Beat the post summer blues with four easy steps!!!

Now everyone's summer holidays have ended, so does their time in the gym. There has been a report published that shows the months when gym memberships fall. These are September and February, after they have come back from summer holiday or attempted to get rid of their extra weight from Christmas binge. This is such a waste as they've put so much work in just to have to start all over again. The following few steps will be able to stay on track.

1) Post summer holiday set yourself another goal!! Throughout the autumn months there are many 10k runs and mini triathlons. Team events like Tough Mudder or the Rat race which when working as a team will motivate you more to keep it up. 

2) Try something different!!! If you've been slogging away on the treadmill then try adding a circuit or some weights into your routine. If you've been hitting the weights try a different variations of training. German volume training, improving strength gains all can be structure into your programme. Even focusing on a body part (except arms!!) or a particular exercise. Mine is the push press and shoulders, so two goals combined. 

3) Reduce the amount of sessions but up the intensity. As people go back to work the gym moves to the bottom of the list of priorities however, you can still fit it in. Instead of doing maybe the four sessions you were doing, bring this down to three but up the intensity. Less talking at the water fountain and more sprinting on the treadmill. Use intervals for cardio and swap straight sets for supersets when it comes to the weights. Dedicate one of the sessions to just a circuit, therefore you get two workouts in one.

4) Make fitness part of your daily routine. If you don't have the time or motivation then this is a must. Instead of grabbing the tube or bus to work run in every other day!! If you've got a long lunch hour, grab you running trainers and go on a quick jog before you eat lunch. Walk to work as oppose to driving. Little things that can just keep you active and elevate your heart rate, building a higher metabolic rate. 

So there you have it, four easy steps to keep fitness at the top of the agenda. The most important which I haven't included is you must enjoy it. If you don't enjoy going to the gym then a play sport. Just stay active, eat clean and you'll stay in shape.

Jack 

Leg Workout 26th August

Today was legs and it's a day I always look forward to. The problem with legs is you either have an amazing workout or a really lacking one. Today was one of those amazing ones. 

I've recently started my leg workouts with a barbell hack squat to warm up the legs, into 5  increasing working sets of front squat then moving onto 5x5 of back squat. Seems to really work. I managed to max out at 150kg for 5 reps which with my weight currently at 86kg, I'm really pleased with. I believe this is all down to the hack/front squat prior which ensures my body is fully warmed up. I then move into more isolation of the legs with a much higher intensity, my workout is as follows.

Warm up

10 minutes cross trainer

Thera-band kicks both frontal and lateral. 

Hip bridges. 

1) Barbell Hack Squat 3x20 reps. Lower the weight slowly under control. 

2) Front squat 5x10. Increasing the weight by 20% each set.

3) Back squat 5x5. Focus on power out of the movement.

4) Walking Barbell Lunges, 5x50m. Increasing weight each set.

5) Own bodyweight legs curls superset leg extension. 6x12. 

6) Leg Press 50 reps superset DB Romania Deadlifts 20 reps. 3 sets. 

My legs were on fire after this, concentrate on:

- Tempo of each rep.

- Contraction and stretch (especially hamstrings).

-  Power on compound exercises. 

So there you have it, my leg workout. Give it a go and let me know what you think!!! 

Jack 

Two must buys!!!

Back to London from my summer holidays which can only mean one thing, back on the bulk!! 

Now the only problem I have with this is my wardrobe which is slowly diminishing due to the fact I just can't fit in certain clothes anymore. The biggest problems i encounter is with shirts. The sleeves end up being to tight and then when you do go up a size the rest of the shirt is so loose you look square.  Plus I can't fit in any jeans due to the size of my upper legs, let alone try and put anything in my pockets. However don't worry, I have come up with solutions. 

Hollister have solved the problem of shirts for me. Now I have to go for a large in everything here, but it always fits!!! They have a tailored fill to them and always seem fit me perfectly. The material is always only the best which means they don't end up shrinking in the wash, which has happened to me so many of mine. The best thing of all is you get all of this for such a good price. The shirt pictured I picked up on Oxford Street for only £29 which is a bargain, plus they currently have free delivery online so hurry up and get shopping. I wore this out with chinos and boots for a smart casual look however you could put it with shorts or even chuck a blazer on and it wouldn't look out of place. A must buy!!!!

http://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/guys-tops-oxford-shirts/-5324073_02

Now my legs just never seem to stop growing which means I go through jeans like no tomorrow however Nudie Jeans are different. Their denim is of the highest quality and no matter what environment you wear them they just keep on going and going. I've had one pair for over four years!!! They fit perfectly depending on what cut you choose and have a slight stretch to them which is perfect for anyone with big thighs. With so many other jeans I have to go up on waist size by up to four inches but with these they always fit. They have a great repair and recycle policy which I always like. The last thing to sway you is they recommend you wear the jeans for 6 months to break them in!!!! This shows the quality, longevity and confidence they have in their product!!!  

http://www.nudiejeans.com

So there who have it, a few must buys. I'll be posting up what I'm changing in my training and nutrition with the change in my goal to putting on more size and building on strength. 

Jack

Swimming!!!!!

I'm just on my travels back to London after two weeks at home over the summer. Being at home however didn't mean training stopped, I managed to get a membership for a local gym. Compared to the normal gym I got to this is on a different level, catering more for every kind of individual and their training needs. There were classes that you could attend, badminton courts, a cardio suite and and weights area. However, the main reason I'm writing this blog is because of the swimming pool it offered. 

Now recently I've been picking up a few little injuries, nothing serious just in the over used areas such as shoulders. Before I do any kind of training I always insure that my shoulders are throughly warmed up with particular attention paid to rotator cuff. With the increased volume of heaving pressing movements that I've brought into my routine, this was going to have a impact on my shoulders. I therefore decided when I had this opportunity of using a bit of swimming in my programme I should seize it. 

Swimming is a great all round way to exercise. It's very low impact, cheap and you can train at some many different intensities. Plus some many different workouts to do:

1) Interval Workout - 5x50m max intensity, rest 20 seconds

                               - 5x100m max intensity, rest 40-60 seconds

2) Distance Swims - make sure you record a time for each and try to beat it. I like to aim for 1200m, 1500m and 2400m. All of which can push you hard enough  to get a good workout or post cardio workout completed.

3) Circuits

  - 50m swim, jump out, 10 press ups, 20 squats. 12 rounds.

  - 50m swim, 20 pool muscles ups. (Lower yourself under water, pull up into a dip this counts as one). 12 rounds

  -  100m swim, jump out, 5 pull ups, 10 press ups, 15 squats.  

So there you have it a few swimming workouts you can include in your routine. I personally love swimming. I find it really relaxing and I was using it a lot early morning in a fasted state as I felt I could still push myself, unlike if I was running or another kind of cardio in that state. Even if you just swap in it for a run which you would normally do it will test you in a different way, but more importantly not make your workout routine boring. 

The water is great for anyone coming back from injury and for stretching. If your looking to strengthen an area of weakness, try doing the exercise in the pool before heading back to the weights room, for example lateral raises. These are made difficult by the friction of the water and will allow your body to move on the plane of movement you want it to, not what a machine may dictate. Give it a try and let me know how you get in. 

Jack

                          

Powerlifitng - Mike O'Hearn and Rob Riches

Its Monday which can only mean one thing, CHEST DAY!!! All the benches will be rammed with other gym goers, all with the same goal, to get a huge chest!! I will be one of these people trying to improve my bench press. 

Now recently I’ve really been trying to focus on going a lot heavier than I normally would with all movements, with new goals in mind for the big three. 

Bench Press - 1 rep at 1.5 BW = 145kg

Squat - 1 rep at 2 BW = 180kg 

Deadlift - 1 reps at = 230kg.

You may as why? Well certainly Deadlifts and Bench Press I have neglected recently, focusing more on the body building way of training in the hypertrophy range, with more isolated exercises. Recently however I was inspired when scrolling through youtube by a video with Mike O’Hearn and Rob Riches, two people who have totally different ways and ethos to training. See the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8x-Te2J8Ao

Now both guys are huge in the fitness world, with Mike being of this new way of training through the use of powerlifting. Rob adopts more of a bodybuilding based programme. This video however totally changes his way of thinking. It thus inspired me to look more into this type of training and include it more into my programme, always great to mix things up to. 

I shall leave the Deadlift and squat for now and focus on the bench press. Now points that I picked up which really helped me in the following session are as follows:

1. Keep feet planted at all times, attempting to push through these on the movement.
2. Try and bend the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in. (This also prevents shoulder injury).
3. Thumbs around the bar!!!!
4. Think of the chest pulling together on the concentric, (pushing) phase of the movement. 
5. Lower the bar under control, breathing in. Explode up, breathing out. 
6. Keep you body tight!! Your breathing will aid this. 

I put this all into practice and it aided me so much. Bench is one of my weaker areas so I really want to focus on this into the future. I warmed up all my shoulder area and slowly worked my way up to 130kg where I managed to get two reps out, the second one needing a slight assistance. I then attempted 140kg, but just didn’t have the power to get a clean rep out. Below is a video of me doing 130kg for one after as I decided to work in a slight pyramid fashion. Here hopefully you can see everything I have listed above put into practice. 

https://instagram.com/p/6XiCy_HOGp/?taken-by=jacksfitnessforyou

So there you have it, have a look at the video I have linked and check this new way of training through the use of powerlifting. Lets face it if Mike O’Hearn uses it in his programmes it must be good!!!

Jack

3 Fitness Gurus to check out!!!!!

The fitness industry is evolving at such a rapid rate, this being mainly down to the growth in social media. For all those of you who are looking to improve your fitness then social media is an excellent way to go. Top fitness individuals are always posting useful tips up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and snapchat, all to help you!! I use all of these sources, but I find the best is YouTube and these fitness gurus are who you should take a look at.

Steve Cook is a great guy to check out. He was pushed to stardom when he won the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Fit Body Competition and has gone onto reach 5th at the Olympia. This year that will be a first!!!! He is now a professional physique competitor and along with being an Optimum Nutrition athlete. This involves Steve traveling loads around the world, which he often makes vlogs from. This is a great way to see how he trains, eats and has just an amazing time whilst on the move, plus meeting loads of celebrities!!!! He is also a huge ambassador for Bodybuilding.com, gym sharks, Nike, basically everything. Check him out, you won't be disappointed. 

Bradley Martyn is a beast!! 6'3 and 260lbs!! Who would not want a body like that!!! He is a huge inspiration to people who are inspiring to look like him, always giving you tips to help you out. He gives you full workout videos on YouTube explaining every detail that you need to yield results. He is the owner of BMFIT which if you're serious about training you defiantly need to check out. I've got a few tops from there and they're so good, couldn't recommend them more. The best thing of all is he is the most approachable on social media, regularly doing Q&A's over snap chat and will always answer your questions on Twitter, so defiantly get following this man!!!

Now after two Americans I've got to include an English man who comes in the form of Ryan Terry. This man just gets so shredded, it's insane!!! He is known for winning 

Mister International 2010. He is a spokesman for USN and regularly appears as underwear model for Calvin Klein. He started training from the age of 15 and ever since then has just built an incredible physique, especially his shoulders. He again gives a lot to fans, regularly updating social media with what he is up to, along with his website where he posts all of his training gearing up for the 2015 Olympia. (www.ryanterry.co.uk). Where else would you find the workouts that a soon to be Mr Olympia is using, you'd be insane not to take advantage of this resource. So Good Luck Ryan at the Olympia, 38 days and counting!!!

So there you have it three guys you need to check out on social media which will give you all little tips to push you even further and reach the goals you've always wanted.

Jack 

Welcome the Lettuce Burger!!!!

With the bbq weather which is currently hitting the UK, it can only mean one thing, a nightmare to eat clean!!! Sausages, ribs and burgers are huge tempers at a bbq, then comes out all the bread to house them in, along with a beer to wash them down. All things that are slowly sending you off of track, however, I have come up with a way you can enjoy a burgers but still stay on track!!! Welcome the ‘Lettuce Burger’!!!!! Things you will need:

• 500 grams Lean Steak Mince
• 1 Lettuce 
• Handful of chopped coriander
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• Handful Spring/Red Onion
• Dash Worcester Sauce
• 1 egg

Steps

1. Add the mince, coriander, garlic, onion and Worcester sauce into a bowl for mixing. 
2. Mash up mixture with hands, until all throughly mixed together.
3. Add egg and mix once more.
4. Roll into burger size balls, place on baking tray and cook at 180 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
5. Serve inside lettuce leaf. 

And then there you have it, your own, suer healthy burgers. It get around 6-8 burgers out of the mixture so plenty to go around. I love to serve them with sweet potato fries!!!

Rest Week, Chest Day and a new breakfast!!!!

Wow, if you've never had a rest week then you definitely need to fit one in. I had my doubts and a whole week off did feel rather strange but, if yesterday's workout is anything to go by it's a must. 

First session back was chest, which I always begin my training week with. Due to the time off I didn't go as heavy as normal. Bench press I begun with working up to 100kg for 3 working sets hitting 6-8 reps. Incline press and flies followed all with a focus on the tempo of the reps, as oppose to the weight I was lifting. I used the tempo 5010, even in the flies focusing on stretching the muscle into a squeeze at the top of the movement. This is one thing I learnt from reading Sean Lerwill blogs, building muscle is not all about the weight you can lift, but the tempo you lift it at. This got me an unreal pump, my chest was feeling like it was going to explode.

I finished with a Joe Donnelly inspired tri-set. Be sure to include this in your next chest workout. 3 sets without rest. 

- Low to High Flies 12-15 reps

- High to Low flies 12-15 reps

- Single DB flat press. 15 reps

This was a killer and totally finished me off. The single DB press really pushes the chest beyond fatigue, just be careful not to use the front delt, focus on the chest. 

In other news a new breakfast you must try!!!! Protiflakes by Fuel 10k are a must have breakfast. The marcos are as follows per 100 grams:

Carbs 65.9 grams, Protien 23.9 grams, Fat 1.2grams. 

It's  also really low in sugar unlike most cereals which is why I would normally choose oats. Check out their range online, they have so many different products, all which are healthy and fit perfectly into most macros. 

So there you have it, tempo is the way to chest growth. Give a rest week a try, I promise you won't regret it!!! Until next time, train hard' fight easy!!!

Jack

Rest Week, MyProtein BCAA and Smartshake

This is my last day in Oman, which means my rest week is coming to an end and it's back to the grind. I am literally craving the gym right now. My body feels well recovered especially after the Thai massage I received yesterday. I would recommend this to anyone that is feeling sore. No more knots in my back!!!!! Yippee!!! One thing I've kept with me all week to aid this recovery however is my BCAA's from MyProtein and of course my smartshake. Two things I can't live without!!!

I am a huge ambassador of MyProtein and all their products. Since I started using them around 3 years ago  they have made huge advancements in the fitness world, recently sponsoring FC Porto. The only supplements I use are MyProtein, which can never be faulted. Now back to the BCCA. 

Branch Chain Amino Acids are the building blocks to protein, known as the essential amino acids. The body needs these for protein synthesis to occur, repairing and building muscle. 8 of the 16 amino acids are produced by the body with the remainder coming from diet. BCAA are even better as they metabolise through the muscle tissue and not the liver therefore arriving straight at the source, this is only unique to BCAA. The main three BCCA are leucine, isoleucine and valine.

So why do I take BCAA? The most overwhelming reason for it is catabolic crisis, losing muscle mass. When the body is running low on energy it starts to break down muscle tissue, targeting amino acids to use as fuel. However through the additional supplementation of BCAA this won't occur as they decrease the activity of the components of protein breakdown . This is the reason why I packed my BCCA to aid recovery and prevent breakdown of the muscle.

When and how should you take this supplement then. I personally in a normal week take a 5 gram scoop in my water whilst training as this is when muscle breakdown is most likely to occur and further taking one before bed as through the night recovery is the main aim in which this will aid in. In my rest week I have just taken some upon waking and pre bedtime. This is £13.29 on MyProtein, with an exclusive offer of 2 for 1 so get on there!!!

Smartshake is my shaker of choice wherever I go, I just love them!!!  The shaker has a stack based system on the bottom to hold supplements, nuts, just about any small snack. The filtering system which comes with the shaker also means you don't have to worry about any lumps, however this also depends on what powders you use. Microwave safe so you can even warm meals up in them. The last important thing of all is the longevity and how easy it is to wash. For some reason you never seem to get the smell like from others once you've used them a while. If it does just whack it in the dishwasher, yes I forgot to mention that. Plus you drop them and they never break. I'm always dropping stuff!! They have a carabiner on the shaker as well which means it's easy to transport, just attach it to a strap on your gym bag. 

So there you go my rest week is coming to a end, but this two things I defiantly can't live without. Back to the grind tomorrow, can't wait!!!

Jack 

Oman and Glen Valley Paddle

Greetings from Oman. Wow is it a hot one. Even at 0700 in the morning the temperature out here is often around the upper 30's. I'm not really getting any training done opting more for a rest week. This allows my body to recover so when it's time to get back in the gym I can hit it harder than ever with a added motivation.

Many people think this is too much, having a whole week off with their hard earned muscle wasting away but you really can't think like that. It won't go anywhere!!! Keep on track with your nutrition, promoting recovery and you'll be just to fine. I've done a quick morning stretch of areas, particular attention to the shoulders with Thera-bands, but other than that I've stayed rested. My friends, who I'm so fortunate to stay with have three lovely children who keep me very active, resorting me even to afternoon naps!!!! So I think I'm getting plenty of exercise done. 

Now the main reason I'm writing this is to raise your awareness and to get you donating to a wonderful foundation called the The Matt Hampson Foundation. Matt was playing for England under 21's rugby team when he suffered a serious spinal injury. This brought about the foundation being set up in order to inspire and support young people who have suffered a sporting injury. This was all brought to my attention by Laura Wright, a classically trained Soprano who I recently performed with at a concert in Liverpool. I now follow her on various social media platforms where I came across a challenge she is doing which involves paddle boarding across the Glen Valley. Now this is a tough challenge by any means, Laura is massively into her fitness mainly through rugby. All my lady followers and obliviously male followers I urge you to check out her blog for some great little tips. But the main reason is to get sponsoring her via her just giving page I've linked below. Get donating, no matter how big or small. Follow her on social media for all the trail and tribulations that come from such a tough challenge. 

Good Luck Laura!!!!!!!!!!

Jack