Recently in events
The 'This Week in Grip' Podcast ('Napalm' Jedd Johnson)
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : audio, grip
Great show.
The Autism Fitness Level 1 Certification
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : seminar
This looks wonderful.
The Keto Summit
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : diet, Ketogenic Diet
A detailed look at ketosis and ketogenesis.
The Straight to the Bar Strength Calendar
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bodybuilding, cycling, Highland Games, running, strongman, wrestling
Watching? Competing? We'd love to hear it.
He Jianma Prepares for Record-Breaking Hair Pull
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : Old-Time Strength
Letchemanah 'Mighty Man' Ramsamy.Via Newspost Online : strongman He Jianma prepares for a record-breaking attempt at a hair-powered vehicle pull next month. Should be great....
Grip 'n' Rip 2.0
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : grip
Get ready.They're teaming up again. Excellent....
These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : walking
No, that's not Liu Mei.Liu Mei is currently training to break a rather unusual record - walking in a pair of custom-made lead shoes weighing in at an incredible 290kg (638lb). Very strange....
Virtual Meet : Military Bench, 20-22 Feb 2009
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : community
Virtual Meet : Military Bench, 20-22 Feb 2009.As Kris notes, 'Virtualmeet.net has truly switched into high gear of late'. If you're ready for a solid dose of strict feet-up benching, head over to the Virtual Meet site and sign up....
Grip 'n' Rip Strength Demonstration
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : bending, grip, levering, Old-Time Strength, seminar, tearing
Time to rip into it.
Virgin Global Row
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Following Olly Hicks.Via The Adventure Blog : fancy rowing across an ocean? How about rowing around the globe? Olly Hicks is doing just that....
Grip 'n' Rip 2009
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : grip
Grip 'n' Rip 2009.A workshop with Adam Glass and Brad Nelson? Sounds perfect....
Virtual Weightlifting Meet
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : community
Virtual Weightlifting Meet.Kat pointed me to next month's Virtual Meet - an all weightlifting affair. Sounds great....
World's Longest Wall Squat
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : squat
Dr Thienna Ho.Having recovered from the most sumo squats in one hour record, Dr Thienna Ho is gearing up for another bodyweight record attempt - the world's longest wall squat. Her goal? A torturous 12 hours....
World Log Lift Championship
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
http://www.straighttothebar.com/images/posts/081115_loglift.jpg
Bandara Targets Treadmill World Record
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : running, treadmill
Treadmill running. Photo by maHidoodi.Sri Lankan H. M. S. K. W. Bandara enjoys the occasional run on a treadmill, and has his sights firmly set on a particular world record - the greatest distance run in 24 hours. The fun...
Skiing to the South Pole?
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : skiing
Now that's dedication.
Dariusz Słowik Breaks World Washing-machine Throwing Record
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Dariusz Słowik.Discus thrower Dariusz Słowik has just broken the World Washing-machine Throwing Record, hoisting a 48kg machine 3.5 metres. If you've never seen washing-machine throwing before, here's a clip of the previous record-holder (Strongman Bill Lyndon) in action....
Ali Farzaneh
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : clubs & maces, grip, leverage, rings
Ali Farzaneh brings out the clubs at the 2007 European Championship for Zurkhaneh Sports. Nice one....
Arizona Grip Strength
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : grip
Arizona Grip Strength.Home of the Arizona Cactus Grip Showdown (next comp : Feb 9th, 2009), Aaron Corcorran's Arizona Grip Strength. Good stuff....
World Record Sandwich?
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Assembly line.What's the last thing you want when you've just spent two days assembling what is probably the world's longest sandwich? Hungry spectators....
Fastest Lunge Mile
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : lunge, walking
A new record.
Summit For Someone 2009
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : climbing, Raising Money for Charities, Donating Equipment
Summit For Someone.Via The Adventure Blog : where climbing meets fundraising - Summit for Someone....
Bringing the Iditarod Home
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : rings, virtual reality
Set the DVR.
Five Ten SLC Freerunning Convention
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Tags : parkour, stunts
From the recent free-running convention in Salt Lake City, slcpk and Team Streetstunts in action. Good stuff....
Can You Make It?
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
The Adventure Blog notes an adventure race with a difference : Red Bull's Can You Make It? . The idea is simple - race across Europe using any form of transportation you like, carrying a plentiful supply of the...
NB : if you're looking for something specific, use the search box (top of the page) or drop us a line. And if you're happily browsing around, you'll find a full list of all the categories and tags here.
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, you might like to swing by the Daily 'Paper' for a somewhat more frequent dose of training goodness.
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.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.
NB : We also discuss Electric Cars for a very similar reason - they're a great way to help tackle air-pollution. To find out more - looking at the Australian market in particular - swing by the daily 'paper'.
elsewhere
As you can see, we love talking about training. In addition to the conversations on here, on Facebook, Twitter, in The Daily 'Paper' 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
Backmate (Doorway-Mounted Self-Massager)
Looks great.
As you can see from the above video, the Backmate is an incredibly simple idea. Completely portable (it doesn't require any fixed mounts - it expands to fit the available doorway), it looks ideal for travelling.
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.