Recently in DIY
Home-made gym equipment - instructions and demonstrations.
How to Make an Indoor Climbing Wall (I Like to Make Stuff)
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : climbing
Love it.
DIY Home Gym In A Box
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : DIY, home gym
Nice one.
Building an Indoor Pull-Up/Chin-Up Bar
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : chinning bar
How To Make An Atlas Stone (Slater Stone vs Hybrid Stone)
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : stone lifting, tutorial
Fantastic video.
Home-Made Exoskeleton - The Big Test
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : exoskeleton
A DIY exoskeleton that can help increase strength.
DIY Oscillating Bar (For Shoulder Stability and Rehab Work)
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bands, DIY, kettlebell
Building a Salmon Ladder
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bodyweight, chin-up, climbing, conditioning, home gym, kipping, obstacle course, pull-up, water consumption
Up For a Challenge? Try One of These.
DIY : How to Build a Wrist Roller
posted by Matt Hunt
Tags : dumbbell, jump, photography, stretch, tutorial, wrist strength
Looking for a DIY project for the weekend? Have a go at this.
My Home Gym Story
posted by Conor Doherty
Tags : bands, beginner, dumbbell, history, home gym, photography, squat
New space, new possibilities.
Vulcan Lever Attachment for Wrist Strength
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : grippers, levering, wrist strength
Love it.
GripWalking
posted by Dan Hardisky
Tags : blob, conditioning, counting calories, dumbbell, Farmers Walk, grip, hand strength, massage, recovery, rings, Social Media (Twitter Google+ and Facebook), strength endurance, strongman, walking, water consumption
A great way to get a little grip work.
DIY : How to Build Your Own Tire Sled
posted by Matt Hunt
Tags : conditioning, DIY, goals, Social Media (Twitter Google+ and Facebook), strongman, tyre
Love building your own equipment?
How to Build Your Own Sandbag
posted by Derek 'D-Rock' Peruo
Tags : DIY, grip, technique
Whether it's for the versatility, experimentation or budget constraints - this is the only way to go.
Roman Chair Squat Device
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : deadlift, DIY, Old-Time Strength, shrugs, squat
Platform for Roman Chair Squats.Via Rob Russell : long-term readers may remember the superb DIY equipment skills of Pat Hodgson, and this is one of his many creations - a platform for Roman Chair / Sissy Squats. Nice one.
Connect the Goddamned Dots
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : DIY, grip
Pop over and say hi.
Blast from the Past : DIY Equipment II
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bodybuilding, DIY, jump, neck, squat, stone lifting, tyre
DIY Plyo Boxes.We've seen a number of new DIY items since last year's roundup, and here are just a few of my favourites.
Homemade Tornado Ball Slam
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : conditioning
Ross Enamait shows a home-made Tornado Ball in action. Good stuff.
DIY Plyo Boxes
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : DIY, plyometrics
DIY Plyo Boxes.A friend asked me this morning about instructions for home-made plyo boxes, and Today Fitness reminded me of a piece in the CrossFit Journal a couple of years ago. If you're looking to construct a couple for yourself, grab the free PDF. Superb.
The 'Hula Hoop'
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : squat, training
The 'Hula Hoop' squatting circle.
An early home-made version of the squatting circle (referred to as the 'Hula Hoop' by Joseph Hise) later marketed by Peary Rader as the 'Magic Circle'.
Swinging a 70lb Mace
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : clubs & maces, grip, leverage
MMA strength coach Kevin Wikse demonstrating a modified 70lb Mace. Nice one.
Squatting with Wooden Plates
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : DIY, squat, training
More DIY squat goodness - this time using a few home-made plates. Nice one.
DIY Climbing Course
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bodyweight, climbing
Love it.
Versatile 'Squat Stands'
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : squat
Demonstrating the incredible versatility of a couple of steel drums, The Pound. Nice one.
DIY Strongman Yoke
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : neck, strongman
Build your own.
Wide Pommel
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bodyweight
Wide Pommel.
Via Gymnastics Coaching : an interesting piece of DIY gym equipment, a wide pommel.
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Cheers.
If you love talking about training, make sure you check out the Gymchats. There's a full list of previous shows here.
To give you an idea of what they're like, here's an example :
Gymchat 277 - Barefoot Running - Believe the Hype! (Steven Sashen)
Fantastic discussion.
NB : if you'd like to be interviewed on an upcoming show (or know someone who should be), drop us a line. It's great to find out how other people train. And if you'd like to add your comments and suggestions on the Gymchats in general, we'd love to hear them. Cheers.
what we're saying
NB : As well as leaving a comment or two beneath the articles themselves, come and join us over on Google+ to see what else we're talking about.
just joined us? try these
There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check out these posts :
DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform
Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
Building A Neck Of Steel
Mike 'The Machine' Bruce
Straight to the Grip Contest
Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
A Little Yoke Work : 10 Exercises for a Bigger Neck
Scott Andrew Bird
29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner
Jason Kirby
Get Mental! The Psychology of Strength
Josh Hewett
Small Victories
Josh Hanagarne
If you enjoyed the articles above, check out the complete 'Best Of Straight to the Bar' list. And if you'd like to do some fitness writing yourself and submit your own piece, get in touch.
ready to get in shape?
A dose of Online Personal Training is ideal. Your place, their experience.
As you'd expect, I work with a number of Fitness Professionals myself - including the wonderful Josh Hewett. If you're about to begin your own strength-training journey, swing by his site at :
top-form-fitness.com/online-coaching
Highly recommended. If you're looking to get serious about 'getting in shape', book some time with Josh. Fantastic guy.
setting up a home gym?
If you're getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here's how.
And for more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.
images of strength
Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.
gift buying guide
When your spouse/sibling/friend is ready to 'get in shape' (or they already are), what do you get them?
No matter what sort of training they're in to, we've got a few suggestions. And if you're looking for something specific, we'll help you find out where to get it. Just leave a comment on any of the posts listed below.
There are a number of articles that may help you in your quest. Specifically :
- Grrl's Valentine's Day Wishlist (Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker)
- The Bodyweight Aficionado's Guide to Gear (Jason Kirby)
- Recommended Books & DVDs on Strength-Training (SttB Authors)
And there's also the full list of the fitness-focused books and DVDs we've looked at over the years : Reading
NB : if you're still not sure what to get, there's always the option of buying them a gift card. There are certainly plenty of options; Amazon
's still my favourite.
Now it's your turn. Let us know how you get on, and feel free to share any photographs of what you bought or how it's being used.
Look forward to hearing from you.
reading : Ferocious Fitness (Phil Ross, Marty Gallagher)
Remember this? Great book. Ferocious Fitness : A Fighter's Proven Action Plan to Develop Blazing Power, Animalistic Strength and Killer Conditioning is a distillation of Phil Ross' training wisdom, in the form of a superbly comprehensive book. We took a look at the digital version recently, and you'll be pleased to know that the paperback version is now available. Definitely worthy of a place on the fitness shelf. Phil Ross' Ferocious Fitness.
community
talking about If you tweet a lot about fitness and would love to be on this list, let me know.
giving
If you've been training for a while, gradually cleaning up your diet, no doubt you've experienced the amazing power of transformation. It's a tremendous feeling. If you're ready to give someone else a hand to transform their own lives - through education, sharing equipment, financial help - take a look at the full list of organisations on the Giving page. Cheers.
daily newsletter
For some people, this site's weekly newsletter (The Strength & Fitness Weekly - part of the Strength Kit) isn't quite frequent enough. For those I produce a daily version, which you can grab here. Absolutely free.
love your grip work?
Check out The Grip Authority. Fantastic site.
in the wild
It’s always great to see how other people train.
If you’d like to send in a photo of yourself in action (wearing one of the Straight to the Bar Shirts of course - the latest design is here), just upload it somewhere and send us a link. Cheers.
the future of fitness
Over the years we’ve looked at the fitness industry from a number of angles - discussing the history, present approaches and potential future trends involved. Fascinating areas.
When it comes to the last part - discussing potential future trends - things get a little, well, unusual. If it’s an interest you share, or you just want to find out the types of things we think are likely, check out the posts tagged ‘Futurism’. And of course, Gymchat 224 (Roundtable) - The Future of Fitness. Superb discussion.
leave it in the ground
On Straight to the Bar we talk a lot about air pollution, primarily from a gym-owner's perspective. In the 'Leave it in the Ground' newsletter we look at the topic far more broadly - the gradual move away from the use of fossil fuels. Daily, and free.
elsewhere
As you can see, we love talking about training. In addition to the conversations on here, in the Google+ Community, Twitter and so on are discussions on several other great fitness-focussed sites.
Check out :
- Josh Hewett : How to Increase Mind-Muscle Connection
- Gains & Aesthetics : In a rut with your routine? Tips to get motivated again
Of course, we're always on the lookout for new additions to this list. If you'd like to suggest a site you've come across personally (or perhaps one that you run), drop us a line.
checking out
URGOnight (Brain Training For Sleep)
Interesting idea.
The URGOnight is a combination of smartphone app & headset, designed to measure various sleep-related brainwaves during the day and gradually train your brain to sleep deeper, and longer.
And although I'm somewhat skeptical of this particular device's abilities, I'm keen to try one out nonetheless.
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 'Napalm' 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.
Confused about what to eat, how much to eat; even when to eat? This book will help you get the most out of your food plan. Superb.
Mike Gillette explains the various ways to put the gymnastic rings to work - progressively - in Rings of Power. With clear emphases on both strength and rehabilitation, it's an ideal place to start.
Particularly those of us in the 'over 40' crowd.
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.
This is a fantastic book. As Josh explains, it superbly shows what's going on while you train. Love it.
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 at the moment (training-related and otherwise), join us on Goodreads. And for a cut-down list showing only the ones we recommend, swing by the Recommended Books & DVDs page. See you there.