5 Reasons people need a framework to succeed –

1 – Most don’t know what they need to do and as such need it clearly signposted

2 – It helps people feel less pressure, basically they can blame the structure for failure rather than themselves

3 – Things such as accountability and more responsibility become easier to administer

4 – Recorded data makes for a great confidence booster to show them how far they’ve come

5 – It teaches them how to achieve success on their own

Now there are those rare people who don’t need a framework to make their own success, if you’re one of them then we’ll see each other at the top. If that’s not you it’s not a problem, just ask for help and it will be yours.

Short & simple today.

Enjoy,
Ross

What’s harder?

What’s harder, training or nutrition?

 

Now this is a common question and the answer for most is almost always the nutrition.

 

The funny thing is nutrition isn’t really that hard, you either need to be in a calorie surplus or deficit (depending on your goal), from there you will do well to keep a nutrition diary and record your foods, calories/macros too if you’re that focused.

 

Next you will do well to opt to eat mostly whole foods, however this is not a necessity although it is preferable for health and performance purposes.

 

This again isn’t hard, yet people will makes excuses, piss wings and moan that is it because of the following REAL reason; they don’t want to have to change bad habits.

 

Might sound harsh, however that doesn’t stop it being true.

 

Now as written above, you don’t HAVE to change the foods you eat, provided your calories/macros are set correctly and you hit them you can choose the foods sources, so the excuse of “Good nutrition is too restrictive and hard to stick to” gets thrown out of the window, now it’s just a case of you hitting the number you need to.

 

This is where tracking your calories etc becomes important, again though, you don’t have to, just don’t expect much in the way of progress if yo don’t know what you’re eating calorie wise.

 

Some will chuck in the barrier or “Well I don’t know who to work this out” which again is a redundant excuse considering all the calculators that are available to people, not to mention you can also speak to a respected of successful trainer/coach and have them do it for you.

 

My suggestion would be Eric Helms and his work, or look up the Harris-Benedict calorie calculation formula, boom no more barriers or confusion.

 

Everyone, I don’t mean to sound cynical or jaded, yet I am, this is because over the years I have developed less and less patience for people poor excuses and lack of drive to achieve a result.

 

You have two options really, you either want to make a change, in which case myself and many other people in this industry will bend over backwards to help you. OR, you don’t really want to change in which case we wish you all the best and we can end our conversations promptly.

 

Now as people who want to help we can give you all the tools, help you stay accountable, speak to you daily to make sure you have all the support you need, however if you don’t want to change no amount of help from us or anyone else will make you want to change, that decision has to come from you, from your heart.

 

The knowledge of knowing what will help you in getting results isn’t hard, it’s not the training or the nutrition that is hard, it’s making the conscious choice to change.

 

We, I want to help you, however the real question is do you want to help yourself?

 

Give it some thought.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Pushing your sets all the way

Working out is easy, it’s training that’s hard.

 

When it comes to the mental aspect of lifting weights we’d all like to think that we’re putting in the effort we require and while some certainly do, most don’t.

 

You can tell by the results people achieve.

 

Let’s take for example the classic 5×5, if you look back at its inception the idea was to either do 3-4 warm up sets where you start working towards a top set for the day, some would even do 2 top sets after 3 progressively heavier warm ups, this would actually be quite hard.

 

To push a set of say 5 for everything you had, with good form of course, is quite draining and very few people will ever really do it. Most will lift a weight for 5 that they could have really don for 7, maybe 8 if they’re honest.

 

This is one reason a lot of us don’t get the progress we really want.

 

I’m guilty of this that’s for sure.

 

Now this isn’t to say that people don’t ‘work hard’, rather it’s just pointing out that many haven’t quite grasped the concept of really pushing a set to it’s limit. if they did they’d find training say 3 days per week is more than enough to make progress, rather than their standard 6 with back to back classes and AM/PM runs.

 

Good old fashioned honest hard graft isn’t pleasant, it’s tough, however it’s what produces results, especially when combined with solid nutrition and plenty of recovery.

 

Try doing 5×5 and having 3-4 of those sets being warm ups, then really go all out on the last set, you should feel sufficiently worked, you may have one more set of 5 at that weight, if you do then go for it, however if you get it right that one hard set of 5 will be enough.

 

The loading might look like this:

 

5x60kg

5x100kg

5x140kg

5x180kg

5x200kg

 

Done, move on to the next exercise and repeat the same process.

 

Just something to think about.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Memories

Having measurable data is a great way to assess your progress, so why don’t you have any?

 

Fitness testing, body measurements, lifting records are all great ways to see how you are improving and also what you may need to be doing in order to continue to make headway if it is starting to slow down.

 

There are a lot of people who claim they never need to record things, they just remember it all and while they may indeed remember the highlights it’s very hard to keep everything in your head.

 

Typically once we get past a certain point we might as well be exposed to white noise.

 

According to a lot of research in to the field of memory, the average person can retain 7 pieces, plus or minus 2, given you a top limit of 9 and a lower one of 5; obviously there will be exceptions that can remember more just as there will be people who remember far less, it’s just a part of being on the bellcurve.

 

Writing things down and recording the specifics will take the pressure ands stress away from you having to remember each detail. Don’t get me wrong, having good ball park memory is great, however that won’t help you highlight weak areas that need work, specifically.

 

Personally I’m a big fan of making notes and writing things down, not matter who big or small it is, there’s a record. This little habit has saved many a hassle when it comes to wiring future goals for myself or clients, not to mention it give an honest overview of how everything has proceeded, no hiding behind white lies to protect the ego.

 

This is nothing more than simper advice for you, there’s no need for you to take it, honestly, there isn’t.

 

Before we finish I just want to ask you two questions;

 

1 – What sets and reps were you hitting on this day 3 years ago and how do they compete to now?

 

2 – What was your VO2 Max on the date of 22-6-13 and how has it improved?

 

I’m sure you can answer those from memory 🙂 for me.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Can’t add any more weight?

Three ways to progress without adding weight to the bar –

 

1: Add Reps

2: Add Sets

3: Reduce Rest

 

We all love lifting more weight, it’s very rewarding, however it’s not always possible and because of that reason we need other ways in which we can keep progressing.

 

Above are three simple adaptations that we will cover.

 

1 – Adding Reps

 

Say you’re doing 5×5 at 60kg, yet you can’t hit the same 5×5 at 62.5kg.

 

Now you can add in fractional plates to your training that weight as little as 0.25kg however if you don’t have those then adding reps will be your best bet.

 

Perhaps you set out to add a rep each session until you are doing 5×7, or perhaps 5×10, the choice is yours, however what you will find is that by adding reps and setting a rep goal you’ll be able to add weight easily once you hit the added reps with ease.

 

2 – Adding Sets

 

Similar to above except the reps stay the same, so 5×5 might end up being 10×5 and so on.

 

You could even choose to combine the two and start off at 5×5, work to 5×7 then add a set and go back to 6×5, build that to 6×7, then on to 7×5 building to 7×7 all the way until you hit 10×7, you get the idea.

 

3 – Reducing Rest

 

This falls in to the category of Density Training with increases Oxygen debt and EPOC, getting the same amount of work done in less time is a great way to not only make progress in terms of strength and lean muscle mass but also stripping fat off.

 

If you’re doing the standard 5×5, the rest might be say 5min, you can easily make a dent by taking it down by 15-30 seconds each session until you’re at just 1min rest between each set. From here you’ve got the choice of adding weight or perhaps even utilising one or both of the methods from above if you’re still finding adding weight a tall order.

 

The three options above are simple and very easy to apply, however it will retire you to stay on the same workout protocol for a while, at least on your main lifts and this can be an arduous task for some people, you’ve been warned.

 

If in the event that you can’t add any more weight, you’ve hit your limit for that move, you can change the exercise to a different variation, so perhaps overhead press turns in to incline press, or incline press in to close grip bench press and so on.

When you stall on a weight drop it by say 5-10% and then utilise the methods above, you won’t regret it.

 

The secret to progress is progress, achieve it in any way you can.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

How Odd.

Have you ever heard of the Odd Lifts?

You know, ones such as the Bent Press, the Jefferson DL or perhaps the One Arm Snatch?

if not here are some links to get you started:

http://www.oddlifts.com

https://www.onnit.com/…/how-to-become-a-strongman-the-5-b-…/

Okay, now it’s time to get to the point of the post.

– Three odd lifts you don’t often do that will change your body for the better.

1 – The bottom up kettlebell press

This can be done standing, seated, kneeing, sat of the floor or perhaps even in a floor press/bench press/incline press manor, which ever way you choose it will achieve the following:

– Stronger press/grip
– Muscle irradiation (more muscle recruitment)
– Take out your ego

https://breakingmuscle.com/…/bottoms-up-kettlebell-presses-…

2 – There Renegade Row

Use kettlebells or dumbbells for this. The alternating row style of this lift will help you by:

– Strengthening your ability to brace (core stabilisation)
– Work the entire upper body
– Improve balance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHN0SGa-68Q

3 – Zecher Lifts

What is more real world than having to pick something off the floor and hold it in an awkward position? Not much, however is this is not to your liking you can swap it out for a bear hug style carry of a sand bag or something equally heavy and awkward.

You can pick the zecher lis you prefer out of the options in the link

The benefits:

– Overall Strength
– Fortified lower back
– A high crossover to daily living

https://www.t-nation.com/training/complete-guide-to-zerchers

Adding in this lifts or even doing a program of only these 3 will make some great changes to your overall body composition.

If you plan on doing the latter option here is a suggestion:

– 3 days per week or train every other day
– Heavy/Light/Medium loading protocol*
– Rest 1-5min between sets
– Eat according to your goal (gain mass or lose fat etc)

*Heavy = <25 total reps at 85% 1RM +
*Light = 75 total reps at 50-65% 1RM
*Medium = 50 total reps at 70-80% 1RM

For example:

Day 1:
Heavy – Zecher Lift
Light – Renegade Row
Medium – Bottom Up Press

Day 2:
Heavy – Bottom Up Press
Light – Zecher Lift
Medium – Renegade Row

Day 3:
Heavy – Renegade Row
Light – Bottom Up Press
Medium – Zecher Lift

How you add these lifts in or plan them is up to you as there are a lot of different odd lifts to choose from, just remember to add weight where you can and that consistency and progression is the key to success.

Enjoy,
Ross

Back to the basics for us all.

What is there to write about training anymore?

 

The internet is filled with so much content, it’s almost impossible to read it all.

 

Keeping this in mind it’s probably best to keep things simple and hopefully point you in the right direction and to do that we need to circle back around to the basics and the simple sciences of training.

 

What should you look to circle back to first?

 

– Energy Systems

 

Why?

 

These are essential for understanding how the body works and what fuel is used for what training styles (aerobic – fat, anaerobic – glucose etc), here is a nice resource for that:

 

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/3-energy-systems-help-trainer.htm

 

Next it has to be muscle anatomy.

 

– Muscle Structure

 

Once you know how they work you can conclude what style of training is best for your goal. Here are a couple of links:

 

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/muscle-structure-and-function

 

https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/10-6-exercise-and-muscle-performance/

 

One last topic that is crucial to have a basic underrating of in training is hormones.

 

– Testosterone, Cortisol and everything in-between.

 

This is a massive topic yet it’s one people ignore all the time and it really shouldn’t be. Your hormones are influenced not only by training but also your nutrition, sleep, life style and mach more, thus it is worth knowing how they work and what they do.

 

https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5593/8-hormones-involved-in-exercise

 

Above are some starting links to help you on your way, however it’s worth remembering that the body is a complex organism and if you don’t want to do the digging yourself then you’ll do well to hire a coach/trainer who can do it all for you.

 

Remember the basics, without those nothing else can be understood.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Nothing fancy, just some options for people

3 Methods for your consideration.

 

One for strength, one for hypertrophy, one for fat loss.

 

All three are simple, sustainable and repeatable if you ever find yourself at a loss.

 

So, let’s get started.

 

Strength –

 

– Hit each muscle group 2-5 times per week

– 10-25 reps per lift

– Use a load of 85%+

– 3-5min rest

– A1/A2 jump sets resting 2min between each

– 2-4 lifts per workout

– Lower/Upper combination each workout

 

Example:

 

A1 – Deadlift 8×2

Rest

A2 – Press 8×3

Rest – repeat A1

 

Hypertrophy –

 

– Hit each muscle group 2-4 times per week

– 25-50 reps per left

– Use a load of 70-80%

– 90 seconds to 3 min rest

– Japanese Drop Set: 4×6 + 1×25 rep drop set

– 2-4 lifts per workout

– Legs-Pull-Push split

 

Example:

 

A1 – Bench Press 4x6x75kg,80kg, 85kg, 90kg

 

The first drop set is done at the weight you performed at your last set of 6 for as many reps as possible, once momentary muscle fail is hit drop the weight 5-10% and continue for another AMRAP, keep repeating this until you hit the 25 rep target.

 

Fat Loss –

 

– Hit each muscle group 2-3 times per week

– 20-50 reps per left

– Use a load of 60-70%

– <60 seconds rest

– 50-30-20, rep goals per exercise + 3 *Tabata finishers

– 3 lifts per workout

– Full Body

 

Example:

 

A1 – Dumbbell Clean & Press 5×10

Tabata

B1 – Inverted Row 3×10

Tabata

C1 – Squat 1×20

Tabata

 

* Tabata set up – 20 sec on, 10 sec off x 8 rounds – the choices of exercise are as follows: Swings, Sprints (rowing, run, cycle etc), Loaded carries, Battle ropes, etc.

 

All three of the methods above are simple, effective and can also work well if cycled together in small training blocks, for example: Strength,Hypertrophy, Strength, Fat Loss – using the numbers you hit in the Strength block to set the loads for the other two and so on.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Too good not to share

I came across this article while browsing through the inter webs for knowledge and it’s too good not to share.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-get-ripped-with-4-rep-sets?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article4844

Christian Thibaudeau is one of my favourite and his knowledge is phenomenal, you’ll enjoy this read.

I will certainly be giving this a go as I am currently short on time in my own training.

Ross

You don’t need to squat heavy…

Do you need to squat heavy?

It pains me to say this, however there is technically no need to squat heavy weights…

That said, there is a basic necessity for the squatting movement pattern as it will ensure healthy ankles, knees, hips and loads more.

The squat is a fundamental human movement pattern, you need it, fact.

I am personally bias towards heavy squats, I love them, however they are not for everyone, some people may have injuries that prevent them going heavy, this is fair enough, they can adapt and do things such as goblet or front squats as substitutes, so long as they are performing the movement pattern all is good.

This short post is just to remind you that it’s okay not to squat heavy, you just need to be performing the movement in some way, shape or form to stay healthy.

Here is a simple workout structure for those who need some guidance, you can pick which ever :

W/U – Squatting pattern – Example: Goblet Squat 50 reps
A1 – Hinging movement 15-25 rep goal
B1 – Pressing movement
B2 – Pulling movement 25-50 rep goal for both
C1 – Core movement or Loaded Carry 30 rep goal or Distance for Time (e.g., 10min)

Easy, all you need do for exercise ideas is simply find a list of movements and pick ones that you feel like doing on the day.

Actually, hold on…

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

^^ A great resource, they’ve got some fantasist bits on there to read, enjoy it.

Ross