DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform

Setting up a home gym?

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This is an easy design for an eight-foot square platform that will stand up to your heavy weightlifting for a long time to come. Protect your floor, your weights, and your knees by lifting at home on a proper training platform.

Carl "The Swede" Hayford : A Sweet Moment for the Sweet Science

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A dream came true for an old boxing salt in Portland, Oregon. At 81, Carl Hayford's fondest wish was to hit the bag again. West Portland Boxing Team made it happen - with style.

Ready for a Virtual Meet?

Would you consider doing a powerlifting or weightlifting meet if it came to you?

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Would you consider doing a powerlifting or weightlifting meet if it came to you? Start considering. Virtual meets are ready for you.

Movie Review : Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Is it still cheating if everybody's doing it?

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While the director tells you he's tried steroids and is against them, and treats their use as unsavory, he respectfully tells the side of each of his subjects, from athletes who passionately endorse steroids as legitimate performance enhancers to medical patients who endorse them as necessary for survival, to varieties of anti-steroid vigilantes. He's giving you the tenets for intelligent discussion of the issue.

Grrls Mother's Day Fitness Wishlist

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On Mother's Day, it's time to return the favour. She helped out by bringing you up; now help her become strong enough to deal with, well, you.

Interview on the Deadlift with World Champion Christine Neff

And, I'm proud to say, she's my sister.

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World Champion deadlifter Christine Neff (formerly Rovnak) is one of the few women in the world who can deadlift more than 500 pounds. She has been powerlifting for 11 years. She holds world, national and state powerlifting records in various weightlifting classes in various federations. And, I'm proud to say, she's my sister.

Grrl's Valentine's Day Wishlist

Time to get her what she really wants.

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For Valentine's Day, help her be as strong as your love. Here's a guide to goodies for your beloved fitness-oriented girl - ahem, grrrl - that will keep you at the top of her list.

DIY Band Crossover Rig

The Ultimate way to use bands.

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A great way to use bands.

Review: Lift with Your Head

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Lift with Your Head: The Training and Movement Philosophies of the Physical Subculture is anything but "just one more fitness book" to jam onto the shelf.

DIY Hanging Handles

Psuedo "Rings"

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Hanging handles are more versatile and less expensive than their glamorous cousin, parallel rings. Here are some ideas for rigging your own set up and getting started with some serious play.

Specific Training for the Transverse Abdominis: Belt It In

Time to tighten up your built-in belt.

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If you've been doggedly crunching away and still don't want anyone seeing your exposed belly until you're good and ready, training the TA may be exactly what your program needs.

Want more?

As you can doubtless see, I love talking about training. Becoming stronger, bigger and faster; using any number of styles and techniques. If you share this passion, grab the newsletter. Absolutely free.

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.
  

»» Want more? They're all here. »»

 

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 :

Gymchat 203 - Fat Loss (with Vic Magary)

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.

Straight to the Bar copyright ©2004-2013 | Scott Andrew Bird

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