40% of Cancer cases could be avoided

A very interesting BBC article just published shows that as much as 40% of cancer cases are down to lifestyle choices and could therefore be avoided by making healthy choices.

The below chart shows the risk factors assosiated with cancer sourced from Cancer Research UK:

To see the full article click HERE

GB Nutrition

As a Health and Fitness Enthusiast it always amazes me the volume of supplements on the market and the number of different websites all selling the same products with very little difference in price.

How do you choose who to place your business with?  There are a number of mainstream brands on the market such as BSN, Optimum Nutrition, Reflex etc. which occupy the majority of the market simply because of the ease of availability of them - this however does not make them the best products available.

In my humble opinion the best products are those designed by professionals that offer something a bit extra to the usual run of the mill supplements.

This is an opinion shared by the team at GB Nutrition, Sam Smith who runs GB Nutrition said the following about their product range:

''We stock innovative, bespoke brands that offer the highest quality when it comes to sports supplements and nutrition; including, DINO Nutrition, Arkworld Products, Enzymedica, Fusion Bodybuilding, Allmax Nutrition, AST Sports Science, Hectic Nutrition and Massive Nutrition. All offering different unique selling points that gives our store a perfect mix of effective, innovative and affordable products.''

In speaking with Sam its immediately apparent that he really knows what he is talking about when it comes to sports supplements and nutrition.

If you want to discuss your objectives with them and get some assistance with choosing which supplements you need, they are very helpful and give a more personalised service than the other supplement stores out there.

Visit their website and get in contact:

GB Nutrition

SUPER SUPPLEMENT - DO NOT MISS THIS!!

AmeriSciences AS10 goes on sale in the UK today and is the first supplement of its kind.

It has been jointly developed by NASA and the Johnson Space Centre and is the product of 6 years research......

To see the full article click the following link:

AmeriSciences AS10

Sports Injury Treatment

After recently suffering a fairly nasty sprained ankle (not for the first time) playing football I did some research in to the best way to treat an injury in order to recover as quickly as possible and start playing again.

This was very important to me as I hate not being able to play because of an injury!  My research found a few things including the speed in which you begin the injury can help the recovery time greatly but there are also supplements which I found decreased my recovery time.

The most widely used method of treating injuries is the RICE method, I've just copied this information from good old Wikipedia to save writing it all out again see below extract:

Rest

Rest is a key part of repair. Without rest, continual strain is placed on the area, leading to increased inflammation, pain, and possible further injury. Also, most soft tissue injuries will take far longer to heal. There is also a risk of abnormal repair or chronic inflammation resulting from a failure to rest. In general, the rest should be until the patient is able to use the limb with the majority of function restored and pain essentially gone.

Ice

Ice is excellent at reducing the inflammatory response and the pain from heat generated. Proper usage of ice can reduce the destruction over-response which can result from inflammation.  A good method is ice 20 minutes of each hour. Other recommendations are an alternation of ice and no-ice for 15–20 minutes each, for a 24–48 hour period. To prevent localised ischemia or frostbite to the skin, it is recommended that the ice be placed within a towel before wrapping around the area.

Exceeding the recommended time for ice application may be detrimental, as blood flow will be too reduced to allow nutrient delivery and waste removal.

Compression

Compression aims to reduce the edematous swelling that results from the inflammatory process. Although some swelling is inevitable, too much swelling results in significant loss of function, excessive pain and eventual slowing of blood flow through vessel restriction.

An elastic bandage, rather than a firm plastic bandage (such as zinc-oxide tape) is required. Usage of a tight, non-elastic bandage will result in reduction of adequate blood flow, potentially causing ischemia. The fit should be snug so as to not move freely, but still allow expansion for when muscles contract and fill with blood.

Elevation

Elevation aims to reduce swelling by increasing venous return of blood to the systemic circulation. This will not only result in less edema, but also aid in waste product removal from the area.

So - dont ask me what some of the words in that extract mean but I think you get the idea......

I took glucosamine sulphate & chondroitin tablets and they seemed to make my injury heal quicker that when I did it before so I would definately recomend taking those if you have a joint injury of any sort.

I followed the RICE principle and took supplements and was back from quite a severe ankle sprain to playing football in 5 weeks which is very quick for that type of injury, of course the best thing to do is to try and avoid getting injured in the first place!!  

Bodybuilding Supplement Industry Still Growing

A recent article from prfire shows that despite harsh economic times the Bodybuilding Supplement industry continues to grow at an unprecidented rate.....See the full article here:

Bodybuilding Supplement Industry Growth

Dont forget if you need sport supplements and or equipment, check out my Amazon store below to see how the prices/products compare.  All delivery etc is managed by Amazon so you can expect the usual first class service.

Sports Supplements

New Bio-Synergy Range of Performance Supplements

Bio-Synergy have been at the forefront of sports nutrition and supplementation since being established in 1997.

They have just released a new range of products, for more information head to the article below.

New Bio-Synergy Range

Inhale your vitamins

There are a new range of vitamins out that you can inhale, would you be tempted to try them??

This daily mail article tells all.....

Inhale your vitamins??

Overweight England Part 2

The Daily Telegraph has its own article on the rise in the guideline calorie amounts and the obesity crisis in the UK.

To see the Telegraph's take on the situation click the link below:

Are we really being told we can eat more?

Overweight England

British health officials say the country's obesity epidemic has an easy fix: people should just eat less.

To see the rest of the story click the link below:

People from UK eat 10% too many calories on average

Physically Fit staff more productive?

Workers who are physically fit are likely to be more productive than those who do not take part in any exercise, according to Mark Millard (psychologist and founder of WellbeingWizard.com).  To see the full article, click below:


Physically Fit Staff More Productive

Nutrition, Training, Supplements and differences of opinion

From recent discussions I have had with people interested in Health and Fitness, there seems to be a massive difference of opinion over all things gym.  People talk of something called "broscience" - a totally new term to me which basically means knowledge which is spread by word of mouth that has no scientific founding.  It also means that anything without citation to a credible medical study or source is almost immediately classed as "broscience" if it is different to someone elses opinion.

I think as people interested in Health and Fitness, we all have opinions on what works and what doesn't - this is based on what we have read and experience we have.  It has been a valuble lesson learnt for me writing this blog, as any article I write going forward will have full citation from credible sources or otherwise it will clearly state that it is simply from my experience.

In my humble opinion the most important thing in Health and Fitness is to find, Training, Nutrition and Supplements that works for you.  Some people will find certain training plans are not suited to them but another person will love that same training plan, the same with nutrition plans and supplements and so on. 

It is most important to know yourself and know your goals and most importantly make educated choices based on what works for you.  There are of course certain basic rules that will need to be adhered to in order to achieve your goals but you can experiment with training, nutrition and supplements (legal) to a certain extent within those rules with the different advice that is out there and find what works best for you.

Perhaps the most important rule however that should never be crossed is to stay safe in what you do and never risk your health.

See you in the Gym!
Chris

Health and Fitness Business News - All Change for Fitness First?

BC Partners Ltd., the London-based private equity firm, plans to sell its Fitness First Ltd. chain in Asia and Australia in an auction that may raise about A$1 billion ($975 million).......

Looks like it may be all change for fitness first members, to see the rest of the article click here....

Fitness First to be sold

Sports Nutrition News

An article I recently came accross which could be of interest to those who are new to sports nutrition etc.

Daily Telegraph guide to exercise and sports nutrition.

Supplement News

Fahrenheit Nutrition Enters High-end Multi-Vitamin Market 

Multi-Vitamin to Anchor Premium Sports Nutrition Line | CEO Challenges Competition on Quality & Price.

See the full article here:

Fahrenheit Enters High-End Multi-Vitamin Market

Will you be giving them a try?  Have you used Fahrenheit before?

Let us know.....

Gymcrazium Supplement, Weights & Cardio Store

To make things easier for you, once you have decided which supplements are needed for you goals, just pop over to the Gymcrazium supplement store and grab what you need.

Gymcrazium - Health and Fitness

Eating Healthy Can Taste Good

When you think of cheesecake you always think that it'll be really bad for you and if you are trying to be healthy its something to avoid.

I recently bought something called quark from the supermarket because I thought it was like cottage cheese - I was wrong and by itself it tasted pretty bad to be honest.

Anyway my son enjoys making cakes and stuff like that so we thought we'd make a cheesecake with this quark (which is 0% fat) instead of full fat soft cheese.  I didn't think it was going to taste any good but I was gladly proved wrong, it was really good and I let my 3 year old make it again as much as he wants!

I thought I'd share it with you as I can appreciate how difficult it can be to eat healthy and find tasty things to eat.  As this recipe still contains a lot of sugar I would recommend eating it straight after a workout or about half an hour before to avoid sugar overloading the pancreas and being converted to fat.  It is definately a million times healthier than your standard cheesecake!

Here is the ingredient list:

• 80g digestive biscuits
• 50g melted butter
• 200g light soft cheese
• 500g Quark
• 200g icing sugar
• zest 2 lemons , juice of 3 

 And here's the process:

1. Crush the digestive biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Press into the base of a 20cm tin. Chill to firm.
2. Whisk the light soft cheese with the quark and icing sugar, then fold through zest 2 lemons.
3. Beat the juice into the cheese mix, then spoon on top of the biscuit base. Chill until set. Enjoy!

 Total Nutrition Breakdown for the whole cake is as follows:

• Protein - 96 grams
• Carbohydrate - 444 grams
• Fat - 120 grams
• Saturated Fat - 72 grams

If you have a standard serving which is 1/8 of the whole cake it will be:

• Protein - 12 grams
• Carbohydrate - 37 grams
• Fat - 10 grams
• Saturated Fat - 6 grams
• 286 Calories

Compare that to your average cheesecake and you'll find its a million times better and tastes pukka too.

Introduction from the Physio

Hi guys,

My name is Ashleigh Dodd and I am a fully qualified Sports therapist, who will be regularly writing some columns about injuries, injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for the health and fitness page. Please feel free to email me if you have any injuries you would like me to feature, or if you just need any questions answering about any of your injuries.

How to stay injury free

We all love to exercise, yet somehow we always manage to wake up and take our first stretches with an agonising ache here and there! Injury prevention is the main key, which many of us slip up on from time to time, especially me; being a culprit offender of skipping the odd stretch! So I have listed below some top tips to help keep your injuries at bay.

Eat to beat

Those exercise lovers know the importance of food and how it revolves around their training! Well the same goes for injury prevention, especially the importance of eating the right foods. Studies have shown that antioxidant rich foods help to banish DOMS (otherwise known as delayed onset of muscles soreness). This means that getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is a must! Any foods rich in vitamins A and C are a good start. Omega 3 rich foods are also a winner, and also speed up the healing process. You can find omega 3 within fish, beans, olive oil, and flaxseed.

Don’t brace yourself

Many people think that injury prevention requires the use of a bandage or brace before they have even injured themselves, or even begun setting a foot on the treadmill! This is not the case. More often than not, they are used as a psychological crutch and will only alter the pull of the muscles; which may cause future problems. Spend your money instead on what is causing you the pain in the first place by going to see a sports therapist.

Stretching

Although stretching does not prevent injury completely, it is certainly a good idea to take your muscles through a full range of movement before you begin an activity. I would suggest going for a light jog or low intensity exercise for 5-10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of stretching. This will help to increase both heart rate and breathing preparing you for the safe functioning of your heart, lungs, and muscles during the more vigorous exercise that will follow. This will also help to reduce the muscle and joint soreness that you may experience during early stages of your exercise routine.

Sharing is caring

Don’t ignore your body. Get any aches and pains seen to early on by a therapist, otherwise it can put stress on to other areas of the body. We do not want future problems! Regular massage is a good idea, not only for helping you to recover for your next training session; but also for relaxation. The resting periods between each activity you take part in plays an important part, as your body needs time to recover for your next training session.

Chasing pavements

Varying the surface that you run on will help to reduce impact upon your joints. Running on grass, trails, roads and pavements will allow your body to adapt. This is a great tip for those who suffer with back problems; avoid permanent road running!

Footwear facts

Buying the correct trainers is extremely important for injury prevention. Try to visit a running specialist shop that provides biomechanical analysis of your footwork pattern. You should always replace your trainers every 600 miles or so before they stop providing the best support. One of the most common reasons for injury begins with the footwear!

Thanks for reading guys, and please feel free to ask questions in the comments section at any point for any further tips or questions that need answering.

By Ashleigh Dodd Sports Therapist BSC (HONS) MSST

Supplement Review - Holland and Barrett

As a rule when choosing supplements I have avoided using Holland and Barrett stuff, historically it was always overpriced, full of cheap ingredients and their protein tasted foul.

That was until recently - I was tempted in to going in to a store near my work by the half price offer on their Precision Engineered Whey Protein.  I read up the ingredient list and was very pleased with what I saw, there was no cheap bulking ingredients like maltodextrin or dextrose but they had included hydrowhey (the fastest acting protein available).  This combined with whey isolate and concentrate makes the perfect post workout protein with a broad spectrum of amino acids and superfast acting protein.  I think I paid £16.99 for a 2lb tub which at todays prices is actually very good, I have had the vanilla and chocolate so far and they are both nice as long as you dont mix them with too much water!!  I have had good results since using this protein with recovery, strength and size all increasing - thats why I am giving it the following ratings:

Value: 3/5 (Very good if on half price, otherwise expensive)

Taste: 3/5 (Ok unless mised with too much water but not the best I've had)

Ingredients: 5/5 (inclusion of hydrowhey makes this a 5)

Effectiveness: 5/5 (couldn't ask for more from a whey protein powder)

Total: 16/20 (a good solid product, definately worth buying if on offer)

I also bought some of their max strength amino acids as they were on half price too, 150 of their 1500mg amino acid pills cost me £7.49 which is an absolute bargain in my opinion.  These aminos contain a full spectrum amino profile which means that they are the perfect building blocks for muscle and have many other useful functions within the body.  One thing I have noticed since taking these is my energy levels have shot up, playing indoor football last week for two games in a row and being able to run non-stop is something I'm not used to.  I have found that I am aching less from heavy weights workouts and muscle recovery is quicker that if just supplementing with Whey alone.  I will definately be continuing to take aminos for the forseeable future.  In the past taking Amino's has given me an upset stomach - I have had absolutely no negative side effects from these.

 

Value: 4/5 (Very good if on half price, otherwise a tad expensive)

Taste: N/A (pills are massive though and hard to swallow)

Ingredients: 5/5 (full spectrum of aminos)

Effectiveness: 5/5 (Increase in energy, muscle recovery and general well being) 

Total: 14/15 (A brilliant supplement, will be buying again even if it isnt H&B)

Cashback On Your Amazon Shopping

Gymcrazium is now integrated with Amazon and various other websites. If you do your shopping through my site it will not cost you anything extra and I will share half the percentage I receive from the company you buy with. If you simply click through the links on here on to the website and buy whatever you need - or use the amazon search tool, I will receive a report back at the end of each month to tell me how much has been spent on what and then I will give you some of your money back - SIMPLES!

Just send me a message telling me what you bought and when and let me know how you want to be paid your cashback, couldn't be easier.

As always suggestions are welcome.

Chris

Tip of the day - Effortless Fat Loss

 Effortless Fat Loss

A common myth is that people think losing fat is hard and requires lots of cardio, it is much more in the mind.  You can choose between a healthy option and an unhealthy one - half of the battle is knowing what is healthy and what isn't, the other half is choosing the healthy option.  If you can increase your resting metabolic rate (the amount of energy your body needs just to function) you will burn fat without even lifting a finger.

The thing is providing you exercise you can still eat the occasional treat but it is a lot about timing.  You can eat a chocolate bar just before or just after a workout and it will help give you the energy you need for the workout or help shuttle nutrients in to your hungry muscles immediately after the workout.  If you eat a chocolate bar while sat at your desk working, the chances are the sugar will overload your pancreas and cause the excess energy to be stored on the body as fat.

This article is about effortless fat loss, so we will concentrate on ways you can lose fat without even exercising.  The first and maybe the most important nutrient when looking to lose fat is protein.  Protein will not only help you stay feeling full up but because of the energy required by the body to break it down to use it, you will use calories and increase your resting metabolic rate simply digesting.  If you are looking to lose fat you should aim to consume some form of protein every 3 hours you are awake, the sources of protein should mainly be healthy options but you can always have some treat proteins and they wont do much damage unless accompanied by carbs.  Eating a burger on its own it fine when trying to lose fat but eat it with a bun and chips and you will overload the pancreas with unused energy which again will be stored on the body as fat.

Healthy Protein Sources For Fat Loss:

• Chicken/Turkey
• Lean Beef/Pork/Turkey Mince (cooked with fat drained off)
• Unsalted Nuts
• Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• Skimmed Milk
• Egg Whites
• Salmon/Mackeral
• Pork Chops (do not eat rind)
• Whey Protein Drinks

Other natural things that can increase your resting metabolic rate include weight training, green tea, spicy food and fish oil supplements.

Heavy weight training has been shown to increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) by up to 200 calories a day more for two days after you have trained due to the extra energy your body requires to repair the muscles and the additional sectretion of the bodies own anabolic hormones which is triggered by heavy weight training.

Green tea and spicy food both have proven thermogenic properties which increase the bodies core temperature and melt the fat from your body thus increasing your RMR by up to 200 calories a day and the fish oil aids the body in flushing the stored fat from your system.

Other points to note is that a high dairy calcium diet has also shown to increase your RMR which is why low fat cottage cheese is ideal to aid fat loss.

In summary to burn fat without even having to do any cardio, follow these simple principles and reap the results!

Supplements - An Introduction

Supplements – An Introduction

Supplements are a must for anyone looking to maintain a good physique or even just to keep a healthy lifestyle.

This is a basic introduction to the core supplements available, going forward we will be reviewing individual brands and telling you whats hot and whats not in the supplement world.

Whey Protein

As a foundation for muscle gains, quality protein supplementation is without equal. The best absorbed form - often used specifically post-workout, with meals to round out one's protein balance - is whey protein.  Whey Protein has a high biological value and is extremely convenient to take. 

While protein obtained from food sources can provide more sustained protein levels (especially prior to bed to offset the fasting period that usually occurs during sleep), whey is rapidly shuttled into the muscles where it can exert its powerful anabolic effects. 

Whey protein is best used twice a day - directly after training and first thing in the morning upon rising before breakfast to ensure a rapid uptake of protein to restore the drop in nitrogen levels from the previous night's sleeping/fasting state. 

It is worth noting that to fully preclude this 8-10 hour fast one would need to wake once or twice throughout the night to consume protein. Thus, taking protein immediately upon waking is essential, and whey is, in my experience, the best form to take at this time.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Taking Branch Chain Amino Acids regularly you will witness a noticeable improvement in muscle density and my recovery rate will also increased exponentially. As essential aminos, the BCAAs (Leucine, isoleucine and valine) must be taken through the foods we eat. 

As the only three aminos metablizes directly by muscle tissue they are especially important for the immediate recovery of muscle tissue. They are used to build new proteins after hard training. As a primary muscle-building insurance policy, BCAAs should be on the top of anyone's supplement list. 

L-Glutamine

Considered a conditionally essential amino acid, L-Glutamine comprises up to 60 percent of free-from amino acids circulating in muscle tissue and is critical for muscle recovery. 

When other tissues need L-glutamine (for immune purposes, for example, of which L-glutamine is essential) they will often leach this amino from muscle stores, so supplementing it makes sense. 

If the muscles and the rest of the bodily systems have an abundant supply of L-glutamine, muscle tissue will be less likely depleted under conditions of stress. After a hard training session L-glutamine levels will be reduced throughout the body by as much as 50 percent. 

 The best way to supplement L-glutamine is to take 5 grams 3-4 times per day so the body has a constant supply. Adding it to protein shakes is an excellent way to include it in one's diet.

Creatine

When creatine hit the shelves in the early '90s, it quickly became the supplement of choice for athletes the world over. 

A supplement that can support increases in size and strength - as attested to by countless scientific studies – Creatine (monohydrate, the version that, despite many new revolutionary forms, still seems to work best in the long run) will, for most, boost lean muscle mass and amplify strength gains. 

It increases muscle energy, allowing one to train harder and to reap the results. And secondly, it hydrates muscle tissue, which, over time, causes them to become bigger and stronger. 

Naturally produced in the kidneys, pancreas and liver, creatine is transported to muscle tissue where it is transformed into creatine phosphate, from which the energy molecule ATP is produced to regenerate the muscles' ability to contract and generate power during short-burst (anaerobic) activity. This translates to more productive workouts and faster muscle growth. 

Though produced in the body, these levels are sufficient only for ongoing cellular function, not massive muscle growth, which in itself is not at all conducive for survival purposes. 

Relying on nutrition to significantly boost creatine is futile in that many pounds of raw meat would need to be eaten to extract five grams of creatine, the quantity provided in one teaspoon of creatine monohydrate powder. So supplementation is necessary to realize creatine's full benefits. 

Omega-3 Fish Oil

The many health benefits to be derived from eating fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel are well documented.

However, due to various contaminants, purity and quantity of essential fatty acids supplied, availability and price, gaining valuable Omega-3 fatty acids from these sources is often not ideal. Fish Oil in supplemental form, on the other hand, provides the perfect ratio of these Omega-3's in the purest and most concentrated way possible. 

To improve performance and build muscle a healthy physical state must first be attained as muscle can only grow when the right conditions are in place to do so. Omega-3 fatty acids may support blood circulation to allow nutrients such as Protein and Carbohydrates to reach muscle and exert their effects. 

Omega-3s may also assist fat loss through maximizing Metabolic rate and helping to form a foundation from which thermogenesis (body fat melting) can occur. Joint lubrication and cardio health are also major benefits to be derived from Omega-3 supplementation.

Introduction to Nutrition

Introduction to Nutrition

This is a very basic introduction to nutrition and sets out the guidelines for the three main food groups.

In order to calculate your proper macronutrient amounts, you'll need to know your lean body mass. Your lean body mass is calculated by the following equation: weight - (weight (body fat / 100)).

Protein

Eat 1 gram of protein for every 1 pound of lean body mass. If you weigh 200lbs and are 20% body fat, than your fat mass is 40lbs. Your lean body mass is 200-40= 160lbs. You should eat 160 grams of protein per day.

Tips:

• Eat mostly natural and lean proteins (fish, egg whites, etc.)
• Avoid higher fat and processed proteins (bacon, salami, etc.)

Carbohydrate

If your primary goal is fat loss, eat roughly the same amount of carbohydrates as protein per day, or 1 gram of carbohydrate for every 1 pound of lean body mass. The person in our above example should eat 160 grams of carbohydrates per day.  Try to avoid starchy carbs after 6pm unless you are training or playing sport such as football.

If your primary goal is building muscle, eat 1.5-2.0 grams of carbohydrate for every 1 pound of lean body mass. The person in our above example should eat 240-320 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Tips:

• Eat natural starches and whole fruits as your primary source.
• Avoid sugar and refined starches.
• Eat as many non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, carrots etc) as you wish as they don't significantly impact your caloric total.

Fats

Eat 1/4g to 1/3g of fat for every 1lb of lean body mass. In the above example, this person should eat (160g X1/4 to 1/3g/lb) = 40-53 g of fat per day.

Tips:

• Emphasize healthy fats as a by-product of your protein sources.
• Avoid trans-fats and excessive saturated fats.
• Eat as much fish oils or linseed oils as possible.

Meal Timing

Spread nutritional intake evenly over a minimum of 6 meals/snacks a day. Totals will vary somewhat, but do your best to spread nutrients out as evenly as possible.  In this example, this person should theoretically eat roughly 32g of protein, 32-64g of carbohydrate, and 8-11g of fat at each of 6 meals.

Tips:

• Make sure to eat one of those meals/snacks within 45 minutes of exercising.

Weight Training 1

Training Plan 1

Whatever you goals – muscle gain or weight loss a good weight training routine should form the backbone of your workouts.  Weight training increases metabolism so your body burns fat even when you are not working out.

A typical split would be like this:

• Day 1: Legs/Abs
• Day 2: Chest
• Day 3: Back/Abs
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Shoulder/Abs
• Day 6: Arms
• Day 7: Rest

Note: The reasons for prescribing those muscle groups in that order are as follow: For most trainees, training the lower body is probably the most taxing for their bodies. Therefore it is crucial to train it first in the beginning of each week to ensure that the workout is done while the body is still fresh. 

Instead of training five days in a row, it is also beneficial to rest in between training days to allow the Central Nervous System to get proper recovery. This is especially important for new trainees because their bodies are not primed to be able to work at a high intensity five days in a row yet. 

Lastly, it's more optimal to space shoulder and arm days as far as possible from chest day to allow the joints and triceps to recover properly.

For each day, trainees should use 4-5 exercises with two main exercises and 2-3 accessory exercises.

An example would be like this (for each of these the numbers at the end are “the number of sets”x”the number of reps” – so for full squats you would need five sets of 3 reps then pause then 2 reps then pause then 1 rep):

Day 1: Legs:

• Full Squat 5x3,2,1
• Leg Press 3-4x8-10
• Hamstring Curl 3-4x8-10
• Knee Extension 3x12-15
• Calf Raises 3x12-15

Day 2: Chest:

• Incline Bench Press 5x3,2,1
• DB (dumbbell) Bench Press 3-4x8-10
• DB Flyes 3-4x8-10
• Pec Dec 3x12-15
• Chest Pullover 3x12-15

Day 3: Back:

• Weighted Wide Grip Pull-up 5x3,2,1*
• Barbell Row 3-4x8-10
• Straight Arm Pulldown 3-4x8-10
• Shrugs 3x12-15
• Seated Pulldown 3x12-15

Day 4: Rest:

Day 5: Shoulder:

• Push Press 5x3,2,1
• Upright Row 3-4x8-10
• Incline Side Raises 3-4x8-10
• Front Raise 3x12-15
• Bentover Cable Side Raise 3x12-15

Day 6: Arms:

• Preacher Curl 5x3,2,1*
• Decline Tricep Extension 3-4x8-10
• Hammer Curl 3-4x8-10
• Parallel Dips 3x12-15
• Calf Raises 3x12-15

 *Bicep exercise has been chosen instead of tricep as the main lift because the triceps were used during chest days, therefore having it as a main lift isn't as important as the bicep. However, this is completely optional. If a trainee will like he/she is lacking on tricep, then feel free to substitute it with a tricep exercise.

Day 7: Rest:

-> Abdominal Workout:

While there are many ways to target the abs, a mixture of heavy and light lifts yield the best result. Doing nothing but a high volume of crunches and side bends to lose fat around the abdominal region is a common mistake that many trainees make. Diet and proper nutrition are the key to a solid 6-pack.

• Weighted Crunches 5x5
• Leg Raise 3x10-12
• Cable Crunch 3x10-12
• Planks 3x until failure

In the next blog post we will explore nutrition and how it can be used to increase muscle mass, reduce fat and generally improve your health and Well Being.