Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A New Year

It is a new year, this brings new goals to achieve. Can we make this year more successful than the last one?
The only way it will be a more successful year is to change the way we are currently doing things. If you are on track and happy with your progress to your destination Congratulations.

If not it may be time to re evaluate your goal(s).

What is the cost of achieving your goal e.g time permitted, expense, effort etc...

Is the desired outcome worth it?

Once you have come to the realisation that, you need the change and know the investment is worth it, success is yours.

If the price is too high, you know you do not have the commitment necessary to reach the heights you desire.

Write your goals out, and place them somewhere they can be seen daily, to inspire you to take daily steps towards them.

Sometimes to get our end result we have to miss out on short term pleasures, to gain long term happiness.

Here is a cheesy line for 09

Time to shine in 09

Call me Dr seuss!

Eat well and train hard

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Squat

The squat is known as the king of exercises. This is a fair call as it demands whole body strength and a good movement pattern. A lot of so called strong men don't need to squat and would rather use the squat rack for bicep curls or playing on a BOSU ball! This is why they will never be strong in the real world, so if something needs to be lifted there beach muscles will let them down every time.
A lot is said about core strength, will the BOSU guy have a strong core? Probably not, where as the squater will. Squating requires a very strong trunk, to maintain good lifting posture. This can be targeted more with other squat variations e.g front squats, Zerscher and one legged squats to name a few.
What about my knees! It is true the squat can stress the knees, generally though it is usually down to poor movement patterns, than anything else. The focus should be on the hips, and pulling your ass down, this reduces the load on the knees and maximise the contribution of the glutes (biggest muscles, we should use them!).
This will not only spare your knees, but add some weight to your lift!
Now not everybody should squat, if you have no cartilage or your knees are really banged up, you should consider some other options.
Once you have grooved a good movement get under the bar and crank them out!

Monday, December 8, 2008

True test of strength

There are plenty of exercises that are great measures of strength. The chin up is one of the best, this is because gender doesn't make a difference. You are still lifting your body weight. It is also used as a great power predicter. Generally if you are good at performing chins, you have a good 40 Metre dash. This could be down to the fact, that to be effective at chins you need a fairly low body fat percentage. Now if you can't perform a chin, use a chair to lower yourself from the top of the lift and then try to pull up. I am sure you will find success easier to come by.
Plenty of strong individuals are great at squating, pressing and deadlifting, but excess bodyweight can aid all of these. The chin is a great test of strength per pound. Go and give it a try and post your maximum number!

Eat well and train hard

Sunday, November 30, 2008

End of Movember


The month of Movember is finally over. I grew a few hairs here and there and hopefully it counts. Here are the last pics, as of tomorrow i'll be back to smooth and handsome, instead of kind of rugged and kinda handsome!
If you haven't made a donation it's not to late. Go to the Movember website enter my name and pledge some dollars! Heres the link https://www.movember.com/au/donate/donate-details.php?action=sponsorlink®o=1985916&country=au

Eat well and train hard

Friday, November 28, 2008

Squat at state titles



Sorry it took so long to post. The other lifts will be up soon. A few problems uploading them on site. 180kg Squat, this will be the warm up at the next meet!

Eat well and train hard

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Volume v Intensity

How long does your workout take? Now if you spend 90 minutes on one body part, you may want to think about your intensity. The volume of work may be high, but the higher the volume the lower the intensity. This goes both ways, all out for one set is intense, but is the volume high enough?
Many advocate this HIT training and have had good results, that said anything will work for a little while (10 pie and chips a day diet?), well almost. The body will adapt to any stimulas eventually, so always use some form of progression.

I train fairly briskly at the moment and tend to keep my sets and number of exercises moderately low. This is two fold, 1 I want an intense workout so I use 3 work sets if reps are higher 8+, but more sets and reps when my rep range is low. 2 I can keep my workouts short and spend more time bringing up weaknesses (flexibility etc...)
For weight loss the intensity wants to be high, this doesn't neccessarily mean no rest, you can vary the load, speed of movement or rest. If you sacrifice rest, you potentially sacrifice the load you can lift.
The main point I am trying to put across is, for every positive action with a training program/workout there is always a negative.
What does this mean?

That on your next plan you address the negative points and bring them up, and so it continues! This will reduce the likelihood of injury and increase performance.

Eat well and train hard

Monday, November 17, 2008

Movember update


5 days to go. Now I haven't had anybody tell me that a 15 year old girl on the pill for a couple of months would have more hair than me. Progress? Maybe a little check it out and let me know. Pop onto the movember website and sponsor me please. It's for a good cause and what I lack in results is made up for with effort.

Have fun!

Too many of us get hung up on our end goal and forget to have some fun. Now we still want to train hard and make progress, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun. Fun can be playing a game, competition with training partners, kayaking or climbing. Bottom line is, if it isn't fun we won't keep doing it. Make training more fun by besting a score or taking it outdoors. If an activity is fun or associated with fun, we will do it more often. For some of us the fun is in training itself, this is my case. I haven't always loved it, and I'll change things up before they get stale. Set a goal and go to work, half the fun is the reward of success.
It's also important to take some rest, rest is as important as training. If we train too often without it, we increase our risk of injury, increased cortisol levels(can reduce muscle growth, that's what we train for!) and bring on stress.
Moral of the story all work and no play makes Jack cranky, broken and small! Train hard and smart, rest when your body tells you to and make sure to sleep.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Alan Wong time and info change

On Saturday November the 22nd Alan Wong will be performing a seminar. Allan is 3 times world champion trainer and blitz hall of fame muaythai trainerof the year. The event will be held at Copper Coast sport and leisure, registration at 10 am commences at 11 am. All comers welcome and will be coached through:
Muaythai basics: knees, elbows, boxing and kicking.
Grappling and pad holding.
Now if your thinking that your too pretty to get punched in the face, I feel the same! It will be more of an educational day and some fun. You should get behind the event, all too often people grumble about things not coming to the area, so when they do get behind them and spread the word.
Tickets can be purchased at the venue on the day, or contact Paul Murphy on 0413761779

Eat well and train hard

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The big 3

Now I love the big 3. The squat, bench press and the deadlift. These lifts are the 3 used in power lifting competitions and are great for adding lots of muscle. Ladies do not let that put you off. These lifts will bring up the important areas,Your butt, thighs and chest. Important not just for aestethics, but for function too!
Now ideally you would throw in a couple of other big moves, but the 3 should definitely be used regularly in your arsenal.
The big 3 take a lot of flak, especially squats and deadlifts. Squats are bad for knees and back, deadlifts bad for backs. Sitting is bad for your back!, the squat and dead are great for the whole body if performed well, so if your unsure how to do them, find a good teacher!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Soft tissue work

For those who have worked with me, you know how highly I regard soft tissue work. Here is a link to a free ebook from Mike Robertson. A valuable resource from one of the best!

http://www.robertsontrainingsystems.com/Self-Myofascial%20Release,%20Purpose,%20Methods%20and%20Techniques.pdf

If link doesn't appear cut and paste in your browser. You can't stretch out knots, improve tissue quality, improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Eat well and train hard

Movember



It is now November and with it comes Movember. A time to raise awareness for mens health especially prostate cancer and depression.It's also a chance to bust out a mo. Last year I indulged and attempted to create a tash, it was about as masculine as Marilyn Monroe! This year I will grow one that would make a pre-pubescent 10 year old proud! Here is a pic, last shave 1/11/08 6pm pic is 6/11/08 6pm
Please comment and make a donation, any inults and it's compusory payment!

Eat well and train hard

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Prepare for the festive season

Now come the festive season, most people tend to eat enough junk to fuel a small country and then moan that they can't fit into there pants anymore. Well there is just shy of 2 months until the big occasion and if you crank up your training plan and intensity, you could drop a couple of sizes pre holidays and look better post than you do now!
From now until then set aside some time every weekday (20 mins from 24 hours to choose from) and hit some serious training. Make sure it's more than walking or jogging, if you need help in prioritising your workouts, check out the previous article or contact me.

Eat well and train hard

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Dining out

It's inevetable, we are going to go out to eat at some stage, whilst trying to drop weight. Here are a few tips on not blowing out your weekly budget at one buffet:

When ordering dishes ask for the sauce/dressing to be in a jug, so you can add what you need without drowning your food.

If your eating out on a trip and it has to be take out, order the chicken bagguette ( all the fast food joints have them )with no dressing throw out bread. Lean chicken and salad!

Instead of super sizing fries and coke, supersize your veggies and salad!

Order grilled fish without batter or crumbs.

Trade chips for salad or veg.

If you have a large plate of food you will eat it all. Have a standard or entree serve and you will still be satified.

Stick to lean meats and limit condiments.

Eat clean and train hard

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Mission accomplished

Yesterday was the day of competition, I had a tough battle with hunger before the weigh in. I was confident i'd make weight, but better safe than sorry. So fuelled on 3 eggs and a protein shake, we headed for mannum.
The night prior to this, I had been running around trying to get my new onepiece suit adjusted. I had tried it out and could not squat or move in it, so thought I better get it fixed. When I arrived I was told thats how they fit and was given some pointers on how to slip in. I could feel it taring my palmolive skin on my chickensnaps (legs) and again was informed thats the norm. I was later told it was too big and I could wear a smaller size. The blood blisters were good enough this time, so i'll pass.
Back to the weigh in and I came in at 73.3 a bit to light, but i'd dropped 5kg in 2 weeks. This still didn't help with the suit issue!
I was the only lifter in my weight class and there were only 8 in total. I was a bit surprised, as it was the state championships. Initially I was only gonna bench, but decided to do the lot. I was very conservative in my opening weights and it turned out overly so. I added 30kg to both my squat and deadlift and still had some in the tank.
The lift I came for,The bench was below par. I opened with 130, but then failed the next 2 at 140. Usually a comfortable lift. So I hit a 500kg total, which I was pleaesed with, for an off the cuff competition. That weight also qualifies me for the nationals. So I won my weight being the only contender and won the best male lifter (it's based on weight lifted per pound). A good day all round in beautiful surroundings.
It would be great to get some more lifters, to train and compete. If your interested contact me. You will be surprised at how great it is, the all or nothing rush of a maximal lift. Now I'll start some heavy duty training, to hit some big numbers next year.

Eat well and train hard

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Priorities for fat loss

Now if you want to really turn up your fat loss, here are the most effective methods in order of priority:

1 Nutrition: You can lose weight without changing your diet, but it's going to be minimal. Try to eat every 3 hours, eating lean proteins and fibrous veg. Try to time your more complexed carbs at breakfast and post workout. Without a well controlled nutritional plan you will not reach your desired goal!

2 Resistance training, ideally big compound movements to get the body really working. Progress sessions by reducing rest or increasing sets, reps and weights. The more lean muscle you have the more energy you burn at rest RMR (resting metabolic rate). This is the most effective way to train to reduce bodyfat.

3 HIIT (high intensity interval training) if you are performing any cardio work and not including this, you are either happy with your body fat levels or need a swift kick in the bum. HIIT will crank the metabolism and get you losing body fat by increasing your RMR. Burning energy after your workout!

4 Steady state high intensity aerobics, this will expend calories but does not increase RMR.

5 Steady state low intensity aerobic training, not an efficient fat burner at all. Yet you will see most people perform this for weight loss purposes. Only good for relaxtion, not effective for weight loss.

So there you have it. My recommendations on how to prioritise your training, in your battle with your bodyfat. Hope this helps you take your training to the next level!

Eat well and train hard

Thursday, October 2, 2008

On track

Hi,

So far, so good. I have dropped from 78.3 to 75.6 kg's. Not far off my goal weight, so I am happy with my progress. The big test will be tomorrow, I am planning a heavy training day. If you have taken the challenge, please post your progress. I would love to share my magical weight loss formula, but it's just eating less and training hard. I have been limiting big carb intake to breakfast and post workout, the rest of my meals have been protein, with fibrous veg. I am making sure I eat every 3 hour's and drinking lots of water. Hope your on track with your training progress, if not attack it like the enemy!

Eat well and train hard,

Carl

Monday, September 29, 2008

Challenge

Hi,

If you have read mission impossible, you will know i'm aiming to shed 3.3kg by 11/10 and I am challenging you to try and better my numbers. So far i'm sticking with my strength training and tapering my energy input and just eating very clean. I trained on Monday and it went really well, even on a smaller calorie budget. Let me know how you go and what steps your taking to get there.

Eat well and train hard,

Carl

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Mission impossible

Hi,

Today I have started my mission to drop my weight from 78.3kg to below 75kg by the 11th of October. Less than 2 weeks! The reason for this is I am pondering entering the state bench press championship in the 75kg category. Now I have never attended a meet like this let alone compete(I know fail to plan and plan to fail), but he who dares wins! It will also be great experience for next year and any result will be a bonus. I plan on competing in the full meet next year. I will let you know how I go with my progress in the mission to increase strength and drop weight.

Eat well and train hard,

Carl

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Ab training

When I was first training sit ups were the best exercise for shredded abs. Now we know this is not the case at all, but still everybody carrying a few pounds wants to know what ab exercise will strip there tires. The only way to get ripped abs is to lose body fat!(I'll address this in another post). There is still a lot of confusion over the function of the abdominal's. Most people still seem to think that sit ups etc... are still the way to go, but the true function of the abs is stability. We want to maintain neutral posture and avoid flexion and extension by bracing. By doing this we can prevent energy leaks from hips and produce more power and reduce excessive stress on the spine. There is also a lot of confusion about the transverse abdominis and it's exclusive recruitment. This also has no merit and does not carry over to true performance. When I was studying a few years back this was all the rage and I used this principle myself and taught it to my clients. Since then I have gone back to my old school methods I was taught when I started training. Some great texts from Stuart McGill has helped broaden my knowledge and stopped me from prescribing detrimental exercises. So the next time you contemplate performing sit ups take a credit card out of your wallet, bend it back and forth like a sit up and see the end result. You will get a lot more recruitment performing any free standing resistance training in a neutral posture.

Eat well and train hard,

Carl