Happy New.....Bar

2026 is going to be the year of the ATHX and lots of Spartan races for me, so I am starting the year with another training session geared towards getting fitter and stronger for the impending ATHX competition (1st February 2026).

ATHX is not my usual choice of fitness event, but a friend asked me if I fancied giving it a go and the part of me that cant refuse a challenge won out and said yes. Thanks Graham....ha ha ha.

I have been focusing my efforts for training on more weightlifting to build my strength and technique for some of the exercises in the event and will hopefully do enough to not embarrass myself on the day.

For anyone that is curious or wants to know more about ATHX and exercises, details on the exercises can be found below:

ATHX Games

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ATHX Games

I had to rewrite an older circuit this morning as I have picked up another injury from a HIIT circuit earlier in the week. Hoping that its not another case of Plantar Fasciitis, as I just got rid of that in my left foot and now my right foot is rather sore. Had to dig out the support boots from the garage loft and I am now hobbling round the house wearing my indoor boot. Fingers crossed it sorts itself out and I have just bruised my heel rather than a case of PF.

Today's circuit was 3 sets of:

Each set took approximately 20 minutes with a couple of minutes rest in between.

This was my second circuit using the new bar, which arrived a couple of days ago and I must admit, I am really enjoying using it so far. The bar is 2 inches thick with no grips, so it helps to improve grip strength, which is hugely important for Spartan racing. I only used it for the barbell curl burn off at the end of each set, but the difference I can feel is massive.

Firstly, for those who dont know, barbell curl burn off is something that Jessie and I like to do at the end of circuits that are targeting biceps and triceps and it consists of:

The idea is that you do your decided amount of reps (10 each for me today) on each as quickly as you can, whilst transitioning to each as quickly as you can. This inevitably causes muscle burn and using the wider grip strongman bar intensified this today and I really felt it in my forearms.

The bar I am using is:

Mirafit Classic 7ft Strongman Axle Bar

With a 5cm diameter, our Olympic 7ft Axle Bars allow you to increase your grip and forearm strength. The centre bar is smooth to make sure you don’t rely on knurling to maintain your hold on the bar. Ideal for Strongman style training.

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