Sleeve bursting arms!!

Sleeve bursting Arms

With the summer now well and truly upon us everyone is changing jumpers for t-shirts and all that hard work you've put in over the winter months you really want to show off. The first thing that draws any attention when it's t-shirt weather is your arms!! Here are a few last minute training tips to really get your arms bursting out of your sleeves.


Add more volume to your triceps!!
Triceps are often neglects when it comes to training arms purely as they're never seen but they take up two thirds of your upper arms, it's not all bicep you know!!! These as a muscle I have found can take a lot of volume as they're used in every pushing motion you do so in order to force them into growth you must train them many different ways to shock the muscle. Train them through different rep patterns with a low rep, high set day on your chest day with a high rep, low set day following shoulders. Focus on tempo and contraction of the muscle and then other times just overload the tricep as much as possible. These methods will stun the muscle, forcing it to grow. Mix the exercises up in your routine adding in reverse push downs, reverse bench and cable skull crushers as oppose to the normal exercises you may do. Lastly over work the lateral head of the tricep which runs from your deltoid, the outer part of the tricep. Kick backs and over head extension are great in isolating this head as the others are often used more in the pushing exercises. This will bring greater depth to your arm size thus create that sleeve bursting look.

Tempo and good form when training biceps!!
So many people now see the top guys in the industry curling heavy weight and automatically employ this type of training into their routine with horrendous form and are not stimulating the muscle at all. This is unless they are curling to gain bigger traps and back. Yes use this shock tactic at the beginning of the workout but don't comprise form for it, as soon as you feel your form is going maybe get one or two cheat reps in but then stop. Move on to an isolation exercise such as a preacher, concentration or incline bench curls where form is a great deal harder to cheat on. Drop the weight down slightly and focus on really tempo and squeezing the muscle at the top of the movement, pushing blood into the muscle. You can add a few force reps in when you're fatigued through either help from a partner or if you're performing a single arm curl get the other hand involved, exhausting the bicep and pushing for growth. Much like the tricep train both heads of the muscle, wider than shoulder width for the short head and closer grip for the long head. I like to include rope hammer curls, lying wide  cable curls and reverse dumbbell curls to really hit both heads.

Train your forearms!
Many people when training arms neglect the forearm but they're still part of the arm. With people wanting to more and more lift heavier weight they opt for straps, meaning their grip strength is poor this never really training forearms. Larger forearms automatically give a more atheistic look to the arm and stronger forearms will help assist when you're looking to move more weight as they act more often than not as a fixator, allowing you to squeeze the bar harder, engaging more muscles. Reverse curls and wrist curls are the two I like to use and get rid of those straps!!!!

So there are three easy tips to add into your programme in order to see results and have sleeve bursting arms.

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  

Inov8 Fastlift 335 - A MUST BUY!!

When squatting I've always been an advocate of wearing Olympic lifting shoes, not all the time for ever movement but certainly if you're looking to going heavy and generate power through your squat. 

What is the benefit of a Weightlifting shoe? Many people like to wear them when performing any pressing movement or power based exercise. They provide you with a heel block, flat base and a secure fit meaning power generated by the feet is transferred through the body, into the movement thus not lost. 

Now you may ask so why Jack don't you use them when doing those exercises and here is my answer. I just can't stand not being able to walk around or do anything else whilst wearing them because they are literally so uncomfortable when doing anything except lifting, this is until I came across the Inov8 Fastlift 335.  

These provide stability, and all of what an weightlifting shoe provides but also a more comfortable feel that you can use to train in any environment. This makes it perfect if you are going from a compound exercises where you need that support, into say a burpree, much like the most recent of the cross fit open workouts. The shoe won't get in your way, allowing you to perform the exercise with ease. This is unlike any other weight lifting based shoe unless you loose the stability when lifting and opt for much more of cross training shoe, which I’m really to a fan of.

This shoe therefore does a variety of jobs for you in the gym that is unlike any other shoe I have come across in the market to date. It gives you the weight lifting, olympic lifting and cross trainer options, the only it doesn't is running, but then who needs to run!!! A definite shoe you need in your collection, which you will always use unlike a common weightlifting shoe which will only come out once a week when it comes to squatting. 

Get onto www.SportsShoes.com where these are currently on offer at £69.99, a great deal. They'll make you feel more comfortable in a heavy squats, power through cleans and more explosive when it comes to a push press. Bring more versatility to your training, allow you to do more, but more so then anything help you in reaching your goals.  

Have fun training 

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

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

Keeping in shape whilst away!!

Now with everyone paid off the crazy bills from Christmas it's time for a holiday, which is one of the reason why I'm writing this with you in mind. Furthermore I'm currently out in Australia for work and a, on the same position as many of you without a gym.

Firstly what your eating is the most important. Now I know your on holiday and you've got to relax therefore meaning you can eat and drink what you want, but as always do it in moderation. If you can go for the healthier option then do. Now I know how hard that can be with most countries washing salads in their own water meaning it's not the best thing to eat, trust me I know I'm struggling in India at the minute. But try and pick up the protein options and not the fried food!!!! With the alcohol side go with the lighter calorific drinks, stay away from the beers and instead opt for a gin and tonic.

Now on to the workout, if there is no gym to do your usual workout and only your room then what do you do?? You can still do a muscle building workout in your hotel room with just your own bodyweight. You can use easy exercises like press-ups, squats, dips and burpees onto advance exercises such as crab walks, ice skaters, crocodile walks and even as far as handstand push ups. So putting this all into your hotel room circuit:
20 press ups,
length of your room crocodile walk,
30 squats, crab walk length of room,
10 burpees,
15 dips.
 For press ups, squats and dips use time under tension for a count of 4010. This will add that little bit more too your workout, helping with the building phase. Give this a try for four rounds, changing if needed the number of reps to your specification.

If the weather is nice and you want to get outside you can also have a get workout. Use any poles you can pull bodyweight too, eg pulls ups, or rowing movements. Use benches for dips along with bars for bodyweight skull crushers. Involve sprints, walking lunges along with squats and you'll have yourself a great workout, all using your bodyweight.

So next time your in your hotel room not knowing what to do for your phys for the day give the above a go.

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