Should I lift heavy?

This is a question which is asked by many and is never really answered. When I started training I was one of those people that believed going heavy resulted in bigger muscles, as in a simple sense it's a stronger muscle so surely it’s going to get bigger. Now this is somewhat true but muscle growth can also come from many other different ways and types of training. 

In simple terms strength is about increasing force production. Size, on the other hand, is about getting a pump through the increase of blood flow to the muscle and creating microscopic damage to the muscle, which then causes it to repair and grow larger. This is hypertrophy in a nutshell and now is the most common rep range where most people believe they should be training in order to add size to a given muscle group. 

What is Strength Training?

The general rule when training for strength is that the reps should be low and the resistance load should be high. Low-rep strength work is primarily neuromuscular, this involves teaching your Central Nervous System how to bring more muscle into the movement or in the correct terms increase motor unit recruitment. Strength training takes time, you wont just increase the weight you're lifting each week and where programming becomes the crucial element. The slow increase in weight over time shall force the muscle to grow stronger but, its a steady process and must not be rushed. Always stick to the big compound moves for this and also focus on form over the weight you're lifting. No one around you will care that you're deadlifting 5 plates if you're back is arched over and you're doing more harm than good. 

Hypertrophy?

Unlike strength training, the goal of training for size is more physiological than it is neurological. It's about upgrading your body's hardware, like bones, connective tissues, and muscles. Its about pushing the muscle past what it is already capable through the micro tears of the tissue so it will grow stronger and larger. These are four points to focus on:

• Using strict form. Most of the exercises are going to be isolating the muscle so form is the most crucial element, target the muscle you want to actually train!! 

• Using the tempo! This is the biggest thing that is neglected in the gym, people just lifting weights as fast as they can but tempo plays such an important part. You could cut the amount of weight you're lifting and focus on the contraction and eccentric phase of the moment. A count of three seconds each is perfect and will engage the muscle so much more.

• Mentally focusing on the muscles being worked and squeezing those muscles at the peak of contraction. Very much the same as tempo but at the peak of the movement push that little further and squeeze the muscle forcing blood directly into it. 

• Avoiding fully locking out so the muscles are under tension throughout the movement. Many people take the tension when performing an exercise away from the muscle by locking out at the joint and all the weight transferred onto this. Try to avoid this, especially when you're isolating the muscle, if you can’t, reduce the weight. 

For your workout to be the best it can be it needs a rounded rep scheme. Aim for the heavy, compound exercises at the beginning of the routine to really shock the muscle, recruit the most amount of muscles and predominantly build strength in the muscle. Then as the session wears on with the addition of isolated exercises aim for higher reps, focus paid to tempo and form to really break down the muscle further. Supersets, tri-sets and drop sets all added to push that little further but form always takes precedence over anything else.

There you have it, going heavy has it’s time and place but isn’t always essential. The best bit of advice I can give though is a big muscle doesn't always mean its a strong muscle!

Jack 

Optimum Nutrition - Amino Energy

Amino Energy is a supplement which can be used for anytime energy, focus and recovery. For me this was a supplement I thought was a must have and it certainly lives up to its expectations. 

Now per a serving of amino energy you receive 5 grams of amino acids, which giving a serving is 9 grams you're certainly getting you're money’s worth. 160 milligrams of caffeine from green tea is also included, pretty much the same caffeine level as having a large coffee from Starbucks, so a good old helping. Of the remaining 4 grams, 1.6 is Beta-alanine which just falls short of a recommended serving but for those of you who are looking to find a all in one supplement, this easily meets the job. 

One thing I love about this supplement is the taste. Many amino based drinks I've tried in the past are very concentrated, making me feel quite sick throughout my workout. There is no spiky or bitter aftertaste along with no dull taste reminiscent of products containing high doses of l-Arginine. The mix-ability is perfect like all Optimum supplements with no chunks or excessive foam on top, no matter what shaker you're using. 

Does this supplement help you when training is the next questions you're going to ask, and my verdict is yes. I used this as a intra-workout drink but, it can be used both pre and post workout. The effects of the stimulants are immediate within you're workout, allowing me to remain focused and centred throughout the duration of my workout. I’ve used this on every muscle group that I have trained and have noticed an increase to the endurance of the muscle, being able to lift heavier for longer which in turn has allowed for a great pump achieved towards the end of my workout. 

Amino Energy therefore is a great product for anyone that is looking for a supplement that offers versatility on a product which can be taken at any time. This products can solve multiple problems, with one solution, amino energy. It tastes great, retains focus through your workout, along with all the amino acids you'll ever need. All aspects considered its a must have product. 

Killing Shoulders, Mike O'Hearn and Rob Riches

As many of you will know who regularly read my posts I talk a lot about shoulders. This is because out of all muscle groups, this is my weakest both in size and strength. However, I recently watched a collaboration video on YouTube between Mike O'Hearn and Rob Riches which very much demonstrates a different way of training shoulders, this I then out into practice yesterday in my workout. 

The first exercise he uses is a single standing DB press. I love all standing exercises just recently because it really helps activate the core, stabilising your upper body especially when going heavy over head. Mike is explicit about going heavy in this video. You just go heavy , don't chase the pump. 1-5 is my normal rep range. He goes on to mention how the opening exercise should always shock the nervous system and the rest of the workout will feel light. Furthermore be careful with warm up sets, don't go to far, only 5 reps over 2 sets are really needed otherwise all your doing is putting strain and fatiguing the muscle before you've even hitting it with the big stuff. I really stuck by this in my recent workout and boy does it work. My shoulders were on fire and I only really went heavy for one set at 37.5kg for 5 reps. Nothing compared to Mike getting up over 140lbs for 6 with ease. The guy has insane strength and I think one of the best bodies in the game so who wouldn't take advice off him.

The rest of the workout continues with a huge focus paid on not over doing it on every set you complete, but real attention paid to the heavy sets, always to failure!! He goes on to talk about how form can sometimes be slightly comprised within reason to reach those extra few reps. Giving the press, a more so push press towards the end of a set by a little bounce from the legs. After 3 more exercises, including a upright DB row, rear delt fly and a horrible looking lateral into a front raise movement, done light with control focusing in the roundness of the shoulder, and boy did it burn, the workouts done. 

So there you have it, check the video on Rob Riches YouTube page, if it gets 2 million views then Mike has said he'll fly you out to LA to train with them, so get liking, sharing etc. Now go and kill shoulders.

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

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

                          

Keep on track whilst on holiday!!!!

I'm writing this as I sit in Heathrow ready to fly off on my summer holiday to visit a friend in Muscat, Oman. With everyone going on their summer holidays, me being one of them I thought I'd write a quick blog on essential goods to take to still keep on track with your fitness goals. I'm having a kind of rest week, but below are a few items I'll use to get a quick workout done. 

Now for all of you who are lucky enough to have a gym where you're staying then things can run as usual however, remember your on holiday!!!! It doesn't matter if you miss a few sessions here and there. My best advice would be keep it all short and sweet. Group muscle groups together such as shoulders/arms and Chest/Back. Supersets, tri-sets and mini circuits can all be included to get a great workout in. Timings wise you'll often be training in the morning, fasted so get some BCAA's down you and get training. Plus you can leave the other half to get ready and pig out at the all you can eat breakfast not feeling guilty. 

If you're unlucky like me and don't have a gym then you can still get a great workout done anywhere. Your body weight is one of the most under used way to train your body. For this I have packed a deck of cards!!! Now you may ask, 'why a pack of cards?' very random. Well it's a little trick I learnt off of Steve Cook, giving each suit of cards an exercise, for example hearts is press ups. You'll then have four exercises in all. The number on the card will indicate the number of reps performed, all face cards are 10 with an Ace being 11. If you land on a joker it's 12 burpees. Turn the pack of cards face down, turning one over at a time, performing the given exercise and reps. You can get a great little 20 minute workout done with just your body weight and a pack of cards.

One other essential I'm taking is a Thera-band. Now this I usually use in my programme to warm up with, especially the shoulder area. However, this can also be used as part of your workout. Exercises which can be performed are as follows:

- Squats with band around your knee, restricting from your knees pushing out and with a pause at the bottom it makes it tough.

- Bent Over Rows

- Upright rows

- Face Pulls

- Bicep Curls

- Lateral Raises

Along with a few push ups you've got a pretty good overall workout, use a 4020 tempo and you'll get an unreal pump.

A foam roller is something I always pack when traveling. It helps me to relax, but more importantly when your either sitting down waiting for a flight or on a long haul flight it's great just for getting everything loose once you've arrived. Additional it can be used as a warm up pre workout and to stretch post workout. 

Nutrition is the last thing I've left as in my eyes it's the least important. At the end of the day, you're on holiday, not at home. Unless you're a sponsored athlete with a company prepping your meals for you, you won't have meals to hand to eat every 3 hours. You won't have the facilities to make all your meals. But most importantly you're on holiday!!! Relax a little. This doesn't mean however stuff yourself with all the cravings you've had over the last few months but don't restrict yourself. One or two snacks a day or one main meal at the all you can eat buffet won't hurt. If you ate like this all the time then yes but for a week it won't. Make healthy choices where you can but at the end of the day just enjoy yourself. I personally come off of all supplements as well whilst on holiday. I sometimes find it can be an hassle to get them through security and plus your body needs a rest. Much like exercise your liver needs a rest. When you start taking them again you'll also notice such a difference.

So there you have it my holiday essentials. Those of you who are going on holiday have fun, just be ready to hit it hard when you get back!!!

Jack

Fellow Bloggers

I have recently taken more time to read other peoples blog to generate a higher knowledge of what you guys want and also knowledge of fitness for me, as they say you never stop learning!!! Now Born Fitness is one of these must reads!! Here I came across a blog written by Adam Bernstein on the growing dilemma for me of dropping carbs for fat loss. This has been a major part of my blogs recently as myself, and I’m sure many others are trying to drop weight for their summer holidays. 

He goes on to state how a “low carb” diet is one of the most misunderstood terms of nutrition in the fitness industry, to which I totally agree with him on. He mentions how creating a flexible diet plan is the way forward, this is being used more greatly in the fitness industry over the last few years with the boom of applications, mainly through apps such as myfitnesspal. Michael Kory, who is an ever developing Vlogger is huge on this. When creating this diet plan he a leads to certain points which have to be taken into account. 

Total training hours: A training plan which you design will coincide with the diet plan. For me these are essential as they compliment each other. With good nutrition you will get such a better workout, guaranteed.

Target bodyweight: You must have a goal at the end of it. Many people go wrong by just saying ‘I want to look ripped’. You must know your goal weight!!! When you know your target body weight it will allow you to work your macros out to which then, you can plug into myfitnesspal and get you on your way to getting the body you want. 

Body fat: this is very much like the above, you have got to know where you are, to get where you want to go. Again this will help you set goals which in turn will keep you motivated to carry on when reaching said goals. 

The one thing that I would like to add to this is carbs is the one thing in your diet which you can change so much and will in turn have such a great overall effect. Even as minimal as adding 50 grams extra a day can have such a huge effect. In its basic form carbs are a energy source, so if you are depleting yourself of carbs your body will never be as efficient as it could be. This will of course mean you won’t be able to push yourself as hard in the gym. Low carbs restrict the muscle from energy meaning it will fatigue faster. However if you have a high carb intake, especially prior to exercise the muscle will be full and what I often find is an unreal pump. 

I often cycle my carbs throughout the week, keeping the body guessing. Whenever I train legs my carb intake rises by 60 grams that day, this is split between pre and post workout. Days where I am not training I will minimise my intake as I am not training and therefore don’t need as greater energy. These are all different things you can do. Play around with carbs, it effects people in many different ways but once you know what works for you stick with it!!! You will notice such a difference. 

So there you have it Born Fitness is a great blog which you need to get reading if you haven’t already. Adam Bernstein is a wealth of knowledge, always posting up little tips to help. If you're really into your flexible dieting then Michael Kory is definitely a guy to check out on youtube, some of his recipes are incredible, plus they're yummy!!!!!!

Hope this helps

Jack

When is the best time to do cardio??

When should I do cardio?

This is the dilemma of lots of people when it comes to cutting season. If I do it pre workout I won't get as good as workout, if I do it post workout I will lose mass, should I do it fasted? These are all questions I get asked all the time and there is no simple answer, but hopefully the following will kind of explain it slightly, helping you make a decision.

Cardio firstly doesn't mean going on a run or sitting on a bike for an hour, it can also be done through weights. When I want to start cutting down I include a lot more tri sets (three exercises) and giant sets (four exercises) into my programme. This doesn't just get your heart rate up into the aerobic phase for burning fat but also conditions the muscle more, which whilst cutting it what you want as you are no longer looking for mass. This was all brought to my attention by Shaun Stafford who is WBFF champion and he uses this a lot in his workouts. You can also make your workout more circuit based as oppose to just perform four sets of 10 reps of one exercise then moving on. Bring the weight down but keep the same rep scheme. This is a huge favourite of Mister International 2010 Ryan Terry. Furthermore at the end of each set add 5 burpees on the end or hold the plank for half of your rest period. This being another great alternative.

Now fasted cardio is next. This is a great tool and some people swear by it. My first point would be make sure you take on some BCAA prior to starting in order for your body not to go catabolic, basically using the muscle as a energy source. Again this works for some and doesn't for others. Your body is working off of an empty stomach and therefore as there is no energy source will start using your fat reserves as a form of energy, targeting what you want to get rid of. However, due to the little energy source your body can recruit I don't believe you can fully push yourself using this form. Yes a slow, steady 3mile jog is fine, but if you want to start hitting the intervals then it's kind of a no go area. Living next to Hyde park, I often run into work fasted however my body is just then craving food all day and when your restricting calories as it is, it's not a temptation you want. 

Pre workout cardio I would defiantly say is a no go. It may work for you so give it a try but personally I don't like it. Your either going to hold back in order to save some energy for the main bulk of your workout or max out then have a poor workout. Yes you can make it your warm up and yes you may burn more calories in the main workout however you still won't get the both out of both parts of the workout. Give it a try first and see what you think.

Post workout cardio is last but not least. This is what I am regularly doing on top of my crossfit cardio based workouts I mentioned a few posts back. Your muscles are fully depleted at this point and your body is feeling tired so you really have to be up for it. Many people are worried about muscle break down from doing cardio post workout but I'll let you into two tips. Make sure you drink BCAA throughout your workout and make both parts short and simple. For example I like to do HIIT post workout cardio but still have some corporation to the weight workout I've done prior. For example, yesterday was Chest so I performed 250m row max effort with the rest time being 15 hand release press ups. This I performed 6 times, no rest between efforts and was over in 6 and a half minutes. I was benefitting from the cardio but also exhausting my chest at the same time. You can do the same with any muscle groups, jump squats/burpees for legs, pull ups/inverted row for back, clean and press for shoulders. Or short and sweet and makes you fill great after a workout. You can use all different types of cardio equipment as well, I just like the rower as its a full body workout. Add this on post workout and I know you'll love it. 

Give these all a try and see what you think. Different times work better for others and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Jack

New Push, Pull, Legs routine!!!

This week I have decided to split my workouts in a different manner. As oppose to doing the normal split of chest, back, legs and shoulders with a few additional areas covered, I have decided to op for the push, pull, legs followed by a further push, pull day, after watching a Michael Kory routine. Wow does it make a difference!!

The first push day was very similar to a chest workout however I included a few lateral raises which is a weak area of mine, with incline DB press at 45degrees bring more shoulders into the movement. I finished with a favourite of mine which is standing DB press which I find recruits the core so much and makes the movement much more of a rounded exercise. I felt like I hit this area as a whole a lot more effectively then just solely focusing on chest. The pull day saw me focus on both bring depth and width to my back, but as oppose to super setting a lot of my exercises I concentrated on going heavy, with fewer reps and sets. This worked a treat as my posterior chain rarely gets worked like this, with me waking up the following day with huge DOMS. This had quite an effect on my leg day for some reason. I just didn't feel as strong front squatting, so opted for a high rep day which wasn't pretty with my quads now crying out in pain 48 hours later. 

Now with the second push and pull days I broke my shoulder routine in half. My push routine I started off with push press getting up to 90kg for 5 which I was really pleased with and from then on hit the anterior and lateral head of the shoulder. A point to note with lateral raises don't go to heavy!!! If you're swinging them up than they are to heavy. I avoided this by doing them on a seated bench, super setting them with a incline press, this got a almighty pump going. I also used the cables for lateral raises which keeps a constant tension on the muscle fatiguing that head of the shoulder. Cables also featured with a Steve Cook inspired frontal raises with a rope through the legs, making sure you pull the rope apart at the top of the movement. Along with pronated incline flies which stretched the whole area out, my chest and shoulders were in bits, I couldn't even lift my water bottle up!!!! 

Second pull day I really wanted to focus on width with my back and include rear portion of the shoulder along with traps. These all blend well as along as you're contracting your back correctly when trying to build width your rear delts and traps are getting a good workout as well. This is exactly what I done with lat pulldowns to begin with, pausing slightly at the bottom of the movement for a full contraction. I targeted the rear delts much like the push workout the day before through DB reverse flies super setting with DB rows off of a incline bench. Performed correctly the upper back around the rhomboids will really be working hard. My favourite super set was using cable bent over rear flies along with cable face pulls. A full stretch of the muscle, along with a pause when fully contracted and this with build a V-shaped back that everyone wants. I finished this off with high single arm pull downs and boy did they finish me off!!

So there you go a new routine that I'm bringing in to my workouts. Always great to mix it up and if you train with a lot of volume, 5-6 times a week it's great as it allows muscle groups that all important 48 hours off. Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

Be sure to check out Michael Kory as this is who I thought of using the idea off of. Plus be sure to follow me on Instagram at jacksfitnessforyou for lots of motivation and recipe advice. 

Being away and nights out

I spent most of my weekend in Liverpool due to work commitments and therefore didn't manage to get into the gym however this still didn't stop me having a quick workout by going on a run around the docks followed by a quick on the minute every minute workout. This basically involves you performing a given set of exercises on the minute and with the remaining time left of the minute being your rest. I choose just one exercise as I wanted to just hit my aerobic capacity as oppose to any strength based training. The exercise of choice were burpees, more specifically 20 burpees. I ended up doing the whole workout for 15 minutes which totalled 300 burpees in the end. Before I begun I knew the workout was going to be difficult but towards the end I was very much regretting it, when I was only receiving 20 seconds rest. 

The reason why I am writing this blog though is what do you drink when you go out of evening what do you drink and not just consume empty calories. It’s one of the biggest dilemmas for people who live a healthy life style but yet still want to go out with friends and have fun. My drink of choice is a Gin and Tonic. Even though there is still around 70 calories a drink, its not as bad as say a beer. My main advice would be to stay away from mixers that you know are full of sugar, the main one of these being Coke. So many people drink JD and Cokes, this is full of calories!!!! AVOID IT!!!!  If you're a big mover on the dance floor like me then drink what you want. Get the shuffle going or even the air bass guitar which is always an hilarious move. My biggest tip of all however is have a protein shake in the fridge ready and waiting for when you get back.  Alcohol has been proved to reduce protein synthesis by 15-20% so get a shake down you to reduce the chance of this happening. Furthermore this is at its highest 24 hours after training, so you're better to drink straight after a workout as oppose to later when your body is in recovery mode.

There are a few tips that can help you when being away, having a few drinks and still stay on track.

Jack 

Weather, Wimbledon and Tennis

With Wimbledon currently all over our screens and with the heatwave we are currently in I thought I introduce you to a few tips for tennis you could do in the gym or outside. This will hopefully benefit your tennis skills and get your heart rate up, burning unwanted fat for the summer. 

For tennis the main focus are powerful legs along with strong shoulders. The recruitment of fast twitch muscles are crucial in tennis as every movement is of a explosive form. As a tennis player though you still want to remain light on your feet, great aerobic capacity for long rally's with flexibility to stretch for the short drop shots. Stability for when playing power shots and the ability to get to the shots along with pin point footwork are also aspects which are needed. However, firstly I'm going to start by how to improve the recruitment of fast twitch muscles.

Much like my recent blog on football the recruitment of fast twitch muscles are crucial to gain the explosive power to generate through the shots. Beginning with a compound exercise to recruit these muscle fibres in a high weight, low rep, explosive manner. Back squat is where I would begin. Warm up to a weight where you would normally perform 8-10 reps with. Use this weight to perform 3x5 of pause squats, pausing for a 6 second count at the bottom of the rep. Superset this with jump squats to failure. Next moving on to the posterior chain through deadlifts. Unlike the pause with the squats the attention needs to be paid to the eccentric phase, with the lowering of the weight and exploding out of the bottom. I read a recent article on Laura Robson's training and this is one of her  favourite exercises. Perform 5x5 superset with 8 tuck jumps. Both of these are aiming to increase your recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibres.

Mentioned in the article was how Laura uses a lot of pull ups in her routine to build up her upper strength. These can be performed assisted, normally or weighted all to improve strength. If you can't perform a pull up unassisted then jump up and lower yourself down under control, this will just build up the strength in the area. Press ups is the king of exercises to build the strength in the upper body. Clap press ups will suit tennis more due to the explosive manner in which they are performed. Lowering yourself down under control with a explosive press generating power, emulating an action when performing a shot. With these you can go as far as bring your whole body of the ground.

 

Movement around the court is the last aspect I'm going to address which is one of the most important. Movement can't just be backwards and forwards to and from the net as the game is mostly played across court meaning lateral movement must be efficient as well.  This is often improved through drills, such a shuttle runs, or death runs like in basketball but there are certain exercises which can help. Ice skaters where you jump laterally from one leg to the other will increase the single leg power on the plane of movement. All different types of sprints will aid with movement. Move laterally and then after 8-12 strides sprint forward. Jump 180 degrees then sprint forward. Move laterally, then backwards and sprint forwards. All these slight adjustments to just basic sprint will all help, read my football entry for more tips and advice. 

Gym based workout

1) Squats - 15,12.10,8 then 3x5 pause squats. Superset with jump squats.

2) Deadlifts - 15,12,10,8 then 5x5 deadlifts, focus on eccentric phases. Superset tuck jumps.

3) Pull ups 3 sets till failure. If exceeding 10 reps add additional weight.

4) Clap press ups, aim for 6-8 reps. 

5) Plank, 4x45 seconds.

Outdoors 

1) 5 burpees, 8 press ups, 10 jump squats. As many rounds in 20 minutes.

2) 10 Ice skaters, 5 broad jumps. 5 sets.

3) 50 m sprint

                      180 degree turn into sprint x5

                      Lateral, backwards into sprint x5

There we have a few little points that you could use to improve you strength and conditioning for when your next on the court, or you just fancy a different workout.

Jack

Killing Legs - Steve Cook style!!!!

Just a quick entry following my leg day yesterday. Now just before I trained I decided to watch a big inspiration of mine, Steve Cook on youtube, training legs. It was a video of him hitting legs aiming to put on size in a hypertrophy state. 8x8 on each exercise with only 30 seconds rest. As soon as I watched this I knew this was the principle i was going to work off of. Now to the workout out:

10 minute Watt Bike interval based warm up.

8x8 Leg Curl

8x8 Front Squat

8x8 Weight Walking Lunges - 8 on each leg.

8x8 Leg Extension/Dumbbell Sumo Squats/Wall Sit.

Leg Curl - I often neglect my hamstrings so begun with these today. Much like when your training your biceps for example ensure you get a full contraction, squeezing the hamstring. Increase the weight with each set however don't let the weight dictate tempo, keeping this 2240. The slow contraction, with a 2 second pause, followed by 4 second eccentric phase will build the muscle, not the amount of weight you can lift. 

Front Squat - This is my new favourite exercise!!! I’ve always loved squats but these at the minute are just hitting my quads so hard. Its predominantly a quad exercise hitting less of the posterior chain like in a back squat would. I took Steve Cook’s advice and put my heels on weight plates which aided my squat no end. This is simulating what it would be like to wear lifting shoes when squatting. Below is the link of me squatting using this method. Worth a watch to explain how this method can benefit your squat.

https://instagram.com/p/4jn67NnOK1/?taken-by=jacksfitnessforyou

Walking Lunges - With these make sure your always keeping a straight upper body and pushing through the movement. Keep your core engaged at all times. If you're slightly wobbly reduce the weight.

Leg Extension, Sumo Squat, Wall Sit. - This is the finisher to the leg workout. Make sure on the extension you get a full extension, pausing for a 2 second count, seeing the quads contract. Lower under control.  For the Sumo Squat hold a dumbbell with both hands in the centre of your body, with a wide squat stance. This is targeting your gluteus. Wall sit for a 20 second count or failure. Squat just above parallel. This tri-set will hurt, use light weight as the main purpose is just to push the muscle beyond the point of fatigue, forcing growth. 

Some might say this is a lot of volume, however your legs are the biggest muscle group so need to be hit hard. Ensure all exercises are done under control with particular attention paid to tempo and you wont be walking for days.

Good Luck

Jack

German Volume Training

For those of you who are trying to add bulk for the summer, German Volume Training (GVT) is a great way of training for you to do that. Supersets and tri-sets training will help you in adding bulk with the correct intensity, however this type of training stands head and shoulders above the rest. GVT is a method of completing ten sets of ten reps of the same exercise and weight, this is why it is often called the ten set method. It originates from Germany and was the training in which weight lifters would use in their off season to add lean muscle mass, often then moving to a weight class above due to the effectiveness of the training. Why this method works so well is because it targets a particular group of muscles repeatedly in volume, thus meaning the body must adapt and growth occurs. 

In order to complete GVT effectively you must leave your ego at the door by firstly cutting the weight for each exercise to which you would normal perform 20 reps to failure. This weight needs to be less due to the sheer volume but also the change in tempo to which you perform the rep. To see the most benefits I would recommend a tempo of 4010, this therefore focusing on the eccentric phase of the exercise where muscle tissue is built the most and with an explosive concentric phase to the exercise. I would also strongly suggest that you keep the number of exercises per session low. So if your routine is body split, then no more than 3 exercises for that muscle group. These exercises therefore should be compound exercises as these will recruit the most muscle fibres, thus promoting growth. Furthermore due to the intensity of this training recovery should be extended in order to allow the body to grow. 

A Week German Volume Training

Day 1: Legs

- Squats 10x10

-Deadlifts 10x10

- Calve Raises 10x10

Day 2: Chest

- Bench Press 10x10

-Incline Dumbbell Press 10x10

- Chest Flies 10x10

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Back

-Bent Over Row 10x10

-Pull ups 10x10

- Dumbbell Row 10x10

Day 5: Shoulders&Arms

-Shoulder Press 10x10

-Barbell Curl 10x10 

- Dips 10x10

This is your basic GVT routine, as you can see very simple. However GVT is a very simple way of training but yet you will still see great results which is why I recommend it for beginners. This routine could be performed for 4 weeks and than exercises could be changed. Furthermore make sure you have a calorie surplus of 500 calories to give the muscles enough fuel to grow. This doesn't mean eat loads, but just enough to allow the muscle to recover and grow.

This is a little introduction to German Volume training and I hope it helps anyone who wishes to break a training plateau or put on bulk for the summer. As always don't forget 70% diet, 30% gym

Jack