Men’s Fitness Workout Manual 2015

MAGBOOK.

MensFitness magazine WORKOUTS

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YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUILDING MUSCLE AND BURNING FAT O C o ver model workouts O Healthy diet advice O No-kit fat loss circuits O F o r beginners and experts

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MorsFitness magazine

WORKOUT MANUAL

2015 Editor Nick Hutchings

Art Editor Camille Neilson Managing Editor Chris Miller Contributors Max Anderton, Ben Inee,

Additional photography Joel Anderson,

Huw Evans Agency, Pete Webb, packshotfactory.co.uk, iStock, Thinkstock Workout models Josiah Hunte, Sean Lerwill, Jack Jefferson(aWAthletic Art Director Ped Millichamp

Matthew Ray, Sam Rider, Joel Snape Chief Subeditor Gareth Beach Photography Tom Miles. Mike Prior

iflw ci Croup Publisher Russell Blackman Croup Managing Director Ian Westwood International Business Development Drector Dharmesh Mistrv Digital Production Manager Nicky Baker Operations Director Robir Ryan Managing Director of Advertising Julian Uoyd-Evans Newstrade Director David Barker Managing Drector of Enterprise Martin Belson Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Financial Officer Brett Reynolds Croup Finance Director Ian Leggett Chief Executive Officer James Tye Company Fcunder Felix Dennis

a

The MagBook' brand is a trademark of Dennis Publishing Ltd. 30 Cleveland Street. London W1T 4JD Company registered m England. All material e- 2014 Dennis Publishing Ltd. A.l rights reserved Men's Fitness is a trademark cf Felix Dennis and may net be used or reproduced In whole or part without the consent 3f the publishers Printed h China WORKOUT MANUAL 2 0 5 ISBN 1- 78106 - 3 0 6 -0 To license this Droduct please contact Nkole Adams cn ♦44 (0) 20 7g07 6134 or [email protected] A d vertisin g

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While every care was taken during the production of this MagBook. the pubishers cannct be held responsible for the accuracy of the information or any consequence arisinq from it Dennis Publishing takes no responsibly for the ccmpanies advertising in this MagBook The paper used w ithr this MagBcok is produced from sustainable fibre, manufactured by mills with a valid chain of custody. The health and fitness information presented in this book is an educational resource and is not intended as a substitute for medical advKe. Consult your doctor or healthcare professional before performing any of the exercses desenbed n tms book or any other e
To subscribe to M e n's Fitness magazine, call 0 8 4 4 8 4 4 0 0 8 1 or go to m ensfitness.co.uk

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CONTENTS Must-do m oves

8

Training knowhow

17

Home w orkouts

34

C o v e r m odel w orkouts

48

Nutrition knowhow

86

Sports drills

102

C ardio

124

Gym fe a ts

138

F

or anyone who carcs about oven without leaving the house, you'll find their fitness, this book is sim ply those here too (p 34 and p]24). a brilliant tool. It condenses all You’ll find out more about training tech the expert ad vice from a year's niques and how they work (pl7), as well as the diet strategies that can produce superb worth of Men's Fitness in one place, making it hugely valuable results when (p86). We also reveal how som e of Britain's best sportsm en train, from world you're planning your workout programme. boxing champ Carl Froch to Lions rugby M any people pic* u p the m ag because skipper Sam Warburton, so you can em u they want the ripped ab s they see on the front. We’ve got that covered, with com late them - in the gym, at least (pl02). prehensive workouts provided b y four of We start with a set of innovative m oves our best cover m odels (p48). that not many people know about. So turn top8 and start putting them to use. Not surprisingly, th ese aren't for the faint-hearted - so if you want a quickfire workout you can do with minimal kit or

Nick H utchings, editor

6

Workout Manual 20 15

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MUST-DO MOVES

MUST-DO MOVES Everyone wants something that can give them the edge - and these killer exercises will do just that. While others are straining away at the same old routines, you can give your muscle growth a boost with a move they don't know about. Here Shaun Stafford, WBFF PRO Fitness Model World Champion and performance director of City Athletic (cityathletic.co.uk), explains and demonstrates each of these innovative exercises that will help you stay one step ahead.

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9

hat s t h e best move fo r a big chest? Judging by th e m ajority o f people in the weights room, m ost would probably say the tru sty bench press. B ut they'd be sadly m istaken. M ere’s why you're b e tte r o ff doing the flye . ‘T h e fib re s of the p ectoral m uscles run from your sternum up tow ards your arm pits,' says S tafford . ‘T h e flye lets you w ork the m uscles in the d irection their fib res run, unlike the bench press. This allows fo r greater contraction, a g reater stre tch and an increased range of motion for full pec developm ent with additional strength benefits fo r all your pressing m oves.' Mere Staffo rd dem onstrates this top-notch chest-building e xe rcise . S ave this m ove for the end o f your strength session, slow it down and start light so your form doesn’t su ffer.

W

S e t th e h an d les J of a d u al-cab le c ro sso v e r m ach ne at t h e ir h ig h e st p o in t. Take a handle in e a c h hand and k n e e l b e tw e e n th e ‘ sta n d s, p o sitio n in g y o u rs e lf w ith your hands ju s t ab ove your e a rs and slig h tly behind you so your c h e s t is s tre tc h e d .

^ jk P ELIC A N FLYE

SETS 3 REPS 12

MUST-DO MOVES

HIT FOR SIX move

T

he abs are like any oth er m uscle. T h e g reater the resistance th ey have to strain against, the harder they will have to work and th e more they will grow. ‘ It's not always easy to train your co re with weight but it’s certainly w o rth doing/ says S tafford . ‘Adding resistan ce stim ulates more of the m uscle fib res in your abs than is possible w ith bodyweight alone. W ith this gym ball Smith crunch you com bine the instability of the gym ball with bar-based resistan ce.’ T h is move also strengthens your se rratus m uscles in your upper back, which will im prove your shoulder stability. ‘Do this tough exercise at the start o f your abs routine when you’ve still got the required strength to get through all the reps/ Staffo rd says.

GYM BA LL SMITH CRU N CH

SETS 4 REPS 8

P la ce a gym ball u n d e r t h e bar in a w > . S m ith m a ch in e . HoW t th e b a r w ith h an d s*" ^ ju s t w id e r than I i/ sh o u ld er-w id th a p a rt. L ie back on th e ball so yo u r f e e t a re fla t on th e flo o r, yo u r k n ees a re b e n t a t 9 0 ° and th e b a r is above yo ur u p p e r ab s.

K e e p your h ip s s till and c o n tra c t your ab s to c ru n ch up e x p lo siv e ly , pushing th e bar o ve rh e a d w ith stra ig h t arm s. T h e n slo w ly low er y o u rs e lf b a ck to th e s ta rtin g p o sitio n to co m p le te o n e rep .

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11

ARMED FORC

V

H A LF ZOTTM AN V D U M BBELL C U R L

K

Use the half Zottman curl to grow bigger biceps

F

irst lesson: it’s spelled bicep plural, not bicep. Second lesson: this means you need to target tw o d ifferent m uscles fo r well-rounded, sleevefilling arm d evelopm ent. Sw itching up f your grip during a sim ple biceps curl will tick both b oxes. ‘Th is move targets the biceps brachii during the co ncentric (lifting) p art of the move, boosting the peak o f your arm , while the rotation and eccentric control on
S it u p rig h t on a b e n ch , h o ld ing d u m b b ells by y o u r sid es w ith p alm s fa cin g fo rw a rd . C u rl th e d u m b bells up to ch e st h e ig h t, k eep in g y o u r e lb o w s tu ck e d in c lo se to y o u r sid e s.

12

S q u e e ze your b ic c p s h ard fo r one se co n d , th en ro ta te t h e w e ig h ts

9 0 ° so th e y ’re p a ra lle l to each o th e r in a ham m er g rip . S lo w ly lo w e r th e d u m b bells to th e s t a r t and ro ta te your palm s fo rw a rd read y fo r the n e x t re p .

W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

I

SETS 4 REPS 8

) i

MUST-DO MOVES

G e t in to th e s t a r t p o sitio n by sittin g on th e m id d le o f a f la t bench w ith a b a rb e ll a c ro ss y o u r lap. W alk y o u r fe e t o u t and slid e down on th e b e n ch u n til yo ur k n ees a re b e n t a t 9 0 °, y o u r sh o u ld e rs and n eck are su p p o rte d and th e w e ig h t is on yo u r h ip s.

THRUSTERS ENGAGED

W EIG H T ED

HIP

TH RUST

SE T S4 REPS 8

Power up your posterior chain with the weighted hip thrust

I^ H

H I our glutes, ham strings and lower back often get an easy ride in the gym,' says S taffo rd . W hen squatting m ost people struggle to fully engage these m uscles, known collectively as the po sterio r chain, and miss out on the benefits o f lower-body power, speed and acceleration.

T h is lift allows all these m uscles to be worked with substantial resistan ce but without placing too much p ressure on your b ack/ says Stafford . ‘Add it to your legs day w orkout afte r squats.' For a variation to give you more control when going heavy, perform this e xercise using the fixe d bar in a Smith m achine.

D riv e th ro u g h y o u r fe e t and th ru s t your hip s v e rtic a lly u n til yo ur body is h o rizo n ta l. Y o u r w eig h t sh o u ld be on yo u r sh o u ld e r b la d e s and fe e t. S q u e e z e yo u r g lu te s h ard a t th e top o f th e m o ve. Slo w ly re v e rse th e m otion to re tu rn to th e s t a r t.

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13

1# ou may not have heard of him, but A rth ur Saxon, aka T h e Iron M aster’, is a man w hose lifting advice you should take. Th is 19thcen tu ry strongman sp ent his tim e touring the world and challenging people to match his w eightlifting feats. T h e m ove named a fte r him helped build the rock-solid core that contributed to his legendary strongman status. T h is move does much m ore than ju st give you good-looking abs,’ says Staffo rd . T h a t’s because it relies m ore on your obliques to stabilise your spine, allowing you to increase the weight on oth er lifts.’ Fo r you, th at means improved posture and im pressive shoulders. Fo r Saxon, it m eant he could press 168 kg overhead w ith one arm . And he only e ve r lifted in his pants - they don’t m ake ’em like th at any m ore. W hat a guy.

Y

, \t

ii,

•

S ta n d w ith y o ur fo o t sh o u ld erw id th a p a rt and p re s s a se t o f lig h t d u m b b ells o v e rh e a d . L o c k y o u r arm s, k e e p your c o re b ra c e d and d o n ’t arch yo u r lo w e r b ack.

14


'

•

■

K e e p y o u r hips fa c in g fo rw a rd and slo w ly bend to one s id e , but d o n ’t g o b e y o n d

a rang e yo u ’re c o m fo rta b le w ith . P a u se b rie fly , m ove slo w ly b a ck to th e m id dle and re p e a t on th e o p p o site sid e.

O VERH EA D SAXON BEND

SETS 2 REPS 8 E A C H SID E

MUST-DO MOVES

BACK IN. BUSINESS Level-up your lats with the braced single-arm row

Y BRA CED ^ SINGLE-ARM RO W

SE T S4 REPS 8 \

E A C H S ID E

j

/

S e t up a low ca b le w itll'a D-hapdle n e x t to a bench s e t a t a ste e p in c lin e . R est one knee on th e s e a t and th e o p p o site fo o t on th e flo o r. G ra b th e c a b le , b racing y o u r u p p er body ag ain st th e bench w ith yo u r o th e r h an d .

K e e p in g y o u r c o re tig h t and sh o u ld e rs r e tr a c te d , pu ll the c a b le to w a rd s y o u r a rm p it. S q u e e z e y o u r la ts, th e n slo w ly re v e rs e the m o ve m e n t. C o m p le te th e s e t b e fo re m irro rin g th e m o vem e n t on th e o th e r sid e.

t ’s quite hard to w ork your lats ■ independently of each o th er, but this H e xe rcise allows you to do e xactly that/ H H says Staffo rd . Th is im proves the focus on the prim ary m uscles, the latissim us dorsi, as w ell as targeting your biceps and co re. ‘The cables give you a directional force to maintain tension in your m uscles from start to finish,' says Staffo rd . T h is e xe rcise can be deployed in two w ays: either early on in your w orkout within the eight-to-12 rep range, or as a finisher w ith 25 reps or m ore.' O r, if you’re a glutton fo r punishm ent, you can do both.

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E D I N B U R G H

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

TRAINING KNOWHOW Is weight training or cardio training more effective for fat loss? When should you rest and for how long? What are the benefits of lifting weights with one arm as opposed to both? And what’s eccentric about lifting weights? Knowing the answers to all these questions will make your training more effective - and you’ll find them all in this chapter, thanks to our team of experts.

DOWN A TREBLE Three easy steps to mastering eccentric movements

1//GA1N FOCUS C o n c e n tra te on the lowering p hase of e v e ry m ove by using the tem po 4 0 X 0 . T a ke four seconds to lo w er the w eight and lift it e xp lo sively w ithout pausing.

2//DO HALF REPS Do eccentric-o nly s e ts to exp o se yo ur m uscles to m ore tim e under tension. C hoose a v a rie ty o f e x e rc ise s fo r each m uscle group. C oncentrate on ihe lo w e r in g p /iu » e o f a n

exercise to increase its m uscle-building benefits

3//ADD WEIGHT Perfo rm in g eccentric-o nly se ts o f e x e rc ise s such as weighted chin-ups and dips w ill lead to g re a te r size and strength gains.

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

LOWERING

STANDARDS

Build bigger and stronger muscles by mastering the eccentric phase of every lift, says trainer Sean Lerwill What does eccen tric m ean? I he eccentric, or lowering, phase of any lift is when the muscle lengthens under tension - think of your biceps w hen you low er a weight dur ng a curl. Th e re are two other types of muscle contraction: the c o n ce rtric (lifting) phase, when the m uscle shortens under tension, as in the upward part of a curl; and isom etric, when the m uscle stays the same length while under tension, as in a plank.

What's so im portant about eccentric contraction? If increases in strength or size are your goal, the eccentric phase of each exercise is crucial. Studies have shown that the eccentric phase triggers more hypertrophy - the process of building new muscle tissue - than the concentric. Your m uscles are also far stronger in the eccentric portion of a lift.

Is the concentric phase im portant? Yes. It builds explosive power, and focusing on co rrect eccentric lowering and concentric lifting produces more hypertrophy than eccentric Gaining alone.

W hat’s involved in eccentric training? Th ere are two basic approaches. The first method is best for all

but the most experienced: simply concentrate on the eccentric phase of an exercise, increasing the time you take to lower the weight to four or six seconds, and couple it with an explosive concentric lift. O nce you’re more experienced, use a weight that’s too heavy to lift but that you can low er eccentrically. This may mean using a spotter for moves such as the bench press, but with a biceps curl you can use your fre e hand to assist with the lift.

range of motion of the hip by an average of 22%, with all other joints seeing increases of at least 13 %.

What should I do in the gym to get m ore from the eccen tric phase? Focus on the tempo of each lift lower o ver four seconds and lift explosively, which means quickly while retaining full co ntrol. Too many people use momentum, such as swinging the arm during a biceps curl. This cheats the m uscles out of

‘I f increases in strength or size are your goal, the eccentric (lowering) phase of each exercise is crucial’ W hat’s the ben efit o f eccen tric training? Paying greater attention to the eccentric part of every rep will increase the amount of time the m uscle is exposed to tension. This triggers maximum m uscle growth by breaking down a higher number of muscle fibres, which then must be rebuilt. C ontrolled eccentric lifting also improves tendon tissue strength, making you more injuryproof. It increases flexibility more than static-hold stretching, too: one study found that t improved the

full engagement, so focus on using correct form to get the greatest benefit from your training.

How do I p rogress? For certain e xercises, such as dips, pull-ups and chin-ups, you can start by just performing the eccentric phase. T o do this, jum p to the top position of the exercise and lower yourself slowly. For single-arm curls and extensions, lower the weight unde- control then use the other arm to help y o j com plete the concentric phase. m ensfitness.co.uk

19

FAST MUSCLE Want to get lean and strong? Speeding up your cardio is the answer, says trainer Anthony Shaw There's one training method that will help you get leaner, stronger and more m uscular, improve your skin and cardiovascular function, make you feel healthier and cause your stubborn calves to grow. W hat’s more, you can do it in cne or two 20-minute sessions eacn week - and it doesn't have to cost anything. W hat’s this magical training system ? Sprinting.

I didn't think running could help build strength. Was I wrong? Traditionally, people have lifted weights to build muscle and done cardio to bu^n fat. B u : this approach of low-intensity, highvolume cardio work and high-rep s tre n g th e n d u r a n c e w o r k le a d s to a

reduction in the size of your type 2, or fast-tw itci, m uscle fibres (that’s b a d ), a n d e v e n to s o m e t y p e 2 b fibres being converted to type 2a (good for cardio, but bad for s tre n g th ). It w ill a ls o le a d t o a n

increase in glycogen and triglyceride stores in your m uscles, w h ic h is w h y m a ra th o n r u n n e r s

don’t tend to get super-lean. Basically, if you stick to lengthy cardio workouts you’ll get better at moving slowly for long periods. Y o u ’ll also become sm aller and w eaker and store more fat. A decent strength programme will offset these effects, but essentially you’d he running hard and not getting anywhere.

Should I do long cardio sessions? Not if you want to look ripped. C ardio can help you to lose 2 0 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

fat but it won’t do anything to help you build muscle. In fact, steady-state cardio is only strictly necessary when ar individual is so overweight that it’s the highest level of intensity they can handle. H ow ever, once they’ve adapted to it, the programme should become tougher. W hich brings us to sprinting.

To add variety, try running hills, changing around the rest intervals, performing a second, shorter recovery workout during the same week ('oughly 60% of the volume of your main sprint day) or doing sprints on the rower or bike. Ju st stay within the hormonal principles of short rest periods and highintensity levels and you’ll reap the rewards.

Why is sprinting b etter than jogging? Tw o words: hormonal balance. Sprinting stimulates the release of a huge amount of anabolic hormones into your bloodstream. As a result, your m uscles become more sensitive to insulin, which means they readily absorb more nutrients for growth, you oxidise more fat and the stiffness of large arteries is even reduced, which is great for staving off heart disease. Sprinting also uses a lot of muscles, specifically the entire posterior chain - which includes the hamstrings, glutes and lower back - as well as your quads and hip flexors. Sprinting as fast as you can is the definition of highintensity exercise - the impact and fast muscular contractions force you to w ork hard.

I'm convinced. W here do I start? Start with four or five lOOm sprints with 9 0 seconds’ rest between each. Then add one to two sprints a week until you’re at ten reps. O n ce you can do ten lOCm sprints with 90 seconds’ rest, you should be able to vary the workload and start having some real fun.

PLAY FAST AND LOOSE G o t the hang of sprinting? Vary things with these workouts

1//ADD REPS 6 x 2 0 0 m sp rin t w ith 2m in re st

Progress by adding two sprints each w eek fo r tw o w eeks until you’re at ten reps. 2 //

RUN BACK

6 x 80 m sp rin t and back (l6 0 m o verall) w ith 90 sec rest Running a se t distance and back requires tw o acceleration phases. Y o u ’ll have to work hard to get back up to speed on th e return sections. 3 //

GO FURTHER

6 x lO O m s p rin t w ith 6 0 s e c re st

Progress by adding 20 m to each sprint eve ry w eek, so in w eek tw o you'll do 6 x 12 0 m, in w eek three you'll do 6 x 14 0 m and so on. Keep the rest a t 6 0 sec.

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

REST HARDER The time between your sets is just as crucial as what you do in them, says trainer Alex Adams Iju s t rest betw een sets until /Ve reco vered enough to go again. Isn't that right? Not quite. Manipulating any of the variables in a resistance workout - the choice of exercise, load, volume, the length of ycur rest period or even the order in which you do the exercises - alters the unique structure of the workout and changes the cellular and molecular response you get from it. Basically, if you change your weights, the number of reps or sets or the amount of rest you have, your workouts will produce vastly different outcom es even if they’re superficially similar. So w hen you're planning an exercise programme, your end goal should clearly dictate how much you rest.

when strength is the primary or only goal of your workout, so rest periods of th ree to five minutes are most effective here.

W hat if I want to g et bigger? O r leaner? Then keep your rests shorter 30-60 seconds if your aim is to drop body fat, and one to two m inutes if you want to gain lean mass. These rest engths will help increase the production of growth hormone, which is important for metabolising fat and repairing tissue. Vour perform ance, which means how many reps you can do with the same weight, is likely to diminish with each subsequent set you perform. So you won't be able to work as hard and your gains will su ffer if you don’t rest for the right amount of time.

O K . So vshat a m 1

doing wrong? W e've all seen people in the gym cranking out reps, resting for 15 seconds, then cranking out a few more and wondering why they can’t match their first set. If you osk to share the bar or work in', the response is alm ost always, 'Oh, I’ve just got on© mor© s©t,’ which they start as they finish the sentence. The problem is, working out I ke this gives you density not intensity, and you need both for muscle growth and fat loss.

So how long should I be resting fo r ? It all d e p erd s on your goals. The nervous system can take a long time to recover when using rep ranges of one to five, which you do

Is there a way to g et the best o f both worlds? A great way to maximise growth hormone production while still recovering between moves is to use antagonist supersets - for example, a chin-up followed by a dumbbell bench press. This allows the major m uscles fatigued in the first e xercise to rest during the second exercise, so you can get a big growth hormone boost with a sm aller reductior o f perform ance. Y o u ’ll be getting both intensity and density - p erfect for muscle, strength and fat loss.

W hat else can I do to ensure I ’m resting co rrectly? Rest isn’t just abcut the time between w ork sets. O n some

non-workout cays, you can do recovery sessions - low volum e, low-intensity workouts that drive blood into the muscles and alleviate stiffness. Go for a bike ride or do a quick circuit of bodyweight moves, such as lunges and press-ups, for example. Don’t o vertax yourself - you should end up feeling more energised after a recovery session. Th is will help your m uscles recover and grow, and prepare you for the next workout.

WELL RESTED Don’t start texting try these rest-period tricks instead

1//STRETCH OUT S tre tc h the m uscles you a re n ’t using - sa y, your ham strings if yo u're bench-pressing. It w on’t a ffe c t your set, but it w ill help im prove your fle x ib ility .

2//STAY ACTIVE T r y ‘a c tiv e ’ re st, such as perform ing a fe w bodyweight squats during a squat sessio n . Do it in fro n t o f a m irro r to check th a t your form is c o rre c t.

3//THINK AHEAD Use th e tim e to th ink through th e tech nique fo r your next s e t. E ven som ething as sim ple as ‘h eels down, chest up’ fo r th e d ead lift can m ake a d iffe re n c e .

m ensfitness.co.uk 2 3

MIND

OVER MUSCLE Get bigger and stronger muscles by thinking harder, says trainer Adam Gethin How can my brain m ake my m uscles bigger? You r muscles are controlled by your brain through a vast network of reu ral pathways, which connect to eacn and every one of them. Electrical impulses from the brain tell your m uscles to contract and relax, and it’s these acto n s that allow you to do everything from standing to running to lifting a weight. Most of these actions are subconscious: you move without thinking about the m uscles involved. But if you do think about the m ovements, especially when training, you will improve your mind-Lo-muscle connection - and this can result in bigger gains.

How d o cs that work? Think of these neural pathways as being like a motorway. If the read isn't w ell maintained, traffic will build up and it will take longer to get to your destination. But if it’s improved by constant attention, traffic runs n o re smoothly. The better shape these neural pathways are in, the quicker the signals from your brain will reach your m uscles.

Why is this im portant to weight training? The speed at which the signals reach your muscles has a significant effect on their size and strength. A fast signal means your m uscle can 2 4 W orkout M anual 201 5

contract harder and faster - making it stronger and more powerful while alsc recruiting m ore muscle fibres, which will lead to new muscle growth.

Is this what is m eant by ‘m uscle m em ory’? No, it’s not quite the same thing, although that's also to do with neural pathways. Muscle memory refers to the w ay you become better and more efficient at any physical task - w hether it’s driving, typing or playing the piano - the more you do it. Repetition trains the neural pathways so that signals from the brain travel quickly, and the m uscles are better equipped to execute the task.

How can I improve these pathways to make bigger gains in the gym ? Going to the gym consistently will improve these connections because by doing so you’re improving your muscle memory for each exercise you perform. But the simplest way to enhance the effects of your training is literally to think about your muscles while doing a move. Slowing each rep and focusing on how it feels to move the weight, feeling the m uscle contract and extend through the full range of motion, and taking care to flex your muscles at the top of the move will all help.

MENTAL EDGE G et bigger and stronger by keeping these points in mind

1//REPEAT Going to th e gym regularly w ill resu lt in the links b etw een yo ur brain and m uscle becom ing stronger.

2 //VISUALISE Looking at and thinking about yo ur m uscles also im proves th ese connections.

3 //FLEX Flexing yo ur m uscles at th e top and bottom of each rep builds stronger p athw ays so the m uscles can c o n tra c t q u icker.

‘S ending out fast brain signals means your muscle can contract harder and faster for more strength

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

FASTER

FAT LOSS Looking for the best way to blast away your belly? Adam Gethin reveals all Which is b etter fo r fa t loss - weights o r cardio? Many people think that prolonged sessions of slow, steady-state cardio are the best - or even the only - w ay :o burn body fat. This is fundamentally untrue. In fact, this type of exercise is inefficient at reducing fat stores because many people who train this way overeat, especially when it comes to carbs. What's more, training for long periods places enorm ous stress on your body, and high stress levels instruct your body to store more of the food you eat as fat.

Why is lifting weights b etter than steady-state cardio? W eight tra ning helps you to develop and maintain lean muscle tissue, which is highly m etabolically active - so the more you have, the more colories you burn even when you're at rest. Lifting weights also helps to create the ideal hormonal environm ent to make your body more efficient at building muscle and burning fat. Resistance training also puts your body n a fat-burning state around the clock because of the 'after-burn e ffects of your workout, when your body has to replace the oxygen you used during training (the oxygen debt).

What's the b est weight training strategy fo r fa t loss?

For the best results, you want to place ycur m uscles under the necessary tension to encourage m uscle building, while also keeping your rest p eriods b etw eer sets short so the workout is as intense as possible. T h is creates a larger oxygen debt that needs to be repaid, aiding fat loss. Supersets (doing pairs of exe rcise s with minimal rest between sets) are a great option for working rrore m uscle groups in a short amount of tim e. C ircuit training keeps your heart rate high - rest only when you need to and go again as soon as you're able.

so you could buy a basic set of adjustable dumbbells. O r you c o jld do some high-intensity cardio.

But I thought cardio was bad fo r fa t loss? Long, slow cardio sessions are inefficient, but short, intense training is great because it provides many of the same benefits as weight training - significant stress on the muscles to encourage growth, w hile creating a large oxygen d ebt. A couple of ten- to 20-minute sprint sessions a week will do wonders for your physique. Ju s t make sure you warm up th o ro u g h ly firs t.

How many sessions should I do in a w eek? If you’re new to weightlifting, begin with three sessions a w eek. Start with a light weight as it will enable you to m aster the co rrect movement patterns. Th is will help you avoid injury, and you can increase the weight o nce you get the hang of the moves. Some people may find that doing three sessions a w eek is enough, while others may benefit more from four or even five sessions.

I don't have m em bership to a gym . What should I do? A circuit of bodyweight moves can be effective if you’re new to weight training. Using weights will make your muscles work harder, though.

FASTED CARDIO Pasted cardio is a session o f ve ry low in ten sity - a gentle walk or e asy jog - done on an em pty stom ach, which can be b eneficial fo r fa t loss. H o w ever, it should only be used to e at away at small levels o f body fa t. F a ste d cardio can in c re a se stre ss levels, so it should be avoided if you’re feeling tire d , fatigued or are having troub le sleeping. To m inim ise m uscle loss, try taking B C A A supplem ents during the session.

m ensfitness.co.uk 27

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VI.

ONE AT A TIME

Lifting with one arm or one /eg at a time is a great way to balance growth, work your core and minimise injury, says Adam Gethin What are unilateral moves?

W hy should I do them ?

a llo w f o r a b e t t e r o v e ra ll m u s c le

In the simplest term s, a unilateral m ovement is one that uses one arm or leg rather than both to move a form of resistance from point A to point B. O ne of the most popular unilateral moves is the single-arm dumbbell biceps curl. Exercises that require the use of both arms or legs are called bilateral lifts.

T h e re are many benefits to using unilateral m oves. O n e of the main benefits is the improved isolation of a target m uscle - with a unilateral e xercise you're able to focus more on the soecific area of your physique that you’re trying to stimulate. Y o u r range of movement also often increases, which can

contraction, especially during the eccentric (lowering) phase of a rep.

A re there any other benefits? Unilateral moves will help you build a six-pack too. All exercisesrecruit your core muscles to some extent, but during unilateral exercises the core often has to fix certain m ensfitness.co.uk 2 9

muscles in place toa greater extent than the bilateral equivalent. Such moves are also great for eliminating any strength bias on one side of your body (see box).

U nilateral exercises such as the TUX pistol squat can help you iron out im balances

A re som e unilateral moves b etter than others? Some e xercises lend them selves better to unilateral versions. For exam ple, a dumbbell oench press perform ed unilaterally is very hard to stabilise, especially with a heavy weight. Th is m akes it a poor choice. In contrast, a single-arm dumbbell row is a fantastic e xercise because the body position is more stabie. W hen deciding whether to perform an e xercise unilaterally, always consider whether the body is in a stable position - if it isn 't the emohasis is diverted from the target muscle, w hich takes away some of the tension on that muscle.

Should I use f r e e weights, bodyweight or m achines? It depends cn your goals. There aren’t many bodyweight exercises that the average person could do unilaterally: d single-leg bodyweight squat is probably the easiest, especially if you use a suspens on trainer for support. Th ere are some fantastic machine e xercises, such as the unilateral leg press and certain variations of the row. There are also many great free-weights exercises. Using a com binatior of free weights and machines for unilateral exercises is best.

Can unilateral moves build m uscle and burn fa t? O f course, in the same way a bilateral movement can. It’s training overall rather than a specific form of e xercise th at’s responsible for building m uscle or burning fat - and make no mistake, it's always a good idea to include unilateral exercises in a workout if you w ant to achieve tnese goals.

3 0 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

‘With a unilateral move you’re able to focus more on a specific area of your physique’ STRENGTH BALANCE Your three-step guide to achieving balanced gains for maximum size and strength Doing b ilateral m oves e xclu sive ly can lead to m uscular im balances because yo ur stronger sid e may ta ke control o f m ore of th e w eight.

1

An unbalanced physique can lead to injury and poor posture, and m ake com pleting those big lifts hard er.

2

Include unilateral m oves in most w orkouts to give your w e a k e r side the opp ortunity to develop to red u ce th e se risks.

3

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32 Workout Manual 2015

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

PERFECT

CARDIO Burn fat effectively by doing the right type of cardio, says Adam Gethin I have been running fo r years but I don't seem to lose any weight. Why is this? Low-intensity cardio training, such as jogging, is one of the most popular tactics for weight loss but it's far from the best. Longduration, steady-state cardio isn’t an efficient way to burn body fat - if fat loss is your primary objective, you'd be better off doing short sharp sessions.

Why isn’t this form o f cardio best fo r fat loss? Slow cardio training can lead to an increase in your levels of the stress hormone cortisol because of the pressure this type of training puts on your system. Cortisol encourages the storage of abdominal body fat - in other words belly fat, the very fat most men want to lose in the first place - and also lowers your levels of testosterone, which is essential for building muscle and burning fa t This type of training is also often accompanied by the desire to eat a lot of carbs and not enough protein, which will also lead to fat storage.

What type o f training should I be doing then? Lift weights and do high-intensity cardio training instead. Lifting weights helps to promote the release of growth hormones that burn fat. and you'll also add more

muscle, which has the effect of making your body burn a greater number of calories, even at rest. High-intensity interval training (MIIT) isalso an effective fat-loss tactic because it has the same effect on your body as weight training.

What is H IIT ? Short, intense bursts of sprinting, cycling or any other type of exercise. Typically, it involves short periods of all-out effort followed by slower periods of recovery before repeatingthis pattern. HIIT creates an oxygen debt that your body must balance after your training session, which has the effect of burning far more calories and releasing more growth hormone.

How do I create a HIIT plan? Due to the nature of this training and the level of intensity required, you don't want to be doing it every day. If you did, it would quickly fatigue your nervous system, at which point it would stop being effective. Instead, do two or three workouts a week in which, after a thorough warm-up, you alternate between 90-30 seconds of all-out effort and 45-60 seconds of recovery. Repeat this pattern eight to 12 times and finish with a warmdown. T ie beauty of HIIT is that the exercise you do can be sprinting, cycling, swimming.

FEELING THE BURN Why HIIT torches fat

1//CREATE A DEBT Intensive exe rcise creates an oxygen debt as your muscles use oxygen at a quicker rate than you can take it in.

2//PAY IT OFF This d e ficit must be replaced once training has ceased, to return your body to a balanced state.

3//REAP THE REWARD As your body ‘pays o ff’ the oxygen debt, it increases the rate at which calories are burned,so fat stores are chipped away during this period o f m etabolic increase.

rowirg, punching - whatever your favourite activity is. A s you get fitt e r, in c r e a s e t h e len gth o f t h e

work period and reduce the recovery period.

Should I still do longerf slower cardio sessions? If you love getting outdoors and going for a long run or bike ride, then you should definitely still continue to do this every now and then because the benefits to your health, sense of wellbeing and mood are undeniable and shouldn’t be ignored. However, you should treat these activities as recovery sessions rather than expecting them to make a positive difference to your physiq je if fat loss is youprimary objective. mensfitness.co.uk 3 3

O HOME WORKOUTS

HOME WORKOUTS Short of time, cash or equipment? You don’t have to spend money on gym fees or even leave the house to get yourself a strong, muscular physique. The six routines here can he done in your living room and, as long as you keep the intensity high , can be just as effective as any gym workout. Five of them consist of purely bodyweight moves so they don't require any kit at all - and the other uses just a pull-up bar, the simplest hit of kit there is and one that can be stuck in any doorway. No excuses - you can start doing these workouts right now.

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SLIDES Harness the power of the slider - not the burger kind and build gym-free muscles in just minutes a day We wouldn’t normally advise you to let your workouts slide but in this case w e'll m ake a very important exception. By doing the following five m oves with a pair of X R Slides (xrslide.com ) or a pair of towels and a smooth floor, you can hit you r m uscles from angles that just aren't possible with conventional workout kit while keeping them under the constant tension that will shock them into growth. G ive fat the slip with th ese five moves.

Sliding flye SETS 3 REPS 5 S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n w ith yo u r h an d s on th e slid e rs . W ith a slig h t bend in your e lb o w s, b rin g yo u r h an d s out to th e s id e s , low erin g your c h e s t until it ’s a f is t ’s w id th fro m th e flo o r. Pause a t t h e b o tto m , th e n b rin g yo u r hands b ack in .

3 6 Workout Manual 2015

devised this workout, suggests doing it once a w eek, either as a finisher fo r your upper-body day standalone session. • Do all the reps of each move before moving on to the n e xt one, resting fo r 60 sec between sets.

O HOME WORKOUTS Sliding hamstring curl

Sliding roll-out

SE T S 3 REPS 8

S E T S 3 R E P S 5 ................ ............

L ie on your b a ck w ith yo u r fe e t on th e s lid e rs , clo se to yo u r g lu tes. E xte n d your legs a s fa r a s p ossible w ith o u t le ttin g your bum to u ch th e flo o r, th en use yo u r ham string m u scles to draw them b a ck tow ards yo u. K eep y o u r glu tes and low er b a ck o ff th e flo o r th rou ghou t.

S ta rtin g from yo u r k n e e s, exte n d your arm s ahead o f you and a llo w th e slid e rs to m ove fo rw a rd s until yo u r body is as clo se to h o rizo n tal as po ssib le. C o n tra c t your ab s to pull b a ck in and fin is h the m o ve. Nothing but yo u r fo o t, k n e e s and hands should to u ch the flo o r d u ring th is m ove.

Sliding triceps curl ;E T S 3 R E P S 5 S ta rtin g in a press-up p osition w ith yo u r hands on th e s lid e rs , keep yo u r u p p er a rm s v e rtic a l w h ile you bend your arm s and le t your hands slid e fo rw a rd s. A t th e end o f th e m ove yo ur fo re a rm s sh ould be f la t on the flo o r. Use J yo u r tric e p s to pull ^ y o u rse lf b a ck up.

GTS 3 RCPS12 S ta rt in a plank p osition w ith your f e e t on th e slid e rs and your fo re a rm s on th e flo o r w ith yo u r hands clasp ed in fro n t o f you. Pu sh on your fo re a rm s to ‘sa w ’ your b o d y b ackw ard s and fo rw a rd s, keeping te n sio n in your * abs th rou ghou t.


PRESSED OR TIME No gym, no kit, no problem. This press-up complex will test your chest to the limit H ere’s the good news: you don't have to queue for your gym 's sole bench to build an athletic upper body. In fact, ben ch pressing isn’t even the best w ay to do it. This zero-kit workout, designed b y strength and conditioning expert J C Santana, hits the muscle fibres in your chest and arm s from every direction for the optim al num ber of reps needed for growth. Better yet, you can do it at hom e in just a few minutes a day.

Rotational press-up RF.PS 20 T h is h its yo u r sh o u ld e r m u scles fro m an odd an g le, building s tre n g th and s ta b ility . S ta r t in a press-up p o sitio n and lo w e r y o u rs e lf to o n e sid e , tw istin g as you do so m o st o f yo u r w e ig h t is o n o n e s h o u ld e r . P r e s s u p , t h e n d o

th e sam e on th e o th e r sid e . T h a t ’s tw o re p s.

///// A

B

3 8 Workout Manual 20 15

D IR E C T IO N S • Do th is workout once or tw ice a w eek. • Do it 48 hours away from your regular bench day or as your regular upper body workout. • Do all the reps of each move back to back (or with as little re st as possible), re st fo r two minutes and repeat two m ore tim es.

-O HOME WORKOUTS

Shuffle press-up

Diamond press-up

REPS 2 0

REPS 10_______________________

_________________

G e t in a p re ss-u p p o sitio n w ith on e hand ah e ad of y o u r sh o u ld e r and on e b e h in d . L o w e r y o u rs e lf to the flo o r and p re s s up. T h a t ’s on e rep . A t t h e top o f th e m ove, ju m p or w alk yo u r hands in to the o p p o site p o sitio n , th e n do th e n e x t rep . C o n tin u e a lte rn a tin g .

For th is tric e p s b laste r, p osition yo u r hands to g eth e r under yo u r c h e st so your in d ex fin g e rs and thum bs fo rm a tria n g le , and low er y o u rs e lf until you r ch e st to u ch e s you r hands. P ro s t b ack up to th e s ta rt.

Gorilla press-up

One-leg press-up

}E P S 10

REPS 10

T h is v a ria tio n on the cla p p ress-up fo rc e s you to g et m o re h e ig ht, ta x in g your fa s t-tw itc h fib r e s . S ta r t in a stan d ard press-up p o sitio n , lo w e r y o u rs e lf to th e flo o r and then p re s s up q u ick ly, launching y o u rs e lf o f f th e flo o r. S lap yo u r ch e st q u ic k ly b e fo re retu rn in g yo u r h ands to th e s t a r t p o sitio n .

T h is is e a sie r th an th e one-arm va ria tio n but still ta x e s you r co re . P a is e one leg, keeping your g lu te s tigh t, and do a p ress-up. S w itch legs and re p e a t. T h a t’s two re p s. Now do th e re s t.

mensfitness.co.uk 3 9

Boxers know that bodyweight conditioning is the fast track to fat loss. Take on this circuit for lean, punch-proof abs Forget pummelling a side of b e e f or hauling an ox-cart through the Siberian snow - w hen it com es to conditioning, most b o xers like to k ee p things sim ple. O n e of th e most effective w ays to build arm and ab s strength without jum ping up a weight class is bodyweight training, and nobody knows that better than sought-after boxing trainer Ross Enam ait (rosstraining.com). This workout based on the way Enamait trains his fighters, doesn’t require any kit but will tax your entire body. And you don’t even need a pint of raw egg as a chaser - that's what protein shakes are for.

One-legged burpee TIM E 30SEC.......... T h is v a ria tio n on the b u rp ee ta x e s your b alan ce and one-legged e xp lo siv e n e ss. D ro p in to a press-up p o sitio n b ut w ith one fo o t o ff th e flo o r. Po p b ack up to stan ding (keep in g th a t fo o t o ff th e flo o r th ro u g h o u t), th en ju m p and land on th e sam e leg. S w itc h legs fo r t h e n e xt re p .

D IR E C T IO N S • Do this workout two or throe tim es a w eek. • Go straight through all the exe rcise s, doing as many reps as possible in the tim e allowed. Then re st for one minute and repeat. • Th ree rounds is the minimum. Five means you’re championship m aterial.


O HOME WORKOUTS Knuckle T h is press-up variatio n te sts yo u r tric e p s and g e ts your k n u ckle s used to a b it o f c o n ta ct. S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n on cle n c h e d fis t s . L o w e r y o u rse lf until yo u r ch est is alm o st on th e flo o r, keeping yo u r elbow s in , th en p re s s _ b a c k u p p o w e r fu lly .

Mountain climber T IM E 30SEC S ta rtin g in a p ress-up p o sitio n , bring one k nee to your c h e s t, th en q u ick ly sw itc h legs. P e rfo rm each rep q u ickly as if yo u’re sp rin ting .

TIM E 30SEC L ie on th e flo o r w ith y o u r arm s stre tc h e d ab ove your h e a d . B ra c e your c o re . Bring yo u r arm s and legs up q u ickly so th at yo u r hands and fe e t m eet at th e to p o f th e m ove. Lo w er u n d er co n tro l.

S ta rt in a press-up p o sitio n , th en bring one kn e e fo rw a rd to touch your e lb o w a s y o u lo w e r y o u r

c h e st to th e flo o r. W alk fo rw a rd w ith yo u r hands, bringing your o th e r k nee fo rw a rd to your o th e r e lb o w C o n tin u e m oving fo rw a rd until

^

t h e t im e is up.


YOUR S Adding the right dynamic stretches to your workout will pay off in muscle gains

D IR E C T IO N S

Getting in shape isn’t just about the tonnage you can hoist in the gym. For starters, how fit are you really if you can bench press an ungodly amount but can’t touch your to es? Also, consider the m uscle-building benefits of greater b alan ce and flex:bility. Both m ean you'll be able to shift m ore weight through a greater range of motion, which will increase your horm one production and help you build an athlete's body. This circuit, b ased on N FL strength coach J o e D eFranco's protocol for professional athletes, will keep you sup ple and strong.

• Do this mini-workout four tim es a w eek, either before your regular sessions or as a standalone plan. • It’s a m obility workout, so it won’t tax your muscles too much. • Go through all the moves once, rest fo r 30 seconds, then repeat.

Rolling saddle stretch PS 8___________________________ S ta r t in a s ittin g p o sitio n w ith your legs close to g e th e r. Roll b ack w ard s along you r spine so you end up w ith your b a ck on t h e flo o r a n d your legs in th e a ir. T ry to g et a little fo rw a rd m o m en tu m during each re p , rea ch in g fo rw a rd s w ith y o u r arm s.


O HOME WORKOUTS Wide mountain climber REPS 10 E A C H S ID E S ta rt in a press-up position and bring one leg fo rw a rd s as fa r as p o tsib le , outside your arm . Move your fo o t back to the s ta rt position, then rep e at on the o th e r leg.

a

Squat to stretch

Sq uat, grab th e ends o f your to e s and stand up w hile still holding on. You should fe e l th e stre tch in your ham strings. Release your hold and straighten up, th en rep e at.

Pistol RbPS 5 E A C H S ID E Th is is th e toughest move of the bunch b ut is e xce lle n t fo r k n ee and an kle m obility. Stand on one leg and slow ly low er y o u rse lf into a one-leg squat, going as low as possible and keeping yo u r o th er fo o t straig ht out in fro n t o f you. If i t ’s too tough, hold on to a b e n c h o r c h a ir w it h o n e h a n d .

Groiner S ta r t in a press-up p osition and jum p you r fe e t forw ard s to land ju st outside you r hands. Pause fo r a second, pushing out on your kn ees w ith your elbo w s fo r a more in te n se s tre tc h . Ju m p your fe e t back to th e s ta rt to co m p lete one rep.


To build a strong back, all you need is a pull-up bar and this quickfire circuit E v e ry m em ber of th e B artend az, a N ew Y ork-b ased co llective d e d icate d to pushing the b o u n d aries of w hat's p o ssib le on a pull-up bar, h as a m uscular, V -sh ap ed b ack - th at’s w h y w e went to them fo r a w orkou : th at would h elp you get the sam e. This routine, d esign ed b y B arten d a A rleigh C orbin , in co rp o rates th ree variatio n s of the classic pull-up to hit your posterior m u scles from all an gles. It also adds m oves to carve y o u r abs an d arms, an d you can do it all from th e com fort o f yo u r living room d o o rw ay - all you n e e d is a bar. For m o re visit b arten daznyc.com .

Triangle SETS 2 REPS 8 T h is is th e s h o u ld e r b u ild e r. S ta r t in g w ith a w ide g rip , pull y o u r s e lf up an d to t h e rig h t so y o u r ch e s t to u c h e s y o u r rig h t f is t . P u ll a c r o s s to m o ve yo u r c h e s t h o riz o n ta lly t o to u c h th e o th e r f is t , th e n lo w e r y o u r s e lf to th e hanging p o sitio n to c o m p le te t h e tria n g le . O n yo u r n e x t re p , go th e o t h e r w ay.

D IR E C T IO N S • Do th is w orkout tw ice a w ee k, e ith e r as a standalone c irc u it or in addition to your usual g y m s e s s io n s .

• Do all th e reps o f each move b e fo re moving on, and rem em b er co ntro lled reps don’t ju st look cooler, they also fo rc e your m uscles to grow m ore.

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W orkout M anual 201 5

O HOME WORKOUTS Biceps builder SETS 2 REPS 8 Th is is a tougher ta k e on th e cla ssic close-g rip ch in up. Hang fro m th e b a r w ith your p alm s facing inw ard s and hands touching. Pull up, th en lo w e r und er co n tro l.

Invisible stairs SETS 2 REPS 8 It ’s a classic sh o w -off m ove b u t also a pro ven ab s bu ild er. P u ll y o u rse lf up and around in a c irc le w h ile m oving your legs as if clim bing s ta irs . Keep y o u r le g m o v e m e n t s lo w an d

c o n tro lle d and tr y to m atch th e step s to yo u r m ovem ent. R e v e rse th e d ire c tio n on th e n ext re p .

Tarzan _________ S E T S 2 R E P S 8 A n o th e r b icep s-heavy e x e rc ise . You can do th is on a ju n g le v in e to o - b u t no swinging. G ra b th e b a r w ith one hand on e ith e r sid e and pull up until you to uch th e bar w ith yo ur sh o u ld er on one sid e . L o w e r und er c o n tro l, th e n pull up to the o th e r sh o ulder. T h a t’s two re p s.

SETS 2 REPS 6 Doing th is und er control will ta x e v e ry m u scle. S ta rtin g fro m a hang, bring yo u r legs up until th e y ’re parallel to th e flo o r. P u ll up u n til your chin is o ve r the bar, and low er, keeping yo u r legs a t th e sam e angle. If th at's to o h ard , do it as a k nee ra ise b y bending your legs a t the k n e e .


STRIKE BACK AT FAT Losing the battle against that spare tyre? Give your body a kick-start with the world’s best martial arts exercises Som etim es you can't beat the originals. That’s w hy strength and conditioning exp ert M artin Rooney, trainer to the likes of form er U FC cham pion Frankie Edgar, spent a yea r travelling the globe to study with martial artists in a huge variety of styles. Rooney w anted to harness their centuries of exp erien ce to find the greatest m oves his athletes w e ren ’t doing. This workout com bines the best of them into a full-body circuit that’ll test every m uscle and fire up your m etabolism to burn fat - so even if you do n’t want to get in the ring, you’ll look as if you could.

Sit-out REPS

30SEC

T h is w re stlin g sta p le m im ics th e m o vem ent yo u ’d use to g et out fro m u n d e r an o p p o n en t. S t a r t w ith h an d s and f e e t on th e flo o r, th e n lif t one hand an d k ick th e o p p o site leg th ro u gh th e gap. keep ing your fo o t o ff th e g ro u n d . R e tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n , th e n re p e a t on the o th e r sid e.

D IR E C T IO N S • D o t h is w o r k o u t t w o o r t h r e e t im e s a w e e k .

• Do each m ove at speed fo r 3 0 seconds, pause fo r ten seconds, then repeat - th a t’s one round. • R est for a minute and do two more rounds fo r a fatburning circu it roughly the length o f an MM A fight.

4 6 Workout Manual 2 0 15

O HOME WORKOUTS

Uchi mata ress-up BC----------------T h is builds th e streng th and sta b ility needed to pull o ff a signature ju d o hip th ro w but it also w orks fo r non*judoka. Startin g in a press-up position w ith one leg slig htly raised, low er yo u rse lf to the flo o r then push up, kicking back as you do. Repeat on the oth er sid e.

Divebomber press-up T h is favo u rite among Russian Sam bo w re stle rs w ill w ork your arm s and shoulders into fighting shape. S ta r t o r all fo u rs w ith your arm s and legs straig h t, th en ‘dive’ tow ards th e flo o r. Push your should ers and torso up, then re v e rse th e move and retu rn to th e s ta rt p osition.

Kick bridge REPS 30SEC This M uay Thai m ove w orks all the m u scles used in the teep fro n t kick including your quads and g lu te s, w hich are vital fo r most sp o rts. R aise one leg, keeping it straig h t, with th e oth er fo o t close to your b uttocks. Push your hips as high as possible, kicking at the end o f the m ove. Do lS s e c on one side and 15 sec on th e other.

Hip bump sit-up REPS 30SEC____________________ T h is m o ve, used fre q u e n tly in B razilian jiu jit s u , builds th e core streng th and e xp lo sive n e ss you need to get an opponent o ff you and on his back. L ie on your b ack, then raise yo u rse lf in a brid g e, staying on one elbow, and turn to look o ver one shoulder. Return to the flo o r, then re p e at to th e o th er sid e.


O COVER MODEL W ORKOUTS

COVER MODEL

WORKOUTS How do you get on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine? Charm? Persistence? Handsomeness? All of those help, but there’s one thing all MF cover models have in common - they train like absolute demons. So if you want to look like you belong on the cover, what better way than to follow a cover model’s workoutplan? We asked four of our best guys how they got in shape and you’ll find the answers in this section. Follow their advice and who knows - maybe one day it’ll be you gracing the front of the mag.


O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

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Multiple injuries and a full-time job haven't stopped Richard Pearce making it onto the cover of Men’s Fitness. Here’s how he did it

’v e dislocated m y shoulder a few tim es - m ostly playing rugby,' says R ichard Pearce, Men's Fitness cover model and the man pictured on the opposite page. 'I’v e had tw o operations so 1 n e e d constant rehab to k eep it stable. I do a lot of rotator cuff work. O therwise, I try to k eep things sim ple.' Sim ple, it should be noted, is not the sam e as easy - esp ecially when you've also got a full tim e jo b as a surveyor. ‘I hit the gym six times a week, alternating betw een b o d y parts in a pretty traditional split. I also cycle to and from work - about 10 K each w ay and do cardio three times a w eek.’ Wait, cardio on top of cycling? 'Yeah, I do a circuit of H yde Park - about 6K - in my

I

5 0 Workout Manual

2015

lu rch break. I run, show er and eat in u nder an hour.’ It can b e done, readers. O f course, packing on the m uscle while doing triathlete level cardio takes dedication in the kitchen as well as the gym. 'I’ll typically have meat and nuts for breakfast, meat and veg for lunch then meat and salad for dinner,’ he says. 'I tend to snack on chicken pieces, and I h av e two protein shakes a day - one after the gym and one in the evening. Sunday is a cheat day - 1 eat what Twant, som etim es in excess, but it stops m e craving during the w eek.' It’s a pack ed schedule, but P earce still thinks there's time for more. 'I had a full rugby season last year but I haven ’t played this season. I still n eed to find a club in London.’ Crikey.

MUSCLE

FAST

The Training Plan P e a r c e tr a in s s ix d a y s a w e e k , s p littin g his s e s s io n s in to fo u r p a ir s o f b o d y p a r t s . E a c h w o rk o u t is m a d e up o f th r e e s u p e rse ts - a h e a vy com p ound m o ve fo llo w e d b y a lig h t e r is o la tio n h it. T r y it i f y o u d a re .

E

Wide-grip pull-up

_______ SETS 3 REPS 8 __________________________ G rasp the b ar with an overhand grip, hands as w ide ap art as is co m fortab le. S ta r t from a dead hang w ith you r arms fu lly e xte n d e d . Pull yo u rse lf up by squeezing you r lats tog ether. O n c e your ch in is o ver the bar, pause b rie fly then lower yo u rse lf slow ly back to th e s ta rt.

0

Chin-up SETS 3 REPS 8

G rasp the b ar w ith an underhand grip, hands shoulder-w idth ap art. S ta r t from a dead hang w ith your arm s fu lly extend ed . Th e n pull yo u rse lf up by squeezing your lats tog ether. O n ce yo u r chin is o ve r the bar, pause b rie fly th e n low er yo u rse lf slow ly back to the s ta rt.

52 Workout Manual 20 15

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Bent-over row SETS 3 REPS 5 Mold a bar w ith your hands ju st w id e r than sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. Lean in g fo rw a rd at th e hips, pull th e b a r up u n til it to u ch e s your ab s. Lo w er u n d er c o n tro l.

Reverse bench flye 3 R E P S 10____________ L ie fa c e down on a bench s e t a t 45 ° w ith a w eight in each hand. Keeping your a rm s slig htly b e n t, ra ise the w eig hts until th e y 're level w ith your sh o u ld e rs, th en lo w er u n d e r co n tro l.

Dumbbell curl SETS 3 REPS 8 S tan d tall w ith your sh o u ld ers b ack and your f e e t clo se to g e th e r holding a p a ir o f dum b bells w ith an underhand g rip , hands ju s t o u tsid e your hips. Keeping yo u r elbow s tu cked in to y o u r sid es, c u rl th e du m b bells up to w ards y o u r c h e st, stopping ju s t b e fo re your fo re a rm s reach v e rtic a l. L o w e r slow ly back to th e

One-arm row SETS 3 REPS 10 EACH SIDE Hold a dum bbell in one hand w ith your o p p o site knee and hand on a b ench , and your o th e r leg o u t to the sid e . W ith your core b raced and a n atural arch in yo u r b a ck , lif t th e w eig ht up to w ard s yo u r sid e, lead ing w ith th e elbow . Pause a t th e to p b e fo re retu rn in g to the s t a r t. R e p e a t w ith th e o th e r arm .


Wide-grip bench press SETS 3 REPS 5 Lie on th e b e n ch w ith yo u r fe e t on th e flo o r d ire c tly und er yo u r k n e e s. Mold th e b ar w ith an o verhan d grip, hands 1V2 tim e s shoulder-w id th a p a rt. Slow ly lo w er th e b a r until it ’s alm ost touching th e m iddle o f yo u r c h e st, taking yo u r elbow s out to 9 0 ° . D rive yo u r fe e t h ard into th e flo o r and push th e bar strongly back to th e s t a r t p o sitio n.

L ie on a b e n ch holding a dum bbell in each hand d ire c tly above your c h e s t w ith p alm s facing . M ake su re yo u r head and u p p er back are su p p o rte d by th e bench and th a t yo u r fe e t a re fla t on th e flo o r. Keeping a slight bend in yo u r e lbow s, lo w e r the w eights slo w ly out to th e side as fa r a s is c o m fo rta b le . R e v e rse th e m ovem ent to ra ise th e w eig hts back to th e to p .

54 W o r k o u t M a n u a l 2 0 1 5

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Incline bench press SETS 3 REPS 5 Mold th e b a r w ith an overhan d g rip , hands ju s t w id e r than sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. Slow ly lo w er t h e b a r u n til it ’s a lm o s t to u c h in g t h e m id d le o f

yo u r c h e st, taking yo u r elbow s o u t to 9 0 ° . Push th e b a r strongly back to th e s ta rt p o sitio n.

Incline flye SETS 3 REPS 10 L ie on an in clin e b on ck holding a dum bbell in each hand d ire c tly above yo u r ch est w ith palm s facing. M ake su re your head and b a ck are su p p o rte d . Keeping a slig ht bend in y o u r elbow s, lo w er th e w eig hts slow ly o u t to th e sid e as fa r as is c o m fo rta b le , th e n raise th e w eig hts back to th e top.

L ie on a b e n ch holding a d um b bell in each hand a t sh o u ld er heig ht. K ee p yo u r fe e t f la t on the flo o r and your back against th e b ench . P re s s th e w eig h ts d ire c tly above your head but do n 't lock out yo ur e lb o w s. S lo w ly lo w e r the w eig hts back dow n, fla rin g yo u r elbo w s o ut to th e sid es.

Skullcrusher SETS 3 REPS 12 Lying on a b e n ch , hold a dum bbell o ve r your fa c e . L o w e r th e w eight using yo u r tric e p s , keeping your u p p er a rm s v e rtic a l. Push back up u n d e r co n tro l.

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k

55

E

Deadlift

_________ S E T S 3 R E P S 5___________________________ ~ G rip a b arb ell w ith hands shouldor*w idth apart and fe e t u n d e r the b ar. Drop yo u r hips, th e n d rive through yo u r h eels and push yo u r hips fo rw a rd to pull th e b a r up your body. S tan d straig h t a t th e top o f th e m ove, th en lo w e r the b a r und er co n tro l.

Walking lunge S E T S 3 R E P S 10 EACH SIDE H olding a k e ttle b e ll o r a dum bbell in each hand, ta k e a big ste p fo rw ard in to a lunge, th e n push o f f your fro n t foo t to stan d . S te p fo rw ard w ith th e o th e r fo o t and co n tin u e, a lte rn a tin g , so you tra v e l fo rw a rd .


O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Stiff-legged deadlift SETS

3

REPS

0

W ith legs straig h t, lean fo rw a rd fro m th e hip s - not th e w aist - and low er th e bar dow n th e fro n t o f y o u r shins until you fe e l a good s tre tc h in y o u r h am strin gs. D o n’t le t /o u r back round as you lower. R e ve rse th e m ove back to th e sta rt and push y o u r hips fo rw a rd .

______________________ 12 EACH SID E___________ W ith a w eight in each hand, ta ke a big step fo rw a rd , m aking su re your k nee is o ve r your fro n t fo o t and not beyond it. L o w e r until both knees are b e n t a t 9 0 ° b e fo re p u sh in g b ack o ff your fro n t fo o t to re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n .

SET S

3

REPS

5

R e st the b ar against th e back o f yo u r sh o u ld ers - not on yo u r n eck - holding it w ith an o verhan d g rip , elbow s pointing dow n. Your f e e t should b e w id er th an sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt, to e s tu rn e d out. Sq uat u n til your thighs a re a t least parallel to th e floor. D riv e back up through your h e e ls.


Overhead press SETS 3 REPS 5 W ith yo ur f e e t sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt, position a b a r on your u p p er c h e s t, gripping it w ith hands ju s t w id e r than shoulder* w id th a p a rt. P re s s th e b a r d ire c tly upwards u n til your a rm s are fu lly e xte n d e d . Lo w er th e b a r back to your ch e st and re p e a t.

Military press SETS 3 REPS 8 W ith your f e e t to g eth er, hold a p a ir of dum bbells a t sh o u ld er height. P re s s the dum b bells d ire c tly upw ards u n til yo ur a rm s are fu lly e xte n d e d . Lo w er th e dum b bells back to your sh o u ld ers and re p e a t.


O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Seated press SETS 3 REPS 6 S it on an u p rig h t bench holding a pair o f d u m b bells at sh o u ld er heig ht. P re ss th e du m b bells d ire c tly upw ards until yo u r arm s a re e xte n d e d o verh ead . L o w e r th e du m b bells under c o n tro l.

Seated lateral raise S it on an upright bench holding a dum bbell in e ach hand by your sid e s w ith palm s facin g . Keeping a slight bend in yo u r e lbow s, raise th e w eig hts o ut to th e sid e s using y o u r m u scles and not m om entum . Stop a t sh o u ld er height and re tu rn to th e s ta rt.

Upright row SETS 3 REPS 8 S tan d tall holding a b a rb e ll w ith an o verhan d g rip slig htly n arro w e r th an sh o u ld er-w id th . L if t th e bar to w ard s yo u r chin, leading w ith your e lb o w s, w h ich should point to th e ceiling. S lo w ly lo w e r t h e b a r b a c k to t h e s t a r t .

Barbell shrug SETS 3 REPS 10 Hold a b arb ell w ith your h an d s shoulder-w id th a p a rt. Shrug y o u r sh o u ld ers up tow ards your e a rs, keeping yo u r arm s straig h t. H old fo r a second a t th e to p p osition b e fo re slow ly low ering the w eig h t back dow n.



Toby Rowland has been seriously ripped for years - that’s why he's our most-used cover model. Here’s how he stays in phenomenal shape

o

The Week

a p p e a r o n th e c o v esu r of re I target m y b o d y in a b a la n c e d

M e n s F itn e s s m agazin e

w a y a n d c h a n g e th e m u scle gro u p s

Your guide to Toby Rowland's training regime

is a b ig a c h ie v e m e n t fo r an y m an. T o d o it fiv e

I’m e m p h a sisin g e a c h w e e k .’ If y o u ’re fe e lin g b ra v e , yo u c a n

MONDAY

WORKOUT 1

tim es, as T o b y R o w lan d

try ta ck lin g R o w la n d ’s p lan , w h ich

T U ES D A Y

WORKOUT 2

h a s? U n p re c e d e n te d . It w o n ’t su rp rise a n y o n e to h e a r th at stay in g ir. s h a p e fo r th e n e x t M F sh o c t is so m eth in g

is d e ta ile d o v e r th e n e xt fo u r p a g e s. A im to d o W o rk o u ts 1-4 du rin g th e w o rk in g w e e k an d , if y o u ’v e got

W ED N ES D A Y TH U R SD A Y

WORKOUT 3

R o w lan d ta k e s v e ry , v e r y serio u sly . ‘1 tra in six d a y s a w e e k ,’ h e says.

the e n e rg y , r e p e a t W ork o u t 3 on S u n d a y s. W ant a p h y s iq u e to rival

FRID AY

WORKOUT 4

'A n d e v e n on m y d a y o ff, u su a lly

R o w la n d ’s ? A lte rn a te b e tw e e n d o in g

SA TU R D A Y ALTERNATE WORKOUT 1 AND 2

W e d n e sd a y , I still foam roll to g et re a d y fo r the n e x t sessio n . 1 do a lot

W ork o u t 1 an d W ork o u t 2 again on S a tu rd a y s. R est on W e d n e sd a y s y o u ’ll h a v e m o re th an e a r n e d it.

o f an tago n istic s u p e rs e ts to m ake

60 W orkout M anual 2015

SU N D A Y

REST/FOAM ROLL

WORKOUT 3

Heavy bench press SETS 5 REPS 5 L ie on th e be n ch w ith yo u r f e e t on th e flo o r, d ire c tly u n d e r your k n e e s. Mold th e b ar w ith an overhan d g rip , hands l i tim e s sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. S lo w ly lo w er th e bar to your c h e s t until yo u r elbow s a re b ent a t 9 0 ° and th e bar is touching th e m iddle o f your c h e s t. D rive yo u r fe e t hard into th e flo o r and push th e b ar back stro n g ly to th e sta rt p o sitio n.

Dumbbell f lye SETS 3 REPS 10 L ie on a b e n ch holding a dum bbell in each hand d ire c tly ab o ve your c h e s t w ith palm s fa cin g . M ake su re yo u r head and up p er back a re su p p o rte d on th e be n ch and yo u r fe e t a re fla t on th e flo o r. Keeping a slig h t bend in your elbow s, slo w ly low er th e w eig hts out to th e sid es a s fa r as is c o m fo rta b le . U se your c h e s t to re v e rse the m o vem ent and raise th e w eig hts back to th e top.


a

Dumbbell incline bench press

SETS 3 REPS 10 L ie on a bench set at a slight angle holding a dum bbell in each hand at sh ou ld er height. K ee p your fe e t fla t on th e flo o r and your b ack against th e b ench. P re ss th e weights d ire c tly above your head but don’t lock out your elbow s at th e to p . S lo w ly lower th e w eights b ack down to your ch e st, flarin g your elbows out to the sid es.

El

Explosive press-up SETS 3 REPS 10_____________________

S t a r t w it h y o u r h a n d s s h o u ld c r - w id t h a p a r t

and your body straig ht fro m head to h eels. Lo w er yo u rse lf until your elbows a re bent a t 90 °, then p re ss back up p o w erfu lly - yo u r hands should leave th e flo o r at th e top o f the m ove. Land u n d er co ntrol and re p e a t.

El

Pec dip

SETS 3 REPS M A X

G rip parallel b ars and lean forw ard as fa r as you can , bracing your co re . W ith your elbo w s pointing straight b a ck, lower your body as fa r as you can co m fo rtab ly go w ithout stressin g you r should ers. Don’t swing your legs fo r m om entum . P re s s back up p o w erfully but don’t lock out you r elbows at th e top.

a

Diamond press-up SETS 5 REPS 10

Place you r hands close tog eth er so th at your thum bs and index fin g e rs form a diam ond. Keep you r body straig ht fro m head to h eels. Lo w er yo u rse lf until your elbows reach 90 °, then p re ss back up.

Wide-grip pull-up SETS 3 REPS 10 G ra sp th e b a r w ith an o verhand grip w ith yo ur han d s as fa r a p art as p o ssib le. S t a r t fro m a dead hang w ith yo u r arm s fu lly e xte n d e d . P u ll y o u rse lf up by sq ueezing yo u r lats to g eth er. O n c e your chin is h ig h er than yo u r hands, pause b rie fly , th en slo w ly lo w er y o u rse lf b a ck ko th e sta rt.

Inverted row SETS 3 REPS 10_______________ Hang fro m a b a r or su sp e n sio n tra in e r w ith yo u r body in a straig ht line and o n ly your h ee ls on th e flo o r. P u ll on the b a r o r handles so yo u r body rise s and your th u m b s touch yo u r a rm p its. L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.



Underhand bent-over row Le a n fo rw a rd a t th e h ip s holding a b a r w ith a sh o u ld e r-w id th g rip , palm s facin g aw ay fro m you. P u ll th e b a r up u n til it to u c h e s your ab s. L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.

a

Press-up to renegade row

_______ SETS 3 REPS 10______________________________ S ta r t in a press-up p osition holding th e han d les o f a p a ir o f k e ttle b e lls . P e rfo rm • p re ss-u p . A t th e to p of th e m ove, ro w one k e ttle b e ll u pw ard s u n til y o u r thum b to u ch e s yo u r a rm p it. K ee p y o u r b ody s tra ig h t - d on ’t tw is t. R e p e a t on th e o th e r sid e . R e p la ce th e k e ttle b e lls w ith d u m bb ells fo r e x tra in sta b ility .

9

Dumbbell biceps curl

________ SETS 3 REPS 10_________________________ _ S ta n d tall w ith your sh o u ld e rs b a ck and yo u r fe e t clo se to g e th e r, holding a p air o f d u m b b e lls w ith yo u r p alm s facing fo rw a rd and your hands ju s t o u tsid e yo u r h ip s. K ee p in g yo u r elbo w s tu ck ed in to you r s id e s , cu rl t h e d u m b b e lls up to w a rd s y o u r ch e st, stopp ing ju s t b e fo re y o u r fo re a rm s re a ch v e rtic a l.

Reverse curl SETS 3 REPS 10 S tan d ta ll w ith y o u r sh o u ld e rs back and f e e t clo se to g e th e r, holding a p air o f d u m b b e lls w ith y o u r p alm s facin g b eh in d you and hands ju s t o u tsid e your h ip s. K eep in g yo u r e lb o w s tu c k e d in to y o u r sid e s, c u rl th e d u m b b e lls up to w ard s your c h e s t, stopping ju s t b e fo re you r fo re a rm s re a ch v e r t ic a l.


Deadlift Standing w ith your fe e t shoulderwidth apart, grab the bar with your hands just outside your legs. Pull the bar up your body by driving your hips forw ard, keeping your back fla t.

a

Barbell clean and press SETS 3 REPS 10

Standing w ith your fe e t shoulder-width ap art and knees bent, grip the bar with your hands ju st outside your shins. L ift the bar o ff the flo o r by extending your legs and driving your hips forw ard, keeping a flat back. W hen the bar passes your knees, ‘jump’ to propel it upward*, and catch it at shoulder height by sinking under it slightly. Stand and press the bar overhead.


O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Dumbbell push press o E T o 3 R E P o 10 S tan d holding a p air o f d u m b bells a t /o u r sh o uld ers. P e rfo rm a q u a rte r-sq u a t and th e n d rive up e xp lo sive ly , using th e m om entum to push th e dum b bells overhead .

Barbell upright row S E T S 3 R E P S 10__________________________" Stand ta ll holding a b arb ell w ith an overhand g rip , hands slig htly n arro w e r than sh oulder-w id th a p a rt. Pu ll the b a r up to w ard s your chin e xp lo sive ly , leading w ith yo u r elbow s. Slow ly low er th e b ar back to th e s ta rt.

Seated lat raise S E T S 3 R E P S 10 S it on a b e n ch holding a light dum bbell in each hand by your sid e s w ith palm s facing o n e ano ther. Keeping a slig h t bend in your e lb o w s, ra ise th e w eig h ts o u t to th e sid e s using your m u scles and no t m om entum . S to p at sh o u ld er h e ig h t, pause fo r a se co n d , th e n slow ly re tu rn to th e sta rt.

Kettlebell swing S E T S 3 R E P S 10.... Mold a k e ttle b e ll in both han d s, w ith your fe e t ju s t w id e r th an sh oulder-w id th ap art. Bend fo rw a rd a t th e hips and kn ees and swing th e k e ttle b e ll b etw een your legs, t h e n p o p y o u r h ip s f o r w a r d s t o s w in g t h e

k e ttle b e ll up w ard s. At th e en d of th e m ove, th e k e ttle b e ll sh ould reach sh o u ld er level.

mensfitness.co.uk

Medicine ball V-sit :TS

3 REPS 10__________

L ie on th e f lo o r h o ld in g a m e d ic in e b all ab o ve y o u r h e ad . U s e yo u r c o re to p u ll yo u r a rm s and le g s to g e th e r a b o ve you so th e b all to u c h e s y o u r s h in s . L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Medicine ball woodchop SETS 3 REPS 10 S ta n d t a ll, h old in g a m e d ic in e b a ll in b oth h a n d s ab o ve o n e sid e o f yo u r h e a d . T w ist y o u r b o d y d o w n an d t o t h e s id e . T h e m e d ic in e b all sh o u ld e n d up o u ts id e th e o p p o s ite s h in . R e tu rn t o th e s t a r t .


-O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

m

Hanging leg raise

SETS 3 REPS 10

H ang fro m a b ar w ith yo u r body straig h t. U se your lo w e r abs to ra is e yo u r legs u n til th e y a re p arallel to th e g ro u nd .

a

a

Hanging twisting knee raise

SETS 3 REPS 1 0 __________________________ Hang fro m a b ar w ith your k n e e s b e n t. Use y o u r lo w e r a b s to ra is e your legs until y o u r thighs are a t le a s t p a ra lle l to th e g ro u n d, th e n tw ist to one s id e . R e tu rn to th e s t a r t , th en b rin g your k n e e s b a ck up and tw ist to th e o th e r sid e.

Rower sprint 5 0 M REST 1M1N___________________________ SETS 5 DISTANCE 2250N

S t a r t w ith y o u r a rm s straig h t and the s e a t clo se to yo u r h e e ls. D riv e p o w e rfu lly th ro u gh yo u r f e e t , k ee p in g y o u r back s tra ig h t. P u ll th e h and le to your stern u m and lean b ack slig htly. S lo w ly re v e rs e th e m o ve m e n t to th e s t a rt .

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Kirk Miller trains for life - notjust to look good. Learn from his wisdom

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here are basically two ways to get the nicknam e ‘A b s’: either aw ard it to yourself and hope everyon e join s in, or get in such heroic shape that it just com es naturally. Kirk 'A b s’ Miller, in case yo u ’re wondering, did the latter. A n d although he puts in the hours at the gym , he’s convinced that anyone can follow his lead. Yes, including you. 'At the moment my workouts com e from what I call m y Hero sessions,’ M iller says. ‘1 train six days a week, blit only do four main days of weights - and no workout lasts longer than 50 minutes. E a ;h is designed to add power, build muscle and torch b o d y fat.' O f course, a lot of the hard work is done in the kitchen, and Kirk s no 7 0 Workout Manual

2015

slouch there either. 'I'm a big fan of keeping calories as high as possible and increasing training intensity and volum e, rather than cutting weight by going too low with food,' says M iller. 'Even though what I eat is quite regim ented, I p refer not to count m acros or calories. And I just make slight adjustm ents if I’ve got specific goals to hit.’ In fact, as far as fitness m odels go, M iller is at the m ore relaxe d end of the s c a le . ‘I lo v p fo o d a n d m y s o c ia l lif e too

much to worry abou : dieting 24/7. If I've eaten healthy and trained hard, I'm hap py to switch off at th e w eekend with a decent cheat m eal and a few vodkas. It helps with motivation and gives you som ething to look forw ard to.'

E a c h p a ir o f m o v e s is a s u p e r s e t , s o c o m p le t e a s e t o f t h e f i r s t a n d m o v e s t r a ig h t on t o t h e s e c o n d w it h m in im a l r e s t , t h e n r e s t a s in d ic a t e d a n d r e p e a t . W a r m u p w it h t w o t o t h r e e s u p e r s e t s o f s q u a t s a n d g y m b a ll le g c u r ls , u s in g a lig h t w e ig h t w it h 6 0 -9 0 s e c o n d s ' r e s t .

R e s t th e b a r ag a in st t h e b ack o f yo u r sh o u ld e rs - n o t yo u r n e c k - hold in g it w ith a n o v e r h a n d g rip . Y o u r f e e t sh o u ld b e ju st w id e r than sh o u ld e r-w id th , t o e s p o in tin g o u t slig h tly . S q u a t u n til y o u r thig h s a r e a t le a st p a ra lle l to t h e flo o r - t h e d e e p e r , t h e b e tte r. D riv e b a c k up thro u g h y o u r h e e ls.

Gym ball SETS 4 REPS 5 REST L i e w ith y o u r u p p e r b a c k on t h e flo o r and y o u r h e e ls o n a gym b all, w ith yo u r h ip s o ff th e g ro u n d . Pu ll y o u r h e e ls in , ra isin g y o u r hips.

Alternating dumbbell lunge 4.-1:

20 EACH LEG

30-60SEC

M olding a d u m b b e ll in e a c h han d, t a k e a big st e p fo rw a rd so th a t y o u r tra ilin g k n e e a lm o st b r u s h e s t h e g ro u n d . D on’t le t yo u r fro n t k n e e go p a st yo u r t o e s . R e tu rn to the s t a r t p o sitio n , a n d re p e a t on th e o t h e r leg.

Stiff-legged deadlift SETS 4 REPS 15 Mold a b a rb e ll w ith h a n d s ju s t w id e r than sh o u ld e r-w id th a p a rt, using a m ix e d g rip, a n d sta n d w ith f e e t hip -w id th a p a rt . Pu sh y o u r hips fo rw a rd . A llo w yo u r k n e e s to b e n d slig h tly w h ile y ou lo w e r th e b a r dow n y o u r sh in s u n til you f e e l a s t r e t c h in yo u r h a m strin g s. K e e p yo u r lo w e r b ack a rc h e d th ro u g h o u t.



oeatea med ball Russian twist SETS 4-5 REPS 8-12 REST 45-60SEC________________

Hanging knee raise SETS 4-5 REPS 6-12 REST 45-60SEC Hang fro m a b a r w ith yo u r knees b e n t. Keeping th e m b e n t, use your lo w e r abs to raise th em u n til your th ig hs are a t least p a ra lle l w ith th e ground. Add w eig ht if it’s to o easy.

WKMKUSHBBSSMBSBBSBBBHKSBtBBKk

S it w ith your k n e e s b e n t, holding a m ed icin e ball in fro n t o f you. Keeping your c o re braced and yo u r to rso u p rig ht, ro ta te fu lly to one sid e. R e tu rn to th e s t a r t, th en tw is t th e o th e r way and re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n . T h a t’s o n e rep .

Plank SETS 4-5 TIME 6 0 SEC REST 30SEC Mold your body in a straig h t line fro m sh o u ld ers to h ee ls w ith your elb o w s b e n eath your sh o u ld ers and your head looking down. M aintain th e p o sitio n w ith o u t le ttin g y o u r hips sag.

Weighted crunch SETS 4-5 REPS 6-12 REST 45-60SEC L ie on th e flo o r w ith your knees b e n t, holding a dum bbell or w eig h t p late against yo u r ch e st. C ru n c h up, then low er u n d e r co n tro l. Do th e f ir s t se t w ith bod yw eight and th en in c re a se th e w eig ht w ith each se t.

W arm u p w ith tw o to th re e s u p e rs e ts o f clo se -g rip b e n ch p re s s e s and sta n d in g b a rb e ll c u rls , u sin g a lig h t w e ig h t w ith 6 0 s e c o n d s’ r e s t . P e rfo rm e x e rc is e s 2A an d 2B a s a s u p e rs e t.

bench L ie on a bench holding a barb ell w ith an overhand g rip , hands * roughly tw o f is t ’s w id th s ap art. K ee p you r head, shou ld ers ^ and back supp orted by th e b en ch , ycu r co re braced and your fe e t fla t on th e flo o r. Lo w e r the bar slow ly to your ch e st, keeping your elbows close to your sid es. Push back up p ow erfully, but don’t lock out you r elbows.

Skullcrusher Lying on a b en ch , hold a dum bbell o ve r your fa c e . Lo w er th e weight using you r tric e p s, keeping your upper arms v e rtica l. Push back up under co n trol.

4

15

60S E C

Stan d w ith fe e t shoulder-w idth apart w ith a dum bbell in e ach hand. C u rl th e w eights to should er height, then lo w er slow ly b ack to th e s ta rt.

Seated twisting dumbbell curl SETS 5 REPS 20 REST 60 SEC S it upright on a bench holding a dum bbell in each hand w ith palms facin g . C u rl the weights up to shoulder height, rotating them 90 ° as you do.


Warm up with two to three supersets o f power clean and presses and reverse dumbbell f lyes, using a light weight with 60 seconds’ rest. Perform moves 3 A and 3 B as a superset.

S

Standing push press SETS 4 REPS 5 REST 60SEC ____________________________________

W ith your f e e t sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt, p o sitio n a b ar on your u p p er ch e st, gripping it w ith hands ju s t w id e r than sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt. B en d a t th e kn ees in to a q u a rte r sq u at, th e n stand and p re s s th e b ar d ire c tly upw ards u n til yo ur a rm s are e xte n d e d o verh ead . K e e p your c o re braced and don’t tilt your hips fo rw a rd s. L o w e r th e bar b a ck to your ch e st.

Seated dumbbell lateral raise 60SEC S it on a b e n ch w ith y o u r co re b ra ce d and f e e t a p a rt, holding a light dum bbell in e a c h hand by your sid e s w ith palm s facin g each other. Keeping a slig ht bend in your e lbow s, ra ise th e w eig h ts out to th e sid e s using yo ur m uscles and not m o m en tum . Stop a t sh oulder h e ig h t, pause f o r a se co n d , th e n slow ly re tu rn to th e s ta rt.

Power clean and SETS

4

REPS

15

G ra sp a b ar w ith your hands ju s t w id e r th an s h o u ld e r w id th a p a rt. Pu sh th ro u g h _ yo u r h ee ls to lif t it o ff th e * flo o r, and as it p asses your k n e e s, use yo u r hips to

keep driving it up. Catch the b ar on your c h e s t in a shallow sq u a t. Stand and p ress th e b a r o verhead.

Incline reverse dumbbell flye SETS 4 REFS 15 REST 6 0 SEC L ie fa c e down on an in clin e b ench , holding a dum bbell in each hand. W ith a alight bend in your a rm s, raise th em to e ith e r sid e . Pause a t th e to p , and lo w e r und er co n tro l.


E a c h p a ir o f m oves is a su p e rse t, so co m p le te a se t o f th e firs t and m ove stra ig h t on to th e secon d w ith m inim al re st, th e n re st as in d ica te d and re p e a t. W arm up w ith tw o to th re e su p e rse ts o f d e a d lifts and in clin e ch e st p re sse s using a lig h t w e ig h t, w ith 6 0 se co n d s’ re s t.

Deadlift SETS 4 REPS 5 S ta n d in g w it h y o u r f e e t sh o u ld e r -w id th a p a r t , g ra b

the bar with your hands just outside /our legs, using a mixed grip as shown. L ift th e bar by driving up through your heels, keeping your back fla t.

m

Incline barbell chest press

SETS 4 REPS 5 REST 2M IN

Hold the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width ap art. Slowly lower the bar until it ’s almost touching your chest. D rive the bar upward powerfully.


COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

Incline dumbbell press ________ SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 9 0 S EC _________________ L ie on a bench se t a t a 45 ° angle holding a dum bbell in each hand a t sh o u ld er height. K eep yo u r fe e t f la t on th e flo o r and yo u r back against th e b ench . P re s s th e w eight d ire c tly above your head but don’t lock out your elb o w s a t th e top. S lo w ly low er th e w eight back dow n to your c h e st, fla rin g yo u r elbow s o u t to th e sid es.

One-arm dumbbell row ________ SETS 4 REPS 15 EACH SIDE____________________ P la ce one k n e e and th e corresp o nd ing hand fla t on a bench, w ith your o th e r leg out to th e sid e . Mold a dum bbell in yo u r o th e r hand. W ith a natural a rc h in y o u r back and your c o re b race d , lif t th e w eight up to w ard s yo u r sid e, leading w ith th e elbow . Pause a t th e to p , then re tu rn to th e sta rt. C o m p le te all th e rep s on one sid e , th en sw itch a rm s.

Seated shoulder press ________ SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 6 0 S EC ______________ S it on an upright bench holding a dum bbell in each hand at sh o u ld er heig h t. K eep y o u r fe e t fla t on th e flo o r, c o re b ra c e d , back against th e

bench and head looking forward. Press the w eig hts up p o w e rfu lly u n til your a rm s are fu lly exte n d e d th en re tu rn slo w ly to th e s ta rt.


GET FIT FOR LIFE Men’s Fitness model Richard Scrivener doesn’tjust look the part - he's a heavylifting, high-kicking fitness machine

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ome models look flawless when stationary but decidedly less stellar when they’re in motion. Not R ichard Scrivener.

The veteran M e n ’s Fitn ess model and personal trainer spends at least as long working on his movements as he does on building muscle. ‘I typically train between five and eight times a week,' says Scrivener. 'I ensure that I work on multiple fitness components every single week: strength, conditioning, power, mobility, movement mastery, flexibility and basic gymnastics. When I feel that my body can tolerate it, I'll add some hypertrophy too.’ That clearly happens a lot, because... well, look at him. And in case there’s any doubt, he also throws a mean kick. 'I’m absolutely addicted to capoeira,’ says Scrivener. I train at the I.ondon School of Capoeira once or twice every week. It’s a blend of martial arts and gymnastics and gives me one of the toughest workouts I do it's great for building flexibility, control and strength and this definitely carries over into my other training.' 78 Workout Manual 2015

It's definitely not just about looking good for Scrivener - he describes fitness as 'my lifetime's work and my passion’. 'I love to learn,’ he says. 'Over the years an incredible amount of knowledge about exercise has become accessible from all the scientific research conducted, and lhal's made the health and fitness industry extremely interesting. Working in this industry, I'm constantly learning about how to make myself and my clients more healthy. All the other stuff people crave, such as a strong, lean physique, enhanced energy and better performance, comes as a by product of good health.' So there you have it: work on getting healthy, and watch the rest follow.

How to do the workout This week of workouts is based on a typical seven days of Scrivener's training, where he also incorporates a variety of movement and martial arts classes. You’re not him (or Batman) though, so anything more than the weights work is a bonus.

Monday

W orkout l (p81), m obility

Tuesday

M orning: W orkout 2 (p 82), m obility. A ftern o o n: capoeira class

W ednesday

Anim al Flow, basic gym nastics

Thursday

M orning: W orkout 3 (p 8 4 ), mobility. A ftern o o n : capoeira class

Saturday

M obility, conditioning, barefoot running. Anim al Flow, H IIT

Warm up with some dynamic stretches and general mobility work, such as leg and arm swings and foam rolling, then do this circuit with a very light or even unweighted barbell.

Downward/upward dog REPS 10

Start in an upside-down V-shape, with your hips up. Dive towards the floor, then bring your chest and head up. Reverse the movement to return to the start position.

H H H H nBH H H H BH B

a

O verhead squat

________ REPS 10__________________ ____________ Hold a barbell overhead with your hands roughly double shoulder-width apart. Squat down as low as possible, keeping your armpits turned forwards for extra stability then stand up.

Stiff-legged deadlift REPS 10 Holding the bar in front of /our thighs with a mixed grip, bend forward at the hips with a slight bend in your knees. When you feel the stretch in your hamstrings, pause for a second, then straighten up. Avoid rounding your back.

Ju m p shrug REPS 10

Holding the bar in front of your thighs with a shoulder-width grip, do a small ‘jump’ - your feet should hardly come off the ground. Use the momentum to help shrug your shoulders up to your ears.

80 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Use low reps and multiple sets to m aster these lifts. You should tackle each rep fresh with full concentration.

Snatch SETS 3 REPS 3 S t a r t w ith yo u r hands roughly double sh o uld er-w id th a p art and a b a rb ell on th e flo o r. K ee p yo u r back f la t , and d rive upw ards. A s th e b ar p a sse s yo u r k n e e s, d riv e your h ip s fo rw a rd s to c a ta p u lt th e bar o verh ea d . C a tc h th e b ar in a sq u at p o sitio n , and stand up to fin ish th e m ove.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■I Hang clean SETS 3 REPS 3 S t a r t w ith yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt, holding th e b a r against your thighs w ith legs slig htly b e n t. Sh ru g the b a r u p w ards. Your a rm s shouldn’t be doing m uch of th e w o rk. ‘C a tc h ’ th e b ar at your ch e st.

S t a r t w ith yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt holding th e b a r against your th ighs w ith legs slig htly b e n t. Sh ru g to p ull th e b ar up. As th e b a r p asses your , k n e e s , 'jum p’ and use th e m om entum to keep th e b ar trave llin g upw ards. Y o u r arm s shouldn’t be doing m uch o f th e w o rk. ‘C a tc h ’ th e bar in a fu ll sq u a t - you should be a b le to use m ore w eig ht than you used fo r the hang c lc a n . S tan d up to fin is h the m ove.

SETS 3 REPS 2 E A C H S I D E S ta rt w ith th e b ar a t your c h e s t - e ith e r clean it in to p o sitio n or ta k e it out o f a ra c k. D ip into a q u a rte r sq u a t, th en exp lo d e up w ards, using th e m om entum to push th e bar o verh ea d . A s th e b a r m oves u p w ard s, d ro p into a half-lunge as you straig h ten yo u r arm s. O n ce yo u ’ve locked th e bar o u t, bring yo u r fe e t back to g e th e r and stand up to fin ish th e m ove.


Scrivener uses cluster sets for strength and hypertrophy, resting for 3 0 se c between each set, then 3min between clusters. Do the same if you want big gains.

Behind the neck barbell press CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8 REST 3M1N BETW EEN CLU STER SETS__________ S tan d tall w ith fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt a b arb ell a c ro ss your b a ck , gripp ing it w ith hands ju s t w id er th an sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. P re s s th e b a r o verhead P a u se at th e to p and lo w e r to behind yo u r neck u n d e r co n tro l, taking c a re not to bash yo u r spine.

Bent-over row CLUSTER SETS 3X 4 , 3 X 6 ,2 X 8 REST 5MIN BETW EEN CLU STER SETS Lean in g fo rw a rd at th e hips and holding a b a r w ith han d s ju s t o u tsid e yo u r legs, pull th e b a r up until it to u ch es yo u r abs. L o w e r back to the s ta rt und er co n tro l.


COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Dumbbell chest press C L U ST E R S E T S 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8 REST 3M1N BETW EEN CLUSTER S E T S ___________ L ie on a b e n ch , holding a dum bbell in each

hand at shoulder height. Keep your feet flat on th e flo o r and your b a ck against th e b e n ch . P re s s th e w eig ht d ire c tly above yo u r head but don't lo c k out y o u r elbow s a t th e to p . S lo w ly low er th e w eig hts back dow n to yo u r c h e s t, fla rin g your elb o w s out to th e sid e s.

Standing dumbbell overheaa press C L U S T E R SETS 3X4. 3X 6,2X 8 REST 3MIN BETW EEN C LUSTER S E T S _______ W ith yo u r fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt, hold a dum bbell in each hand a t sh o u ld er heig ht. K e e p your c h e s t upright and yo u r co re m u scles b ra c e d . P re ss th e w eig hts d ire c tly upw ards u n til your arm s a re exte n d e d o verh ea d . Lo w er th e bar b ack dow n to yo u r sh o u ld ers and re p e a t.

Chin-up SE T S 3 REPS 8______________________ G ra b the b a r w ith an und erhand g rip w ith yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt. S ta rt fro m a dead hang w ith your a rm s fu lly e xte n d e d . Pu ll y o u rse lf up by sq ueezing y o u r lats to g eth er. O n c e yo ur chin is h ig h er than your han d s, low er y o u rse lf b a ck to th e sta rt.


Scrivener again employs cluster sets to train his legs and glutes for a huge growth hormone boost.

Overhead squat CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8 REST 3MIN BETW EEN CLUSTER SETS Mold a barb ell o verhead w ith a g rip ju st u n d e r double sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. S e ttle in to th e p o sitio n b e fo re you s t a r t to sq uat. S q u at down a s low as p o ssib le, keeping th e b a rb e ll stead y. Stand up und er co n tro l.

■ ■ ■ ■

a

Front squat

CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8 REST 3MIN BETW EEN CLU STER SETS

R est the b ar on the fro n t of y o u r sh o u ld ers, gripping it lig h tly w ith yo u r elb o w s pointing fo rw a rd and f e e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt. M aintain a natural a rc h in your back and keep your c o re braced th ro u g ho u t. Squat dow n until yo ur thighs a re at le a st p arallel to th e flo o r. T h e d e e p e r you can sq uat, th e b e tte r. D rive back up through yo u r h ee ls.

Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS Kettlebell swing SETS 3 TIME 2MIN Holding a k e ttle b e ll in both han ds, hinge a t your hip s and sw ing the b e ll b e tw ee n your leg s. D rive yo u r hips fo rw a rd to sw ing th e b e ll up to sh oulder le v e l, using yo u r arm s a s little a s po ssib le.

Kettlebell clean and press S E T S 3 R E P S 15 E A C H S ID E Swing th e k e ttle b e ll to s t a r t th e m ove, th e n , a s it re a c h e s e y e le v e l, pull yo u r elbow u n d e r it and catch th e b e ll on your fo re a rm in fro n t o f y o u r c h e st. Dip into a q u a rte r-sq u a t, th en d rive th e b e ll o verh ead .

mmm

a

Kettlebell snatch

_________ S E T S 1 R E P S 25 EACH SIDE_____ W ith fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt and legs slig h tly b e n t, sw ing th e k e ttle b e ll to sta rt th e m ove, keeping it c lo se to y o u r body. A s it re a c h e s eye le v e l, punch it upw ards to catch it a t th e top o f th e m ove. If you do it c o rre c tly , th e bell shouldn't bang into yo u r fo re a rm . From th e top o f th e m ove, flip th e k e ttle b e ll o v e r and lo w e r sm oothly in to th e n e x t swing. Do all the re p s on one sid e , th en th e other.

a

Dumbbell lunge

C L U ST E R SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8 R E S T 3M1N BETW EEN CLUSTER SETS_____________

Stand ta ll holding a pair o f du m b bells a t your sid es. K eep y o u r back upright and co re b ra c e d . Take a big step fo rw a rd , keeping yo u r k nee o ve r your fro n t fo o t. Lo w er u n til both k n e e s a re b ent a t 9 0 ° , th en push o ff yo u r fro n t fo o t to re tu rn to th e s t a r t p o sitio n. R ep ea t on th e o th e r side to co m p le te one re p .

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O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

NUTRITION KNOWHOW All the workouts in this book will help you build the body you want - if, and it's a big if, they’re supported by the correct diet. Muscles can’t grow without fuel, and you’ll never get lean if your post-workout snack is a Crunchie and a large Coke. In this section our nutrition experts give you advice on how to manage your food intake for the best results, while suggest some healthy, tasty meals that wil the energy to train and ensure your musch all the nutrients they need for serious grov

m en sfitn ess.co .uk 87

CARB

BACK-LOADING Eating all your carbs in the evening could be the key to fat loss, says nutrition expert Scott Baptie What is carb back-loading? In a nutshell, you avoid eating carbs throughout the day, eating only protein and fat. You save all your carbohydrates for after your workout, which should take place in the late afternoon or early evening.

But I thought carbs were bad for you? Not at all. There are many cases of ‘carb-phobia’ going around right now, but it’s pretty much unwarranted. No one type of food in isolation - with the exception of man-made trans fats - is bad for you, and you shouldn't think of foods as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Your diet as a whole can be unhealthy, or it can be healthy and supportive of your goals. It’s not advisable to cut out ary one food group or an entire macronutrient, such as carbohydrate, from your nutrition regime. Balance is the key.

However, the specific manipulation of particular hormones requires a level of management that's difficult and unnecessary for the majority of people who train. For most gym-goers, it's best to focus on the bigger picture of hittingyour macronutrient (fat, protein and carbohydrates) targets and let the hormones take care of themselves.

aim for body composition. The time you choose to eat your carbohydrates should be dictated by your personal preference, tolerance, schedule and goals. You can eat them in one, three or nine meals a day as long as your total intake is the same at the end of the day.

I’ve always been advised to avoid carbs in the evening. What’s changed?

Any carbohydrates are allowed, from nutrient-dense foods such as sweet potato, brown rice and fruit to more refined, sugary foods such as ice cream, biscuits and cakes. Of course, if cake is your primary source of carbs, your fat-loss

The myth that carbs should be avoided in the evening because they are more fattening when eaten later in the day has been

If I ’m back-loading, what kind of carbs can I eat?

‘The myth that carbs are more fattening when eaten later in the day has been strangely persistent'

How does it work? The idea behind carb back-loading is that eating your carbs in the evening after training has the beneficial effect of manipulating certain hormones, primarily insulin, which can help with fat loss. If you adopt this approach, you have to avoid carbohydrates at breakfast and throughout the day (except for vegetables). The h e o ry is that this helps to burn more fat than eating more frequent, carbohydrate-based meals. 8 8 Workout Manual

2015

strangely persistent. Most experts agree that the timing of your nutrient intake is far less important than your total daily intake. With regards to body composition, neither the type nor timing of when you eat your carbohydrates really matters; ensuring you hit your total macronutrient targets while consuming sufficient fibre and eating a range of nutrientdense foods is the most important

efforts won't be particularly successful. Probably.

How many carbs should I eat? For the first nine days you're limited to 30 g a day. This period improves your body’s insulin response, so you’re primed to deal with carbs without dramatic blood sugar spikes. On the tenth day, eat as much carbohydrate as you like.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW A f te r th a t y o u can c o n tin u e t o e a t c a rb s a fte r y o u r e v e n in g tra in in g sessions, a c c o rd in g t o y o u r goals.

Scott Baptie ,s a p h y siq u e and

sports nutrition specialist, natural b o d y b u ild er and

director of W on’t a ll th o se ca rb s in su ch a s h o rt tim e m ake me fa t?

FoodForFitness.co.uk

It m ig h t se e m as if y o u ’re e a tin g a lo t o f c a rb o h y d ra te s , b u t re m e m b e r th a t y o u ’re r o t ha ving a n y at b re a k fa s t, lu n c h o r an y o th e r p o in t in th e day. A s lo n g as y o u d o n 't g o ca rb -cra zy , yo u s h o u ld still b e in a fa t-b u rn in g c a lo rie d e fic it.

So w h a t ca n I e a t b e tw e e n w a king u p a n d tra in in g ? W e ll, y o u r d ie t is p r e tty lim ite d - to ju s t ve g e ta b le s , p r o te in a n d fats. So yo u ca n e a t lo ts o f m eat, fish, gre e n ve g e ta b le s , h e a lth y oils, nu ts a n d seeds. T h a t s h o u ld k e e p th e h u n g e r m o n s te rs aw ay.

1//SWEET POTATO S w e e t p otato co n tain s p le n ty o f ch o leste ro l-lo w e ring b e ta ca ro te n e .

2//PORRIDGE Po rrid g e oats a re a good so u rce o f carb s as well as m uscle-building p ro te in .

3//PIZZA E a tin g your d a y ’s carbs a fte r yo u r w orkout can b e b e n e fic ia l i f yo u w an t to lose f a t

Pizza d e liv e rs a lo t o f ca rb s and a F lo re n tin e adds proteinp acked egg and an tio xid an tfille d spinach .

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 89

A MATTER OF FAT Fats are crucial for a healthy diet, but they’re often misunderstood. Get the fat facts from Scott Baptie Should I avoid eating fats? Fat may not be something you want on your body, but it's something you need in your body. Along with protein and carbohydrates, fat is one of the three main macronutrients. As such, fats carry out a host of functions, including manufacturing hormones, maintaining cells, providing energy and transporting fat-soluble vitamins. Despite the abundance of supposedly healthy' low-fat or fat-free foods, fats are essential to the body and should certainly not be removed from the diet.

V/hat types o f fats are there? There are two main categories: saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats can be subdivided into polyunsaturated fats, which include omega 3 and omega 6, and monounsaturated fats. A third category is trans fats, which are artificially produced during food processing.

Are any types o f fat particularly bad fo r me? Almost all fats have benefits apart from trans fats, which should be avoided at all costs. Trans fats were created to extend the shelf life of foods such as crackers and biscuits, as well as some margarines and deep-fried foods, and high intake has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease, lymphoma and other

90 Workout Manual 20 15

chronic diseases. In fact, because of these health risks, many manufacturers have taken steps to remove them from their products. Saturated fats often get a bad press, but they are important for functions such as strengthening the immune system, maintaining cell structure and improving bone health. Most importantly for gymgoers, they have a positive effect on levels of testosterone, which is crucial to building muscle.

Which fa is are particularly healthy and why? Unsaturated fats are referred to as 'healthy fats’ because they offer a host of benefits, including improved blood triglyceride levels, cardiovascular function and metabolism. They can also reduce inflammation and help your body control the blood sugar spikes that can lead to weight gain. Good sources include nuts, avocado and olive oil. Omega 3 fats are also important for cell health because they keep cells 'fluid' - allowing important messages from the brain to be transmitted more easily.

How can I ensure I'm eating enough healthy fats? The ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 (ats in the diet is 1:1. Unfortunately, many people have a ratio closer to 16:1 in favour of omega 6 fats. To help improve the balance, try increasing your intake

of omega 3-rich foods (such as oily fish, eggs and grass-fed meat), supplementing with 3g of highquality fish oil daily and switching from using vegetable oil to olive oil for low-temperature frying or coconut oil for high-temperature frying. If you take on more omega 3 fats you should notice the training benefits within weeks, including reduced inflammation, improved recovery times and increased focus during workouts.

FAT FOR LIFE E a t th ese omega 3-rich foods to im prove your healthy fa t ratio

1//FREE-RANGE EGGS These contain higher levels of omega 3 than eggs from cagebound hens.

2//FLAXSEEDS T h is is most omega 3-dense food you can eat, containing three tim es more than the n ext best source.

3//GRASS-FED BEEF A natural diet gives meat from grass-fed cows higher levels of omega 3s.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW


INTERMITTENT

FASTING

It's becoming popular as a fat-loss tactic, but is it a fad or an effective long-term way to achieve a lean physique? Scott Baptie separates the fact from the fiction What is interm ittent fasting? Interm ittent fasting (IF) means restricting the amount of food you eat for a given period, followed by a period of rorm al eating. It is growing in popularity, both among fitness enthusiasts and the wider population, as a fat-loss tactic - but it's controversial. This is because it challenges many established beliefs, such as the importance of frequent eating and meal timing to prevent muscle breakdown. H ow ever, proponents of IF say it has m ultiple benefits, including improving body composition and reducing fat stores while increasing m uscle mass.

Wow would I do it? There are a number of w ays in which people can approach IF.

ESiZm

Th ere’s the alternate-day fast, in which you restrict your calorie intake every other day, a fast once in every seven days or a fast every third day. H ow ever, the one that has achieved recent prom inence is the 16-8 method, when you spend 16 hours a day fasting and the remaining eight hours feeding.

Does it work? R esearch has shown that interm ittent fasting has a variety of benefits. Studies conducted on animals have demonstrated increasec lifespan thanks to fasting and calorie restriction. Studies have also been conducted on humans, but the findings aren’t as concrete. H ow eve', they are positive in that they dem onstrate IF raises insulin sensitivity - which means your body becom es more

efficient at processing nutrients and lowers body-fat levels and blood pressure.

W hat are the disadvantages? A serious problem for many, not surprisingly, is hunge'. Going For long periods between meals is something we in the developed world are unused to and research shows that a higher meal frequency is better for maintaining feelings of fullness. A bigger issue for those who train regularly is increased expenditure of m uscle tissue for energy. Pre-workout carbohydrates and protein in the form of essential amino acids reduce the amount of muscle your body uses for fuel, which would be higher if you w ere to work out on an empty stomach. Eating before

Here are three of the most popular fasting methods. See which one best suits you

1//16/8

2//24-HOUR TRIAL 3//20-4

Som etim es known as ‘ Loangains’, a term popularised by author M artin Berkhan, this sim ply m eans re stric tin g your eating to an eight-hour period e ach day. M ost people who do it w ill fast fro m 9pm to 1pm, train , and then eat tw o o r th re e large m eals in th e ir eight-hour window.

Dr Jo h n B c ra rd i recom m ends startin g at lOpm , eating your last m eal ju st b e fo re th en. Drink w a te r and g reen tea throughout the follow ing day, and take lOg o f B C A A to p re ve n t m uscle tissue breakdow n. A t lOpm eat a sm all carb -fre e sn ack, then go back to norm al eating th e n e x t day.


Based on th e feed ing p a tte rn s o f Roman and Sp artan sold iers, th is consists o f 20 hours of fastin g th en a four-hour feeding w indow . It’s arguably the sim plest form of IF , but many fin d it tough to eat clean when th e y need to consum e 2 ,0 0 0 calo rie s in one sitting.

-O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

‘Proponents of IF say it can improve body composition, reduce fat stores and increase muscle mass' training also increases protein synthesis, or the building of new muscle tissue, which is also helped by eating high-protein meals consistently through the day. Many IF protocols also preclude breakfast. Although this may be beneficial for fat loss, eating first thing in the morning has been shown to improve memory, concentration and food-choice discipline later in the day.

W hat are the advantages?

*

A s well as improving your body’s ability to process nutrients through increased insulin sensitivity, IF has also been shown to reduce levels of body fat. It does have more practical advantages too - it’s easier to ensure you get all the nutrients you need in a day, and it will probably end up saving you money in the long run since you’ll be eating less overall.

So should I do it?

•5

' V

A s with any nutrition goal, it really depends on your individual goals, physiology, preferences, lifestyle and a host of other factors. Research on IF dem onstrates that there are ooth pros and cons associated with the approach. Besice s, anyone who claims their nutritional methodology is the single best approach to fat loss is misguided - there are rrany ways to skin a cat.


HEALTHY

OR HYPE?

Does organic food live up to the claims made about it? Scott Baptie lays out the facts How does a fo o d come to be classified as organic? The Soil Association defines organic food as 'food which is produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms'. In essence, this means it must not be treated with chem icals such as fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides or p esticices. Animals used for organic meat can’t be given antibiotics and can only eat organically produced food. Organic food is not allowed to contain genetically m odified ingredients.

What about ‘organic’pesticides? Most organic food is producec without pesticides, but EU law allows the use of some organic pesticides. These are usually derived from plant and herb ingredients and contein no synthetic components. That doesn't mean they’re good for you, though: a study published in the journal E n viro n m e n ta l H e a lth P erspectives found that consuming these organic-approved chem icals can still be bad for y o jr health

What are the advantages o f organic fo o d ? O rganic food was thought to be more nutritious as a result of being free from synthetic chem icals. It was also argued that organically produced food supports climate9 4 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

friendly farming, meaning it’s more sustainable and can help reduce the environmental damage caused by mainstream farming methods.

A nd the disadvantages? The main disadvantage is the cost. Organic milk costs around filp per litre, w hereas non-organic milk costs 58p per litre, for example. Som e critics also argue that organic food isn’t actually better for the environment. Researchers from O xfo rd University found that milk, cereals and pork produced organically resulted in higher greenhouse-gas emissions than their non-organic counterparts. O rganic farming also uses m ore land, so if demand for organic food increases, more pressure will be put on farmland, which may be worse for natural d iversity tnan the use of pesticides. Th ere’s also an increasec risk of organic food carrying disease, com pared with food that has been treated . This is why the W orld Health Organisation imposes strict controls on organic food production.

Is it worth the extra cost fo r the health b enefits? Not really. Researchers at Stanford University in the US examined 17 studies in humans and 223 studies of n u trie rt and contaminant levels in foods and concluded - to their surprise - that the studies did not produce any strong evidence that

organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. If you have the desire and the money to buy organic food it's unlikely to do any harm other than to your bank balance. However, the research shows that - compared with conventionally produced food - it won’t have a positive impact on physique, health or perform ance.

CHECK THE LABEL Y o u m ay c h o o se to ignore ‘organic* p ro d u ce, but w hat is w o rtn looking o ut fo r?

1//LOCALLY SOURCED ‘Lo cally sourced fru it and veg is fre sh e r and m ore nutritious because it has had less tra v e l tim e in w hich to d e te rio ra te / says B ap tie.

2//GRASS-FED 'G rass-fed b e e f is low er in fa t and higher in protein than o th er ty p e s / says Bap tie.

3//FREE-RANGE ‘Free-ran ge chicken is higher in vitam ins A and E than m eat fro m caged hens/ says B ap tie .

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW


Steak for

PR E P TIME 70 minutes

C O O K IN G TIME 2 0 m in u te s

A d d s e r io u s m u s c le w ith th is m e a t y m e a l p la n Steak and chips is a classic m anly m eal combo, but it’s one th at’s o ften enjoyed with copious am ounts o f sa lt, sugary condim ents and lager at th e pub. Swap your local’s e ffo rt fo r this healthy home-made version and enjoy it as p art of the m eat-filled musclebuilding meal plan below.

MUSTARD helps to stim ulate circulation to soothe your aching m uscles

SOURDOUGH BREAD has a low glycaem ic load, which helps you avoid fat-storing insulin spikes

SW EET POTATO contains high levels o f immunityboosting vitam ins A and C D IN N E R IN G R E D IE N T S (serves 2) 1 sourdough

TO M AKE • H eat the oven to 200°C /g as mark 6 and p ace a shallow baking tray inside. • W ash the sw eet potatoes and, leaving the skin on, cut

LU N CH C hicken and avocado sa la d offers heart-healthy fats and energy-

baguette / 2 150g lean organic b eef m in ute steaks / 3 m edium sw eet potatoes / 2tbsp w holegrain m ustard /

b o o s tin g B v ita m in s .

15 0 m l rap e se e d

them into finger-length oieces. P ace the sw eet potato chips in a bowl, then add llOm l of the rapeseed oil and mix thoroughly. Place them on the pre-heated tray in the oven and cook for 15-20 m inutes, turning them halfway through, • Rub 35ml rapeseed oil on to both sides of the steaks and season them with the salt and pepper. • Meat a griddle pan to a high heat, place the steaks on it and cook them for one to two minutes on each side (one minute for rare, two minutes for well done), • Slice the baguette in half lengthways. Spoon half the mustard on one half of each baguette and brush a little more rapeseed oil on the other half. • Place the steaks between the two halves and slice the baguette in two. S e rve with the sw eet potato chips.

BREAKFAST Bacon and eg g s provides inflammation-reducing omega 3 fatty a c id s a n d b o n o -s tro n g th o n in g

phosphorous.

SN ACKS B e e f je rk y a n d cash ew n uts are good sources of brain-boosting iron and energy-enhancing copper.


oil / S a lt and pep p er to taste

KNOWHOW PREP TIME 70 minutes

Thai curry

C O O K IN G TIME 3 5 m inutes

E n jo y th is ta s ty g r e e n c u r r y a s p a r t o f a p la n th a t w ill g e t y o u rip p e d If you w ant to look good w ith your T-shirt o ff - and let's fa c e it, you do - your d ie t is as im portant as your gym e ffo rts. T h is fat-burning meal plan featu res proteinrich fo o ds with e v e ry meal to fill you up and help you avoid the tem p tation to snack on w aistline-expanding junk food, w hile the sp icy c u rry recipe below - provided by M ichelin-starred chef and d uathlete Alan M urchison w ill help fire your m etabolism up so you burn e xtra calo ries.

C H IL L IE S

are rich in m etabolism -boosting capsaicin C H IC K E N is high in energy-boosting B vitam ins C O C O N U T M IL K is packed w ith heart-healthy unsaturated fa ts

DINNER

P R O T E IN ■

IN G RED IEN TS (serves 4)

fresh ginger, grated / 2 sticks of lemongrass, finely chopped / 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped / ltbsp olive oil / 2tbsp Thai green curry paste / 1 can coconut milk / 450ml wator / 1 chicken stock cube / 300g chicken fillets, diced / 1 pack of straight-to-wok noodles / 1 bag of mixed stir-fry veg/ 2tbsp Thai fish sauce / Juice of 1 lime / 1 bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

FAT

lOOg

BREAKFAST 2 p o a ch ed eg g s with

avocado

provide joint-soothing omega 3s and anti-inflammatory plant sterols. LU N CH Tuna sa la d w ith spinach and olives

contains muscle-building protein and heart-healthy fats. SNACKS G reek y o g u rt w ith b lu eb erries is a

source of bone-strengthening vitamin K.

per portion TO M AKE • Heat a large non-stick saucepan, add the olive o il, g in g e r, le m o n g ra s s a n d c h il i a n d c o o k fo r

three to four m inutes over a medium heat. • Add the coconut milk, water, curry paste and stock cube, bring to the boil and simmer for eight minutes. • Add the chicken and simmer for ten minutes. • Add th e vegetables and noodles and simmer for five minutes. • Remove from the heat and set to one side for five m inutes then season w ith the fish sauce and lime juice. • Add the fresh coriander and serve.

Kick o ff your day with this energising, muscle-building Am erican breakfast, courtesy o f ch ef Adam Gray

Much like an English fry-up, ar American-diner breakfast tends to consist of cheap eggs and unhealthy trans fatloaded meat. This home-made alternative uses quality ingredients and smart cooking techniques to help you achieve your gym goals while still satisfying your taste buds with an indulgent meal to start the day. 9 8 W o rk o u t M anu al

2015

‘Pancakes are normally loaded with blood sugarspiking white flour that encourages fat storage,’ says Gray. ‘Wholemeal flour reduces these and provides an extra hit of gut-protecting fibre.' Bacon provides plenty of energy-boosting vitamin Bl2, while eggs are rich in joint-soothing omega 3 fatty acids.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

TO MAKE

PR EPTIM E

IN G R E D IE N T S (serves 2)

2 0 minutes

4 rashers of unsmoked back

CO O KIN G TIME

b a c o n / 4 fr e e -r a n g e o ggs / 3 0 m l

2 0 minutes

s p r in g o n io n s, fin e ly c h o p p e d /

semi-skimmed milk / 3 2 0 g Cumberland sausage meat / 4 lO O m l rapeseed oil / Maple syrup to serve / Salt and pepper to taste F o r w h o le m e a l p a n c a k e batter 230g wholemeal flour / itsp salt / 5 0 g caster sugar / itsp bicarbonate of soda / ltbsp baking powder / 5 3 0 m l semi skimmed milk / 2 free-range eggs

• Thoroughly mix the sausage meat and the chopped spring onions together and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. • Divide the mixture equally into four and mould the pieces into round-shaped patties roughly lcm high by 5 cm wide. • Place them in the fridge (or 10-15 minutes before cooking. • To make the pancakes, mix the ingredients for the batter together using a hand blender or whisk and pass them through a fine sieve. • Heat a little of the oil in a non stick pan over a medium heat, then spoon a b o jt a quarter of the batter into the centre of the pan, creating a pancake roughly icm high and 5 cm wide. • Lightly fry the pancake until it’s golden brown on one side, then flip it over and repeal on the other side. • Remove the pancake from the frying pan arid place it on a plate. Repeat the process to make three more pancakes. • Grill the bacon and the sausage patties under a medium heat, turning halfway through, until cooked through. • W hisk the eggs and the semi-skimmed milk together and season with a little salt and pepper. • Place the egg mixture in a small, thick-bottomed saucepan and cook it over a medium heat, stirring until you have light, fluffy scrambled eggs. • Spoon half of the egg on each plate, along with two rashers of grilled bacon, two sausage patties and two pancakes. • Drizzle maple syrup over the pancakes and serve. mensfitness.co.uk 99

Fired up

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Spicy fo o ds are th e sm art choice if you’re trying to lose weight, because th eir high levels o f capsaicin help to ramp up your m etabolism . This dish also provides 30 g o f muscle-building protein p e r serving. ‘G re e k yogurt contains four tim es m ore protein than sour cream , but has less than a third o f th e calo ries and half the sa lt/ says Gray. ‘It also o ffe rs m ore than tw ice the energy-boosting vitam in B l 2 .’ A p art from th a t, kidney beans are packed with fo late , w hich helps to im prove mood, while shallots contain q u ercetin, which soothes inflam m ation a fte r training.

IN G R E D IE N T S (serves 2)

4 shallots,

chopped / 2 garlic cloves, chopped / 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped / lOOml rapeseed oil / SOOg lean beef mince / 2 tsp smoked paprika / 3 plum tom atoes, chopped / 40Og can of chopped tom atoes / 15 0 ml beef stock / 3tbsp tomato puree / 1 bay leaf / 40 0 g can of kidney beans, drained / Salt and pepper to taste / lthsp fresh hasil, chopped / Thyme sprigs / 2tbsp chives, chopped / 200ml Greek yogurt


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,

PR E P TIM E 70 minutes

C O O K IN G TIME 5 0 minutes

TO M AKE • Meat half the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic and chilli and cook for a few minutes. • At the same time, cook the mince in a separate pan over a m oderate heat in the remaining oil. W hen it’s browned, drain in a sieve to remove excess fat. • Add the smoked paprika to the shallot m ixture and cook for a fu rth e r five minutes, then stir in the browned mince. • Add the fresh a rd tinned tom atoes and leave to reduce on a medium heat for five minutes. • Pour in the beef stock and stir in th e tomato puree. Add the bay

•

•

• •

leaf, then bring the m ixture to the boil and leave it to simmer. O nce the sauce is beginning to thicken, w hich should take 20-30 minutes, ado the kidney beans a n c le a v e to cook for another five to ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Mix the chives with the G reek yogurt. Serve with brown rice (cooked according to the instructions on the packet) and with the chive yogurt on the side.

SPORTS DRILLS

SPORTS DRILLS Pro athletes h a ve a jo b m any o f us e n vy - not ju s t b ec a u se th ey ’re c h e e r e d on b y thousands, but b ec a u se the fo c u s o f their life is training. A n d s p e n d in g so long g ettin g su p re m e ly fit m ean s they know a thing or two. We’v e d istille d the know how o f fiv e elite sportsm en into p o ten t w orkouts that will g iv e y ou the s p e e d , pow er, e n du ra n ce a n d control you n e e d to e x c e l in spo rts from ru g b y a n d m ountain b ik in g to m ix e d m artial arts a n d bo xin g. You m ay not h a ve as much tim e to train as they do, b ut this sectio n w ill allow you to b en e fit from their e x p ertise.

C A R L F R O C H

185cm

Current WBA and IBF super middleweight champion Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion Holds a professional record of 33 wins and two losses, with 24 wins by knockout

10 4 W orkout M anual 2015

COBRA STRIKE Super middleweight boxing champion Carl1The Cobra’ Froch reveals how he stays strong to the end of round 12

F

inishing strong has been a theme in Carl Froch’s career, from his first title defence - when he rallied to knock out Jermaine Taylor having been knocked down in the fourth - to his epic fights against George Groves in 2013 and 2014- His powers of recovery are clearly helped by a granite chin, but Froch says his fitness is just as critical. ‘Conditioning plays a massive part in punch resistance. If you've got strong legs and a hard core, you'll be far more solid.’ Durability isn’t Just something you have or don't have, though - it can be developed. So turn the page and follow Froch’s core strength circuit to achieve some of his championship mettle.


Build a punch-proof midsection with Frock’s old-school core circuit

■ ■ ■ L R E P S IO .__ L ie f la t on th e f lo o r , b en d yo u r le g s a t th e k n e e s w ith y o u r f e e t o n th e g ro u n d and p u t / o u r h a n d s b e h in d / o u r h e a d . R a is e y o u r u p p e r b o d y u n til i t ’s v e r t ic a l, b re a th in g o u t as yo u s it up. Mold Ih fl p o s itio n f o r one s e c o n d , th e n lo w e r y o u r s e lf slo w ly b a ck to t h e s t a rt p o sitio n .

D IR E C T IO N S Perform the prescribed reps of each exercise back to back. Rest for 60 seconds then repeat three times.

2 B B i

B icycles REPS 5 E A C H S ID E

L ie on y o u r b a ck w ith y o u r k n e e s b e n t and h a n d s by yo u r te m p le s . C r u n c h up, th e n t w is t yo u r to r s o to m o ve o n e e lb o w to w a rd s yo u r o p p o s ite k n e e u n til th e y to u c h . K e e p in g y o u r a b s te n s e d , re p e a t t h e m o v e m e n t

Lying leg hold Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs together. Tense yourabs and engage your core, then lift your feet 20cm off the floor, keeping your legs straight. Mold for 30 seconds, then lower gently to the start.

Start with your hands shoulder-width apart and body straight from shoulders to heels. Lower your chest towards the floor until your elbows are at 90 °, then press back up explosively so both hands leave the floor. Clap, then land on your palms.

Plank TIME 45SEC Mold your body in a straight line from shoulders to heels with your elbows beneath your shoulders and your head looking down. Mold the position without letting your hips sag.

S A M W A R B U R T O N

Age 2 6 Height 1.88m Weight 10 3 .5 k g Achievements ■ Won the 2 0 10 European Challenge Cup with Cardiff Blues ■ As captain he led Wales to the 20 11 Rugby World Cup semi-final ■ Won the Grand Slam in the 2012 Six Nations, and retained the title in 2013 ■ Captained the British and Irish Lions to a historic 2-1 victory over Australia

SIZE MATTERS Wales captain Sam Warhurton explains how he bulked up and knuckled down to become a Lions legend n his relatively short rugby union carcer, Sam Warburton has led Wales to a World Cup semi-final and a Six Nations Grand Slam, as well as captaining the British and Irish Lions to their first series win since 1997* Warburton has always found sanctuary in the weights room, but despite his love of training he initially struggled to keep up with the giants in the Wales academy system. ‘Putting on weight and size was one of my big gest hurdles/ he says. After experimenting with his nutri tion, he eventually found success with a plan that spread his quota of protein

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and carbs across five meals a day, topped u p w it h t h r e e p r o t e in s h a k e s . 'I r a r e l y g o

three hours without protein,' he says. To maintain his optimum condition 1 0 3 .5kg and 7-5% body fat - Warburton needs a huge appetite for training too. ‘I have to be dedicated in the gym,’ he says. ‘Rather than just strength training I have to do hypertrophy to keep my muscle mass. If I don't train I tend to lose weight. The secret to Warburton’s Herculean physique is old-fashioned high-volume resistance training, such as the dumbbell shoulder complex he demonstrates on the next page. So get started and develop some of Warburton’s impressive size.

SHOULDER CHARGE Big volume equals big muscles. Use this 48-rep complex to build battering-ram delts C O A C H JO H N A S H B Y S A Y S T h e key is to keep th e m uscle under tension, so you d on't need to go to full extension - ju st m ake sure th e m uscles are constantly w orking.’ Perform eight reps of each exercise back to back w ithout resting. Do two or th ree sets, resting for 90sec

WARBURTON SAYS ‘This is one hell

of a circuit. The first set isn’t bad but by the end th e 12 kg dum bbell feels like 40 kg. W hen we first start doing hypertrophy sessions it’s horrendous. The following day 1 can 't even lift my hands up to rub in sham poo. But you soon build up a to lerance.’

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betw een sets. Choose a w eight th at allows you to com plete all eight reps of each exercise w ithout dum ping them betw een exercises. The W elsh players do th is shoulder com plex tw ice a w eek at the end of training sessions to m aintain m uscle m ass throughout the season.

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I I Shoulder REPS 8 Press the dumbbells alternately overhead from shoulder height.

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Lat raise REPS 8 Lo w er your arm s so th e weights a re in fron t o f your thighs. Then, k eep in g them slightly ben t, bring th e w eight out to your sid es and back.

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Front raise ________ REPS 8________________ ‘____ Lo w er your arm s so th e w eights are in fro n t of your thighs, and keep them straight as you raise the w eights to shoulder heigh t and back.

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O SPORTS DRILLS

ON YOUR MARKS Use th e W ales team ’s anaerobic te st to boost yo ur all-round fitn e ss

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Begin by lying face down in fro n t o f th e firs t cone. W hen th e tim er s ta rts , touch your bum w ith both hands, th en jum p up and sp rin t around th e 5 m cone. D a rt back around th e firs t co ne, then th e 20 m cone. R etu rn to th e s ta rt to com p lete one rep .

REPS 8

Bend forward, keeping your back straight, and raise the weights out to your sides, squeezing your reardelts at the top.

You h ave 40 seconds to com plete each rep b e fo re you can go again. Think th a t’s too e a s y ? Say th a t a fte r nine m ore reps. G e t a frie n d to note down your tim e fo r each com p lete rep and add them to g eth er fo r your fin al sco re. Do th is e xe rc ise once a w ee k, e ven if yo u r goal is to pack on m ass, because sprinting boosts te sto ste ro n e and aid m uscle growth.

Round the world

Reverse flye

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O verhead

press

REPS 8

REPS 8

K e e p y o u r p a lm s fa c in g fo rw a rd a s you

M old b o th d u m b b e lls a t s h o u ld e r h e ig h t and r a is e th em o v e rh e a d s im u lta n e o u s ly .

b rin g t h e d u m b b e lls fro m in fro n t o f y o u r th ig h s in an a rc to m e e t o v e rh e a d .

ON THE FAST TRACK Downhill mountain bike champion Gee Atherton and his coach Alan Milway explains how he builds the power and control to ride at death-defying speeds ee Atherton is obsessed with time, but not like an office worker counting the minutes until 5pm. The only clock-watching he does is when he’s working out the fast est line to ride down a vertiginous downhill mountain bike course. His sport pits him against the clock down 3km chutes of the steepest, narrow est, boulder-strewn terrain at speeds of up to 5 0 km/h.

out of turns and muscle through tricky sections, as well as the core strength to keep a strong position on the bike. The usual downhill track is like a series of flat-out sprints, so recovery is key. ‘It may be downhill but there's a hell of a lot of pedalling ’ says Ather ton. The plyometrics work he does en sures that the strength he builds in the gym is converted into cycling pow er he can use on the track.

UPPER BODY

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Atherton has won two world titles, a European title and two British championships, and has a showreel of bone-crunching crashes to show for it. So how does he build the strength to handle the punishment that rocks, roots and boulders can dish out? ‘People assume cycling is all legbased but we work more on upper body strength,’ Atherton says. ‘You need lots of explosiveness to power

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Sots press SETS3R EPS5"

S ta n d w ith y o u r f e e t sh o u ld e r-w id th a p a rt and th e b a r h e ld on yo u r t ra p s . L o w e r in to a s q u a t p o s itio n and h o ld . P r e s s t h e b a r o v e rh e a d , p a u se and th e n lo w e r u n d e r c o n tro l. M ilw a y ’s tip ‘T h is m o ve b uild s is o m e tric s tre n g th and a stro n g b a c k , w h ich a r e e s s e n tia l fo r rid in g roug h t e r r a in .'

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Weighted wide-grip pull-up SETS 3 REPS 8 P u ll up u n til y o u r ch in c le a r s t h e b ar, w ith o u t k ic k in g yo u r le g s. L o w e r u n d e r c o n tr o l u n til y o u ’re in a d e a d hang . M ilw a y 's tip ‘To g e t a g ood stre n g th b u ild in g e f f e c t w e add w e ig h t. T h e g rip is w id e to t a x t h e b a ck m u s c le s m o re .’

P la c e tw o w e ig h t s ta c k s o f eq u al h e ig h t ju s t w id e r th an sh o u ld e r-w id th a p a r t . L o w e r y o u r c h e s t s lo w ly p a s t th e s t a c k s . P r e s s u p e x p lo s iv e ly an d c a tc h y o u r s e lf on t h e s t a c k s . D ro p y o u r h a n d s b a ck to th o flo o r and r e p e a t. M ilw a y ’s tip T h i s m o ve is a ll a b o u t d e v e lo p in g e x p lo s iv e p o w e r.’

SPORTS DRILLS G E E A T H E R T O N Age 2 9

H e ig h t 1.8 8 m W eig h t 8 5 k g A c h ie v e m e n t s I B ritish n a tio n a l d o w n h ill M T B c h am p io n 2 0 0 4 , 2 0 0 9 ,

I European downhill MTB ch a m p io n 2 0 0 6 I U C I w o rld d o w n h ill M TB ch a m p io n 2 0 0 8 I U C I M TB W orld C u p o v e ra ll

G E T

Itai Ball throw SETS 3 REPS 6 -8 Using a two-handed chest press, explosively throw a 5kg ball as high as you can. Have your partner catch it and then drop it back to you.

Milway’s tip ‘T h is accentuates the eccentric phase and turns the exercise into an explosive m ovem ent that will help you resist khe bike and generate power.’

M T B F IT

LOWER BODY Trap bar deadlift

Box jump

SETS 4 REPS 1-2

SET S 2 REPS 6

S ta rt w ith your f e e t slig htly w id e r th an shoulder-w idth a p a rt. A s you lif t , d rive through y o u r h eels and push your hips fo rw a rd , keeping y o u r ch est up. A t th e to p of th e m ove, pull yo u r sh o u ld er blades back. L o w e r und er co n tro l. M ilw ay’s tip ‘U sing th e tra p bar help s keep th e back straig h t to red u ce th e ris k o f in ju ry. It's a good w ay to in c re a se power.*

S t a r t on th e flo o r w ith your f e e t hip-w idth a p a rt. Low^r y o u rse lf, swinging yo u r arm s b a ck , and d rive up in to the ju m p , staying co m p act in th e a ir and looking fo r m axim um h e ig h t. Land so ftly. M ilw ay’s tip ‘C yclin g is all ab out w a tts, and p ly o m e trics m ake su re G e e c o n ve rts gym streng th in to pow er. G o fo r q u ality o v e r q u an tity .’

Clockwise pistol SETS 2 EACH SIDE REPS 4 L i f t o n e fo o t o ff th e flo o r ah e ad o f you and bend your k n e e to lower, holding y o u r arm s o u t fo r b a la n ce. Stand up, th en lo w e r to th e b a ck , th en to one sid e , th en th e o th er. T h a t's o n e rep. M ilw ay’s tip ‘Th is m ove is g re a t fo r ironing out w e a kn e sse s in each side o f th e body.’


CORE

SPORTS DRILLS

Plate drop

Norwegian wrestler

SETS 3 Tl ME 60SEC

SETS 1 TIM E 2M1N

Pull th e plate up to your ch e st, re le a se it w h ile keeping your hands around it. and catch it at knee height. Keep your co re locked and yo u r knees so ft during e ach rep . M ilw ay’s tip ‘T h is e xe rcise builds th e iso m etric strength G e e n eed s to hold position on th e b ike, w hile improving his a b ility to handle un pred ictable loads.’

G e t into a bent-over row position and keep your trunk still w ith ten sio n in yo u r ham strings. S ta r t rowing th e w eights in a loop by reaching them fo rw ard s and th e n up and back as if you w ere pulling a rope. M ilw ay’s tip ‘We w e re at a C a n a ry Islands training camp and t h e N o r w e g ia n O ly m p ic w r e s t lin g s q u a d w e r e t h e r e d o in g t h is

fo r th re e m inutes at a tim e - th e y had beast-like stre n g th .’

mensfitness.co.uk

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POWER HUNGRY

Sonny Webster explains why everyone should include Olympic lifts in their training

SO N N Y W E B ST E R 20

180cm 94 kg British junior records in 94kg weight class for snatch (l45kg) and clcan and jerk (l75kg) Fourth place at the 2013 European championships in the 94kg weight class with a combined total of 320kg Silver in the junior class at the 2013 Commonwealth championships in Malaysia 116 W o r k o u t M a n u a l 2015

M U L T IP O W E f*

SPORTS DRILLS

ower is everything. Want to win a race? Want to impress on the football pitch? Want to become stronger in the gym or even look better in mirror? Power is the answer. Weightlifting may not have been the marquee event at the London 2012 Olympics, but you can guarantee that the Usain Bolts and Jessica En nises who made the headlines used Olympic lifts in training to help them win gold. For Sonny Webster, the Bxistol-based weightlifter who hopes to join them on the top step of the medal podium one day, the appeal of the two Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch, is simple. ‘They build pure power/ he says. ‘Olympic lifting is a whole-body exercise. You’re strengthening every part of your body.’ T h e appeal is catching on too. A survey by the Sport and Recreation Alliance in 2013 showed a 45% annual increase in adult partici pation. One reason is the growth of CrossFit, which has shown how Olympic lifts such as the snatch and the clean and jerk can be used to build fitness - and that you don’t need to be built like a bull to take part. ‘I recently found two re ally promising weightlifters through CrossFit gyms, and more and more people are coming over from CrossFit,’ says Webster. ‘Weightlifting is one of the original Olympic sports but it’s so far behind in popularity. CrossFit will drag a lot of good lifters back into weightlifting and bring the sport back where it needs to be.’

P


5 REPS 5

Webster says ‘You probably already do deadlifts, and this is similar but with that explosion at the top. It's very good fo r your lower back. For strength we also do a lot of front and back squats.’

OLYMPIC

POWER

OLYMPIC STRENGTH

SETS

Add the clean pull to your strength workout. Start with your shoulders over the bar, gripping it with hands shoulderwidth apart. Keep the bar close to your body and your arms straight throughout. Push through your heels to raise the bar off the floor and past your knees, then squeeze your glutes hard and perform a shrug to raise the bar higher. Mold the top of this position for a moment before reversing the move.

Build dynamism with this move. Hold the bar with your hands just outside your hips. With your chest up and your back straight, lift the bar o ff the floor, keeping it close to your body. Once


it’s past your knees, drive your hips up to generate power and raise the bar to chest height, then drop into a half squat and catch the bar with your hands in a front squat position. Stand up to complete the rep.

Webster says T h e hip drive is important but make sure you’re driving up instead of driving your hips through and kicking the bar away from you. The bar has to stay close to your body for the whole lift.’

OLYMPIC ENDURANCE

SP O R T S DRILLS

Super pulls SE T S 3 R E P S 9 Bo o st yo u r en d u ran ce w ith Son ny’s su p er p u lls. A im to use a w eight th a t’s clo se to yo ur sn atch P B . W ith a sn atch grip (a rm s tw ice sh oulder-w id th a p a rt), your c h e s t up and your back straig h t, lift th e b ar th re e tim es fro m the flo o r to kn e e height and b ack. Im m e d iate ly go in to th re e hang pulls, low ering th e bar fro m w aist heig ht dow n to th e knee and back up. Th en go into th re e norm al sn atch pu lls fro m th e flo o r to w aist height so yo u’ve co m p le ted n ine re p s. N ow you can set th e b ar down. W e b ste r says 'T h is th ree-p hase co m p lex is b ru tal - last tim e I did it I th re w up th re e tim e s. B u t it ’s the be st e x e rc ise fo r m aintaining th e strength you n ee d in th e f ir s t phase o f the co m p etitio n lif t s . I do high-volum e se ssio n s o f b a rb e ll co m p le xes at th e beginning of a new phase o f train in g .’

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 1 1 9

PAUL DALEY Age 31 Height 1.75m Weight 77kg Achievements ■ 34 professional M M A wins, 25 by knockout ■ UFC Knockout Of The Night and Newcomer Of The Year winner ■ UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Elite XC and Cage Rage veteran

HITTING THE ROAD

Nomadic MMA knockout artist Paul Daley has travelled far and wide in his career but his devastating punching power has remained constant. Here’s how he builds it 120 Workout Manual

2015

SPORTS DRILLS

lite welterweight MMA fighter Paul Daley has fought for every major organisation in the sport, knocking out a string of top-tier oppo nents around the globe during an e x plosive 12-year career. At 3 1 be has many highlight reel finishes to his name, and he says his striking is still improving. But to what does he attrib ute his incredible punching power? ‘To some extent it’s something you’re born with’, he says, ‘but over the past year I’ve been doing a lot of work in the gym to get stronger and faster.’ Daley does a lot of classic strengthbuilding moves and heavy lifting, as well as weighted pull-ups, weighted dips and a brutal medicine ball circuit that helps build the explosive power he uses to flatten opponents. Turn the page and try it for yourself.


POWER GENERATOR

Increase your knockout potential with Daley’s punch-boosting medicine hall circuit x

o D IR E C T IO N S Perform the prescribed number o f reps for each exe rcise then m ove imm ediately on to the n e x t. Once you've com pleted all the exe rcise s in a c irc u it, rest fo r 40 seconds, then repeat fo r another four rounds.

EB

Medicine ball slam

1 RSPS20

Mold a m e d icin e b all in both han d s. B ring it behind yo u r head and slam it to th e flo o r a s hard as p o ssib le .

One-arm medicine ball cross REP S 10 E A C H A R M S ta n d in a boxing sta n c e w ith y o u r lead fo o t fo rw a rd ( le f t if yo u ’r e o rth o d o x , right if y o u ’re a so u th p aw lik e D a le y), holding a m e d icin e ball in b oth h a n d s a t ch e st h e ig h t. R o ta te yo u r hips slig h tly to t h e sam e sid e as y o u r tra ilin g fo o t, d raw ing th e ball in clo s e to y o u r ch e st by w inding up your a rm . R o ta te e x p lo s iv e ly through yo u r h ip s and e x te n d your tra ilin g a rm , using a jab bing m o tio n to th ro w th e ball fo rw a rd w h ile keeping yo u r o th e r h and up to p ro te c t yo u r fa ce .


SPORTS DRILLS

M edicine ball side throw REPS 10 E AC H SIDE H o ld a m e d ic in e b all in b o th h an d s a t c h e s t h e ig h t. K e e p in g y o u r c o re b ra c e d th ro u g h o u t, r o t a te e x p lo s iv e ly 9 0 ° th ro u g h y o u r hip s to o n e s id e , an d th ro w th e b all b y p ush in g w ith y o u r fro n t a rm u n til i t ’s s tra ig h t. R e tu rn to th e s t a r t p o s itio n and r e p e a t on t h e o th e r s id e .

Medicine ball

plyometric press-up S t a r t in a p re ss-u p p o s itio n w ith a m e d ic in e ball d ir e c tly b e n e a th y o u r c h e s t. L o w e r y o u r s e lf u n til y o u r c h e s t to u c h e s t h e b all, th e n p re s s up e x p lo s iv e ly , p ullin g y o u r hands o ff th e flo o r. L a n d w ith y o u r h an d s on top o f th e b a ll. C a r e fu lly lo w e r y o u r h and s b a c k to t h e s t a rt .


C ARD IO

CARDIO F a r too m a n y p e o p le th in k th a t to b e co m e th e b e s t ru n n e r, c y c lis t o r sw im m e r y o u c a n b e, y o u s h o u ld ju s t d o lo a d s o f ru n n in g , c y c lin g o r sw im m in g . It's n e v e r b e e n tr u e . G y m m o v e s th a t b o o st p o w e r, stre n g th a n d e n d u ra n c e w ill a lso im p ro v e y o u r ra c e tim e s. W h a te v e r d is c ip lin e y o u fa v o u r , th e se w o rk o u ts w ill le t y o u g o h a r d e r f o r lo n g e r - a n d th e y c a n be d o n e w ith sim p le k it in u n d e r h a lf a n hour. Y o u ’ll th a n k u s w h en y o u 're m o v in g s t e a d ily u p th e le a d e rb o a rd .


SWIM GYM

Gym ball roll-out ________ REPS 5_______________________________________________

Kneel with your elbows and forearms on the ball and your trunk and torso 45° to the floor. Slowly lean forward until your arms are almost straight, rolling the ball forward and bracing your core. Mold for five seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.

These moves will improve your swimming technique, range of motion, power and speed

The coach Ian Thorpe is Australia’s most successful com petitive swimmer, with five O lym pic gold medals and ten from th e Com m onwealth Gam es.

The goal Now more than ever, th e guys and girls you see excelling in the pool are those who put a lot of work in at the gym,’ says Th o rp e. T h e exercises I've chosen for this workout are moves I used to do in training, and they genuinely m ade a m assive d ifference to my perform ance in the pool. They strengthen key m uscles used in swimming, as w ell as increasing your range of motion for smoother, more efficient strokes.’

The workout For tangible results you should do this workout tw o or three times a w eek,’ says Thorpe. ‘Don’t worry if you feel sore after the first few tim es - that’s a sign that you have engaged m uscles that aren't used to working fw d . Do :h e circuit th ree times with 9 0 seconds’ rest between each move and two minutes’ rest between circuits. You should find the workout challenging but be able to complete all the recomm ended reps or durations.'


Two-point box REPS 4 E A C H SID E

Start on all fours with your knees and palms on the ground. L ift one arm and the opposite leg and stretch them away from your body to form a straight line from your hand to yo tr toes. Mold for 30 seconds.

L ie on a b e n ch on yo u r stom ach w ith your legs e xte n d e d behind yo u . R aise one leg as high as you can w hile keeping it a s straig h t as po ssib le. H old th is p o sitio n fo r 30 seco n d s.

Stand w ith foot sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt holding a lo k g dum bbell in each hand w ith palm s fa c in g fo rw a rd . C u rl th e dum b bells up to w ard s your sh o u ld e rs, bending a t th e elbow . T h e n lif t your a rm s above your h e a d , ro tating your w ris ts to fa c e fo rw a rd s. Slow ly re v e rse th e m o vem ent back to th e s ta r t.

One-arm medicine ball throw R E P S 10 EA CH SIDE_______________________________________ L ie on your b a ck w ith yo u r kn ees bent and fe e t fla t on the flo o r holding a m ed icin e ball in one hand w ith / o u r arm s tre tc h e d b e h in d yo u. T h ro w th e ball o ve r your opp osite k n e e . G e n e ra te the p o w er fro m your sh o u ld er and tr y no t to lift yo u r head o r pull up w ith your c o re .

Mountain climber R EPS 10 EACH SIDE P la ce yo u r hands on the flo o r ju s t w id e r than shoulder-w id th a p a rt. O n e leg should b e straight out b e h in d you and the o th e r should b e tu cked s o y o u r k n e e is d ir e c t ly b e n e a t h y o u r p e c s .

Ju m p th e straig h t leg fo rw a rd and th e bent leg b a ck so th e ir p o sitio n s a re re v e rse d .

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k 1 2 7

BACK ON TRACK

Eccentric calf drop REPS 10 E AC H SIDE

Stand on the toes of one foot on the edge of a box, with the other leg out behind you. Slowly lower the heel of your standing leg as far down as you can go without losing balance. Hold for 3sec, then slowly return to the start. Complete all reps on one leg, then the other.

Strengthen your posterior chain to realise your true running potential

The coach -o rm er Team G B head coach N ick Anderson is a U KA level 4 endurance coach and a running consultant to Saucony, Highs Sports Nutrition, Brighton Marathon and RunBristol.

The goal T h e posterior chain is essential for good running form and power,’ says Anderson. ‘It's made up of your calves, hamstrings, glutes and lower back m uscles. But strengthening your posterior chain isn't just essential for increasing running speed, it also reduces your risk of injury. Even if you run regularly, doing exercises that ta'get this key muscle group will have a tangible effect on your perform ance while also combating the negative effects that sitting at a desk all day can have on your posture.’

Alternating reverse lunge REPS

The workout 'Do this workout by performing one exercise after another in three circuits, resting for 30 seconds between each exercise and two minutes between each c ircuit,’ says A nderson. T o ensure you get the maximum benefit from each exercise it’s important that you concentrate on completing each rep properly rather thon hurrying through th e moves. Do the workout two to three tim es a w e e k.’


15

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips and head facing forward. With your core braced, take a big step backwards with one leg until both knees are bent at 90°. Drive up through the heel of your front leg to return to the start. Repeat with the other leg.

CARDIO

a

Barbell glute bridge REPS 6

L ie w ith yo u r u pp er b ack against a b en ch , fe e t on th e flo o r and k n e e s b en t, holding a b arb e ll a c ro ss your h ip s. B ra c e your c o re and u se your g lu te s to p o w e r your hip s upw ard s u n til yo u r b od y is s traig h t fro m k n e e to c h e s t.

El

Single-leg Romanian deadlift

REPS 5 E A C H S I D E ..............

S tan d on one leg and hold a k e ttle b e ll in th e hand o p p o site you r su p p o rtin g fo o t. K e e p in g your b ack stra ig h t, lean fo rw a rd a t the h ip s to lo w e r th e k e ttle b e ll, raisin g your leg behind you. Hold fo r tw o se co n d s, th e n r e tu r n to th e s ta rt.

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Plank with leg raise TIME 6 0 S E C

.......

..." ..............

L ie on your f ro n t and lif t your b od y on to yo u r elb o w s and to e s to fo rm a s tra ig h t lin e fro m yo u r sh o u ld e rs to yo u r a n k le s. Prom th is p o sitio n , ra is e o n e leg o ff th e flo o r, keep ing it stra ig h t. H old fo r 3 s e c , th e n slow ly re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n and do th e sa m e w ith yo u r o th e r leg. A lte rn a te s id e s fo r th e p re s c rib e d tim e .

a

Single-leg squat

_______ KEFS 8 EACH SIDE_____________________ B a la n ce on on e leg w ith y o u r a rm s e xte n d e d and y o u r o th e r leg b eh in d you. S q u a t down as f a r a s you can w h ile keep in g y o u r e le v a te d leg o ff th e flo o r. M ake su re y o u r b ack is s traig h t and you r su pp ortin g k n e e p o in ts in t h e sam e d ire c tio n a s your su pp ortin g fo o t. S tan d to re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n .

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POWER TRIP Use this circuit to boost your cycling power so you can ride faster for longer

Clap press-up REPS 6 G et in a press-up position, then lower yourself until your elbows reach 90 °. Explosively press up so your hands leave the floor. Clap them together and quickly return them to the floor to break your fall. Bend your elbows imm ediately to soften the impact and go straight into the next rep.

The coach Paul Butler is a British Cycling coach who specialises in strength and endurance development.

The goal Cycling power means the ability to sustain speed over a short period of t me,' says Butler. ‘When Chris Hoy jumped to the front with a lap to go in the Olympic keirin and no-one could catch him, it was power that kept him ahead. To get technical, power is the amount of work done per unit of time, and to produce more you need to build more fast-twitch rruscle fibres. This workout is based around explosive movements that do exactly that.’

The workout To get your muscles used to sustaining power while you cycle, do these m oves in a circuit with no more than a 9C-second rest betw een exercises/ says Sutler. 'You need some rest to make sure you're moving as explosively as possible during each rep and are therefore optimising fast-twitch muscle growth. When you con perform each set perfectly, start doing the circuit twice, then three times over. ‘Always warm up first with ten minutes on a stationary bike, slowly increasing the intensity. Do :he workout twice a w eek to se e results that'll leave other riders eating your dust during a sprint finish.’


Box jump REPS

6

Stand with your fe e t shoulder-width apart, then lower into a shallow squat. Drive your hips upwards and jump clear o ff the floor using your arms for momentum. Land with both feet on the box. Regain your balance, then step back to the start.

CARDIO Medicine ball slam REPS

6

Mold a m ed icin e ball in both hands in fro n t o f y o u r c h e s t, raise it behind yo u r head and slam it to th e flo o r a s h ard as p o ssib le.

Jum p lunge REPS 6 E A C H S ID E Stand u p rig ht, th e n ta ke a long step fo rw a rd until your b a ck k nee is alm ost touching th e flo o r. D on’t le t y o u r fro n t kn e e go ahead o f yo u r fro n t fo o t. Ju m p up and q u ick ly swap leg p o sitio n s in m id-air. Bend y o u r kn ees to ab sorb th e im p act o f landing.

Burpee REPS 8 S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n w ith your hands ju s t w id e r th an sh oulder-w id th a p a r t Ju m p yo u r fe e t fo rw a rd so you end up in a tuck p o sitio n , th e n exp lo d e up into a v e rtic a l ju m p . W hen you land, jum p straig h t b a ck into th e press-up p o sitio n .

Vertical jump test REPS 3 E A C H S ID E Th is last m ove c h a rts your p ro g ress. C h alk th e e n d o f y o u r fin g e r t ip s , s t a n d s id e * o n t o a w all

and re a c h up as high as you can and m ark it. Th en sq u a t dow n, jum p a s high as you can and c re a te a new m ark w ith yo u r fin g e rtip s on th e w all. M easure th e d istan ce b e tw e e n th e two m ark s, and reco rd an averag e fro m all reps.


One-arm swing

DRIVING BELL

REPS 8 E A C H S ID E

Increase power and improve performance with this kettlebell workout

Stand with your fe e t just w ider than shoulder-width apart, chin up and chest out. Grasp a kettlebell in one hand, swing it back between your logs and then out in fro nt of you, keeping your arm straight. When the kettlebell reaches chin height, switch hands and repeat the movement.

The coach C h ristian V ila is one of the c o u n try ’s leading kettlebell e xp e rts and se t up Brighton K ettleb ells in 2 0 0 8 . He's a strength

A

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and conditioning coach for elite ath lete s, including fo rm er U F C fighter and U C M M A heavyw eight cham pion O li Thom pson.

The goal K ettleb ell training is a total-body activity and will boost your overall pow er,’ sa ys Vila. ‘T h is m akes you strong, fast and m obile - v/ithout adding unw anted m uscle m ass that could slow you dow n - which is useful for e very sp ort from rugby to swim m ing A s w ell as making you lean and strong, this circu it will also im prove your shoulder stability, helping to p reven t injury.’

Halo REPS 8

The workout 'Use a 12 kg kettleb ell to avoid getting injured until you’ve p e rfecte d yo ur form , then you can progress to 16 kg,’ says Vila. ‘Don’t w orry, you w on’t put on unw anted m uscle mass with m ore weight - you’ll ju s t build strength. To

Grasp each side o f a kettlebell’s handle and hold it in front o f your face. Slowly move the kettlebell in a circular motion around your head, keeping your elbows as close to your head as you can. O nce you have competed one rotation, repeat the movement in the other direction.

warm up, do fiv e m inutes of light cardio and som e joint m obility work such as arm c irc le s and hip rotations. Perform three sets of each m ove with 3 0 seconds' rest betw een se ts. G o straight from one e xe rcise to the next fo r a fast and e ffe c tive high-intensity w o 'ko ut.'


1 y

CARDIO One-arm thruster R E P S 0 E A C H S ID E S t a r t w ith th e k e ttle b e ll in th e ra c k p osition (on th e back o f yo u r fo re a rm a t sh o u ld er heig h t). Lo w er in to a d e e p s q u a t , t h e n d r iv e u p th ro u g h y o u r

h e e ls, pressing th e k e ttle b e ll o verh ea d . S lo w ly bring th e k e ttle b e ll back down to th e rack p o sitio n b e fo re your n e x t rep.

/&•

Lying pull-over REPS 8 L ie on th e flo o r w ith your logs b on t, fo o t fla t on th e flo o r and both arm s s tre tc h e d out behind your head holding a k e ttle b e ll w ith both hands. L if t th e k e ttle b e ll, engaging your c o re and back m u scles until th e k e ttle b e ll is o ver yo u r fa c e . Slow ly low er th e k e ttle b e ll back to th e flo o r.

S t a r t to p e rfo rm a one-arm sw ing a s in e x e rc ise 1 on th e o pp osite page. A t th e top o f th e sw ing, pull th e bell to w ards y o u r sh o ulder, keeping yo u r w ris t straig h t w hile raising your elbow . Sw ing it b a ck down through yo u r legs.

Russian twist R E P S 8 E A C H S ID E S it dow n w ith yo u r legs b e n t and h ee ls on th e flo o r. Mold th e k e ttle b e ll w ith both hands a t ch est height and lean b a ck so yo u r body is a t 4 5 ’ to th e flo o r. R o tate yo u r body to one sid e by tw istin g a t th e w a is t, th en to the o th e r side.


HANG TOUGH Build strength, mobility and co-ordination with these suspension trainer exercises

T-Y-I posterior flye T IM E 2 0 SECONDS

Lean back and hold both handles with straight arms extended in front of you. Pull your arms to a T position, back to th« start, then to a Y position and back to the start, then overhead to an I position and back to the start. Keep your body in a straight line and your core engaged throughout.

The coach Alexis Antonopoulos is the ow ner of N KD Ambition, a private personal training club w here he oversees a team of trainers, sports rehabilitation specialists and dieticians. An ex professional rugby player, Antonopoulos has 15 years experience as a certified strength and conditioning coach.

The goal Suspens on training com plem ents aerobic sports such as running, cycling, swimming and rowing,’ says Antonopoulos. T h a t’s because it uses your own bodyweight as resistance so the m uscle you build is lean and functional, rather than bulky. Th ese exercises have been sp ecifically chosen to increase m o b ilit y a n d s t re n g th a ro u n d y o u r h ip jo in t s , le g s ,

back, chest, shoulders and arms to help you make big, purposeful movements in any sp ort.’

The workout I recomm end doing this workout two tim es a w eek on days when you aren’t doing any other training,’ says Antonopoulos. 'Warm up with five minutes of skipping or any other light cardio exercise, followed by dynamic stretches such os leg swings ond orrr rotations. Do the moves in a circuit with 3 0 seconds' rest between exercises and two m inutes’ rest between circuits. Start with three circuits and build up to four. Por moves that use one side of the body, switch sides halfway through each se t.T o make any move harder, position yourself further away from the suspension trainer’s anchor point.’


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Single-leg floor touch and reach lunge T IM E 2 0 S EC O N D S

Assume a lunge position with one foot through both suspension trainer loops. Keeping your chest up and back straight, lower and touch the floor with both hands. Stand up by driving through your heel, then extend your arms straight overhead.

ICARDIOI Single-arm T-row and reach TIM E 2 0 S E C O N D S L e an back and hold both su sp e n sio n tra in e r han d les in o n e hand. R o tate and touch th e flo o r w ith your f r e e hand. Pu ll y o u rse lf b a ck up and co ntin ue ro tatin g so yo u r fre e hand re a c h e s as high as po ssib le.

Press-up to oblique jackknife T IM E 2 0 S E C O N D S P la ce both fe e t in th e loops and assu m e a press-up p o sitio n . C o m p le te a press-up , then pull yo u r k n ees up to one elbow . R e tu rn to th e s ta rt and re p e a t on th e o th e r sid e .

Single-leg jumping lunge witn knee drive 1

2 0 SECO N D S

W ith one fo o t through both loops assu m e a su sp end ed lunge p o sitio n . Ju m p so y o u r fro n t fo o t is 10 -15 cm o ff th e flo o r and d rive your b ack kn e e up in a running m otion. R e tu rn to th e sta rt p o sitio n and re p e a t.

Back extension T IM E 2 0 S E C O N D S Hold both han dles in fro n t o f you and lo w er y o u rse lf to a sittin g position w ith yo u r b acksid e around 3 0 cm o ff th e flo o r. K ee p in g yo u r arm s e xte n d e d , pull the handles back and over yo u r head, straig htening your body. S lo w ly re tu rn to th e s t a r t p o sitio n and re p e a t.

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k 1 3 5

STAYING POWER

K ettlebell swing REPS 2 5 Stand with your fe e t a little wider than shoulder-width apart and hold a 14kg kettlebell in one hand between your legs, hingeing at the hips and with knees slightly bent. Snap your hips forward to swing the weight up to eye level, then swap hands. Swing the bell down between your legs again.

Want improved endurance and functional strength? Try this CrossFit-inspired routine

The coach Darren Freeman has worked in the fitness industry for 18 years and is now chief coach at Train Manchester where he teaches Crosshit classes. Train M anchester also offers personal training v/ith an emphasis on strength and concitioning for footballers, runners and triathletes. r

The goal -

C a rd io end urance re fe rs to your h e a rts ability to

-

supply am ple oxygen to your m uscles w h ile exercising,’ says Freem an. ‘W h a te ve r sport you do, improving your cardio en d u ran ce will mean being able to go hard er for longer. The e xe rcise s in this c irc u it rep licate the natural m ovem ents th e human body w as designed for so it also builds your functional strength, which tran slates to more pow er on th e bike o r running tra c k c r in th e pool.’

The workout 'In CrossFit lingo this type of workout is known as an AM RAP (as many rounds as possible),’ says F'eem an. 'The idea is to get through as many circuits as you can in 2 0 minutes. But don't go flat out the whole time. G o at a pace you can m aintain (about 8 0 % intensity) for th e first 16 m inutes, then romp it j p to 100% in the final fo ur m inutes. T h is helps build cardio end urance

*

by keeping your heart rate in th e aerobic zone fo r the m ajority of th e w orkout, and th en taking you anaerobic at th e end w hich will help your sp rin t finishe s. H ave a short rest betw een each circu it if you need it and do the w orkout at least tw ice a w eek to get resu lts.’

B u rp ee w ith press-up REPS 10 Stand with your fe e t shoulder-width apart, then drop into a press-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders. Perform a press-up, then jump your feet forw ard into a tuck. Jum p up and land softly.


CARDIO Box jump REPS 10 S tan d in fro n t o f a thigh-high box and lo w e r into a jum ping p o sitio n by bending yo u r knees and h ip s. E x p lo s iv e ly ju m p w h ile s w in g in g y o u r a rm s

fo rw a rd s. Lan d so ftly on the b o x. Stand ta ll, th en ste p b a ckw ard s o ff th e box to th e s ta rt p o sitio n.

Press-up REFS 15 S ta rt w ith your hands shoulder-w id th ap art and body straig h t fro m sh o u ld ers to h e e ls, w ith your hands d ire c tly u n d e r your sh o u ld e rs. L o w e r y o u rse lf until yo u r arm s a re bent a t 90 ° . P re ss back up.

Sit-up REPS 2 0 L ie w ith y o u r knees b e n t, fe e t fla t on th e flo o r and hands n ext to your hea d . T ig hten your abdom inal m u scles and raise yo u r torso to a v e rtic a l p o sitio n . H old fo r a se co n d , th en slo w ly low er back to th e sta rt.

Double-under REPS 4 0 Add in te n sity to y o u r skipping by swinging th e rope around tw ic e fo r e v e r y jum p you do. Engage your ab s, pull yo u r sh o u ld ers back and push your c h e s t out to a id e ffic ie n c y and co n tro l. K eep y o u r hands close to y o u r body and use your w ris ts to sp in the ro p e , not yo u r arm s.


GYM FEA TS

GYM FEATS

Wie a ll k n o w i t ’s im p o rta n t to fo c u s on a g o a l - it p r o v id e s m o tiva tio n , p u r p o s e a n d c la rity . W h e n e v e r y o u tra in , y o u sh o u ld h a ve y o u r ta rg e t in m in d . B u t i f y o u h a p p e n e d to im p re ss a fe w b y sta n d e rs, th a t w o u ld n ’t be so b a d , w o u ld it? T h a t’s w h y w e’v e p u t to g e th e r th is c o lle ctio n o f - le t ’s b e h o n est - sh o w -o ff m o ves, the e x e r c is e s th a t’ll a ttra c t a d m irin g o r eve n e n v io u s g la n c e s fro m y o u r fe llo w g y m -g o ers. D e m o n stra te d b y tra in e r C ha ka C la rk e , fo u n d e r o f fitn e s s c re w S p a rta n fa m , th e y ’re a ll tou g h b u t a ch ie v a b le - a n d , a s w e ll a s lo o k in g g o o d , th e y ’ll a ll c o n trib u te to y o u r m u scle g a in s too.


T H E O N E -A R M O N E -L E G P R E S S -U P Think you’re strong? Try this brutal move that’ll impress anyone who sees it T h e one-arm p ress-u p has b e e n a test of m an liness sin ce tim e im m em orial - or at least sin ce R o cky cam e out. But if y o u ’re looking to u p the stak es, th e re ’s only o n e solution: take aw ay an other lim b. H ere’s the form.

pushed down and v isu a lise “ sc re w in g ” your sh o u ld e r in to its s o c k e t/ sa y s C la rk e . ‘ B ra c e yo u r ab s a s if y o u ’re ab o u t to ta k e a p u n ch /


‘ lt also h e lp s if you “ k ic k " y o u r hip o v e r to th e sid e you’re p re ssin g o n .’ H aving yo u r hip u n d e r your w o rkin g arm h e lp s you sta y b alanced as you p re ss up.

0

*lf you can’t do the m ove, put y o u r hand on a step o r a bench fo r an e a s ie r an g le, and tr y th e flo o r v e rsio n once y o u ’ve d e ve lo p e d m o re s tre n g th .’ N o w a ll th a t’s le f t is to film your own tra in in g m o n ta g e.

0

GYM FEATS

‘ lf you can o n ly m anag e the lo w er b u t c a n ’t p re ss b a ck up, d o n ’t w o rry - ju s t k eep w o rkin g th a t n e g a tiv e m otio n and try to p ress h ig h e r up on each t r y .’

0


T H E O N E -L E G G E D B O X J U M P Test your balance and explosiveness with this variation on a classic A n y m an w ith an in te rest in skipping e ffo rtlessly u p stairs, esca lato rs o r hills sh o u ld h ave a resp ectab le b o x jum p - th at’s ju st scien ce. T o b etter mimic sprinting or jum ping, ho w ever, yo u shou ld do th e o n e-legged versio n in w hich yo u take off an d land on the sam e foot. It’s not fo r the fa in t-h earted but, as a test of balan ce, e xp lo siv e n e ss and strength, it's tough to beat.

D

‘S t a r t by balancing on o n e le g ,’ says

C la r k e . ‘ Y o u d o n ’ t n e e d

to sq u at - ju s t bend y o u r k n ee slig h tly , s w in g y o u r a r m s a n d

ju m p .' ‘B en d yo ur leg as you land on th e b ox to a b so rb th e im p a c t. And ste p back dow n ju m p in g m ig h t o v e rs trc s s yo u r a c h ille s te n d o n / C a n ’t m anag e th is ve rsio n ? W o rk on yo ur tw o -leg g ed box ju m p s and do som e e x p lo siv e jum p lu n g e s. D o n ’t go n e a r f a ilu r e - ju s t do a fe w q u a lity re p s , g e ttin g as m uch h e ig h t as p o ssib le.

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GYM FEATS

T H E P L A N C H E P R E S S -U P Nailing the hardest press-up of all is within your reach. Honest So yo u 've m astered th e d ivebom ber, the one-arm , the c la p and th e one-arm one-lego n ly one thing rem ains. The p lan ch e press-up , ty p ica lly th e dom ain of gym nasts an d b re ak d an ce rs, is the ultim ate act of gym braggadocio. It takes strength, balan ce, an d a w illingness to risk yo u r face-b on es in th e nam e o f gym c red . H e re ’s how it's done.

‘ F ir s t , you’ll n e e d to be ab le to do ab out 50 p ress-u p s in a row , and a h an d fu l o f th e one-arm v e rs io n ,’ sa y s C la rk e . ‘T h e n w ork on press-up s w ith yo ur han d s as fa r b a ck as p o ssib le , id e a lly by y o u r h ip s .’

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N e x t, w o rk on y o u r tu c k . From all fo u rs , w ith y o u r hands f a r b a c k , bring y o u r f e e t o f f th e g ro u n d . A s you g et c o m fo rta b le in the p o sitio n , w ork on k e e p in g yo ur a rm s and leg s stra ig h t. T h is is th e p lan ch e.

0

Now fo r th e pressup. U se press-up h an d les a t f ir s t fo r m ore c o n tro l - b u t fo r doa n y w h e re sh o w -o ff valu e , y o u ’ll need to do th is on th e g ro u n d . Lo w e r and p re s s up slo w ly to m ain ta in b a la n ce.

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T H E T R IP L E -C L A P P R E S S -U P E x p lo s iv e a c tio n th a t w ill e a r n yo u a p p la u s e - fro m y o u r s e lf a t le a s t Legitim ate exercise or just a flashy w ay to break your n o se? Realistically, the fearsom e triple-clap press-up has the potential to b e both. W hile th ere’s no doubt it can go humiliatingly wrong, it also prom otes hand speed , core tension and co-ordination. It fo rces you to get as much airtim e as possible - unlike the traditional clap press-up, which is norm ally done a whisker off the floor - so you develop exp lo sive strength and fasttw itch muscle. Your nose is a small price to p a y for gym glory.

'T h e f ir s t clap happens as soon as you leave th e ground,' says C la rk e . ‘ Push o ff exp lo sive ly and keep your abs braced to make sure you get enough lif t .’

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144 Workout Manual 2 0 15

C la p num ber two happens behind your b a ck . T h is is the risk y b it,' says C la rk e . ‘ G e t your hands back and then fo rw a rd , and the hard b it's done.'

C lap num ber th re e happens ju st before im p act. ‘O n e rep is good/ says C la rk e . ‘Two or th re e is im p re ssive s tu ff/

GYM FEATS

THE B A C K LEVER

Looking to get into bar calisthenics, or im press the kids at your local playground? The back lever may not b e as fearsom e as the planche but it still dem ands (and builds) im pressive strength across your shoulders, back and arms. And it all starts with a m anoeuvre you probably perfected w h en you w ere seven. H ere’s how it’s done.

‘To s ta r t, you’ll need to be ab le to “ skin the c a t” ,' says C la rk e . ‘G rab the bar, get into a tu ck , then bring your fe e t over your head and down until you're hanging w ith your palm s facing fo rw ard . Now re ve rse th e move. As you get stro n g er at th is, straig h ten your legs a second halfw ay through the c a t.’

‘Soon you’ll be strong enough to try the one-legged b ack lever. G e t into the po sitio n, but keep one leg tu ck e d . It fe e ls odd, but it ’s a g rea t way to build s tre n g th .’

0

‘To nail th e full lever, keep your back, arm s and sh oulders locked . B u t this m ove brings all your m ajor m uscle groups into play, not ju st your upper back.' Holding it fo r th re e seconds is im p ressive. M anaged it on your firs t try ? T h e n the fro n t le v e r - w here you lif t and straig h ten your body fa c e up - aw a its...

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A vailab le at Holland & Barrett, GN C sto re s and U K gym s. A lso a va ila b le o nline at w w w .m ultipow er.com

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l he Men's Fitness Workout Manual collects the very best workouts and advice from Men's Fitness magazine in one place to create a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide for anyone who wants to get a lean, muscular body. It includes plans designed by our cover models so you can build the kind of physique that could girace the cover of the magazine. Alongside those are straightforward routines that will help you burn fat, injury-proof your body and get better at any sport, along with expert nutrition advice to support your training.

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