Any 6ft tall guy with a 32 inch waist weighing between 70-75KG is going to have an obvious weakness. Usually it's the legs! You train hard, and you do develop, but you end up looking top heavy and your middle name should be 'johnny bravo'. Sound familiar? I found myself straying towards this body shape. Until I put an end to it and started incorporating each of the techniques below into my routine. I've found these to be the best skinny leg cures. My skinny jeans began to feel tight around the thighs and my physique started to look much more in proportion. Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I accepted the fact that leg workouts simply have to be brutal to be effective". If you haven't accepted this fact then don't even bother trying any of the below...
Heavy front squats
Heavy front squats really thickened my quads up. Because of my height, my stature isn't suited to the back squat, so I much prefer these for heavy reps.
Power cleans from hang
These developed strength, power and size in all areas of my lower body. I usually do 6-8 sets of 2-3 reps. Olympic style lifts such as this torch your fast twitch muscles fibres. These are the ones with most potential for growth.
Prowler sprints and sled work
My legs responded really well to eccentric-less training. They're great for hitting the fast twitch fibres and as an added bonus they're great fat loss tools
High volume work
Your legs hold your bodyweight up all day, so you can imagine they're very big, strong muscles and it takes a lot to tear them down! You need to push the volume up on your leg workouts if you really want to see results. Try GVT (10 sets of 10). Or if you really want push the envelope try this quads workout for 3 weeks consecutivley. I did and saw some great results.
Front squats 10 x 6
(Superset)
Back squats 10 x 8
Signalling
Signalling is a technique that involves sending signals to your body pointing it in the direction you want it to go in. Actor Tom hardy says he has used it for a few film roles. I like to use it for my calves. Now I know it's not very practical for most to do this, but I work in a gym so I can. All I do is pick a day and aim to do 500 reps for my calves. I usually do calf press. Every 1-2 hours I would just do another 50-100 reps. It goes back to my previous point on high volume training.
Your mum, dad, nan, grandad, best freinds cousin, sister, girlfriend, boyfriend, favourite superhero, neighbour should all do some resistance training. Even you should! Regardless of your goal, weight training should have some place in your workout routine. Here's 5 reasons why, and believe me I'm only just touching the surface here...
Weights dramatically change your body composition...
Training with weights has the incredible power to help you increase muscle, lose body fat, even do both at the same time! So whatever your goal you can use weights to sculpt your perfect body.
More muscle means more calories burnt at rest...
Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning the more you have, the more calories you will burn just to maintain that tissue. Increase your metabolic rate you'll torch through calories just by being you. Great for fat loss.
Take advantage of the afterburner effect...
Weight training is great because it creates this after burn effect. Basically your going to carry on burning calories for hours after your resistance workout because the muscles have to repair themselves and this burns calories.
Heavy weights builds bone density...
If you have stronger bones you'll be less likely to get injured. As you get older bone mass starts to degrade, however you can reverse this easily by incorporating some resistance training into your routine.
Weight training enhances the central nervous system...
If you have an improved cns you'll have faster reactions. This crosses over into hundreds of daily tasks and situations. For example, just dropped your keys over a drain? No worries you'll be able to react lightening quick and grab them before the even hit the drain. Some fool just took swing for you in a nightclub? No problem, you'll easily be able to squat down and dodge it. And hell, with the strength you develop, maybe even lamp them one back if they deserve it.
Weight training should not be overlooked. Period
In the run up to summer, guys and girls alike start manipulating carbs in some way in an attempt to lose fat and achieve their goals. Some cycle carbs, having a few low carb days followed by a carb up day. Some carb backload, having carbs only after their workout and some eradicate carbs all together! A lot of the fad diets that seem to come in and out of fashion involve some sort of carb manipulation as well. But what if I said I know 5 rules you can abide by all year round that mean you'll be in great shape all year round and won't need to worry about flaffing around with carbs 6 weeks before your holiday to Ibiza or Marbella. You'd probably want in right? Well here you go....
Skip carbs at breakfast
I've touched on this point in a previous post. When you eat carbs they release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps you sleep. Not a great way to start your day I'm sure you'll agree. The phrase "carb coma" ring any bells? A combination of protein and healthy fats for breakfast will allow for a gradual rise in blood sugar levels right up till lunch. You'll also feel more alert all morning.
Carbs at night are ok
Leading on from my last point a small portion of carbs at night is perfectly ok. The media will have you believe this is a cardinal sin! However, they will help you sleep. A better nights sleep means you'll recover faster from exercise, lose fat faster, gain muscle quicker and feel better.
Choose the right carbs for the right situation
Throughout the day you want to stick to low GI carbs. These will ensure a constant blood sugar level. However after your workout opt for a higher GI carb. The sharp rise in in blood sugar levels post work out will deliver a big insulin spike which will shuttle nutrients and glycogen back into your tired muscles, helping you recover faster.
Earn your carbs
If you live by this simple rule you'll never need to 'diet' ever again. It would be quite possible to keep a lean body all year round. The rule means exactly what it says, if you train hard you've earnt those carbs so eat them!
For weight loss avoid inflammatory grains
If your main goal is fat loss, avoiding carbs all together probably isn't the best tactic. Avoiding inflammortary grains, however is a good way forward. These include white rice, pasta, white breads and white flour. These grains are acidic (read my last post on the importance of balancing ph within the body). These refined grains also cause a rise in blood sugar and insulin. Imagine this happening every time you eat! Excess insulin in your body not only promotes the storage of inflammatory body fat, but it also activates enzymes that promote the production of inflammatory messengers. This is bad news for not only your fitness goals but also your health!
Probably the most boring post title ever right? But I urge you to carry on reading because by the end of the article you'll be armed with information that will take your physique to the next level!...
It occurred to me a few weeks back, whilst my calves were burning with lactic acid from the gym and I was about to tuck into my 4th portion of meat for the day, that "damn my body must be one hell of an acidic environment!". Post exercise by-products such as lactic acid and consuming most meats leaves the body in a very acidic state. Now combine that with the fact that I've been doing this for over 3 years and the fact that I don't eat enough alkanalising foods, it wouldn't be a surprise if my blood was so acidic it would melt through any obstical in its course like a scene from the film Alien!
Now I bet your thinking "I've been training hard and eating meat for years, and I'm fine". I'll be honest, I was quite naive to the whole subject too at first. My friend, Ben Lauder-Dykes (personal trainer for Ultimate Performance gym in London) brought the subject up in conversation once, but I didn't pay that much attention and wanted to talking about more interesting stuff. So what does an acidic environment in the body mean? Well, it's been linked with insomnia (now you know how important a good nights sleep is right), headaches, aches and pains, fatigue (oh no, how are you going to train harder today than you did yesterday) and an acidic person may also be bit grouchy. Can you see how all of these could become a potential barrier to achieving your fitness, muscle building and fat loss goals!
So what, stop exercising and eating meat? Nope, just make sure you consume more alkalising foods to balance it out. Here's a list of common alkalising foods and acidic foods. You'll probably notice alot of the alkalising foods are generally acidic in nature, but once eaten and digested they leave behind an alkali residue. Vice versa for the acidic foods.
Common alkalising foods
Broccoli
Asparagus
Apple
Lemon
Pineapple
Grapefruit
Orange
Lime
Green tea
Herbal tea
Yoghurt
Eggs
All berries
Common acidic foods
Beef
Salmon
Turkey
Lamb
Rabbit
Venison
Lobster
Avocado oil
Oats
Rice
Milk
Cheese
Sweets and chocolate
Alcohol
Take home tips to balance out the PH in your body...
-eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
-aim to drink more green tea
-a slice of lemon or lime in your drinking water makes it taste better and alkalises you
-try eating a grapefruit with your breakfast. As well as an alkalising effect, it helps burn fat and provides a massive hit of vitamin C
As a personal trainer, if a female comes to me 9 times out of 10 the areas they want to work on are the back of their arm, tummy, legs and bum. Browsing round the internet is like a minefield of false, confusing information that can leave you more confused than in the first place. So i'll keep it simple - Here's 5 reasons you still can't get that dream ass:
You don't squat deep enough
Any piece of fitness literature aimed at women after a good bum will tell them they need to be doing squats. What it doesn't normally say is you need to squat down as low as you can. The top half of the squat activates the quads, but it isn't until you get down low that the hamstrings and glutes (bum) fire up.
You don't train your pelvic floor
Believe it or not, if the pelvic floor becomes dysfunctional (commonly caused by pregnancy) the gluteus maximus fibres of the bum become hyperactive as they help stabilise the pelvis and the stomach contents. This in turn will lead to atrophy (shrinkage) of other muscles of the bum. So how do you train your pelvic floor? Quite easy, in fact you don't even need a gym. Imagine your going for a wee, and you want to stop it. You don't squeeze you legs, or abs, you squeeze the muscle underneath your stomach. That's your pelvic floor. Try 3x 8-12 reps. Pause on each rep for a few seconds, relax then repeat. Just remember to keep breathing whilst you do it.
Poor nutrition
The best workout in the world won't work if you don't fuel it with proper nutrition and allow the body to recover. For some meal ideas, have a look around my blog for articles called '5 meal ideas'. That should give you some inspiration for meals you could try.
Tight hamstrings
Tight hamstrings will pull down on the pelvis, rocking it back. This will create the illusion the your bum is smaller than it is. If you have optimal hamstring flexibility you should be able lie on the floor and bend your leg to 90 degrees, whilst keeping your knee joint straight.
You don't lunge wide enough
I see plenty of girls in the gym doing this pathetic little lunge, which is really only working the quads. Instead, lighten the weight and lunge forward as far and as deep as you can. This will have your hamstrings and glutes burning like nothing else and you'll be well on your way to getting that dream bum!
I really do hope this post has given you some ideas you can use in your own training to help you on the way to your goals. As always, any questions please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Cardio does suck! In my opinion I couldn't think of anything worse than getting on a treadmill for half an hour! Sometimes, however it needs to be done. For that last bit of fat loss that gets you in razor sharp conditioning for the beach or a photoshoot, cardio really does help. Here's 5 ways you could make cardio more, well, interesting...
Sprints on a static treadmill
Stand on a switched of treadmill, hold onto the front railings, lean into it and sprint as fast as you can. The weight of the belt is a great resistance to work against. It's also a great way to piss off your gym manager! Try 6 sprints of 20 secs. Resting 1 minute between intervals.
Thick grip rowing
Try doing some rowing with fat gripz on the handles. It's great for increasing forearm activation from a bit of cv kit. I'll give you 5 minutes before your forearms are burning, and 5 weeks before your forearms start to resemble Popeyes!
Backwards walking on a treadmill
Set the treadmill to a rather steep incline and walk backwards on it. You'll feel a burn in your quads like no other! When you walk normally your hamstrings and glutes are greatly activated, but by walking backwards it shifts emphasis onto your quads and calves helping to create balance in your lower body.
Interaval training
People still think cardio means steady state, same pace for 30 + minutes. If you're one of these I urge you to try interval training. In laymans terms this means a serious of repeated intervals, each one for a set time. For example - 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds of walking, this would then be repeated for 10,15,20... minutes. Interval training is great for burning fat, training for many sports and its very time efficient.
Try not doing cardio
If your ones of those "I go to the gym for an hour and stay on the treadmill for an hour" types, take a step off. Try some weight training. Even if your goal is fat loss. Weight training creates a huge metabolic deficit, meaning you'll carry on burning calories for hours after you've finished your workout.
Summer is just around the corner here in the UK (whether we actually get to see any sun is another question). This means a great opportunity to train outside and get a change of scenery from the same old 4 walls of the gymnasium. I love training outside, but you need some of your own kit to do it right? Wrong! You can do sprints. All you need for this is a length of grass or Tarmac and your body. Sprinting is a great fat loss tool. I reccommend starting small and working up, so try a 20 metre sprint followed by a walk back repeated 4-8 times. Like with all training this should try and be progressed either by increasing the sprint distance, decreasing rest periods or increasing number of sprints. Still need some persuasion as to why you should start sprints? Here's 5 reasons:
Sprint for fat loss
Sprints melt fat fast. Studies have shown a 10-20% reduction in body fat over a 12 week period. This obviously depends on previous exercise background and the protocol followed.
Sprint for fast twitch muscle activation
Sprinting is an extremely explosive activity, which means it is fantastic for activating the fast twitch fibres which could lead to hypertrophy is these muscles. Sprinting is also great at releasing anabolic hormones, testosterone and GH. Both are great for muscle building and losing body fat.
Sprint for a time saving workout
You can have a good sprint workout in 20-30 minutes, warm up included!
Sprint for increased endurance
Don't be fooled into thinking for increased endurance you HAVE to train for endurance. Sprint training can help increase endurance. It does this by teaching the muscles to store more glycogen, meaning you'll have more gas in the tank when you need it and sprints teach your body to remove waste products more efficiently from the muscles during training.
Sprint for improved heart health
It goes without saying, any form of exercise is going to improve your heart health which has a positive knock on effect throughout the rest of your life. Sprinting makes your heart work very hard, compared with aerobic training.
Last summer I combined sprint training with weight training and did 3 days in the gym followed by 1 day outside doing sprint drills. Such a great way of training! Check out the workouts for that program here: http://fitinfivehundredwords.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/becoming-bolt-4-week-sprint-inspired.html
...Sprints for the win!
