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 :

• Shrugs - The Most Misunderstood Exercise in North America?
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Maik explores the potential of the humble shrug. Beautifully simple exercise.

  
  

• Looking At : Week Ending Mar 11, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Basics of the Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Great exercise.

Gymchat 160 - Supplementation

What do you take, when and why?

I'll announce the full details during the week on Google+ (just confirming a couple of things), but that's the general topic. Vitamins & minerals, protein shakes and everything else you take to help fine-tune your regular diet. Should be a great one.


NB : If you've just joined us on Google+, welcome. Join us on Mar 14, and add a comment/ask a question or three. Dive in.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Supplementation
When : Wed Mar 14, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/1k2YnK3A8my

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Recovery Methods : Sleep II. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Holding the Bar in the Front Squat

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

This tip is not so much 'How to Hold the Bar in the Front Squat' (though the article shows no fewer than 10 ways to do just that), as much as a simple demonstration that there are often many ways to achieve the same result in strength training. If what you're doing isn't working (or you simply don't enjoy it), try something else.

---

From the article Holding the Bar in the Front Squat :

If the Mike Boyle article on T-Nation has you considering the Front Squat, you may be mindful of just how awkward it can be to hold the bar. Like Zercher Squats, they're often overlooked simply due to the difficulty.

There are several ways to hold the bar for the Front Squat. If one method doesn't feel right, or your current flexibility or injury precludes it, try one of the others. It really is a great exercise.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : The Tsunami Bar

This is one incredible bar. To get an idea of what it is, here's a bit of video showing it in action :

Although you may be wondering about the strength of something like that, as Dave Tate noted recently :

I didn't trust it to bench 225 until I saw that someone squatted 700 pounds with it.

And yes, it's definitely on the wishlist.

NB : it's being tested at the moment; production begins in a few weeks. Fantastic.



Quick update on the superb The Primal Blueprint we first looked at quite a while ago now. Holds up extremely well.


Over the weekend I was re-reading this (yet again - it's a great book), after discussing the numerous benefits of a Primal diet with a friend of mine. There's a full review here, but suffice to say if ridiculously good health is something you're after, it's essential reading.

Love it.

Supplements...we all take them, looking for an edge or even a magic pill. Over the years, I must have taken hundreds of different supplements and spent 1000s of $ (sad).

The results are sobering, to say the least. There are some that are worth the money, 101 Fitness Myths has a chapter on the 5 best supplements.

But what always fascinates me is the incredible marketing and graphs the companies use to suck money out of our pockets. Waiting for clients at the gym, I began flipping through muscle magazines, and I couldn't help but notice the stupidity of some supplement ads.

So without further ado, my 10 favorites:

10. "Now with real fruit!" Ok, ...what was it before? Unreal fruit??
9. "Our new pre-workout supp will cause skin bursting pumps! "Wow, that would really hurt and definitely put you in the ER.
8. "Burn 400% more body fat. "Than who? Where is the comparison?
7. "Build 20 lbs of muscle!" That is a great one. Aside from the fact, that it would be a difficult feat to achieve even while on steroids, one has to wonder: what if I only weigh 120 lbs? Do I really gain 15% of my body weight?
6. "Breakthrough technology." Does it get any more vague than this?
5. "Lean muscle mass. "There isn't really any fatty muscle mass, since that would be called adipose tissue or body fat.
4. "Steroid-like results." Nothing, absolute noting will give you results like steroids. There is a reason those substances are classified as drugs in most countries...No further comment...
3. "Muscles exploding with new growth." That would probably kill you.
2. "Build x lbs of pure muscle." How in the world do you build impure muscle? If you have this much control over your body, you could definitely play in the NFL or be your own nuclear reactor a la Dr. Manhattan.
1. "Product x declares death to fat cells." Without getting into the whole leptin discussion, fat cell death (apoptosis) is extremely rare. If all your fat cells were to die, so would you. Fat is also needed to make testosterone so some of it would be helpful. On another note, fat doesn't melt either, it oxidizes and by doing so the body makes use out of the stored energy.

But my absolute favorite is a certain company who takes it to a whole new level. They basically, use the Matrix movie ( do you want the blue pill, Neo?) , the blue pill signaling endless muscle growth and 4% body fat. You (Neo) have to commit to buy a 3 month supply for a a whopping 500+$, which will be delivered to you in a case that looks like something straight out of Area 51. The supplement? A humble berry extract....

I understand they are trying to sell us things, but I can't help but wonder if the supplement industry takes all bodybuilders and strength athletes for illiterates who are unable to tie their own shoes.

Rant mode off...

Train hard!

Maik

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 :

• When Do You 'Make It' in the Gym?
  Conor Doherty
  Your bench numbers may be under control, but what do you aim for with everything else?

  
  

• Looking At : Week Ending Mar 4, 2012
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Band Resisted Tug-of-War

Interesting idea.

Gymchat 159 - Recovery Methods : Sleep II

Sleep is a topic that's long fascinated me, and it was one of the first ones we tackled in the original Twitterchats (now Gymchats); nearly 3 years ago.

This week I'd like to return to it with the simple questions :

'How do you sleep?' and 'How does it influence your recovery?'

Look forward to hearing your answers, no matter what they are. Biphasic sleep, ZMA, late evening meals; whatever works for you.

See you there.


NB : If you've just joined us on Google+, welcome. Join us on Mar 7, and add a comment/ask a question or three. Dive in.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Recovery Methods : Sleep II
When : Wed Mar 7, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/1k2YnK3A8my

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Incidentally, cheers for all the feedback on the Maik Wiedenbach interview we mentioned last week. For those that haven't seen it yet, head over here.

Nice one.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Heavy Duty - The Mentzer Legacy. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Buying a Power Rack - Determining the width you'll need.

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 following a discussion I had over the weekend (I was helping a friend choose a power rack), and is a snippet from the article 'Buyers' Guide : the Power Rack'. Determining the width you'll need.

---

Although the width of a barbell never changes (within one type, that is - standard bars are about a foot shorter than their Olympic counterparts), the width of racks vary from brand to brand. The rack's minimum width will depend largely on what you're going to do with it.

Sumo squats and rack pulls will take the most room; somewhere around 40" would be an absolute minimum, but your best bet is to measure your own squat (outside one foot to outside the other).

If you intend to bench press in the rack, or use the bench as a seat for other exercises (such as the overhead work I mentioned earlier), make sure the bench fits. If you're buying them both at the same time, great. Test them out.

One more thing to note with the bench inside the rack - if you plan to use dumbbells from the bench, make sure there's plenty of room to drop the dumbbells once they get heavy. Oh, and something to protect the floor (in the drop zone) is always a good idea - a couple of rubber mats will do nicely.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Mastering the Muscle-Up

Remember the muscle-up DVD we mentioned on Google+ a while ago?

It's still on the top of my 'must see, soon' pile. Have to say though, it looks fantastic. If you've ever wanted to improve your skills with this wonderful exercise, this is definitely the ideal way to learn them.

Beautiful.

Quick update on the superb Super Human Training Workshop (#2) we noted a few weeks ago. Looks fantastic.

For all the details of who/what/when (and believe me, there's a lot going on), head over to http://superhumanworkshop.com.

Perfect.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Forums and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

• Maik Wiedenbach interview : Maik is the World Physique 'Personal Trainer of the Month' for March 2012. You can see the full piece here.
• 'Know Your Own Skin' iPhone app : we noted several very interesting applications for both Android and iOS, including the 'Know Your Own Skin' app (iPhone only for now). Anyone here tried it?
• Fitocracy : Although the site's been around for a while, the addition of various Red Bull challenges has really given it a push. Good stuff.
• Larry Smarr article : this piece in MIT's Technology Review neatly describes why I'm a huge fan of the 'Quantified Self' movement. Very inspiring story.
• Pivothead Video glasses : stumbled across these the other day. Anyone here used them for something like snowboarding or skateboarding videos?
• Ekso selling first exoskeleton : we first saw this a while ago, at a TED conference. Absolutely incredible. Now Ekso (formerly called Berkeley Bionics, if you don't recognise the name) is starting to sell these fantastic devices.
• The 'Truth About Exercise' documentary : I noted this one briefly in the recent discussion on Mike Mentzer. It combines HIT-style training with a new battery of tests and observations; fascinating ideas overall. Would love to hear what you think.

NB : to see all of these as they appear (and to share your own thoughts on things), the simplest way is to follow me on Google+. You'll see these, and a whole lot more.

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 :

• The Iron Guru - Vince Gironda
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Maik continues his superb series on bodybuilding pioneers with a brief look at the 'Iron Guru' - Vince Gironda. Superb.

  
  

• Start Here
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Just joined us? Excellent. This page will explain exactly how to get started, and what this site's all about.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Mike Saffaie's 'Bar Training'.

Nice mix.

Gymchat 158 : Heavy Duty - The Mentzer Legacy

I love a spot of strength history. Many (though certainly not all) of the training approaches of past years are entirely valid today.

This week we'll be discussing the legacy of a well-known bodybuilder that Maik looked at recently - Mike Mentzer. Which of Mentzer's ideas are still useful, and how have they influenced your own training? Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach*.


Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Heavy Duty - The Mentzer Legacy
When : Wed Feb 29, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/DwyWdW318Vq

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

* If you'd like to learn a little more about Maik Wiedenbach and his own fitness career, there's a great interview in the March issue of World Physique magazine. Nice one.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Tackling the Obesity Crisis. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Use a Weight You Can Control

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 enigmatic Gerard F, and is a snippet from a series of very interesting conversations surrounding the insights of the 'Iron Guru', Vince Gironda. In particular, this thread on Google+.

---

The full quote is :

Use a weight you can control, and control the weight you use.

This applies to a lot of things, but in this case we were talking about the bench press. Gerard noted :

At best the Bench Press is an "OK" exercise even when done correctly, but nearly everyone performs it based on the wrong concept. Using 8-12 reps its OK, but what happens is, when the reps get tough, your form goes bad, the back arches and/or your torso torques; stress goes from the chest to the triceps to the shoulder/cuff, and your strong side lifts the load that your weak side can't handle.

Over bench pressing gives you a circle looking chest, that's when the shoulders and tris are developed because the chest can't handle the weight, and what happens is the shoulder and tris are targeted more than the pecs.

Very interesting. Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : RKC Instructor Workshop in Israel

I haven't been to Israel for years (last time, I was using a film-based camera, if that's any indication), and I love the Dragon Door certifications at any time. Superb.

The details are here, but it's essentially a Kettlebell Instructor Certification. If anyone here's planning on attending, I'd love to hear about it.

Looks fantastic.

Quick update on the superb Super Human Training Workshop (#2) we noted a couple of weeks ago. Looks fantastic.

I'll post a full review over on the forums shortly, but in the meantime, Logan's got all the details of who/what/when. Head over to http://superhumanworkshop.com.

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 :

• Heavy Duty by Mike Mentzer...is it the Holy Grail?
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Mike Mentzer had some very interesting ideas. Maik explores.

  
  

• Welcome to the Gymchats IV : 137 - 156
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've had some superb discussions recently.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Weighted Inchworm Training

Love this exercise.

Gymchat 157 - Tackling the Obesity Crisis

It's widely agreed that there's a problem concerning obesity in many parts of the world. In short, people are gaining bodyfat at an alarming rate.
Of course, this is an extremely complex issue and there are likely to be a number of components to any decent solution. Education, advertising, legal changes and so on; in addition to a number of approaches that simply haven't been tried yet.

This week I'd love to hear your own views on how this affects you (and believe me, it does - no matter who you are), and the sorts of things that can be done to solve it. Over the short, medium and long term.

Whatever your views, if you have a suggestion or three on how we can address this global issue, we'd love to have you along. Join us for Gymchat 157 - Tackling the Obesity Crisis. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Tackling the Obesity Crisis
When : Wed Feb 22, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/fyVm7q8Egeo

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Solving Nutrition Problems. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Beginner Neck-Building Program

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 obscenely strong Mike 'The Machine' Bruce, and is a snippet from his superb article Building A Neck Of Steel. Take a look.

---

Neck work - whether you're a beginner, or have been training for years - doesn't need to be that complicated. And if you're new to the area of neck strengthening, this is a great place to start.

Over to Mike :

Now that's a neck harness lift.

Following is a beginner program to help get you started from Pencil neck to neck of steel.

• Neck Curls on a flat bench with weight 1-2 sets of 20-30 repetitions
• Neck Harness work [same as above]
• Side of Neck on a flat bench [same as above]

Do this every other day for the first month. Then you can increase the workload to everyday you train. Or increase the weighted repetitions to 5 sets of 50 repetitions. Once you can attain 100 straight repetitions in the 3 exercises then it is time to increase the weight.

Good stuff.

Getting Ready For : The 2012 Plateau Buster

This is the base of the latest incarnation of the Plateau Buster - fantastic tool.

Ryan's brilliant at constantly evolving these products (and the original one was superb, I can assure you); over the next few months we'll see an array of handle choices and grip attachments.

Really looking forward to it.

Quick update on the superb Super Human Training Workshop (#2) we noted last week. Looks fantastic.

I'll post a full review over on the forums shortly, but in the meantime, Logan's got all the details of who/what/when. Head over to http://superhumanworkshop.com.

That statement should have gotten everyone's attention. But what does flexible dieting mean?

OK, the donut part was more of a hook to get you to read the following. As we all now, dieters are failing by the millions, due to a number of reasons , the biggest one being a lack of willpower.

Some of them are so motivated that they don't stray from their diet for weeks, counting every calorie, eating at the perfect time and then....they implode. Due to stress or worries they fall off the wagon completely and stay off it.
This is where flexible dieting comes in; you need to allow yourself to live. If you are on a mild caloric deficit (400 calories per day or less), schedule a cheat meal once a week, so you can go to dinner with friends without worrying. I would give myself a 4-hour window for this and eat a side of fries or a dessert to your liking.

Athletes who run a more severe deficit and have a competent coach need to have a 2-3 day re-feed every week, combined with a heavy weight training session.

This will allow them to stop the muscle loss and revive their metabolism in order to continue to lose body fat. What does that mean?

When you diet for an extended period of time, such as more than 14 days, bad things start happening in your body: HGH and testosterone drop, cortisol goes up and leptin drops. This goes especially if excessive amounts of cardio are being performed. The results: you get hungrier, more irritable and start losing muscle. Fat loss, on the other hand, comes to a screeching halt. Not a good situation for a bodybuilder or strength athlete. Flexible dieting or smart cheating reverses that.

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 :

• How To Do The Clean Pull
  Jason CSCS
  Exactly how to perform this fantastic exercise.

  
  

• The 10 Best Diet Foods - Or Are There Superfoods?
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Looking to reduce hunger, improve health or a little of both?

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : GHP Gripper Review

These look amazing Wade, nice one.

In this video, the incredible 'Mighty Joe' Musselwhite reviews the Gillingham High Performance hand grippers. Beautiful.

Gymchat 156 - Solving Nutrition Problems

Looking back at my own nutrition history, it's safe to say that my diet's changed many, many times over the past 8 years. And yes, there's still room for quite a bit of fine-tuning.
This week we'll be looking at some of the more common dietary problems (fat loss, minimising hunger, reducing sugar intake and so on) and discussing the simplest ways to solve each one. Should be a great conversation.

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Olympic athlete, personal trainer and nutritionist Maik Wiedenbach
Topic : Solving Nutrition Problems
When : Wed Feb 15, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/113406428532094481598/posts/1DPap6MsJRq

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Triathlon Training. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.


NB : if you'd like to add a fitness-related event (either a competition you're taking part in, or something you're helping to organise there), just login to the forums and add it to the calendar. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Using (and Making) a Fat Bar

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 obscenely strong Max Shank, in the form of a video from the article The Fat Bar. Take a look.

---

This video shows the bar in action. To read how it helps, and how to make one; head over to the article The Fat Bar. Nice one.

Over to Max :

Good stuff.

Getting Ready For : Super Human Training Workshop #2

This looks fantastic.

If you attended the first Super Human Training Workshop, you'll understand just how incredible these are. Superb information from all sides.

To see exactly what's in the second of these workshops, here's a bit of video.

Enjoy.

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.

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 :

• Shopping to get in shape-or the big U
  Maik Wiedenbach
  Maik looks at a simple way to get a little more out of your grocery shopping.

  
  

• Gem From the Vault : DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform
  Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
  Following the DIY Equipment discussion we held last week, there were a few questions about the construction of an olympic weightlifting platform. If you're just putting together your own home gym, this one is well worth considering. Fantastic thing.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : The Belt Squat

I love the belt squat (and its various DIY cousins). Here's a great demonstration of what it is, and how it differs from the simple dip belt version often substituted.

Great exercise.

Gymchat 155 - Triathlon Training

If you enjoy a dose of sun/sand/surf, you'll love this.
This week we'll be looking at one of the toughest ways to physically challenge yourself, the triathlon. The nutrition, strength work and mental preparation involved.

Helping us get a handle on this gruelling trio is ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Ultrarunner, airline captain and insanely competitive triathlete, Chas Melichar
Topic : Triathlon Training
When : Wed Feb 8, 9pm EDT (2am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/Zg9MHTvL7gD

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II). Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.

Tip of the Week: Steel Bending Benefits - Increased Neural Strength

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 'Unbreakable' Adam Glass' superb article Why Bend Steel?; and looks at just one of the great benefits of a regular dose of steel bending. Increased Neural Strength.

---

Over to Adam :

First benefit is to your neural strength: Steel bending is an exceptional way to build your single unit application of tension. What I mean is this - you have to tense and load every muscle in your body, take out all "leakages", brace everything together and direct it through you hands with a sniper's precise angle. If you get sloppy punching on the nails ends, you will hurt yourself. You could possibly punch yourself in the face, roll your hands out of the groove, stab yourself, or any other combination of less desirable outcomes. This activity will turn your wrist to stone. Your ability to direct power will be significantly increased. This will directly carry over to any other strength-skill you currently have. The way I load up to bend a Huge Stainless Steel Bastard is exactly the same feeling as when I load up to pull a max dead, to press a 48kg bell, or to slam an axe through a log. It adds a critical power appliance to your "strength skill tool box".

This increase in strength and power naturally will carry over to an increase in your endurance. Anyone who has bent a nail will tell you the first time they bent it was so tiring. I have watched people sweat bullets bending their first respectable nail. As time goes on you gain huge reserves of power. A personal testament to this level of power for me was October 2007 when I bent 150 60D nails in one hour using the double under (DU) grip. That represented a massive improvement from Jan 2007, when bending 10-15 nails left my hands extremely fatigued.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Get Strength Lock-Jaw Collars

I'm a big fan of the Get Strength equipment in general (well made, nice and tough), and one thing I'm keen to try is their Lock-Jaw Collars. Look great.

I like this type of collar in any case (fast, and can certainly handle heavy loads); but I'm also keen to hear your thoughts. Have you used these collars before, and what were your experiences with them?

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.

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 :

• How I Started in Weight Training and Bodybuilding
  'Captain' Kirk Fontaine
  Following the gathering of user histories we posted recently is this inspiring story from the incredible Kirk Fontaine. Great read.

  
  

• I Just Don't Have the Genetics
  Maik Wiedenbach
  If you think that your genetics plays a big part in your training potential, think again. Maik explains.

  
  

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'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Chest Shoulder Opening with the Zenkahuna & a Rope

Great move.

Gymchat 154 - Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II)

Over the years we've discussed a lot of home-made equipment. Absolutely love it.
There are many reasons to opt for the 'build vs buy' route, at least initially; particularly when you're short on cash or just trying things out. This week we'll be looking at the equipment itself : the types of things you can make, common techniques, the basic gear you'll find yourself using all the time and where to get it. And if you're in the middle of your own DIY Equipment project, we'd love to hear about it.

Whatever your training is like, if there's a piece or two of home-made gear involved, we'd love to have you along. Join us for Gymchat 154 - Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength Training Fans
Topic : Make It Yourself (DIY Equipment II)
When : Wed Feb 1, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Post a comment, question or reply
Where : https://plus.google.com/u/0/113406428532094481598/posts/WTzMV38rtdz

If you've never been to one of these discussions 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 calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's gymchat : Thanks once again to everyone who took part in the discussion on Cycled Bulking. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, here's the transcript. Was a great one.

Tip of the Week: Checking Your Squat Depth

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via twitter, Google+, the forums, 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 a thread on the VirtualMeet Forums, looking at a device called the Safety Squat. Very interesting idea.

---

Over to James Chochlinski :

The safety squat arrived yesterday. No instruction manual, just a picture. Tried some squats with it using just the bar. Seems to work similarly to the youtube video sensor. Placement just above the knee requires deeper squat to trigger the sensor; Not as deep when placed higher up on the thigh. It's just a level sensor, so the difference is due to the shape of my thigh. Happy with the safety squat so far.

James was also kind enough to share some video of the device in action :

The obvious use is for powerlifters when training for a meet. However, on Google+, Raymond Ho shared an alternative way to put it to work :

The idea is actually good. I see people when they start loading up the bar (which is too heavy for them) they start to get higher out of the holes until it looks more like a partial rep. and if you squat by yourself then it stops you from cheating.

Sounds great.

I'm curious : has anyone here used a device like this, and what are your thoughts on the idea?

Checking Out : Tickle Me Gripmo

I've been using a kettlebell for this sort of thing, but I'm seriously considering switching to something like this. The StrongerGrip 'Tickle Me Gripmo'.

A bit of video :

Looks great.

Quick update on the superb Crush! DVD we noted a few weeks ago : fantastic.

Bill's posted a brief review here, but suffice to say that Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson's latest DVD is absolutely perfect. If you're ready to take your gripper work seriously, grab a copy of Crush!.