The Beginner’s Guide to Straight to the Bar
Yes, I love the deadlift.
Before we dive in to the main areas of this site, a quick note :
This site’s been around since the beginning of 2004, and has amassed an astonishing amount of content over the years. I’d highly recommend picking an article or two, sitting back with your favourite beverage in hand, and gradually soaking it in.
If you like what you see, simply subscribe to one of the feeds, sign up for the weekly newsletter, join the facebook or flickr groups. No matter what you’re in to, it’s always easy to get a daily dose of Straight to the Bar.
And now, the categories. These have been arranged into general interests; covering everything from bodyweight exercises to Virtual Meets. Enjoy.
Bodyweight, Climbing and Parkour
- The bodyweight guys - Scott Bird
These guys are all well-known for their incredible bodyweight training techniques. - Core Exercises That Really Work - Jason Kirby
Sick of doing crunches and sit-ups? Same here. - Specific Training for the Transverse Abdominis: Belt It In - Kat Ricker
Time to tighten your built-in belt. - 10 of the Best : Parkour Tutorial Videos - Scott Bird
How do I... Like this. - 10 of the best : Parkour television commercials - Scott Bird
Love watching Parkour? So do I. - Starting your fitness journey : 10 things to consider - Scott Bird
Where do start? Right here.
Kettlebells, Clubs and Conditioning
- 2nd Effort Drills : The Hard Style Clean and Jerk - Will Williams
Ready to play hard? Great. - From Running to Kettlebell Swings - Jordan Vezina
Why run when you can swing? - DIY Gym Gear : How to Make Your Own Clubs - Scott Bird
Build your own. Good fun. - Making your own gym equipment : DIY grip tools - Scott Bird
You want a grip tool that does what? Make one. - The Heavy Bag (Gimp) - Fight Geek
Thinking about getting a heavy bag? Make sure you read this first. - Conditioning without trying : Walking 10,000 steps per day - Scott Bird
Time to go for a walk. - Give Your Workout a Name! - Fight Geek
This helps more than you'd believe.
Grip, Bending and Tearing
- Why Bend Steel? - Adam T Glass
Simple question, great answer. Point your non-bending friends here. - Straight to the Grip Contest (part II, III, IV, V and VI) - Jedd Johnson
Getting ready for your first grip contest? Here's what to expect. - Lifting the Inch Replica Dumbbell (part II, III, IV and V) - Jedd Johnson
Want to train with a replica Inch? Here's how. - Nails : Converting imperial to metric - Scott Bird
Next time you pop down to the hardware store, take this. - Leverage lifts: Reverse engineering turned to a breakthrough in power - Adam T Glass
These lifts are downright fun. - Bare-Handed Nail Driving Basics - Ryan Pitts
Want to learn how to drive a nail through a board with your bare hand? Here's how. - Card Tearing Anyone? - Chuck Halbakken
Ready to make the jump from junk mail to playing cards?
Powerlifting, Strongman and Highland Games
- Addressing Weaknesses in The Squat - Rick Walker
Work on weaknesses = massive PRs. Here's how to find them. - How close is close? - Scott Bird
Fan of close-grip work? How close? - Buyers' guide : the Power Rack - Scott Bird
Ready to buy a rack? Here are a few things to keep in mind. - Ready for a Virtual Meet? - Kat Ricker
This is a brilliant idea. Cheers, Kris. - 10 Questions with Strongman Mike Gill - Scott Bird
What makes a Strongman? - Pull Like A Strongman - Max Misch
Ahh, the deadlift. - The Inman Mile - Scott Bird
Are we there yet? - Highland Games in Australia - Scott Bird
Getting ready to head down south? Here's where the fun is.
Rest and Recovery
- Biphasic Sleep : 30 Day Summary - Scott Bird
I switched to Biphasic Sleeping in September 2006, and have never looked back. Love it. - Using pulse rate to determine rest break length - Scott Bird
Use the pulse, Luke. - The Benefits of Using a Foam Roller - Rory Hickman
Feeling a bit on the beaten-up side? - Fuel and rest - Scott Bird
There's a good reason I eat so much. - Strains and Sprains - Scott Bird
What's the difference between a strain and a sprain? - Workout music : soothing or aggressive? - Scott Bird
How do you like your tunes? - Working out in the heat - Scott Bird
It's getting hot in here.
General strength training
- 29 Things to do with a barbell in the corner - Jason Kirby
This is absolutely superb. - The Step-up : a real squat alternative? - Scott Bird
Squats are undoubtedly key, but have you tried heavy step-ups lately? - Holding the bar in the Front Squat - Scott Bird
There are many ways to hold the bar. - The Investments (part II and III) - Adam T Glass
Several tools which form the basis of a great training plan. - A little yoke work : 10 exercises for a bigger neck - Scott BirdTraps maketh the man.
- DIY: Home-made gym equipment (part II) - Scott Bird
Build it yourself. - Bars, plates, hooks and collars - Scott Bird
Ready to hit the garage sales? Here's what to look for.
- Visualisation - Scott Bird
See it before it happens. Yes, it does make a difference. - Let the voting begin - Scott Bird
There were some brilliant entries in the DIY Equipment Competition. - Taking advantage of your location : At last - some real outdoor space - Scott Bird
Ready for some serious outdoor training? - The Fat Bar - Max Shank
Incredibly simple, incredibly brutal. - 10 of the Best : Tutorial Videos - Scott Bird
How do I... Like this. - A gathering of old-time favourites - Scott Bird
So, this is how the old-time strongmen got strong. - Bruce Lee's back injury - Scott Bird
What really happened?
Like to contribute something? I love hearing about how other people are training; if you’d like to write an article, record a video or tell us about a site you’ve discovered, send me an email.
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.
