Strength Collection

I've been collecting strength-training memorabilia for a couple of years now, and am always on the lookout for more. If you currently have (or are aware of) any of the following items, I'd love to hear from you.

Any items which have been bent or torn by Strongmen/Strongwomen between 1870 - present.
'Challenge' weights and unique items for the same period.
Books, magazines, posters and postcards which illustrate any Strongmen/Strongwomen from 1870 - now.

If you have any of these things, or know of someone who does, please send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

on the rack

tell us about it

Straight to the Bar is very much an interactive website. In addition to the articles here, there are a number of ways to share your passion with other lovers of the iron :

Seen something cool? Send us a tweet
Discuss it in the forums
Join the SttB Facebook group
Vote for stories on Digg & StumbleUpon
Add training and comp pics to the Flickr group
Create articles on styles and techniques
Subscribe to the tutorial videos on youtube

»» more »»

reading

the team

There are several great writers here, looking at the world of strength training from a number of angles. The regulars :

Scott Bird (@scottbird)
Writer and Fitness enthusiast
Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson (@jeddjohnson)
Grip champion and Strongman
'Unbreakable' Adam T Glass (@adamtglass)
Bending freak and Strongman
Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker
Bodybuilder and Writer
Joe Hashey (@jhashey)
Athlete, Teacher and Trainer
Josh Hanagarne (@joshhanagarne)
Kettlebell and grip afficionado
Bill Long (@bill_long1)
SPC and grip fanatic

In addition, articles are submitted from across the globe. Got a piece you'd like to share? Let us know.

training at work

There's always a way to train while you're at work. (Josh Hanagarne)

elsewhere

This is a fantastic book. If you've ever considered learning this incredible strength feat, the Card Tearing eBook (review) is the perfect place to start. Love it.

In addition to the articles on this site are a number I've written elsewhere. Including :

Training Bull Strength style. Good stuff.

thanks to

The Gymboss is a superb interval timer. As Jim noted:

'20 seconds never felt so long, 10 seconds never so short, and four minutes never so painful.'

Love it.

I get regular questions regarding the hosting of this site, my favourite stats package and so on, so here are a few details :

Web hosting : pair Networks
Stats : pMetrics
Feeds : FeedBurner
Computer : MacBook Pro
Email : AWeber
Bus. Cards : VistaPrint
Advertising : Chitika

Pair is easily the fastest and most reliable host I've come across - perfect for a site like this. If you're setting up your own blog, forum or ezine; check them out. Brilliant.

Want more? Here are links to several other products I use to keep Straight to the Bar running smoothly. All highly recommended.

what to get?

Finally, thanks for dropping by. If you’d like to help support this site (and get in great shape at the same time), here’s a list of strength-training books, DVDs and tools I recommend. Love them.

Diesel Crew Bending eBook (review)
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 Jedd Johnson.
Loadable Kettlebells from Art of Strength
The team at AoS produces a lot of great stuff, but I particularly like their loadable kettlebells. Fill them with shot, sand or grain; and enjoy.
Clubbells
Whilst any sort of club or hammer is great, the RMAX Clubbells are my favourite. Beautiful things.
MBG Powerwheel
The Powerwheel from Monkey Bar Gym is a brilliant way to work the abs without spending hours on crunches and sit-ups. Love it.
Rope
Rope for climbing, sled dragging, pull-ups and many other fun things. Wouldn't be without it, and the AoS Outlaw Ropes are my personal favourite. Superb.
Gymboss
The Gymboss is the perfect way to time your fat-shedding interval workouts. Great thing.
Precision Nutrition
Ready to start eating right? Over to Dr Berardi.