Can I train on a budget? New VXS Gymwear range.

Now two similar questions I get asked a lot as a PT is 'do I have to train here in the gym, can't I train home?' And 'how can I train on a budget?' Now these coincide with one another because often if you want to train at home you aren't going to be able to afford the level and quality of equipment the gym would offer you so because you're on a budget, but here are the essentials and how you can use them to get the most out of you training if you decide to swap the gym for your garage.

Barbell - these are one of the most simplest pieces of equipment people use to train. You can involve all the large compound exercises with these giving you a wide spread of both exercises and muscle groups to train. Along with a couple of weight plates your workouts can be endless. The barbell offers the ability to build strength, hypertrophy or an exercise to throw in with a circuit to improve muscular endurance. If there is one piece of equipment to buy it is this!!!

Dumbbell- much like the barbell a great addition to any home gym. The downfall for me is you would have to spend a little more money building a bigger range of Dumbbells for the different weights, unlike the barbell where plate loading is easier. They offer you compound along with isolation exercises but more so require little space to use so can be brought inside in the colder months with easy storage.

Kettle-bells - these are much more of a specific piece of equipment but are easy to obtain and can still be used as part of any programme. Exercises include that much like the dumbbell, the only point I would like to mention is make sure you are totally comfortable and aware of techniques before you really start upping the weight with kettle-bells. They're quite a dangerous piece of equipment so really take some time into researching what and how to perform an exercise this may otherwise it result in quite a serious injury.

Bodyweight - as often neglected your own bodyweight is such an effective and efficient way to train your body but also so cheap. Find a park and start doing pulls ups super setting them with push ups. 20 sets of 5 pull ups and 10 press ups your upper body will be pretty taxed, add in different variations and you will have achieved a perfect workout. If things get easier add in tempo, which people always neglect for reps or throw together 3 exercises, a rep scheme and see how many rounds of those 3 exercises you can do in a set period of time.

There are 4 ways to one, train at home but secondly train on a budget. So no more excuse as the gym membership is too expensive or closed at the weekend, make home your own gym!!!

Now for the exciting bit. Yesterday I attended the Team VXS Gymwear open day at the Royal Docks Crossfit Gym. Firstly thank you to Will for his squat clinic and letting us use the gym all afternoon and evening. The event itself was great, catching up with people who have similar goals and objectives they want to achieve, exchanging advice on how to individually achieve them and of course a preview of the new Fusion range.

Today at 1700 GMT marks the release of the new Fusion range but we got to sample this yesterday so thought I better had share my thoughts and all I can say is it's a must buy. As ever they've been really creative with the styling to make you look great in the gym, this becoming more and more of a concern for people, more so than what you're actually doing in there. I got to try out the new t-shirt range and with the baggy waist with a tapered fit to the upper body is ideal for anyone in or out the gym. With a 95% cotton to 5% elastic comparative the feel of the top on you is perfect, not restrictive in areas such as under the arms or when you want to reach overhead it just moves freely with you. Sweat is absorbed straight into the t-shirt and  much like a lot of the Dri-fit ranges doesn't cause the material to stick to your body causing you to feel cold as the session moves on. I didn't get the chance myself to grab a look at the other bits being released in the range but everyone commented on how the quality is second to none, trumping any of the bigger sport wear designers which I personally believe is the biggest reason you need to get out buying this new fusion range. The link is below so get buying and be one of the first to train this out.

http://vxsgymwear.co.uk/collections/new-lines

Have a great week of training, make every moment in the gym worth while and keep intensity high!!

Jack

Can I train on a budget? New VXS Gymwear range.

Now two similar questions I get asked a lot as a PT is 'do I have to train here in the gym, can't I train home?' And 'how can I train on a budget?' Now these coincide with one another because often if you want to train at home you aren't going to be able to afford the level and quality of equipment the gym would offer you so because you're on a budget, but here are the essentials and how you can use them to get the most out of you training if you decide to swap the gym for your garage.

Barbell - these are one of the most simplest pieces of equipment people use to train. You can involve all the large compound exercises with these giving you a wide spread of both exercises and muscle groups to train. Along with a couple of weight plates your workouts can be endless. The barbell offers the ability to build strength, hypertrophy or an exercise to throw in with a circuit to improve muscular endurance. If there is one piece of equipment to buy it is this!!!

Dumbbell- much like the barbell a great addition to any home gym. The downfall for me is you would have to spend a little more money building a bigger range of Dumbbells for the different weights, unlike the barbell where plate loading is easier. They offer you compound along with isolation exercises but more so require little space to use so can be brought inside in the colder months with easy storage.

Kettle-bells - these are much more of a specific piece of equipment but are easy to obtain and can still be used as part of any programme. Exercises include that much like the dumbbell, the only point I would like to mention is make sure you are totally comfortable and aware of techniques before you really start upping the weight with kettle-bells. They're quite a dangerous piece of equipment so really take some time into researching what and how to perform an exercise this may otherwise it result in quite a serious injury.

Bodyweight - as often neglected your own bodyweight is such an effective and efficient way to train your body but also so cheap. Find a park and start doing pulls ups super setting them with push ups. 20 sets of 5 pull ups and 10 press ups your upper body will be pretty taxed, add in different variations and you will have achieved a perfect workout. If things get easier add in tempo, which people always neglect for reps or throw together 3 exercises, a rep scheme and see how many rounds of those 3 exercises you can do in a set period of time.

There are 4 ways to one, train at home but secondly train on a budget. So no more excuse as the gym membership is too expensive or closed at the weekend, make home your own gym!!!

Now for the exciting bit. Yesterday I attended the Team VXS Gymwear open day at the Royal Docks Crossfit Gym. Firstly thank you to Will for his squat clinic and letting us use the gym all afternoon and evening. The event itself was great, catching up with people who have similar goals and objectives they want to achieve, exchanging advice on how to individually achieve them and of course a preview of the new Fusion range.

Today at 1700 GMT marks the release of the new Fusion range but we got to sample this yesterday so thought I better had share my thoughts and all I can say is it's a must buy. As ever they've been really creative with the styling to make you look great in the gym, this becoming more and more of a concern for people, more so than what you're actually doing in there. I got to try out the new t-shirt range and with the baggy waist with a tapered fit to the upper body is ideal for anyone in or out the gym. With a 95% cotton to 5% elastic comparative the feel of the top on you is perfect, not restrictive in areas such as under the arms or when you want to reach overhead it just moves freely with you. Sweat is absorbed straight into the t-shirt and  much like a lot of the Dri-fit ranges doesn't cause the material to stick to your body causing you to feel cold as the session moves on. I didn't get the chance myself to grab a look at the other bits being released in the range but everyone commented on how the quality is second to none, trumping any of the bigger sport wear designers which I personally believe is the biggest reason you need to get out buying this new fusion range. The link is below so get buying and be one of the first to train this out.

http://vxsgymwear.co.uk/collections/new-lines

Have a great week of training, make every moment in the gym worth while and keep intensity high!!

Jack

How often should I train?

This is the question as a PT I get asked the most, ‘How often should I be training?”. This to me is such a broad question, with there being so many contributing factors to answer the question fully and correctly. What is your goal? How much time can you give to the gym a week? What is your current level of fitness? What does your diet look like?. These are all questions that I’m going to answer, offer you solutions and prompt ideas which in turn should help you in finding how often you should be training. 

The most important question you need to ask yourself, what really is your goal? I like to personally use a pyramid system with all contributing factors leading to achieving the goal at the top. The foundations being your diet, training in the middle and something very specific to the goal as the icing at the top. I still believe that your diet is the underpinning factor when it comes to training, not fuelling your body correctly will hinder you're training and progression. So before any of this begins you need to ask yourself what is that goal? Do you want to enter a competition, sports specific, look great for your holiday or just generally feel better about yourself? This is where you need to start. Ensure when deciding on this you use SMART goals.

S - Specific 

M - Measurable

A - Attainable

R - Realistic

T - Time Managed. 

This doesn't just have to be just one goal but could be many different, small achievable goals leading towards one long term goal. However you do it ensure that these are achievable, if not this could cause demotivation when you're not quite achieving them but can also pose as the opposite boasting motivation when you do. Once you have you're goal in mind everything else around that should be catered into how you going to achieve that goal the most efficient way possible. 

How much time you can offer to the gym is also crucial because if you can only offer 3 hours religious a week to the the gym than that is the only amount you're going to be training. Firstly you must remember that your training should never be a seen as a chore, you should be wanting to go, this being where the above point comes in with having a goal, motivating you to go and get the job done. With everyones life’s becoming busier there is less free time in your day to go and do things such as the gym and at the end of the day will determine how often you can train, so be strict on yourself on realistically how often you really are going to be able to go to the gym. If this is only 3x1 hour sessions a week that thats all it is, but you must stay committed to this, much like the SMART goals used above it must be realistic. Here are a few pointers to make the most of your time and be in the gym more regularly.

• Make it part of your routine. If you have a 10 mile commute to work each morning, instead of driving to work, cycle to work. Get up an hour earlier and join a gym close to work so you can workout before going to work meaning you can work slightly late or go for a catch up with friends after work. 
• Use HIIT (High Intensity interval training). This is the modern way to train, short, sharp and to the point with a workout rarely over 30 minutes. This can be from a class at your local gym or a quick 20 minute before your morning shower, all quick, simple but most importantly intense. 
• Train with a partner. Research says those who train together, stay together and this is very true. A Sunday morning jog or a quick circuit in the garden will up the volume you're training but also mean you're still getting to spend time with those close to you. They'll be your motivator when you need them the most.  

We’re getting slightly more specific now but in order to know how often you should be training you really should depend it on your current level. You won’t see an professional athlete that trains only twice a week and yet someone who hasn't done any kind of physical activity in 5 years all of a sudden start hitting the gym 5 times a week! You really must judge it upon what level you are at already otherwise, things such as injury could occur when you start training too soon, there must be progression. This therefore means look where you're already at yourself, could you go out and happily run a sub 50 minutes 10k with ease? Than running 4/5 times a week really isn't going to be a problem. Could you last a 30 minute HIIT circuit and still be able to move the next day, then you're at a level where you could train 3 times or more a week, its very much dependent on your already known ability level. Start off with less sessions and slowly increase over time, progression is always the better option to regression. 

Diet I will also refer back to as for me it’s the most crucial element of anyones training programme because without it you're not going to be able to train anywhere near your optimum level, get this in check before you even start considering how often you should be training. You could be training 7 days a week but if you're diet isn’t in order to either fuel or aid recovery after these sessions than you’ll never advance, or meet those goals. Little pointers to help are as follows:

• Always eat breakfast!! This is the most imperative in my opinion, opting for a carb and protein heavy meal will aid you so much in the mornings. Don't eat just a piece of food or these all in one breakfast ready to go drinks, really focus on getting some good nutritious food down you. Low Gi carbs along with some protein. Oats with MyProtein Impact Whey will do the job perfectly.
• You’ll need to eat more than you think. Find out your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) using an app or just type it into google. You'll gather a result, a rough estimate of how many calories you're body needs a day. Add or lose 300-500 for gaining to losing weight, simple!!!
• Bulk all meals out with vegetables. Veggies in this scenario are your friends, they make you fill fuller, make you believe there is more food on the plant and lastly are full on micronutrients. Also opt for greens over anything else. Snacking on vegetables is also great, carrot and celery sticks being my favourite. 
• Break your meals up throughout the day. Many people think the only way to lose weight is to eat 6 meals a day and with that they may be right, but not something which you have to stick to. I just believe in spreading them out, attempting to grasp around the same calorific content and marconutrients from each but don't get too hung up on this. Your overall calorie intake for the day is the crucial number, not how many meals you've eaten to achieve this so, divert more attention to your overall consumption. 
• Lastly it is never constrict yourself. This is one of the worse things to do in my eyes. Yes you're diet should be clean but it doesn't have to be this all the time, you can waver once or twice. Obviously this can’t become a regular occurrence but if you're craving say a piece of chocolate, than eat a piece of chocolate. There is always a better nutrition option such as dark chocolate so attempt to always get these where you can, but whatever you do don't treat it as a reward. See it as food and thats it, otherwise you'll than just have the mind set that you need a reward all the time. 

So I may have gone off subject quite a lot there but it gives you a broader understanding on how all elements work together. Yes the article is titled ‘how often should you train?’ but not one of the points I raised has more precedence than the other. Train hard, set goals, eat right and you're on the way to success. 

Getting in Holiday Shape

With July upon us the airports are becoming busy, the sun tan lotion going on sale along with the crash diet plans but all you seemly need to is follow three simple points. 

1. Don’t leave it to the last minute and go on a crash diet!! Things won’t change over night, yes you might in your mind see some changes but for the long term this won’t work. You’ll starve your body of what it requires and end up binging 3 days later, it must be sustainable, so plan in advance. Attempt to start 4 weeks out, with a 3 day rotation on a food plan. This will keep you from getting bored but ensure on the third day to one treat meal. This could be a bar of your favourite chocolate or drink you just crave, this meaning you are less likely to have a binge day and keep you on track with the diet. 
2. Cut out on empty calories. I’m sure you are going to be drinking plenty on you're holiday away so cut down on this before you go. Drinks are empty calories that are just going to bump up the overall in take when you could be getting further, better nutrition out of eating food. The big hitters are coffee, especially the cool, high in sugar cold coffee’s from Starbucks. Stay away from these as much as you can and you shall see results. 
3. Additional cardio. This doesn't mean extra session or long, time consuming time on the cross trainer just a quick 10 minutes on the end of your workout. Row 2000m, run a mile or intervals on the bike anything that shall keep the heart rate high, burn some extra calories and boast the metabolism post workout. 

These are three easy tips that any one can structure into their diet and training running up to a holiday and shall easily see the benefits. 

Now hit the gym hard, eat clean and look great on holiday.

Jack

Rack Pulls instead of deadlifts?

Should I include Rack Pulls in my back programme? 

I got emailed a question from a follower of mine asking if I include rack pulls in my Pull/Back days, to which the answer is yes. I've only just begun to introduce them after reducing the volume of deadlifting in my routine. This is mainly due to the fact that I'm excerting so much effort on the Deadlifts that I'm exhausted when in comes to isolating my back with other exercises. This is because the deadlift is such a huge compound exercise. Legs, back, shoulders and most of the arm is recruited when performing. When you're hitting high weight, low reps and high sets you just haven't got anything left. This is where rack pulls come in.

Rack Pulls is given the title mainly because your pulling the weight out of the rack,quite literally. It's the upper two thirds of deadlift with little, if any use of the legs focusing predominately on the lower back and upwards. Points to note:

1) Set the safety bars so that the bar sits just below your knees. 

2) Keep a straight back at all times with a slight bend in the knees. Generate power from the lower back and lats transferring it through into the upper back.

3) The finishing position should be somewhat of a solider at attention. Push your chest out, look up and contract you traps and rhomboids. 

4) Avoid any real leg movement, just make sure the weight is transferred to your heels.

5) Keep your core engaged at all times. 

6) Lower the bar under control, avoid rounding of the back. 

7) Keep the reps around 4-8, with high number of sets. Don't forget this is a power exercise so ensure your achieving this, don't be scared about going heavy just don't let it comprise your form. 

So there you have it. Rack pulls are a great addition to your back workout but furthermore a perfect accessory movement to improve you deadlift in reaching lockout. Keep squatting heavy and your deadlift will improve or just add them in, to improve back width and thickness. 

Jack  

Crossfit and 16.3

Today I decided to do 16.3, for those of you who don't know this is the lad test test in a string of workouts for the Crossfit open. CrossFit Games  then proceeds to the open regionals for those who qualify then off to Carson for the actual games. 

Now CrossFit is a training programme which builds strength and conditioning through a variety of different workouts. In these workouts many aspects of fitness are covered from gymnastics, to  weightlifting and as far as a triathlon based workouts at the games. Games you may ask? This is run every year in Carson where all the top CrossFit athletes from around the world take on events over three days to determine the fitness man and women on earth. Prior to this there are regionals and a open so anyone has the opportunity of going. Some of the professional athletes such as Rich Froning, Dan Bailey and Stacie Tovar who are ones that I personally support are in ridiculous shape and could step on stage with professional bodybuilders and wouldn't look out of place. Now with the rise of CrossFit so has the criticism of the sport, mainly because its all about doing things as quick as possible, with form sometimes leaving a little to be desired. Kipping Pull ups is an aspect which has got the most grief due to the swinging phase of the movement, as oppose to just pulling straight up, with many other exercises being adopted with a variation for Crossfit. Check these out online, some of them can be very useful, all down the individual on preferences.

CrossFit I occasionally include in my programme as either a cardio based workout or something strength related just to mix my workouts up. Now today workout Being 16.3 (as it's the 16th CrossFit games) was quite advanced with snatches and muscles ups but below are a few you could try if you're just starting out.

Jacks cardio burner!! 

400m Row
15 Box Jumps

12 burpees
8 clean and press (half of BW on bar)

 

5 rounds in the shortest time possible.


Murph - As quickly as possible.

1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile run

Fran - Quickly as possible.

Thrusters (Front squats to push press)
Pull ups

Rounds of 21,15,9.

Give these a go and post you times in the comments below.

Jack

How do I become a Personal Trainer?

I get asked this question a lot by clients, from mates or even people that just see me with a ‘Personal Trainer’ T-shirt on in the gym. The one thing you need on paper is the minimum of a course which allows you to personal train. I would always opt for Level 3 Reps, as this is one of the most recognised in the industry. For me though this is only the basis to any PT, there are so many other factors which must be addressed. 

You must have passion for what you're doing. In order to get the best out of your client you must really be able to understand what they're going through, being passionate about the task you've set them shall motivate them more, in turn both you and them receiving the best session. Don't forget its not just them you are trying to benefit from the session but also yourself through experience, experiments and overall satisfaction. 

The knowledge of the industry has to be high due to the fact that a majority of PT’s now are self-employed. This meaning you have to set up your own company, manage your accounts as well as largely gathering all your own clients. Nothing is given to you on a plate. Your knowledge of fitness must be of the highest standard! Clients will come to you from all different walks of life, some with no knowledge themselves as to what to do, some maybe be PT’s themselves and are looking for a new and adventurous way to mix up their training. You must always think out the box, be doing something new with the clients. So many people just go through the same ritual of 4x10 on every machine in the gym with their client. This will get them no where, I promise. You must be willing to mix it up, bring new equipment into the gym, use HIIT, Giant Sets, mini circuits, bodyweight exercise. These are all things that people will not fully push themselves with when training alone but are quick, simple and hardcore for many, because an hour will soon pass you by. 

Lastly you've got to look the part yourself. My worst experience I have ever had was a PT eating a chocolate bar whilst training a client!!! It comes down to the saying ‘to talk the talk you myst be able to walk the walk’. Don't get me wrong you don't have to look like your just about to walk on stage of the Arnold Classic but you must look the part, someone for your client to inspire to look like. You've also got to be at the level where you can demonstrate the exercises with ease and not be struggling when demonstrating a clean and press with the bar. 

So there you have it, three steps to becoming a personal trainer. Its a hard industry to make it in and stay in but so rewarding in the long term. Good Luck

Should I track Macros??

Should I track my macros all year round?

'Should I track my macros all year round?'.  This is a common request of many people just starting out in the gym as they believe tracking macros is a must. They see fitness models, top athletes advocating it on their social media pages from all their peeped meals prepared for them by companies and believe they should therefore do the same. Any yes this is great for those of you who have this money at disposal but, many of us don't and therefore cook there own meals and therefore track their macros. He are my thoughts on it

1) If you're looking to compete in a show you must track your macros in order to cut your body fat in order to look more atheistically pleasing when on stage. It's therefore a must to track your calories and furthermore the protein, carbs and fats you're eating within that. Protein needs to remain high in order to promote muscle recovery, whilst you may drops carbs as you no longer need such a high energy intake as you're trying to use body fat as energy. Marcos tracking is then essential to monitor exactly the quantity of these to meet your individual needs.

2) Tracking macros when I'm just starting out. I think this is something you must do when you're beginning in the fitness world. You're knowledge at this time is very limited and you don't yet understand what your body needs in order to promote growth. You can follow a plan of a celebrity trainer or your best mates and everyone's body reacts differently. Tracking your macros will allow you to see changes within yourself, what percentage of each macros work best for you in order to reach a goal. Always keep the protein content high but carbs and fats can change as you will react slightly different to them. 

3) 'Should I track macros in my off season'. If your understanding of nutrition is good and know how your body reacts to certain foods and quantity then tracking macros isn't too essential. Your goal at this point is to put mass on, growing stronger and no doubt larger so your food intake is going to be higher. Furthermore if you look at your plate and see 40% carbs, 40% protein with the remainder as fat then your on the right track. 5-6 meals a day looking like this and your no doubt reaching the macros you should be meeting anyway. 

Lastly don't let it rule your life. The gym and fitness in general isn't your life, there are so many other things that are more important. So occasionally don't weigh out your food, go out for something to eat, have a huge cheat meal. Live a little. Many people in the industry get so stressed about every fine detail, yes if your a world famous fitness model or you're just about to debut at your first show but if your just doing it for a hobby don't get so worked up about it. Stress will cause you to be less focused on the task, become less efficient, demotivation and you won't be reaching your goals. Enjoy fitness for what it is, fun!!!

Writing programmes

I'm currently away in New Zealand with work and am therefore having a week off totally from training, well when I say totally I've still programmed in 3 HIIT sessions in just to keep everything ticking over. No more than 25 minutes from start to finish. This personally helps me to keep focused and aids in keeping the muscles loose. This week away has come at the right time as I'm going to start a new programme when I get back gearing up for the summer. Plenty of hours on the plane has ensured I write out my new programme in detail so I thought I would elude to a few keys points to help. 

1) Ensure you have a goal in mind prior to writing. Set yourself a broad goal, such as putting on 5kg of muscle by July. Then split these goals down, micro goals, like a 6 week programmes within that. Again take into account if you want to be 5kg heavier but yet lean, than you need to put more weight on through the bulking phase. 

2) Setting goals use SMART goals.

Specific - make your goals are exactly what you want from your training. 

Measurable - use a system to see you're growth, thus helping motivation when you succeed. Weighing yourself and measuring certain muscles groups for example. 

Attainable - can you reach these goals or are they out of reach?

Realistic - you can go big with your goals but know your limit. Not achieving these could end up in demotivation.

Time Specific - set goals to a time scale and make sure you're always on target to meet them. 

3) Make sure you schedule in rest. Don't just train every day of every week and expect results. Add in rest, this is the time to grow. Hit you're workouts hard, eat well and grow with rest. 

4) Include compound exercises. Go heavy on these, bring shock and trauma to the muscle, then isolate the muscle with higher reps to build size and bring detail to the target muscle group. 

5) Don't spend too long in the gym!! Get a good warm up in, hit the muscle hard with adequate rest in between to reach your optimum level with your next set but don't spend ages, texting your friends. Hit the muscle hard and get out. You'll also keep the pump better throughout the workout and not annoy your fellow gym goers by spending ages in a piece of equipment. 

So 5 easy steps to planning your workouts, now get to it. 

Jack

Chest Day - Bench Press

Bench Press

Now of course Monday was international chest day and every bench in every gym is going to be busy. That's why I trained yesterday!!! Good little tip if you don't want to be distributed and be hours in the gym trying to train chest. Train a different day!!! However the main reason as to why I'm writing this entry is to really focus on how you bench.

The bench press has so many different variations and of course rep ranges which can be used depending your goal from the exercise. Now recently I've opted for a closer grip, pinning my elbows in. This has aided with removing a lot of front delt for the exercise, along with greater lower chest development. This however caused me to push the bar slightly forward when going heavier as oppose to going straight up, meaning I wasn't getting all the power through the movement that I was actually generating. 

This caused me to totally change up my grip placement yesterday, opting for a wider press. The best way to describe it is lie flat on the bench with your arms at right angles, this is your grip placement. This taking into account your back width along with limb length. This grip placement is more of a powerlifting based placement, hence getting mor speed thus power through the push phase. I managed to go slightly heavier than normally, along with it targeting my chest a lot more as a whole. I also managed to hit higher reps and on the descent in weight, hit a PB at 100kg for 12. Some may say however the range of movement is a great deal less, but with correct rep ranges and programming it will aid you more in the long run. 

The rest of my workout followed on very much the say, focusing more on exploding in the concentric phase. Incline DB press focusing on lowering the weight over a four count, exploding up. Take the weight down to really use tempo to generate the power, thus working the muscle slightly different to normal. Flies and dips followed along with clap press ups to finish to really generate the explosive speed/power. 

Now the pump post workout was insane, mainly due to the change up in tempo and ethos of training. Make sure you always keep this in your routine in order to less likely plateau, keeping the body guessing. 

Now even though it's Wednesday, go and hit Chest again!!!

Jack

New Year, New Goals!!

New year, new goals. 

With the new year approaching it can only mean one thing, new fitness goals. Just a few points to help you make these goals but more importantly succeed in them through SMART goals. 

Specific- make sure your goals are to the point. Instead of just saying I want to get better at my squat, be specific, such as I want to hit 220kg for 2 reps by June. Including facts and figures are always best.

Measurable - make sure you can monitor the goals you're setting. A diary of workouts is great for this.

Attainable- are you going to be able to reach the goal you've set. Now it's always best to set your goals higher and slightly fail, then set yourself a very achievable goal. Little goals to achieve a larger goal at the end is always a great way to go. It then doesn't seem such a huge mountain to climb and will help you monitor progress through these little 'check-in' goals.  

Realistic - this is very much the same as above. Use past training to set goals. Setting goals to high can cause demotivation and less inclined to keep pushing. Set your goals high though and don't be afraid to fall. 

Time- Managed, set yourself a time to when you want to meet your goal, thus monitoring progress and aiding motivation. This can also mean you don't spend to long on one specific goal and furthermore concentrate more effectively on a goal. 

All of the above have the main outcome of you achieving your best, mainly through tracking what you're doing, motivating you more to achieve the goals. 

Hope this helps with goal setting

Jack

Christmas Eve - Shoulders

Christmas Eve Workout

Even on Christmas Eve I still managed to fit in a workout, and what better way then hitting a little bit of shoulders. Now due tomorrow being a rest day for me and me splitting the shoulders into anterior and posterior I decided to hit them all in one for a change. This was a good decision.

As always I started off with a heavy push press. Recently watching Steve Cook and Mike Rashid I decided to do behind the neck. Reduce the weight slightly from what you'd do normally, focusing on the contraction bringing all of the shoulder and traps into the movement. Slow and steady always wins the race, so perform this slowly. Go heavy for one set at the top and then hit failure at lighter weights on the way down. 

Lateral cable raises proceed next from behind which is quite new to me, this targets the head in a slightly different manner. Superset this with a heavy upright rows and the pump was insane. 

I've recently wanted to focus more on the 3D look for my shoulders so to finish I performed 10x10 rear delt flies into shrugs, both with a slight difference. Set cables high, cross them over in a kneeing position. Pull cables down contracting traps and squeezing delts together. Overload the delts with weight and they'll grow as these are often under worked with lighter, high reps. Shrugs I used a hammer strength shoulder press machine, standing on the seat and shrugging. For some reason this targeted the traps in a unique and new way. Focus on every rep, squeezing traps together at the top. Go light as always and focus on contraction. This German Volume based training with 15 sets already performed was a great way to end the session. 

Rest for two days, them back to it on Sunday. 

Merry Christmas everyone

Jack

Pre-Workouts

Pre-Workouts, do I really need them?

This has been a huge discussion in the fitness industry in recent months. Are pre workouts really essential to perform at your optimum level in the gym and get the best out of your workout. There are so many different ones on the market that it can cause so much confusion as to which to buy, the ways in which they affect you and what is actually in them.

Pre- Workouts have their benefits in more ways than one, often there are a huge mixture of different ingredients that make up a normal pre-workout, so i’m going to outline a few. 

Creatine monohydrate is one of these products. Creatine Monohydrate can act to increase physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise and is ideal for sports which require high-intensity, explosive movements. This is ideal in a pre-workout for aspiring bodybuilders as it will help aid both strength and power in the compound exercises such as bench, squat and deadlift. Many often say it can also help achieve that pump in the muscle. The only downfall with creatine is it often requires a loading phase into a cycle, often requiring more than just one intake which you will receive from your pre-workout. It’s also really cheap to buy separately and following the guidelines may be a better option. 

Many pre-workouts also include your amino acids. Amino Acids are complex chemicals that are the building blocks of protein, which are required for the creation of new tissue, and the repair of existing cells. An essential Amino Acid cannot be synthesised or created by the body and therefore must be supplied from the diet. These are often taken pre workout, intra and post in order to aid growth and repair but more so to prevent your body going into a catabolic state, in other terms using muscle mass as an energy source. These can again be brought separately and much like creatine need to be used on more of a regular occasion than just pre-workout. 

The last large contributor is Beta Alanine. This is an non-essential amino acid and therefore is produced by the body, its supplemented as additional levels are required through training. It is thought to aid physical performance, increasing your exercise capacity. This can however have a few side effects such as flushes and a slight tingling effect on the body. The downfall to this product is many people often becoming immune to the effects on the amino acid after consistent use. 

This is one of the reasons why I’m not a big pre-workout fan as I really don’t feel that it does anything for me. I prefer a good helping of coffee, along with your favour song gets me more focused and ready to go every workout, every time. This for me is my pre workout routine and very much like those who take pre workouts gives you that placebo effect on your body, when actually it hasn't benefited you a great deal. One thing I tell everyone is if you want it that badly, hit your PB’s and reach your goals than you will push yourself to those dark places and not require something to do it. 

Give one and try and let me know how you get on, they work totally different for individuals and you may really notice a benefit.