Structuring your workouts

http://efficient-training.co.uk/structuring-your-workout/

The Big Lifts

http://efficient-training.co.uk/big-lifts

Getting Ripped

http://efficient-training.co.uk/get-ripped/

Knowing When to Take it Easy

http://efficient-training.co.uk/knowing-take-it-easy

Deadlift Training 28th October

Fat Loss Supplements

My new article on Fat Loss Supplements.

http://efficient-training.co.uk/fat-loss-pt-3-supplements

Fat Loss Supplements

My new article on Fat Loss Supplements.

http://efficient-training.co.uk/fat-loss-pt-3-supplements

Have a Look at The New Website

This page is no longer being updated, for new content please visit my website

Efficient Training

Don't Be a Weight Watcher

Many people start exercising to overcome weight problems. To them the most important result of training is seeing the number on the scales drop. Someone like this is a weight watcher. The problem with this is that your weight is not an accurate representation of how your body is changing. It is very easy to see the number on the scales drop, but not see a reduction in fat. The result of this is that you do not see any results except the change in your weight. It is important to remember that you should never be aiming to lose weight, you should be aiming to lose fat.

For the full article visit  http://efficient-training.co.uk/dont-weight-watcher

Training For Fat Loss

When people think about training for fat loss, many think about doing extended amounts of time on treadmill or on a cross trainer. While this method of training will achieve fat loss, you will probably not be left with the figure you expect.

Resistance training is a very effective way for promoting fat loss, more so than doing steady-state periods of cardio. When performing exercises with a significant amount of resistance (bodyweight, barbells, dumbbells etc.) your heart rate spikes during these exercises. Between exercises your heart rate begins to slow, but will generally not reach resting before your next set or exercise. This ‘yoyoing’ of your heart rate means that your heart rate for the period of exercise is higher, and will remain high for a longer period of time after exercise has finished.

for the rest of this article please visit http://efficient-training.co.uk/training-for-fat-loss/

New Post-Squat Video

http://efficient-training.co.uk/back-set-video/

Different Types of Grip

There are many different types of grip that you can use when lifting weight. Each different grip has its own benefits and negatives. Knowing when to use each type of grip can really help improve your lifting and gains.

For the rest of this article visit http://efficient-training.co.uk/different-types-of-grip/

PreJym Pre Workout Review

PreJym, the much anticipated pre-workout supplement from Jim Stoppiani has been available for a few weeks now. I managed to get a tub shipped over to the UK and have been using the supplement for about a week now. Here’s a quick review of the supplement and an explanation of what makes it so good!

The rest of this review along with other fitness related articles can be found at http://efficient-training.co.uk/prejym-review/

Lifting Straps

As the weight you are lifting increases, lifting straps can really help you maximise the gains you see from an exercise. Lifting straps are generally a piece of material that wraps around your wrist and the bar or weight you are using. The way that you wrap the strap round the weight means that your grip strength is no longer the only thing holding the weight.

For the rest of this article and more, visit http://efficient-training.co.uk/lifting-straps/

After a Back Session

http://efficient-training.co.uk/after-a-back-session/

Twitter Account

Anyone who hasn't already, please follow me on twitter (@SamHusePT)for up to date info on my blogs and day to day fitness info. Thanks !!!

Recovery Days

Recovery days are present in most workout plans you will see on the internet or read about in a magazine, but very few programmes will explain the importance of these days. Here is a quick summary of why rest days are so important.

• Muscle Recovery- you should be putting your body through an awful lot of stress by doing your training plan, which subsequently causes micro-tears in the muscle fibres. These micro-tears need time to repair properly. If you do not have a rest day, chances are you are not allowing your muscles to fully recover.
• Mental Recover- while this is not as noticeable as muscles aching, your mental strength begins to get worn down by constant training. A day of relaxing allows you to refresh your mind and prepare yourself for the next training session.

While it is called a rest day, your ‘rest’ day does not have to be spent doing nothing. You are resting from your weight training and cardio workouts. This leaves a whole wealth of activities that you can still enjoy doing if you have the desire to be active. Lots of people employ what is know as an active rest day into their training plans. Active rest means doing a light from of activity, like walking or going for a bike ride. While your body is remaining active, it is not being push anywhere near to the limits you are constantly testing during your training sessions. Active rest can aid in recovery, as the heart rate increases slightly, supplying more blood to the muscles and subsequently more nutrients. The rise in activity level also causes an increase in temperature of the muscle, making it more supple, allowing it to relax more and work out any knots in a very comfortable and relaxing way.

Original From www.efficient-training.co.uk

Great Motivational Story

http://efficient-training.co.uk/great-motivational-story/

Current Training Plan

http://efficient-training.co.uk/my-current-training-plan/

Check out this link for a new site that I will be contributing to

http://efficient-training.co.uk/site-i-will-be-contributing-to/

Supplement Industry Issues

http://efficient-training.co.uk/supplement-industry-issues/

New Website Post

http://efficient-training.co.uk/ill-have-one-of-these-for-christmas-please/

New Website www.efficient-training.co.uk

If you want to see any of my newly posted articles and up to date information check out my new website at www.efficient-training.co.uk. Thanks

Science Of Steroids

Interesting documentary. Not promoting there use, but its interesting stuff to know.

Why Do You Train?

ON Platinum Hydro Builder Review

     The Platinum Hydro Builder from Optimum Nutrition is an all in one shake designed to support your recovery and growth. Much like other all in one shakes, this supplemennt contains a wide range of nutrients, all of which are required to help your body grow. I picked up this sample at the BodyPower Expo as part of a great bundle. A tub of Platinum Hydro Builder usually costs about £35 per 20 serving tub. Remember this is a premium product from a premium brand.
     Nutritionally, the shake gives a very good balance of all the important ingredients, while keeping calories low. Each serving (52g) is only 186kcal, with fat at 2g and carbohydrates nice and low at 5.8g. 35 grams of protein is included, of which 13.5 grams are essential aminos, so you get a good amount of protein going in, though not as much as some conventional whey protein supplements. 5 grams of creatine monohydrate are also included, helping improve your recovery of ATP when lifting.
     The flavour of this powder is also pretty good. I have the chocolate flavour, which is always the safest option in my opinion. While not as smooth and chocolaty as the standard whey and casein powders, it is still a nice drink at the end of your workout. 

ON Amino Energy Review

     Optimum Nutritions Essential Amino Enery is a supplement to deliver essential amino acids, increase nitric oxide production, improve muscle recovery and improve energy levels and focus. I am able to review a few areas of this supplement, mainly the effects felt during a training session and how affected my energy levels and recovery.

     Firstly, the flavour I have is fruit punch. While not important with regard to the physical effects of the supplement, the flavour is the first thing you notice about any supplements you have. The fruit flavour Amino Energy is very sweet and quite enjoyable to drink. It does not become too sickly if you are sipping on it, a big plus compared to some other supplements out there. It sits very well in your stomach too, meaning you don't feel it sloshing around as you being your training.

     I took my first does of this supplement before a back session, so had quite an intense workout to get through. I did notice a difference in how I was recovering and able to push myself during the session, taking less time to recover and being able to complete more reps of each exercise than normal. The energy in this supplement comes from caffine and beta-Alanine, so a tingling feeling is to be expected when taking it, as well as raised heart rate and more sweating. As far as I can tell there is no B12 included.

     The dosing recommended before a training session is 4-6 scoops. However, at £30 a tub (which is only half full too), having 6 scoops would cause you to run out very quickly. I only had 2 scoops (1 serving) and definitly felt the influence of it.

     Overall, this supplement does what it says in terms of energy boosting and focus improvement during a workout. The amino delivery and improved recovery between sessions is something you will have to decide on yourselves after extended use. If you can afford to buy it, go for it, but if not, keep it for those days where you need a bit of an extra boost.

     As always, please share this if you liked it, it really helps me out and doesn't take much. Thanks!

Relevant Links: Grenade .50 Calibre Review

Expo Review

       Right, where to start. Biggest fitness show in Europe and I got to be there for 2 days. I made sure that I experienced as much as I could in the time that I was there. Friday the 17th, otherwise known as the trade day, kicked of as expected. Promoters included suppliers of supplements, foods and training kit attended meaning there was a bit of everything to suite everyone. The 18th was the first day of two open to the public, so was absolutely manic, maybe a bit too busy for some as stalls did become a bit crowded at times.
       Supplement companies present included all the major brands (like Met-RX, USN, NRG, Optimum Nutrition) and many new start-ups offering alternatives to the mainstream giants. Some provided weird and wackey new supplements or flavours, others provided different blends of your favourite supplements. Some of my favourites were the seed based shake supplied by one manufacturer (the name escapes me, sorry!) providing a very good blend of protein while adding in all the natural fats and vitamins obtained by nuts and seeds.
        Another was the crazy new creation by Phd, a superfood blend designed to supercharge your body. Trust me, this is a case of something looking disgusting, but tasting amazing. The green, slimy looking sample is offered to those who wish to try, and those who do are refresh by the fantastic blend of flavours, with a hint of whichever primary flavour your sample had. You can almost feel the cleansing properties of this supplement as it hits your stomach. Well worth a look.
         I managed to catch some of a talk by Rehan Jalali, a well renown nutritionist. He delivered an interesting talk on the benefits of supplements, correct eating and the advantages of having specialist examination of blood samples to investigate the best composition of nutrients to feed your body.
         A strong presence of the show this year was the inclusion of bulk food providers. Many butchers were present offering bulk purchase options from their online stores with home deliver. Some were offering frozen deliver, others offered fresh products to the door. All suppliers offered amazing quality and ranges of meats at incredible prices, far below your local supermarkets. There were even less common options available, like chicken sausages, bison burgers and alligator steaks. I have to say, the burgers sold at some of the stores tasted amazing. I had an ostrich burger myself, shame its not available at all stores!
       While your exploring the vast exhibition hall, your surrounded by celebs and sponsored athletes. Seeing all of these idols is a big inspiration, as they are even more impressive in the flesh than in the photos. I managed to have a word with a big favourite of mine, Steve Cook. Its always good when your idols are as awesome in person as they are in Youtube videos etc.
       Overall I would say that the Expo was an improvement on last years show. It has definitely grown, though the organisers may have been a tad optimistic in the sales of ticket which too the shine out of the Saturday for me, mainly because of the need to shuffle and weave through crowds for the entire day. However the turnout from the industry was incredible, the presence of so many big names and athletes bought the standard of the show up, creating an environment that left many I spoke to inspired and with a hungry desire to go home and train harder than ever. If you can get there for the last day, go, it'll be worth it!
  

Stash from the Expo

Loads of good deals on at BodyPower Expo. Here's all the stuff I managed to pick up or decided to buy.

Optimum Nutrition - Great stack deal from these guys, got a bag of Gold Standard Whey Protein, Gold Standard Casein, Platinum Hydro Builder and Amino Energy for £50!! Even go a free t-shirt and some Pre samples thrown in.

Universal - Shock Therapy samples, looking forward to tying these pre workouts at some point

PeptoPro - propeptide supplier, this stuff is meant to reduce the catabolic affect of training on the muscle. Big claim, time to put it to the test.

Back from the Expo

I have just returned from the BodyPower Expo in Birmingham. I was there for 2 days, so have lots to talk about, bear with me while I write it all. Should be able to post again later tonight.

Can't wait till the weekend. Friday at the expo going to all the seminars and talks they put on, Saturday the contest at on the main stage and both days all the promoters and stalls to see. To top it all off, Friday night we will be heading to Temple Gym, one of the top gyms in the country, to smash out a session. Might even get to see some of the pros in there!

Beating Sugar Cravings

One of the biggest parts of getting healthier and in better shape is your diet. Everyone knows that it is important, but not many people manage to keep to what they know is the perfect diet for them. I don't use the word 'diet' in what some of you may consider the normal term here. Your diet is the nutrition that you are feeding your body, not as most people know it, which is as the term used to describe restricting your nutritional intake in an attempt to lose weight.

Regardless of the diet that you choose to adopt, you will invariably experience a period of strong craving for something that is no longer present in your nutritional intake. This craving is usually for sugar. It something that is now included in every day life, yet is not essential for your every day eating. When you eat something that has very high sugar levels, you get a big burst of energy from it, which feels good right? The reason for this is that sugar is near enough instant energy for your body. When it gets into your stomach it doesn't need to be digested so it can be absorbed straight into the blood stream and carried off to all the muscles and cells. A spike in your blood sugar levels happens, causing your body to release insulin to help process this sugar and return your blood sugar levels to a more normal amount. However, insulin cuts the blood sugar levels excessively, leaving you with the 'crash' experienced after having lots of sugar. Most see having more sugar  as the only way of getting past this crash, starting a vicious cycle of highs and lows fueled by an excessive sugar intake. All this time, the insulin levels in your blood are higher than usual, preventing the burning of fats (one of the properties of insulin).

To beat the sugar craving and break out of the cycle you need to be very strict with yourself. Treat it as addiction, you can either go cold turkey (stopping all intake of sugar straight away) or you can gradually decrease your intake until you no longer desire the sugar. Gradually reducing the intake does not mean you have to eat sugar every day. What I recommend is cutting out sugars and finding a very sweet tasting replacement food to have when you feel the craving for sugar. This replacement food can be something like a yogurt, jelly or fruit juice. These all contain a small amount of sugar but taste very sweet, satisfying your taste buds and your bodies call for a sugar hit. Limit yourself to one portion of the replacement food each day for a week, then drop the replacement food all together. You will be surprised when you don't crave the sugar anymore! Beware though, relapsing is very easy....

Exercise for a Healthier Mind

In today's society it is very easy to get bogged down in everyday life. Work, home commitments and other tasks can begin to take over. Having down time for you mind is very important to achieve good health (remember, health is physical and mental). There are lots of ways to relax your mind, yoga, going for a walk, taking part in a sport etc. Here at Efficient Training the preferred method of relaxation is exercise. These are some reasons why exercise can be such a good way to relax your mind.

• You can switch your mind off to the outside world. When you enter the gym or start your workout, try to forget about everything else going on in your life. You are there to focus and do one thing - train. Making your mind focus on one activity like this can help you relax and forget stressful things that are bothering you. The time away gives you a chance to recover.
• A break from working an bring new light to a problem. If you have spend all day thinking about a problem or task that needs doing, but your not sure how to solve it, chances are you have been going round in circles in your head for a while. Getting a good bit of exercise done allows your mind to reset itself and start fresh. When you return to look at the problem, new ideas will come to you that had otherwise been ignored
• Emotional relief. Everyone has days when they are irritated by things around them, sometimes for a good reason, others simply because you woke up on the wrong side of bed. Use your emotion to fuel your training. Anger and frustration can be bought out by lifting weight, spurring you to greater intensity. The relief you feel once the emotion has been taken out on the weight or exercise can feel incredibly liberating. Remember, you can hurt the weights, so throw them around and give them everything you have.
• Removal from the rush. Life is so rushed these days. You need to hit this deadline and that deadline, or make it to that appointment or you'll get in trouble. Exercise is done in your time, to your plan. You are the boss of your your training session an the only person to answer to is you. Having the time out where no one else is watching your every step or measuring your performance allows you to perform at your best. If you truly want to do something, you should be doing it to the best of your ability without others having to constantly push you. Hopefully, exercise and fitness is something you want to do, so the time while your doing it should allow you to relax, while still working hard.
• Brain off, body on. After you have been training for a little while, the process of performing exercises becomes second nature. You don't have to consciously think about how your technique is, because you have been doing it long enough for the muscle to know what its doing without much conscious instruction. You can choose to focus on other things, like the contraction of muscles or the rhythm of your breathing. Listening to your body operating and understanding the responses to certain actions is almost a form of meditation.

Hopefully each of these points has helped put your training sessions in a different light. Its not just about making your body stronger and fitter, it also about keeping your mind healthy. 

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments please leave a reply below.

Joint Client Sessions

Today I took a joint session for two of my clients. I have had sessions for both before as individuals, but this was the first joint session. Both clients know each other, so they were very happy to have the session together (saved them money!). What was different about this session was very interesting?

Having two people in a fitness session changes the dynamic of the session. You have two personalities taking part in the same session and they interact with each other. The benefit that I wanted to get from having a joint session was to force the two clients to push each other harder. I did this by forcing them to work together. One would be performing a uncomfortable 'stress' exercise (like the plank or wall squat) while the other had to complete a set task (20 shoulder press) before the other could stop swap over. While this does not sound like a taxing workout to begin with, as the sets progress the stress exercise begins to become very uncomfortable. The client in the stress position becomes very aware of the amount of time that the exercise is taking to complete, while the person completing the task is trying to finish the exercise as quickly as possible to try and relieve the others pain. The two personalities start to clash, as both believe the other can work harder. This anger becomes fuel for higher levels of effort, creating a cycle until both clients are working much harder than thought possible.

While the spiralling of anger at each other not working hard enough and being responsible for each others pain is good, it needs to be controlled to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. Stopping the exercise at the right time helps strengthen the bond between the two people, knowing they have battled through the same workout and have reached the other side. If left to continue too long, resentment can build, and may not dissipate once the exercise is over. Matching exercises where the clients are forced to work hard for the sake of the other with exercises that make them work together to achieve a goal creates a very good atmosphere and helps remove any feeling of resentment. I try to make myself the target of any negative feelings, as the trainer I am not there to be liked all the time, and if the best results can be gained via making my clients dislike me for a short period of time, so be it.
However feelings are during the sessions, I make sure that at the end, everyone is still friend and smiling, after all we train to feel good about ourselves and feel happier, not to get wound up. 

Almond Milk vs Dairy Milk

Almond milk can be used to substitute dairy milk in your diet to reduce your calorie intake and increase the amount of vitamins and minerals you are getting. Almond milk has significantly less calories and carbs in it than dairy milk, while still retaining the same texture and consistency. The milk still contains the essential fats you would expect from milk and has a reasonable protein content. Calcium content is on of the major perks of dairy milk, and almond milk provides an equal amount, while including high quantities of vitamin E, manganese, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fibre and phosphorous.

Being so rich in vitamins means that almond milk is a very good antioxidant, keeping your body healthy and flushing out the toxins. The low calorie content means that you can have this instead of dairy milk with oat or a protein shake as part of your cutting diet while still keeping your calorie and carb intake down.

BodyPower Expo

The BodyPower Expo is only a few weeks away now. Held at the NEC Birmingham, it is the largest fitness event in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe. Most of the industry turns up to show off new products, supplements and training techniques. Many of your favourite fitness celebrities will be there giving talks, seminars and even guest posing. Efficient Training will be there for the Friday and Saturday, brining you as much coverage as possible from the event and collecting as many samples as possible for reviews!

Alternative Training Technique

Interesting set of equipment, but still looks very functional. Remember to visit Greg Plitts site to find out more.

Make it Count

Good Background for your PC

Happy St Georges Day!!!

It's St Georges day in the UK today. If you don't know the story, have a search for it. Make sure you feel patriotic today!!!

22 Things Happy People Do Differently

Being healthy and fit is not just about the body, but also the mind as well. This video is done by a big inspiration for many people, Steve Cook and covers a new way happy people are different to others each day . Watch this series!!!

Protein has Arrived

Thanks to the team at Discount Supplements for getting my protein to me nice and quick!

Good Infographic on Dieting

Video Series to Check Out

Please check out this Youtube series. Its done by Steve Cook, very established fitness model and is absolutely brilliant. Here's the first episode for you.

Dealing with DOMS

DOMS, or delayed onset of muscle soreness. We have all had to deal with this at some point, some of us  more than others. DOMS is the after effect of training a muscle. It is most prominent after doing some kind of intensive training, like weight lifting or sprinting.

Your experience of DOMS can vary from a light ache in the muscle to incapacitating agony when you try to use the muscle. Here are a few tips to get over the aching and promote recovery.

• Make sure your getting all the necessary nutrients for the muscle to recover. If your diet is poor then the chance are that you will suffer for longer. Get the right kind of nutrients via a healthy diet or supplements.
• Stretch after the session. This only works for some people and wont get rid of the DOMS completely, but should help.
• Try hot and/or cold showers or baths. heating and cooling the body can increase the flow of blood to the muscles and so increase the amount of nutrients reaching them. This helps with the recover process because more nutrients means quicker recovery.
• Train again, but lightly! Going training again is another way to increase the blood flow to the muscle, which as I said above has many benefits to help recovery.
• Foam rolling. Very uncomfortable process, but  can help improve the flexibility of the muscle and relieve any tension. Can help reduce DOMS, but is usually very uncomfortable.

Hope this advice helps. Now you can reduce the amount of time you spend feeling crippled after your gym sessions!

Update on the Effects of Grenade

Been taking Grenade for 2 weeks now, still no side affects to report. I get a noticeable burst of energy from the caffeine now, really perking up after the second dose of the day. My fat levels are definitely dropping, but not by masses yet. Two more weeks to go. 

CNP Cheap

Following my review of CNP Pro Recover I have found a UK site where it is on sale for the next day. 49% off!!! Go to http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/sports-supplements-carbohydrate-drinks-recovery-cnp-professional-pro-recover-5-04kg to buy yours!

Pushing Really Hard

Things To Remember When Squatting

Squats have a reputation with the unenlightened (people who don't squat!!) as being bad for your body. Usual complaints are "they're bad for your knees" "they hurt your shoulders" blah blah bla.....

If you squat properly and regularly, your fitness and strength with jump forward in leaps an bounds. The movement of squatting is something your body is designed to do, even looking from just a mechanical perspective. All the joints bend in the right direction! Keep in mind these few pointers and you will come to no harm while squatting.

• Warm Up- exercising any of your muscles without warming up is a recipe for disaster. Do a short stint on the treadmill first, then STRETCH! Most people miss out this vital part of warming up, its considered boring and pointless. When you have 200kg on your back, you want your muscle to working in perfect order.
• Bend your knees, not your back- many new squatters have a habit of bending at their hips to try and get the weight lower. Ideally, you want to keep your back as static as possible. The power needs to come from your legs.
• Page 3- a good example of how to hold yourself when squatting can be taken from page 3 of the Sun newspaper. Chest out, bum out, head up. Try to look about 15-20 degrees above parallel. This will bring your head and shoulders up and help keep your chest forward and subsequently your back straight. Bum out means think about pushing your butt backwards, not bending your knees. If you think about this you are more likely to keep your back position strong.
• Bar placement- find a place to rest the bar on your back that is comfortable. To begin with you may find that on top of your shoulders/traps is best, but after a while I would recommend resting the bar a bit lower, just below the tops of your traps and on the very tops of your triceps. This improves your back position and really helps out when the weight starts to go up
• Get angry- you legs are strong, they can take a lot, get pushing!

Hopefully these few tips will help improve your squatting and help you become even more of a beast than you already are!!

Taking Grenade- 1 week done

So I've been taking Grenade for one week now. Not too much to say about it. There are none of the side affects that you can find horror stories about on the internet forums. I have not experienced the excessive sweating that some report, nor the energy boost before a workout. My body fat % is down from 16.5% to 15.3%, without changing my diet at all and keeping my training regime going. Bit early to be expecting any physical changes, so not worried about that yet.

10 Weight Loss Diet Rules

1. Cut out all carbonated drinks. It doesn't matter if they're diet or not, your body does not need them. 
2. Drink more water. You need to be getting about 6-8 pints of water each day, depending on your activity levels. This may seem a lot at first, but if you break it down into smaller batches, its quite easy to hit your total.
3. Eat 3 meals a day. This means breakfast, lunch and dinner. Having three meals a  day gives your body a consistent stream of nutrients and stops you getting tired. Missing a meal reduces how well your body is functioning and can actually slow down the weight loss process
4. No snacking. Snacking is one of the worst things you can do when trying to lose weight. The three meals you have each day should be substantial enough to get you through the day. Most snacking is through boredom, so you just have to be strict with yourself. 
5. Cut out alcohol. Alcohol is bad for weight loss, end of story. Going teetotal during your diet means your body is functioning better and burning energy more effectively, it doesn't have to deal with processing the alcohol in your system.
6. Don't starve yourself. Work out your  base metabolic rate (BMR) you can find tools on-line to help you work it out. Once you know your BMR, take 100-200 calories off that number to get the amount for your diet. Cutting your calorie intake excessively actually causes your body to start holing onto fat more, as it doesn't expect your reserves to replaced any time soon and goes into a self-preservation mode.
7. Increase your protein intake. Proteins are the building blocks of your body. Keeping your intake of them high is important to stop muscle wastage. Losing fat is all very well, but if your let your muscle waste while you do it, you'll end up as skeleton wearing skin. Protein also counts towards your daily calorie allowance and fills you up quite quickly, reducing the change of feeling hungry after a meal.
8. Eat Fats. Fats are essential to the working of your body. If you cut out fats completely then your body will slowly start to struggle. This doesn't mean go out of your way to eat fatty foods. Just don't make a point of cutting them out of all your meals. If a piece of meat has fat in it, that's fine, eat it anyway. This source of fat is good for you.
9. Vegetables These are the filler of many of your meals. Increasing your vegetable portion size will make a big difference to your meal sizes. Veg doesn't carry many carbohydrates, while being rich in vitamins and minerals so fill up on these instead of pasta, rice or bread.
10. Exercise I know this isn't part of a diet, but for maximum progress you need to make sure you exercise on a regular basis. This can be something as basic as going for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the lift. Being active accelerates weight loss immensely, the extra effort will be worth it!  

Grenade Thermo detonator- First Impressions

After much contemplation, I decided to get myself a tub of the well advertised supplement Grenade. I tested the dosage yesterday to see if I felt any unusual effects and progressed up to the full dose today. Here are my first impressions of the supplement.

Grenade is part of a group of supplements classed as thermogenics, it raises your core body temperature. The principle behind this is that the increase in your body temperature means an increase in the amount of energy you are using, resulting in more calories being used. Some thermogenics can overdo it a bit and make your body feel very uncomfortable due to the raised temperature (remember, your core temperature is a very delicate thing). Fortunately, Grenade keeps within the boundaries (for me anyway). Having had the full dose today, which is two caps upon waking and a further two before lunch, I can say I have felt very normal throughout the day. My training session was very standard. Some people report feeling more energetic during their training. I, unfortunately, did not. One difference I did notice was that my torso was warm to touch. I checked throughout the day out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised to feel more heat than usual.

Of course I cant report on the longer term effects of the supplement yet, that's for a few weeks time. But so far so good. I will keep you updated with how the course goes.   

CNP Pro Recover Review

CNP Pro Recover (RRP £109.99)

              I was recently able to get my hands on a tub of CNP Pro Recover protein powder reasonably cheaply. I've been using if for the past few weeks and have to say I have been very pleased with it.  However, being at the higher end of the market i would have been disappointed with any less, as to buy straight from CNP you will be forking out over £100 for a 5kg tub, a big hit in most peoples books. 

              The powder itself is one of the nicest tasting I've had. The flavour I have been trying is chocolate, which is usually a safe option anyway, but CNP have done a fantastic job. I would happily have this as a milkshake to sip on. The powder mixes very well, while the larger than average serving sizes form a nice thick mixture without the grainy texture of other products. If put in a blender with some ice you end up with a delicious refreshing beverage.

              The nutritional content of the powder is fairly standard for this price range. As its a recovery drink, not whey protein, there are a higher amount of carbohydrates present than I would usually prefer, but the protein content is high at 29.5%. As to be expected with this type of supplement, there are a few added extras, vitamins c and e being some of them. There is also beetroot extract present as a colouring, although beetroot has been linked with increased blood oxygen retention, so no harm done there. The powder is suitable for vegetarians.

The only let down of this product is the price, but if you can find it in a sale or as part of a bundle offer, I would recommend seriously considering this powder over other cheaper alternatives. The nutritional content is all there and the taste is unmatched. Very good, well rounded product. 

Crazy Workout Mindset

Endless Source of Motivation

Endurance Challenge

Great endurance challenge for you all.

Squat Challenge!

Squat 100kg 100 times as quickly as possible....

Proper form, dropping to 90 degrees each time

Different feet positions are allowed.


My time is 12 minutes 44 seconds.

Post your times in the comments section and I'll make a leader board.

Another infographic

Fitness Infographic

Cool infographic  I found while browsing today, thought I would share it

Benefits of Personal Trainers

Having a personal trainer can seem a bit daunting if your new to exercising and fitness in general. People have different opinions of what a personal trainer is, some imagine them as a scary, military drill sergeant character, others as a friendly running partner. The truth is a personal trainer is the type of trainer you want them to be, whether that is someone who shouts at you to work harder or someone who provides assistance and company during stretching and gentle exercising. A good trainer will be able to tailor their knowledge to your needs, conveying the necessary information in the best possible way to yield the best possible results.

Advantages of having a Trainer

• Motivation- when your head drops, they will pick you up and keep you going 
• Knowledge- Specific, relevant information explained in an easy way to help you understand how your benefiting from a particular exercise.
• Accountability- you will be committing to sessions for a period of time, and someone will be keeping tabs on your progress, so you will be more inclined to turn up, work hard and apply yourself to the training.
• Constant Support- some trainers offer 24/7 support to clients to make sure that any questions you have get answered. 

Mcdonalds Unwrapped

Video I found of Rob Riches dissecting a Mcdonalds meal.

Twitter Account is Up

Follow the blog on twitter. See new articles immediately, questions to make you think, brief facts and much more!

T-shirt Time

The weather is getting nicer and the layers are going to start coming off. Are you ready for the t-shirt season? Build big arms and chiselled abs by including this session in your workout once a week with a cardio session.

Bicep Curls on 45 degree bench-

3 sets of 10, alternating arms and focussing on squeezing the muscle during the contraction.

Isolation curls (arm over the edge of the bench)-

3 sets of 10, keep your palm facing up throughout the duration of the movement, fully extend your arm with each repetition.

Hammer Curls-

3 sets of 12, a little cheating is allowed on this on, really focus on burning out the muscle

Cable Bicep Curls-

3 sets of 10, slow during the negative portion of the movement

Overhead Tricep Extensions (with cable and rope attachment)-

3 sets of 10, make sure you fully contract the muscle, spreading your hands out slightly at the top of the movement

Tricep Press-

3 sets of 10, use an underhand grip to reduce stress on the elbow without reducing effectiveness of exercise

Bent Over Single Arm Tricep Extensions-

3 sets of 10, pause at full contraction and squeeze the muscle

Cable Woodchopper-

3 sets of 15

Cable Crunches-

3 sets of 15, make sure you pivot using your abs, not your legs or arms, just abs...

Tri-Set-
             Sit Ups (with Medicine Ball)
             Heel touches
             Barbell Twists

15, 20, 20 repeat 3 times.



This workout will really pump your arms up and should give a good ego boost if you need one. Follow it regularly and your sleeves will be filled in no time!!!

Shaping up for Summer

Its not too late to start shaping up for the summer! The temperature is slowly creeping up and the sun is shining more days than not. Don't be one of the people who gets to summer and regrets not exercising over the winter. Act now! Email me at sam.huse100@gmail.com and I can provide personalised training plans and email/text support to help get you into better shape (fees negotiable).  

Good reflective video

6 Rules to Success

Six rules to being successful from the great Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Listen close, this will change you.

Training Partners

Having a training partner is a very useful way of improving your progress in your training sessions. What are the good qualities of a training partner though? How should you act when training with someone else? For the answers to these questions look below.

Who to train with

Training with someone else can really speed  up the progress you make in the gym. They can help you perform more reps, lift heavier weights and break through plateaus with ease. However, they can be a massive distraction.
The ideal training partner is someone who is better than you are, but not my much. Training with someone who is better than you are lets you learn from their experience and skill. You also feel that you need to lift as much as you can because you want to be able to keep up. This is most beneficial on longer sets, when they have already done their set. You should feel that you need to match them or beat them. It should get competitive, and finishing that last set is a matter of pride being won or lost.
A training partner should also know how to spot. Having a good spotter assist you in your exercises gives you the confidence to lift more and push your boundaries. Whoever your training with should know when to step in and help. You don't want someone who is helping you through the whole of the exercise, they need to be stepping in when you are about to drop something on yourself.
 The gym isn't a social club, its a place to train. If someone insists on talking to you through all your sets and doesn't let you focus on lifting. Get rid of them. You can explain wherever else you like to socialize.

EU Supplement Directive

The EU are looking at changing the laws concerning supplements. What they plan to do is limit the quatities of certain substances in the products, reducing the effectiveness of the supplements. Visit the link below to find out more.

https://www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/save-our-supplements/

Also, there is a petition against these changes to try and prevent them. Please sign it to improve the chances of it not happening.

Petition

Session of the Week

Chest Session

Bench Press- 10, 10, 6, 2, 1
Incline Dumbbell Press- 10, 10, 8, 6
Incline Dumbbell Flys- 12, 12, 10, 10
Machine Flys- 10, 10, 10, 10

Damm!!

Mental Attitude

Its All In The Mind




Exercise is predominantly thought of as a workout for the body. You go for a run, lift weights or attend an exercise class. Many people are very good at signing up for these kinds of activities, but not necessarily good at sticking to them.

What makes you stop? Sometimes it is due to unforeseen circumstances that cannot be helped. More often than not though, it is your mind deciding that it is no longer worth the time or the effort to continue.

When your mind gives up, your body probably isn't done. There is still distance that can be run or reps that can be completed. Having control over you mind will allow you to truly push your body to its limit. Here are some tips for gaining control over your mind.

1. Find a happy place

When your going through a tough patch in a session your mind will invariably suggest quitting, sitting down and giving up. It happens to us all. A good way to get through this is to let your mind wander to something else, something happier and relaxing. Disengaging your mind from your body in this way allows you to 'forget' about the exercise and how tired you are and lets your body carry on doing what it can. Just make sure you keep doing the exercise right!

2. Give up control

When we have control over our own actions and boundaries, we make things easier for ourselves. If we give up that control, our body can be pushed much, much further. Exercising with a friend or a trainer allows you to relinquish control of your body (to an extent) to that person. They can then tell you where the finish line is and when to stop.

 3. Get angry!

Angry is a very basic human emotion. When angry, our minds can become a bit disconnected from your actions. To use this in exercise, you should learn to get angry from time to time. not at anything in particular, just be angry. Be angry at the weights, at work or at the person that pulled out in front of you in your car earlier that day. Being angry allows you to override the softer side of your mind that wants to quit. You will try and get to the end of your workout with as much energy as you can muster, and only then will you realise how much it aches.

Priority Training

When you follow a weight training plan, you will start out having certain goals that you want to achieve. Chances are that as you progress through your training plan, certain aspects of your goals will progress faster than others. This due to the exercises that you are performing during the sessions, or it could be due to the order that you work your muscles in.

The order that you work your muscles in can greatly affect the results of your training plan. Those that you work at the beginning of your session will generally respond better to training than groups that you work later in the session. This is due to a couple of simple factors. When you start a training session, your body is full of energy ready to be used. All the available energy is transported to the muscle being worked at the beginning, giving it a massive reserve of energy and nutrients to draw upon while you exercise it. As you progress through your workout, the amount of energy you have begins to dwindle, leaving very little (hopefully) for the last exercises in your workout. Having less energy available mean you are less able to push the muscle as hard, reducing the gains you can make.
Another factor that affects the progress made by training is your mental attitude during the time you are training for. When you start the session, you are mentally fresh, like your body is physically fresh. As you get further and further into your session, your willpower will being to decrease (even if you don't want it to). The mental toughness needed to push through your exercises is draining on your mind. The exercises being to tire out your nervous system, making forcing the contraction of your muscles seem so much harder.

When you being to notice one part of your body progressing faster than the others, think about the concept of prioritising muscle groups within a workout. If you want to improve you shoulder strength and size, train your shoulders at the beginning of the session. Remember not to work muscles that are needed in exercises later in your session first though, as this can hider your progress even more. Groups like your arms cannot be prioritised in a session as working your biceps first would have an impact on your back workout. The best way to prioritise arms is to have a separate session altogether. Other groups, like your core muscles, can be worked at the beginning of a session without too much impact on other exercises.

Get Motivated!

Thought for Today

To become the person you want to be, you must be prepared to sacrifice the person that you are. Only then will you truly succeed

New Years Training

In the New Year many people make it their aim to get fit, lose weight or just join a gym. Unfortunately this rush of people is usually short lived. Many people find themselves overwhelmed by the fitness 'lifestyle' or get drawn into the endless slog of running on the treadmill. It is easy to avoid being one of the people that stops, the ones who give up and probably won't ever achieve the physique of their dreams.

Don't Jump in the Deep End

When first starting to exercise, your putting your body through activities that it is not used to. Many people believe that by going to the gym 5 times a week and spending 90 mins doing cardio they will become fit because that is what they see other doing. What they forget though is that the person they are looking up to has most likely been training for a while. What a beginner to a gym and exercising needs to do is build up to doing extensive periods of harder training. This avoids injury and over training.

Make Small Changes

When examining your lifestyle and deciding what to change to achieve your healthy way of living, there are going to be a number of different areas to change. Making all the changes at once can be quite overwhelming, increasing the chances of something slipping and you ultimately becoming despondent. By making small changes you increase your chances of success. You are more likely to stick to training 2 times a week than 5, so you are less likely to skip a session. Instead of completely changing your diet, make little changes. Stop eating chocolate and crisps. Cut out fizzy drinks. Smaller changes like this still have an impact on your progress. As you become accustomed to the changes you make, they become habits and you can being to make more changes. Over time, you can make all the changes you originally planned without feeling overwhelmed by them all.

 Notice Progress

Many people stop exercising in February because they feel they have been trying really hard for the whole of January but haven't made any progress. This is unfortunate, as the chances are they have made progress, they just can't see it. The biggest reason people miss noticing progress is because they are obsessed with what the scales say and don't see any physical difference. When you start exercising you body will start burning calories and building muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat and the chances are you will put on more muscle than lose fat in the first few weeks. This causes your weight to not change or even go up! Not seeing any physical progress is a trick of the mind. Most people will see themselves every day in a mirror. If you are trying to transform your physique, chances are you will look for any change on a fairly regular basis. Your body won't change at a fast enough rate to be visible between today and tomorrow, but the cumulative effect can be substantial. The best way to see physical process is to take a photo of yourself and hide it away for 4 weeks. after the 4 weeks take another picture and compare the two. a direct comparison will highlight where you have changed and will motivate you to continue.

Great Transformation

Very different transformation to what you must be used to hearing. The guy goes from seriously skinny to packing some serious muscle. He has a whole Youtube channel and big fanbase. Check out some of his videos.

DodgeFit

New type of class starting in the Walton, Molesey and Kingston area. Very fun way of burning off the Christmas food .

Facebook Group-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dodgeball-a-fun-way-to-exercise/104375083061137?ref=hl#!/pages/Dodgeball-a-fun-way-to-exercise/104375083061137