Welcome to Straight to the Bar
If you’ve just joined us, welcome. Here you’ll find everything that grunts, groans and ticks in the world of strength training. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.
Incidentally, this site’s been helping people become fitter, healthier and stronger since January 2004. If you’ve just joined us, I highly recommend subscribing to the weekly Strength & Fitness Newsletter (part of the Strength Kit), which contains details of new posts on the site, freshly-minted video demonstrations & tutorials, details of upcoming Gymchats and a whole lot more.
And yes, it’s absolutely free.
To help get you started, here are a few of our most recent posts. And if you want to dive in to a particular area. check out the ‘Start Here‘ page above. Enjoy.
PhantomOmics (Health Scanning Setup)
Interesting idea.
The PhantomOmics setup is a collection of sensors (think large mirror, handles & mats) which assess your overall health in various ways. Thermography, ECG, bioimpedance, and dynamometry.
I Built the Ultimate Backyard Gym (One Year Later) (David Maus Jr)
Looks great.
Looking At : Dec 28 2025
This Week On Straight To The Bar…
Fitness Reading/Listening For The Week : ‘The Conspiracy Against Lithium : The Suppressed Essential Nutrient and Its Benefits for Mental Health’ (by Michael Nehls MS PhD)
The Conspiracy Against Lithium Following a recent conversation with a friend who's just been prescribed lithium, I've been reading about it (books, trials, patient feedback etc) ever since. This week it's Michael Nehls' '
SOVN (Sleep Wearable)
The SOVN is a wearable device focussed on sleep. A companion smartphone app completes the picture.
I Cycled For 48 Hours To Get To Work (Beau Miles)
Up for a challenge? Great.
Looking At : Dec 21 2025
This Week On Straight To The Bar…
Fitness Reading/Listening For The Week : ‘Why Vigorous Exercise Is 4–10x More Effective Than Moderate (New Evidence)’ (by FoundMyFitness)
Finally got a chance to check this one out – Rhonda Patrick’s thorough dive into the use of cardio for both extending lifespan and preventing chronic disease.
Fantastic.
Annoying Bracelet (Pill-Dispensing Wearable)
The Annoying Bracelet is a wearable pill-dispenser & reminder, with a bluetooth connection to something nearby (I suspect it’s typically a ‘phone).
Want To Know Why Coffee Makes You Poop? (James Hoffmann)
Interesting.