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From the archives

by Scott Andrew Bird | December 10, 2006
Filed in General

Nap in the sun A recent Elite FTS newsletter reminded me that a site's archives are often filled with juicy goodness, and Straight to the Bar is no exception. Here are just a few of the highlights from the past 2.5 years :

30 days of biphasic sleep
This is the post which began the switch to a biphasic sleep routine. If you want to find out more on the switch, check out the 30 day and 2 month summaries. For some resources on this great sleeping methodology, look no further than Biphasic Sleep Resources.
DIY: Home-made gym equipment
If you're anything like me, spending several hours in a hardware store isn't exactly difficult. This post lists a number of resources on transforming the contents of said stores into great gym equipment.
Zottman, Hackenshmidt and Maxalding
No longer here, but still teaching. Along with several other old-time strongmen, and all those who follow in their paths. Superb.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning
Over the years my caffeine intake has been up and down, and the 'up' part of that is largely due to coffee consumption. More recently, however, I've been adding a little white tea to the mix.
Bruce Lee's back injury
As a long-time Bruce Lee fan, finding out the cause, treatment and subsequent effects of this infamous injury was fascinating. If you've ever seen one of his films, read a biography or seen him in action, chances are that you'll appreciate just how big an event this was.

Grab your favourite beverage, sit back and enjoy.

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In the meantime, here are a few others you might like :

Discussion

I'd love to hear what you think. Pop over to the forums and share your opinion. See you there.

on the rack

tell us about it

Straight to the Bar is very much an interactive website. In addition to the articles here, there are a number of ways to share your passion with other lovers of the iron :

Seen something cool? Send us a tweet
Discuss it in the forums
Join the SttB Facebook group
Vote for stories on Digg & StumbleUpon
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Create articles on styles and techniques
Subscribe to the tutorial videos on youtube

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reading

the team

There are several great writers here, looking at the world of strength training from a number of angles. The regulars :

Scott Bird (@scottbird)
Writer and Fitness enthusiast
Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson (@jeddjohnson)
Grip champion and Strongman
'Unbreakable' Adam T Glass (@adamtglass)
Bending freak and Strongman
Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
Bodybuilder and Writer
Joe Hashey (@jhashey)
Athlete, Teacher and Trainer
Josh Hanagarne (@joshhanagarne)
Kettlebell and grip afficionado
Bill Long (@bill_long1)
SPC and grip fanatic

In addition, articles are submitted from across the globe. Got a piece you'd like to share? Let us know.

training at work

There's always a way to train while you're at work. (Josh Hanagarne)

lb to kg, kg to lb

(how to use the converter)

elsewhere

This is a fantastic book. If you've ever considered learning this incredible strength feat, the Card Tearing eBook (review) is the perfect place to start. Love it.

In addition to the articles on this site are a number I've written elsewhere. Including :

thanks to

I get regular questions regarding the hosting of this site, my favourite stats package and so on, so here are a few details :

Web hosting : pair Networks
Email : AWeber
Stats : pMetrics
Feeds : FeedBurner
Computer : MacBook Pro

Pair is easily the fastest and most reliable host I've come across - perfect for a site like this. If you're setting up your own blog, forum or ezine; check them out. Brilliant.

what to get?

Thanks for dropping by. If you’d like to help support this site (and get in great shape at the same time), here’s a list of strength-training books, DVDs and tools I recommend. Love them.

Dragon Door Kettlebells
These are easily the best kettlebells I've used; and I'd strongly recommend them above all others. Well-made, comfortable to use and ready to take any abuse you send their way. Love them.
RMAX Clubbells
I'm a big fan of leverage training in any form, especially things like the RMAX Clubbells. Beautiful things.
MBG Powerwheel
Although I generally avoid single-purpose tools, I'll happily make an exception for the Powerwheel. Ab training has never been so much fun.
Battling Rope Kit
This is easily my favourite form of conditioning work. Incredibly fun, exhausting and - most importantly - effective.
Precision Nutrition
When it comes to body transformation - whether that's a increase in strength, packing on a bit of muscle or losing a bit of excess fat - this is the perfect place to start. Dr Berardi's Precision Nutrition.
Gymboss Interval Timer
If you've ever tried to do interval work with a stopwatch, or by counting out the time, grab a Gymboss. The perfect way to time your fat-shedding sessions.
The Ultimate Sandbag
I love sandbag training, and this is definitely the way to do it right. Beautiful thing.