Saturday, August 29, 2015
20 Must-Read Questions With Figure Olympia Champ Nicole Wilkins!
The 15 Best Fruit Beers
The man who rewrote the blueprint to build muscle
Building muscle is a science. It requires an in-depth understanding of both nutrition and physiology. Yes, some people are genetically gifted to build more than others, but generally the laws of muscular hypertrophy – an increase in the size of skeletal muscle – apply to everyone, regardless of genetic advantages.
No man understands this better than Dorian Yates. One of the greatest bodybuilders ever to grace the stage, the Englishman was crowned Mr Olympia six consecutive times from 1992-1997. For a six-year period, there was not a man on Earth who’d built more muscle and lost more body fat than Yates. (In fact only three men – including Arnold Schwarzenegger – have won the title more times.)
In his prime, the 1.78m-tall Yates weighed around 130kg off-season. Closer to a competition, though, he would step onto the scales at 118kg with a body fat level that was so low he looked as if he was carved out of granite.
How low, exactly? ‘I was never quite sure,’ Yates says modestly. ‘Skinfold callipers are only accurate up until a certain point. So at a guess I’d say less than 3%, but I’m not sure.’
This is – I soon learn – a typical answer from Yates. His achievements are immense, but he wraps them in humility. This is partly why he was known in the bodybuilding world as ‘The Shadow’. In a sport of extroverts who relished the opportunity to show off the results of their hard work, Yates would simply turn up, unzip his tracksuit, walk on stage and unassumingly leave the competition with the trophy in his gym bag.
‘I didn’t mind posing on stage, but it wasn’t my favourite part,’ he says. ‘I enjoyed working out the best way to train, studying nutrition and doing my own diet and learning all about every aspect of this. To me that was the best part of the challenge.’
As a scholar of bodybuilding, Yates pioneered a new method of exercise called ‘high-intensity training’. Expanding on the work of former Mr Olympia Mike Mentzer and Mentzer’s coach Arthur Jones, he created his own system that focused on reaching maximum muscle stimulation through short, high-intensity workout sessions rather than long workouts.
Here we attempt to explain what’s special about Yates’s high-intensity training method and what it can do for you. Although it would take a whole book to do his teachings and philosophies justice, we’ve condensed the key points to provide an introduction to his timeless training methodologies.
Muscular Hypertrophy 101
Strength is very different to muscular hypertrophy. Strength on its most basic level can be defined as a muscle’s (or group of muscles’) ability to produce force. Therefore strength depends on a number of neuromuscular processes, not just the size of the muscle. This is why Chinese Olympic lifter Liao Hui can put a 166kg snatch and 198kg clean and jerk above his head despite only weighing 69kg.
Muscular hypertrophy is something slightly different. This is a long-term, adaptive response to neuromuscular stimulation of a given minimum intensity. Put more simply, it’s the result of certain training regime designed to increase in the size of skeletal muscle, with less emphasis on the strength component. This is the type of training that produced 118kg of title-winning Dorian Yates.
High-Intensity Training
In very simple terms, Yates’s high-intensity method would typically involve one or two warm-up sets and one working set for each exercise. Just one working set might seem surprising, but Yates says, ‘I’d perform a set with 100% energy to 100% failure, then beyond to 100% fatigue – and I won’t do another set until I feel that the muscles have recuperated 100%, however long that takes. One set at that extreme intensity does the muscle-building job. For anyone trying this system, if you feel you can attempt a second set, you couldn’t have been pulling out all the stops during the first set.’
Because the focus is on working the muscles to complete failure, another set becomes impossible to do with the same intensity.
Repetition/Weight Scheme
Yates believed there was a more effective way to build muscle than just lifting the most weight. This was an idea supported by researchers from the Lundberg Laboratory for Human Muscle Function and Movement Analysis at Göteborg University. Their aim was ‘to identify dose-response relationships for the development of muscle hypertrophy by calculating the magnitudes and rates of increases in muscle cross-sectional area induced by varying levels of frequency, intensity and volume, as well as by different modes of strength training’.
Put more simply: what type of repetition range, volume and intensity builds the most muscle?
What the scientists concluded was that using a moderately heavy weight – approximately 60% to 75% of your one-rep maximum – and performing this lift until failure elicited the best results for muscle hypertrophy. This is not to say lifting maximal loads is not without its merits, but generally speaking lifting with sub-maximal weight to failure builds most muscle.
It’s true that in Yates’s famous training DVD Blood And Guts, he’s seen throwing around inhumane amounts of metal. But when asked if he’s among the strongest bodybuilders in the world, he replies, ‘I don’t think so. I've seen some of the poundages that [eight-time Mr Olympia] Ronnie Coleman uses and I don’t think I could ever duplicate that. Ronnie's probably stronger than me. He comes from a powerlifting background.’
He also adds, ‘But this wasn’t my goal. My goal was to put the optimal amount of weight and stress on the muscle to elicit the most muscle hypertrophy.’
Time to Grow
This idea was supported by 2012 research published in the Journal Of Physiology that wanted to ‘determine if the time that muscle is under loaded tension during low-intensity resistance exercise affects the synthesis of specific muscle protein fractions’. In plain English: will more time lifting the weight produce more, better-quality muscle?
To find out, the researchers got eight men to perform three sets of unilateral knee extension exercise at 30% of one-rep max. Some participants completed the exercise slowly, lifting for a total of six seconds. Others performed the same exercise, with the same weight, but completed the action in one second.
The results? After ingesting 20 grams of protein and monitoring how the body absorbed and used it, they found that ‘myofibrillar protein synthetic rate was higher in the slow condition group compared to the fast one’. In simple terms, the muscles in the group that experienced more time under tension experienced a greater degree of protein synthesis – the repair and regrowth of the muscles.
In summary, that is how one man rewrote the blueprint for building muscle – and Yates’s expanding global empire indicates that it’s still relevant today. With millions following his teachings on social media, a new Temple Gym being built in Marbella and an impending book and HIT Academy for personal trainers, it seems his contribution to the world of bodybuilding and fitness has not finished being written.
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Friday, August 28, 2015
The NFL Lineman Workout: Get Lean, Stay Powerful
Thursday, August 27, 2015
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 2, Day 25
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True Muscle Trainer: Phase 2, Day 24
Wales Rugby pre-World Cup training
George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Sam Warburton and their Wales team-mates have been straining every sinew and working every sweat gland to get as fit as humanly possible ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Here, MaxiNutrition takes us behind the scenes to their training camp at the Vale near Cardiff where the team have been working on their power endurance with repeated blasts on SkiErgs and Wattbikes.
And to further boost their work capacity in a bid to run opponents off their feet, this video reveals they’re also using strongman training methods with tugs of war, human carries and even pushing Merc hatchbacks around a rugby field.
Wales have been especially susceptible to losing late on in matches against their World Cup pool opponents Australia – most recently going down 28-33 in Cardiff last autumn – and the team are recruiting every method possible to ensure they can go the distance this year.
In pre-season they’ve scaled the Swiss Alps for altitude training, endured sprint sessions in 40°C heat in Doha, Qatar, and now returned to the altitude and cryotherapy chambers of their Vale of Glamorgan home.
‘The pre-tournament training camp was brutal, a real test for the human body and for the whole Wales squad,’ says North, Wales’s instrumental winger. ‘It was really intense – we were 2,000 metres above sea level too, so the altitude meant an extra drain on body.’
‘With the heat and the nature of the training, recovery was essential – it contributed to performance and let us get the most out of the sessions,’ North says.
‘Getting the right protein, balanced diet and sleep was very important. After a session, I’d have a MaxiNutrition shake and I’d be snacking on the MaxiNutrition Promax bars too.’
Come the World Cup final on 31st October, you can bet the best team to win the tournament will most likely be the fittest one too.
MaxiNutrition is the #1 expert-recommended sports protein brand, with a strong heritage in rugby. MaxiNutrition’s products include a unique triple-release fast-acting, slow-release formulation. Click here to find out more.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Ask a Chef: Building a Better Salad
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Today's Conspiracy Theory: Daniel LaRusso Was Actually the Bad Guy in 'Karate Kid'
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Better Beds for Backpackers
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Tough Mudder interval training
Nothing recreates the strength-draining, cardio-sapping ebb and flow of an obstacle-packed Tough Mudder course quite like interval training. ‘It allows the body to adapt very quickly to a wide variety of demands, especially if you incorporate upper and lower body strength work and all of your different energy systems,’ says Luke Chamberlain of Impulse Fitness.
‘A Tough Mudder will challenge your aerobic energy system during the run, your anaerobic energy system on obstacles that require explosive strength such as Hero Walls, and your intermediate energy system for strength endurance-based obstacles such as Hold Your Wood 2.0. Interval training allows you to tackle all of these elements in one workout in a format that’s very similar to the event itself, making it an excellent training tool for anyone preparing to tackle a Tough Mudder.’
How to do this workout
‘The A move in every set is designed to work your anaerobic energy system, so try and perform them as explosively as possible,’ says Chamberlain. ‘The B move will test your strength endurance, while the C move will work your aerobic energy system to build endurance. Perform 30-60 seconds of continuous walking - depending on your fitness levels - as active recovery between every exercise.’
To help track your progress and improve your fitness, use the step counter on your SmartWatch 3 or SmartBand Talk from Sony - both of which synch with the XperiaTM Z3 via Sony’s Lifelog app - to monitor how many steps you need to take between each exercise to recover, and then aim to reduce that amount during every subsequent workout. You can also use the calorie counting function on both devices to monitor how many calories you burn during every session. As your fitness improves, this number should keep going up. If it doesn’t, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough!
1A Plyometric box jump
Sets 1
Reps 4
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
1B Monkey bar traverse
Sets 1
Time 30-45sec
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
1C Treadmill run
Sets 1
Distance 500-1000m
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
2A Thruster
Sets 1
Reps 8
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
2B Incline treadmill sprint
Sets 1
Time 30-45sec
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
2C Dead hang
Sets 1
Time 60sec
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
3A Deadlift to upright row
Sets 1
Reps 12
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
3B Bear crawls
Sets 1
Time 30-45sec
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
3C Rowing
Sets 1
Distance 500-1000m
Rest 30-45sec active recovery
You can pick up the new Xperia Z3+ and Sony’s SmartWear at Carphone Warehouse now.
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Monday, August 24, 2015
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 19
How to Make the Perfect Sweet and Spicy Short Rib Sandwich
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 18
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Saturday, August 22, 2015
Ask Dr. Bob: Eating More Vegetables, Protecting Your Teeth, and Injury-Proofing Your Body
Friday, August 21, 2015
Military Colors Done Right
We 'Mirin Volume 120: 14 EPIC SELFIES
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Thursday, August 20, 2015
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 17
How to Dress Like an American Super Spy
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 15
Monday, August 17, 2015
'Outlaw Chronicles': True Stories with the Hells Angels
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 14
Workout of the Week #31
Take on your Men's Fitness workout of the week, a new 52-part series to keep you inspired and challenged for 2015. We'll post a new workout every Monday and for an added incentive, we'll take on the workout too so you can see how your best time compares with a member of the MF team.
Workout of the Week #31
Beat the clock pull-ups: On minute one do two pull-ups, on minute two do four pull-ups, etc until failure
How to do the workout:
Hog a pull-up bar and start a timer. At the start of every minute, do pull-ups, using the rest of the minute to rest. On the first minute do two pull-ups, on the second do four pull-ups and repeat. Stop when you can't complete all the required pull-ups within that minute and note down how far you get. Try and beat that number on your next go.
Watch the video, take on the challenge and post your best score in the comments section below.
MF's par time: 10 pull-ups/five min
This workout was shot at The Athlete Centre in Oxford. Check out our Workout of the Week YouTube playlist for more gym challenges. Subscribe to the Men's Fitness YouTube channel for our weekly Workouts of the Week, posted every Monday throughout 2015.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Best Beers and Labels Brewed in Spite
True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 12
Upgrader diary: fitness model part 4
Having made it through my first comp without anything disastrous happening, I decided to enter myself into the Pure Elite show on 27th September. But before my programming ramps up again, I’m heading on holiday to Amsterdam with my mates.
It will be hard to stick to my diet while they all rub my face in it eating whenever and whatever they like, but I’m still going to train while I’m there. I've emailed a gym and managed to get a week’s guest pass, so I’ll be doing my cardio and weight sessions in the morning before heading out for the rest of the day.
When I’m back from holiday I’ll start doing some posing practice and will sort out a new routine for Pure Elite that I'm totally comfortable with. I also want to work on my chest, but at the moment I'm just focusing on getting even more shredded than last time and seeing how far I can push myself.
My latest stack of goodies from ON arrived today. It was like Christmas! The supplements make getting pumped for the gym so much easier, especially when dieting. Having a Gold Standard Pre Workout or Amino Energy wakes me up no matter how I’m feeling and gives me the energy for an intense workout.
I have nine weeks to prepare for Pure Elite, which is more than I had for the last competition. So I’m pretty optimistic. I’m also in a much better starting position. When I commenced my Upgrade challenge I was around 99kg. This time I'm 93kg, aiming to be around 88kg when I step on stage. If I manage that I could get a spot on the podium. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even win.
Coach’s verdict
After such an intense period of training and dieting, Matt gradually taking his foot off the gas is a good idea. His body was stressed during the last few weeks before his comp, so it’s nice to be able to add in some extra calories and reduce his training frequency… for a little while anyway.
It’s amazing that Matt enjoyed his last comp and has signed up for Pure Elite already, but that means we are going to have to continue to make improvements away from the bright lights of the stage so he really impresses next time he is up there.
The full-body workout
Thursday, August 13, 2015
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Fitbit Surge review: how smart is it?
Fitbit’s latest innovation, the Surge, has a simplistic design – but don’t be fooled. While it guarantees the basic functions that you’d expect from every fitness watch – tracking speed, distance and time - it also includes features that might just catch you by surprise. In fact, it’s been branded a ‘superwatch’ thanks to several upgrades, which places it among the likes of Garmin’s Fenix 2 Multisport in the high-end market of fitness watches (and has a price of £199 to match). So can it compete?
Simple delivery
The Surge’s basic black-and-white touchscreen display makes navigation extremely easy, with the swipe of a finger enough to access your heart rate, pedometer and distance covered thanks to its eight sensors. Lightweight and comfortable on your wrist, whether you’re at your desk or in the gym you’ll hardly notice you’re wearing it – although its chunky core (a consequence of the heart rate monitor hidden underneath the face) renders it pretty impractical to wear while sleeping, despite its sleep tracker.
Style-wise the Surge, currently available in black with blue and tangerine coming soon, is a bit characterless – nothing about it is particularly striking. While fashion isn’t necessarily a prime factor with fitness watches, if the Surge is designed to be worn all day, there should be closer attention to styling. A useful fastening clip on the rubber strap to prevent loose ends flapping around.
All-rounder
We tested the Surge for a month but it was clear within a couple of hours – as soon as we set up the supporting phone app – that Fitbit had created something of a hybrid fitness watch, acting almost as a transition between a standard fitness watch and a smartwatch.
You can access the Surge’s settings on your phone to enable notifications that inform you of an incoming call or text, and while you’re not actually able to answer either, it’s a handy way of keeping up-to-date if your phone’s on silent. The only slight downside to this is that a Bluetooth connection must always be present, which can drain your phone battery a bit. Music control is a further addition, allowing you to pause and skip songs through the watch’s touchscreen or side buttons so you don't have to interrupt your workout.
Fit for purpose
What the Surge certainly doesn’t lack is a choice of training programmes to match your intended exercise. Choose the ‘run’ section and your options are free run, lap run (both GPS-enabled) and treadmill. Within ‘exercises’ you have bike and hike (both of which are also programmed to use GPS tracking), alongside weights, elliptical, spinning and workout. One advantage of so many options is that you can compare, for example, your heart rate and calories burned when lifting weights with spinning.
There are drawbacks. Fitbit claims the Surge, when fully charged, will last as many as seven days, but four to five days is a more realistic evaluation of its battery power. Additionally, while the heart rate monitor is responsive and accurate, the pedometer often overestimates the amount of steps taken. No device can measure each and every step, but even five steps are read as seven or eight, meaning it thinks you’ve reached your daily target sooner than you have. It makes you question the accuracy of its distance covered and calories burned readings as well. However, it’s not significantly worse than other watches so if you’re considering the Surge this perhaps shouldn’t be a crucial factor, just something to bear in mind.
Back on the positive side, the addition of GPS tracking is particularly effective. Before a run, users can initiate the GPS when choosing a training programme so that the Surge can track your route without your phone and then transmit the data to the website app, on which you can also submit a food diary, combining well with the slightly-inaccurate pedometer and exercises completed throughout the day.
Verdict
It undoubtedly has flaws but overall the Surge would enhance any training regime. The good certainly outweighs the bad, with its smartwatch functions, heart rate monitor and variety of training programmes particularly pleasing features, and at just under £200 it’s a decent-value alternative to more expensive fitness watches.
Rating: 7/10
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Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Henry Cavill’s top 5 tips for building a heroic body
Few Hollywood stars can boast the legit training credentials of Henry Cavill. Having bulked up to Kryptonian proportions to play Superman in 2013’s Man Of Steel, the 32-year-old slimmed down significantly for his role as thief-turned-spy Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s update of 1960s TV show The Man From U.N.C.L.E., only to have to put it all back on and more for next year’s eagerly-anticipated Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
His body transformations are all the more impressive given the gruelling nature of his schedule, which regularly saw him fit punishing workouts that would leave most gym-goers whimpering in the changing room – courtesy of first Gym Jones founder Mark Twight and, more recently, Michael Blevins – around brutal 14-hour shooting days. Here, Cavill explains how he managed this superhuman workload and achieved such otherworldly results.
1 BE ORGANISED
Put simply, it’s the only way to get things done. ‘The key is to block off chunks of time,’ says Cavill. ‘Don’t just write a list of things to do and try to get them all done as you go through the day. Wherever possible, give yourself a specific time and timeframe for each task, and you’ll be far more likely to actually get it done.’ This includes everything from meals and checking emails to hitting the gym. The more structured your day, the more productive you’ll be.
2 TRAIN AT YOUR FRESHEST
‘Normally I find that mornings are the best time for me to train, but when I was filming Batman vs Superman, that meant training at 5am, which wasn’t ideal,’ says Cavill. ‘The other option was training at 9pm after a full day of shooting which didn’t work either, so I ended up having to do what I could when I could to maintain my fitness. Really the best time of day to train is whenever you feel the strongest and you feel like you can actually perform at your best and get stuck in.’ This might require a bit of trial and error and may depend on your schedule, but it’s worth working it out to maximise your results.
3 TREAT YOURSELF
‘A lot of guys get caught up in only eating chicken and broccoli, chicken and broccoli, but I couldn’t do it – I’d shoot myself,’ says Cavill. ‘You can allow yourself to have a bit more variety, especially if you’re mass gaining. You can’t eat crap all the time, but you can enjoy a good burger. It’ll help you mentally as well as physically.’ And the occasional outright cheat meal isn’t out of the question either. ‘During the Batman vs Superman shoot there was a great place called the Vinsetta Garage in Michigan where we ate pizza and burgers that were second to none,’ he says, wistfully.
4 TEST YOUR TIREDNESS
‘Sometimes I’ll have days when I’m on my way to the gym and I’m just not feeling it,’ says Cavill. ‘At that point my coach, Michael Blevins, will say “OK, let’s just feel it out a bit”, and often I’ll find that once I get started, my energy will start kicking in and I’ll realise that actually I’m OK and good to go. But if by that point I’m still struggling, we’ll use the time to do something lighter instead, like go for a walk.’ The lesson? If you’re feeling tired, start your workout and gauge your body’s response. You might surprise yourself – but a scaled-down active recovery session is still far more productive than doing nothing at all.
5 FIND THE RIGHT TRAINER
‘You’ve got to find someone who’s really passionate about what they do, and isn’t just being a trainer to feed their ego because they think it’s cool,’ says Cavill. ‘Everyone’s got an ego, but you want somebody who’s thinking about you, not themselves – someone who’s prepared to really tailor what they’re doing to suit your needs.’ Not sure where to start with the host of PTs at your local gym? Watch them training their existing clients and see how much attention they’re actually giving them. Don’t be afraid to book one-off free trial sessions with multiple trainers in the same gym either – only the ones with huge egos will take it personally if you opt for one of their colleagues instead, and you’re far more likely to find one who’s in tune with your goals and personality.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Workout of the Week #30
Take on your Men's Fitness workout of the week, a new 52-part series to keep you inspired and challenged for 2015. We'll post a new workout every Monday and for an added incentive, we'll take on the workout too so you can see how your best time compares with a member of the MF team.
Workout of the Week #30
Do three sets of 50m farmer's walks and 20 alternating med ball press-ups as fast as you can.
Watch the video, take on the challenge and post your best score in the comments section below.
MF's par time: 6min
This workout was shot at The Athlete Centre in Oxford. Check out our Workout of the Week YouTube playlist for more gym challenges. Subscribe to the Men's Fitness YouTube channel for our weekly Workouts of the Week, posted every Monday throughout 2015.
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Monday, August 10, 2015
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Sunday, August 9, 2015
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True Muscle Trainer: Phase 1, Day 7
Upgrader diary: CrossFit - part 4
The #Upgrader – Alistair McGovern
The intensity of my training has definitely increased in the past month. Having spent the first couple of months focusing predominantly on my lifting technique and gymnastics work, it’s been great to incorporate some more ‘traditional’ CrossFit-style training into my workouts. This involved increasing the intensity and workload within each session, and adding more cardio-intensive workout protocols such as EMOM (every minute on the minute) and CrossFit-specific exercises such as muscle ups and handstand walks.
My lifts have gone up too. When I started my Upgrade, my back squat three rep max was 145kg, but when I re-tested it last week I managed 172.5kg for three, which is a dramatic jump! I feel stronger, fitter and faster, and I’m still noticing ongoing body composition improvements. I’ve had to buy a second batch of new t-shirts to accommodate my ever-expanding shoulders and I’m still getting leaner around my midsection.
One of my main goals when starting the Upgrade was to qualify for the Battle Of The Beasts competition. The deadline for the first qualifying round - for which you have to submit a video of yourself performing a six-minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of nine power cleans, six front squats and three overhead presses - is next week, but I’m feeling confident having done a very successful dummy run last week.
I’m still on track with my nutrition, too. I was ill for a few days with a neuro virus last month, and I ended up losing 3kg through not being able to eat for a few days, but I’ve managed to put 2kg of that back on since then. I’ve largely managed this by upping my carb intake to 450g a day and increasing my protein consumption to 200g per day (my fats have stayed the same at 100g). This has pushed my overall calorie intake up to roughly 4,500 a day, which is a lot of food to get through.
One thing that has changed slightly this month is my supplement regime, as I’ve started taking Optimum Nutrition’s new Pro BCAAs. The flavour has a slight hint of lemonade to it, which tastes even better than their previous version. Before my Upgrade I’d tried plain BCAAs, and they always tasted really chalky, so this is definitely an improvement. I’m also still enjoying my cookies and cream flavour Gold Standard Whey shake before training, and my Vanilla recovery powder afterwards.
Coach’s verdict
I’m really happy with Alistair’s progress. He’s done very well to fit all his training in around his job, and he’s managed to stay on track with his nutrition too. He’s even been making an effort with all extra things outside of the programme that will help him to excel, such as taking care of his recovery and going to bed early.
His overall strength and ability to do gymnastics for volume - which are two key skill components for CrossFit - have increased significantly, which allows us to focus on more intense conditioning work. The amount of weight he can now lift should set him in good stead to get through the first round of qualifiers for Battle Of The Beasts
The workout
PART 1
Back squat jumps
Sets 9
Reps 2
Rest as required
Back squat
Sets 6
Reps 2
Rest 1min
Handstand holds
Sets 8
Time 30sec
Rest 30sec
PART 2
Every minute on the minute
Time 24 minutes
Muscle-up
Reps 5
Rest for the remainder of the minute
Wall balls
Reps 15
Rest for the remainder of the minute
Handstand walk
Distance 15m
Rest for the remainder of the minute
Thursday, August 6, 2015
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Tuesday, August 4, 2015
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Workout of the Week #29
Take on your Men's Fitness workout of the week, a new 52-part series to keep you inspired and challenged for 2015. We'll post a new workout every Monday and for an added incentive, we'll take on the workout too so you can see how your best time compares with a member of the MF team.
Workout of the Week #29
Do three sets of 10 bodyweight deadlifts, 5 broad jumps and a 400m run at a 1% incline as fast as you can.
How to do the workout:
Set up a barbell with your bodyweight on it (so if you weigh 80kg you'll add 60kg to the 20kg barbell). Perform ten deadlifts, generating power by driving your hips forwards as you stand. After ten reps move onto the broad jumps. Jump powerfully as far as you can, using your arms for momentum, and focusing on a stable landing on both feet so you don't fall forwards. After five reps, jump on the treadmill, set to a 1% incline to replicate the conditions of road running, and run 400m as fast as you can. Repeat the circuit three times in total and rest as needed.
Watch the video, take on the challenge and post your best score in the comments section below.
MF's par time: 9min
This workout was shot at The Athlete Centre in Oxford. Check out our Workout of the Week YouTube playlist for more gym challenges. Subscribe to the Men's Fitness YouTube channel for our weekly Workouts of the Week, posted every Monday throughout 2015.