"Have yourself a very merry (healthy) Christmas..."

It's that time of year again, your house is lined with chocolates, your fridge stuffed with food and the cupboard over-flowing with alcohol.

What can you do about it? Go completely without and constantly say "No thank you." ?... Unlikely.

While the heading of this blog might be a little misleading ("healthy"?..) here's a few ideas that you can try to focus on to make sure that all of your hard work in 2012 wasn't a complete waste of time. Remember, "Even when you're being bad, be good."

EXERCISE:
Lets get it right - you should NOT stop exercising over Christmas! In fact, you probably have more free time and rest time than during your normal week. Get outside, get moving and be active. Even if it's a long walk over varying terrains one day, be creative. Many gyms will close for Christmas so you'll need to use your imagination. Get outside, wrap up and at least do some interval running and bodyweight exercises: If you're working with just your bodyweight here's 21 exercise ideas: 21 BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES 

Or if you live anywhere near a kids park, here's a decent workout you can try:
PARK WORKOUT

DON'T leave it until late in the day. Something will come up, a film will come on, a family member will come round, a game will come out, you'll drink alcohol, you'll get too comfy at home or you'll fall asleep. Get it done early and spend the rest of your day enjoying yourself with family.

BREAKFAST:
So there's a packet of celebrations already open in the morning - this is no excuse. Don't fall at the first hurdle and head for chocolates - start your day right. Make sure every breakfast has 20g + protein content as a starting point. If you want to join in with a nice cooked breakfast that is being shared in some format, load up on the meat and eggs portions and avoid toasts, cereals and fruit juices. No one will even notice but you can be safe in the knowledge that you're not spiking your blood sugar levels and encouraging fat retention from the get-go.

SNACKS:
Stock up for the winter - before it gets too near to Christmas I'd recommend stocking up on protein powder and small snack protein bars. PhD diet whey bars are tasty, deceptively filling and will give you a little taste of green tea and CLA to help keep fat cells mobilised and minimise fat storage (not to say it's a free for all and you should eat as you please). Also a "blend" shake can be a great way to get a sweet fix, add nutrients to your day and keep you full while maintaining energy levels. Eating chocolate will add sugar, give you peaks and drops in energy levels, encourage fat retention and also take a long time to fill you up meaning you continue to reach for more. A blend shake will give you a chocolate fix but digest over a longer period to avoid these issue.

CHRISTMAS DINNER:
No issues with loading up on Turkey and other meats. Use self control for portion control when it comes to: Potatoes, stuffing and other High GI carbs. Drink water before and during your meal - not alcohol.

THE ALCOHOL THING:
Firstly, do NOT mis-read this and think the following suggestions are "good for you" - we're talking damage limitation. If you're intent on having a drink then these are the less "bad" options. NOT "good for you" options. Bloody Mary, Vodka & Soda and Guinness made this list - 9 drinks options here: http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/07/the-nine-healthiest-alcoholic-drinks/

FURTHER DAMAGE LIMITATION:
There are a few supplements available that are designed to keep your immune system strong, limit damage caused to the liver by alcohol, minimise fat consumption from food and keep bodily functions working full throttle in order to maintain energy levels and digest food efficiently. Multivitamins, milk thistle, CLA, electrolytes and plenty of water usually come top of the list.

SELF CONTROL AND PLANNING:
The main two things that you'll need in order to not let Christmas ruin your hard work is self control and planning. You might not be able to eat what you want "because you fancy it". Instead being aware of what you're eating and what you're likely to eat that day should impact each meal. ie: If you have a big Christmas dinner coming up and friends coming over for a drink, be aware of this when selecting snacks and lunch choices.

Likewise, planning in your training, planning meals and structuring your day rather than just seeing what happens is the only way that you'll be able to stay on track in some form. Look ahead and plan the Christmas period. When do you have social engagements? When are you likely to be out all day or with visitors? When might you feel a little tired or worse for wear? These will all impact your training structure for the week. If you're pushed for time, don't be afraid to go for a quick 20-25 min interval run or some form of bodyweight circuit at home.

SLEEP:
As I have said in many blogs, the importance of sleep is heavily under-rated. Christmas can be a great time to get an early night, or lay in, or nap during the day. Try out short naps at various times and see what impact they have on your mood, appetite and energy levels. You may uncover something that you want to try and use regularly during the year - even if it's only practical to do so at the weekends.

SNACKS:
If your home is anything like mine then there will be more chocolates around your home than every before. You might find yourself enjoying a mini chocolate at breakfast time but try to create some simple, tasty and more nutritious snacks that you can eat while everyone else is reaching for the chocolates and snacks.

EASY RECIPE:
- 2 x cups of oats
- 3 x scoops of chocolate whey
- 1 tbl spoon organic crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- handful of raisins
- large sprinkle of flaxseed (optional)

Stir well in a bowl, move into baking tray and place in freezer for 2 hours + for a cheeky chocolate oat and protein pieces - great snack for a little protein and keeping you full between meals but still getting your chocolate fix.

Christmas time is a time when families and friends are much more readily available so it can be easy to completely neglect your lifestyle of clean eating and exercise. Planning and structuring your days ahead of time is the only solution.

BUT... make sure you enjoy it - Christmas comes but once a year.

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GUEST BLOG: Rope Training Exercises by the CRAZE Pre Workout Guys

With 365 days in a year, doing the same workout can be boring and unproductive in the long run. Instead of the usual cardio-weights-cardio routine, I'm going to introduce you to something way more interesting and way more fun - rope training exercises! Working with rope is great for your body. And hey, getting to tangle with a 2 - 3 inch diameter rope is just plain awesome.

Rope Training Benefits

This amazing training regimen is one of the few exercises classified as "core training." Basically, rope or heavy rope trains the core of our bodies which includes deep muscles like abdominal muscles and back as well as the large muscle groups like pectorals, deltoids and thighs. Targeting your core also has several benefits:

Increased Metabolism

Training the core of your body leads to increased metabolism. Exercising with a heavy rope combines resistance, flexion and extension at various degrees of force. Doing this will require using the large muscle groups in your body, which consume a lot of energy.

Fat Loss

As your metabolism increases with rope training, you also burn fat. Metabolism is the balance of catabolism or cell destruction and anabolism or cellular growth. Catabolism isn't all bad as it is also useful in reducing the number of fat cells. Still, anabolism or cell growth is a great energy burner which can also help because we need more energy to grow cells than to destroy them.

Better Fine and Gross motor coordination

There are two types of motor coordination. Fine motor coordination involves minute movements such as curling a finger or batting an eyelash. Gross motor on the other hand is general movement of legs, arms, torso, neck etc. Over time, we develop reflexes that can ruin our body coordination. Rope training can actually help return fine and gross motor coordination - there have actually ben studies on this! The key lies in repetition and form. The heavy rope keeps your body in perfect form and repetition brings back precision in movement.

Availability

Instead of working out in a gym full of people, you can do rope training exercises with, of course, a piece of rope. Many recommend a heavy rope with smaller diameter for new enthusiasts, bodybuilders and athletes.
All you need is a piece of rope - this can be bought in most hardware stores. In fact, you can use old heavy ropes and perform the exercises efficiently.
There are various experts on rope training who can help you begin your exercises and provide the proper guidance. If you're located near Windsor, UK - you're in luck! Michael Darren is a personal trainer able to guide your rope training exercies. If you are located somewhere else, check your local gym if they have heavy rope for your training needs. Your local gym might have someone with similar expertise in rope training.

Types of Rope Training

Let's talk about a few things you can do with the ropes. Get ready to get worked!

• Pull-Ups - Setup your thick rope to hang over a supine row setup. Now grab a hold and do pull-ups. Your forearms and smaller muscles will be screaming, and you'll do far less than you can do normal pullups. Do them before doing regular pull-ups!
• Rope Battling - From the image above (courtesy of the Art of Manliness), take one in each hand and whip them in alternating movements for time. Make that rope MOVE!
• Sled Pull - Attach your rope to the end of something heavy that can move - like a sled. Pull it towards you in rowing-style movements. Do this outside or somewhere where you won't damage the floor!

It's not easy at first, but these are REAL functional exercises that will give you the forearms of a cattle rancher!

Another Benefit Reduced risks of Injury

That's right, one of the benefits of rope training exercises include a reduced risk of injury. Exercising your core body strength actually increases body coordination. With increased body coordination, you can easily avoid injury especially athletic injuries. Sports scientists have found that people with lower core stability or joint integrity are at a higher risk of developing sports injuries.

Preparing for Rope Training

Training with ropes will still take a lot of energy and effort from you. It's always best to prepare for rope training with the following guidelines.
Have a medical check up: Make sure that you are medically healthy before doing any training with rope. If your doctor tells you rope training is too strenuous for you, listen to him, and ask for alternatives.
Diet before, during and after Rope Training: What you eat will still affect how you train. If you want to bust the fat while maintaining nutrients for your muscles, Fat Loss Factor by Marc Lobliner is one of the best diet management books you can read, and it's free.
Choosing a rope: Most gyms will have heavy ropes available for you to use. If you train at home, check your local hardware stores.
Choose a Trainer: Initially, it is best to get expert advice from someone. As mentioned, people in Windsor, UK can turn to Michael Darren and to do rope training with him.
Take a Pre-Workout drink and Supplements: Warm ups will be able to prepare you but a pre-workout supplement will rev your body for a nice workout with ropes. It's highly suggested that you choose a PWO that can help release stored energy in your body, specifically geared for cutting fat tissue. CRAZE from Driven Sports is one of the best supplements you can use for rope training. You can also take protein supplements like BCAA during the actual workout and replenish yourself with a whey protein isolate after workout.
Cool down: After playing with the ropes, initiate cool down to properly rest muscles. Stopping abruptly might stop the awesome muscle pumps you get from training.
A brand new workout with great benefits to spice up your usual routine will keep you fit and motivated at the same time. Add in an extra boost with CRAZE and you'll be mastering those ropes in no time!

References:

• Ozer D, Duzgun I, Baltaci G, Karacan S, Colakoglu F., "The effects of rope or weighted rope jump training on strength, coordination and proprioception in adolescent female volleyball players."
• Alessandra Bianchi, "They get a lift from their workouts" Boston.com
• Revive Your Routine With Heavy Rope Training - Mensfitness.com

This article was written by Mike at http://www.CrazePreWorkout.com - Thanks for reading!

10 ways to make yourself more "bad ass"

I know what you're thinking - The guy in this picture is bad-ass! And you're right. But, you can be more bad-ass too if you do these 10 things every single week without fail. Start now and watch the change...

1) Deadlift - Full range, off the floor with good form and plenty of weight
2) Share your knowledge - Why keep it to yourself? Find an outlet (preferably one where people want to hear it) and share
3) Squat - You choose: back squat, front squat, overhead squat - plenty of depth, plenty of weight
4) Master your bodyweight - Pull up, push up, dip, squat, lunge
5) Sprint - Intervals are quick, easy and effective - get some done
6) Listen to others and learn - Always learn, never stop learning, never stop listening
7) Stretch, foam roll and stay mobile - Focus on recovery and mobility and include it as part of your training schedule
8) Improve your knowledge and read - There are plenty of resources out there, make the most of them
9) Train outdoors - Fresh air and in the elements. Try it bare foot -get crawling and get muddy
10) Be nice to people!

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Change your grip, change your life (2)

 

This is the second part of my grip focused blog. The other post: “Change Your Grip, Change Your Life (1)” explained the importance of grip training and also ways in which you could encorporate different grip methods into your current training.

One area that I skipped was “Towel Grip Training” this blog. Towel Grip Training is a great method of grip training for a number of reasons:

1)      Unlike most grip-focused work, it DOESN’T wreck your hands. This will be welcome news for any regular gym goer

2)      It doesn’t require much equipment – simple one or two small hand towels – easy to pack in your gym bag and not a huge pain to leave in there just in case

3)      It’s versitle. With a little imagination you can use towel training for lots of exercises to add an element of grip. You can even use it in outdoor training with pull ups, inverted rows and similar

Below is a video I made which will give you 5 simple but effective exercise ideas for towel training. Give them a go and pay attention to the demand it’s placing on your grip – your forearms and hands might not thank you for it!

 If that doesn't work, Click here...

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8 "Don't"'s when designing gym programmes

Despite the fact that most popular fitness publications offer "the best" gym programmes for anyone who wishes to buy their publication, following generic programmes won't work for everyone.
 
It can be tricky telling everyone to "Do exactly this". Ultimately, if there was a perfect program we'd all just do that.
 
I think it's essential to know exactly what you're going to do in a session, before you enter the gym and how this fits into a larger, periodised and specific program. Knowing this will allow you to be confident in the knowledge that each session is steering you towards becoming the person you want to be. Basically, you're not just "doing some bits."

So, if you're going to design your own programmes, you should take some of the guess work out of it and NOT do a few things. Follow these hints below and avoid some common mistakes:
 
DON'T do too much
Sometimes less is more. A long gym session is not necessarily a good one, nor "better" than a 30 minute session. If you want results, often intensity is one of the main thing that lacks in most peoples programmes. Try to restrict yourself to (roughly) an hour in the gym. If you're ACTUALLY working hard that is MORE than enough!
 
DON'T abuse your grip
Grip strength is one of the thing that lets people down in key larger exercises such as deadlifts, pull ups etc. Try to do those exercises requiring a lot of grip strength ("pull" exercises) early on in your session. Try not to involve a large number of grip-centric exercises in one session. If your grip is a weak link, read here on how to improve it in your training: click me, read me!
 
DON'T leave "technical" stuff until the end of a session
By "technical" I mean exercises that require the most coordination, concentration and muscular recruitment. Squats, cleans, deadlifts and the like all require a lot of coordination and for you to engage various areas of your body. Do this at the end when fatigued and watch your technique suffer. Best get them done first ay?.. For that matter, probably best to not put a LOAD of these exercises in one session. Personally I'd say 3 maximum. You can do more if you want, that's just my opinion.
 
DON'T do loads of isolation
Loads of people say “functional exercises” or “compound movements” are best, so this won’t be the first time you read this. Compund exercises are multi-joint movements that rmuscle groups in a single exercise. Isolation work can be boring, warrants slow results and often isn't addressing bigger issues. Sure, it needs doing, but it shouldn't be your main focus or use of time. Basically, it’s like painting the front door of a house that’s falling down.

DON'T plan sessions that need the entire gym to be empty
Unless you have your own private gym (you lucky sausage you!) then it’s likely there will be other folk in the gym when you train; especially if you’re training during peak hours. If you want to do a circuit style workout and increase the intensity of your workout as discussed above, make sure you plan properly. Use equipment that’s next to each other, move equipment closer to one another or better still, use the same equipment for more than one exercise. For example pair bench press and bent over row and use the same bar for both.

DON'T add variety for the sake of variety
There aren’t many things in life that are worth doing that you can master first time round. The gym is no different. Personally, I’ll squat, overhead squat, deadlift, pull up, bench press and overhead press in some form every week. I do it because they’re good exercises, I like them and I want to be better at them. Stop chopping and changing your gym work from week to week. I’m not saying “never change it” but try tweaking exercises or adding variations before you completely re-write your workouts.

DON'T neglect mobility
This is a lesson that I learned the hard way (one of many!)  Don’t neglect mobility! It might feel “boring” at times and is often the thing that gets neglected when time is tight but it’s essential if you don’t want your results to eventually plateaux and suffer. Try to incorporate some form of mobility work in every session... SOMETHING!

DON'T forget to de-load
You can’t just keep going and doing more and more – eventually your body will pack in. If you do lots of strength work, make sure that you schedule a de-loading week at some stage every 4 -6 weeks. Use it to recover, repair and come back stronger. Focus heavily on mobility and work on technique and practice areas you’re unhappy with; focus less on weight.

DON'T do the stuff above and you should have a good basis for a pretty trusty workout program.

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Reasons you're not getting any stronger

Question: Are you lifting heavier weights (with good form) than you did 6 months ago?

I’d estimate at LEAST 50% of people would answer "no"... or not significantly larger anyway. So why? What’s the point of going to the gym if you’re not going to get any better at it? How do you expect to look any different than 6 months ago if you’re doing pretty much the same as you were 6 months ago? Even if you’re not doing out and out “strength training” you should be making SOME improvements; male or female, young or old.

So here’s a few key reasons why you might not be getting any stronger...

No structure...

If your plan is to go to the gym and do strength training by adding a heavy weight and lifting it not many times, then the week after change the weight a bit and adjust the reps accordingly, then you’ll quickly plateaux. It’s essential that you have a structure to your program; something that’s tried and tested and may take some time but will offer results. Without that you’ll be working hard and getting nowhere.

No deloading...

One key element of that structure is a scheduled deloading period. Basically, every 4-6 weeks spend at least a week away from heavy lifting. Work on areas that will compliment your gym work such as mobility and technique make repair and recovery your main focus. It may pain you and seem non-logical to back off the weights when you’re trying to get stronger but it’s a long game – trust the process.

Too much variety...

If you perform squats one week, leg press the 2^nd week, lunges the 3^rd week and weighted step ups the 4^th week, don’t be surprised in week 5 that your squat hasn’t improved. You’re not a child and you don’t need to be kept entertained; if you want a better squat then practice squatting.

Not ENOUGH variety...

No this is not a contradiction to the previous point... well, not exactly! What I mean is: If you want to improve deadlifts for instance, just banging out endless deadlifts might soon warrant slow progress or eventually stop progressing. It’s important to exercise complimentary muscle groups for this exercise. For instance, improved pulling and grip strength through pull ups, lat pull down and bent over row will all assist in your mission for a mighty deadlift.

Training alone...

This (in my opinion) isn’t the biggest downfall as it’s very possible to improve strength and train alone; but, if you feel nervous to lift near your limit without a spotter – train with a friend. If you lack motivation at times to aim for one last rep – train with a friend. If you might benefit and work harder with a little healthy competition – train with a friend. Simple, but it might be what you’re lacking.

Too Afraid to fail / Too Rep Sensitive...

In order to find out how strong you are, it’s important to find out how strong you AREN’T. If you’re aiming for a specific number of reps you shouldn’t ALWAYS get every last rep. It’s good to fail; you then know how strong you are and you instantly have a target for the near future. Don’t worry so much about your ego and always making each rep; your body doesn’t know what 5 reps is, your body knows what “can” and “can’t” is.

Poor technique / Mobility...

Most of us will have seen endless amounts of poorly performed exercises and some of us guilty of doing them ourselves – particularly when learning them for the first time. Learning the skill of a lift and performing it incorrectly is understandable, yet plenty of people limit their abilities and progress due to a lack of mobility. Don’t let something so relatively simple be your limiting factor. Include recovery and mobility work in each workout and even more during deloading periods.

Poor technique (2) “Train your body, not your ego”...

This goes back to the technique point in some ways. But, if you’re lifting weights with questionable form as the weight is too heavy for you to do so comfortably with your skill level then it’s time to take some weight off of the bar. Naily your technique and make bigger jumps in your progress. Shoot ahead and chuck on too much weight too soon and you’ll soon hit a wall. Do it now and reep the benefits later. I know it hurts, you’re not as strong as you thought you were, but do it right and you will be.

Laziness...

If you don’t have the discipline to train as often as you need to, try as hard as you need to or attempt all of the repetitions you need to then you won’t get the strength you seek. Simple!

Summary...

Improving strength is a long game – improving real strength is no overnight procedure and something that takes patience and dedication. While we might not all want strength to bend a horse shoe, we should all be aiming to better ourselves and gain strength in some capacity throughout the year.

 

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Failing to prepare...

When it comes to exercise and living a healthy lifestyle planning and preparation is absolutely key. Leave things to chance and the odds are you won’t achieve what you’d hoped for.

The phrase “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Is an oldy but a goody. Here’s what you need to consider...

Meals...
This is probably the most common downfall with most people’s regime. “Picking up something when you’re out” is the number one NO-NO! There are minimal fast food/convenience food options with a high nutritional value. Plan ahead, cook ahead and prepare ahead. If time is an issue, cook on mass and keep food frozen or stored and ready for the week ahead.

Training...
Before every training session it’s essential to know what you have planned in terms of exercises, repetitions, tempo and rest. More crucially perhaps, it’s important to know how this fits into the bigger picture. Where do you want to be in 6 months time? In order to do that, how will you structure your program for each day, week and month in order to make progress in the direction you want.

Rest...
People are often surprised at how important quality rest is. Do you sleep 8 hours EVERY night? Uninterrupted quality sleep? In a dark, tranquil environment? Unlikely the answer to all of those is “yes”. Simple but crucial for recovery, repair and lowering cortisol levels.

Social Engagements...
So you don’t want to live in the gym and that’s fine. But, prioritising your training over social engagements or at least making time for training is essential to get results. There is always going to be a reason NOT to train: social engagements, family commitments etc but taking these options will inevitably limit results

End goals...
Plan from your end goals backwards. Decide what you want to achieve and then plan your meals and training to the finest details to get you there. Set yourself goals along the way, whether it’s specific strength targets, weight loss milestones or drops in body fat percentage, don’t get to your end date and realise "it didn’t happen". Leave nothing to chance.

So the message...
Don’t leave anything to chance. Plan all details and track progress at regular intervals in order to make sure that you’re on track for success.

10 Ways to Make Your Life Better... For FREE!!!

Do these things and have a better life - easy as that:

1) Exercise (it was always going to be number 1!)
Exercise more and increase self confidence, enjoy gains both aesthetically and through improving strength. Release endorphins and INSTANTLY improve mood, reduce the chance of injuries and lessen the strains and efforts of every day life. Whatever you choose to do, do SOMETHING!

2) Exercise Outdoors
Now you've chosen to exercise, do it outdoors! You get to see more of the world and not just a UV-lit gym. Increase your Vitamin D intake as a result, improve liver and kidney function while further improving your mood.

3) Sleep more
Easy right? Then do it! Allow your body repair time it deserves. Lower cortisol levels (that cheeky hormone that can encourage fat retention around the abdomen) and yet again, improve your mood!

4) Turn it up
Be more active. Take your ordinary day, REALLY assess it, realise where you're wasting time and then be more productive with your everyday life. Cut the stuff you don't need, be more proactive with the time you have and get more done in your day. Be ruthless

5)Turn it off
Remove yourself from regular life when you're resting. Take time without electronic devices and ways of communicating with others. Have some "me time". Whether it's at bed time or just taking a walk alone, separate yourself from everything and everyone from time to time. If you don't think this is practical, think about your lunch hour. Take a 40 minute walk all by yourself, come back and eat your lunch and just notice how much better and more productive you feel for a)being active and b) taking yourself away from everything

6) Get some structure
Phrases like "where has the time/year gone?" and "I don't have time to..." "I'm too busy for..." are regularly used. But... what if you had a little more structure. If you plan out your days, time is much less likely to run away with you. If you leave it to chance, the chances are it'll go wrong. Start simple: every Sunday look ahead and know exactly what you're going to eat over the next 5 days, when you're going to exercise and EXACTLY what you're going to do when you exercise. Then, just stick to that - no excuses!

7) Have a timeline - set goals
So now you have your week structured, it's time to think longer term. Why not set out a timeline for the next few years? Start with "C" and then figure out what "A+B" needs to be. IE: Write a list of everything you want to have achieved in 3 years time, then work backwards and set shorter, time sensitive goals along the way which will mean you can't FAIL to reach your target. Then, write it down and look at it... LOADS! Leave it somewhere you'll see it a lot!

8) Surround yourself with positive people
Take a good look at the people you spend most of your time with. Friends, colleagues etc. Are they positive and driven people? Do they have similar goals and beliefs and outlook on life to you? If the answer is "No" these aren't the people that will help you be the person you want to be.

9) Stretch 
Static stretching, foam rolling and dynamic movements such as those in some pilates classes are are great ways to stay not just strong, but mobile and injury free. You'll ache less, feel more flexible and it can also be a great way to relax and relieve stress.

10) Be nice to people
Just be nice to people! Smile at people, say "sorry", help others, give up some of your time and don't expect anything in return. Their life will be better as a result and so will yours. It's simple but true. Today's target: Smile at 5 strangers. Not in a "lets meet up" kinda way, just a polite "Hi, enjoy your day" way. Some people might not smile back instantly but even those miserable lot are LOVING it inside secretly!

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Change your grip, change your life... (1)

OK, so the heading was a bit dramatic. Actually NO! Change your grip – Improve your grip – Improve your lifts – make gains faster and get stronger, better, faster! Genuinely, “change your grip, change your life.”

In some circles, mainly in the strength and conditioning and strongman world, “Grip” is a topic discussed and specifically practiced on a regular basis. Fat bars, fat gripz, towel training, plate pinch, the list goes on.

Yet in other, more mainstream circles, it’s an issue rarely factored into training.

The truth of the matter is, “Grip is key”!!! It impacts so many of your lifts and key exercises and a poor grip can seriously limit your progress. With that in mind, here are two variations for each body part to add into your workouts. When it comes to grip, variety is key – mix it up and test your grip under all forms of strains; often the trickier and more unnatural the better.

Back...

Back is one if the easiest areas to work and vary your grip. Most exercises revolve around pull work so try to think outside of the box, use different attachments and handles and test your grip. Here are two that you can try.

Lat Pull Rope

Drop the regular lat pull down bar or neutral grip, throw on the rope attachment, pull straight and try to flare out to the side at the bottom of the movement aiming to get the karabiner attachment clip as close to your neck as possible. Using a rope for any “pull” exercise will test your grip and also allow a varied motion rather than pulling along a fixed line.

VIDEO: (Exercise 7 in this video, 1 min 8 secs in) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DsXF3Ro8f8

Seated row – Single rope

Again, reach for the rope. Either perform in a similar way to the above exercise; or, try single handed with the same rope – a much bigger test of core strength and you may even uncover an unbalanced grip where one hand gives up sooner than the other.

VIDEO: (This... but with a rope attachment) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL3_oLhO8y0

Chest...

A little trickier to add a grip element to “push” exercises; but you might be surprised what a bit of thickness on a bar will do to your grip. Here are two grip variations for your chest.

Bench Fat Bar

Benching with a fat bar is surprisingly different and more challenging. If your gym doesn’t have a thick bar (you won’t be alone), create your own. Using Fat Gripz or even wrapping the bar in cloth or small towel will make the bar firm enough to hold but much thicker.

Cable Fly – No Attachment

If you’re going to try cable flys as part of your chest work, why not take off all attachments and hold the cable an inch or so away from the end? This will mean that you have to grip tightly throughout the motion on a very small area – tougher than you’d think.

Shoulders...

There are a few options with adding a grip element to shoulder work. Obviously, for the bigger, more crucial core work such as military presses you might want to focus on strength instead, but for more of the “accessory” work and “bodybuilding” exercises there’s plenty of options.

Lat Raises using just plates

This is a simple grip and one that won’t heavily compromise weights being used. Simply hold a plate with your index finger through the centre hole and the rest of your fingers and thumb gripping the edge of the plate as best you can.

Upright Row – Pinch Grip

An alternative grip (which you can use for the lat raises too) is a pinch grip. Simply holding an object pinched between your thumb and fingers. Try it for upright row pinching a plate, or worse/better still two plates with the smooth sides faced outwards and perform the exercise slowly and controlled to reduce the chance of dropping the plates. Like this...

Out and Out Grip...

If you really want to focus on improving your grip strength, you can train it on its own. It's bes to do this at the end of a session for two reasons. a) Your grip will already be slightly fatigued so this will add to the dfficulty. B) Performing grip exercises earlier in a session will ruin your grip for other exercises later in the same session. Here's a few to try.

Plate Pinch Grip

The above pinch grip can be practiced as a standalone skill/exercise. Try holding two plates as described above, when your grip completely goes, put them down and change hands; as soon as that hand gives up, swap back. Keep this going until neither hand can grip anymore. If the plates you have aren’t suitable, try it with a dumbbell held long ways up with your fingers spread around the edge.

Farmers Walk

One of the oldest test of grip strength and still a staple of most strongman competitions is the “farmers walk”. Put simply, it’s walking along holding something heavy at arms length by your side. You can do it with anything! The thicker the grip, heavier the weights, more awkward the shape and more swinging involved the harder your task. Take short, rhythmic steps and try to maintain a tight and upright posture – gets the heart going to – not as easy as you might think!

Check this guy (excuse the outfit!) VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMN8ukHXtO8

To summarise...

Grip is KEY! It can be the make or break of a gym session. The reason you do or don’t make a final lift, and the reason that your results plateaux in some areas. Now you might not want a forearm that looks like you have a leg hanging out of your t-shirt sleeve, but a strong grip is something you most definitely DO want. Add some variety – it’ll change your life!

For LOADS of information on grip work, look at the work of Diesel Strength (@dieselstrength) and Joe De Franco -(@DeFrancosGym) his gym tour (VIDEO ) will show you just how much he loves grip work. Nothing in there is standard thickness!

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A year older, a year wiser...

So it was my birthday last month and usual birthday card comments appeared like: "A year older, a year wiser". And it made me think... "Am I?.."
Well, the short answer is "Yes". Life's a lesson, and as I say to lots of people (particularly when it comes to exercise) "No one knows everything" and "Never stop learning."

Exercise is often a trial and error process and it can take years to form opinions or learn "what works". So I thought I'd be the nice, caring, sharing kinda guy I am and share some of the things I've learnt with regards to exercise which I wish I had learnt before I did. You may know some (all) of these already, but (another cheese-fuelled phrase I use) "If you learn one thing, it's been worth it!"

So give it a read, there's 20 something years of lessons learnt the hard way below!

Squat...
The importance of lower body work and in particular, squatting was never really communicated to me at a young age. Strange, given that I was pretty tall and also playing lots of rugby.. anyway.. I wish it had! Avoid the top-heavy physique that the majority of UK men sport, avoid the majority of knee issues caused by a weak lower body and build strength that will compliment other lifts and also encourage an improved metabolism. SQUAT!

2 back to every 1 chest...
Partly motivated by the "avoiding the crap physique that most gym goers posses" it's essential to focus not only on what you see in the mirror, but your back too.. more back than front if anything! There are loads of reasons why this is true on top of general aesthetic appearance. Read some of them here if you like on another blog I wrote: http://blog.myedo.co.uk/top-tip-take-it-back/

Strength alone is useless. Mobility is key...
Everyone's been there, some people have left; others are eternally stuck on an ego-trip where nothing and nobody can tell you otherwise. You want to lift the biggest weight you can, somehow.. ANY how. Just as long as it's lifted. In your mind, big weights make you big, stretching and mobility doesn't so that can be skipped. But, there comes a point where your lack of mobility will become a limiting factor on future strength gains. Without mobility, your strength becomes capped and ultimately, useless! Get mobile, spend time every session making sure you're mobile and if you have a rest day/recover day and have time, get mobile again! Foam roll, stretch, perform yoga/Pilates, swim, walk - be active! 

Don't do a whole day of arms!
This is a personal pet hate. You're not a body builder (probably) so stop behaving like it, or at least trying to. If you're getting just one session in on a day, don't waste it JUST on arms. Why not do a load more back work and work your arms at the same time? T-shirt bursting lats and big arms?.. Win, win! Isolation work in general is an over-focus for most people - get more bang for your buck: work the big muscle groups and ecorporate larger, compound movements.

"Bigger boys said"...
Don't just do what a big guy at the gym suggested. You have different genetics, diets, training schedules and training histories. Chances are, if they're big and made of good quality muscle, they've been training for years so their body requires a different training stimulus to someone relatively new to the gym. Even if you were similar, remember, "there's more than one way to skin a cat". There isn't ALWAYS a right and wrong way to do everything. If it works for you and you can justify it, stick with it.

Make a plan...
Even now, I like to scribble something down, even if it's on my phone, prior to every session. Without a plan you are MUCH more likely to drift around the gym and do "bits and pieces". Know before you enter the gym: the purpose of the session, what you want to achieve and how you're going to achieve it. When you get time to yourself, have a much longer structure: Why are you training, what do you want to achieve, by when and how will you do this. Get this in place and you're off to a good start!

It's easy to make things hard, it's harder to make someone better...
the amount of rugby training sessions I've been to as a youngster for pre-season fitness and been made to feel sick and left thinking "Wow that was hard"/ "Wow that was a great session". Don't always be fooled by quantity. Again, knowing what you want to achieve is essential for all sessions. You could sit on the floor, stand up, sit down, stand up over and over for half an hour and it would be hard but you wouldn't be getting better... unless your objective is to be good at sitting and standing loads! This leaks over into many group exercise classes. OK, I'm guna say it: Long duration intervals in badly designed circuits classes, body pump and the like do not get the thumbs up from me. Don't be fooled by the sweat!

Longer sessions doesn't always mean a better session...
How many times do I hear people brag "I've been here nearly 2/3 hours, I'm nearly done" and the chances are they're doing all isolation work like 2 hours of chest!?.. Firstly, you can't work hard for 2 hours so you're probably cruising or resting loads. Secondly, more is not always better. I've done it before, aged 16 my session plan was: 2 sets on every piece of equipment. Three hours later I was feeling dizzy and had made no real gains. Take a specific, and bespoke plan to each session and stick to it. Don't add things for the sake of it or join in with pals to be more sociable. Do what you gotta do! Quality NOT quantity!

Sleep...
Probably the easiest thing to improve your training is more sleep. Its free, you know how to do it, you already do it a bit, you can do it at home, you've been practising for years and doing it involves doing nothing. But still, we don't get enough. Sleep is KEY! More sleep = more rest, more alertness, more recovery/repair, more growth and more progress. Get early nights in your schedule with equal importance as your "Big bench day". I know, it's easier said than done and to be honest, one I'm still trying to nail. Always learning!

Technique is key...
It may seem boring or frustrating at first, but grind in your technique and movement patterns for any exercise before you start to train your ego... I mean body! I was very guilty of this. Find a new exercise give it a go, then start to lift weights that someone of my size/weight should attempt. Rather than weights that someone of my current CAPABILITY should use. Get technique nailed and watch your progress rocket. Skip the foundations and expect results to plataux and eventually regress as you ultimately reduce the weight to sort out your technique once you realise the errors of your ways!
Read, absorb, analyse, discard...
As exercising becomes more mainstream, more and more literature appears without much means of quality control. Heck, look at me spouting off on a blog. iImight just be making up nonsense (I'm not - but you get the idea). What I'm trying to say is, just because it's in print (even high street, "Top" magazines!) doesn't make it worthwhile. A quick way to demonstrate my point: 6 week, 6 pack routine. HELLO 99% of people! You will NEVER get a 6 pack in 6 weeks! Sure some people can, but these suggested plans are unrealistic for most! Just remember, they have a LOT of pages to fill every month, hence why so much crap makes it in. Always read and assess what you've read, double-check it with other online sources if you're ever sceptical or unsure., but don't just read and absord everything as gospel.
Is there anything YOU wish someone had told you at an earlier age before you had to learn the hard way with years of getting it wrong?... Share!

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MAY: It's my birthday - Top fitness gift ideas...

("Surprise Present Man" - *NOT ME*)

So this month I turn twenty.. something. *COUGH* Anyway... according to my own mother, I'm notoriously difficult to buy for.

I figured, this must be the case for lots friends and family of those interested in exercise when birthdays, Christmas and other days come around. SO.. here's my top 13 ideas for fitness related gifts, for those fitness people in your life.

NOTE: This IS a hint for presents for my birthday. ALSO NOTE: I have all of the below :-) Think again!

TRX - A great way to add variety to your workouts, train anywhere you want to and add a core strength and joint stability aspect to any exercise. Endless exercises and exercise variations if you're a little creative. A great way to take your training anywhere - inside or out, as anyone who has read my blog before will know from my "Working Out Abroad" section...

Gym Boss - Smart little interval timer which allows you to add intensity to a workout and get a short and effective session. Can also be attached to your shoe and vibrate so that you can still wear your headphones as you train - neat!

Sennheiser Headphones - Seeing as I just mentioned them, these are my choice. They really block out other sounds, music or people trying to talk to you but mainly of use in the gym as they wrap around the back of your head out of the way and fixed so that they can't fall out - real handy!

iPod Shuffle - On the music front, if you like your own music in the gym or need a really easy way to workout and not let your music get in the way, here's my suggestion. This thing is about the size of a USB stick and stores thousands of tracks so you won't get sick of your "Gym Playlist". Neat little clip allows you to attach to any item of clothing neatly out of the way - no need to wear one of those iPod arm straps either...

Bobble Bottle - It's a water bottle. But, not just ANY water bottle. It looks slinky and modern but also contains a funky little carbon filter. this means that you can get filtered water on the go. Just fill it up and let it filter as you drink it. They last around 300 uses so a comfortable 6 month and at around £12 for the mid-sized bottle thats a HUGE saving when compared to shopping for bottled water. Colourful too! I have a few and most of my clients do too - I love them! (the bottles that is)

Resistance Bands - I've gone for BodyLastics as I like that you can attach all of the bands to one pair of handles. You can gradually add them and create a very significant level of resistance. BodyLastics also come with a convenient carry bag, exercise ideas and a lifetime warranty. They can be taken anywhere, used for home training and also added to existing gym workouts for variety...

Heart Rate Monitor - There's plenty of options out there and and they range hugely in terms of what they're capable of and also their cost. Most popular brands are Garmin and Polar. Depending on which model you choose, your watch can count the calories burnt during a workout, tell you the distance you travelled during a run, compare your performance and effort level between workouts and much more...

Gripads - These are a great little addition to your workout if your grip ever lets you down. Useful for any pulling and back exercises and handy to avoid calluses. The sticky front also makes them much better than many pads I've seen before (though it can tear slightly on rough/olympic bars). DON'T wear them for every exercise though, it's not necessary. Plus the stickiness will actually have a negative impact; there's something to be said for getting a real "feel" of the weights. Stick to just the "pulling" exercises...

Nike Free Run Trainers
Now I'm no runner. Nor do I claim to be an expert on footwear. In fact, I like to wear no shoes at all lots of the time in and out of the gym. But... what I do know is these are some of the most lightweight and comfortable kicks I've ever owned. Think they look decent too. That's all...

Weighted Vest - This is my best purchase of 2011... actually it was a present but that's not important. Adding a weighted vest makes any body weight exercises instantly harder. Also great for added resistance during circuit training and any outdoor, gym free workouts. TIP: Though they can be a little more expensive, try to get one with elasticated to avoid movement restrictions or breaking the vest (it's possible, trust me)...

Powerbags - To most people these will look like a sandbag. But, if your loved one has been exercising for a while (particularly with a sports background) they will hopefully have some ways that they could use one of these. Great for outdoor workouts again but also a great way to perform a number of full body exercises. If you're unsure, there's plenty of ideas and information on YouTube. They range greatly in weight so what you plan on doing with them and your strength level will determine what weight you need. Don't expect to use the same weight as you would with a regular barbell...

Kettlebells - Not the 4kg one though yeah? - To look at them, it's not immediately obvious how these would offer you one of the most effective methods to build dynamic strength, burn body fat, improve coordination and use full body exercises. But learn a little and they really can. There's nothing "new" about kettlebells, but they are becoming more and more mainstream. Avoid plastic/rubber ones - the metal ones won't hurt you (once you master the technique). Try to get the big ol' colourful "competition kettlebells" as shown below...

FatGripz - Grip is one of the keys to a successful workout and, in many exercises such as pull ups and deadlifts, surprisingly grip can be the determining factor for failure. If you don't have a strong performing exercises to your potential is just not possible. Plus, if you take part in a number of sports, strong forearms and grip can have a huge benefit; anything from rugby, wrestling, cricket, tennis, golf... loads! Out and out forearm/grip training can be a little dull. So, simply chuck a pair of FatGripz on any bar, dumbbell or grip/attachment and instantly add an advanced grip element to any any exercise...

 

So there you have it, my top 13 fitness figt suggestions. Not based on advertsing or hearsay. These are all great products that I've purchased myself, found great use from, enjoyed and will continue to use myself and with clients.

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It's not helping...

(PHOTO VIA: @TommyFatFingers)

Despite its retro vibe (thanks Instagram) I came across the above picture online only recently, taken at a regular UK health club.

It was a Friday, which, in this particular gym, seemed to be specifically "Curls Friday". Of the 30 or so people in there, all were in big groups, all working upper body.

Anyway, that aside, watching these 5 guys take it in turns to bicep curls and look at themselves in the mirror while the others either chatted around them or over-spotted (discussed below) and gave a false impression of strength; I got thinking "I wonder how many people do things in the gym without realising it's actually not helping their situation/progress?" Here's a few:

Over sized Group Training...

Training with a partner or perhaps in a group of 3 with similar aims and goals can be beneficial for both motivation and safety/spotting on heavier lifts. Any larger than that and it becomes detrimental to your workout - too much rest, changing weights, social talk,distractions it just doesn't work.

Over-Spotting...

I mentioned it in the intro. A spotter is there for safety purposes to make sure that you don't drop the weight in a dangerous way, to offer coaches cues during exercises, and at times to offer assistance when doing eccentric work or pushing for one last repetition. The spotter should NOT join in for more than 2 (MAXIMUM) repetitions! The Spotter should NOT join in unless 100% needed (don't spot for the sake of spotting!) The spotter should NOT be working hard every set! How many times do you see a guy bench pressing and his pal who's "spotting" is basically deadlifting the bar too! Double workout? I don't think so! If you need that much help, take some weight off!

Watch this example. The guy "spotted" him (horribly) for every rep for a set of 10! The "spotter" ended up doing some kind of isometric bicep curl by resting the bar on his forearm/inner elbow and poorly, hunched "good morning" exercise. In reality, the weight was too heavy. Ego trained:

Weights Belts...

I think I get more annoyed by this than most! If you have a bad back, get a better back, not a better belt. Weights belts for injuries do not fix an issue only mask it and more likely, offer unnatural support and cause you to recruit muscles from elsewhere for stability. Look after your back sure; and, if you really feel much happier, perhaps use the belt for additional support on your last, heaviest sets. but don't use a belt for the sake of using it and being lazy with your own core strength. Pet hate, bicep curls in a weights belt! Pardon?..

"Sports Drinks"...
Unless you're a diabetic or have issues with blood pressure and blood sugar levels, leave the "sports drink" at home. These are sugary, isotonic drinks designed predominantly for recovery, not, as many people drinking them mid session will say when you're "Feeling tired and need some instant energy". What you're likely to get is a sugar high and perhaps a feeling of energy - this is more likely to be a release of Serotonin than anything more productive for the gym. After this peak in sugar and accessible glucose, you'll get a drop, with that comes a crash in energy too. These sugary drinks will also cause insulin spikes and encourage fat retention. So your "Energy Drink" makes you less energetic so your workout is worse and your body is more susceptible to retaining fat too - how many would you like?

Protein Shakes...
While on the drinks front I thought I'd mention protein shakes. Not to say "they're not helping." But more, if your diet consists of cornflakes for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and KFC for dinner, it's unlikely the protein shake is a worthwhile investment in as much as it's a small piece of your currently, messy puzzle. Get everything else in place and don't rely on a miracle drink to make you the person you want to be.

Cardio...
Again, I'm not saying "Don't do cardio" but it's more exercise prescription in this instance.

TO LOSE WEIGHT: Slow, long duration cardio is boring and time consuming. Worse still, it offers slow results. Throw in as much variety and intervals as you can with cardio. Short sprints, mixed with resistance work, crawling, hill running, weight bearing, whatever! Intervals are a much more effective, fun and time effective way to cut body fat and retain hard earned muscle.

FOR SPORT: You see or hear people say "I need to get fit for..." and step 1 is go for a run. Be smart, think about replicating your sport. In no sport (other than long distance running) do you run continuously for a long distance. How long is a football or rugby pitch? 100m max? And how many times would you run the length of the field twice consecutively? So why do you need to be good at running any distance longer than 200m continuously. What you DO need to improve is your rate of recovery and ability to repeat exercises at a top standard over and over again with minimal rest.

Sweat suits...
I've mentioned this before but in short: Weight loss through sweat suits is temporary and is just a loss of retained water. Once you consume water after, the weight returns. Worse still, the dehydrated state you put yourself into means that your performance is worse during exercise, as a result, you burn less calories than you could have without the suit. Sweat suit AND a sports drink - NO!

Crunches for fat loss on the stomach...
Again on fat loss - ab crunches to lose stomach fat. You're just developing muscles under the fat - this will not strip stomach fat directly. Sure, work on core strength and stability as you lose body fat, but the issue isn't the lack of abs; you have the abs, they're just covered in fat.

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