The secret weapon

L-leucine, meet the gunpowder of the bodybuilding world. By adding increased amounts of this amino acid into your diet you could literally watch your muscles blow up! Here's 5 reasons/tips as to why it's so important and could benefit your muscle building and recovery goals...

- L-leucine is a branched chain amino acid. It cannot be made in the body and must therefore be obtained from the diet.

- the amino acid leucine is essential for protein synthesis. This is because it directly activates the gene pathways responsible for building muscle.

- try adding 5g of leucine into your post-workout shake and 5g with your pre-bed meal or shake. This will literally "switch on" and pull the trigger on protein synthesis/the muscle building effect at the times you need it.

- make a mediocre meal into an anabolic powerhouse! Simply by sprinkling a few grams of leucine on it. Leucine with a protein-rich meal further increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis.

- older people, especially over the age of 40, will not experience as much of a post-workout metabolism boost unless leucine is present, therefor it may be worth adding additional leucine after your workout.



For 10% off all Myprotein products, use discount code 007PT80

Stairway to heaven

.....or hell! I did a calf workout the other day that is just pure evil! I just have to share it with you guys! Despite being extremely simplistic, it is a challenge and does involve a high amount of volume to really torture your calves into new growth! All you need is - a small dumbbell, a set of stairs and a high pain tolerance. 

The way it works is simple, you do 10 reps per leg of standing calf raises then move up a step. 10 reps per leg again and move up to the next step. And just keep working your way to the top. The beauty of doing it unilaterally is 1 leg gets a rest whilst the other is working. However if you need additional rest, especially when you get close to the top, by all means take it. 

I used a 10kg dumbbell and did 24 steps. That's a total of 240 reps of standing calf raises per leg! 

Because of the volume of this workout I'd only use it for a total of 4-6 weeks. You could even alternate it with a lower volume calf session. Or just use it once every so often as a shock tactic. 

It's easy to progress this type of workout too. You can either:

A) use a heavier weight
B) complete more steps
C) do more reps per leg
D) aim to complete the same amount of steps/reps in a faster amount of time 


After completing this session you might want to avoid the stairs for the next few days...don't say I didn't warn you! 

Alpha male mobility

When you walk into a room, whether it be the gym or a job interview. You want people to respect you right? You want people to look at you and think "that person oozes confidence and it looks like they know what they're doing!" What do you think you can do to give this impression off? Add some lean muscle? I guess, but that isn't for everyone. Let me give you a clue, it's all about how you walk and carry yourself...Improve your posture!

I originally developed this little routine for myself, to improve my posture, mobilty and relieve tight areas. It worked! I started to notice some of my clients had the same tight areas and needed improved posture, so I'd recommend it to them. Guess what? it worked! They experienced less lower back pain, improved posture and faster recovery. Perform it at either the start of your session, end of your session or any time during the week. Aim to do it 3 times a week to see the best from it. And females don't be put off by the title, it'll have the exact same benefits for you.

Alpha male mobilty routine

IT band foam roll
A tight IT band will usually cause pain in the knees and hips! Foam rolling them will loosen them up. Aim for 60 secs each leg.

Glute hockey ball SMR
Locked up glutes will cause back pain and prevent you from squatting deep. This drill is decently uncomfortable to say the least. But bare with it. If it hurts to much, start with a tennis ball. Spend 90 secs on each butt cheek.

Quads foam roll
Tight quads will pull the pelvis down rocking it forward. This will create stress on the lower back. And if really bad, will show signs of lumbar lordosis. If the hips are out of alignment they will put the whole spine out, creating very poor posture. Spend 90 secs exploring each leg.

Fire hydrant spine twists
For this one, come down onto your hands and knees. Place one hand on the side of your head, then twist round to bring your elbow to elbow. Keep a nice flat back throughout. This will help improve thoracic spine mobility. Do 8 reps each side.

Groiners 
In a press-up position bring one foot up and get it as close to your hand as possible. Pause for a second, then change legs. This will help loosen the hip joint and relieve lower back tightness. Aim for 6 reps each leg.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch
Tight hip flexors will pull the pelvis down rocking it forward. This will create stress on the lower back. And if really bad, will show signs of lumbar lordosis. Hold each leg for 30 secs.

TRX chest stretch
A tight chest will pull the shoulders forward creating a hunched posture. The trx chest stretch will open the chest back up creating better posture. Hold for 30 secs.


As always, any questions, get in touch!

5 mistakes you're making when training back

It's on the list - thick chest, chiseled abs, big arms and a v-shape back. But guys always struggle to build an impressive back. You can always tell the ones that lack a good back, because they walk around with their lats flared to try and compensate for the lack of width. So you've got 2 choices. 2 very easy choices. Either eradicate these 5 mistakes from your back day routine, or continue to walk round like you've got a coat hanger down your t-shirt! The choice is yours.....

You don't train it 
You might do a back day, but do you train it with the exact same intensity as when you do biceps in front of the mirror whilst the blonde treadmill bunny is watching? Probably not. 

You don't visualize 
With muscles like chest and biceps you can see the muscles working. You squeeze harder at the top of each rep and as a result the intensity ramps up, but you can't see your back. That's where you need to really work on the mind-muscle connection. Visualize your back contracting hard at the top of each rep. Imagine it getting wider after each rep. Why walk out of the gym after your session when you could be flying on your newly built wings...

You fail to hit your back with a pull, row and a lift
If you want complete back devepment, you need to hit it from all angles. The back can do 3 main movements:

Horizontal pull (rope facepull, seated row)

Vertical pull (pull ups, lat pull downs)

Hip dominant (deadlift, good morning)

You neglect grip strength 
If your grip isn't strong enough you won't be able to pull or lift a sufficent amount of weight to have a significant training effect on your back. 

You don't use a relevant tempo
Going back to caveman times when man had to catch his own food. The back and biceps were made to grab and hold. With that said, a slow tempo on the eccentric portion of exercises like dumbell rows and pull ups work really well for your back. Try 4010 (4 seconds down, 1 second up). Isometric holds also work well as a shock tactic for back training. How do you do that? Easy, hold the exercise in the top position for as long as you can. 

Peri-workout supplements for lean muscle

I didn't start seeing proper results until I did 2 things.

1. Work harder

2. Not neglecting the fact that peri-workout supplementation is paramount!


In the last year, by focusing on these 2 points I've seen some of the best results of my life. Take a look at this before/after shot. On the left is pic from August 2012 (69kg) and on the right is one from August 2013 (73kg).

Today I wanted to talk about point number 2. Peri-workout supplementation. This basically means the supplements you take before, during and after your workout. Now I used to have a whey protein shake after my workout with a fast digesting carb. Which is great, but I was neglecting things. This was potentially holding me back from making each workout better than the last, which if you want results, is what you need to do! Now I'm forever experimenting with different products, but right now this is what I believe to be the most effective peri-workout supplement stack for lean muscle and strength gains....

PRE-WORKOUT

⚫ Caffeine - this fires up the adrenal glands and increases energy for the session. Aim for 5-10mg per kg of bodyweight. You'll have to experiment with this as its obviously going to be down to your tolerance to caffiene. You want to feel a good buzz, what you don't want is to be so jittery and shakey you can't even focus on a task for less than 5 seconds!

⚫ L-carnitine - boosts certain neurotransmitters that control focus and drive. Try 2000mg.

INTRA-WORKOUT

⚫ BCAA's in water - sip 10-15g grams of powdered BCAA's during your session. This will help prevent catabolism. BCAA's also compete with the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to the calming neurotransmitter serotonin. In non-fitness geek terms, this means it will prevent you from getting a sleepy slump half way through your workout.



POST-WORKOUT

⚫ Whey protein - aim for 30-40g of good quality whey. This will increase protein sysnthises and help your muscles recover.

⚫ Vitargo - a fast digesting carb such as vitargo will help replenish depleted glycogen levels after your workout. Depending on your goal, aim for 50-100g.

⚫ Glutamine - this amino acid is needed for cell growth and serves as fuel for the immune system. During periods of heavy, intense training, muscle and blood glutamine levels drop quite dramatically. Therefore athletes/trainees are more susceptible to infection at this time. Glutamine after your workout will help replenish levels, and support the immune system. Go for 5-10 grams.

combine this stack with a good diet and some intense workouts, you'll see some epic results! I look forward to seeing your before/after photos...

To receive an exclusive 10% off all myprotein supplements use discount code: 007PT80

Ultimate obliques

I get asked a lot how to get those lines up the sides of your stomach. They look cool right? Ladies love 'em and they're responsible for hundreds of daily activities like twisting to pick your shopping bags up and supporting the core. Visually, the obliques help add detail to the torso and draw attention to the main event, the 6 pack. I would say they're visually one of my best muscles. Here's a candid iPhone shot I took the other night....

Now to get them showing through, your bodyfat needs to be sub 10%, so a good clean diet is a must. However training them will help strengthen and develop them so they pop through. Here's 5 of my favourite exercises I use and reccomend to everyone to train your obliques effectively.


Seated medicine ball twist - a classic! this should be in everyones routine. use an 8-10kg med ball and aim for 20-30 reps for 3-4 sets. Try to perform it with your feet of the floor for more of a challenge.


1 arm kettlebell rack walks - I love these! By using just 1 kettlebell you offset the weight and make your obliques engage more. 3-4 sets of 30 metres


Cable woodchop - aim to keep that neutral spine through this one, its so easy to mess up. Aim for 3 sets each side of 8-12 reps.


Hanging windshield wiper - this is a toughy and will leave you in bit for days after, but its a great exercise. Do as many revolutions as you can for 3-4 sets.


Side crunch to twist on exercise ball - this is a great money exercise for your obliques. They work to flex the torso up and rotate it around. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps. If you've got the big boy pants on, hold a dumbbell or weight plate.



Pick 2-3 of the exercises each time you train your obliques and try them for 3-4 weeks to see how your body responds to them. Any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch

Happy training!

Lighter fluid for the fat burning furnace

A big part of fat loss is about developing little habits. Little habits that all add up to produce fast, effective results. I would urge everyone that wants to lose weight fast and effectively to incorporate these 2 habits into their daily life. Let me introduce 2 of the best fat burning drinks you can drink.....

Iced water - drinking 2L of water a day consecutivley for 6 months alone can produce up to a 5% loss  in body fat. Try adding ice, and this adds a completely new benefit. Because the ice is cold, your body has to work to warm it back up to body temperature. This raises your resting metabolic rate, meaning your total calories expended per day will increase.

Green tea with lemon - studies have shown green tea can cause weightloss from a mild increase in thermogenesis, ie. calorie burning. This is partly from its caffeine content and partly from its catechins and flavanols content. As another benefit it contains some strong anti-oxidants. Try and find real green tea leaves as opposed to the tea bags as they're much more potent. Adding a slice of lemon makes it taste a little better and helps alkalise the body. Aim for anything from 1-3 cups a day.