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

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!!!

New Gym and Amino Energy!!

I know it's been a while but Happy New Year to everyone, I hope you're already into conquering your goals of 2016. 

I've been really busy myself with work over the Christmas period but managed to get home for a few days to see the family and of course try out a new gym. Where my parents live as oppose to London gyms are few and far between but through word of mouth I managed to get a week pass at 'Elite Physique Training Gym' (www.elitephysiquetraining.co.uk) in Sandy just off the A1.

The gym has only just recently opened back in October but has really got a lot to offer. It's in a small warehouse offering you a weights area, cardio suite and a room for classes. Dumbbells range from 1-50kg, all three types of bench presses, 2 smith machines, a squat rack and some machines I've never used before. One of these being the C press, which hit my shoulders at a totally different angle to the normal, straight, vertical pressing I'm used to. The gym has recently brought heavy duty bands which I knew I must give a go. Joe Donelley is a new advocate of these and boy do they work. The contraction is just insane!! High face pulls, rows, push downs, bicep curls and flies can all incorporate these. The muscle is under constant tension along with more resistance being exerted when you are at the strongest phase of the movement, thus making any movement much more difficult. I had some great workouts in this gym so if your in the area be sure to check it out. They're offering all types of memberships, including a day pass which is always helpful, along with Personal Training.

Lastly a quick shout out to Optimum Nutrition once more!! I can not get enough of amino energy. No matter how I feel, whenever I take this I get a good workout in. No matter the body part I don't fatigue and always seem to be focused throughout and get the job done. Plus the fruit fusion flavour is to die for. Check it out!!!! 

Have a great week of training, really try out some heavy duty resistance bands into your training.

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

Late Night Legs

After a rather long 3 weeks away with very little training I got back late last night. With this amount of time away from a routine I was craving gym time and what could be more prevalent then kicking it off with a late night leg work out!

Now I normally stay away from training late, it's just never felt like the best time to train but last night was an exception to this. I always hit my legs with high volume beginning with back/front squat. Last night however I changed my squat slightly on advice from a video I had seen from Bradley Martyn, opting for a much closer, narrow back squat. This takes the stress away from the hamstrings and more onto the quads much like a front squat but allows for a heavier weight to be lifted. I went high volume with 8 sets of 12-15 reps, increasing weight over each set, hitting 125kg in the last set. 

Post these squats my legs were pretty much on fire but I moved onto hamstrings through variations of curls. 8 sets of 15 reps, focusing on the contraction and forcing blood into the muscle. This was very similar with leg extensions which I finished the workout off, super setting with weighted lunges. With the extensions pause at the top of the movement, when the leg is fully contracted. Dropset on each set really pushed my legs to the limited. A little finisher with tabata jump squats for 8 minutes. This is so simple but after all of the volume above was a killer.

1) Back Squat, warming up to 8 sets 12-15 reps. 

2) Leg Curl 8 sets 15 reps

3) Leg Extension drops sets, 12 reps each, weighted lunges 12 reps each leg. 6 sets.

4) Tabata Jump squats for 8 minutes.

My legs were totally busted after this workout, a fab workout. Needed a good foam roll out an stretch after this workout and they're hurting a lot this morning. Give the narrow squats a go, really worth it.

Good luck

Jack

Meal Prep, the easy way!!!

Now nutrition is the largest contributing factor to get in shape and more importantly stay in shape. If any of you follow me on Instagram you'll know I prep meals a lot! There are three reasons I do this.

1) I am very busy at work and I like to eat around every 3 hours so I prep them all and carry them with me everywhere I go. It also saves so much time slaving away in the kitchen!!!

2) Keeps you on track. This is the most important. As your meals are prepared you don't fall into the trap of having to buy something, risking the temptation of having a cheat meal. 

3) You can prepare the exact nutritional requirements you need. Everyone has a macro goal, meal prep makes this so easy. Just cook all the food you need to meet those requirements and then split that into the meals throughout the day. 

Tips for meal prep:

- Prep meals in two day blocks. This means you can cook in bulk, making the process so much faster. Also means you can buy in bulk. 

- Prep food you will eat cold!!! There is a wide spread of protein options, I like to stick to sweet potato and brown rice for my carb options, including veggies. Fats are through nuts, eggs and avocado. 

- Grab a sauce low in salt and sodium. Carry this with you everywhere you go, just to add a little flavour to boring food. 

- If you haven't got a fridge to store your food in then get a 6 pack bag!! These are amazing. They are totally worth there weight in gold. A must buy if you're serious about staying on track with your nutrition!!! Link below. 

So there you have it, meal prep made easy, now get gaining!!!!!!!

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