Looking At : Jul 15, 2012

What we were talking about this week : on Google+, Twitter, and the Forums

by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Weekly summary
Tags : bodybuilding, brain, links, photography, quantified self, running, still got it, studies & trials

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Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

Shoulders seen better days? Grab The Rotater. Beautiful thing.

• Olympics streamed via Facebook : Over the past few years I've been gradually moving from a 'watch sport on TV' world to 'TV and a bit online' to 'mostly online'; I suspect I'm not the only one.

  The 2012 London Olympics are certainly going to available online in many, many ways - and Facebook are expected announce their own streaming collaboration with NBC. Very interesting indeed.



• Bodybuilding at 64 : Meet the incredible Ruby Carter-Pikes. Yep, she's still got it.


• Running as currency : This is an interesting idea. Could running ever be used as a form of currency? Possibly.


• The video game that can give you an extra 10 years of life : Fascinating talk by game designer Jane McGonigal, looking at at a video game that pairs physical movement with learning, recovery and longevity. Love it.


• Alzheimer's news : A few sources of incredible research into Alzheimer's appeared this week. Chief among them was the promise of early detection of the condition, with lines like this :

  ...a drop in spinal fluid levels of the key ingredient of Alzheimer's brain plaques - can be detected 25 years before the anticipated age of disease onset.

  Nice one.

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.

Scott Andrew Bird is a writer, photographer and a guy who just loves this stuff. He's been at home in front of a computer for more years than he cares to remember (OK, 30) and is now making amends for years of many mistakes noted in the De-constructing computer guy articles (part 2) on T-Nation.

Stalkers may wish to track his every move via Twitter or Google+; everyone else is cordially invited to hop over to his online home. Enjoy.

Like this? Check out some of their other articles :

• Looking At : May 12, 2013
• Gymchat 203 - Fat Loss (with Vic Magary)
• Looking At : May 5, 2013

For a full list, head over to the author page for Scott Andrew Bird.

Want even more? Try these :

And if you'd like to join the writing team here and share your own thoughts on strength-training, get in touch. Look forward to hearing from you.

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what we're saying

images of strength

Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

how to

• Bending (Nails, Horseshoes)
  Easily one of the most rewarding ways to train.
  
• Clubs & Maces
  A great way to get a top workout in, without wasting time.
  
• Grippers
  I love training with grippers. Beautiful things.
  
• Kettlebells
  Fantastic.
  
• Ropes (Climbing/Dragging, Battling Ropes)
  Have you got what it takes?
  
• Sandbags
  If you're ready to take your conditioning workouts up a notch, grab one of these.
  
• Suspension Training
  Perfect for outdoor sessions.
  

recommended

It'll come as no surprise that we've reviewed many, many products over the years. Everything from books, magazines and DVDs to racks, benches and complete home gyms.

To give you an idea :

• Carlson Labs Fish Oil
• Get Extreme With Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite
• Review : Fixing Elbow Pain
• Gettin' Swole, Part 2
• Gettin' Swole
• You Need More Drugs
• Isopure Protein Powder - My Review

Looking for a full list of the various equipment and services we use and recommend? No problem - it's all here.

join the discussion

The Gymchats are weekly discussions on a range of strength-training topics. Quite apart from being fascinating discussions in their own right, they're a lot of fun.

This week :

We hold these every Wednesday, starting at 9pm Eastern. If you're in a different timezone, here's the quickest way to see when that is.

NB : if you'd like to be interviewed in an upcoming discussion, I'd love to hear from you. It's great to hear how other people train.

the team

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

• Scott Bird (@scottbird)
  Writer and Fitness enthusiast
  
• Conor Doherty (@sfactoryfitness)
  Educator and Personal Trainer
  
• 'Captain' Kirk Fontaine (@fitnewbie)
  Personal Trainer and Host of the Gymchats
  
• Derek 'D-Rock' Peruo (@DerekPeruoCSCS)
  Personal Trainer and Creator of the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits
  
• 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
  

NB : It's a big team - full list here.

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

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 :

• Paleo Diet : Increased Mental Clarity
• The Art of Working Out Alone
• The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food (part II)
• Rock the Kitchen: Plan for Diet Success
• 10 Challenging Bodyweight Exercises
• Buying Your First Kettlebell
• Switching to Biphasic Sleeping? Start here.

reading

The Diesel Crew Bending eBook

If you're new to the world of nail bending, this is the perfect book to get. It'll show you the exact techniques you'll need to get started right away. Written by world-class bender Jedd Johnson.

The Diesel Crew's Card Tearing eBook

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

Functional Correction Manual

If you ever wake up with that 'just run over by a truck' feeling, you need a copy of Tim Hull's Functional Correction Manual. Not only will it help you to locate and repair the problem, it'll help prevent it happening in the future.

Precision Nutrition

When it comes to body transformation - whether that's an 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.

Strength Training Anatomy

This is a fantastic book. As Josh explains, it superbly shows what's going on while you train. Love it.

101 Fitness Myths [Kindle Edition]

A superb combination of fitness mythbusting and no-nonsense advice. If you're not quite sure where to start, grab this.

The Art of Expressing the Human Body

If you've ever watched a Bruce Lee film and marveled at his strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility or muscularity, this book should take pride of place in your collection. Unlike many other writings covering everything from Lee's training methods to nutrition, this book is based not on the recollections of people around him; but on Lee's own notes. Brilliant.

For a full list of what we're reading and watching at the moment, just head over to the Recommended Books & DVDs page. See you there.