This video is an introduction to eccentric leg training, we'll follow it up with some new ways to use eccentric training and also how, when and why to use isometric training.
Showing posts with label gains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gains. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Eccentric leg training
Following up from the popular articles and video on French Contrast Method for leg power I got together with Will Wayland to show you how you can further enhance that training with the use of Eccentrics and Isometric training.
This video is an introduction to eccentric leg training, we'll follow it up with some new ways to use eccentric training and also how, when and why to use isometric training.
This video is an introduction to eccentric leg training, we'll follow it up with some new ways to use eccentric training and also how, when and why to use isometric training.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
What happened next?
I was thoroughly impressed with the results of the Six Day Shred, the next question was 'how long does it last'?
Well the simple answer is that within 24 hours I looked the same as I did on day 3. That is slightly leaner that the start, but nowhere near as defined as I was at the peak.
The 'pump' had gone from my muscles by the morning of day 7.
So I went through 6 days testing my willpower and almost killing myself with water for less than 24 hours of improved physique.
Well the simple answer is that within 24 hours I looked the same as I did on day 3. That is slightly leaner that the start, but nowhere near as defined as I was at the peak.
The 'pump' had gone from my muscles by the morning of day 7.
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| Say goodbye to your gains |
Was it worth it: totally!
Would I do it again: no way!
As an experiment I've learned a lot and have kept some aspects of the diet in my regular life (reduced sugar intake, staying appropriately hydrated and cutting carbs slightly).
From a vanity point of view it's not worth putting yourself through all that for a day at the beach and pretty pointless for a holiday as it only lasts a day.
However, if you're a competitive bodybuilder, this method may be the difference between first place and tenth place. Alternatively if you're a fitness model, this method could land you that Calvin Klein underwear job.
It really depends on how important 24 hours of improved physique is to you.
The dangers and difficulty of this method put me off trying it again unless I had a very good reason to.
Saturday, 28 September 2013
6 Day Shred: Results
I've come to the end of my Six Day Shred.
So, did it work?
What's changed? (not my trousers, that's for sure!)
- Lost a noticeable amount of body fat / retained water. You can really see the improved definition.
- Muscles appear more 'pumped'
- I've lost 8lbs of bodyweight, now weigh in at 12st (from 80kg down to 76kg)
- I don't feel low on energy or 'dehydrated'
- I cut my hair and shaved...
What did I learn?
- Don't drink 15 litres of water per day without additional salts & electrolytes
- I had a serious sugar addiction
- I can lose weight and look bigger
- Low carb food can be tasty
- Thinking in advance and planning meals = better nutrition!
- Don't grab snacks or bread just because it's easy
What have I taken from the whole experience?
- Firstly, I don't ever intend to be as hooked on sugar as I was, I certainly won't be snacking on biscuits and chocolate in the evening. I know that "just a little bit of chocolate" every night is habit and compulsion rather than just wanting the taste.
- I'm now much more aware of the effect fluids and hydration levels can have on my body and how I feel.
- It's fortunate that I had the knowledge to fix myself on day 3, I would not recommend just anyone tries this method without support and guidance from a fitness / nutrition professional. Unless I had a client who was a fitness model I wouldn't use this particular method on a client.
- I found myself reading the nutrition labels on EVERYTHING and making informed decisions on what I would and wouldn't put into my body (amazed how much crap goes into pre-cooked chicken breast!)
- Overall I'm really happy with the result. Other than almost dying on day 3, it's been a pleasant experience, plus I'm going on holiday lean and clean!
It hasn't been easy but I've enjoyed the challenge. Aside from the chocolate cravings, the hardest part was fitting the amount of water and correct nutrition around my normal life and work.
I now know that even in a busy week I can prepare and eat good food.
In future I'll be thinking and planning what goes into my body every day instead of eating whatever is closest or easiest.
I'll be drinking plenty of water (not 15 litres per day) and I'll be cutting down on my intake of simple carbs and refined sugars.
Now to see how long this definition lasts on a 7 night all inclusive holiday with 5 course dinner every night!
So, did it work?
Here's the answer:
 |
| Images all taken on my phone to avoid question of editing or falsifying results - images unedited |
What's changed? (not my trousers, that's for sure!)
- Muscles appear more 'pumped'
- I've lost 8lbs of bodyweight, now weigh in at 12st (from 80kg down to 76kg)
- I don't feel low on energy or 'dehydrated'
- I cut my hair and shaved...
What did I learn?
- Don't drink 15 litres of water per day without additional salts & electrolytes
- I had a serious sugar addiction
- I can lose weight and look bigger
- Low carb food can be tasty
- Thinking in advance and planning meals = better nutrition!
- Don't grab snacks or bread just because it's easy
What have I taken from the whole experience?
- Firstly, I don't ever intend to be as hooked on sugar as I was, I certainly won't be snacking on biscuits and chocolate in the evening. I know that "just a little bit of chocolate" every night is habit and compulsion rather than just wanting the taste.
- I'm now much more aware of the effect fluids and hydration levels can have on my body and how I feel.
- It's fortunate that I had the knowledge to fix myself on day 3, I would not recommend just anyone tries this method without support and guidance from a fitness / nutrition professional. Unless I had a client who was a fitness model I wouldn't use this particular method on a client.
- I found myself reading the nutrition labels on EVERYTHING and making informed decisions on what I would and wouldn't put into my body (amazed how much crap goes into pre-cooked chicken breast!)
- Overall I'm really happy with the result. Other than almost dying on day 3, it's been a pleasant experience, plus I'm going on holiday lean and clean!
It hasn't been easy but I've enjoyed the challenge. Aside from the chocolate cravings, the hardest part was fitting the amount of water and correct nutrition around my normal life and work.
I now know that even in a busy week I can prepare and eat good food.
In future I'll be thinking and planning what goes into my body every day instead of eating whatever is closest or easiest.
I'll be drinking plenty of water (not 15 litres per day) and I'll be cutting down on my intake of simple carbs and refined sugars.
Now to see how long this definition lasts on a 7 night all inclusive holiday with 5 course dinner every night!
Carbs, glorious carbs!
Day 5 of the 6 Day Cutting Plan and today is the day I'm finally allowed some carbs! 5-6 meals, each containing 50-75g of carbs - YUMMY!
Here's the plan for today:
"In the first one or two meals, have fruits as your main carbohydrate source. Starting the carb-up with fruit replenishes liver glycogen very fast. We believe that the faster liver glycogen is filled, the more effective the rest of the carb-up will be.
Here's the plan for today:
"In the first one or two meals, have fruits as your main carbohydrate source. Starting the carb-up with fruit replenishes liver glycogen very fast. We believe that the faster liver glycogen is filled, the more effective the rest of the carb-up will be.
Continue drinking up to 10 litres of water today, don't gradually stop water intake. When you cut water intake later on, it should be a shock to the system.
For meals three and four, move to starchier, faster-absorbing carbs (potatoes, pasta or rice if it's tolerated well). Meal number 4 should be at around 4:00pm.
Now the "fun" begins. Water intake should be cut completely at 4:00 or 5:00pm. One or two more meals should be consumed after you cut water. Have only one if you're already looking "full." Have two if not. These meals should contains carbs derived from simple sugars: pancakes and syrup, pie filling, waffles, chocolate, etc. (see, it's not all bad!)
For meals three and four, move to starchier, faster-absorbing carbs (potatoes, pasta or rice if it's tolerated well). Meal number 4 should be at around 4:00pm.
Now the "fun" begins. Water intake should be cut completely at 4:00 or 5:00pm. One or two more meals should be consumed after you cut water. Have only one if you're already looking "full." Have two if not. These meals should contains carbs derived from simple sugars: pancakes and syrup, pie filling, waffles, chocolate, etc. (see, it's not all bad!)
Also on Friday, take a herbal diuretic or black coffee (if it's not going to stop you sleeping)"
So, that's the plan. Here's how my day actually went:
We have a big corporate performance tomorrow, it was confirmed yesterday, so I now need to source Victorian costumes for the guys, sort out our driver and make sure everyone knows where to be and when.
I also need to get my new CRB check done to start working in more schools around the area, apparently this NEEDS to be done this morning.
So I had breakfast at 8:30am.
Breakfast was 1 banana, 1 apple and a Super Protein Shake.
I then went to the City Council offices to sort out my police check. At 10:00am I was out of there and ready for meal number 2.
Meal 2 was 2 apples and 250g of chicken breast.
While in the City centre I picked up some essentials and sourced the remaining costumes.
It was now 11:00am and I was due to teach at 1:15pm.
Unfortunately I'd felt like I may have looked silly carrying a gallon of water into the Council offices, so I'd gone 2 hours without any water.
Back on it at 1:00, made up for lost time: glug glug glug....
Home by 11:30 and time to cook lunch.
Lunch was 175g sliced, grilled white potato with garlic and sea salt, 2 sausages and a little gem lettuce.
Water consumption continues.
From 1:15 - 3:30 I was teaching in a primary school, limited water consumption as my gallon bottle prompted so many questions from the 10yr olds.
3:30 I head to the shops on my way home to pick up pancakes and syrup for my first sweet treat! Simple carbs, how I've missed you!
Interesting that I'm now over my sugar cravings and although I was 'allowed' simple carbs, I had no desire to pick up a chocolate bar at the checkout...
At 4:15pm I was eating my 4th meal.
Meal 4 was 100g golden syrup pancakes with butter and maple syrup - yummy!
I can't even tell you what it tasted like as it was devoured in seconds.
As of 4:30pm my I've cut water consumption completely - only 8 litres consumed today, let's hope it was enough!
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| Carb, glorious carbs! |
Now I'm rushing because I'm meeting Becki's parents at a restaurant at 5:30pm and have tickets to the theatre for 7:30pm tonight.
Meal number 5 at 6:00pm. We went for an Italian meal before the theatre.
Meal 5 was a thin base pizza with roughly 100g chicken breast, half a red onion, 75g of bacon and 2 spring onions on top of the pizza sauce and cheese (estimates). Followed by a sticky toffee pudding and ice cream (gotta get those simple carbs!)
I accompanied dinner with 1 small glass of full sugar Coke.
I wasn't sure what to do about fluid consumption this evening. I know my aim is to 'dry' out by body, I had no access to diuretics or vegetable glycerine, so I opted for a filter coffee followed by a 330ml bottle of beer. Hopefully that should be enough to continue flushing my system - I needed to pee twice at the theatre, so all seems good.
By 11:00pm I was gasping for a drink and needed to pee. I certainly feel 'dry'.
By midnight my pee had some colour to it and smelled like urine - it's been clear and odourless for a few days now.
Let's see what happens overnight. This is where the magic should happen!
By midnight my pee had some colour to it and smelled like urine - it's been clear and odourless for a few days now.
Let's see what happens overnight. This is where the magic should happen!
Friday, 27 September 2013
Back on track
Day 4 of the 6 Day Cutting Plan has been a good one. I've regulated my electrolytes by taking a sachet of Dioralyte for every 5 litres of water consumed.
- 3 sets of 5 Kettlebell flyes @ 16kg per arm
- 3 sets of 5 reverse flyes @ 8kg per arm
- Superset 3 sets of 5 pull up & ring dips
- 3 sets of 8 ring push ups
- 3 sets of 10 IYT with 2.5kg per hand
- 3 sets of 10 fat grip barbell curls @ 20kg - with 10 second isometric hold on the last rep
I'm also trying not to drink more than 1 litre per hour as that's about the limit that my kidneys can process.
After yesterday I'm being as sensible as possible while sticking to the plan.
Breakfast at 8:30am was a banana and a Super Protein Shake.
Then I headed to mi-gym to meet Sam and train at 9:00am. Today was a tough one for the upper body:
- 3 sets of 5 bench press @ 70kg - 3 sets of 5 Kettlebell flyes @ 16kg per arm
- 3 sets of 5 reverse flyes @ 8kg per arm
- Superset 3 sets of 5 pull up & ring dips
- 3 sets of 8 ring push ups
- 3 sets of 10 IYT with 2.5kg per hand
- 3 sets of 10 fat grip barbell curls @ 20kg - with 10 second isometric hold on the last rep
Straight after training I had another Super Protein Shake.
As I only teach in the evening on Thursdays, today was a mainly admin day at home, so should be fairly easy to regulate food and water.
Mid-morning snack at 11:00 was 4 pork sausages, a little gem lettuce and 2 boiled beetroot (15g carbs total, not crap sausages)
Lunch at 14:30 was 2 scrambled egg and another 2 sausages.
More water consumption in the afternoon before going out at 4:30pm to teach our weekly Parkour & Free Running class.
Home at 7:30pm and chilled while drinking more water.
15 Litres finished by 9:00pm - BOOM!
More water consumption in the afternoon before going out at 4:30pm to teach our weekly Parkour & Free Running class.
Home at 7:30pm and chilled while drinking more water.
15 Litres finished by 9:00pm - BOOM!
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| (thanks to Joe for sending this picture over) |
Feeling good, not craving chocolate and looking forward to eating properly tomorrow (drinking 10 litres before 4:00pm will be tough, but I get pancakes!)
BRING IT ON!
BRING IT ON!
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Small victories
What a roller coaster today has been!
Day 3 of the 6 day cutting plan was off to an ok start.
I had to get up to pee twice in the night and once again at 7:00am. But I had steak for breakfast, so it's not all bad.
The most positive thing I've felt today is that the sugar / chocolate cravings are subsiding. Cravings haven't gone yet, but it's much more bearable.
Breakfast at 9:00am was 150g steak, 2 mushrooms and a Super Protein Shake.
Water consumption started just before 9:00am - I want to get the full amount in me without filling my bladder at 11:00pm again.
I'm teaching today so before going out I'll do a workout at home:
- 3 sets of 10 pull ups
- 3 sets of 10 push ups
- 3 sets of 6, bicep curl @ 17kg per arm
- 3 sets of 10 bent over row @ 17kg per arm
Lunch was 3 egg omelette with 75g ham and 5 lettuce leaves.
At 1:30 I went out to teach, around this time I started to develop a pounding headache (which made teaching 14yr olds a lot of fun!). At 3:30pm I headed home from teaching, the headache was still there and I had now developed mild heartburn.
I felt pretty rough at this point so decided to take some additional salts on board (I must be fairly diluted at this point).
At 4:00pm I took 5g of sodium hydrogen carbonate (Andrews salts) and 5g of Magnesium Hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia).
Mid-Afternoon snack at 4:30 Super Protein Shake & an avocado.
I'm still not quite up to 10litres at this point. Need to drink more quickly!
I went on to feel incredibly tired and the headache remained. Worried at this point about potential damage I could be doing to myself.
Dinner at 5:30pm was 2 haddock fillets, 75g boiled beetroot & 4 lettuce leaves.
After dinner I took another 5g of sodium hydrogen carbonate and ground some sea salt into the water bottle I was drinking from.
At 7:00pm I had a PT client at mi-gym but fortunately was starting to feel better.
At the gym I bought a bottle of Vita-Coco and drank it straight away (more potassium).
By the start of my 8:30pm class I didn't just feel back to normal I felt full of energy.
Clearly I'd diluted myself to the point where my body was in dire need of salts and electrolytes - lesson learned!
I've stocked up on Andrews and Dioralyte (rehydration sachets) to get through tomorrow.
Finally, here's the progress so far.
It seems as though cutting the carbs and water loading has had an effect on retained water, let's see what happens after 'drying out'
Once Thursday is out of the way I can start eating carbs again. BRING IT ON!
Day 3 of the 6 day cutting plan was off to an ok start.
I had to get up to pee twice in the night and once again at 7:00am. But I had steak for breakfast, so it's not all bad.
The most positive thing I've felt today is that the sugar / chocolate cravings are subsiding. Cravings haven't gone yet, but it's much more bearable.
Breakfast at 9:00am was 150g steak, 2 mushrooms and a Super Protein Shake.
Water consumption started just before 9:00am - I want to get the full amount in me without filling my bladder at 11:00pm again.
I'm teaching today so before going out I'll do a workout at home:
- 3 sets of 10 pull ups
- 3 sets of 10 push ups
- 3 sets of 6, bicep curl @ 17kg per arm
- 3 sets of 10 bent over row @ 17kg per arm
Lunch was 3 egg omelette with 75g ham and 5 lettuce leaves.
At 1:30 I went out to teach, around this time I started to develop a pounding headache (which made teaching 14yr olds a lot of fun!). At 3:30pm I headed home from teaching, the headache was still there and I had now developed mild heartburn.
I felt pretty rough at this point so decided to take some additional salts on board (I must be fairly diluted at this point).
At 4:00pm I took 5g of sodium hydrogen carbonate (Andrews salts) and 5g of Magnesium Hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia).
Mid-Afternoon snack at 4:30 Super Protein Shake & an avocado.
I'm still not quite up to 10litres at this point. Need to drink more quickly!
I went on to feel incredibly tired and the headache remained. Worried at this point about potential damage I could be doing to myself.
Dinner at 5:30pm was 2 haddock fillets, 75g boiled beetroot & 4 lettuce leaves.
After dinner I took another 5g of sodium hydrogen carbonate and ground some sea salt into the water bottle I was drinking from.
At 7:00pm I had a PT client at mi-gym but fortunately was starting to feel better.
At the gym I bought a bottle of Vita-Coco and drank it straight away (more potassium).
By the start of my 8:30pm class I didn't just feel back to normal I felt full of energy.
Clearly I'd diluted myself to the point where my body was in dire need of salts and electrolytes - lesson learned!
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| Salts and electrolytes are a MUST! |
Finally, here's the progress so far.
It seems as though cutting the carbs and water loading has had an effect on retained water, let's see what happens after 'drying out'
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| Slight increase in definition in just 3 days! |
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Stay close to the toilet
I'm now 2 days into my cutting process and I'm not ashamed to say that it's proving to be really REALLY difficult!
I'm also glad that I've been reasonably close to a toilet at every stage of the day. All this water is going straight through me!
Today was a relatively quiet day from a work perspective, so I was able to plan meals more effectively and train hard.
Started the day with a nice early breakfast of a banana and a Super Protein shake.
I met up with Sam at 9:00am at mi-gym.com to train. Today was mainly legs with some work on the guns for good measure (holiday next week!)
- 3 sets of 5 back squat @ 110kg
- 3 sets of 5 deadlift @ 120kg
- 3 sets of 5 Zercher Good Morning @ 60kg
- 3 sets of 5 neutral grip pull ups
- 3 sets of 10 bent over row @ 16kg per arm
- Superset 3 sets of 8 barbell curl @ 40kg with 10 press ups
Straight after training I had another Super Protein.
I then spent an hour filming Will Wayland training some of his pro athletes for a piece we'll be putting out later this month.
After filming the athletes I went to a meeting at a coffee shop about a forthcoming Halloween event we're running the performance side of: http://www.thecursed.co.uk/
Meeting in a coffee shop was a mistake! So much cake, so many biscuits, so many sweet beverages!
I looked at the nutrition information on a pack of 2 biscuits; 30g carbs per biscuit. I put the biscuit down and ordered a black coffee.
After the meeting it was back to mi-gym to eat my lunch before filming an eccentric tutorial with Will.
Lunch was 150g steak with cracked black pepper, 100g chicken breast, lettuce, an avocado and 2 large mushrooms. Very tasty, very satisfying.
During filming I had to demonstrate a 6 second eccentric squat, so my legs took a further pounding.
Further depleting the glycogen can only be good.
Home at 3:30pm for another 100g of steak with cracked black pepper, garlic and red chilli, a red bell pepper and more lettuce.
By 5:00pm I had only consumed 7 litres of water, it's going to be along night!
Over the course of the day I have had to pee roughly every 30mins with no more than an hour between toilet stops. At least I know my body is in flushing mode now!
There was a scary moment on my way to teach this evening, I hit traffic in what is usually a 20 minute drive. I was preparing myself for the possibility of having to refill one of the water bottles.
Fortunately the traffic cleared quickly and I got to the centre before disaster struck.
Teaching my circuits class at 7:00pm kept me moving (and made me very aware of my legs). More water consumed there too.
I'm also glad that I've been reasonably close to a toilet at every stage of the day. All this water is going straight through me!
Today was a relatively quiet day from a work perspective, so I was able to plan meals more effectively and train hard.
Started the day with a nice early breakfast of a banana and a Super Protein shake.
I met up with Sam at 9:00am at mi-gym.com to train. Today was mainly legs with some work on the guns for good measure (holiday next week!)
- 3 sets of 5 back squat @ 110kg
- 3 sets of 5 deadlift @ 120kg
- 3 sets of 5 Zercher Good Morning @ 60kg
- 3 sets of 5 neutral grip pull ups
- 3 sets of 10 bent over row @ 16kg per arm
- Superset 3 sets of 8 barbell curl @ 40kg with 10 press ups
Straight after training I had another Super Protein.
I then spent an hour filming Will Wayland training some of his pro athletes for a piece we'll be putting out later this month.
After filming the athletes I went to a meeting at a coffee shop about a forthcoming Halloween event we're running the performance side of: http://www.thecursed.co.uk/
Meeting in a coffee shop was a mistake! So much cake, so many biscuits, so many sweet beverages!
I looked at the nutrition information on a pack of 2 biscuits; 30g carbs per biscuit. I put the biscuit down and ordered a black coffee.
After the meeting it was back to mi-gym to eat my lunch before filming an eccentric tutorial with Will.
Lunch was 150g steak with cracked black pepper, 100g chicken breast, lettuce, an avocado and 2 large mushrooms. Very tasty, very satisfying.
During filming I had to demonstrate a 6 second eccentric squat, so my legs took a further pounding.
Further depleting the glycogen can only be good.
Home at 3:30pm for another 100g of steak with cracked black pepper, garlic and red chilli, a red bell pepper and more lettuce.
By 5:00pm I had only consumed 7 litres of water, it's going to be along night!
Over the course of the day I have had to pee roughly every 30mins with no more than an hour between toilet stops. At least I know my body is in flushing mode now!
There was a scary moment on my way to teach this evening, I hit traffic in what is usually a 20 minute drive. I was preparing myself for the possibility of having to refill one of the water bottles.
Fortunately the traffic cleared quickly and I got to the centre before disaster struck.
 |
| All day! |
Dinner was 300g of lamb chops with beetroot, lettuce and mushrooms, followed by another Super Protein shake.
Sadly the mint sauce I had in the cupboard contains more sugar than I dared to look at, so I made do with a drop of white wine vinegar to taste.
Bring on day 3, the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight!
Monday, 23 September 2013
Sugar Addiction
Day 1 of my SHREDDED FOR HOLIDAY programme. It's been an odd day and now I want chocolate.
Trying to get through 15 litres of water around normal life is tough enough, but eating less than 50grams of carbohydrate per day is a massive challenge.
I've also discovered that I'm seriously addicted to sugar, right now I'm pretty much going cold turkey.
Monday was the first day on this. At first it was quite a novelty carrying big bottles of water around and going shopping for my meals. I bought a selection of meats, salad items and herbs & spices to make the high protein meals less dull. I also made sure I had enough Super Protein to last me the week. With very little added to it, Super Protein is a good source of protein for this experiment (it also uses Stevia as a sweetener).
Monday was a busy day for work. Between clients, teaching in schools and evening classes I didn't train.
- Breakfast was a Super Protein shake and a banana (half my carbohydrate for the day)
- Mid morning I had a chicken breast and 100g of sliced beef.
- Lunch was pork chops with red chilli, lettuce and an avocado (the other half of my carbs for the day)
- Mid afternoon I had another Super Protein shake.
- Evening meal was a small portion of homemade Bolognese meat sauce (carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms almost certainly put me over my carb allowance for the day)
What concerned me most was that for the whole afternoon and evening I was literally craving chocolate. I've never known anything like it; I didn't just fancy a chocolate bar, I NEEDED one.
It's a very uncomfortable feeling and took a lot of willpower not to give in.
Everywhere you go there's sugar and high carbohydrate foods, waiting to pay for my shopping there was chocolate and sweets everywhere. I stopped for petrol and there's sugary snacks, crisps, pastries and biscuits staring me in the face. No wonder so many people fail at diets, you can't go anywhere without being stared down by a Curly Wurly!
Chocolate cravings aside, I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfied my appetite was by such high protein / low carb meals. Drinking 3 gallons of water was a bit of a grind though. Just had to keep drinking and keep peeing.
Trying to get through 15 litres of water around normal life is tough enough, but eating less than 50grams of carbohydrate per day is a massive challenge.
I've also discovered that I'm seriously addicted to sugar, right now I'm pretty much going cold turkey.
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| Sugar Addiction Cycle |
Monday was the first day on this. At first it was quite a novelty carrying big bottles of water around and going shopping for my meals. I bought a selection of meats, salad items and herbs & spices to make the high protein meals less dull. I also made sure I had enough Super Protein to last me the week. With very little added to it, Super Protein is a good source of protein for this experiment (it also uses Stevia as a sweetener).
Monday was a busy day for work. Between clients, teaching in schools and evening classes I didn't train.
- Breakfast was a Super Protein shake and a banana (half my carbohydrate for the day)
- Mid morning I had a chicken breast and 100g of sliced beef.
- Lunch was pork chops with red chilli, lettuce and an avocado (the other half of my carbs for the day)
- Mid afternoon I had another Super Protein shake.
- Evening meal was a small portion of homemade Bolognese meat sauce (carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms almost certainly put me over my carb allowance for the day)
What concerned me most was that for the whole afternoon and evening I was literally craving chocolate. I've never known anything like it; I didn't just fancy a chocolate bar, I NEEDED one.
It's a very uncomfortable feeling and took a lot of willpower not to give in.
Everywhere you go there's sugar and high carbohydrate foods, waiting to pay for my shopping there was chocolate and sweets everywhere. I stopped for petrol and there's sugary snacks, crisps, pastries and biscuits staring me in the face. No wonder so many people fail at diets, you can't go anywhere without being stared down by a Curly Wurly!
Chocolate cravings aside, I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfied my appetite was by such high protein / low carb meals. Drinking 3 gallons of water was a bit of a grind though. Just had to keep drinking and keep peeing.
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| 15 litres of water is a LOT of water (2 litre bottle on left for reference) |
I am now looking forward to loading up on carbs at the end of the week. This sugar craving is driving me mad!
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Getting shredded in 6 days
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| Everyone wants to be shredded sometimes! |
It's pretty hot over there, even at this time of year, so I may end up taking my shirt off or spending some time sunbathing by the on board pool.
With this in mind, I decided to try out a cutting technique known as 'drying out'. This is pretty common practice for competing sports models and physique competitors.
I'm looking at a 6 day process of loading myself with water while taking on a high protein low carbohydrate diet to make my body 'flush', then tactically carbing up at the end of the week as I completely drop my fluid intake. I'll also be training pretty hard in an attempt to become glycogen depleted.
I'm fully aware that the definition produced by this process will last 2 days at most, but it's a good excuse to experiment on myself.
Just for the record: These techniques will not make you look "ripped" if you are in fat! While most people can drop a significant amount of fat along with the water in these six days, this is not primarily a "diet." It's designed to help already lean people get super lean. It's also worth mentioning that this technique IS NOT a sustainable weight management program, it's purely a short sharp fix for an athlete / model to get in shape for a competition / photoshoot.
It's also worth mentioning that energy levels will be down by the end of this process and that a 'dry' or dehydrated body will not be performing at maximum efficiency.
 |
| Ryan Reynolds looking 'ripped' |
(not necessary for this article, I just quite like Ryan Reynolds)
<EDIT> - If you intend to try this yourself, please be aware of the dangers of too much water. Please read about the effects I experienced and how I rectified them before even considering something like this - Day 3 pitfalls of too much water
Here's the programme I'll be sticking to this week:
(This schedule assumes a Saturday bodybuilding competition, photo shoot, or day at the beach)Monday: 10 to 15 Litres of water, 50g or less total carbs
Tip: Buy three 5 litre bottles of water with a handle. This will let you see exactly how much water you have left to go. And the handle makes it easy to carry around with you everywhere — which you'll pretty much have to do to get in three gallons!
Pro Tip: Don't ever be too far from a toilet / ditch / bush.
Tuesday: Same as above
Wednesday: Same as above
Thursday: Same as above
Friday: Begin a gradual carb-up. Today eat five or six meals, each containing 50-75g of carbs.
Tuesday: Same as above
Wednesday: Same as above
Thursday: Same as above
Friday: Begin a gradual carb-up. Today eat five or six meals, each containing 50-75g of carbs.
In the first one or two meals, have fruits as your main carbohydrate source. Starting the carb-up with fruit replenishes liver glycogen very fast. We believe that the faster liver glycogen is filled, the more effective the rest of the carb-up will be.
For meals three and four, move to starchier, faster-absorbing carbs (potatoes, pasta or rice if it's tolerated well). Meal number 4 should be at around 4:00pm.
Now the "fun" begins. Water intake should be cut completely at 4:00 or 5:00pm. One or two more meals should be consumed after you cut water. Have only one if you're already looking "full." Have two if not. These meals should contains carbs derived from simple sugars: pancakes and syrup, pie filling, waffles, chocolate, etc. (see, it's not all bad!)
Along with this simple sugar meal, have two tablespoons of vegetable glycerine (found in most health food stores). Also on Friday, take a herbal diuretic or black coffee (if it's not going to stop you sleeping). Although the proper thing to do is go by the label directions with these type of products, best results are usually achieved by taking three servings on Friday: one about an hour or two before you cut water intake, one when you cut intake, and one before bed.
Another trick is to take an Epsom salt bath (400g of Epsom salt in very hot water) for 20-30 minutes before bed. This is what bodybuilders did to help shed water before diuretics became popular. (The salt and mega hot bath drastically increase perspiration.)
Saturday (photo or beach day): Breakfast depends on how you look.
• Looking flat? Have another simple sugar meal.
• Looking good? Small portion of fruit and protein.
• Holding water? Protein only (shake with very little water).
Forty-five minutes before pumping up for your shoot, take in two tablespoons of glycerol in one can of full-sugar soda.
For meals three and four, move to starchier, faster-absorbing carbs (potatoes, pasta or rice if it's tolerated well). Meal number 4 should be at around 4:00pm.
Now the "fun" begins. Water intake should be cut completely at 4:00 or 5:00pm. One or two more meals should be consumed after you cut water. Have only one if you're already looking "full." Have two if not. These meals should contains carbs derived from simple sugars: pancakes and syrup, pie filling, waffles, chocolate, etc. (see, it's not all bad!)
Along with this simple sugar meal, have two tablespoons of vegetable glycerine (found in most health food stores). Also on Friday, take a herbal diuretic or black coffee (if it's not going to stop you sleeping). Although the proper thing to do is go by the label directions with these type of products, best results are usually achieved by taking three servings on Friday: one about an hour or two before you cut water intake, one when you cut intake, and one before bed.
Another trick is to take an Epsom salt bath (400g of Epsom salt in very hot water) for 20-30 minutes before bed. This is what bodybuilders did to help shed water before diuretics became popular. (The salt and mega hot bath drastically increase perspiration.)
Saturday (photo or beach day): Breakfast depends on how you look.
• Looking flat? Have another simple sugar meal.
• Looking good? Small portion of fruit and protein.
• Holding water? Protein only (shake with very little water).
Forty-five minutes before pumping up for your shoot, take in two tablespoons of glycerol in one can of full-sugar soda.
I'll keep you posted on my progress, may also put up some before and after images.
Full article on this method from T-Nation can be found here: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_diet_mass/shredded_in_6_days
Full article on this method from T-Nation can be found here: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_diet_mass/shredded_in_6_days
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Photoshoot with William Wayland
A selection of photos of William Wayland of www.powering-through.com taken at mi-gym.com in Chelmsford.
All images were taken on Canon EOS 7D with Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 and processed in Adobe Lightroom 4.4
These images were taken with a single off-camera flashgun.
All images were taken on Canon EOS 7D with Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 and processed in Adobe Lightroom 4.4
These images were taken with a single off-camera flashgun.
Friday, 6 September 2013
Don't kip during pull ups. Just don't!
I wrote something on a whiteboard for the Crossfit group at mi-gym. It was supposed to be a light hearted joke for them but the image has been shared quite a lot and it got me thinking on why I wrote it in the first place...
The message reads:
 |
| Fishy opinion on kipping pull ups |
"If you 'kip' then you are a 'kipper'
A kipper is a fish!
DON'T BE A FISH!!
Pull up properly"
For the uninitiated, many Crossfitters swing into their pull ups and muscle ups to add momentum, effectively reducing the work their muscles are doing (making the exercise less effective??)
It's a nice word for bad form.
Now Crossfit workouts can get very competitive, this side of things can be really motivating for those taking part. It's something about mi-gym that I absolutely love. I love recording the results of challenges and seeing how I did overall and how much I bettered myself from the last time, it motivates me.
The theory is that as you train, you'll get stronger and faster and will be able to perform more reps, or an allocated number of reps in a faster time than you could previously.
For those that are new to Crossfit, or just aren't strong enough to keep up yet, all the exercises are scalable (something else I like about mi-gym). You can reduce the weight on resisted exercises or use bands to assist in bodyweight exercises (such as pull ups), so everyone can train together and you can adjust what you are doing as you get stronger over time. All sounds great!
Sadly the competitive side is a double-edged sword. As in any competition, people will look to win at any cost and will seek the competitive edge while staying within the rules. And so the 'kipping pull-up' was born. At some point, some people that were (presumably) strong enough to perform an actual pull up introduced the swing in order to do more pull ups faster and in doing so, not really performing a pull up at all.
My opinion on the matter (and it really is just my opinion) is that if you aren't strong enough to do XX number of pull ups as part of the prescribed workout, then use a band to assist for now, then train your ass off at pulling exercises until you are strong enough to do them unassisted (by band or by kip).
I'm starting to see fit people with very little pulling strength as a result of learning to kip and forgetting that it's an exercise not a race.
After all, surely if the exercise is pull ups and you start kipping then you're basically just cheating?
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Personal Progression
It's great that my project is making such superb progress, I'm so happy for her that she's making great gains every week.
With all of her improvement, gains and huge leaps this week I decided to test myself, see how far I can push my body and see what effect my training is having on my strength.
At present I weigh 83kg.
Well, it's been an amazing few days for personal bests!
In February 2013 I was squatting 100kg for 3 reps and I could deadlift 100kg (but it wasn't pretty)
On the 8th of April I set a new barbell squat personal best of 135kg.
Last week (19th April 2013) I achieved a new personal best deadlift of 185kg
Yesterday (22nd of April 2013) I decided to have another crack at the deadlift. I lifted 195kg - that's just short of 2.5 times my bodyweight.
Today I was due to train legs as part of Phase 2 of my Jumping Power programme. I also wanted to have another try at maxing out my barbell squat. After my training I felt a little less than confident and decided not to go for a new personal best today. I started on some accessory training and decided that I would have a try after all, I didn't want any negativity in my training. The only thing holding me back was me.
I was especially fortunate that Will Wayland was in and training today.
After I'd worked my way up to 140kg Will offered to spot me if I needed him.
As I loaded up the bar with 145kg I felt nervous. I wasn't totally sure that I could lift this load.
I got under the bar and told myself that I could do it, I wouldn't let myself down.
I did it, lifted 145kg with no physical assistance.
So today I got a new personal best of 145kg on my barbell squat.
Thanks again to mi-gym for giving me a great place to train; somewhere full of positive and enthusiastic people and full of awesome equipment (thanks to Jordan Fitness)
Here's another little personal story:
Quite some time ago I worked for a major health club chain, we decided to have a 'Deadlift Challenge' on the gym floor to get more members involved in lifting weights and stepping away from the cardio machines (this mission of mine has been going on quite some time).
At this time my training was predominantly bodyweight so I had no idea what I could lift.
Over the course of the day all the 'big' guys came over to show off, they were generally starting to struggle at about 100kg. A few went over 100kg and got towards 150kg.
I'm not afraid to admit that at the time I felt intimidated by these 'big' guys and I didn't even attempt a lift of over 90kg for fear of appearing weak if I failed. After all, I only weighed a little over 80kg.
Funny thing is, I weigh the same today as I did back then.
You don't need to be huge to be strong, and a little confidence goes a long way.
The past few weeks have drummed home again and again that training is as much mental as it is physical. First believe that you can achieve your goals, then go out and smash them!
With all of her improvement, gains and huge leaps this week I decided to test myself, see how far I can push my body and see what effect my training is having on my strength.
At present I weigh 83kg.
Well, it's been an amazing few days for personal bests!
In February 2013 I was squatting 100kg for 3 reps and I could deadlift 100kg (but it wasn't pretty)
On the 8th of April I set a new barbell squat personal best of 135kg.
Last week (19th April 2013) I achieved a new personal best deadlift of 185kg
 |
| 19th April 2013 - 185kg deadlift |
Yesterday (22nd of April 2013) I decided to have another crack at the deadlift. I lifted 195kg - that's just short of 2.5 times my bodyweight.
 |
| 22nd April 2013 - 195kg deadlift |
I was especially fortunate that Will Wayland was in and training today.
After I'd worked my way up to 140kg Will offered to spot me if I needed him.
As I loaded up the bar with 145kg I felt nervous. I wasn't totally sure that I could lift this load.
I got under the bar and told myself that I could do it, I wouldn't let myself down.
I did it, lifted 145kg with no physical assistance.
So today I got a new personal best of 145kg on my barbell squat.
 |
| At this point I mentally slapped myself and decided I could do it. |
 |
| 22nd April 2013 - 145kg barbell squat |
Here's another little personal story:
Quite some time ago I worked for a major health club chain, we decided to have a 'Deadlift Challenge' on the gym floor to get more members involved in lifting weights and stepping away from the cardio machines (this mission of mine has been going on quite some time).
At this time my training was predominantly bodyweight so I had no idea what I could lift.
Over the course of the day all the 'big' guys came over to show off, they were generally starting to struggle at about 100kg. A few went over 100kg and got towards 150kg.
I'm not afraid to admit that at the time I felt intimidated by these 'big' guys and I didn't even attempt a lift of over 90kg for fear of appearing weak if I failed. After all, I only weighed a little over 80kg.
Funny thing is, I weigh the same today as I did back then.
You don't need to be huge to be strong, and a little confidence goes a long way.
The past few weeks have drummed home again and again that training is as much mental as it is physical. First believe that you can achieve your goals, then go out and smash them!
Sunday, 21 April 2013
2013 London Marathon
Today was the 2013 London Marathon, 26.2 miles of running around the streets of London.
I've never been a distance runner, but I can appreciate a physical feat when I see one. So this year I wanted to go along to watch and cheer on the brave runners.
Two of the members at mi-gym were running, as was another friend, so spotting 3 individuals in 37,000 would be an exercise in my perceptive skills if nothing else.
Having never watched the marathon before I wasn't sure what to expect. If I'm honest, I was expecting to be a little bored watching 37,000 people jog past. I couldn't have been more wrong.
We jumped on the train in the morning and headed to Poplar in East London to settle in at the 20 mile mark. After this waypoint it's basically 6 miles in a straight line to the finish line.
Just stop a moment and think about how far twenty-six miles actually is. That's a massive distance, and these people are going to run it!
We arrived at our spectator spot just in time to see the last of the elite runners run past. This alone was incredibly impressive, these men and women had been running for TWENTY MILES and were still going at what I would regard as a sprint. Wow, I'm already glad we came.
I couldn't help but clap and cheer as wave after wave of club runners and normal people came running past. I could see the determination in their faces, I could see who had been training and who was moving forward on sheer force of will.
It was incredible to see such a range of ages, body shapes and ability levels all taking part in the same herculean feat of endurance.
Seeing people run past wearing signs that read 'running for mum' or 'I'll never forget dad' restored my faith in the human race. These people had set out to do something, and today was the day that they were actually doing it, and I got to share in a tiny part of that.
The atmosphere was absolutely magical.
We spurred joggers back into running, we gave words of encouragement to runners who had stopped to stretch, one lady runner smiled up from her stretch and simply said "It's the best and worst day of my life". Then off she ran.
There were old people, big people, beautiful ladies with full faces of makeup, skinny people, muscular people and those who just looked ready to drop.
There were people talking on the phone while still running, people texting (or tweeting) and some that just looked completely 'in the zone'. 37,000 individuals running across London, each with their own reason for being there, each with their own story.
I still cringed every time I saw the bleeding nipples from twenty miles of chafing, but the runners didn't seem phased, they just kept on running.
Before I knew it we'd been standing, cheering and clapping for over 3 hours, and I was still smiling.
Other than an idiot spectator who decided to stand in the road in the way of the runners, and seeing a few trips, there wasn't a hint of negativity all day.
All in all it was a massively positive day and I can't wait to go back next year to support the brave runners in London.
Well done to everyone who took part.
And lastly, huge respect to all of those crazy enough to run the marathon in a large costume. Amazing.
Here's a few of my pictures from the day:
I've never been a distance runner, but I can appreciate a physical feat when I see one. So this year I wanted to go along to watch and cheer on the brave runners.
Two of the members at mi-gym were running, as was another friend, so spotting 3 individuals in 37,000 would be an exercise in my perceptive skills if nothing else.
Having never watched the marathon before I wasn't sure what to expect. If I'm honest, I was expecting to be a little bored watching 37,000 people jog past. I couldn't have been more wrong.
We jumped on the train in the morning and headed to Poplar in East London to settle in at the 20 mile mark. After this waypoint it's basically 6 miles in a straight line to the finish line.
Just stop a moment and think about how far twenty-six miles actually is. That's a massive distance, and these people are going to run it!
We arrived at our spectator spot just in time to see the last of the elite runners run past. This alone was incredibly impressive, these men and women had been running for TWENTY MILES and were still going at what I would regard as a sprint. Wow, I'm already glad we came.
I couldn't help but clap and cheer as wave after wave of club runners and normal people came running past. I could see the determination in their faces, I could see who had been training and who was moving forward on sheer force of will.
It was incredible to see such a range of ages, body shapes and ability levels all taking part in the same herculean feat of endurance.
Seeing people run past wearing signs that read 'running for mum' or 'I'll never forget dad' restored my faith in the human race. These people had set out to do something, and today was the day that they were actually doing it, and I got to share in a tiny part of that.
The atmosphere was absolutely magical.
We spurred joggers back into running, we gave words of encouragement to runners who had stopped to stretch, one lady runner smiled up from her stretch and simply said "It's the best and worst day of my life". Then off she ran.
There were old people, big people, beautiful ladies with full faces of makeup, skinny people, muscular people and those who just looked ready to drop.
There were people talking on the phone while still running, people texting (or tweeting) and some that just looked completely 'in the zone'. 37,000 individuals running across London, each with their own reason for being there, each with their own story.
I still cringed every time I saw the bleeding nipples from twenty miles of chafing, but the runners didn't seem phased, they just kept on running.
Before I knew it we'd been standing, cheering and clapping for over 3 hours, and I was still smiling.
Other than an idiot spectator who decided to stand in the road in the way of the runners, and seeing a few trips, there wasn't a hint of negativity all day.
All in all it was a massively positive day and I can't wait to go back next year to support the brave runners in London.
Well done to everyone who took part.
And lastly, huge respect to all of those crazy enough to run the marathon in a large costume. Amazing.
Here's a few of my pictures from the day:
 |
| Excuse me sir, you're just in the way |
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