Looking At : Jun 2, 2013

Echo Point, Blue Mountains.

During the past week we’ve discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Fitwall : A gym with only one type of equipment? Yep.
( And although I’m far from convinced by this approach, I’m curious about the product itself. Anyone tried it? )
Urbanathlon : This sounds fantastic – an urban obstacle course around beautiful Sydney, Australia. Perfect combination.
Napping May Be Good for Your Heart : Over the years we’ve talked quite a bit about napping (and the recovery benefits of sleep in general). Adding to that : some very interesting research from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School, looking at just one of the benefits of a regular daytime snooze – a much lower risk ( 37% in some cases ) of dying from heart disease. Good stuff.
Can a Computer Cure PTSD? : A virtual therapist? Very interesting idea.
Would a virtual personal trainer – to help inbetween ‘real‘ sessions with a live person – work in the same way?

We also saw some incredible high jumping in Kenya, talked about the potential benefits of bacteria and a whole lot more. Join the discussion in the Straight to the Bar Community on Google+.

Over to you. Drop us a line on Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter. A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

And if you'd like to check out any of the stuff mentioned above (or in the comments), swing by Amazon. Huge assortment of fitness gear.

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What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

images of strength

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

Just Joined Us? Try These.

There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check these out :

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 these, check out the complete ‘Best Of Straight to the Bar‘ list. Fantastic.

setting up a home gym?

If you’re getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here’s how.

For more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.

And of course, you’ll find everything you need over in the SttB Strength Store. Massive range.

Ever Tried Kettlebells?

If you’ve seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.

Converters and Calculators.

Before you start your fitness journey, it’s important to measure a few things.

Here’s how.

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program.

If you’re a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement.

Wherever You Are, We Are.

In addition to the main site, you can share your strength-training passion with a like-minded community on :

Wherever you like to hang out, get your regular dose of strength. Straight to the Bar.

Written By Scott Bird

Scott is a long-time fitness enthusiast (Jan 2004!), writer and photographer living in Sydney, Australia. If you share the passion for spending a bit of time under a bar, welcome. Love hearing how everyone else trains. You can connect via X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook and the various networks listed in the sidebar.

Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.

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