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.

6 Day Shred: Results

I've come to the end of my Six Day Shred.
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!)

- 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!

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.

All day!

Teaching my circuits class at 7:00pm kept me moving (and made me very aware of my legs). More water consumed there too.

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!

Photoshoot with William Wayland

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.

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...

Fishy opinion on kipping pull ups

The message reads:

"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?

6 Week Project: End of Project

Well I have to say it's been an absolute pleasure working with my project for the past couple of months.

Here's a brief look at the changes made and the results:

Changes in nutrition:
We wanted to avoid making immediate, HUGE, drastic changes or creating a strict 'diet' to stick to. Instead we made subtle changes over time and taught her how to look after her own dietary requirements (instead of being reliant on an external source like Weight Watchers, Lighter Life, Slim Fast or a diet book).

Here's the changes we made over the course of our programme-
- Cutting portion sizes and not eating until uncomfortably full.
- Cutting processed sugars from her diet. Replacing sweets with fruit to tackle the sweet craving initially. Then removing snacks altogether over time.
Drinking more water. As we know, a hydrated body won't cling to water. By hydrating her effectively we were able to shed some water weight.
- Eating 3 meals per day and avoiding snacking (gradually replacing snacks with water)
- Cutting caffeine intake, again hoping to created a hydrated, efficient body.
- Reducing intake of starchy foods (pasta, bread, potato) We replaced potato with sweet potato, bread with pita or corn-based tortilla wraps and replaced pasta with rice. I also introduced simple recipe ideas like mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potato.
- Stopped her being scared of 'fat'. The body needs fats. So I looked to educate her and show that sugars were the problem with the current diet, not fats.
- Reducing intake of artificial nasties. This one was a tough one that requires some willpower. I asked that if she bought any item of food that was processed, prepared or packaged (ie, not a fresh, raw ingredient) to look at the list of ingredients, if there were more ingredients that she didn't recognise than she did recognise, then it was best to put it back on the shelf and find an alternative. Again looking ot educate and get her to understand what she's putting in her body.
- INcreade in fibre (from vegetables) and protein (from food, not supplements) and general reduction in carbohydrates (trying to source carbs from fruit and vegetables primarily)
- Planning meals and preparing in advance to avoid rushing for Gregs or Subway as a last resort.

The fitness side of the program was quite straightforward. We followed this basic plan with varied exercises and weights:
- Warmup and mobility
- Heavy compound lifts (Variations on squats and deadlifts as the main exercises)
- Accessory compound lifting (overhead press, rowing, pull ups etc.)
- Complex patterns with load (series of lifts at moderate weight with no rest between exercises)
- Specific strength work to assist with pole dancing strength goals (grip, shoulder strength etc.)
- Cardio (Usually High Intensity Interval incorporating bodyweight exercises.)


So, what were the results?

Firstly, and most importantly in this case, she FEELS better. She's happier and more confident. That's not something that can be measured, but it makes all the difference in the world to a client.

She doubled the load that we put on her back squat and deadlift. We created more muscle, therefore increasing her base metabolic rate - more calories burned per day before any exercise has been done.
This also had the added bonus of increasing core stability and completely removing lower back discomfort that she had blamed on her office chair at work.

There was a significant and noticeable drop in body fat and an increase in firmness and muscle tone.

Total weight lost in 6 weeks was 12lbs. But we have to take into account that she gained a significant amount of muscle during that time.

All things considered, the whole experiment has been a success. Now she can carry on living a healthy, happy life on her own.

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

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

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.

At this point I mentally slapped myself and decided I could do it.

22nd April 2013 - 145kg 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!

6 Week Project: End of Week 2

This week we trained twice as I'll be away for our usual Friday session. We met as usual on Friday, then again on Monday to touch base and train.

Once again we aimed to complete the same workout with the addition of a complex:

Pulling exercises for pole dancing strength:
3 x 3reps pull ups (unable to pull up, so jumped up and performed a slow descent)
3 x 5reps 12kg ball slams
3 x 3reps Band lat pull
3 x 5reps Assisted high pull up

At the start of the pulling section she proudly told me that her pole dancing manoeuvres are feeling easier and she's definitely increased her useful strength with regard to pole dancing. This was great to hear as I knew it'd boost her confidence and give her more faith in the programme.

Complex pattern:

Entire sequence performed with a barbell as one complex movement pattern without letting go of the bar

Bent over row, deadlift, hang clean, overhead press, front squat, put bar down and repeat x5.At this stage we used a 20kg bar with 2x 5kg plates on (30kg total weight)

She found the complex quite challenging, more challenging than she expected. Her technique is quite good and her form stayed good to the last rep.

This exercise will help increase her metabolism and therefore aid fat burning. 

Heavy Lifts:
3 x 5reps Barbell squat @ 45kg
3 x 5reps Deadlift @ 55kg
3 x 5reps Kettlebell bent over row @ 24kg (2x 12kg)
3 x 5reps Lateral raise @ 5kg
3 x 5 reps Front raise, straight arms @ 10kg (2x 5kg plates)

Once again, massive gains in this department. Further proof that she's still finding her groove, learning the exercises and getting confident. After the first set of squats it was clear that 45kg was too light to be challenging, so we added another 5kg. Barbell squat is now 50kg. That's a HUGE 10kg jump from 2 weeks ago. I think she's still got a little more in the tank too.

Deadlift we kept at 55kg for now.

She also mentioned that even though the lateral raise and front raise are still difficult, they are significantly easier than when she started.

Circuit to finish off
3 rounds of:
10 low bar pull ups (feet on floor in front)
10 press ups
10 Medicine ball squat & throw @ 6kg (Crossfit 'Wall Ball')
10 Kettlebell swings @ 16kg

Once again, amazing effort in the circuit this week! She completed the circuit in 3:38 (week 1 was 4:44) that's over 1 minute improvement!

At the end of this session she confided in me that she'd been having doubts as to her progress. Friends that have done 'crash diets' have seen rapid weight loss. 

Fortunately the progressive and productive session tonight restored her faith in the programme.

We're looking at healthy, sustainable results to produce a healthy, happy client at the end.

Up to 50kg squats now. Great work!

Our second session this week was only 3 days after the usual session, so for this additional session simply did the following:

Complex pattern:

Entire sequence performed with a barbell as one complex movement pattern without letting go of the bar

Bent over row, deadlift, hang clean, overhead press, front squat, put bar down and repeat x5.At this stage we used a 20kg bar with 2x 5kg plates on (30kg total weight)

This time after the complex had been completed, she rested for 60 seconds and repeated the complex once more.

She finished the second complex visibly out of breath and sweating. 

Even at this stage it was a surprise to her that short bursts of intense exercise can result in shortness of breath and perspiration.

Heavy Lifts:
3 x 5reps Barbell squat @ 45kg
3 x 5reps Deadlift @ 55kg
3 x 5reps Kettlebell bent over row @ 24kg (2x 12kg)
More gains! Clear evidence that a person become neurologically 'strong' before their muscles adapt. Simply learning the exercise and gaining confidence will help you work more efficiently.

We kept the squats at 50kg as this was still tough after increasing load on Friday. 

The 55kg deadlift looked a little easy tonight, so after the first set we added another 5kg to the bar. In 2 weeks her deadlift has gone from 50kg to 60kg. I'm so impressed and proud of her results.

As we won't see each other for another 10 days I've set some 'homework'. Not only will she be practicing our little circuit on her own, she'll also be using the Tabata Interval Protocol in her own time up to 5 times this week. I've told her that she can choose any bodyweight exercise she likes for this interval training.

The musical tracks in the link above are mixed by myself to give a 20 second 'work' phase followed by a 10 second 'rest' phase. This is repeated for 8 work phases. The whole workout is only 4 minutes long.

Once again, I can't express how proud I am of the gains and achievements she's made already.

She's a superstar!

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:

Excuse me sir, you're just in the way