to stretch out the tight ones. The key is to address the root cause, not just the symptom. This is why I suggest to avoid passive stretching, and instead to employ active stretching, isometric exercise, and corrective isolation exercises.

Good stuff. And again, this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article. A great read.

Checking Out : The Fitness Blogger Podcast

The Fitness Blogger Podcast.

One that a friend pointed me to recently is Jim Davis' Fitness Blogger Podcast, which you can grab (for free) either via the blog or somewhere like iTunes. Looks good.

Curious : what else are you watching/listening to these days - any other fitness podcasts you'd recommend?

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

(The Amazon page has a complete list of topics covered.)

Full review shortly. Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

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 : Odd Object Training
  Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller
  Ready for something a little different?

  
  

• Looking At : Jan 24, 2016
  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 : Legless Rope Climb

Simple idea, much more difficult than it looks. Good stuff.

Gymchat 277 - Barefoot Running - Believe the Hype! (Steven Sashen)

Steven Sashen.

Taking us through it is Xero Shoes' Steven Sashen; covering everything from 'what it is' to 'how to go about it', and of course the many benefits of doing just that. And joining Steven is Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Steven and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share event' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Xero Shoes' Steven Sashen, Personal Trainer (and Strength Athlete) Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Barefoot Running - Believe the Hype!
When : Sunday Jan 31, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

Bill Piche.

If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch 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.

Tip of the Week: Strengthen Your Neck, Reduce Pain, Increase Lifts

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now 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 'right' way to strengthen your neck.

Over to Josh :

When starting a neck strengthening program, you must be careful to be very progressive... start slow and easy and work your way up to more challenging exercises over time. For example, you can begin your exercise program by doing simple chin tucks while sitting or standing. (See video)

Once you get comfortable with basic sitting/standing chin tucks, you can try doing the exercise lying down. Build up to doing around 10 reps, holding for 5 to 10 seconds each rep. The goal is to increase the muscular endurance of your muscles as well as their strength. Your neck is designed to carry the weight of your head all day, not to lift trains or buses!

Good stuff. Note that this is only a snippet from the full piece - swing by Josh' blog for the entire article. A great read.

Checking Out : Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches [Kindle Edition]

Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

(The Amazon page has a complete list of topics covered.)

Full review shortly. Olympic Weightlifting - A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

Stronger Grip Photo Challenge.

Hello Stronger Grip friends!! This year Stronger Grip is celebrating 10 years of making Custom Strength Training Equipment. To celebrate we are having a photo challenge. Starting today and ending February 4th, 2016 at noon CST submit a photo of you using any Stronger Grip equipment. The photo that Ryan likes the BEST will be awarded $150 in store credit!!!! Also anyone who submits a photo will be put into a drawing for a CUSTOM THOR HAMMER!! Be creative and have fun! Winners will be announced February 5th. Let the best photo win!! :) PLEASE SUBMIT PHOTOS TO info@strongergrip.com

NB : if you haven't yet tried any of the Stronger Grip tools (and they really are incredibly well made things), just head over to strongergrip.com. Great site.