Eat REAL Food...

One of my first tips is give to clients is to eat more 'real food'. Humans have done well on high protein, high fat, high carb and many other 'diet variations', what we have not done well on are processed/refined or man made foods.

Real food is stuff like
- Chicken, Beef, Fish
- Berries
- Vegetables
- Nuts and Seeds

All things that would have been available to us 1000's of years ago.

Fast foods especialy contain 'trans fat', the safe level of trans fats in your diet is 0!!
The more trans fats that you consume the dumber you will become, its been shown the more KFC's in an area the lower the IQ of the population!!

Eat more REAL food.....

Fish Oil Benefits #2...

They turn OFF the lipogenic genes, these are responsible for storing fat

Benefits of Fish Oils #1...

Omega 3 Fish oil turns on the lipolytic genes, these are the genes responsible for burning fat and will increase the use of stored fat from the adipocytes.

Lower Body Structural Balance Work and Abs

One of my main lower body weaknesses and for many others is the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO), this is the tear drop shaped part of the quad that should be clearly visible on the inside of the thigh just above the knee. It plays an important role in knee stability so if you want to stay injury free you need to make sure it is strong enough to withstand the forces you exert through the joint.

Today I am going to Imporve my VMO strength performing Poliquin Step Ups and various types of backwards sled drags and Abs!

Heres the workout...

50m sled drags SuperSet with incline Garhammer raises

80kg
12 reps

100kg
12 reps

140kg
12 reps

180kg
12 reps

200kg
12 reps

200kg
12 reps

First few sets of sled drags were easy, will start much heavier next time.

Poliquin Step Ups and Weighted crunches with 2x 7.5kg kettlebells.

20 reps each leg
15 reps

14kg - 15 reps each leg
15 reps

18kg - 10 reps each leg
15 reps

Arms...

Heres is todays workout, things I will be implenting from what I learnt on PICP level 1&2 are
- Full range of movement, when performing the eccentric portion of the exercise I will contract the antagonistic (non working muscle) when at the end to increase the stretch on the agonist (working muscle). E.G. Contracting the Triceps at the bottom of a Bicep curl.
- Unilateral work, this is where each arm/side left/right works independantly so you can either perform an exercise on one side then change or use DB's. This will help to improve structural imbalances and weaknesses.

This workout will be performed as SuperSets with 60 seconds rest between each set.


A1) Fat Grip Close Grip DB Floor Press 3110 Tempo 4x9-12
28'sx12, 30'sx12, 34'sx11, 38'sx9
A2) Single Arm Supinated DB Scott Curl 4010 Tempo 4x9-12
12x12, 14x12, 16x10, 16x9

B1) Incline 'Tate Press' DB Triceps Extensions 3010 Tempo 3x9-12
14'sx12, 16'sx12, 18'sx10
B2) Incline Prone DB Hammer Curls 3x9-12 4010 Tempo
8'sx12, 10'sx9, 10'sx9

C1) Decline DB Trcieps Extensions 2210 Tempo 3x9-12
14'sx11, 14'sx11, 14'sx9
C2) EZ Bar Reverse Curl 2110 Tempo 3x12-15 (1 second pause is at bottom 30 degress on eccentric)
10x15, 12.5x15, 17.5x12

Arms destroyed!

PICP...

PICP stands for the Poliquin Institute Certification Program, this is a course designed by leading strength coach Charles Poliquin and teaches the prinicples of strength training, improving athletic performance and improving body composition. The 5 day course also looks at structural balance issues that individuals may have and how to correct them so that when training you do not fail an exercise technically as you are unable to keep proper form and technique allowing you to train harder and longer than before producing more results. I will be implementing these techniques into my own training as well as my clients, you will be able to find alot of information about it on the blog so stay tuned....

Apart from the structural balance assessments we learnt the principles of strength training, the importance of tempo and rest periods, fiber composition of different muscle groups and absolute full range of movement to help create the most effective workouts for any goal. I will be posting my own workouts and periodically specific hypertrophy, strength and fat loss workouts that you can try yourselves.

The Best Supplement your not taking.... Fish Oil!

Omega 3 fish oils is one of the most underated supplements on the market EVERYONE should be taking fish oil. Its beneifts are numerous and you could see visible changes in your body composition in as little as 3-5 days just from introducing fish oils daily. Each day I will list one of the many ways that omega 3 fish oils can help improve your health and body composition.

Tip #10 'Dont Skip Meals'...

Eating regular meals consisting of protein and smart fats throughout the day is a must for fat loss, but in our time poor busy lifestyles it is far to easy to miss meals. To combat this problem I am going to give you the number one alternative for solid food.  Always keep with you some Whey protein So all you have to do is add water (if lactose intolerant go for a whey isolate, Goat whey or Beef protein isolate, they come flavoured so the goat and beef products don’t taste of goat and beef. This is a question I get asked very frequently!). With the shake take fish oils along with 3 CLA capsules. You can also add have a handful of berries with your shake. This keeps the insulin response down, and supplies some Omega 3’s for overall general health. Protein and smart fats requirements are met, and will tie you over until you can get another solid food meal in.

Tip #9 'Meat and Nuts Breakfast'...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, by skipping breakfast you increase your risk of obesity by 450%! When you typically have carbohydrates for breakfast you secrete serotonin which is an inhibitory hormone so it will make you feel tired and affect your mental focus and neurotransmitters throughout the day (the afternoon slump). The meat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugar. The nuts provide a great source of healthy smart fats that are great neurotransmitters and allow the blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time. My clients rave about the increased mental acuity and focused energy they derive from this food combination.

Tip #8 'Go Green'...

Green tea is a powerful thermogenic and having 3 cups a day can help to increase calories burnt from fat by up to 18%! I would advise to get flavoured green teas and rotate them to reduce taste fatigue. If you are on the go then you can just throw the teabag in your water bottle, this will make your water taste nicer and still allow you to stay on track. You have no excuses now!