

The Idle Man Presents

# The Idle Guide To Fitness

By The Idle Man

Published by Idle Projects

Copyright 2015 The Idle Man

## Contents

Introduction

Upper Body

Biceps

Chest

Shoulders

Back

Abs – The Best Exercises for Six-Pack Abs

Abs – The Best Exercises for Core Strength

Triceps

Lower Body

Leg Building

Quads

Calves

Cardio

Introduction to High Intensity Interval Training

How Much Training for a 10km Race

How Much Training for a 10km Race Part 2

Top Tips for Improving Your Fitness with Scott Laidler

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Interval Training

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Hills

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Endurance

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Gym Work

Improve Your Running with These Top tips

How to Build Muscle

The Fastest Way to Build Muscle

Your Diet & Fitness Program for Getting Ripped This Summer

Five Steps to Getting the Most out of Weightlifting

Three Important Compound Exercises for Building Muscle

How to Build Muscle and Get Ripped in 10 Steps

How to Build Muscle Without Using Weights

Three of the Most Important Compound Lifts to Know

How to Build Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

Build Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

Weight Loss

Your Last Minute Guide To Achieving A Beach Body

Lose Fat Not Weight

Nutrition

15 Fat Burning Foods You Need to Know

How Much Do I Need to Eat to Gain More Muscle?

The Medics Room

When Is Pain Bad During a Workout?

Exercising with a Hangover

Lifestyle

10 Reasons Yoga is Beneficial to You

Five Things You Should Know Before You Tackle Total Warrior

How to Get the Best out of Personal Training

Explore the Health Benefits of Skipping

Money Saving

Dan Roberts: Working Out Without a Gym

10 Park Bench Exercises to Help You Get Ripped

7 Ways To Exercise When You Don't Have The Time

Best Exercises to do at Home

Thanks to our Contributors

#  Introduction

The question you should be asking yourself is: Are you the best version of you? Nobody can answer that question for you, but for the purposes of improving the fitness version of you, The Idle Man have created this free e-book. The aim is to help you achieve a healthier and/or physically stronger you.

Fitness is important to us all, with it attaching not just a physical significance to ourselves, but also mental. Everyone is built differently and, if truth were told, it makes the world a more interesting place to live. You have people who are athletic, muscular, balanced, overweight, under-weight and people who are none of the above.

The end of Christmas and New Year festivities will always indicate the end of calorie indulgence and the start of your six months plan to build a body ready for summertime. We have sought after a range of advice from some of the best personal trainers and fitness heads, so we can provide the best guide possible.

We have advice in gaining bigger muscles, long distance running, nutrition, weight-loss and home workouts. We also have a feature that will provide the holy grail of fitness, combing all elements to bring you the best way to burn fat and lose muscle.

Basically, we have covered all the essentials the average man would need to develop his fitness. The topics can be vast and long to explains so we have broke everything down to make this easy reading and even easier to follow. You'll definitely find something that will interest you, so start today and download this guide to start your year.

# Five Tips for Bigger Biceps

Everyone knows bicep curls and parallel bar dips are key for building a great set of guns but here are 5 tips that will help you smash through plateaus and kick start some growth!

## Curl With Your Little Finger

One of the main purposes of the biceps muscle is to rotate the hand. Bend your arms at 90 degrees and hold onto the bicep of that arm with your opposing hand, now rotate the hand on the bent arm so your palm is facing down and then rotate so it is facing up, without changing the angle of your elbow. You will feel your biceps contract as you move into supination (palms facing up) and relax when your hand is pronated (palm facing down). So, when doing any kind of bicep curl, especially dumbbells, lead with your little finger! Imagine trying to turn your little finger out all the way through the movement to recruit maximum amount of muscle fibre.

## Exercise With Perfect Technique

Cheating too much will not build a great set of arms. When performing bicep curls you should take the muscle from full extension to full contraction, this means that you have straight arms at the bottom of a curl. Another thing to remember is to keep your elbows pointed at the floor all the way through a curl to avoid assistance from other muscle groups.

## Understand the Strength Curve

The strength curve describes the amount of force a muscle will apply through a specific range of movement. For example, during a preacher bicep curl more force is required at the bottom of the movement, where as a spider curl (leaning over a bench with arms hanging) will need the biceps to produce more force near the contraction point of the exercise to complete the movement. So when training biceps you want to select exercises that overload at three points (low range, mid range and upper range) of the strength curve.

## Squeeze, Don't Relax

Getting a good pump to create growth happens when there is an increase in the fluid surrounding the fibres within the muscle. In order for this to occur you must flex at the contraction point of every rep, squeeze don't relax! In order to get a good pump to stretch the fibres you need the muscle to be full so make sure you are completely hydrated and have carbs present.

## Don't Forget Grip Work

If your bicep progress stalls it might be worth adding in some specific forearm training into your program. The stronger your grip the heavier you can curl, it's a no brainer. Stronger forearms, better grip, heavier weights used when curling, more overload on the biceps, greater hypertrophy.

(Written by Matthew Knight (Elite Physiques) – The Strength and Conditioning Expert)

# A Beginners Guide to the Perfect Chest

If your chest is a lagging body part or not as developed as much as other body parts, why not try this routine?

I like to train in a rep range of 8 -12 as this achieves maximum muscle growth. As for sets, I would aim for three but if you can feel you can do more, you can either add another set or increase the intensity of each working three sets by doing things like drop sets, negatives etc.

## Cable Crossovers

I like to use this exercise first as it's a great exercise to pre-exhaust the pecs. Stand between two facing cable stations with both pulleys set midway between the top and bottom of the station. Keep your elbows slightly bent and step forward so there's tension on the cables. Contract your pecs as hard as you can by bringing your hands together out in front of your chest.

## Incline Dumbbell Press

Set an adjustable bench to a 30-to 45-degree incline. Depending on the weight, you may need somebody to pass up one of the dumbbells. Lower them so the are roughly inline with your upper chest (around 90 degrees) and then press upwards but make sure you do so with good form. Working with dumbbells is more challenging than a barbell as each pec is working independently.

## Flat Barbell Press

Take the bar just outside shoulder width. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 90 degrees to your sides. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet hard into the floor and press the bar back up. Make sure you contract your core, as this will make sure your back is tightly against the bench allowing for your pecs to contract harder.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)
Top 3 Tips for Building Bigger Shoulders

If you are a stylish, young and trendy male, cultivating a pair of big shoulders will give you a boost of confidence and make you stand out from the crowd.

Here are my Top 3 Tips for building bigger shoulders.

P.S. Look out for a bonus shoulder workout!

## HIT Them Frequently

If you want to get good at something, what do you do? Practice, practice, practice... practice makes perfect! When guys train shoulders, most only hit them 1x per week, but you want to stand out right? So hit them 2-3x per week.

## Incorporate Compound Movements

If you want the most bang for your buck, add in compound exercises like the seated dumbbell shoulder press and standing military press. These exercises recruit more muscle groups and allow you to lift heavier which gets you head turning shoulders! Include these exercises first (after your warm up) and use a 6-10 rep range.

## Use Higher Reps

Doing higher reps will pump your shoulders with blood, which instantly makes your shoulders look bigger. You'll also stimulate your body to produce a surge of feel good hormones called 'endorphins'.

After your compound movement, incorporate a higher rep range (15-25 reps) for each exercise.

## The Workout:

Warm Up:

5 minute warm up on the cross trainer

10 circular shoulder swings forward + 10 backwards

2-3 light warm up sets of seated DB press (6-10 reps per set)

## Exercise 1:

Seated dumbbell press: 3 sets x 6-10 reps

## Exercise 2:

Side dumbbell lateral raises: 4 sets x 15-20 reps

## Exercise 3:

Bent over dumbbell lateral raises: 4 sets x 20-25 reps

*Rest 60 seconds between each set

(Written by LEP Fitness – One of Yorkshire's Leading Personal Trainers)

# Four Tips for a Strong Back

A strong well-defined back is not only aesthetically impressive; it is also the cornerstone of a well-balanced, fully functioning body. Looking good is important to many of us but good posture and a pain free lower back for life should be more important long term.

Unlike the other muscles of your upper body that can be trained with pressing and curling movements the various muscles of the back needs a bit more variation and stimulation to get the most out of your workouts.

## Support Your Spine

Strengthening the muscles that supports the spine has a beneficial effect on all other muscles. A strong and well-supported spine means that your ability to push and pull during

other movements is improved. Radiating strength will increase your lifts for the whole body.

## Start With a Deadlift

Being one of the most complex and taxing exercises you should start a back workout with the deadlift when you are fresh and at your strongest. Be modest and train your muscles not your ego with a weight you can handle with good technique. If your back is arched it means the weight is too much and you're putting stress onto your disks increasing the risk of injury (remember you want to strengthen not weaken your spine).

When getting into position for a deadlift imagine your pelvis is a bucket of water. Pour water out of the front of the bucket by tilting your pelvis forward (sticking your bum out) and bending at the knees. This should put you in the correct bent over position with a straight back and the bar over your toes ready to lift.

## Latisimus Dorsi

After a few sets of heavy deadlifts your lower back will be tired, let it rest before doing any bent over rowing movements by doing your next exercise seated. The lat pull down is the back exercise that most people will recognise. It works your upper, outer back and helps you get that V-shape you've always wanted.

The key to this exercise is to lock yourself into position with the leg pads & point your chest up as you pull the bar down towards your upper chest. This will ensure you pull with your back and not just your arms.

## Don't Neglect Core Strength

Core strengthening can help relieve lower back pain. It is an area that people to tend to overlook especially if you only want to look muscular. Unfortunately big muscles are not the be all and end all of strength and good aesthetics. A strong core can be the difference between being strong and being functionally strong & durable.

When a coach refers to having a strong core or spine they refer to the basis of the strength to work around. Simply put core & lower back strength translates throughout the whole body as it becomes the foundation from which all other forms of training should be centred around.

(Written by Matthew Knight (Elite Physiques) – The Strength and Conditioning Expert)
The Best Exercises for Six-Pack Abs

It's nearly the end of June now, which means all that hard work you've been doing in the gym since Christmas is about to pay dividends. However, if you've been spending a bit less time in the gym and a few more days in the pub, there is no reason to fear. You can still get in shape in time for the summer with this quick-fire ab workout. Pair these exercises with a good diet and you'll have that washboard stomach in no time at all.

## Swiss Ball Sit-Ups

Make sure you do not overextend on this movement by laying over the ball too far. Keep your hands either by the side of your head or placed on your chest along with your chin pointing away from your chest at all times. Curl up slowly and picture you are doing a bicep curl, but using your abdominals instead.

## Wood Chops

These can be done with a medicine ball, dumbbell or on a cable machine, which is my personal favourite. Stand away from the machine and picture you are about to cut a tree down. Make sure your knees are bent and your arms are in line with your shoulders. Rotate from the waist making sure your hips and feet do not move. You should feel this movement through the abdominals and the internal and external obliques, if not, lower the weight.

## Hanging Leg Raises

Grab a pull up bar with an overhand grip, making sure your arms are completely straight and your feet are off the ground. Keep your knees bent and slowly curl your legs towards your stomach then lower them. It is easy to use momentum from your hips to swing your legs upwards so be aware of this. To make this harder, you can fully straighten your legs in front of you and lower them again, making sure it is the abdominals doing the work, not momentum.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)

# Best Exercises For Your Core Strength

There's good news and bad news on this subject matter!

The good news is that there are many really good exercises for your Abdominals, to strengthen, as well as help you get that elusive six-pack, and we will be showing you three really good ones in this post.

The bad news is that "flat stomachs" and "six-packs" are, largely, made in the kitchen and not in the gym!

So, taking the kitchen bit first, you really need to look at the following points to help get you the stomach you've always wanted:

Reduce/cut out bread of any kind

Reduce/cut out all sugar

Increase your water intake to 2-3 litres per day (not including cups of tea/coffee etc)

Aim to eat 7 portions of fresh vegetables every day

Aim to eat 3 portions of fruit every day

Reduce the amount of food you buy that is in packaging on the supermarket shelf or out of a tin

Increase your protein intake and monitor your carb intake.

The list could go on much further of course, but in a nutshell just implementing these few small changes will help to reduce your overall body fat percentage, which will reflect very positively on your stomach! You wont achieve any where near a "flat stomach" with a body fat over 20%.

In general terms, try to avoid eating anything that is labelled with more than 14-20% fat whilst looking very closely at the sugar content and making sure that it isn't too high. If something says "fat-free" be warned as it could well be fat free but it may be loaded up with sugar, which is just as bad!

So, that's the general idea with regard to the eating side of things, now to the exercises. The following three exercises show how to strengthen your Abs and lower back to ensure that you develop a strong set of Abs, above and beyond looking for a six-pac.

## Leg Raises

## Ball Rollouts

## Tucks

These are just three exercises, there are, of course, many more that work the Abs and Lower Back just as well.

Also, there are many exercises that are great for core strength such as Press Ups, Pull Ups and Squats, that are not thought of as "stomach exercises". These exercises also work big muscles groups so have the advantage of working more muscles and burning more calories, which helps to reduce body fat thus leading to a "flatter" stomach.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)
Introduction to Bigger Triceps

There is nothing more manly than a carved out set of triceps. This incredibly powerful horse shoe shaped muscle sits on the back of your upper arm and is an important show muscle which makes up 66% of the arm musculature. It is not only responsible for improving your bench press but is also closely linked to testosterone aromatisation, meaning the leaner your triceps the more free testosterone you should have (There's a reason why women get bingo wings a men tend not to). But how do you get the best results of your triceps workouts?

The first step to an awesome triceps workout it to know & understand your anatomy. The triceps are called tri-ceps because there are three heads of the muscle you can target with different exercises:

## The Long Head

The long head of the triceps lies on the inside of your arms and is the portion directly next to your rib cage, this one can usually feel like the 'bulky' part of the muscle. Exercises like the lying ez bar extensions & cable push downs target this head well

## The Medial head

Exercises like dumbbell kickbacks & close grip bench press will target this head of the muscle which can also be felt on the inside of your arm but lower down the arm, inserting into the side of your elbow close to your body.

## The Lateral head

As the name implies the lateral head of the triceps runs the length of the outside (lateral side) of your arm. Lying dumbbell extensions & standing barbell French press would be great exercises to target this head of the muscle.

## What to do

Exercises for all three heads would include, rope push downs and parallel bar dips.

So now you know where the three heads of the muscle are it's hopefully obvious the perfect workout would utilise a combination of exercises (one for each head) or an exercise that utilises all 3 heads to complete the full range of movement.

Here's an awesome giant set that works all three heads and below is a high volume workout for all three heads using one exercise.

Complete each exercise for 10 reps, rest ten seconds between the three exercises then rest for 2 minutes before starting the group again. You should complete each giant set 3-4 times.

Series – Exercise – Reps

A1 – Close grip bench press – 10-12

A2 – Lying dumbbell extensions – 10-12

A3 – Cable pushdowns – 10-12

Complete the first exercise, ten sets of ten reps with a minute between each set then move on to the second exercise for three sets of 10 reps with 45 seconds rest between sets to ensure you keep filling the muscle up with blood but don't give it enough time to leave leading to an even better pump.

Series – Exercise – Sets x Reps – Rest

A – Parallel bar dips – 10x10 – 60 secs

B – Rope pushdown – 3x10-12 – 45 secs

(Written by Matthew Knight (Elite Physiques) – The Strength and Conditioning Expert)

A Beginners Guide to Leg Workouts

The legs have the biggest muscles in the body and, when you think about it, they are arguably the most important. We run, walk, swim, skip (sometimes) and through the power we have in our legs, depend on how efficient and quickly we can do these things.

Funnily enough a leg workout is one of the most neglected exercises, as it seems a bigger pectoral is more relevant than great quads. In truth it is very challenging, but for a great body aesthetic as well as strength it is very rewarding.

Are you going to be one of the people who miss leg day? If not, here is a brief introduction into getting started.

## Keep Your Body Well Fuelled

Legs are the largest muscle groups in the body so require a lot of energy. Make sure you consume a meal rich in both protein & in carbohydrates (the body's main energy source) before training. Once you have finished the workout, replenish your body with a good source of protein, shakes are a great option as they enter the body quickly and are well absorbed.

## Stretch/ Warm Up

A good leg workout is very demanding on the body so you want to make sure you get your body as ready as possible for what you are about to do to it. Making sure you are warmed will not only allow you to have a better range of movement when training but can also reduce the chances on an injury.

## Stick to the basics

With all training, stick to the basics! This also applies to leg training. Exercises such as squats are key to developing big legs. They are great as they primarily focus on the quads but also work the hamstrings and glutes. I would favour them over exercises such as leg extensions.

## Use a Full Range of Movement

Not only will you stimulate more muscle but again decrease your chances of injury. Best way to look at it is to think full range of movements' give you full, long muscles. Short movements will give short muscle fibres, increasing your chances of injury.

## Rep Range

I have heard and read countless times that you need to train legs with higher reps (15-20). In my opinion 8 – 12 maximum is what you need, remember lifting heavy will build muscle faster & burn more calories.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)
The Guide to Having Great Quads

I see more and more guys hitting the gym the past few years, but, a lot of them as always seem to concentrate more of their efforts on their upper body and seriously neglect their legs.

Two reasons for this is;

From a physical standpoint, nobody really sees and/or looks at your legs as much as body parts as biceps & chest.

Legs are extremely hard to train, reason being they are large muscle groups meaning they need heavier weights to stimulate them, as opposed to something like biceps, which are a lot smaller in size.

Here are my 'King of the Quads' exercises

## Squats

Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.

Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times and maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position.

Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.

If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.

Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.

## Walking Lunges

Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms by your side with dumbbells in both hands.

Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot.

Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up.

Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

Along with the quads, hamstrings and glutes, the calves can too be neglected a lot of the time by gym goers and sports people.

You are limited as to what you can do in regards to exercises, as the bio-mechanics of the calf muscles are very basic.

## 45 Degree Leg Press

Personally, my favourite quad exercise although some will disagree as you are using a machine over free weights. Place your feet on the pad – the same width as your knees & hips. From there, lower the weight so your legs are bent roughly into a 90 degree angle. Push up but make sure your feet do not come off of the pad & do not lock out at the end.

The reasons for this are, you can potentially cause an injury and you are alleviating some of the stress from your quads on to your knee.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)

How to Train Your Calf Muscles

Along with the quads, hamstrings and glutes, the calves can too be neglected a lot of the time by gym goers and sports people.

You are limited as to what you can do in regards to exercises, as the bio-mechanics of the calf muscles are very basic.

## Standing Calf Raises

These can come in two variations, plate loaded and weighted with a pin. To perform this, place the pads on your shoulders and put your toes on to the stand making sure you can come all the way up onto your toes and fully extend again. The key to performing this exercise properly is to make sure you allow a full contraction by standing fully onto your toes.

## Seated Calf Raises

The movement to this is the same as standing calf raises with the exception that you are seated. I find these an easier option if your legs are tired already from training them, being seated allows you to conserve energy. Again, the key is to make sure you do a full range of movement.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)

# An Introduction to High Intensity Interval Training

The idea behind High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is to perform an exercise intensely for a short period, followed by slower recovery periods, in order to trigger lactate formation. The intense periods should be performed to near maximum effort and recovery periods at 50% or less.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power, and is also used by bodybuilders to build more muscle mass.

## So why do I recommend High Intensity Interval Training?

Because it will get you fitter, stronger and leaner in less time! Many studies have now shown a direct link between high intensity interval training and fat loss. If performed correctly, you can burn a serious amount of calories in less than 30 mins per day.

What makes HIIT training so effective for fat loss is that it produces excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). What this means is that the fat burning process doesn't stop when your workout is over – it keeps going and going and going!

Now before you dive straight into a HIIT session, you will need to consider a few things first.

## 1. Your current fitness level and capabilities

HIIT is an advanced form of training and I do not recommend it to a beginner or anyone who has been out of action for a while. We have seen many people come through our gym and walk straight back out only to be sick from a short HIIT session. It's not pretty, so please make sure you develop a good baseline of fitness before you give HIIT a go.

## 2. Less is more

Another common mistake is presuming more is better. Because HIIT sessions are short, this doesn't mean you need to return the next day and do it all again in the fear that you have not trained long enough. In fact, if you perform a HIIT session correctly, the last thing you will want to do is come back for more.

## 3. What's a good HIIT workout?

There are so many variations; it would take forever to list them. Things to consider are time, location and equipment. Depending on where you are, what time you workout at the gym and how well equipped your gym is, one may need to be a bit more creative. For example, my studio doesn't have any electronically run cardio equipment, but what it does have is a prowler, battling ropes, a ton of weights and me, bodyweight.

(Written by Onpoint Training – Weight Loss Professional)

How Much Training Should I do for a 10km Race?

To answer the question of how much training you should do for a 10k race you first of all have to ask yourself what kind of race time to you want to achieve? This question needs to be coupled with how much time you have available to train as the more time you have to train properly the quicker your race time will be!

For the purposes of this blog post I am going to assume that you have time to train three times per week and this, if you train regularly and correctly, should get you a race-time of between 45-55 mins depending on your base level of fitness.

## Vary Training Exercises

In one of my previous blog posts How to Train for a Half Marathon I emphasised the importance of mixing up your training with hills, speed and endurance work and the basics of training for a 10k race are not much different in theory.

The main difference, of course, is that you don't have to run so far on the day and in your training; so your hill interval sessions are more like sprints uphill and your longest training run doesn't need to be more than 7-8miles.

## Eight Week Schedule

For this training schedule I am going to give you an eight-week training programme for your 10k and I have included a sample training schedule which you can follow for the first four weeks.

If you feel that your fitness levels are not quite ready for this 8 week programme then you can spend 3-4 weeks increasing your fitness by running 2-3 times a week with slow, steady runs of whatever you can do in order to prepare for this training programme:

Week 1

Interval Session: 800mtrs x 6 aiming for the same time for every 800mtrs with 90 secs recovery

Hill Session: 40-45 secs steep hill x 10 aiming for the same time every time with 60secs recovery

Steady Run: 4 miles fairly flat in 32-36 mins (make sure you warm up properly)

Week 2

Interval Session: 400mtrs x 8 aiming for the same time for every 400mtrs with 60 secs recovery

Hill Session: 40-45secs steep hill x 10 aiming for the same time every time with 60 secs recovery

Steady Run: 5 miles fairly flat in 40-45mins (make sure you warm up properly)

Week 3

Interval Sessions: 200mtrs x 10 aiming for the same time every time with 30secs recovery

Hill Session: 40-45secs steep hill x 10 aiming for the same time every time with 60secs recovery

Steady Run: 5 miles fairly flat in 40-45 mins (make sure you warm up properly)

Week 4

Interval Session: 800m/600m/400m/200m/400m/600m/800m with a 60sec recovery in between each one

Hill Session: 40-45 secs steep hill x 10 aiming for the same time every time with 60secs recovery

Steady Run: 6 miles fairly flat in 48-54mins (make sure you warm up properly)

Warm Up

Make sure that you warm up correctly especially on the days you're doing hills or intervals in order to avoid injury. You can view my running warm-up drills video here. This warm up drill only takes a few minutes to do and it will help you avoid injury as you go through your training programme.

So, that's the first four weeks of your eight week training schedule for a 10k and next week I will give you your second four week schedule where things will be getting a little tougher in order to get you round your 10k race in record time!

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)

# How Much Training Should I Do for a 10km Race (Part 2)

In the first post on this subject we looked at how important it is to vary your training runs by including Interval runs, Hill sessions and long, steady runs in order to achieve a good time for your 10km race.

By following our first four-week schedule you would have got used to taking on some short, sharp hill sprints as well as some tough interval sessions. The longer runs in the first weeks have been fairly flat, aiming for quick times over 4-6 miles, and the interval sessions have also been over short distances, which is all about to change!

Remember that we are looking at an actual race time of 45-55mins with this training schedule.

So, let's get straight into the final four weeks of training

Week 5

Interval Session: 6 x 800mtrs aiming for the same time for every 800mtrs but all quicker than in week 1. 90secs recovery

Speed Session: 6k fairly flat "sprint" at faster than predicted race pace so you are aiming for sub 30mins

Steady Run: 7 miles at race pace with lots of hills on your route

Week 6

Interval Session: 10 x 400mtrs aiming for the same time every 400mtrs but all quicker than in week 2. 60 secs recovery

Speed Session: 6k fairly flat sprint at faster than predicted race pace aiming for sub 30mins

Steady Run : 8miles at race pace with lots of hills on your route

Week 7

2 x steady runs of 7-8 miles at race pace with a few hills on your route

1 x steady run of 5-6 miles fairly flat

Week 8

2 x steady, easy flat runs early in the week of no more than 4 miles and no training from 3 days before the race itself.

You will notice that we stop the speed and interval sessions 2 weeks out from the start of the race as any speed gains in this period before the race will be minimal and the steady runs are gradually reducing in distance and "hillyness" as well. The idea is that all your really hard work is completed 10-14 days before the race and in this final period you are just keeping fit for the race day; ensuring that come the day you are fresh and raring to go.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)

Top Tips for Improving Your Fitness

Getting fit is high on everybody's list, particularly after this over-indulgent month we're in at the moment. Whether you're looking to shape up at home or just want to improve your performance at the gym, there's always plenty of room for improvement and questions that need answering. Well, we caught up with one of the best personal trainers in the fitness industry, Scott Laidler, to answer some of the questions that are most commonly asked and find out about his revolutionary online workout programs.

What three exercises would you suggest for building muscles without weights? Why?

A significant amount of muscle mass can be gained purely from bodyweight exercises if the correct exercises and training protocols are selected. The top three exercises I would suggest are:

**Press-ups.** Press-ups are great for building your chest, back and shoulders as well as strengthening your core. Try setting a 10 minute timer and seeing how many press-ups you can do in that time; by the end you will be grinding out one at a time.

**Pull-ups.** Pull-ups are classic exercises for developing upper body strength. They will help you develop width through your back and stimulate muscle growth in your biceps.

**Track sprints.** 100m track sprints, whilst technically cardio, are actually intense enough to be anabolic. Sprinting will help you develop muscle through your lower body and abs.

## What 5 tips would you give for someone trying to lose weight?

**Take the guesswork out of your nutrition.** If your goal is to lose weight, you should have an accurate idea of what calorie intake, macro-nutrient split and meals you will need to achieve your goal. Failing to prepare this information ahead will mean bad choices (through snacking and quick-fixes due to availability) and a far longer road to success.

**Lift weights.** Never avoid resistance training when pursuing weight loss. Resistance training is great for your metabolism and overall daily calorie burn, but the most important aspect is that it preserves muscle, which should actually be your biggest priority when seeking weight loss. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will require to function at rest and this will help to create a larger calorie deficit throughout the day, leading to faster results.

**Avoid dieting.** Avoid doing anything drastic with your calorie intake or meal choices. Most of the weight you lose when dieting is muscle and water, and it usually finds its way back soon after it's lost. If you lose weight by developing a healthy lifestyle you'll be far more likely to keep that weight off for good.

**Start early.** Give yourself enough time to achieve your goal. Don't wait until you only have 2 weeks before a holiday or a wedding for example. Give yourself between 12-24 weeks and you can completely transform your body.

**Avoid thermogenics.** Many people make the mistake of relying on thermogenic fat burners. If you have to resort to raising your heart rate and body temperature to vastly uncomfortable degrees something has gone wrong in your preparation.

A lot of people will be worrying about their Christmas weight gain and beer bellies. Is there any food that can aid a better metabolism in this season of overindulgence?  
Maintaining an efficient metabolism is better sought through exercise and rest than any particular food source. What I would suggest during this carb heavy time of year is to start with meals high in protein and fats; this will help satiate you and you will find the simplesugars (that actually lead to fat gain) far less appealing.

### If someone's happy with the size of their muscles but now wants to rip them. What would be your top tips for doing so?

Making your muscles appear more ripped just requires that you lose the body fat currently surrounding your muscle. This is best achieved through a combination of targeted cardio, heavy lifting and a weekly calorie deficit.

### You must have a huge amount of clients. What are the main things you see people doing wrong in the gym? Either lifting or maybe more general things.

The biggest mistake I see people making in the gym is following workout programs and advice that just isn't right for their body type. Natural athletes who were already in great shape when they created their programs made most popular workout regimes. This means that much of the journey from starting out to getting in shape is lost. Not only that, most men need to eat, rest and train in a way that is specific to their own body type, goals and lifestyle. This is why so many people are frustrated with poor results despite following a popular workout regime. Ask a personal trainer at your gym to formulate a workout program for you, that's specific to your goals. Then, monitor your progress, and as time revise the programme to ensure that you keep seeing results.

### What would be your biggest tip for not becoming bored with exercise? (I.e. How to keep people's engagement up.)

I've found the best motivator to be results. Exercise doesn't have to have bells and whistles on it to get results. Classic exercises and healthy eating get results and that keeps people in the gym. Alongside this I suggest a new training focus each 6 weeks, this stops exercise from feeling tedious.

### You offer online personal training, what does this involve?

Online training involves a client coming to me either to push through a current training plateau or embark on an entire body transformation. Following a comprehensive consultation, I will deliver a comprehensive workout program with a meal planner, supplement recommendations and a macronutrient split. I also monitor each clients progress and make any necessary changes to the program to ensure that they see results and achieve their goals. The workout is completely tailored to each individual's training experience, body type and goal.

### What made you want to offer this service? Who will it benefit?

I offered this service initially because my film industry work was taking me to LA reasonably frequently and I did not want my UK clients to be without direction whilst I was away. As my exposure grew I started getting requests from around the world and I concluded that online training was a great way to reach the maximum number of people.

### What's the main difference between this and in-person PT? What's better?

The main difference is that online training can fit around a person's schedule, and offer comprehensive guidance toward their health and fitness goals at a fraction of the cost of in person training.

Regarding what is better, that really depends on the personality of the client. Some people will always need the accountability and motivation inherent in one-on-one training; whereas, some will benefit more from the removal of all guesswork and will be able to follow a tailor made program to a tee, these are the individuals who will benefit most from online personal training.

(Interview With Scott Laidler – Most Fitness Editorial's Favourite Celebrity Personal Trainer

Written By Luke McCarthy)
How to Train for a Half Marathon – Gym Work

Now, there's a question! It really depends on your current level of fitness and how much running you have done prior to your decision to run 13.1 miles, however, for the purposes of this post, we are going to assume that you have a "reasonable" level of running fitness. Most people probably wouldn't decide to make a half marathon their first race and would, in all likelihood, start with a few 5 or 10k races before moving up to the half marathon distance.

So, let's begin our training schedule based on the premise that you have a few of these 5 and 10k runs under your belt and you are looking to move up to the 13.1 mile distance.

To cover this topic in enough detail, to do it justice, I am going to split it into four separate posts:

1. Gym Work

2. Long Distance Runs (Including Warm-up Drill)

3. Hill Training (Including Warm-up Drill)

4. Interval/speed Training (Including Warm-up Drill)

## Gym Work

Let's take Gym Work as our first topic today as it is an area that a lot of Runners neglect but is so important!

In order to train effectively for a half marathon, or indeed, for any race distance, you need to prepare your body correctly before clocking up too many miles on the road.

When you run, planting your foot down with each stride means that something along the lines of 3-5 times your body weight goes through your foot and up into your body.

That means it's really important to spend time in the gym preparing your body for this!

## Upper Body

Upper-body exercises are important for running, as this area needs to be strong to help maintain good posture as you run. Good posture is important whilst running, especially if you start to get tired towards the end of your run, as it will put less stress on the rest of your body and allow you to take in more oxygen. So, work through this routine:

Single Arm Row on Cable Machine/Press Ups 3 x 12 each

Upright Row with bar/ Rear Delt Raises with Dumbbells 3 x 12 each

Standing Shoulder Press with Dumbbells/Lateral Raises with Dumbbells 3 x 12 each

## Lower Body

Deadlift with Bar/Lying Hamstring Curls* 3 x12 each

Front Squats with Bar/ Swiss Ball Leg Curls 3 x 12 each

Seated Leg Extension/Calf Raises 3 x 12/3 x25

*When performing lying hamstring curls, take the pads up with both legs and lower down with just one leg, alternating legs each lowering rep. This is because, in general, most people don't use their hamstrings properly when running so they need to be strengthened individually.

## Core Workout

Core muscles are nearly always forgotten about but, again, they are very important for running. A strong core can help prevent injuries to other areas of the body. These exercises will strengthen your core:

Swiss Ball Back Extensions/Ab Curls on the Ball 3 x 12 each

Lo-hi Cable Wood chop/Lying Leg Lowers 3 x 12 each

Lying Single Leg Hip Raise/Side Plank with Hip Raise 3 x 12 each

Begin your training schedule with one visit per week to the gym and make sure you continue with these sessions throughout your training programme. In order to progress your strength gains, you can introduce more challenging exercises as you go through your schedule or simply keep to the same exercises but increase the weights you use. Bear in mind you should aim to increase the weights you use by approx. 10% every week.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)
How to Train for a Half Marathon – Endurance

Obviously, the biggest part of training for a half marathon is actually running 13.1 miles so it is important to include long runs within your training schedule.

However, before we look at the kind of long runs you should be doing, let's look at a really important element of your training...

## Warming Up

A lot of runners simply don't do a proper warm up or just start their run with a "slow jog" before picking up the pace or, even worse, don't do any warm up at all and just go straight into their run.

This is a recipe for disaster, potentially leading to pulled muscles, as well as other injuries. The purpose of a structured warm up is to prepare the body for what it is about to do and, by warming up correctly, you minimise the chances of injuries occurring.

When you finish this short warm up drill you should be breathing a little heavier and your lower body muscles will be warmed up correctly for your run, so you are ready to go!

## Long Runs

So, now you are nice and warm let's look at the long steady runs you should be doing as you train for your half marathon.

You should start with a 10-12 week training schedule in order to give you enough time to train properly and your first "long run" should be no longer than you have run before, so you don't push it too far initially.

In the first 2-3 weeks aim for 2 long runs each week (we will be looking at the other types of training runs to do in future posts). For the purposes of this schedule we will say that your long run is 4 miles.

So, a sample "Long Run" training schedule could look something like this:

Week – Distance – Times per Week

2-3 – 4 miles – Twice

4-5 – 6 miles – Twice

6-7 – 8 miles – Twice

8 – 10 miles – Once

9 – 11 miles – Once

10 – 11 miles – Once

11 – 8 miles – Once

12 – 4 miles – Once

In this training plan, week 12 is the week of the race so you would look to run 4-5 miles by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest, assuming the day of the run is a SundayThere is no need to run the 13.1 miles before the day of the race but it's always good to have 2 or 3 11 mile training runs under your belt.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)
How to Train for a Half Marathon – Hills

So, we have looked at gym work and long runs as part of your training for a half marathon and now, in part three, we are looking at hill training!

Hill training is so important when training for any race distance but especially important for the longer distances such as 5k, 10k and half marathons. In simple terms, if your race route is relatively flat then using hills in your training will make your race day experience so much easier and more enjoyable. Equally, if the course is hilly then you need to make sure you have trained on hills, for obvious reasons!

When considering hill training you should look at introducing two types:

## Gradual Hills

Make sure that your longer training runs, which we looked at in our previous post, include a few hills along the route. They don't have to be big hills; gradual inclines will suffice and in some cases will actually be more beneficial. So, within a long run of, say, 6-7 miles you should choose a route that includes at least two decent hills and 2-3 fairly long, steady inclines.

When you take the hill/incline don't sprint up it just to get it done, take your time to take on the hill and, over time, you will be able to run the hill and still have enough legs to carry on running the rest of the course. It's no good if running up the hill completely takes it out of you and you can't carry on, so build up your hill running pace gradually over a period of a few weeks.

## Steep Hills

The second part is to work on some much shorter and steeper hills within your training programme. So, you need to find a fairly "short, steep hill" approx. 15-20mins away from your starting point so you can have a steady run to the hill itself. The hill can be a steep road or grass/woodland area, whichever you prefer, but it does have to be quite steep!

## The programme

This training programme works like this:

Start at the bottom of the hill and sprint up the hill for approx. 35-45 secs

Make a note of where you finish after a max 45 sec sprint (house number, bench or lamppost etc)

Stop at this point, turn round or cross the road and jog slowly back down to your starting point.

At the starting point sprint back up again, stopping at your reference point (house number, bench or lamppost etc) recording your time on a stopwatch. Jog slowly back down to your start point.

Repeat this 6-10 times aiming to produce the same time every time. i.e. if your first sprint takes you 42 secs aim to make sure all 6-10 sprints are 42secs

Once you have done your 6-10 hill sprints jog back home.

Over a number of weeks you should be able to increase the number of hill sprints in each session from 6, in the first instance, up to a maximum of 10 each time.

So, that's the hill training for you! Hill training is really tough but if you can stick at it (especially if your race day course is flat) then you will reap the rewards on race day.

## So far

Now, after our three posts so far, you are building up a weekly pattern of 3 sessions per week: A gym session, a hill session and a long, steady run and in the next, and final article, we will look at how interval training can help you achieve your best half marathon ever!

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)
How to Train for a Half Marathon – Interval Training

In the concluding part of this series of posts we are going to look at Interval Training as the fourth element after gym work, endurance and hill training.

The reason for using interval training as you train for your half marathon is to get your body used to running faster over longer periods of time or distance.

As with the hill training you should aim to include your interval training in two ways:

## Firstly

Include interval runs within your longer training runs that we looked at in our second post so that you get used to having spells of running faster during a long distance training run.

For example, you may be on a 5-6 mile run and within this distance you could include 1-2 miles at your actual race pace i.e. take the first 2 miles slow and steady, then run the next two miles at the pace you want to do on race day, finishing with a slow and steady last two miles. For this type of training you need to know what pace you are aiming for on race day of course; let's say that your race day pace is going to be 8 min/mile then your slow and steady pace for this particular training run would be 9min/mile.

You can split it up another way as well by running 1 mile slow and steady (e.g. 9min/mile) and then 1 mile at race pace (8min/mile) repeating this for 6 miles. So, the principle remains the same, you just set your pace according to where you are with your training.

If you don't know what your fastest pace is you can very easily find out! Find a fairly flat route around your local park or area and measure out 1 mile ( a lot of parks now have 100/200mtr posts or you can use a running app on your phone). Once you have warmed up, run that mile as fast as you can and I mean as fast as you can, so that you can barely breathe at the end! Record the time and you now have your fastest mile time; you can work everything else out from this fastest time.

## Secondly

You need to include specific speed sessions as part of your overall training as with the hill sessions we looked at in our previous post. The best place to do your speed interval sessions is a running track and some running/athletic clubs will host track nights where you can pay a small fee and turn up to train with other members, alternatively check out your local park to see if they have the 100mtr marker posts. Another option is to measure out some distances using a phone running app.

So, for your speed interval sessions, as with all training sessions, you need to warm up correctly and then run to your park/running track so that when you start your speed intervals you are nicely warmed up. There are so many combinations to choose from for speed interval work we couldn't possibly look at them all here but here a few that you might like to try:

**Distance/ Time** – **Pace – Frequency**

2min on/ 2min off – On: Faster than race pace/ Off: Slow jog – 6-8 times

400m on/ 400m off – On: Faster than race pace/ Off: Slow jog – 6-8 times

1min on/ 1min off – On: Faster than race pace/ Off Slow jog – 6-8 times

3min on/ 1min off – On: Faster than race pace/ Off: Slow jog – 6-8 times

200m – 1000m – Much faster than race pace – 1x & 60s Recovery

We have now covered all main areas of training for a half marathon so if you follow these four posts you will be more than prepared to complete the 13.1 miles.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)

Improve Your Running with These Top Tips

So you think running is good for you any time of the day, and you'd be right. There are, however, three times of the day that running can help to benefit your body in different ways. Being aware of how these benefits will help you target what time of day you train in order to help meet your goals.

## The morning run

The early bird run is perfect for power work – something high-intensity like sprints or short intervals. The reason for this is that after a good nights sleep and light breakfast your muscles are fresh and ready for a powerful, high-intensity session. To get the most out of the run try 100 meters sprints with 20 second rests in between for 15 minutes.

## The lunchtime run

After a full morning sitting at your desk with people shouting instructions at you and your boss looking for work you haven't yet had the time to complete, your stress levels may be higher than normal. This is the best opportunity to get out and go for a relaxing half hour run and let the mind roam free. When you return you'll feel fresh, relaxed and ready to conquer the rest of your day. For the best result try looking for new routes every week and explore the city around you.

## The end-of-day run

At this time of the day, it's by far the best time of day to run if your goal is to reduce your fat percentage. The easiest way to explain how your body burns fat is this – if you are using more energy then you put in you will need to use fat as energy to cover the remaining part. At the end of a long day you might not have had sufficient food to cover all your energy needs that means you are in an energy deficit. If you choose to run now you will become even more deficient in energy however your body will still need to work, so it will search for energy in the form of fat and use that to power you through the session. For best results make sure to plan a healthy meal for after your run.

Alternating between these workouts will ensure a better body, faster running speeds and a better day at the office.

(Written by Running Coach G – Elite Ultra-Marathon Runner)

# The Fastest Ways to Build Muscle

Building muscle is a marathon, not a sprint, but there are ways to make sure that you make progress faster. An area that people often overlook is their nutrition. Use these guidelines to make sure you are nailing the basics:

## Create a Calorie Surplus

Most people don't eat anywhere near enough food, let alone enough nutritious food. Don't be afraid of eating, especially when it comes to carbs. They are vital for your success. Let's break down the three main macronutrients (proteins, carbs and fats) in to the actual amounts that you will need.

Take your bodyweight in kilos. Now multiply it by 2.5 – the number that you get is how many grams of protein you should be eating every day. That number will stay the same, until you put on weight and it can be increased accordingly.

On to Carbohydrates – multiply your bodyweight in Kilos by four. That is your starting point – if you are going to put on muscle, you are going to need carbohydrates to help you recover, and to drive your thyroid hormones higher. This in turn will switch on your metabolism, allowing you to eat more. A healthy pancreas should be able to deal perfectly well with about 300g of carbs a day in fit individuals. Try to avoid excess sugar.

Fats are essential (Even saturated fat!). They go on to create your hormones, which are essential for muscle building. Take your bodyweight in Kilos and multiply it by one, and that number in grams is your daily minimum. I'm not saying you need to go out of your way to eat loads of fats – but they are the most calorie dense of the three macros (at nine calories per gram, compared to four per gram for protein and carbs).

## Consistency and Meal timing

Now that you have worked out your minimum daily amounts (and I stress minimum), consistency is the next step. Half an hour in the evening is enough time to get most of your food sorted out for the next day. Four or five meals (three main meals + pre and post workout snack) is fine. Just get the food in.

## Consistency and Meal timing

Now that you have worked out your minimum daily amounts (and I stress minimum), consistency is the next step. Half an hour in the evening is enough time to get most of your food sorted out for the next day. Four or five meals (three main meals & pre and post workout snack) is fine. Just get the food in.

## Gradually Increase

The first time you increase your calories, you will likely notice a slight increase of body fat over the next few weeks. You're not doing anything wrong – what you are doing by eating more is pushing your body's set point higher. Your body will catch up, so carry on – you will get leaner again.

How much do you increase? 500 calories. It's enough of a difference for you to make changes to your diet and to get things moving. 500 calories may sound like a lot, but remember that 100g of carbs is 400 calories. So, simply add in an extra 125g to your daily totals of carbs. That's it. Give it another two weeks of absolute consistency, and then reassess. If you're not tipping the scales up, then add another 500 calories/125g of carbs.

Try to rotate through these foods every two weeks.

Protein sources, choose:

Chicken, Eggs, Turkey, Tuna Steak, Beef, Duck, Lamb, Venison, Prawns, Squid, Shellfish, Salmon, Herring, Mackerel, Sardines

Carbohydrate sources, choose:

Sweet Potato, Basmati Rice, Rice Noodles, Butternut Squash, New Potatoes, Baked Potato, Swede, Pasta

Fat Sources, choose:

Avocado, Feta Cheese, Olives, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Pumpkin Seeds, Walnuts, Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Full Fat Organic Butter

Finally, vegetables – fruit is fine, but prioritise vegetables.

Broccoli, Kale, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Watercress, Spinach, Leeks, Fennel, Rocket, Mixed Leaves, Bok Choi, Celery, Courgette, Peas, Cucumber, Lettuces, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Aubergine, Beetroot, Carrots

Food is the most important thing when it comes to building muscle. But, training correctly is also vital. In part two, we'll take a look at training principles and methods, how often you should train and how you can get the most out of your gym sessions to build muscle.

(Written by Henry Ives – Former Triathlon athlete and City of London Personal Trainer)
Your Diet & Fitness Program for Getting Ripped this Summer

We are now officially in British summer time, which means you will probably be showing more skin in the sunshine. If you have not got in shape yet, or you are currently lifting but want to shed some body fat, use these four simple but effective rules.

## Eat more protein

Protein stabilises insulin (fat storing hormone) levels, which is great, as you will have less cravings for foods full of carbohydrates and sugars. Protein is also the building block of growing muscle tissue from working out. The more you eat the faster you recover, the faster you recover the more you can train and the more you train the more lean muscle tissue your body carries. This pen-ultimately leads to your body processing calories faster.

## Eat less carbs

No carbs before Marbs is a popular saying now days, but I have to say I disagree with going zero carbs. The Joe average gym user will need some carbohydrates throughout the day especially before working out as it gives your body energy to push it to its fullest capabilities. What carbohydrates you eat, makes ALL the difference.

Foods that have a high carb / high glycemic index are terrible if you want to lose weight. Foods such as white bread and a lot of breakfast cereals are terrible carb choices if you are wishing to get those abs out. Sweet potato & brown rice are low GI foods choices, these will also not give you that energy crash you get after foods with a high GI content, like bread.

## Do compound movements in the gym

Doing core/ ab work is fine and has its place in a training program. However, you can do these every day and will still see little to no difference unless your food is spot on. If you are looking to burn the most amount of calories in a gym session stick with movements such as squats, dead lifts, pull-ups and bench presses. All of these incorporate large/ multiple muscle groups at any one time and the more muscles you use, the more energy is required, resulting in more calories used.

## Lift heavy

I've always heard that lifting lighter with more reps, burns more calories & tones muscles. Firstly, there is NO such thing as toning a muscle. Any load or stress you put on it will result in some muscle tissue breakdown. Secondly, common sense is going to tell me if I squat 40kg for 15 – 20 reps, I would personally find this easy as it not very taxing on my body. Now load it up close to 200kg and I can squat it for 8-12 reps, this is considerably harder and more taxing on my body as it requires more energy. The more energy I use the more calories burned at that specific time.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)

# Five Steps to Getting the Most Out of Weightlifting

There are many grey areas involved in lifting weights that cause a lot of confusion, injuries and above all – disappointment. This is because goals are not reached and expectations aren't met. The lack of results doesn't stem from the amount of time spent working out, or how many supplements one takes in pursuit of ripped abs or bulging muscles, but in the Training Approach while in the gym.

What is Training Approach? It is your fundamental principle of technique, exercise choice, set structure, rest periods and exercise range. All these things must have strict rules and must be performed with a specific purpose in order to continually stimulate muscle growth. Here are the proper instructions and explanations needed to lift weights properly.

## 1. Technique

'Technique' refers to proper form needed to contract the correct muscles for that movement, i.e. Pectoral muscles for Chest exercises. There are many ways to perform an exercise, but very few right ways. Correct form is vital for stimulating the target muscles enough to induce muscle growth. If proper form cannot be used then the weight must be reduced.

Upper body pressing and fly movements:

Upper arm 90 degrees to the body.

Chest puffed up, lower back arched, shoulders down and back.

Never drop elbows in towards the torso as this takes tension away from the Chest.

Upper body pulling movements:

Arch the entire spine top to bottom.

Keep Shoulders back as far as possible, never rounding the shoulders or dropping them forward.

Drive the elbows as far back as possible, pinching shoulder blades together.

Lower Body Pressing movements:

Feet shoulder width apart.

Knees must point in same direction of the toes at all times.

Never move knees inwards or outwards (side-to-side).

Movement must go slightly beyond 90 degrees at the Knee joint.

Isolation movements:

Isolation means single jointed exercise, only one joint is in movement.

If unable to move only one joint, i.e. only elbows during bicep curls – the weight must be reduced.

Do not pivot at any other joint as this reduces tension on target muscles, i.e. shoulder joint pivot during Bicep curls.

## 2. Exercise Choice

Building your body is not just about trying to build muscle, but building muscles in the right places – for aesthetic appeal (beauty), strength balance and optimal posture. The aim is width at the top and bottom of the body (shoulders + thighs), and narrowing of the centre of the body (waist/ stomach). We only choose exercises that target the desired muscles in the way we want, and ignore exercises that target undesired muscles.

Chest, Back, Legs + Calves, Back, Arms and Abs are the target areas. You need 4-5 Exercises per large muscle group (Chest, Back, Legs), 2-3 per small muscle group (Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Abs).

E.g. Dead Lifts are predominantly a back movement, but they have been known to thicken out the waist muscularly as huge amounts of pressure travels through the core. Thickening of the waist will reduce the illusion of size and shape of the upper body.

Squats are also not recommended for anyone taller than 170cm due to insufficient biomechanical movement and over emphasis on the Glute and lower back muscles. Over development of the Oblique muscles (side abs) can also cause waist enlargement, which is undesired.

## 3. Set Structure

What is a set? It is a group of repetitions on a particular exercise. How long is a set? A set is 30-40 seconds long, (can be longer when advanced). In repetitions this translates to 8- 12 repetitions per set for upper body, and 10-15 repetitions for lower body. Set Tempo also forms part of the set structure.

What is Set Tempo? It is the speed you perform the repetitions, and involves both raising the weight and lowering it. Our Tempo must be 2 seconds up (raising), 2 seconds down (lowering) – so an entire repetition should last 4 seconds. 10 repetitions = 40 seconds. The length of the set is fundamental, as the longer your muscles remain under tension the better. Perform 3-4 Sets per exercise.

## 4. Rest Periods

The time you spend resting between sets and exercises is a factor that determines how Intense a workout is, which in turn describes how effective it is. Rest periods in between sets for upper body + calves is 30-45 seconds rest maximum, and 60-90 seconds for Legs. Beginners might need to work up to this over time, but resting any longer and the body recovers for too long and Intensity is drastically lost. The entire workout should only last 45mins.

## 5. Exercise Range

All exercises are performed in what is called a 'Tension Window' – the section of the exercise range where maximum tension is exerted on the target muscles and no rest takes place. When performing an exercise with good form we must make sure that our muscles remain stimulated for the entire duration of the set.

To do this we must eliminate points of the movement where our muscles could rest, i.e. at the very top or very bottom of the movement. So, as a strict rule we will never fully extend or lockout our joints on any movement (except Tricep + Quad extensions), as this takes tension away from the muscle and onto the joints and tendons (dangerous + ineffective).

Never lift weights with your ego, be methodical with your technique and train your muscles!

(Written by Matt Young – Personal Trainer at the infamous Muscle Works Gym)

# 3 Important Compound Exercises for Building Muscle

Compound exercise can be described as moves that involve more than one joint and muscle group at a time and as such compound exercises burn more calories and develop more muscle strength than isolation exercises. For example, if you perform a Pull-Up you are working at least 3 or 4 muscles in your back, as well as core, shoulders and biceps. If you perform a bicep curl you are, pretty much, just working your biceps.

So, lets get straight on with it then! Here are three great compound exercises for building muscle:

## Press Ups

The main muscle involved in a Press Up is the Chest, however you can work and emphasise Shoulders, Triceps, Stomach and Lower Back just by changing your hand position. A wide hand position emphasises the Chest, whilst bringing the hands closer together works the Triceps a little bit more and placing one hand forward with the other hand slightly back concentrates on the shoulders.

You can also perform them using a TRX by placing your hands in the straps and placing your feet on the floor, then swap over and put your feet in the straps and have your hands on the floor!

You can have your feet on a raised step and try incline press ups or you can just stick to the old fashioned way!

Whichever variation you choose Press Ups are a great compound exercise to build muscle and you should simply aim to do as many as you can either in one go or split them up in to 3 -4 sets of however many you get to as your max in each set.

## Pull Ups

Now, these are tough, tough, tough! The main muscles working are pretty much all the muscles of the back, the whole shoulder complex and all your Core muscles so this is a must where compound exercises are concerned.

Pull Ups on a chin-up bar can be quite tough and you may only be able to perform a small number initially but a good way to build up to full pull-ups is to use the TRX to perform sets of 10-12 and then gradually aim to build up the number of "full ones" you can do.

##  Deadlifts

Well, this one pretty much does it all! When performing a Deadlift you recruit Back and Shoulder Muscles, Core Muscles, Lower Back, Hamstrings, Quads, and Calves. With the perfect Deadlift workout, you want to aim for 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps each set.

(Written by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)
How to Build Muscle and Get Ripped in 10 Steps

Everyone wants to know how to get ripped, quickly and easily. This want is magnified ten-fold when there's a holiday coming up. Why? Because who doesn't want to look good on the beach! As you probably know by now with health and fitness, there are thousands of contradictions, thousands of ideas, and thousands of perspectives. However, let us help you.

Here we cut through the crap and give you 10 necessary steps that are essential in any man's (or women's) journey to getting ripped and looking hot on the beach. They cover the essentials – training, nutrition and getting results! You may know a lot more than this, you may know a lot less, but what is undeniable is that if you act on these 10 important points, your body will become ripped and beach ready, faster than ever!

1. Train your muscles with resistance. Whether it is at a gym, at home, or in a park, you have to put resistance through your muscles to cause them to develop. This can be as simple as bodyweight exercises for beginners or weighted exercises for the more advanced.

2. Accompanying this resistance training, you must up your protein levels and lower your carbohydrate levels, while aiming for an overall calorific deficit. Aim for 1g of protein per lb. of bodyweight. For a 90kg man, this would be 198 lbs. 198 lbs. means 198g of protein every single day! TL:DR In real layman's terms, don't eat crap, eat more protein, and don't eat crap!

3. To burn body fat fast, you need to mobilise fat stores. This means hard, high intensity interval training (HIIT). Ditch your laborious jogging or pedalling pointlessly for hours on end and start doing hard 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off training as many times as you can muster. For fitter trainees you may need to go for longer. Try 1 minute on and 30 seconds rest.

4. You need to do exercises that send your heart rate sky high. Much like the point above, you need to work your body to raise your heart rate. (And to subsequently burn fat.) Therefore, doing endless bicep curls won't cut it. (How many times have you heard that by now?!) Squats, deadlifts, and explosive jumps will get your body working hard and promote muscle growth as well as fat burning.

5. For a HIT circuit with no weights or external resistance, think burpees, explosive jumps and sprints. Also utilise full body movements wherever possible. If you can 'sprint' for a minute, you're not sprinting, you're just lying.

6. Don't snack on crap food! When you're training for something, (in this case, looking good on the beach), being a baby simply doesn't cut it. No you can't have those chocolates, or that junk food, because if you don't put some work in, you won't see any changes. The easiest way to not snack on crap food is simply, DON'T BUY IT. We are creatures of habit. Don't buy those cookies and keep them in the cupboard, if they are there you'll want them, simple as that.

7. Buy and eat fresh produce without a label on as much as you can – no one ever got fat eating vegetables.

8. Don't use an effort/reward system, at least with food! Going to the gym DOES NOT mean you can have that chocolate bar. If you form a habit of training, and then rewarding yourself with bad food, you'll probably end up in a worse position than when you started.

9. Drink a lot of water! If you can drink between 2 and 3 litres a day, this is ideal. Water keeps you hydrated, meaning your cognitive functions are sharper, you feel fuller and are less likely to snack, and it is beneficial to both your skin and your muscles!

10. Be consistent! This is the rule to end all rules – all of your efforts are futile unless you bring some sort of consistency to the table. Train with consistency, eat well with consistency, live with consistency and you'll see better, and quicker, success.

Written by James Schofield (The Active Lifestyle) – International Fitness Professional)

# How to Build Muscle Without Using Weights

Whatever you have seen, think, or 'know', building muscle is not a particularly easy task. It is possible to build muscle mass at a decent rate if you do the things that you're supposed to do – e.g. you train hard, you intake the correct nutrients, you follow a smart training program, you sleep well and for long enough, and overall are very focused and committed to the muscle building cause. Which is exactly the problem. Unless you're a professional competitor, it requires careful dedication and strict adherence to even get some of these right. However, like everything else in life, it is possible, and I'm going to tell you how.

The first question you need to ask yourself is simple. How experienced with weight training are you? If you have never lifted a weight before in your life, you can build muscle with the simplest and easiest of bodyweight exercises. If you are relatively experienced, this unfortunately means a different focus is required. So, we're tackling this problem from two different angles, and the only thing you need to do is be honest with yourself about your current state.

## The Basics of Building Muscle

As succinctly as possible, to build muscle, you need to follow a system of 'progressive overload'. This is industry lingo but when broken down it makes perfect sense. That is, over time you must provide more and more resistance to your muscles, in order to provide the required stimulus for them to grow. Let's think of that in real world speak.

On Monday, I perform an exercise with x weight or resistance. The next time I train, I use x+1 weight. The time after that, x+2 weight – And so on and so forth. This means that a load stronger than previously is always stimulating the muscle, so therefore causing the muscle to adapt to the new resistance, weight or load. Consequently, (with the right nutrition etc.) the muscle grows.

But the point of this article is to tell you how to build muscle WITHOUT the use of weights, so let's get into it.

## For The Lesser Trained

Start off by learning the basic exercises that you'll be using frequently to build some muscle. These are 'compound' exercises (exercises that use many muscles in the body, thereby maximising their effectiveness).

## The Squat

**Form tip** – remember to sit back with your weight in your heels, and keep your chest up.

The king of lower body exercises; the squat works predominantly the major muscle groups in your legs including your quads, hamstrings and glutes. If this is too hard, sit down onto a chair and stand back up again

## The Push Up

**Form tip** – keep your glutes tight and lower body strong so that your hips don't sag down towards the floor. A full body developer focused on your upper body. You will feel it in your arms, chest, stomach and shoulders. If this is technique is too hard in the beginning, start by doing a push up leaning against a wall.

## The Reverse Lunge

**Form tip** – remember to keep the weight through the heel of your front foot.

Effectively a squat but using one leg more than the other, this is a functional movement that targets your hamstrings, quads and glutes. By stepping backwards rather than forwards you greatly reduce the pressure on your knees. Stand with your feet together and step backward into a lunge.

## The Reverse Row

**Form tip** – As with the push up, keep your whole body tensed so that you keep as straight a line as possible and avoid sagging.

To perform the reverse row – place a broomstick across two chairs. Lie on the floor [on your back] and grab the broomstick with both hands, and pull your chest towards it. It's like the push up, but targeting your upper back muscles and biceps.

## When and How Much

Using just these basic exercises and your own bodyweight, you can build muscle. Each exercise targets a different part of the body, but all are compound exercises and work some muscles harder than others. Start by performing them as a circuit 3x a week, performing one set of exercise (10 squats) before moving onto the next exercise (10 push ups). If you can perform 10 repetitions of each exercise, that is a great start. Depending on your ability, work to increase your performance every workout session.

This will look something like this: (Assuming you can just about do 10 of each to start)

Exercise – Workout 1 – Workout 2 – Workout 3 – Workout 4

Squats – 10 – 12 – 15 – 18

Push Ups – 10 – 12 – 14 – 16

Lunges – 10 – 12 – 14 – 16

Reverse Row – 10 – 12 – 14 – 16

Once you have completed the circuit of 4 exercises, rest for 2-3 minutes and then repeat the whole circuit again. If you get the same number of reps as you got the first time, repeat the circuit for a third time. If you don't, (say you get 10 reps the first time around and only 8 the second time) then stop there for the day. Only increase the reps when you complete all three sets with good form.

## For The More Trained

If the above workout is far too easy for you and you can perform 10 or more reps for each exercise with ease, a more advanced tactic is required. For simplicity, we'll use the same exercises, but with more advanced techniques.

Instead of performing a normal repetition each time, count to 5 on the eccentric (downward) portion of each movement. So with the squat, that means as you lower your butt towards the floor, you do a slow 5 count before coming back up. This greatly increases the time under tension that you're putting your muscles under, greatly increasing their workload and consequently, potential for growth.

Therefore, with this workout you are increasing two variables simultaneously – the repetitions performed and the time under tension due to the 5 second count. This will cause a big overload on what your muscles are used to and really kick up your fat burning potential as well. Try it and you'll see how much more difficult this makes the exercises! This also requires some discipline because you need to do the reps without cheating!

So whether you are a beginner or an advanced trainee, it's very possible to build muscle and even get more ripped without weights, just by performing simple bodyweight exercises!

Always leave a day between workouts, ideally you would perform these 3x a week giving you the weekend to really relax and recover. Make sure you eat a lot of protein, especially on the days that you workout!

(Written by James Schofield (The Active Lifestyle) – International Fitness Professional)

# Three of the Most Important Compound Lifts to Know

I'm afraid you won't learn anything new here; I've never been a fan of selling the exotic, exciting workouts or miracle results. Any successful person, regardless what area, be it finance, health or relationships knows that success and goals are achieved by consistent persistence and hard work over time. Yes, some people might get "lucky", however, luck is usually when hard work meets opportunity. So if you're looking for a shortcut please stop reading.

Saying that, what I'm going to present to you is an easy-to-use and easy to implement solution for those of you looking to get a bigger/stronger physique.

I'll cut to the chase, big compound movements work, trying to twist your body into a position to get a peak or certain area of muscle activated will more often lead to wasted effort and a battle against genetics. Now, you can out train genetics to an extent but if you work hard and don't stress over the small stuff success will come easier.

My big 3 are the deadlift, the squat and the overhead press. (Or variations of each in that order).

The reason for the above is that these big exercises quite simply create the biggest muscular overload in one movement – if done correctly. Now, that last part is the most crucial. I'm a fully qualified personal trainer and I can't emphasise enough the importance of form. Leave your ego at the door. A big deadlift is useless if you put your back out, likewise with the squat, giving you bad knees etc.

This could be a full paper on these exercises so I'm going to keep it as brief yet informative as possible. When trying to build muscle there are two types, let's not get technical, I'll say strength (think Olympic lifter) and size (think bodybuilder). Both have their place depending on goals.

When training for strength you won't get much bigger so you can lift away without the fear of getting "too big" unless you eat too many calories. The rep ranges for strength are typically between 1-6, lower favourite for absolute strength.

For size aim for 8-12, upwards of 15 if you can maintain food form for heavy weight for reps. The way this works is it uses a different energy system (carbs), the more you stress this system in these rep ranges the more your body will have to store in the form of accessible carbohydrates (glycogen). This will look good but don't expect to move like an Olympic athlete.

Ideally you want to combine these two types for optimal performance. Giving you the best of both worlds.

The big three exercises are broken down as follows. I'll touch on form but, if you're looking to get the most out of them, please contact a qualified professional to show you the technicality of these lifts.

## Deadlift

It uses almost every muscle in the body, mainly posterior focus (meaning muscles behind you), which are great for posture. Again, technique is key here; otherwise this will ruin your physique. This exercise will allow you to pick up the most weight. More weight means you force your body to change – it has to adapt. The way it adapts is simply by more muscle, and by picking up the biggest weight possible you will get the biggest change. Think about it this way – what will build more muscle – bicep curls or deadlifts?

## Squat

Put a bar on your back or front and you have a metaphor for life's challenges. When it tries to knock or put you down, just get back up. Working most major muscles i.e. the legs and also a massive overload on the core. To resist the body folding, your abs will get a pretty decent workout, especially if you do a front squat correctly, no question. I would say back squat for sheer weight but feint squat for the positive effect it has on posture, as you have to have better technique to be able to do it right.

## Overhead Press

I chose this over the bench press because it requires a lot of core strength to keep your body upright. You're body will default into leaning back but make sure you squeeze your bum and keep it tight. This is going to create a vertical load that will develop shoulders, arms and core strength.

There you have it, keep it simple and don't overcomplicate things. It is hard if you do it right. Doing these exercises 3/4 times a week will get you big and strong. There are so many variables, just ensure you put in the time and energy into training sessions and your body will thank you for it. Remember to always warm up and mobilise before and after workouts.

(Written by Fabio Bonanno – One of London's High Performance Fitness Coach)

Build Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

This is the most contested subject in the history of bodybuilding. The 'Holy Grail' of your time spent in the gym. Are you able to build muscle and burn fat at the same time?

Technically, to build muscle, you need to be in a calorie surplus. And to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. So, in this plan you'll be using both. On weight training days, you'll be using a calorie surplus. On non – training days, you'll be using a calorie deficit. On your HIIT (High-intensity interval training) cardio day, you'll be using maintenance calories.

The other factor that we need to take into account to achieve maximum re-composition is the type of weight training you'll be doing – and for building as much muscle as possible whilst trying to make a big dent in the body fat, high volume training is what you need to be doing. Carbs will be higher on those days.

For this reason I've chosen big German Volume Training supersets. GVT is when you do 10 sets of 10 – so 100 reps. But, we're super-setting, (when you do 2 exercises back to back), so you'll be doing 200 reps. You should set the weight to 60% of your 1RM (One Rep Maximum). Go too heavy and you'll be going home too early. You need to stick to the strict tempo times too, of 3 seconds on the way down, and 1 second on the way back up. We'll structure the training as follows:

### Monday (Upper Body Push/Pull)

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Rest

Dumbbell Bench Press – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Lat Pull Down – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Seated Dumbbell Curl – 4 – 12-15 – 3010 – 45

Dumbbell Skull Crushers – 4 – 12-15 – 3010 – 45

### Tuesday – REST (optional 30 minute steady – state cardio)

### Wednesday (Lower Body)

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Rest

Back Squat – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Hamstring Curl – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Leg Press – 4 – 15 – 3010 – 75

Romanian Deadlift – 4 – 15 – 3010 – 75

### Thursday – REST (optional 30 minute steady – state cardio)

### Friday – (Upper Body Push/Pull)

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Rest

Seated Shoulder Press – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Seated Close Grip Row – 10 – 10 – 3010 – 60

Face Pull – 4 – 12-15 – 3010 – 45

Tricep Rope Pull Down – 4 – 12-15 – 3010 – 45

Cable Bicep Curl – 4 – 12-15 – 3010 – 45

### Saturday – HIIT

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Rest

Bike Sprints – 1 – 12 – 10 seconds – 90

Or

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Rest

Sprints (outdoor) – 1 – 12 – 10 seconds – 90

### Sunday – Rest

##  Nutrition

The next area we need to look at is nutrition. Grab your calculator; we're going to get specific here.

## Weight Training Days

On training days, your nutrition will look like so:

**Protein:** Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 2.5g. That is your protein count in grams everyday – for example, a 70kg guy would eat 175g of protein.

**Carbs:** Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 3.5 – that is your carbohydrate number in grams for a weight-training day. Eat most of your carbs just before and after your workout, but still eat them at breakfast and in your last meal of the day. The no carbs after 6PM club is banned.

**Fats:** Your fat count will always stay the same, at 1 gram per 10 kilos of bodyweight.

Rest Days

On rest days, your nutrition will look like so:

**Protein:** Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 2.5g.

Carbs: Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 1 – that is your carbohydrate number in grams for a rest day.

**Fats:** Your fat count will always stay the same, at 1 gram per 10 kilos of bodyweight.

HIIT Day

On HIIT days, your nutrition will look like so:

**Protein:** Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 2.5g.

Carbs: Multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 1.5 – that is your carbohydrate number in grams for a HIIT day.

**Fats:** Your fat count will always stay the same, at 1 gram per 10 kilos of bodyweight.

## Consistency is key

Do this for at least 6 weeks. Every 4th week, do a de-load week – this is when you set your weights slightly lighter in the gym so you can train and also recover whilst still exercising. After that it's back to trying to add a little bit of weight to your workouts each week. This way you get constant development. Don't just lift the same weights week in week out. Good luck!

(Written by Henry Ives – Former Triathlon athlete and City of London Personal Trainer)

A Last Minute Guide To Achieving A Beach Body

The UK summer officially starts on the 21st June. For the stylish, young, and trendy male it's the perfect opportunity to get your kit off, and show off your proudly sculpted beach bod. But if you're like most, you have left it until the last minute. Panic then ensues and you accept it's too late.

WRONG.

Here's a selection of exercises that will transform your body within just 7 days.

High Intensity Interval Cardio

Start your workout with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) using a Watt Bike, this will speed up your fat loss and take your body composition to a whole new level.

The Workout:

a) 3 minute brisk warm up

b) 20 seconds sprint (maximum effort), followed by 100 seconds slow recovery cycling, repeat this 5-7 times

c) 3 minute cool down

## Weights

Lifting weights is single-handily the best way to improve your body composition. Get lean, and feel confident (both in and out of clothes).

Here's three of the King Beach Bod Exercises...

## Bench Press

Keep your back flat against the pad as you press the weight up. If you want to hit the outer part of your chest, go wider. To hit the inner part, go narrower and to hit the overall pectorals go in-between the two. Leave your ego at the door, by taking three seconds to lower the weight down to your chest, before contracting the weight back up to the top. Complete four sets, between 8-15 reps (rest 45-60 seconds per set).

## Deadlift

Maintain a neutral spine, and keep the bar close to your body as you bend down to lift the weight. Uphold your neutral spine and head position throughout the movement as you contract your legs, stomach and upper back muscles to lift the weight to the top. Focus on keeping a neutral spine and maintaining muscular tension throughout each rep. Complete four sets, between 6-10 reps (rest 45-60 seconds per set).

## Squat

Retain a neutral spine and head position as you squat down to 90 degrees. Pause for one second at the bottom of each rep, then contract your legs by pushing down into the floor before squatting back up to the top. Take two-three seconds lowering the weights, pause at the bottom for one second and then squeeze up to the top. Complete four sets, between 6-10 reps (rest 45-60 seconds per set).

(Written by LEP Fitness – One of Yorkshire's Leading Personal Trainers)
Lose Fat Not Weight

At this time of year we are coming towards the period when New Year Resolutions may well be on the wane and this probably applies to the fitness industry more than any other.

So, how is your New Year fitness resolution going? If it was to lose some weight, how have you got on so far? If you have managed to lose some weight then congratulations, but if you haven't found it easy then I have some "good news" for you.

Don't worry about losing weight, concentrate on losing fat and gaining muscle.

By focusing on reducing your body fat and increasing your muscle mass you are making great improvements to your health, body shape, strength and fitness, whatever your scales tell you when you stand on them.

To give you an example, let's take two people that both weigh 15 stone; one person has a body fat of 17% and one has a body fat of 30%. Both people clearly weigh the same but who is going to be the fitter, stronger and healthier? Clearly the person with the body fat of 17%.

The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn and the slimmer you look!

Average Body Fat Percentages for Men

Age: 18-21 – 14-20%

Age: 21-30 – 15-22%

Age: 30-35 – 18-24%

Age: 35-40 – 19-25%

Age: 40-45 – 20-27%

Age: 45-50 – 22-28%

The above numbers represent an average percentage for a particular age range and act as guidelines for your fat-loss

So, how do you go about losing fat? You must use a two-pronged attack: Your food/drink and your exercise levels

## Food

Regarding the food, aim to **reduce** the following:

● Sugar

● Bread

● Foods that come in a tin or packet

● Food that says it has a fat content above 10% on the label

● Food that says it is fat-free, because it will probably be loaded with sugar!

● Pasta (especially if it's white!)

Then you want to **increase** the following:

● Vegetables, up to 7 portions per day

● Fruit, but no more than 3-4 portions per day

● Water, 2-3 litres over and above any drinks like tea/coffee etc

● Foods that are grown in the ground

● Foods that are grown on trees

● Foods high in protein and lower in carbs

These two lists could go on, but you get the general idea hopefully. Make these changes gradually and you will stick to them and you will get results!

## Exercise

Aim to train 3 times per week

In the gym, focus on working the big muscle groups at least 2 x week. The big muscle groups are Chest, Back, and Legs.

Focus on exercises such as Press Ups, Pull Ups, Squats, Deadlifts and Lunges

Aim for 45 min, focused intense sessions; don't go for an hour and just wander around the gym aimlessly.

Go for HIIT on your cardio, not steady state: e.g. if you use the bike then perform 20secs on/20secs off for 10 mins rather than just 10-15 mins at a slower pace. This applies to any piece of cardio in the gym.

Vary your exercise on a regular basis so you are challenging your body: change your gym programme every 4 weeks, change your running route, speeds/distances etc.

General Points

  * Keep records of your progression as you go along, by writing down your exercise for the week and meal plans/food ideas.

  * Allow yourself a "cheat day" every 10 days or so; this gives you a little something to look forward to and helps to keep you from going mad!

  * Take your time and give yourself realistic targets of approx. 1-2% per month

  * Make small, regular changes to your lifestyle that you can maintain; as long as you are making progress it doesn't matter how long it takes

  * The longer it takes the longer the changes will stay with you

(Practiced by Roy Summers – West London's Mr Motivator and Inspirational Trainer)

# 15 Fat Burning Foods You Need to Know

## 1. Walnuts

All nuts do contain some amount of the omega 3 a alpha-linolenic acid, but most only contain trace amounts. The real fat hero in most nuts is mono-unsaturated fats. Walnuts are actually a rich source of omega-3s. One ounce provides almost 3g of alpha-linolenic acid.

## 2. Ginger

Used for centuries to help relieve digestive upset/disturbances, ginger can also help reduce inflammation, boost blood flow to muscles and aid muscle recovery. It has also been shown to boost calorie burning when eaten.

## 3. Oatmeal

This very slow-digesting carb keeps blood sugar and insulin levels low, so fat burning can stay high. In fact, research has shown that athletes who consume slow-digesting carbs in the morning burn more fat throughout the entire day and during workouts than those consuming fast-digesting carbs.

## 4. Avocado

The mono-unsaturated fats found in avocados are burned readily for fuel during exercise and actually encourage fat burning. Avocados also contain a very interesting carb called mannoheptulose, a sugar that actually blunts insulin release and enhances calciumabsorption, both of which are critical for encouraging fat loss.

## 5. Salmon

This fish is one of the richest sources of the omega-3 essential fats. Unlike flaxseeds that provide a type of omega-3 that has to be converted into EPA and DHA, salmon provides your body a direct supply of them with no conversion required. This way you know you're getting a direct supply of the fats that turn on fat burning and block fat storage.

## 6. Soy Beans

Soybeans are the direct origin of soy protein, which has been shown to build muscle as efficiently as other forms of protein like whey and beef. Soy has also been shown to aid fat loss, possibly by decreasing appetite and calorie intake.

## 7. Water

This just may be your best ally in fighting body fat. Studies have shown that drinking 2 cups of cold water can boost metabolic rate by 30%. Drinking about 2 cups of cold water before breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for a year can burn 17,400 extra calories, which translates into a little more than 5 pounds of body fat!

## 8. Broccoli

This fibrous carb doesn't provide many net carbs or calories, but it can make you feel full – one reason why it's a great food for getting lean.

## 9. Flax Seeds

They contain the essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid. These omega-3 fats have been found to turn on genes that stimulate fat burning and turn off genes that increase fat storage.

## 10. Grapefruit

A recent study from the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California reported that subjects eating half of a grapefruit or drinking 8oz of grapefruit juice three times a day while maintaining their normal diet lost an average of 4 pounds over 12 weeks. Results were likely due to grapefruit's ability to reduce insulin levels and a chemical in grapefruit known as naringin, which prevents fat from being stored in the body.

## 11. Eggs

Research supports the notion that those who start their day with eggs not only eat fewer calories throughout the day, but also lose significantly more body fat.

## 12. Honey

Yes, it's a sugar, but it's fairly low on the glycemic index. Keeping insulin levels low and steady is critical for maintaining a fat-burning environment in your body. Honey is also a rich source of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites; ultimately, that means it actually encourages fat release from the body's fat cells.

## 13. Peanut Butter

A source of helpful mono-unsaturated fat that can aid fat loss. Many food manufacturers make low-fat peanut butters but replace these healthy mono-unsaturated fats with carbs, namely sugar. Avoid these and stick with natural peanut butters.

## 14. Chilli Pepper Flakes

Hot peppers contain the active ingredient capsaicin, a chemical that can enhance calorie burning at rest as well as reduce hunger and food intake. The boost in calorie burn is particularly enhanced when capsaicin is used with caffeine.

## 15. Olive Oil

Like avocados, olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fats. Not only do they lower levels of the "bad" type of cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health, but they're also more likely to be burned as fuel, which means they're less likely to be sticking around your midsection.

(Written by Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer) – Shoreditch's all-round Fitness Expert)
How Much Do I Need to Eat to Gain More Muscle?

You want to gain more muscle right? You're doing everything in the gym but just can't seem to put on muscle even though you are working relentlessly to do so?

We've all been there, well, at least I know I have in the past. Training is the easy part, so to speak. One hour of your day isn't that hard, prepare your mind to attack your plan with intensity and you're done. (I hope you do have a plan!).

## What to Eat

Well, the next part is fuelling for growth and by that I mean good nutrition. There are supplements that will help you along the way but I want to keep this simple for you. You need to eat good nutritious food 80-90% of the time if you want to grow. That means a variety of vegetables, plenty of greens, good protein sources and good nutritious carb sources as well as fat sources.

I don't want to overwhelm you with specifics, as it is a minefield out there with so many people preaching one system works best. To be honest, the best system is one you can stick to so do that.

## How Much

I will give you some take away points you can action to start with. Firstly, you have to work out what your maintenance calories are. To do this you can use a number of equations. I use the mifflin equation. These equations are a guideline and you have to weigh yourself weekly to see if you're making progress. A calculation is great; it's just not the real world as we all have individual metabolisms and what works for one won't necessarily work for another.

Essentially, you have to know what is going in your body to even have a hint of definition, otherwise it's just bulk and when it's time to showing that hard earned muscle, by dieting, you might lose it all if you have to lose too much fat. To find out what you need to eat to maintain your weight use the following.

**For men:** (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) + 5

**For women:** (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) – 161

Where:

w = weight in kg (1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms)

h = height in cm (1 inch = 2.54 centimetres)

a = age (in years)

Now you have your answer e.g. 2500, I recommend a gradual increase of 10%. In this example, that's 250 Calories and you will find that your total is now 2,750 Calories.

If you are eating 2,750, that would be 5 meals of 550 Calories. How you break these calories down is up to you when it comes to protein, carbohydrates and fats. It's recommended to go no higher than 2.2g grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight. I go for 1g fat per kilo of bodyweight and the rest goes into carbs.

I would love to go into more detail and give samples of diets and meal plans, however, there isn't one way that works better than another one, as long as you are eating 5-10 portions of vegetables a day and hitting your required targets, eat as often as you like and the foods you like. A diet is pointless if you hate it and can't stick to it in the long run. Sit down, know how much you need, figure out what will suit your schedule and you will be ready to gain some much needed muscle.

That's it; the basics to muscle gain with minimal fat gain either. If you find yourself creeping up too high in body fat, you've increased Calories too much so reduce your total calories by 5-10% and see.

(Written by Fabio Bonanno – One of London's High Performance Fitness Coach)

When Is Pain Bad During a Workout?

One of the things we Personal Trainers have to explain to new untrained clients is the difference between muscle pain from applicable training and that of an actual injury.

Pain will become your best friend; both during a training session and post workout, which may last for several days. You must grow to like both, because essentially it is a by-product of a good session. In the beginning you should expect to be sore, but as your training progresses, pain is not always essential and you should never judge the effectiveness of a session based on Pain. So what types of pain can you expect?

## During

Pain during training is caused by the build up of lactic acid. Lactic acid is a by-product of working your muscles at a level of intensity that results in an oxygen deficit, meaning there is not enough oxygen to fuel the body's normal metabolic processes. This is called 'anaerobic' (without oxygen) exercise and occurs when exercising intensely with little rest. The result is a burning sensation in the muscle. This burning sensation is supposed to be a signal from your body that you need to slow down and rest to prevent damage to your muscles...in theory! Of course, we know that for muscle gains you need to make 'the burn' your friend. You must learn to tolerate it so as to improve your physical capacities and build and reveal more muscle.

## The Day After

This type of pain is caused by microtrauma due to tiny tears in the muscle fibres caused by overload when lifting weights. This trauma helps to trigger adaptations in response to it happening again. It means your muscle will grow bigger and become stronger. This type of soreness is generally of a mild nature and generally doesn't impair muscle function. Depending on several factors such as diet, hydration, years lifted etc. it can last generally between 1 – 3 days.

## Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: DOMS

DOMS is the type of deep muscular soreness you feel two days after a workout (not the day after) and generally is most common amongst first time lifters, when you embark on a new program that your body hasn't adapted too or if you increase the intensity of your session. This type of pain can last from a couple of days up to a week and can prevent full muscular contract of the muscle.

## Injury-Type Muscle Soreness

The last and most worrying type of pain / soreness is that caused by injury. With an injury there is usually a sharp pain that comes on very quickly and can cause immobilisation to the working area. It is nothing like any of the descriptions above and you will need to act quickly to prevent further damage. If you do find yourself injured, you will need to be cautious as to whether to proceed with your planned session, as depending on its nature, the injury may only be affected when the muscles are working in a certain range. Regardless, my advice would be to stop training because due to adrenaline and being in the "zone" you may make the injury worse thus delaying your recovery time. Rest the injured area for the remainder of the day and assess how it feels in the morning, if severe discomfort still remains then seek medical advice and treatment to get you back on track.

## Tips to Prevent Injury & Reduce Muscle Soreness

**Form** – I cannot emphasise enough how important body form is when lifting heavy weights. Develop your technical ability first before going too crazy on weight selection.

**Dynamic Mobility Warm Up & Static Stretch Down** – always perform some kind of dynamic mobility warm up before hitting the weights, 5 mins on the treadmill or x trainer isn't specific to weight training programmes. Static stretching is fine if performed after your session, or 10 minutes before bed, which will not only release tights spots but also aid for a better nights sleep.

**Self Myofacial Release or Foam Rolling** – has become hugely popular of late and really helps with both reducing muscle soreness and preventing injury. It works through deep compression that helps to break up or relax tight muscles and adhesions formed between muscle layers and their surroundings.

**Sports Massage** – some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function. Personally I'm a firm believer in these for both my clients and myself. The feel good factor after is phenomenal (not at the time mind you) and works in a similar fashion to the above but through applied pressure from the masseuse. Ideally I would recommend one every 2 weeks but as a minimum aim for once a month.

**Active Recovery** – is the process of exercising only for the purpose of stimulating the muscles enough to increase blood flow throughout the body, thereby increasing nutrient partitioning. If done correctly there will still be extra calories burned without traumatizing muscle fibres, allowing for quality muscle recovery after your usual hard-core training cycles. I would say that once every 6-8 weeks works for the heavy gym goer.

**Rest & Recovery** – when we exercise we are causing changes in the body, such as muscle tissue breakdown, depletion of energy stores (muscle glycogen), fluid loss and we challenge the cardiovascular & muscular system as well as the central nervous system. Rest and recovery allows these stores to be replenished, allows tissues to repair bigger and stronger and allows us to rehydrate and refresh. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise, resulting in overtraining. Ideally a minimum of one full day off a week is suitable, personally I prefer the 3 days on 1 day off approach. If you find it hard or feel guilty taking a day off, try some foam rolling combined with some static stretching on that forth day.

So there you go, a little more information for you on identifying the difference between inevitable pain and actual injury. Remember that famous saying "Pain is weakness leaving the body" Well it is!

(Written by Olly Foster – Former Rugby League Player and Physique Specialist)

# Exercising with a Hangover

Don't be fooled into believing exercise will cure your hangover because I'm afraid it won't. However, it may help ease the symptoms if you choose your exercises carefully. Alcohol slows the brain down, slowing the release of serotonin: the feel good hormone. Exercise can help to stimulate the release of serotonin, putting you in a better state of mind, as long as you exercise rehydrated.

To make sure you don't overcomplicate the mind and the body in this hung-over condition, I recommend you stick to light weights, high reps, and work from machines only. When you're recovering from a heavy night, you may be more uncoordinated than usual and more apt to injure yourself if using free weights.

Next time you wake with a pounding head after one too many jars, get yourself down the gym and try this...

1. Lying Leg Curl into Seated Shoulder Press = 3 x 15 reps, 45-60 rest between sets.

2. Upright Leg Press into V Grip Lateral Pull Down = 3 x 15 reps, 45-60 sec rest between sets.

3. Leg Ext into Chest Press = 3 x 15 reps, 45-60 sec rest between sets.

4. Preacher Curl into Standing Calf Raises into Cable Triceps Ext = 3 x 20 reps, 30-45 sec rest between sets.

Typically, you wouldn't do any abdominal work unless you have an upright abdominal machine at your gym, as the position you place your body in will cause extra pressure to the brain due to dehydration, which could start your headaches again.

(Written by Olly Foster – Former Rugby League Player and Physique Specialist)

10 Reasons Yoga is Beneficial to You

The practice of yoga has become more and more popular in The West over recent years; however it still has the image of being mostly about popping your leg behind your head, sitting in the lotus position and all sorts of fancy "show off" poses! The truth is there are numerous benefits and many more aspects to it than just the physical practice (which of course is still very important!)

Here is a taste of what yoga has to offer as a transformative element in everyday life:

## 1. Relaxation

At its very core, this is what yoga is all about. The relaxation you can find on the mat soon becomes present in and through daily life. Letting go of worries, spending quality time on yourself and, of course, releasing tension in the body, all help to unwind and soften. In today's often stressful and fast paced society this is a crucial benefit in terms of long-term holistic health.

## 2. Improving the breath

One essential aspect to yoga is the awareness of the breath. This has many benefits in itself, for example, developing a long smooth breath calms the nervous system and can help relieve anxiety issues. It also keeps you safe throughout the physical practice – if your breath becomes ragged and uneven, you've taken the pose too far and should take a step back. On top of this, using pranayama (breath management) exercises can help clear the lungs, steady the mind and prevent colds and flus.

## 3. Awareness of the body

Many people who start yoga have no idea where their arm or leg is at the beginning! We've all been there – you look up during trikonasana (triangle pose) and your arm is dangling somewhere instead of shooting straight up to the ceiling as you thought it was! Over time, the awareness improves significantly. This is a huge benefit to overall well being as you can relate more to what is going on in your own body, choose the foods and habits which serve your health and avoid injury in yoga, but also other activities.

## 4. Stillness and comfort

Yoga teaches us to have more stillness in our lives. To be able to sit in a comfortable position for a length of time is another significant benefit of yoga. At first, this can seem impossible – especially as many people find their legs and hips too tight. This is where the physical poses (called "asana") come in, allowing these muscles to stretch and relax, the back to strengthen, and sometimes in a more demanding practice, help you realise the relief of a simple rest with the legs crossed! Many "advanced" yogis strip their practice back to basics, realising the importance of a stable, strong seated position, an aligned yet relaxed downward facing dog pose, or a well balanced tree pose, resting into the stillness.

## 5. Management of the mind

Being able to sit comfortably also has the benefit of allowing time for meditation. The common misconception of this important aspect of yoga is that the aim is to empty the mind. This is not the case, instead it is about being able to sit with the thoughts, letting them come and go naturally without giving them any importance in that moment. The repetition of a mantra (a practice called japa), is also very useful in managing the mind, as it is a rare occasion when you know which thought is coming next. If your mind wanders, you bring it back to the mantra. Doing this, or any form of meditation every day can help let go of worrying, anxiety, and stress. It gives more control and relaxation to the mind.

## 6. Better sleep

A lot of people find their sleep patterns become more settled, the quality of rest improves becoming easier to fall asleep and stay asleep due to the connection to a long, deep breath pattern. The practice of Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep), in which you are led through a series of visualisations and a systematic relaxation of the body, can also be very useful in resting the body, mind and emotions.

## 7. Strength and flexibility

Of course, this is probably quite obvious! What doesn't always translate though, is that you don't have to have a demanding, pouring-with-sweat kind of practice for this to come true. Choosing the style that serves you, your body and schedule in the best way is the most important aspect of introducing yoga into your life. This is how you develop an enjoyable, regular practice, which will mean the increased strength can be built slowly and steadily, with improved flexibility coming to you in a healthy and sustainable way.

## 8. Keeping your muscles health

Stretching and toning generally means happy muscles! Often also finding some that you were not aware of in the first place (yoga can sometimes seem "floaty, easy and something for the girls", until you wake up the next day after a strong class, feeling all your muscles!!) Using the muscles in this lower impact, steady way will also mean that they are more likely to stay happy and healthy when you go for high impact activities such as running, helping to prevent injury.

## 9. Improving circulation and digestion

Yoga helps to keep the body healthy, inside and out. All of the organs are given a good massage, helping the blood go where it's meant to, encouraging balance in the glands, and helping the systems of the body to work efficiently. This gives what we call a "yoga glow"! You can also feel this inside and out!

## 10. General happiness

Feeling good overall, promoted by all of the aforementioned benefits, comes hand in hand with yoga! This is why people have been using this practice, living it, breathing it, teaching it and sharing it for thousands of years. The word yoga translates in many ways: one popular meaning being "union". This can be in so many ways – union of body & mind, of breath, of the self to the total. Whatever it means to you, explore, relish the journey and give yourself some time and space. Find a teacher and a style of practice that suits you. Make it realistic and enjoyable. Open your mind, don't take it too seriously, but see what it can give you!

(Written By Yoga Rocks – Team of Internationally Renowned Fitness Teachers)

# Five Things You Should Know Before You Tackle Total Warrior

Obstacle Course Racing is thought to be the fastest growing sport in the world. Total Warrior is the pinnacle of the sport in the UK, providing the most innovative and highest quality obstacles at its three race venues in Leeds, the Lake District, and – for the first time in 2015 – Edinburgh. More than 20,000 people are expected to take on a Total Warrior event this year so before you accept the challenge too, we've pulled together a list of five things you should know about Total Warrior ...

## 1. This Is Not Your Average Fun Run

Total Warrior cranks it up several notches so you need to be prepared for the ultimate test of stamina, strength and determination. With 30 punishing obstacles in each of its three locations, Total Warrior prides itself on offering greater variety and more obstacles-per-kilometre (or pain-for-your-pound) than any other race out there. So, if you want to avoid falling at the first giant hurdle, don't forget the upper body training. And do bring a change of clothes to wear with your free finisher's T-shirt at the after-party because you're going to get a bit muddy. A big bit muddy.

## 2. There Are Lots of Different Ways to "Win"

In many ways, the beauty of Total Warrior is that the precise nature of the challenge can differ from person to person. Timing chips are provided, so participants can set themselves a personal target or aim to do it faster than a friend or rival. For some, the challenge will be to complete all six of the Total Warrior event days in one calendar year. For others, it is to take home the coveted Best Fancy Dress prize. Some people sign up to lose weight; others sign up to raise money for a cause close to their hearts. But for most participants, "winning" simply means crossing the finishing line and enjoying a well-earned free beer. Whatever your personal goal, you'll find the support and camaraderie of your fellow Warriors provides the motivation you need to achieve it.

## 3. It's Not Just for Men

Far from it, in fact. The profile of Total Warrior participants has changed considerably over the last four years and in 2014 more than 45% of entrants were female. Participants come from all over the world to experience a Total Warrior event, with Warriors sharing their battle stories over a beer at the post-race party long after the final person has crossed the finishing line. So stick around, enjoy the festival atmosphere in the event village, and savour the moment.

## 4. Bring Your Mates

You can fly solo if you wish – and many Warriors do – but 80% of participants choose to run as part of a team. That way, when you're knackered, soaked, muddied, and close to tears, at least you'll have the consolation of looking around and knowing from their faces that your mates are suffering too.

## 5. Dress for the Occasion

Total Warrior is tough, there's no getting away from that. But it's also a hell of a lot of fun. So wear a vest if you want to show off your muscles, by all means, but most importantly of all: wear a smile. And while we're on the subject of what to wear, did we mention the mud? No? Well, unless you were a hippopotamus in a previous life, you will almost certainly never have encountered as much mud as you will here. So leave your best clobber at home and come prepared for mud, sweat, and beers.

(Written By Total Warrior – Leaders in Physical Activity)
How to Get the Best out of Personal Training

One of the aspects of personal training that we take very seriously at Physical Wellbeing is safety. Whilst getting our clients fit and healthy is our long-term goal – we lean on our extensive experience and sports science background to ensure this is delivered in the safest possible way.

## Everyone is Different

Someone I bumped into recently told me a real horror story about their experience with a personal trainer. In fact, they had been almost crippled as a result of lack of knowledge of their personal trainer. I was astonished at the fact that there are some trainers out there seriously putting their clients at risk, how could they get away with this? This lady actually had to go for an MRI scan, which indicated that she had almost slipped a disc in her back, as well as damaging her pelvis and both of her tibia (shin bone). Now I'm sure I don't have to explain how serious slipping a disc can be!

Personal training is such a specialist job because every single client is completely different. People have different capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, goals and lifestyles. My job is to carefully analyse each aspect of this and craft a bespoke programme to suit them. I could write an essay on each of my clients and their physical differences and training capabilities.

## Patience is Key

Changing your body shape is a massive task and takes so much thought, preparation, knowledge and skill. Not only do I have to completely realign the body and reprogram poor form and muscle imbalances, I also have to address emotional attachments to food, confidence and self-image. This is a huge task and it does take time to reach each stepping stone of the journey. Unfortunately there are many programs out there that claim to do all of this in 6 weeks or so. I can promise you, you get what you pay for in life and there are certainly no shortcuts in personal training. People want results and fast, without taking into consideration the dedication required and the physical and psychological changes that accompany those results.

The first thing I recommend to all of my clients is our InBody Scan. The InBody Scan analyses changes in your metabolic rate, muscle mass and protein consumption and gives us a clear indication of exactly where we're starting. The results of this scan can sometimes come as a shock as people realise they're not as healthy as they originally thought! The importance of segmental analysis is muscle balance, which I strive for with my training, thus reducing chance of injury.

We use the results of the scan to accurately draw up a diet and training plan that suits that particular individual and believe me, everybody is different. The InBody also lets me know how the metabolic rate is changing, which is an indication as to how the food plan is working and what changes need to be made in the programme. This scan is so important so we can measure your progress moving forward too. Can you imagine a joiner starting to build something without measuring first? It would be catastrophic! You have to know where you're starting from and we must continue to measure your progress to make sure you can hit your targets.

## Invest Properly

Ultimately, your health is the cornerstone of your life, it's with you every step of the way. It's quite worrying that people happily spend a fortune on clothes or a new car and neglect their own body. What's more, you cannot simply spend an hour a week with a second rate personal trainer with limited experience – it can be detrimental to your health and unbelievably dangerous. The foundations of Physical Wellbeing are built on sports science, helping you achieve your goals safely and effectively.

(Written by Gary Ousby (Physical Wellbeing) – World Class Fitness Consultant)
Explore the Health Benefits of Skipping

Boxers do it, formula 1 drivers do it, swimmers, runners, gymnasts, marshal artists and footballers do it too. Have you started doing it yet?

Before your mind wonders to an oddly wonderful place let me just clear up what I'm talking about... It's skipping (or jump rope for our American friends)!

## Where Did it All Start?

Originating in the 1600's around Egypt it quickly made its way through Europe and then America's by the 1800's as a form of entertainment. It wasn't until the early 1950's that people started recognising the health benefits. Fast-forward to today's Crossfit generation and skipping ropes are an integral part of our workout.

## Why Skipping?

What makes skipping so great is its versatility; in our increasingly busy lifestyles you can get real results in minutes. As a warm-up it will accelerate muscle activity and get you buzzing for your workout. You'll see the difference by adding just 4 sets of 30sec, not to mention the benefits of fat burning that a slow steady 5 min skipping can get... You can burn a whopping 500 calories in that time.

Even better is the convenience of the size and cost of a skipping rope. I'm always able to fit it into my luggage on trips abroad and my athletes have no problem squeezing the coke-can sized piece of equipment into their bags. No need for rooms full of treadmills and bikes that go nowhere.

There is also a mental aspect to skipping. When I started skipping it was one of the most mentally challenging skills that I had ever worked on as a runner. Trying to get my legs to synchronise with my arms and relax my breathing at the same time was so challenging that I would lose track of time. 40 minutes later I'd realise that I was exhausted! Now (after a little bit of practice) I use it as a way to meditate, just allowing the rope to swing and let my mind wander. It took a while to get right but the results are worth it.

By altering the speed and duration of the skipping rope workout you can affect a range of different skills that will build you into a fitter, faster, stronger athlete, whatever your sport.

When working into your training, if you haven't used a jump rope since third grade, be prepared for a humbling experience!

## How to Get Started

For novices, a beaded rope is recommended because it holds its shape and is easier to control than a lightweight cloth or vinyl rope.

To build up co-ordination I recommend a few practice jumps with an imaginary rope in your hands. You should practice foot and arm movements separately. For the first few goes use a wood floor, or an impact mat made for exercise.

The next step is to add the rope. Stay high and light on the ball of your foot and use your body's natural shock absorbers by keeping your knees soft (slightly bent) and mid-section firm by squeezing you abs.

Start small (1min -2min) to build your ability to withstand the impact and high aerobic intensity of rope jumping. Shoes and jumping surface are important. As with all exercise, warming up, stretching and cooling down are important. How you jump will determine the impact on your body too.

With practice, you shouldn't come more than one inch off the floor. Combined with soft knees this will keep the impact to a minimum. Keep practicing and coordination will come.

(Written by Running Coach G – Elite Ultra-Marathon Runner)

# Working Out Without a Gym

We know, you want to get fit, you really do, but gym memberships are too expensive for your student budget. Well, luckily we have the same problem and have searched the UK for someone to help with the dilemma. Who did we find? None other than celebrity Personal

Trainer Dan Roberts.

Now, we're not suggesting you book a session with Dan, although, if you can afford it, you definitely should – he's got quite a track record. Having worked all over the globe from London to Sydney and Rio de Janeiro to New York, Dan has even trained professional fighters and helped improve their game.

He's got his own fitness DVD, 'X Combat', based on his time training Hollywood actors and pro fighters, has written for the national press and is even an ambassador to three national charities. He's now Managing Director of his own company, Dan Roberts Group, and he has agreed to take the time to chat with us. Avoid those sky-high gym fees with these tips from the man himself.

1) Top 3 body weight moves with no gym

Alternating one legged squats

Decline close grip press ups

Pull-ups. Do 5 sets of as many as you can for each.

2) Shadow Boxing

Shadow boxing in front of the mirror is a fun and effective way of doing cardio and some functional movement and rotational work.

Do 4 sets of 2 min's with 30 seconds rest, If you like MMA, you can add in elbows and knees too!

3) Yoga

For most men our hips and hamstrings are tight. Hatha yoga can help. Try the Triangle pose, holding for 2 min's each leg.

4) Sprint Training

Still hands down the quickest way to get fit. Try this, run for 20 seconds as fast as you can, then walk for 20 seconds. Repeat. See if you can last 8 minutes.

Just get it done! No excuses.

(Interview with Dan Roberts – Celebrity Personal Trainer

Written By Luke McCarthy)

# 10 Park Bench Exercises to Help You Get Ripped

## Step Ups – Legs

This is a simple exercise just like walking up a set of stairs. Step up onto the bench using the heel of your foot, which will increase the contraction in your legs then stand up straight and step down with the same leg then swap.

## Squat Jumps – Legs

Another great leg exercise that uses a plyometric element. Perform a squat then use the heels to drive you into a jump and land on the bench in the same position. Pause then step off and quickly perform the same exercise again.

## Push-Ups Hand on Bench – Chest and Arms

Easier version of the push up with hands on the bench making it easier to perform due to the angle of the body. Keep the hands slightly wider than shoulder width and aim to lower the chest to the bench.

## Push-Ups Hands on Floor – Chest and Arms

Same exercise as previous but tougher due to the angle of the body so is a good progression. Perform the exercise the same way with the same positioning.

## Bench Hops – Cardio

Another plyometric move that gets the heart pumping by doing continuous jumping movements. Place hands on bench and with each jump try to stay on your toes so you can keep moving.

## Bulgarian Split Squat – Legs and Glutes

More advanced exercise as you are working the legs individually and need to keep goo balance throughout by activating your core muscles. Again each time you push make sure it is through the heel of the foot and keep the body upright throughout the whole movement.

## Hip Thrusts – Glutes

Great exercise to isolate the glute muscle. Lay across the edge of a bench and have your feet shoulder width. Lower the hips as much as you can then drive them up fast squeezing the glutes at the same time.

## Split Squat with Kick – Legs, Glutes, Hip

Different to the other lower body moves due to the fact you push through the toes on this one. As you push into a standing position kick the other leg directly out to the side to target the hips. Do this one at a constant speed and you will really feel the burn.

## Triceps Dips

Exercise to target the backs of the arms. Sit on the edge of a bench and bend the arms keeping the elbows locked to the side of the body. Go as low as you can then drive the arms up to a point just before they go straight to keep the tension on the triceps.

## Reverse Crunch – Abs

Lay on a bench and find something to hold on to. Curl the knee in towards the chest making sure the hips come off the ground to really target the lower abdominals.

For starters try doing each exercise for 30 seconds then rest and repeat each one and over time to progress add more time or take less rest periods. Have fun and remember to hydrate fully during the sessions too.

(Written by Anthony Mayatt – Sports Science Graduate & Celebrity Personal Trainer)

7 Ways To Exercise When You Don't Have The Time

A lot of individuals over think exercise and the format of it. They feel if they can't get to a gym, or cut out an hour of the day for training, there is no point. I disagree – something is always better than nothing. If you can't dedicate a set time for exercise, squeeze it in wherever you can.

1. Go to the Bathroom

Give yourself small goals during the day, for instance every time you go to the bathroom do 20 star jumps. Every morning, do ten press-ups and a one-minute plank. Make it in to a game where you can tick off what you do.

2. Watch Television

Set up a stationary bike/cross trainer in front of the TV, put in a set exercise program and peddle away. Don't stop cycling/cross training until your favourite television programme finishes.

3. Go to the Shops

If you pop to the shops do a quick sprint there and back. Time it and see if you can beat it each time.

4. Get Public Transport

Don't take the escalators in the station – go up and down the stairs. If you ride the bus, get off a stop or two before your destination and walk the rest of the way. Remember every single bit of activity helps.

5. Clean the House

Get stuck in to the household chores. It's amazing how many calories you can burn by just hoovering, cleaning, ironing etc. And your home will be spotless!

6. Wake up Earlier

Get up 15 minutes earlier to stretch your muscles, which will revitalise your body. You will notice a significant difference in your mood, and your body will feel stronger and more flexible.

7. Meet New Friends

I suggest joining a sports club like GO Mammoth, you can pick a sport you enjoy and get to know other individuals. Firstly, it's fun to meet other people, and you'll also be having too much fun to know you're actually exercising.

Most importantly, don't get discouraged. Remember: something is always better than nothing. The real secret is to have fun while you exercise, thereby creating positive habits that reward you with 'feel good' feelings.

(Written by Borne Coaching – Smart Improviser Fitness Trainer)

Best Exercises to do at Home

For the average person, finding time to go to a gym can be difficult when balancing time for a job and/or children. Depending on circumstance you may not make it as often as you like.

Not every workout has to be on a treadmill or weights machine. If you have weights at home that's great as you can do things like arm curls without leaving the home. But there are home exercises that are just as effective as those at the gym.

Here's a home workout that is ideal if you don't have a gym, or you are away travelling.

Exercise – Sets – Reps – Tempo – Weight

Jump lunges – 5 – 20 – Explosive – Body Weight

Wide Press Ups – 5 – 20 – Slow – Body Weight

Towel Sliding

Hamstring Curl – 5 – 10 – Slow – Body Weight

Back Extension – 5 – 10 – Slow – Body Weight

Lying Flat Sit Ups – 5 – 12 – Slow – Body Weight

## Jump lunges

One of the best plyometric exercises, as it will increase your heart rate and put a burn to your legs. This exercise will require balance and coordination, as it is more difficult than the standard lunge.

## Wide Press Ups

For more burn on your chest than the standard press up provides, the wider press up is a great option. Moving your hands out to three or four inches wider than shoulder-width will turn out to be a greater muscular workout, as it is the result of the strain due to lack of leverage.

## Towel Sliding Hamstring Curl

A great leg exercise to do at home, that will definitely work your glutes and even your abs. It can be done with both legs at the same time or one leg simultaneously. To ensure maximum intensity on the legs make sure your head, shoulders and arms are pinned to the ground.

## Back Extension

The back extension exercise both stretches and strengthens your lower back. It's the perfect complement to crunches to develop a strong, balanced midsection.

(Written by Henry Ives – Former Triathlon athlete and City of London Personal Trainer)

Thanks & Contributors

True to our word, we contacted professional people for advice to compile what is our Fitness e-book. We didn't write this based upon content from the Internet – we only feature professional opinions and methods.

So by doing this, we need to give a big thank you to all our contributors.

Henry Ives

Best Exercises to Do at Home

Building Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

The Fastest Ways To Build Muscle: Part 1

**Matthew Knight (Elite Physiques** )

Four Tips for a Stronger Back

Introduction to Bigger Triceps

Five Advanced Tips to Build Bigger Biceps

Roy Summers

Three Important Compound Exercises for Building Muscle

Lose Fat Not Weight

How Much Training Should I Do for a 10km Race?

How Much Training Should I Do for a 10km Race? Part 2

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Interval Training

The Best Exercises for Your Abs

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Hills

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Endurance

How to Train for a Half Marathon – Gym Work

Barry Stalker (Pro Trainer)

A Beginners Guide to Leg Workouts

How to Train Your Calf Muscles

The Guide to Having Great Quads

The Best Exercises for Six-Pack Abs

A Beginners Guide to the Perfect Chest

Your Diet & Fitness Program for Getting Ripped This Summer

15 Fat Burning Foods You Need to Know

Olly Foster

Exercising with a Hangover

When is Pain Bad During a Workout

The Active Lifestyle (James Schofield)

How to Build Muscle Without Using Weights

How to Build Muscle and Get Ripped in 10 Steps

LEP Fitness

Top 3 Tips for Building Bigger Shoulders

Your Last Minute Guide to Achieving a Beach Body

Running Coach G

Explore the Health Benefits of Skipping

Improve Your Running with These Top Tips

Fabio Bonanno

How Much Do I Need to Eat to Gain More Muscle?

Three of the Most Important Compound Lifts to Know

Physical Wellbeing (Gary Ousby)

How to Get the Best out of Personal Training

Onpoint Training

An Introduction to High Intensity Interval Training

Borne Coaching

Seven Ways To Exercise When You Don't Have The Time

Anthony Mayatt

10 Park Bench Exercises to Help You Get Ripped

Matt Young

Five Steps to Getting the Most Out of Weightlifting

Yoga Rocks

10 Reasons Yoga is Beneficial to You

Total Warrior

Five Things You Should Know Before You Tackle Total Warrior

Luke McCarthy

Interview with Scott Laider – Top Tips for Improving Your Fitness

Dan Roberts: Working out without a gym

Editor

David Warren

Editor in Chief

Luke McCarthy

Photographer

Christian Page

Shoot Director

Jake Cooper

Fitness Model

Simon Carty

