Via the RossTraining forums : If, like me, you can never have too much DIY fun when it comes to equipping the home gym, head over to Make Your Own Gear. Great stuff.

Anthony Gatto at work. Incredible.

Omaha Strength Sports. Great to see.

A name to keep an eye on in the world of grip training - Elizabeth Horne. This video [streaming, 3mb .flv download] takes a peek into her training.

Via Get Outdoors : a Japanese climbing wall that makes use of found objects. Certainly unusual.

A great piece from sports nutritionist Anthony Ricciuto. The Top 25 Ways to Pack on Serious Mass.

Yesterday I decided to begin the 10,000 swing challenge, which is simply 10,000 kettlebell swings over a 6 week period. That's an average of just over 238 per day.

As there isn't any restriction as to the weight of the bell, number of hands used or time taken to do them (per workout); I'm just adding a few long sets of 2-handed 16kg swings to each session. That's a nice little conditioning boost along with the usual array of deadlifts, chin-ups and assorted kb work.

Via Om Shanti : an interesting discussion on the adjustments made to yoga routines as a result of wrist pain. There are some great ideas in there, regardless of the initial cause of the injury.

It's been raining all week here, which means two things; indoor workouts and time to enjoy an article or two. Amongst them :

• Articles : Max Misch (aka DieselWeasel) joined the team at Straight to the Bar. His first article - Pull like a strongman - is a great read. Also take a look at Workout gear and Mike Robertson's Hips don't lie.
• Video : a bit of Parkour training in Glasgow, a peek at some rather intense Shaolin training and Edyta Ropek setting a new women's dyno world record.
• Podcasts : a couple to add to your regular subscriptions - KinFit - a regular look into the fitness world and the MBUK Podcast. Plenty of mountainbiking fun.
• Sites : in addition to the ever-growing list of blogs is a collection of fitness-related sites. This week's discoveries included the great martial arts site (take a deep breath) The Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair, TreeClimbing.com (it isn't just for kids) and Cardiac Athletes, which shows that recovery can be half the fun.
• Bonus : A deceptively simple exercise, the Eccentric Abdominal Brace [streaming, 528kb .flv download]. Enjoy.

Natalia Vasylyuk. Just one of the many incredible contortionists at softbody.net. Superb.

Via Dr Michael Eades : whilst it may not be the pinnacle of rigorous scientific analysis, this Morgan Spurlock video [streaming, 12.2mb .flv download] might just make you think twice about ordering the fries on your next visit to McDonalds. Not to mention the burgers.

Just came across a great Karl Gotch video [streaming, 1.7mb .flv download] on Scientific Wrestling showing some very interesting moves. For a slightly longer look at one of them - the Push/Pull - take a look at this snippet on YouTube [streaming, 4mb .flv download].

Warrior Yoga. Yoga for the martial athlete.

If Table Tennis is your thing, check out the Golden West USA Table Tennis Tournament - held at Santa Monica College this weekend. If you're in the area, drop in.

I'm not sure that this video [streaming, 5.7mb .flv download] would convince me to rush out and buy a couple of trekking poles, but the idea is interesting. Does anyone here use them? They seem to be far more common in Europe than either here or the US.

Sprinting is a much under-rated training tool. TC once again takes a look at the powers of sprinting to help work on the gluteal fold. Very interesting.

Another video podcast for your perusal - that of Team MBUK (Mountain Biking UK Magazine). Superb.

Mike Robertson takes a very interesting look at the importance of proper hip alignment (particularly in the squat and deadlift). Whether you're enjoying a little posterior or anterior pelvic tilt, Mike shows you exactly what to do about it. A great read.

Building your own gym gear is not only cost-effective, it's downright fun. If you've ever considered constructing your own Monolift, be sure to check out the work of the guys at XXX Powerlifting. Looks great.

"There is no point in being alive if you can’t do deadlift."

- Jón Páll Sigmarsson

Most people who are at least somewhat familiar with strength training and physical culture know that the deadlift is one of the three lifts tested at modern-day powerlifting meets and also, as far back as the beginning of recorded history, we know that men lifted heavy objects from the ground as a test of strength or manhood. The strongman deadlift is like those tests of strength from days long gone because of the many different varieties of the lift and the awkward nature of some of those varieties.

How and What Does a Strongman Pull?
There are three main types of strongman implements that are used for the deadlift at strongman contests: 1) axle (usually a 2" thickbar), 2) olympic barbell, or 3) two side handles, such as a vehicle deadlift and/or farmer's deadlift (picture a farmer's walk without the walk).

Although lifting and loading atlas stones and other awkward objects is an event unto itself and will not be covered in this article, the "lapping" of the stone is still considered to have similarities to the deadlift because it's like a stiff-leg deadlift.

There are also varying heights from which competitors pull the bar(s): besides the normal start position of the deadlift, a standard height of 18" (at or near the knees) is usually used for partial deadlifts with an olympic barbell. When there is a deadlift event with side handles (i.e. car deadlift) instead of a bar, the range of motion decreases, like an 18" deadlift.

Lastly, the three types of deadlift events in strongman are a 1) maximum effort lift (one repetition), 2) maximum repetitions in 60 seconds (or a similar amount of time), and 3) the deadlift medley - a series of different implements and/or objects which must be lifted within a given time.

Climber Timy Fairfield takes a nice look at sprint training over on Ringtraining. His own site is also well worth a look.

Training blog of current PA State Female Deadlift record holder, Christine Petty. Good stuff.

This week's Minute of Strength newsletter features an interesting video of the kettlebell windmill; including a slight adjustment for anyone performing the exercise with a minor shoulder injury. Enjoy.

Via Rif's Blog : a great display of gymnastic strength [streaming, 19.1mb .flv download].

Short-lived fitness fad or a great way to enliven workouts? Tracy Fober seems to be leaning towards 'fad'.

I've been an avid consumer of podcasts for a couple of years now, and I'm always on the lookout for new shows (particularly fitness and tech-related). Today's find - KinFit.

Ski-related injuries have always sounded impressive; certainly moreso than 'I fell down the stairs' or 'I just landed awkwardly'. To keep up with actor Yuval David as he recovers from his own collection of knee traumas, head over to Ski Gimp.

Via Napalm's Corner : some great footage [streaming, 11.8mb .flv download] from the 1988 Bench Press Challenge between wrestling teams the Road Warriors and the Powers of Pain (Warlord and The Barbarian). A nice find Jedd.

Pavel has an interesting thought regarding the improvement of kettlebell swing power - rather than aiming for height, focus on digging your feet into the ground. Another one to remember through the 10,000 swing challenge.

The kettlebell swing is a deceptively simple exercise. If you're tempted to try your hand at the 10,000 swing challenge, Inner Grrr has a few tips for surviving the experience.

10,000 swings over 6 weeks? Sounds like fun.

Live in NYC? Enjoy the occasional run? Head over to the NYC Running Blog. Be sure to check out another great use of Google Maps.

From Kerry's site :

Inner Grrr™ moments are those when you surprise yourself with what you can do. It is connecting with an inner primal place where you feel invincible and empowered, if even for a moment. Please share your challenges, successes, and achievements as you work toward finding your Inner Grrr™!

Plenty of kettlebell fun.

This is the fourth part [see parts 1,2 and 3] of this month's collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore on workout audio; looking at just a few of the options available for listening to music whilst working out.

Whether you're lifting weights, dragging a sled or simply going for a run; working out in silence just doesn't seem right. Here's a look at some of the gear that will help you avoid those peaceful times.

Sport or in-ear headphones

When you're moving around the last thing you want to think about is constantly readjusting your headphones. There are a few varieties of earbuds on the market that are designed for sports or workout use; snug fitting, water resistant and tough enough to take a bit of abuse.

I tend to use the earbuds that came with the iPod, but I've been gazing longly at the Sennheiser PMX 70s. Very nice.

Rave headband

A little over a year ago I tested out the a Rave headband mp3 player (the Rave19, a 256mb model). Since then there have been many improvements in sporting headphone technology (including the storage capacity, which almost seems laughable now) which have nearly rendered this obsolete. In my case, the Rave headband sits quietly in the corner whilst an iPod Shuffle gets all of the attention during workouts. Larger capacity, better sound. Case closed.

I am, however, interested to hear from anyone who's tried the later models of these headbands. The idea itself is fine.

Armbands

I can remember the first time I saw someone out running whilst carrying a Walkman in one hand. My first thought was 'Why don't you put that thing in your pocket?', and as mp3 players took over the role I found myself asking the same question.

An armband fulfils that role nicely. Not only does it give you somewhere to put your mp3 player / mobile phone whilst out running / working out, it provides basic controls (or gives you easy access to the player's own) allowing you to switch between songs and adjust the volume. Very nice.

Nike shoes

I'm yet to be convinced by this one. The underlying idea is good - moving the music source to a private, unobtrusive location - but it does have 'Nike marketing exercise' written all over it. Once the technology is used by a few other vendors I may be a little more enthusiastic.

Mp3 player

As I mentioned above, I use an iPod Shuffle for my workout music. This isn't due to any great benefits of this particular player; I just happen to have one.

Its role is simple. A playlist of appropriate, aggressive music is copied onto it prior to working out (I don't leave it on there as its a bit of a shock to hear Motörhead in between two TWiT podcasts) and the player put into random mode.

If I'm doing exercises which have the bar at or below waist height (most rowing, shrugs, pulls etc), then I wear the Shuffle. The player itself hangs from its lanyard at about chest height (it's a 1st gen, so there's no clip).

If the bar is going to be above waist height, I plug the player into a stereo and fill the house with noise. Good fun.

Incidentally, if you haven't tried hooking your mp3 player up to a hi-fi, there really isn't much to it. Although there are a few dedicated connectors on the market, these are incredibly expensive (the first one I looked at was £80). All you need, however, is a cable which has two RCA plugs on one end (for the line-out on your amp) and a 3.5mm / 1/8" plug on the other (for the headphone jack of the mp3 player). That's it - you're now looking at only a few dollars.

Qigong master Alex Lim in a brief strength demonstration [streaming, 3.4mb .flv download] at a recent Chinese New Year concert. Extreme perhaps, but entertaining nonetheless.

A few snippets from this week’s health news :

• Tom Furman points to an interesting snippet on toe stretching by fitness author Dr Jolie Bookspan.
  When you take your shoes off and stand up, do your toes turn upward by themselves?
• Discovery could increase shelf life of blood
  Melbourne scientists have discovered two molecules in humans that can increase the lifespan of blood cells.
• Dark Chocolate May Lower Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
  f you eat some dark chocolate now-and-again you could well be lowering your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, say researchers at Yale Prevention Research Center, Connecticut, USA.
• Exercising With Peers Has Added Appeal
  A new study in the April issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine has found if given a choice of exercising alone, with people younger or older or with people their same age, most adults would rather exercise with others in their own age group.
• Doctors Day 2007 Promotes Importance Of Quitting Smoking Before Surgery
  Smokers require special consideration when undergoing anesthesia for a surgical procedure.

Joe DeFranco briefly discusses the importance of isometric holds for MMA athletes. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, these essentially involve holding a weight still at a point during an exercise - usually when the target muscle is already partially contracted. These are often done with rows and shrugs.

Although slightly controversial, isometric training has a long and interesting history. For more information on this great training methodology, try the following resources :

Charles Atlas : part of his Dynamic Tension training system consisted of simple isometric exercises.

John Little and Pete Sisco : the bulk of their 'Static Contraction Training' system comprised isometric exercises.

Bob Hoffman : it was Bob Hoffman's writing that first encouraged Bruce Lee to incorporate isometric exercises in his training. Hoffman's works are worth tracking down, as is Bruce Lee's The art of Expressing the Human Body (review); which also discusses isometric training at length.

Max Misch (aka DieselWeasel) is a very interesting guy. Whilst you may already be vaguely familiar with his progress over the last few years, his blog takes a great look into the world of Strongman training.

Incidentally, if you're looking for even more DW video action, head over to his YouTube site.

No, I'm not quite there yet. Just bookmarking it ready. Fitness after fifty.

Straight to the Bar is growing. In order to keep everyone up to speed with the numerous happenings in the fascinating world of strength sports, several new writers will be joining the team. Whilst I'm sure many of you are already familiar with them, here's a brief rundown :

Jason Kirby (All around strength) : Commonly known as Carpediemcat, Jason is poised to bring some wonderful creativity to the land of Personal Training. Whereas most people will glance around the gym and see plates, bars, and benches; Jason sees a collection of tools ready to get you moving in cruel and unusual ways.

Max Misch (Diesel Weasel) : Chances are you've seen Max make an incredible transformation from an enthusiastic lifter to amateur Strongman. If you're considering a similar move, keep your eyes open. He's got a lot of great information to share.

Mich Cahlon (Maspik Teruzim) : Mich is a superb writer, as well as a great proponent of strength training for women. If you're sick of hearing things such as 'girls can't do push-ups', stay tuned.

Jedd Johnson (Diesel Crew) : There's a brutal honesty about grip training, and it's something that Jedd clearly enjoys. Not only is he particularly inventive when it comes to working the hands and forearms, a glance at his competition history is enough to confirm that he's also incredibly effective. There's some fantastic reading there.

Mike Amos (Anvil or Hammer) : Mike has a great 'just get out there and do it' mentality, partnered with competition experience and knowledge of many different training methodologies. When Mike speaks, it's time to listen.

If you'd like to join the Straight to the Bar writing team, let me know.

Via Grip Training Obsession : a brief look at a near miss in an 815lb 3 board bench press attempt [streaming, 672kb .flv download]. Definitely one to think about.

If you're in the unfortunate/fortunate (depending on how you look at it) position of recovery from a heart operation, now considering your training options, this site is for you. Cardiac Athletes is a great resource for people who are hoping to return to some measure of their former exercise intensity, and wondering just how quickly to do things; and, of course, what to do.

Photo © Alex Messenger

Very impressive stuff.

Tree climbing. Indulge your inner child.

Via Zach Even-Esh : Shaolin training [streaming, 20.6mb .flv download]. Fascinating (although I'm yet to be convinced by the ball kicking).

Some Wing Chun strength exercises [streaming, 11.6mb .flv download]. A couple of interesting ideas in there.

As it says on the blog, this is Mixed Martial Arts from a Toronto fan perspective. Not bad at all.

Via Physical Strategies : a very interesting Martial Arts site - The Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair.

If you haven't yet been exposed to the delights of the Peak Performance newsletter, here's your chance - Issue 243 is now available for free. A great read.

I never grow tired of watching this stuff [streaming, 13.1mb .flv download]. Superb.

This week a new project (related to Straight to the Bar, of course) seems to have eaten its fair share of my time; but the following pieces still managed to make their way onto the site :

• Articles : I love deadlifting in all of its wonderful forms. So, apparently, does Nathan J Polencheck. Blaine takes a look at several podcasts designed for runners and the New York Times takes a peek into the world of Olympic Weightlifting in Florida's High Schools.
• Videos : Dorothy Darke and Arthur Owen demonstrate a few simple self-defense moves - 1931 style, Charles Staley links to several demonstrations of Olympic Weightlifting moves and Barely Dead shows that rollerblading clearly isn't.
• Events : Make sure the following are circled in your calendar (whether you plan to compete or simply watch them on TV) : Mark Webber's Pure Tasmania Challenge, the FINA World Swimming Championships and the Global Grip Challenge. That one definitely looks like a good time.
• Archives : In addition to a flashback of Ronnie Coleman's performance at the 1994 Olympia came a couple of new pieces in the History of Strength section : a brief look at both the wrestler Martin 'Farmer' Burns and the Husafell stone. 175kg of fun.
• Bonus : Via The Genius in All of Us : The nature and nurture of muscles. Very interesting.

Check out the blog of personal trainer, powerlifter and kettlebell enthusiast Scott Shetler. A great blend.

The Ultimate Fighting Machine [streaming, 1.2mb .flv download]. The home gym just got a whole lot more exciting.

Barbell step-ups - a great way to finish a squat workout [streaming, 1.6mb .flv download].

Photo by Chip Litherland

Rollerblading exploded onto the scene in the mid '90s, and disappeared from mainstream eyes almost as fast. Barely Dead shows that the sport still has quite a large underground following; fine-tuning things for over a decade.

There are some great stunts on both the trailer [streaming, 10.4mb .flv download] and the videos at the main site.

Just came across this, which will undoubtedly make its way into my fitness library next month. The English translation of Hokama Tetsuhiro's 'Timeline of Karate history'. Perfect.

Via Get Outdoors : whether it's for weekend hikes or simply carting a bit of workout gear down to the local park, a good backpack's well worth the money. Backpacker Magazine has made life easier when it comes to choosing the right one, with a series of videos.

A great place to start : Measure your torso length [streaming, 6.8mb .flv download].

Photo by Amelia PS

As an avid podcast listener myself (my weapon of choice is still a first-generation iPod Shuffle), I'll definitely be checking these out. Of course, if you have any to add to the list, be sure to note them in the comments (either here or over on Blaine's site).

Mike Amos started training in high school but made the same mistake many college students make, thinking that since sports where behind him, so was training. After a seven year absence from the weightroom he decided it was time to return. This time not for wrestling or football but for life and for fun. In the three years since his return he has made a remarkable number of mistakes and corrected a few of them.

Mike currently lives and trains in Baltimore, Maryland at a variety of locations. He is afforded the opportunity to train with a variety of people, equipment and techniques. He has trained and experimented with bodybuilding, powerbuilding, powerlifting, strongman, girevoy and dinosaur training. He has settled on none of them. Currently he strives to lose weight and get stronger and prefers sandbags and kettlebells to the gym. Mike has competed in strongman and the tactical strength challenge.

In 2005 Mike started a blog on gripboard.com which has since been moved to Anvil or Hammer.

Via Napalm's Corner : This year's Global Grip Challenge takes place on August 25 in Sayre, PA. Definitely looking forward to Event 5 :

Timed hold with Rolling Thunders attached to a Car Deadlift apparatus. It will be just like a farmer's hold, only the handles will be Rolling Thunders and the weights will be added to the Viking Press/Conan's Wheel apparatus.

Sounds like fun, especially if last year's competition is anything to go by.

Sculpture by Pierre Puget.

• Holding out his hand and asking spectators to bend his little finger
• Placing a pomegranate in his hand and asking spectators to remove it
• Standing on a greased metal disc and asking spectators to push him off it

and the most famous

• Training each day between Olympic games with a live calf on his back. By the time of the games, he was lifting a 4 year old animal several times each day.

References

1. Milo of Croton
Wikipedia

Via Daily Motion: a slightly smaller Ron Coleman from 1994.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

Martin 'Farmer' Burns, 1912.

References

1. Martin Burns
Wikipedia

2. Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture
Sandow Plus

Overspecialize and you breed in weakness.

Via Kettlebell Rob : Finnish kettlebell training, some interesting conditioning ideas (keep your eyes on the background) and great music [streaming, 10.7mb .flv download]. Enjoy.

A few snippets from this week's health news :

• First UK Study To Determine How General Practice Professionals Can Tackle Adolescent Obesity
  Academics at the University of Hertfordshire are conducting the first UK study to investigate how health professionals based in general practice can help adolescents who are obese to lose weight.
  
• Key-Hole Operation To Eliminate Back Pain / ECR 2007
  Today, technical progress allows us to remedy damage that was once virtually or completely inoperable. This can be done quite quickly and without undesirable side effects.
• Fear centre 'shrinks' in autism
  A part of the brain associated with emotional learning and fear shrinks in people with autism, research suggests.
• Rochester Study Connects Common Chemicals To Rising Obesity Rates
  Exposure to phthalates, a common chemical found in everything from plastics to soaps, already has been connected to reproductive problems and now, for the first time, is linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center.
• Anti-Epileptic Drugs Could Help Prevent And Treat Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
  On the battlefield, a soldier's hearing can be permanently damaged in an instant by the boom of an explosion, and thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq have some permanent hearing loss. But what if soldiers could take a pill before going on duty that would prevent damage to hearing?

Charles Staley has a great collection of videos demonstrating the many versions of Olympic pulls as part of his Deads vs Pulls article. Enjoy.

The 12th FINA World Swimming Championships officially got underway a few hours ago (although a few events managed to sneak in early). To get in the mood, take a look at some of the superb photographs from previous meets.

Although I'm not quite obsessive-compulsive over the deadlift (I'll draw the line at 'passionate'), I can certainly appreciate Nathan J. Polencheck's love of this great exercise. He's got some very good ideas here, and as they helped him add 100 lbs to his pull in 6 months, they're well worth a look.

This week saw more of the rack pull/chin-up work that forms the basis of my current routine, as well as a bit of dumbbell action (the kettlebell is still half-painted, waiting for the rain to stop long enough to finish it off). Not to mention the occasional set on the Total Gym.

I've been using a double overhand grip for the pulls for a few weeks now, and I've almost caught up to my previous alternate-grip levels. The humidity saw the chalk come out right from the start, but it was only at 200/440 that I was forced to don the belt, and mix up the grip. Nearly got there.

Well I'm a Criminal Justice major on the 5 year plan, looking to sneak my way into the fitness field. I've taken an avid, slightly obsessive interest in exercise. This is not limited to just lifting weights, while that may be good for some people I like to follow in the footsteps of the folks at CrossFit and Ross Enamait. I am really really hoping to get my Personal Trainer certification from NCSF in the middle of May (at the cusp of graduation) and get into CrossFit.

Find out more at : All around strength

Can't decide between blading and skiing? Try Skateslider.

Dorothy Darke and Arthur Owen - shown here in 1931 - demonstrate a couple of basic self defense moves [streaming, 4.75mb .flv download]. As you'll see, things haven't changed all that much.

If you missed out last year, make sure you mark your calendars for one of the year's greatest adventure challenges - Mark Webber's Pure Tasmania Challenge. The fun begins on November 17.

Outside it's nice and stormy; in fact it has been all week. Here at Straight to the Bar it's been just as hectic :

• Articles : Just when I got a shock by realising that my gut was competing with my chest for pole position, Mike Roussell talks about Testosterone and saturated fats; Mike Johnston relates his own experiences with overhead and bench pressing and I lament the demise of monkey bars.
• Videos : Legendary Olympic Weightlifter Tommy Kono talks about the basics of Olympic lifting, PJTrainer enjoys a little mini-blob lifting and Hammar Sports quarters a few bottlecaps.
• Exercises : It's always great to discover new ways of working out. Amongst this week's finds were Drop set chain push-ups, Shoulder squatting and the kettlebell getup/situp.
• Blogs : The list of blogs just keeps on expanding with the addition of Kettlebell Rob, Jawbone Journal and the Human Vise - Pat Povailatis.
• Bonus : Triage, Hierarchies, and Snowballs. Chris Shugart talks about, well, quite a lot actually. If you missed his recent Boston seminar, here's your chance to catch up.

Bottlecap bending [streaming, 5.4mb .flv download]. A little more difficult than it looks.

Via Dedwarmo : JuggleTube. YouTube for jugglers.

I love these things. As you can see, it's exactly what the name suggests - a pull-up performed using only 2 fingers from each hand.

Although I've never tried rock climbing, these are often known as Climbers' Pull-ups; and a couple of climb training techniques will come in handy. The training tool you'll need is known as a Fingerboard.

Fingerboards don't have to be fancy to be effective (the picture here shows the one regularly used by climbing coach Dave McLeod); although there are various commercial offerings if you prefer. Dave discusses the use of a fingerboard here; Moonclimbing also has some great information on this type of training.

Why would you want to do this?

Finger strength. You can never have too much. You'll also give your hands and forearms generally a good going over. If the hangs and pull-ups are out of the question at the moment, keep in mind that you can use bands to support some of your weight and make things a little easier. Temporarily, of course.

Further reading/viewing

Neil Mathewson demonstrates a couple of 2-finger pull-ups [streaming, 640kb .flv download]

Campusing. And you thought the fingerboard was hard work.

The Turkish Get-up (with a kettlebell or two) is a fantastic exercise, but not exactly easy when you're just starting your kettlebell journey. The kettlebell getup/situp - demonstrated in this week's Minute of Strength newsletter - is a great way to prepare for the real thing.

The Genius in all of us - an excellent blog - is calling for stories on 'born geniuses' who have reached an almost mythic status over the years. The example given is the superb hitter Ted Williams, who was often credited with having almost superhuman eyesight.

In his own words :

Sure, I think I had good eyesight, maybe exceptional eyesight, but not superhuman eyesight. A lot of people have 20/10 vision. The reason I saw things was that I was so intense...it was discipline, not super eyesight."

As writer David Shenk points out,

Built-in ability is nice, but acquired ability is inspirational.

Palance Points is a review blog with a difference, asking a single question :

'Would Jack Palance have liked it?'

Unusual, entertaining and - I suspect - right on the money.

Just when I thought I'd seen all of the squat varieties, All around strength has a new one - resting the bar on one shoulder. Definitely one to try.

Just came across the blog of 'The Human Vise', Pat Povilaitis. The picture at left - Pat reshaping a horseshoe - says it all.

Check out the fitness blog of writer John E Fike, aka the Low Budget Warrior. A great mix of bodyweight, kettlebell and conditioning work.

A few snippets from this week's health news :

• Via Physical Strategies : a gene that could help cure heart disease
  The first study on the gene, naming it Apo A1-Milano, showed it might protect against heart disease in an unusual way.
  
• Homework contributing to childhood obesity, parents say
  Parents and Friends chief Jenny Branch says as childhood obesity becomes a major problem, homework is forcing children to sit in front of computers instead of exercise.
• New Study Indicates Tanning May Be Addictive
  Now, a new study of college co-eds indicates that some people may be addicted to ultraviolet (UV) light.
• Red Pepper: Hot Stuff For Fighting Fat?
  Food scientists in Taiwan are reporting new evidence from laboratory experiments that capsaicin - the natural compound that gives red pepper that spicy hot kick - can reduce the growth of fat cells.
• The First Urine Test To Detect Insulin Doping In Athletes
  Scientists in Germany are reporting development of a urine test that finally can identify athletes who misuse certain kinds of insulin in an illicit attempt to enhance performance.

Youtube has plenty of strongman training from PJTrainer. His latest video, mini blob clean and press [streaming, 432kb .flv download], is a great starting point.

Pistols are a great exercise, however the balance can be a little tricky at times. If you find yourself almost being able to do them without holding on to something, the All around strength blog has some great advice.

New to pistols? They're really nothing more than a one-legged squat (usually bodyweight only). Much more difficult than you might imagine. For further information, head over to Power Athletes Mag and check out this superb article by Steve Cotter.

In the face of a growing obesity problem, the Australian government has asked fast-food retailers across the country to greatly reduce the quantity of trans-fats in their cooking. So far, many retailers seem to be agreeable to the idea - particularly with the unfavourable response anticipated by a negative reaction.

A hamburger from the local take-away is fast becoming a reasonable idea.

I ran for 4 years at the Rochester Institute of Technology on the cross country and track & field teams, which were NCAA Division III programs. Now, I am a local runner here in Portland, Maine. I spent the two years with the Run to Win men’s team, and now race for Dirigo in the USATF-NE Grand Prix circuit.

My goal is to run a marathon in every state, as well as in the District of Columbia and in foreign countries. To that end, I have so far completed 7 marathons, and have been running at a pace of two per year. I plan to speed that up to 3 per year, but held off this year as I thought that buying a house and getting married were more important.

When I am not running marathons, I compete in races between 1 mile and the half marathon, with the majority being 5 kilometer and 10 kilometer races. I supplement my training with weight lifting, swimming, and bicycle riding. I would like to try a triathlon at some point, but I am not a very strong swimmer and am diligently working on that aspect of the race.

I am currently working on putting a training plan together that anybody could use to comfortably run and recover from a 3 hour marathon.

Find out more at : news.runtowin.com

Musick hath charms to soothe a savage breast

- William Congreve

This is the second part of this month's series on workout music; a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore.

I love to listen to music, and my tastes vary wildly according to mood. When I'm heading to the home gym, however, there are only two types of music to consider. These are not two genres, but instead can be thought of in terms of their effect on your heartrate - soothing or aggressive.

Soothing

Soothing music has a lot of things going for it. Put on a relaxing tune and watch as your breathing and heartrate slow, and your focus improves. These factors alone can make it a very worthwhile way to begin your workout.

When I tried using soothing music in a workout, I had great results. I felt more focused, and calmly set about breaking a few PRs. It sounds perfect - yet I changed back to more aggressive tunes in the very next workout (and have kept them ever since). Why?

The short answer : I prefer it. I'm much more comfortable with loud, obnoxious, aggressive metal (or anything from hard rock up, really) as an accompaniment when I'm lifting weights than anything a little more calming (I save that for a relaxing break at the end of a long day).

The longer answer : there have been numerous studies on the relationships between music and the human body. Music to heal, music to relieve symptoms; music to take your mind to a different place.

Of these (several of which have been listed at the end of this article), two points stand out. Soothing music has been shown to :

• reduce cortisol levels
• reduce muscle tonus

Reducing cortisol production has many health benefits long-term (such as a reduction in blood pressure and aiding the ability of the immune system to do its job) [1], but this has dubious benefits during the short period of a workout. Cortisol is a complex hormone, but amongst its many roles are protein breakdown and the takeup of amino acids - neither of which are particularly desirable during your workout.

Similarly, reduction of muscle tonus can be seen as both a good / bad thing. For those with exceedingly tight or spasmodic muscles, a little reduction may be welcomed. In all other cases, however, it's not something you particularly want.

Aggressive

I've grown up surrounded by hard rock and a little metal (AC/DC and Metallica are typical), and this is very much my default. During workouts I generally listen to music of this 'weight'.

My usual practice is to throw a random sample of songs on the iPod from a personal 'workout' playlist, listening to one song per set. When the next set begins, I switch to the next random song (whether the previous one is still playing or not) and get down to business. This works out well.

The reason for listening to this type of music is again a question with both a short and long answer. The short one is the simple fact that I'm used to heavier music, and I feel more 'at home' with it playing than I do with something more soothing (which I generally associate with a darkened room, glass of wine and closed eyes).

The longer answer is that aggressive music can actually assist strength training in the same ways that soothing music can hinder it. An increase in both cortisol production and muscle tonus are of benefit here. A couple of other benefits might be :

Music promotes dissociation : you're much less likely to think about pain and more likely to succumb to the various chemical changes taking place in your body when you listen to music you enjoy. Personally I enjoy a lot of different genres, but the heavier ones usually top the list.

Motivation : along similar lines is the concept of motivation. If you enjoy the music, you're more likely to enjoy the workout; and therefore more likely to repeat the process. Always a good thing.

Conclusion

Overall, it's the heavier stuff for me. Soothing music is great for doing just that - soothing; however a bit of growling and screaming will always be welcome in the home gym. As musical accompaniment, that is.

Studies and further reading

Although the use of music is highly controversial at times (and very much a personal thing), the following will give you some insight into the current environment :

The effects of vibroacoustic therapy on clinical and non-clinical populations
Wigram, Anthony Lewis
1997

The influence of preferred relaxing music on measures of state anxiety, relaxation, and physiological responses.
Thaut, M.H.
Journal of Music Therapy 26
1989

La La La: The Effects of Music on Muscle Strength
Stephanie C. Chang; Jacqueline S. Ho
CALIFORNIA STATE SCIENCE FAIR
2005

Music therapy as a treatment method for improving respiratory muscle strength in patients with advanced multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.
Wiens ME, Reimer MA, Guyn HL.
1999

Relaxing music better turned off
ABC Science Online
5 May 2006

Music makes your heart beat faster
ABC Science Online
10 Oct 2005

The Effects of Music on Exerise?
Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

References

1. Cortisol
Wikipedia

The Moroccan town of Ouarzazate is home every year to the Marathon des Sables, or Sand Marathon. This is a gruelling 240km (150m) run across hot desert sands, over a 7 day period. Not for the faint of heart.

The fun starts on March 23rd. Any takers?

One of the more unusual events on the sporting calendar is Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling festival. The premise is simple: a Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down a hill (reaching speeds of up to 70mph) and competitors run downhill chasing it. The first to pass the finish line (or catch the cheese) is the winner.

It's a steep, uneven decline and there are usually a number of injuries; ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones and concussions. To get an idea of the insanity, take a look at a few of the videos from last year's festival.

The next competition is scheduled for May 28. If you're in the area, head on over. Looks like a lot of fun.

A bit of juggling vocabulary from Dedwarmo : Grind [streaming, 588kb .flv download].

'Hey hey, we're the Monkeys, and people say we monkey around'
- Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart

A few weeks ago I visited Sofala, an old mining town near Bathurst, NSW. Russell Drysdale depicted the main street in his 1947 painting Sofala, and it hasn't changed much in the 60 years since. It's a dry, desolate, dusty place - and quite beautiful. I love it.

Whilst walking along this same street I noticed something that I haven't seen for a number of years - monkey bars. There they were, in a childrens' playground neatly slotted between a pub and a toilet block (perhaps not the best location, but it was relatively well protected from the sun). It was a very unusual sight.

If you're not quite sure what monkey bars are, picture a smooth-runged steel ladder placed on its side. The whole thing is supported on poles, keeping it 7' or 8' off the ground. A chinning bar on steroids, if you will.

A few decades ago - when I would have first played around on monkey bars - they seemed to be everywhere. In their original, simple form or as part of more elaborate constructions such as rockets and aeroplanes. To a young boy with a big imagination, they were magical.

Fast forward 20 years or so, to the mid '90s. Due to their popularity - they were being used almost 8 times [1] as much as other playground equipment - there were an alarming number of accidents. Many of these were minor (as anyone who's ever fallen awkwardly from a chinning bar will attest), but politicians the world over began to grow worried that something more sinister was possible. Fearful of lawsuits, many of the monkey bars were removed.

The result? A major source of entertaining upper-back work was largely taken away from an entire generation. Sure, there are still any number of ways children can perform chin-ups. But none is so much fun as a climb across the monkey bars.

References

1. Injury and frequency of use of playground equipment in
public schools and parks in Brisbane, Australia
J W Nixon, C H C Acton, B Wallis, M F Ballesteros, D Battistutta
Injury Prevention, 2003

Via The Other Side of Strength : a two-part (part 1, part 2) lecture on Olympic Lifting by Tommy Kono. Superb.

Wim Hof likes to stay cool. In September 2004 he spent 1 hour and 8 minutes in an ice bath, breaking his own world record from January that same year. The January effort, incidentally, wasn't his first.

Hof, aka 'Iceman', is a practitioner of Inner Fire yoga (Tum-mo) - using it to increase his tolerance to extremely cold conditions. In addition to the abovementioned ice baths, he has :

• climbed several snow-covered mountains in bare feet
• run a Finnish half-marathon in bare feet (ground temperature was -37C/-35F)
• and most recently, set a new world record in Finland by swimming beneath the ice within the Arctic Circle.

The next challenge? Climbing Everest, hopefully breaking a few records along the way. The standout one - and certainly in keeping with his theme - seems to be the idea of performing part of the climb wearing shorts, and no shirt. He's a very, very strange man.

This week I learnt two key facts about my training. The first is that I need a little more of a break between heavy deadlift sessions (and lighter ones never seem to work). Both between the pulls and the other exercises in that session, and between the workouts themselves. A week or so seems reasonable; at least more reasonable than the current 2 days.

The second is that my left hand seems to be catching up in crucial areas of grip strength. One of the areas in which this is most easily seen is in the one-armed bar hangs; which have been fairly straightforward with the right arm but nearly impossible with the left. Until this week, that is. Looks as though the one-armed chin-up quest is still on track.

Other than that it was a regular dose of the usual players - bodyweight, kettlebell and grip work. And a healthy dose of '70s rock.

Mike Johnston seems to think so. Read on.

Joe DeFranco briefly mentions a terrific-sounding exercise in his latest 'Ask Joe' column : 'drop set' chain push-ups. A video demonstration clarifies things [streaming, 2.35mb .flv download].

Despite trying on several occasions to quit coffee, the caffeine addiction just keeps powering on. Still, at only 2-3 cups per week, I'm far better off than I used to be.

These, however, look tempting. Chewing gum-like strips of caffeinated goodness. Perfect for a pre-workout hit I suspect. Anyone tried them?

Take a wander over to the training blog of Kettlebell Rob - as the name implies, it's full of kettlebell action. Beautiful.

Photo © Russell Davies

It's been a busy week here at Straight to the Bar. Amid the madness :

• Articles : The New York Times kicks off with 'How to Grow a Super-Athlete', Rocannon discusses the stocking of an outdoor gym and Joel Marion talks about counteracting fatigue.
• Videos : A great demonstration of planche push-ups, Tracy shows off a kettlebell Waiter's Walk and Tom Furman points to some great Piper videos.
• Arnold : There's been some great video and photography coming out of this years' Arnold, including Odd Haugen and Mark Henry doing a little dumbbell lifting, Ano Turtiainen getting ready to explode and Zach's wrestlers in action.
• Strongman : I did a little imperial->metric nail conversion, all about the Husafell Stone and Eric Cressey chats to Brad Cardoza and John Sullivan.
• Bonus : A great piece on Breathing Ladders by Mark Twight. Enjoy.

Eric Cressey chats to strongmen Brad Cardoza and John Sullivan about training, competitions and overhead pressing in the hot tub. Good stuff.

Demonstrating the results of Zach Even-Esh's labours : some great wrestling at the Arnold [streaming, 8.1mb .flv download].

Via Powerlifting Watch : more pictorial and video goodness from the Arnold, this time courtesy Ano Turtiainen. Enjoy.

Joel Marion looks at 7 of the most common ways to fight fatigue during workouts (specifically the drop-off between sets). And yes, he's joking about the Metallica albums.

Mike Robertson talks about a surprisingly controversial item - the Knee Sleeve. Do you use them?

Rocannon takes a look at a simple, efficient equipment list for an outdoor home gym. Sounds like a great way to start.

Photo by Hjalti Arnason.

In the World's Strongest Man competitions the Husafell stone is lifted from a waist-high platform to chest height, and carried for distance. Once the stone is dropped, or in the case of the competitor moving outside their designated lane, the carry is terminated and the distance measured [2]. During the years in which this event took place on African soil, the stone was known as the Africa stone (and shaped accordingly).

References

1. World's Strongest Man
Wikipedia

2.
The African Stone
World's Strongest Man

Further reading

Video 3mb, .mov] of Dr. William Crawford achieving fullsterker (full strength) status by hoisting the Husafell Stone and taking it for a walk around the goat track (approx. 50m).

To Lift a Heavy Stone[1.8mb, .pdf]
Rick Walker

A detailed look at the techniques involved in heavy stone lifting.

When it comes to action sports, you really can't go past the X Games. This year's competition - scheduled for August 2-5 in Los Angeles - adds womens' surfing to an already impressive list. If you enjoy a bit of MotoX, skateboarding and rally action, it's definitely one to mark on your calendar.

Odd Haugen, that is. Jedd shows the 'Visegrip Viking' as well as wrestler Mark Henry hoisting a circus dumbbell weighing 202lb, with a 3" handle. Nice one.

Run to Win's Blaine Moore kicks off this month's collaboration on workout audio with a look at the pros and cons of running with headphones. Although not quite as hard-nosed as Carl Kruger, Blaine favours silence when running over audio accompaniment.

Personally, I've always had music playing in the background no matter what activity I was engaged in; so the concept of complete silence seems a little odd. Still, I'm curious to see where other people tend to fall on this issue - music or a little quiet time?

From the New York Times - a very interesting article on Myelin, talent and technique. Plenty of food for thought.

Tom Furman points to some great videos demonstrating the Piper System. Great stuff; make sure you also check out A Pointed Truth (the Piper System blog).

When I'm buying a new book or CD I generally begin by looking at a few reviews on Amazon. However, with training gear it's a little more difficult. If you're considering purchasing a new item for your martial arts training, Martial Arts Product Reviews is a great place to start.

Tracy Reifkind demonstrates a great kettlebell exercise - the Waiter's Walk (performed here in conjunction with a bit of kettlebell snatching) [streaming, 3.7mb .flv download]. Not bad at all.

Good health seems to go hand-in-hand with fitness, and I regularly find myself reading various medical news sources. A few of the ones I've come across this morning :

• Watchdog blasts 'X-treme Eating'
  Chain restaurants in the United States are promoting dangerous "X-treme Eating", a US watchdog has said.
• Vitamins 'could shorten lifespan'
  Taking certain vitamin supplements may adversely affect people's lifespan, researchers have suggested.
• First Clues Into The Genetic Source Of Natural Electrical Signals Governing Regeneration Of Nerve And Muscle
  Scientists at Forsyth may have moved one step closer to regenerating human spinal cord tissue by artificially inducing a frog tadpole to re-grow its tail at a stage in its development when it is normally impossible.
• How The Spinal Cord Controls The Speed Of Movement
  Using a state-of-the-art technique to map neurons in the spinal cord of a larval zebrafish, Cornell University scientists have found a surprising pattern of activity that regulates the speed of the fish's movement.
• Sweat May Pass On Hepatitis B In Contact Sports
  Sweat may be another way to pass on hepatitis B infection during contact sports, suggests research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Planche push-ups - very impressive [streaming, 1mb .flv download].

As you can see from the photo, it finally stopped raining here long enough to begin painting the kettlebell (still a fair bit of work to do before it's ready for the contest). Also this week :

I seem to be inadvertently preparing for a Tactical Strength Challenge, with the deadlift, kettlebell work and chin-ups comprising the bulk of my training at the moment. Plus a good bit of grip work.

The deadlifting sessions are still done largely according to feel (although a couple of ideas suggested recently by John may form the basis of a more structured routine). Rack pulls of various heights, different grip widths (all of them done double overhand), plenty of chalk and a healthy dose of obnoxious music. Beautiful.

The chin-ups followed Week A of the new routine, which focuses on the two-handed stuff. The only minor change may be the lat work - at least the bent rows performed between sets - which may end up forming a separate accessory period. All the chin-ups, followed by all of the lat exercises.

As for the kettlebell, well it's out of commission for a couple of days (until the painting is complete). Looks like it's back to the dumbbells for a bit.

Yesterday I finally had time to head over to a nearby hardware store, which still ranks highly on my list of cool places to just wander around. This time, however, I headed straight for the fasteners section : specifically nails.

I'm currently re-reading the Diesel Crew's Bending eBook (review), which discusses in great detail the many fun things to do with nails, bolts and other metal objects and the equipment and techniques necessary in order to do them. However, as I quickly discovered, the nails sold here these days are denoted solely by their metric measurements. The days of dual notation and handy conversion charts have gone.

For anyone who finds themselves in a similar position, here are a couple of charts which should prove indispensable.

This is very much a 'take a break and read this' article. As Martin Rooney points out :

I realized that even though I’ve trained consistently for over two thirds of my life, I’m not as big as Arnold Schwarzeneggar [sic].

Alhough I've not been lifting weights for anything approaching 20 years (in fact, it's only 3), the logic resonates well. Time to redefine a few goals, I suspect. Or at least the routines used to reach them.

Irish Road Bowling - just one of the many great (and unusual) sports detailed on ArmchairGM, a superb sports wiki. Well worth checking out.

Another great week here at Straight to the Bar. Some of the highlights :

• Articles : get the low-down on sumo deadlifting, a brief look at rice digs and take a peek behind the curtain at Chinese weightlifters in training.
• Videos : Marciano vs Charles, Ed Coan doing a little squatting and a great Arnold Strongest Man compilation. This will certainly put you in the mood for some serious lifting.
• Interviews : find out more about kettlebell superstar Valery Fedorenko, MMA athlete Justin 'ChimChim' Garcia and legendary powerlifter Ed Coan.
• Grip : Theo Burgraff performs a 411lb V-bar lift, when to grip a kettlebell and a superb book on Bending from the Diesel Crew.
• Bonus : Watch Polish Strongwoman Aneta Florczyk pulling 250kg (550lb) [streaming, 2.2mb .flv download]. Not bad at all.

Starting tomorrow, 12 runners will be attempting to break the 24hr treadmill-running world record; in the Great Lakes Treadmill Challenge. Good luck.

Via the Diesel Crew : some great vintage footage (1971 Worlds in Lima, Peru) [streaming, 2.1mb .flv download] of Serge Redding pressing an incredible 228kg (503lb).

Want more? Here's Vasily Alexeev [streaming, 2.5mb .flv download] breaking this record just a few minutes later with a lift of 230kg (507lb). Great stuff.

This snippet [streaming, 1.4mb .flv download] from 1938 shows clearly just how much strength is involved in Mens' Gymnastics. Incredible.

Tracy Fober takes a peek into the training methods used by Chinese Weightlifters as they gear up for Beijing. There's no doubt about it - they intend to win; and not just the lighter weight categories.

Make sure you take a look at the photos by Dan Hwang linked to in the article. Some great ones in there.

Grip training obsession points to a great video of an unofficial world record : Theo Burggraff lifting a 411lb v-bar [streaming, 927kb .flv download]. Superb.

Via Strength News : a great video compilation [streaming, 20.3mb .flv download] ahead of the Arnold Strongest Man competition this year. Great workout inspiration.

The Pure Powerlifting Podcast chats to Ed Coan, who has some great thoughts on the world of powerlifting. Grab part 1 (of 6) here.