Showing posts with label amrap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amrap. Show all posts

Saturday, 27 August 2016

Steve Cook - Hypertrophy Training

I was recently on youtube just having a little browse when I came across a video from Steve Cook on hypertrophy training, to which I thought I'd share with you. Steve Cook is very popular in the fitness industry after becoming an IFBB pro Men's Physique Competitor, Optimum Nurtition and Bodybuilding.com spokesmen and of course the founder of Swoldier. Swoldier nation is Steve Cook's ethos on training in the gym but furthermore in life. Doing things the right way. This could be through setting goals to achieve in the gym but basically it underpins the drive that causes you to succeed in life. This has become massive with many followers and has really started to bring a different light on the muscle building community.

Back to hypertrophy training. You may ask what is difference between strength and hypertrophy training well, firstly hypertrophy training is a method of strength training and is intended to induce the fastest muscle growth in the shortest period of time without the use of anabolic steroids. There are four different principles to this type of training. Mechanical load is the first, meaning tension loading of the muscle through an exercise. Chronic stimulation which is the theory that a muscle does not need more than 48 hours to recover because within that 48 hours window recovery can still take place with the correct rate of protein and nutrition. Progressive load is also a principle through over time the tissue adapts and becomes resistant to the effects of the first principle, mechanical load. Therefore the load must be increased to overcome adaptation by the body thus, causing growth to occur. Strategic Deconsitioning or in other terms a rest week is where the body has reached a point at the end of a cycle where it can't tolerate more weight, therefore a set period of rest must be take, allowing for the muscle to grow. These are the basics to hypertrophy training, boring stuff out the way now how to put it into practice.

Now as I mentioned early Steve Cook has recorded numerous videos of him doing this type of training online and it is really interesting, where you shall defiantly see growth. He overloads the muscle through 8 reps for 8 sets of the same exercise only allowing for 30 seconds of rest between sets. This therefore allows very little rest for the muscle to recover in anyway, and depending on which exercise your performing can really get the heart pumping. The weight used would not be what you would normally use for an 8 rep set otherwise you will not be able to last for all 8 sets so bring it down by about 30%. He thens pushes it further through either superseting or tri-setting exercises later on into the workout. This becomes really difficult after the muscle is already quite fatigued. With the additional volume in your training hypertrophy will definetly bring about growth. Also if your someone that goes to the gym and just goes through the motions this will bring a stop to that and keep the body guessing of what might be coming next causing it to adapt and grow. I personally tried the 8x8 with arms at the end of my session today and I usually get a burn through supersetting on my arms but this just brought an all together different burn more of any ache, so you should definetly give it a try if you want something new with any workout.

Try this link to see his workout http://bit.ly/1fZhrca

Remember diet 70%, gym 30%

Jack

Friday, 12 August 2016

Do I workout or not?

Do I workout or not?

With the summer holiday season now upon us and family time along with social lives becomes a greater part of life and the routine of wake up, go to work then head to the gym is non existent the question often asked is 'do I workout or not?'. Motivation is at an all time low but you know it's got to be done, here are a few tips to include to get that workout in.

Set yourself a goal. This could be complete this many reps of a certain exercise or a certain amount of rounds of one exercise, anything that you can use as a motivational tool but that once competed you will have had a great workout. Use crossfit workouts, circuits or things such as pack of playing cards. This is something I'd highly recommend nominating an exercise to a suit and the number of the card being the reps performed, use the whole pack and there is your workout.

Set yourself a time limit. If you know all you're going to do is 30 minutes then you're mentally more prepared for what is to come. Count down the minutes or whatever you need to do but you know it's only going to be 30 minutes. Use the AMRAP principle where you must complete as many rounds of a certain circuit in a given time, great upping the intensity, high volume of reps performed along with motivation to beat your pass score or someone else's.

Play Sport. It sounds so simple but many forget this as a form of exercise. With the stunning weather we currently have here in London sport should be at the top of the list as one of the things to be doing. Play it with the family or friends and add in forfeits. Let's take football for example, if a goal is scored 10 press ups, someone skills you 10 star jumps, every corner 10 squats and if you foul someone plank for 30 seconds. Yes it may slow the game down but it can make it fun at the same time as getting some cardio and a strength workout all in one.

So no excuses, stay in shape over the summer.

Jack