Study Fit Magazine by Jonathan Bridge

STUDY THE NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE FOR STUDENT FITNESS & NUTRITION ENTHUSIASTS

FIT MAY 2013 / ISSUE 1

bodypower it’s back and better than ever

harry ranson

myth busting

MASS university society a guide to

essential student nutrition

HIIT

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

easy whey recipes

KIERAN CONGDON JAMES ZAREMBA BEN COOMBER STUDENT STUDIES APP REVIEW

SHAUN STAFFORD exclusive interview with the wbff pro

TRAINING

OFFICIAL

GOLDS GYM

distributor

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TOP BRANDS GYM VESTS 2

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STUDYFIT

training

6 10 15

Muscle building tips High Intensity Interval Training Bro-science myth busting with Harry Ranson

ISSUE ONE

contents

Preview

BodyPower Expo 2013

the big interview

WBFF Pro Shaun Stafford

in focus

26 30 31 33 36

The Muscle & Athletic Sports Society Gymcube.com Weightlifting Talent Search Kieran Congdon James Zaremba

nutrition

38 44 46 48 50

The essential student nutrition guide Nutrition on a budget Alcohol and your physique Chilli recipe Another Whey - protein powder recipes

monthly

52 54 58 4

studyfit

Ask the expert with Ben Coomber Student studies Fitness App’s review

ello and welcome to the first edition of StudyFit, a magazine I have created during my final year of studying at Liverpool John Moores University for those students like myself who are keen on all things fitness.This project started out as just a piece of University work I was required to do but quicky became something I have loved writing and designing. My reasoning behind doing this was an obvious one. Students are often given a bad wrap by alot of people. Student life doesnt just involve getting drunk every night of the week and only eating microwave meals or takeaways. I know myself from my time at university that there are alot of students out there who are not only interested in keeping fit and changing their body, but passsionate about it too. Therefore I wanted to look beyond the stereotypical student image and offer a magazine which I felt many students would enjoy reading. Along the way I have got to interview and speak with some of the industry’s top guys who I had previously admired and looked upto. On page 15 you will find one of those in Harry Ranson. His article on debunking some of the most common myths amongst gym-goers is a brilliant one, and something everybody can learn from. I know mysel I made some of these mistakes when the gym bug first took hold of me. On page 22 you’ll find an interview with Shaun Stadfford, another of the guys I look upto for inspiration and motivation. Then turn to page 26 and you’ll find a feature with The Muscle & Athletic Sports Society which was started at the University of Leicester. The work they do is admirable and I can only wish I had been able to experience the MASS movement during my three years at University. Those are not the only highlights though, it is a jam packed issue. From nutrition expert Ben Coomber answering your questions, simple and quick healthy recipes, too the latest fitness and nutrition research current students have carried out. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have done creating it. Yours,

J.Bridge Jonathan Bridge

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MUSCLE BUILDING

TRAINING

proven and effective tips to help you in adding muscle.

f you’re a beginner just starting out on your fitness journey the vast ocean of information available on the web (some of it correct and some of it just plain wrong) can be quite confusing and daunting when you are trying to put together your own workout plan. Even the most experienced of trainers hit a plateau in their training and find themselves seeking ways to improve their physique. Fad workout plans that promise to add six inches onto your biceps within a couple of weeks are simply that. Just a fad. These plans are’nt true and more often than not are awful programmes put together with no real thought behind them. The secret to adding muscle is to get stronger. The stronger you get, the more weight you will be able to lift and the more muscular you will be. It sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done. The key to this though is a number of things. It is a slow process and patience is key,. By following a few simple rules you and remaining consistent you will be well one your way to building the physique you wish for. A strong muscular body is attainable for anybody, you just need a little knowledge to help you along the way. Follow these proven muscle building tips and you’ll find yourself packing on some hard earned lean muscle mass.

Photo courtesy of wallchan.com

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TRAINING

MUSCLE BUILDING

Take note of these tips and you’ll maximise your potential to add muscle. Patience is a virtue though, don’t expect immediate results, the best physiques are those which took hours of training and dedication to perfect.

Eat More

To put on more muscle you have to eat more calories than your body burns doing daily activities. This is known as a calorific surplus, the additional calories your body consumes will be used to build muscle. This doesn’t mean you can binge on junk food which is high in calories. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Try to eat every two to three hours, getting six to seven meals a day. Focus on getting protein from foods such as chicken, beef and fish rather than relying on protein shakes. You should supplement your diet with these products, not rely on them. Carbohydrate sources such as Oats, Brown Rice and Potatoes are a good choice. Oily fish is not only a good source of protein but full of healthy fats.

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Keep Cardio to a minimum

If your goal is to add muscle to your physique then you want to keep cardio exercise to a minimum. This will only burn off excess calories that your body needs to grow. Think about it for a moment, if your muscles need calories to grow but if you’re working out and then using calories to fuel hour’s worth of cardio at another point in the day, your body isn’t going to have enough calories to help build muscle. Thats just common sense right?

Focus on Compound Lifts Multi joint exercises such as pull ups, the bench press, squats and deadlifts should make up the main basis of your workouts. Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once, for example the bench press works the chest, triceps and shoulders as well as engaging your abdominal muscles. Compare this to an isolation exercises like bicep curls which only works a single muscle at a time. Focus on compound exercises at the start of your workout before moving onto single joint isolation exercises. Isolation exercises should be surplus work to further stimulate a muscle after big multi joint exercises. Aim to increase the weight you lift on compound exercises by small increments each week.

Try the Rest-Pause method

Perform the reps of a set until you can’t lift anymore. Rest and pause for 10-20 and then lift again for as many reps as you can. Simple as that. It’s what it says on the tin. This allows you to extend the set further whilst maintaining a heavy weight instead of lessening the load. It can be used with almost any exercise but is best utilised on the large compound exercises where you are aiming to shift maximum weight.

GEt SOME Rest

Muscles aren’t actually built in the gym. Muscle building and repair occurs when you are resting and during sleep. Therefore it is essential to make sure you get enough adequate rest in order for your muscles to fully recover from a workout and allow them to grow. Failing to rest and spending everyday in the gym will only serve to hinder your progress and may even set you back further due to injuries and fatigue.

MUSCLE BUILDING

Lift Heavy Focus on the Negative There is a positive and negative phase when you lift a weight The positive phase (eccentric contraction) is when the muscle is contracting and the negative phase (concentric contraction) is when it is stretching. Negatives focus on the negative part of the movement. Performing this negative part of the movement with a slower tempo puts the muscle under more tension for longer and in turn builds more muscle. For example, if you normally take two-three seconds to lower the bar down to your chest when bench pressing, try controlling the weight for longer and instead take six seconds to lower it. You won’t be able to lift as much weight as you normally might but the increased amount of time that the muscle is tension is what helps the muscle grow in this instance.

Lifting the maximum amount of weight you can is essential if you want to add muscle. This is where a training partner comes in handy as they can encourage and support you when you’re struggling to force out that last rep. Aim to increase the weight you lift on an exercise each time you perform it. So if you lifted 100kg on the bench press one week, the next week try and lift 105kg. This progressive overload is key to forcing your body to adapt and build muscle.

6 8

Perfect Form

Performing an exercise correctly will be key to helping you build muscle mass. Bad form leads to bad habits and injuries can often occur due to poor technique. Master the correct way exercises should be performed. If you are unsure of how to do an exercise book yourself in with a personal trainer to show you how or go away and watch videos of the correct technique. What is better 10 bad reps or 10 good reps?

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TRAINING

crank up the

MUSCLE BUILDING

It’s no secret that cardio can be one of the most boring tasks when trying to change your physique. If you’ve never tried High Intensity Interval Training then that could just be about to change...

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HIIT

TRAINING

welcome to

ong tedious sessions on a treadmill or simply running around the streets soon become boring and it’s far more satisfying to snooze that alarm when cardio’clock comes around. Although when you want to strip some body-fat, cardio in conjunction with eating less calories on a sound nutrition diet, is one sure way to do so. However if you’re bored of the treadmill or cross trainer then what can you do? High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is what. Not only will you burn more fat, but you’ll spend less time doing so. Its beauty is in its simplicity. It’s so simple it can be adapted to any exercise or piece of gym equipment.

So what exactly is HIIT and how can you incorporate it into your training? It’s a form of cardiovascular exercise which is beneficial to burning fat in a short, intense workout. It consists of short periods of intense anaerobic exercise alternated with less intense recovery periods. An average HIIT session can last between 10-30 minutes depending upon each individual’s endurance and goals. Many people prefer this method to the tediously long, boring cardio sessions, known as Low Intensity Steady State (LISS). If you shudder at the thought of an hour long treadmill session then HIIT may just be for you. It provides a greater challenge, requiring greater resolve and concentration to complete. That all adds up to a tough intense workout, but a bloody worthwhile one! Trying out a HIIT program is highly recommended. It allows you to get a tough, intense

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PICK ANY EXERCISE OR EQUIPMENT YOU WANT workout done in a short period of time with even better fat burning benefits than LISS. Research has been shown to burn adipose tissue up to 50% more efficiently than low-intensity exercise. Due to the high intensity it also speeds up your metabolism meaning you’ll burn more calories throughout the day.

One study showed that over the course of 20 weeks with 17 subjects, average subcutaneous fat loss with HIIT was more than 3 times greater than with regular endurance training.

The comparison is often made between sprinters and marathon runners. Both perform forms of cardio but who more often than not has the better looking physique. The answer is obvious. The fat burning capabilities of HIIT isn’t just where the advantages stop.

This will not only improve your physique, but your health and help you in sports performance. Performance in things such as football, rugby, tennis and a huge number of sports where a good level of anaerobic and aerobic endurance is required will improve. The short duration of the workouts associated with interval training also prevents the body from entering the catabolic state that can happen with extended LISS cardio. This most often occurs when activities are prolonged and the body starts breaking down muscle tissue to use as fuel. HIIT is the perfect method for losing fat while retaining muscle mass. HIIT can be performed in a variety of methods. It can be applied to any form of cardiovascular exercise, whether it is on the treadmill, cross trainer or stationery bike. But it doesn’t have to be in a gym. Such is the simplicity of HIIT it can be done anywhere, so if you want to take it up on a football field or road in the great outdoors then you can. Simply alternate between bouts of high intensity work for short periods and lower intensity work to allow you enough time to recover. Hill sprints are a great way of getting some intense exercise outside. The benefits of HIIT are clearly obvious. It helps rid the boredom that is usually associated with cardio training and so is appealing to all levels of gym goers. So if your looking to shed some fat or just fancy a challenge, give HIIT a go.

HIIT - crank up your cardio workouts Give some of these workouts a go and you’ll be well on your way to that ripped physique. They aren’t easy, pretty gruelling in fact, but who wants easy? Reap the rewards of your hard work. RUNNING Alternate between bouts of 15-20 seconds sprinting and minutes slow jog or brisk walk. Repeat 5-10 times. This can be done on either a treadmill or outside. For a tougher session try sprinting up an incline on the treadmill or up a hill.

BOXING Get some golves on and hit the heavy bag. 15-20 seonds of flat out pounding that bag (pretend its somebody you really dislike) alternated with a minute - two minutes skipping. Repeat 5-10 times.

HOME WORKOUT You don’t have to go to the gym. Try and blast out as many burpees as you can do in 30 seconds, then go straight a slow jog on the spot for a minute. Repeat for upto 10 times.Your legs will be on fire but it’ll be worth the hard work!

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TRAINING

Available Now

BRO SCIENCE MYTH BUSTING

e c n e i c s Bro-

g n i t s bu h t my on s n ra with Harry

56g Protein p/100g Zero Carb, No Sugar 100% British Grass Fed Beef Source of Iron, BCAA's & Omega 3 LEAN NUTRITION TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Bro-Science: Common misconceptions and incorrect information with regards to bodybuilding often spread by word of mouth amongst gym goers as if they are proven facts.

ublished Fitness Model, sponsored Athlete and Online Fitness Coach and Trainer Harry Ranson de-bunks some of the most common Bro Science training and nutrition myths.

#preparetoperform

www.purebeef.co.uk

Photo by Fivos Photography studyfit

BRO SCIENCE MYTH BUSTING

TRAINING

Dietary fat is bad

any dieters are misled by the food industry with the caveat that fat makes you fat with no evidence other than it is the same word. Similarly to the point above, fat can make you fat, if you over consume it. However, fat is an essential nutrient for hormone regulation and cognitive function, it is not uncommon to see low fat dieters develop mood swings and low libido when following a low fat diet. Dietary fat is also necessary to transport and absorb essential vitamins and minerals, particularly A, D, E and K which are all essential for optimal health.Rather than labelling fat good or bad we should instead distinguish which types are essential, which are good and which are bad. Typically the western diet is deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids whilst being particularly high in Omega 6 and 9 due to the consumption of vegetable oils, so it is a good idea to shift the balance by eating foods that are high in Omega 3 such as fish or supplementing with a suitable product. These are also known as essential fatty acids (or EFA’s) which the human body is unable to produce, so we must obtain them through diet or supplementation, another reason why we should include some form of dietary fat in our diets. As a general rule of thumb, fat found in whole, unprocessed foods such as meat, fish and nuts are beneficial whilst trans fats found in heavily processed foods and oils are the ones we should avoid.

High rep ranges burn fat and low rep ranges build muscle

igher rep ranges can potentially burn more calories throughout a session due to the increased workload. However, if your goal is to retain as much muscle as possible during a dieting phase then it is always advisable to lift as heavy as possible and maintain strength. Performing high reps is only likely to activate Type I or “slow twitch” muscle fibres as they are designed for endurance and have a high resistance to fatigue quickly. This will mean neglecting your Type II muscle fibres that are designed for high force and power output. Therefore, neglecting muscle fibres, particularly during a dieting phase, will like lead to a loss of lean body mass.

‘Diet’ or ‘Low Fat’ meals are better for you

Eating Carbs will make you fat

ust because a product is labelled as “Diet” or “Low Fat” doesn’t necessarily mean it is good for you. Quite often “Low Fat” products are disguising foods that are high in sugar, such as fruit yogurts and breakfast cereal, both of which offer very little nutritional benefit. If your diet consists of only “diet” or “low fat” products then you are unlikely to be getting adequate dietary fat that is needed for optimal hormonal function and physiological processes. That being said, there is no reason you cannot consume some diet or low fat products in your daily nutrition providing you have a generally balanced diet whilst getting adequate fat, fibre and micronutrient intakes for the day.

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Don’t eat late at night

voiding eating late at night is based on the logic that the energy you eat before you sleep is less likely to be burned and more likely to be stored as fat. This is also based on the assumption that your body shuts down completely when you go to sleep, which it doesn’t, you still need energy to breathe as well as other vital functions needed to survive including growth and repair. In reality, any energy that you consume will be stored to be used at the next available opportunity. If you are consuming the same amount of energy that your body expends over a 24 hour period, then your net balance will remain constant which means there will be no excess energy to be stored as fat. A recent study has even shown that eating the majority of your carbohydrates late at night can even be beneficial [2]. Whilst more research is needed in this area, if anything it helps us to dispel the myth that you should avoid eating late at night.

HarryRansonFitness

he notion that consuming carbs will make you fat stems from popular “fad” diets that have generated lots of public and media interest, such as the “Atkins Diet” or “Dukan Diet”. Both of which limit the consumption of carbohydrates to induce fat loss and in most cases succeed. Therefore, people begin to make the false assumption that because carbohydrate restriction leads to fat loss then it must be carbs that make us fat in the first place. However, what people fail to see is that the restriction of carbohydrates forces our body into a calorie deficit which is the real reason that fat loss occurs, not the fact we have reduced carbs. Studies have shown that when put on a diet containing the same amount of calories with different ratios of carbohydrates that there is no significant difference in overall fat loss [1]. Carbohydrates can make you fat, in the same way that over consuming any of the macronutrients can make you fat, if you are in a calorie surplus then you will put on weight regardless of how many carbs you eat. Although carbs are considered a nonessential macronutrient, they are still our body’s preferred energy source and many thrive off carbohydrates for increased energy and performance. Providing carbohydrate intake is monitored and overall caloric intake is in line with your calorie requirements then carbs will not make you fat.

@HarryRanson

www.harryranson.com [1] Alford BB, et al. (1990). The effects of variation in carbohydrate, protein, and fat content of the diet upon weight loss, blood values, and nutrient intake of adult obese women. J AM Diet Assoc. 90:534-40. [2] Sofer S, Eliraz A, Kaplan S, Voet H, Fink G, Kima T, Madar Z. (2011) Greater weight loss and hormonal changes after 6 months diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner.

Doing huge amounts of sit ups will get you a six pack

opefully I can save you some time by advising you NOT to do hundreds, if not thousands of sit ups in an attempt to reveal that elusive six pack. As with many things, including your abs, more doesn’t necessarily mean better and there is certainly a law of diminishing returns with regards to ab training and endless amounts of sit ups. Quite simply, low body fat (usually sub 10%) is what is going to get you that chiselled mid-section that you desire, which is mostly going to be brought on through correct nutrition. That is not to say that we don’t need to train abs but we need to treat them just like any other muscle group. Big, compound lifts along with direct ab work such as heavy cable crunches and leg raises in the 8-15 rep range will be much more effective for building your abdominals. studyfit

BODYPOWER EXPO

PREVIEW

studyfit preview

BIGGER AND

BETTER The UK’s Number one sport, fitness and nutrition expo is back with all new feature areas and the old favourites.

erived from humble beginnings, the BodyPower Expo has grown massively since its conception in 2009. Now welcoming just shy of 40,000 fitness enthusiasts, BodyPower has well and truly stamped its name on the domestic and international fitness market. For those visitors who descend upon the NEC Arena, they will see the very best of what the fitness world has to offer, from nutrition & healthy eating, through to equipment, endurance and clothing. Over 100 companies will be exhibiting their products at the Expo. Year on year the show welcomes masses of international athletes and renowned fitness industry experts. BodyPower has gone muscle mad this year, with a supreme line up of Bodybuilding competitors such as Jay Cutler, Phil Heath and Kai Green who have all been confirmed attendees – available for meet and greets with

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fans, as well as displaying some of their training techniques in the new Super Gym. Eight time Mr Olympia & bodybuilding legend, Ronnie Coleman and Mr Olympia 212, Flex Lewis, will also be in attendance. In addition, a number of world renowned fitness models such as Greg Plitt, Rob Riches and Ryan Terry will also be in attendance. Commenting on plans for BodyPower in 2013, Marketing Director and show co-founder Ollie Upton said: “BodyPower has now grown into the UK’s staple fitness expo. We have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure all visitors; consumer and trade, have a reason to attend. We have increased the floor space, added some fantastic new feature areas and lined up some great special guests to appear. BodyPower 2013 can’t come quick enough!” This year’s shows is certainly expected to be better than ever, with the inclusion of a range of new feature areas for 2013. studyfit

PREVIEW

BODYPOWER EXPO

n the new Super Gym area, visitors will have the chance to see world class bodybuilders, leading international trainers to the stars and other high level athletes demonstrating a work out. A VIP ticket will give visitors the chance to watch world class bodybuilders train on stage in a gym environment. Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren and Flex Lewis are just a few of the names that will be appearing in the Super Gym. Another new feature area, Endurance City, caters for the huge growth area within the fitness industry. An array of both individual and team challenges, including an indoor triathlon competition complete with Endless Pool, Watt Bike Power Output Challenge and a Concept2 Rowing Championship will all be available for those visitors who feel tough enough. Other highlights include seminars on performance analysis with Vo2 and power output testing. Ollie Upton added; “This is fantastic news for our visitors and for the endurance aspect of the show.

GET YOUR TIcket now

FIT FACTOR

lso new for 2013, is Fit Factor – the contest being touted as ‘the biggest fitness model competition on the planet’. This will see 150 fitness models take to the stage across the whole weekend to competing to be crowned winner of either the Fitness Men or Fitness Female category. A judging panel comprised of Men’s Fitness Editor, Jon Lipsey, leading fitness photographer, Simon Howard, founder of Miss Galaxy Universe, Sarah Donohue and Director of The Dreamboys, David Richards, will give live feedback to the competitors throughout the competition. The much coveted price for the winners is an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas and a place on the prestigious Olympia stage. The two winners will also get a shoot with the world’s number one fitness model, Greg Plitt, at BodyPower after the competition. Only 50% of this show is judged on physique. The judges will be looking at symmetry, muscle definition, and attractiveness of physique. The remaining 50% will be made up from marketability, stage presence, effort and appearance. Therefore clothing, grooming and confidence all matter. Only 50 competitors can make it through to Sunday!

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n a giant step towards raising the profile of bodybuilding within the UK, BodyPower has also linked up with well established sports nutrition company USN, to take competitive amateur bodybuilding to the next level. The USN BodyPower Classic will take its position as both a prestigious and unrivalled amateur bodybuilding competition, established to cater for the growing popularity of the sport, as it becomes more widely accepted within the fitness industry. The regular Physique of the Week Live competition, Beach Body Area and Parkour/Gymnastics/Free Running areas will all return to the expo having been hugely popular with visitors in previous years. With all these new feature areas plus the familiar ones of the last few years BodyPower 201 has certainly upped its game.It is easy to see why this year’s show is billed as the biggest show to date!

he Academy’ is also a new addition to the expo this year. Here fitness industry experts such as Jim Stoppani, Phil Learney and Kris Gethin will deliver a series of educational seminars. Making his premier BodyPower appearance, Stoppani will be presenting topics around nutrition strategies & training principles within a feature consisting of a 500 seat arena and a detailed programme of educational seminars, surrounding all aspects of sports performance. With a doctorate in exercise physiology and a minor in biochemistry, extensive international speaking experience and currently serving as Senior Science Editor for Muscle & Fitness, Muscle & Fitness Hers and Flex magazines, Stoppani will be a fantastic asset to BodyPower, significantly enhancing the educational value it can offer its visitors. Other experience includes being the host of the popular online training and nutrition video series Muscle & Fitness Raw and running his own fitness website www.jimstoppani.com. Stoppani has also written thousands of articles on exercise, nutrition and health and is the author of Encyclopaedia of Muscle & Strength, co-author of the book Stronger Arms & Upper Body and is also co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle (Rodale, 2010). Dr Jim Stoppani has also been the personal nutrition and health consultant for numerous celebrity clients, such as LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Mario Lopez.

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NUMBER

SHAUN STAFFORD

THE BIG INTERVIEW

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

WITHWBFFPRO SHAUNSTAFFORD

ONE

International Cover Model, Sponsored Athlete and World Fitness Model Champion Shaun Stafford tells StudyFit about how it all started and his route to taking the WBFF crown.

here is one man who has taken the fitness industry by storm over the last 18 months. Step forward Shaun Stafford. In July 2012 his rise through the fitness industry reached another level. Taking number one spot in the World Fitness Model competition by the World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (WBFF) was however just a drop in the ocean for a man who succeeds at nearly every challenge that he takes on in life. It was a just reward for an incredible physique, but even better man. Shaun played rugby whilst attending Oxford University but a shoulder injury called time on this and instead he shifted his focus towards developing his physique having initially aimed to bulk up for rugby. That was at age 19. He went on to graduate from Oxford University with an Honours Degree and has been working as a full time Strength and Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer for over 10 years now. He recently opened his own gym, a first class training facility by the name of CityAtheltioc in the heart of London. His journey from a novice competitor to one of the most well recognised physiques in the fitness world has been a rapid one. Shaun tells SF about how it all came about. From his motivation for starting to train, his plans for the future and his inspirations within the fitness industry.

studyfit

SF: How and when did you get into training?

There are a few things in the pipeline, so watch this space.

I got into training whilst trying to bulk up for rugby. That was when I was 19 so just over 10 years ago!

SF: Did u always know you wanted to compete or was it just a natural progression after getting into training seriously?

SF: You were crowned WBFF champion, how proud a moment was that for you? It was a great moment, as I had worked very hard for it. To go from a novice competitor to World Champion in little over eighteen months was a good effort, and I’m pretty proud of it. It just goes to show what wanting something badly, and working your socks off to get it, can do!

I have always been a competitive person, and this translates into everything I do. I guess when I stopped playing Rugby, and started hitting the gym a little more seriously, it was a natural progression. I actually got into the competing side of things as a bet with a friend of mine... she won the bet, but it all has worked out pretty well for me too!

SF: How has life changed for you since then?

SF: What is it you enjoy and love most about competing?

I would say not a great deal if I am honest: life changed pretty drastically after my first competition win back in June 2011, and then again after I won The WBFF Europeans, later that year. That kind of got my name and face out there, and a lot of good opportunities came my way in terms of sponsorship and magazine work. Winning the Worlds in 2012 just took my reach a little further afield, and I now have more followers from The States and other far flung places. It is also a nice title to have and hopefully it will open me up to a few more opportunities in the future.

It gives a nice focus to your diet and training, it provides a platform to inspire your clients and followers, and most importantly you get to meet a hell of a lot of like-minded and really cool people from all over the world. Plus you get to travel and have fun whilst doing it. SF: Do you have plans to compete again... Do you hope to retain your title? No one has ever retained their title, and at the moment I am undefeated, so

there is a bit of me that thinks I should quit while I am ahead. However, that mindset is not really part of my make-up. If I think I can improve on my overall performance and package from last year, then after consultation with my wife, I’ll definitely think about giving it one last go... it is also in Las Vegas, and I have always wanted to go there, so there are a few big draw cards for me doing it again. SF: You’ve recently opened your own gym, was that always a dream of yours? I have been a trainer for nearly a decade, and in every gym that you work in, you always would change things and run it a slightly different way: that inevitably leads to wanting to own your own gym! On the surface, that sounds like quite an easy proposal, but something I have learnt over the past 5 years is that it is a hell of a lot harder than I could ever have imagined. I am very lucky to have a great team around me, and am working with my best friend Ben, and would I change it? Absolutely not! SF: You provide a massive amount of inspiration to us and others, but who inspired you when you first started out or still inspires you now? There are a lot of great people out there in the fitness industry at the moment, and for me, it is about the guys who have more than just a great set of abs. It is all about back-story, or a struggle, or even just putting out good quality information and going out of there way to help and inspire others. If I was to name a few, I would have to say my WBFF brothers Perry Merlotti, Ryan Jean-Baptiste, and Jaco De Bruin. I am following these guys a lot at the moment, and they keep me working hard in and out of the gym. SF: And finally if you had to give one tip of advice to anybody on training or nutrition what would it be? Go hard, be consistent and graft. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going, so put in the effort and make everyday count towards that something you want to get out of life!

shaunstaffordfitness

@shaunstafford Photo by Toby Harrison Photography studyfit

THE BIG INTERVIEW

SHAUN STAFFORD

AWARDS

FAME UK Fitness Model Champion 2011. WBFF European Fitness Model Champion 2011. WBFF Pro Card Winner. WBFF World Fitness Model Champion 2012.

“Go hard, be consistent and graft. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going, so put in the effort and make everyday count towards that something you want to get out of life!“

Photo by Jason Ellis

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SHAUN STAFFORD WBFF PRO studyfit

IN FOCUS

MASS

the muscle & athletic sports society

THE changing your university society

experience ONE repitition atatime 26

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drastically to the highest membership club at the University of Leicester. As well as expanding the society at Leicester, MASS has been founded at DeMontfort University and Lancaster University, by equally enthusiastic individuals. “Being the founder of MASS is great. Running it is like my addiction, I love making all these different events, Strongman competitions, organising seminars, all the different training sessions too. The best feeling is when you see someone has come down and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and even improved their physique by being a member of MASS. Bodybuilding and fitness is my joy and having an outlet to express myself and influence others is invaluable. It’s given me lots of drive to continue perusing the fitness lifestyle,” David said. Societies at Universities are registered official charities, they unite students that share similar interests, give power to the students to organise and facilitate events to cater for those interests and some societies even receive funding from their Students Union to do the things they love! David has taken up a hand’s on role in the development of MASS, ensuring everything is done the best possible way. “I’m quite the perfectionist and even though it’s a Uni society, I’ve tried to make it as professional as possible. Sometimes all the responsibilities did get the better of me and I’d stress quite a lot about things not getting done exactly to the book. That has been a learning experience! I think I can say I handle this aspect a lot better now and my time with MASS is even more awesome because of it. I hope to pass on this personal advice to anyone who might be interested in starting the club at their University.” MASS’ range of sports is a harmonic blend of unrepresented interlinking niche sports that have been long awaiting representation. Through their sporting opportunities and advisory services they involve members in activities revolving around weightlifting, martial arts or general health and fitness and equip them with the motivation and know how to do it on their own outside of the organised MASS events. It aims to motivate, inspire and encourage students to look after and improve their body whilst enjoying their University experience. As a society MASS has been set up in such a way that it can appeal to as

“

many students as possible and offer a broad range of benefits to its members. When joining the society there are immediate benefits. Members are able to obtain discounts on membership and entry at specific gyms and receive access to exclusive taster classes to kick-start the yea. The Society also offers a beginners pack as well as many other guidance documents for those members who may be new to training and looking for advice. Supplement company NRG Fuel also sponsors the society and offers a 10% discount to all MASS members with every order they make. With a large array of links to organisations in the fitness industry many other great benefits and discounts are also available to members throughout the year. Additionally, there are many events held for members over the course of the University year. They hold weekly classes for Martial Arts, termly physique consultations, group training events, one-

Bodybuilding and fitness is my joy and having an outlet to express myself and influence others is invaluable.

“

his is the University society like no other. When Fresher’s rolls around each year at Universities across the country, lads and girls flock to sign up for the traditionally popular Football and Rugby teams. So what about those students interested in other sports, who may not want to sign up for such teams? Why should these students miss out on the benefits of joining a society? Well at the University of Leicester they no longer have to. The Muscle and Athletic Sports Society (MASS) has changed all of that. MASS is a society for Weightlifting, fitness and physical appearance sports, Martial Arts and general muscle building, fitness and health. Some sports it includes are Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Krav Maga and Cross-fit. It aims to give students the chance to try out all of the above sports regardless of their goals or previous experience. Taster sessions in the sports are offered at the beginning of each academic year then throughout the year most events are focused on training and improvement. MASS also offers competitive opportunities to those looking to fully pursue their sport, general health, fitness and muscle building advice to any members looking for tips and extra services for athletes wishing to increase their sports performance. But how did MASS get started? And build up to what it is today? MASS was set up by David Bissell at the University of Leicester in September 2011, ready for the start of the 2011/12 academic year. The idea started as just a bit of fun. When the Australian bodybuilder and internet celebrity Aziz Shaversian - better known as Zyzz - passed away it was said by David that a society should be made in his memory, called The Muscle Aesthetics Society. He proposed that activities should include weightlifting, posing and wearing short shorts with stringer vests to the student nights. When gaging interest for the ‘Muscle Aesthetics Society’ the team soon realised that there was in fact lots of potential for a society that specialised in Weightlifting, Martial Arts and fitness based sports. Upon realisation that the idea could be a success, the name was changed to The Muscle & Athletic Sports Society, which was seen to be a little more suitable, and David pulled a team together consisting of Bodybuilders, Olympic Weightlifters, Powerlifters, a boxer and other male and female fitness enthusiasts. From there MASS has engaged hundreds of students and through the ever increasing opportunities that it offers, grown

off fitness classes, lectures, and seminars. Renowned Fitness Model Ryan Terry recently held a seminar with MASS in March. MASS also continually holds competitions for members of all levels of experience, with prizes for the winners. Examples of competitions include; MASS’ Strongest Man, Most Improved Physique over each term and over the whole year, Powerlifting competitions, Pound for Pound Strongest Man and in the making is the first ever university bodybuilding and fitness show – ‘Mr University’. MASS also holds group trips to exhibitions throughout the year. Previous trips have seen members attend the 2012 National Fitness Awards, The UK Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Championships, and the 2012 Sportex Festival held in Manchester. The MASS team also have plans to attend this year’s BodyPower Expo in Birmingham. The society offers additional support to members that want to take it to the next studyfit

IN FOCUS TRAINING level. Their experienced bodybuilding competitors are guiding beginners to taking part in their first shows. Boxers and Muay Thai fighters have inspired members to take the sport further and work towards a competitive bout. And the societies fitness fanatics have formed a team to take part in the gruelling Tough Mudder events. “Creating a friendship group with similar interests is awesome! We can all meet up to pose together. It’s rare to have that in the bodybuilding world, as well as in general health and fitness and keeping true to your goals can often be a lonely experience. MASS is part way to fixing that and I’m very glad to be a part of it,” added David. The Muscle & Athletic Sports Society promotes fitness and a healthy life-style. Therefore does not strongly encourage

MASS drinking alcohol. However everyone needs to unwind once in a while so when the time comes MASS occasionally holds social nights for its members. These include group trips, supporting members competing in shows and competitions as well as nights out. Whilst nobody at MASS claims to be a Personal Trainer, MASS offers the chance to talk, train and become friends with people who have lots of knowledge and years of experience in these topics, as well as opportunity to observe their training or nutrition. Anyone can join MASS. Whether you have a physique that rivals Arnold Schwarzenegger or have never set foot in a gym, if you want to transform your body and are motivated to achieve goals in their areas of sports then MASS can help you make it happen! And give you the

opportunity to make some great friends along the way! So What’s next for MASS? They are only just getting started! Within five years they aim to be at 20 Universities in the UK and to have expanded to the United States. They aim to be the recognized University association for their sports, facilitating national University competitions and events. Outside of Universities they are establishing a not-for-profit organization to help better support their University societies and to open up all that they do to the general public. So watch out for The Muscle & Athletic Sports Society at your University! And if you’d like to be the one to make it happen, get in touch with them now! Contact them via Facebook or Twitter and spread the MASS!

www.uscformby.com

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TRAINING IN FOCUS

IN THE NEWS

Anytime. Anywhere. The new fitness website bringing workouts to you by qualified personal trainers wherever and whenever.

hen it’s pouring down with rain, gale force winds are rattling against your window or a dusting of snow has turned the scene outside into a picturesque Siberian village, it can be hard to motivate yourself and begin your journey to the gym. So what if you could squeeze in a workout between stints of lounging on the couch with your duvet watching DVD box sets or competing against your flatmates while watching Countdown. Well now that could easily be possible with the launch of a new revolutionary website. Digital service agency Rippleeffect has unveiled an innovative new fitness brand, GymCube.com. The site which launched in January essentially allows you to stream live gym classes led by fitness instructors to your internet enabled device anytime, anywhere. It is a new concept, bringing convenience to keeping fit. If you don’t enjoy working out in front of others or your ‘local’ gym isn’t so local then this could just be for you. The site offers a wide range of classes, amongst them; circuit training, tabata protocol workouts and bootcamp sessions

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plus a whole host of others. Every single one of the live classes is stored in a video archive, so you can go back and watch any of the classes you might have missed, whenever you want. You don’t need to worry about rushing back from lecture or your friends house because the class will be waiting for you at any time you want it.

“This is an exciting new concept for the fitness world,” commented Kirstie Buchanan, sales and marketing director of Rippleffect. “Watching a fitness DVD on repeat can grow old quickly, so what

could be better or more convenient than the chance to stream live content as often as you want? Commenting on the launch and his ambitions for the brand, founder Kevin Wiltshire said: “It’s been a hectic three months, but the hard work and enthusiasm of our own staff and the Rippleffect team has finally paid off with the launch of a fantastic website. We’ll now be looking to expand into dual studios and, before long, more studios in London. This will give us the chance to create multiple channels of live streams and offer the largest range of live exercise classes available in one place, 24 hours a day.” As well as unrestricted access to all classes, which are being streamed 24-hours-a-day from a custom-built studio, members will have access to a wealth of additional content and features, including free nutritional advice, the chance to share experiences with others and a tool for monitoring their own progress. You can begin a 30 day free trial at anytime, and membership is available from a mere £5.95 per month. Sign up at www.gymcube.com.

ON THE HUNT FOR OLYMPIC TALENT

ritish Weight Lifting are hoping to unearth the next generation of Olympic weightlifting talent at a new series of talent assessment days. Young people aged from 13-23-yearsold are invited to take part in one of a series of events being staged during May and June, which could be the first step on the road to competing in major championships such as the Commonwealth Games or Olympics. BWL teamed up with UK Sport to run a similar scheme last year (UK Sport Power2Podium), and that led to six athletes being selected as part of the BWL Talent Programme which gives them elite coaching and support at regular training camps alongside the GB squad. UK Sport and Sport England have given BWL more money for talent development, paving the way for BWL to establish a clear talent pathway from grassroots through to the Great Britain performance level. BWL Performance Officer Dan Wagner said: “Having seen the fantastic results of the last talent scheme, I’m really excited to see what results we can get from this latest initiative.” You can register for a BWL talent

assessment day online at, www. britishweightlifting.org. Assessment days will be held at:

will then be invited to a Phase Two Assessment Day where they will be tested on their physical, technical and

Leeds Met University – (Northern) 18th May Oldbury Academy- (Central/South West/Wales) – 19th May Edinburgh University- (Scotland) – 1st June Crystal Palace NSC – (London & SE) – 8th June Oaklands College, St Albans - (London & SE) – 9th June Applicants attending the Phase One Talent Assessment Day will be tested on their physical abilities and will be presented with the programme going forward. Those who show good potential

psychological attributes and be tested more specifically on their ability and skill acquisition in Olympic weightlifting. If you are selected onto the BWL talent confirmation or England talent pathway, you will receive talent development support which incorporates training camps at the BWL High Performance Centre in Leeds, an elite athlete education programme, strength and conditioning training, expert technical coaching and the opportunity to train with the BWL performance programme athletes. Applications will open on the 2nd April on the British Weight Lifting website and close on May 2nd. studyfit

KIERAN CONGDON

IN FOCUS

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t the age of 21, student Kieran Congdon is already well recognised for his top physique. In 2012 he was crowned Mister International Liverpool in the Mister International Great Britain competition. However bad luck struck and his car broke down on the day of the final meaning he missed out on the chance to win the overall title. He was also runner up in the now well established ‘Physique of the Week’ competition on Facebook, having received 250 votes from other users. He has been involved with fitness modelling for around two years now and is part of Fit Body Promotions; one of the UK’s biggest fitness modelling agencies. Two years may be a relatively short amount of time but he has already shot with a number of the industries well recognised photographers and will be working with gywmwear brand GymBeing at this years BodyPower Expo. Kieran, originally from Workington in Cumbria is in his final year of studying a Sport and Exercise Science degree at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk. He has had to juggle working hard towards his degree and maintaining a strict nutrition and training regiment throughout his time at Uni. “It’s really hard and you have to be very

disciplined and very good at time management, which I’ve never been good at! To improve in training you have to sacrifice the parties and temptations of the student lifestyle. “To be able to have a good diet or nutrition as I prefer to call it (I don’t see it as a ‘diet’ if it’s what you eat six or seven days a week, every week) you have to budget your money and make sure your spending the right amount on food and supplements and not spending your money on going out on the town or to the pictures with mates or eating out every three days with the girlfriend. So you have to sacrifice those too, which can be hard also. “This year is hasn’t really been too hard for me to resist the temptations of going out on the town as I’m taking training ten times more serious than I was last year, not to mention the work load. But the nutrition side of things can get pretty tempting at times, sitting there eating brown rice, chicken and green beans while your house mates are ordering a dominoes and supping a Kopperberg! “As long as you prepare your meals the day before and don’t lay in bed until dinner time, the gym, uni work, preparing for the next day and a bit of social time can all be done in one day, if you’re lucky!”

Photo by HotSnapZ Photography

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KIERAN CONGDON

TRAINING IN FOCUS

ieran’s interest in fitness and training stems back to his athletics background when he was a teenager, and it was from there that he caught the gym bug. “During secondary school I realised I was pretty good at sprinting beating all the other kids in sportsday, so I took up athletics and month by month it became more and more serious. I was training three times a week and competing on weekends.” He said. “Living in Cumbria at the time and being ‘out in the sticks’ there was a limit to how much quality competition I could get. So I had to start travelling further afield running at bigger events against bigger/older guys. Especially in sprinting, it’s the start where races are won and lost, and for me running against older, bigger, stronger guys, I lost a lot of races before I’d even started. This wasn’t because I had slower leg speed than them, but because I didn’t have the power to back it up with. “That’s when I started going to the gym. After a year or two of lifting and a huge improvement in my performance and physique, athletics had to take a back seat so I could concentrate on my A levels. However I still had time to workout, that’s when I got the gym bug.” Kieran certainly didn’t dwell on having to give up athletics. Continuing to train he has developed his knowledge of the science involved and incorporated this when developing his physique. Despite having trained for a few years now and studying a Sports Science degree, Kieran insists he is still learning. “I have learnt so much since I first started training as a youngster, but I’ve also got so much more to learn. I don’t think you’ll ever stop learning in this sport. When I first started ‘training’ at 16 I was like any other 16-year-old old thinking that if you do a few curls and drink a few protein shakes and you’ll wake up with bulging biceps. “But over the years I’ve learned that training is a combination of working out, nutrition, supplementation and rest. Nutrition seems to be the biggest part of training for me as I believe that’s the most important part.” At the moment Kieran is preparing to compete for the BodyPower Expo in May. He is aiming to make the most of being in top condition and plans to compete in the FitFactor fitness modelling competition held there, as well as the Physique of the Week Live competition too. “It’ll be the first ever time I step on stage, in front of hundreds, maybe thousands of people. I’m really going to have to knuckle down so I’m just concentrating on training at the moment, along side my dissertation.” He also plans to enter the 2013 Men’s Health cover

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LJM20 “I have learnt so much since I first started training as a youngster, but I’ve also got so much more to learn. I don’t think you’ll ever stop learning in this sport.” model competition when the date for that is released. Kieran has a clear idea of where he wants the combination of his commitment to training, good nutrition and his advanced knowledge to take him. “Long term, I want to become a sponsored athlete and join a supplement company. Companies like PHD, Optimum Nutrition and Reflex are some of the companies I would love to work for and represent. I’ve just completed my level two gym instruction course and I’m hoping to complete my level three personal trainer course eventually, Once

those goals are complete, my biggest goal/dream in life is to live abroad in somewhere like America or Australia working as a personal trainer or sport scientist.” He added.

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@KieranCongdon

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JAMES ZAREMBA

IN FOCUS

“The worst thing I could ever be, is the same as everybody else.

JAMES ZAREMBA

he 21-year-old Bodybuilder on a mission to stand out from the crowd. James Zaremba tells SF about his motivation, where his inspiration comes from and the discipline required to compete.

Original photo by Justin Taylor

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I’d hate that.” Arnold Shwarzenegger

‘D

are to dream’ and ‘dreaming is believing’ as the sayings go. One man is doing just that. James Zaremba has a dream to be the best and he is on a one way mission to achieve it. At 21-years-old, James has already achieved a great deal in the Bodybuilding World. He placed second at the NABBA Novice Britain Finals after 12 gruelling weeks of dieting and insane life dedication, all coming down to that one day and that precious few minutes on stage. But what is that made him want to embark on such a journey? “It all came from within, I watched a bodybuilding show around age 19 and that was it I had to get on stage. The amount of torture you put your body through to get that artistry look is second to nothing in the world. “If you can imagine all the nutritional knowledge you have to obtain, all the science to get your body to react to each macronutrient, all the hard-core intense weight sessions, getting up every single morning at 5am to do your cardio monitoring your heart rate so you’re in the perfect heart rate zone. “Preparing eight meals a day dividing every protein, carbohydrate and fat that will enter your body, eating every two hours, working out which supplements will boost your preparation, the carb loading timing, the zero carbohydrates, the water loading, the sodium depleting. “Working out what music compliments your physique on stage to pose to, the endless hours posing to have a pin point perfect artistic routine, the nerves of getting on stage dehydrated and squeezing every single muscle you have worked so hard to create and pop in one breath...being at an extremely low body fat percentage, oh and running a full time 40 hours a week job. “When you can do all that and come out on top then it sort of changes the way you approach the world, I guess you feel superhuman.” James’ determination is undeniable: “I have big dreams within the industry some may say unrealistic but you can’t knock someone for trying there damned hardest! This is my life.” It is his desire to be different that drives him, sighting a quote from the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger as his inspiration. “The worst thing I could ever be is the same as everybody else.

I’d hate that - Arnold said. It speaks volumes. I don’t wish to be the same as 100% of the public. The UK is the fattest un-active country in Europe and one of the biggest in the world, we’re a puny country?! I can only hope to inspire others into a healthy life and to pursue dreams however big or small. I have an extreme passion for greatness within the sport. James’ journey bodybuilding journey began as a youngster. Being a skinny kid boxer he saw muscles coming through everywhere due to low body fat which fascinated him want to improve his appearance even more. At age 16, he was approached by a top London fitness photographer for a shoot. Following great feedback and masses of comments once the photos went up online, he was booked into another four photo shoots across the country. Then at 19-years-old he secured a sponsorship with top supplement company Optimum Nutrition who became aware of all the fitness modelling he had been doing across the United Kingdom and Europe. So whilst James’ journey has only just begun, he certainly knows where he wants to go. His life is dedicated to achieving goals and achieveing what he wants to out of life. Mix that with his obvious dedication and discipline and this is a man with a big future! However there is one person who gives him some great inspiration: “My fiancé inspires me the most being a world champion dancer she has a whole room full of trophies floor to ceiling, she picks me up when I am down and struggling on my diet, pushes and drives me through each of my workouts, makes sure I’m out at 5am every morning grinding out my cardio, keeps my macros on point, she’s my rock.”

James36Zaremba

@JamesZaremba36

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NUTRITION GUIDE

NUTRITION

THE ESSENTIAL STUDENT

NUTRITION

GUIDE

FOR A HEALTHY

DIET

with the UNIVERSITY NUTRITION TEAM SAM MORRISON SEAN CARMODY BEN STRUTT

universitynutritionuk @UniNutritionUK

t University Nutrition we understand completely how challenging it is to maintain a healthy diet whilst at University. A hectic social life, lack of money and having to prepare all your own meals (possibly for the first time) can make it difficult to sustain good nutrition. Consequently, our health and physiques suffer. The team at University Nutrition are confident that a very high level of nutrition can be attainable for all students, regardless of budget. The common misconception among students (and the general public for that matter) is that for food to be healthy, it must be expensive. Our whole University Nutrition movement is dedicated to destroying this myth by finding students the most nutritious ingredients for the most reasonable prices. With this in mind, here are some cheap, effective and nutritious solutions for students. We hope this goes some way to addressing this particular issue.

tips Be Flexible - Don’t rigidly follow a nutrition programme, be adaptable and buy foods on offer. Fill Out Meals - Vegetables, lentils and beans can be bought for next to nothing; they will leave you full without hurting your wallet. Bulk buy and Bulk cook - Cook and buy as a house, a big batch of casserole or bolognaise can be eaten for days. Supermarket Choice - If you’re shopping at Waitrose or Marks & Spencer and wondering why you’re spending so much, think again. Asda and Tesco are far better alternatives. Make the most of own brand; marketing often means products are more expensive without being of any higher quality.

universitynutrition.co.uk © Henrischmit | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

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NUTRITION GUIDE

TRAINING NUTRITION

PROTEIN

FATS

Milk A great source of protein (4-5g/100ml), vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. (About £1.50 for 6 pints) Basic Frozen White Fish Fillets ‘Basic/economy’ frozen varieties are perfectly acceptable to the student on a budget. Each fillet contains approximately 20g of complete, AA rich protein. (Around £4 for a kilo) 0% Fat Natural Greek Yoghurt It is worth switching from regular yoghurt to Greek varieties. 100g of 0% fat Greek Yoghurt contains 10g protein; approximately twice that of regular yoghurt. (About £1 per pot). ‘Beans on Toast’ Half a tin of baked beans provides approximately 10g protein - a decent amount for a plant-based food. (Around 70p per serving). Tinned Tuna An excellent cheap source of quality protein. One tin, when drained, provides roughly 90g of tuna, equating to 25-35g protein. (50-70p per can). Chicken, beef etc. Cheaper cuts include those from the thighs and legs, as well as those intended for stewing. Whey/Casein Protein Powders Portable and can be taken to lectures, when on the move or used as pre or post workout facilitators. (MyProteinImpact whey for £16/kg) Cottage Cheese As well as providing ample protein (approximately 10-15g protein/200g product), low-fat versions provide less calories than regular cheeses. (Around 60p for 300g).

Tinned Sardines/Mackerel Rich in omega 3 fatty acids and also a complete protein source providing 15-20g protein per tin. (Around 50p/can) Peanut Butter A great source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and a decent amount of fibre. Most supermarkets sell ‘own brand’ varieties, which are invariably cheaper than some other brands. (Around 70p/pot)

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healthy food is not expensive studyfit

TRAINING NUTRITION

Carbohydrates Porridge Oats A staple of any serious trainer’s diet. A great slow release carbohydrate which contains plenty of fibre and energy. (Around £1/kg) Wholegrain Rice/Pasta Low glycemic nature means it digests slowly, preventing sharp rises and drops in blood glucose levels. (Pasta 50p/1kg. Rice £1.70/kg) Fruits and Vegetables Important for providing antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Here are some tips: When fruits or vegetables are near their use-by dates, do not throw away but use in stews, casseroles or soups. Canned fruits/vegetables are not all bad - Ensure they are not canned with added sugar, syrup or salt. Frozen vegetables are generally much cheaper than buying fresh and much of the nutritional content is maintained.

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BUDGET EATING

TRAINING NUTRITION

Good

nutrition N

ow we all know students aren’t the wealthiest people. With tuition fees and accommodation rent to pay you can often find yourself with very little of your student loan left. Add to that rising food prices and it can be difficult to eat healthily on a small budget. High protein foods – the essential for all gym rats are especially expensive. So here are a few tips that to help you maintain a good healthy diet on a limited budget and still achieve your fitness or physique goals. Common sense mixed with a pinch of being wise when it comes to where you shop, can save you a substantial amount. By taking note of some of the following tips you could cut your food bill right down. You may even have enough spare change left over to splash out on a few books to help with your studies. Ye right?! Ok maybe enough change for some new trainers.

on A Budget Tips to maintaining a good diet on limited funds.

Use Protein Shakes Eating whole foods is generally considered to be superiors to protein powders but in reality the differences, as long as you don’t have a big deficiency in something, will be marginal and you’ll be able to progress either way, even with basic whey concentrate as long as it’s consumed regularly. 5kg of whey could set you back £40 but will give you 80 servings containing 50g protein. If you wanted the same protein content from fresh chicken you’d be looking at least 50% extra, and that’s without adding any flavourings to the chicken.

Shop around Don’t be afraid to stray from the usual big chain supermarkets when you are shopping for food. Often local butchers and markets have a number of great deals on meat and veg. The other bonus is you can always be a little cheeky and haggle your butcher to give you a better deal on meat if you buy in bulk or promise to keep purchasing from them. Places like Aldi and Lidl are sometimes frowned upon, and products are deemed not to be as good in quality. However do not let this myth affect you. You can get just as good a quality meat and veg from the lesser supermarkets at cheaper prices.

be prepared Preparing your meals in advance is also another way to save money on nutrition and ensure you’re on the right track to achieving your goals. As the saying goes; failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Having meals cooked in advance for when your going to be in university all day or holed up in the library on that essay deadline day will stop you from snacking on junk food that is not only likely to be costly but detrimental to your health and physique. So dig out the Tupperware and store your meals ready for the days ahead if you want to stay on track with your nutrition.

Buy in Bulk Obviously you can’t, or at least probably wouldn’t want to live off shakes the whole time. As said, eating whole foods is preferable. So try to buy food in bulk as this is when you can save the most. You can pick up a large box of eggs for a relatively cheap price, providing you with a lot of protein for a small amount. Take advantage of bulk buy offers. If there is an option to buy three packs of chicken breasts for £10 then do so. Even if you won’t use all of this before it reaches its sell by date, you can freeze whatever you don’t plan on using and use at another time. When it comes to Carb sources, these are much cheaper than protein but you can still save by buying in bulk. Big bags of rice and oats can be purchased for cheaper prices than buying a number of smaller bags over a period of time. Oats and rice also have longer use by dates so you don’t have to worry about not using all of it before it goes off. Buying in bulk is likely to cost you a fair bit initially but over the following weeks your likely to save much more than you would buy making a weekly shopping trip.

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scour the reduced sections All of the big name supermarkets will have a reduce section were products coming close to or on their sell by date will be stored at a mark down price. These can be places to pick up things such as meat, rice and potatoes at lower than usual prices. Just because it is close to or on its sell by date doesn’t mean the quality of the food is any less. Quite often products will store for a couple of days longer than the sell by date on the packaging. Even if you aren’t too keen on extending past the sell by date you can still pick things up and freeze them then just defrost it when you wish to cook it.

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TRAINING NUTRITION

had a big session have you?

ALCOHOL

ALCOHOL AND ITS EFFECT ON YOUR PHYSIQUE

was it in the gym or boozing though ?

f you are serious about your physique and developing those comes to an end. You wouldn’t eat that greasy cheeseburger washboard abs then its best advised to stay away from or cheese laden pizza you when you were sober would you? alcohol. Alcohol is the enemy when it comes to developing a The standard day after hangover is certainly not going to help good physique, so it’s not strange to find that many top fitness when it comes to debating whether to pay a visit to the gym or professionals and bodybuilders are completely t-total. not either. The self induced dehydration and disrupted sleeping Calories from alcohol are ‘empty calories’, they have no pattern will do nothing to help your workout should you manage nutritional value. Most alcoholic drinks contain traces of vitamins to drag yourself off the couch and to the gym. and minerals, but not Now we’re usually in amounts that not saying make any significant everyone should 153 Calories. Can of lager (4-5%) contribution to our diet. resort to living a 244 Calories. Pint of Lager Being high in sugar Buddhist Monk means alcohol contains like lifestyle, it’s 182 Calories Pint of Bitter lots of calories – seven good to unwind 233 Calories Pint of Cider calories a gram in fact. every now and 171 calories Alcopop When you think one then, especially gram of Fat contains nine after tough 52 Calories A 25ml Shot (37.5%) calories, you can see why exam periods 85 calories A small glass of Red Wine (125ml) alcohol is so bad. or celebrating A small glass of White Wine (125ml) 88 Calories It can also inhibit a birthday. Just your ability to gain muscle enjoy alcohol in 555 Calories Bottle of White wine (13.5%) mass and excessive moderation and 510 Calories Bottle of Red wine (11%) drinking can lead to fat try to stay away 1650 Calories Bottle of Spirits 40% (750ml) gain. Whilst one or two from food when casual beers could easily doing so. As be worked off with an appealing as those intense workout, a big Saturday night out is likely to have a takeaways may seem they will only hinder any fat loss efforts. much more detrimental effect to your fitness goals. Opt for straight spirits such as scotch and vodka with Add to that the increased hunger which alcohol causes a sugarless mixer such as tonic water as these will be less and you’ll be craving some take-away grub when the partying damaging to your physique ambitions.

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1600 The average student consumes this number of calories on a night out just from alcoholic drinks alone.

Those cheap drinks may seem a good idea at the time but your abs won’t thank you for it.

21%

of young adults believe pressure from their peers influences them to drink more

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NUTRITION

E P I C E R

e n ar

chilli

c n co

a simple and healthy twist on an old favourite

Ingredients

250g Extra Lean Steak Mince Half a Red Onion, chopped 100g Passatta or Chopped Tomatoes (Tinned) 100g Kidney Beans Two Tablespoons of Hot Chilli Powder One Tablespoon of Paprika Dash of Coriander Leaf Dash of Salt Dash of Ground Black Pepper 1. Cook the Steak Mince and Onion over a medium-high heat until mince has browned and the onion has softened up. 2. Add in the Passatta or Tomatoes with the Kidney Beans. 3. Mix together the herbs and spices ingredients in a bowl. 4. Add this mixture into the pan and ensure it is stirred in well. 5. Reduce the heat on the pan and allow to simmer for 30 mins.

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Ingredients

350g Sweet Potatoes Two Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil Three Tablespoons of Paprika 1. Pre-heat an oven to 200oC. 2. Slice the Sweet Potatoes up into wedge like shapes 3. In a bowl mix together the Olive Oil and Paprika. 4. Take each Potato Wedge and dip into the Olive Oil and Paprika mixture and place onto a baking tray 5. Place the tray into the oven and cook the wedges for 30 mins.

52g

protein

serves

40min

cooking studyfit

WHEY PROTEIN RECIPES

NUTRITION

another whey

PROTEIN FLAPJACK

Whey protein powder is a staple part of most gym-goers diets. The assumption is however that its only use is thrown in a shaker, mixed with water and gulped down quickly. It is actually however a very versatile ingredient and can be added to many a recipe. Breathe new life into the old muscle dust with these three recipes.

METHOD 1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 2. Place onto try and pat down till an inch in thickness. 3. Chill in fridge for 30 mins. 4. Bake pre heated 180oC oven for 6 mins. 5. Leave to cool then slice into bitesize chunks, leave in fridge overnight to settle. INGREDIENTS (to make 2 large pancakes) 1scoop of whey 1 whole egg 3 egg whites 50g porridge oats

It may not seem so, but you can consume your whey protein in other forms rather than just a shake. Here are three great simple recipes.

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INGREDIENTS (to make approx16 bitesize chunks) 1 scoop of whey 140g porridge oats 150g crunchy peanut butter 125ml skimmed milk

PROTEIN PANCAKES

METHOD 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker or blender and mix well. 2. Place the mixture into a pre heated frying pan. 3. Cook on one side until firm thn flip and cook on the other side.

PROTEIN DELIGHT

INGREDIENTS 1 scoop of whey 250g natural yoghurt METHOD 1. Pour 250g of natural yoghurt into a bowl 2. Add a scoop of whey to the yoghurt. 3. With a spoon or electric whisk, stir well ensuring no lumps are left in the mixture. 4. Place the bowl in a fridge for 1-2 hours. 5. The mixture should firm up a little like angel delight.

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ASK THE EXPERT

MONTHLY

ask the expert Ben Coomber is a performance nutritionist, coach, writer and presenter. Ben has trained through the CHEK system, metabolic typing system, sports nutrition system, has a degree in sports performance, and is certified through the International Society of Sports Nutrition. He works online and in person with his clients, always fine tuning techniques and protocols to match a person, their body type, and their demands and goals.

@bencoomber1

facebook.com/bencoomber1

www.bencoomber.com www.bodytypenutrition.co.uk

Q How important is it to acknowledge the hormonal response of food and meal timing?

ugely, hormones control most major actions in the body. That’s why people take steroids, just a tiny does of a synthetic human hormone can have a profound response on someone’s physiology and thus their body composition. That just shows us how powerful hormones can be. Certain nutrients will stimulate more fat loss, and no that’s not lots of small meals and often, that has no beneficial effect on your metabolism, that’s just a myth that won’t die. For example fasting can increase growth hormone and insulin sensitivity, zero carbs will up regulate fat burning more so than normal, carbohydrate post workout will increase the utilisation of GLUT-4. I’m not saying all these should be used by everyone or anyone, I’m just showing you what can be done when you manipulate the variables.

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He writes for many mainstream magazines and publications, is the performance nutritionist to Genetic Supplements, and lectures all around the UK on his own seminar series and teaches an online academy for personal trainers. Having been an obese teenager and a skinny framed rugby player, Ben has been through his own journey of fat to thin, thin to muscular, and can related to those problems in his clients on their journey.

Q Why is Wheat so bad for you and how can you tell if your body has issues with gluten or not?

H How can I get more from calisthenics training?

ow can you tell? Pretty simple, if you eat wheat, so a sandwich or some toast for example, and then you feel symptomatic in some way, so maybe lethargic, bloated, headache, confused, poor concentration, then it’s likely you are intolerant to it and thus should avoid it all together or avoid it for a period of time, usually 6-18 months (person dependant), and fix the gut lining that is causing the reactions. Wheat is often the key culprit as it is over consumed in our modern diet (for many it’s at every single meal) which by itself can lead you to develop an intolerance, has been altered from the wheat we used to eat over 50 years ago, is high in omega 6 fats, and alters the way the immune system and gut work. Which for most, when talking about optimal performance, are key things to consider. So if you are reactive to wheat, ditch it and work on fixing your gut.

ikely knowing how to dose your carbohydrate and creatine appropriately. These are the two key nutrients to maximal muscular performance that any trainer should really be concerned with. Performance largely comes from what is stored in the muscle. Too many people think performance is fuelled by what is taken in pre training. Yes this will have an influence, but more so your stored glycogen levels and muscular creatine concentrations. So re-feed from training with the right amounts of carbs and creatine and you will keep on top of your performance output.

Q Is there an optimal time of day to workout?

es and no. What is largely important is that you workout and get it done. Some people can’t train at a particular time, what’s important then is that you train regardless. Now saying that I do find that certain body types are better working out at certain times of the day to take advantage of natural hormonal cycles that best utilise carbohydrates and their hormonal dominances. For example I enjoy using the carb back-loading template for endomorphic body types when in a mass gaining phase. This works well for their weak hormonal pathway, insulin and glucose regulation. So they should be working out at a hormonally beneficial time of day and then re-feed with the foods that are beneficial for performance, but often detrimental to their fat mass at this time, and the environment is optimised from many angles.

Q Can you ever do too much cardio when cutting? If so, how much is too much?

think it’s the most overdone aspect of sport. If I work with an athlete or physique competitor I want to do as little traditional style cardio as possible. I will assume that you are talking about steady state medium intensity cardio i.e. a run in the park. This type of training the body adapts too very quickly, can be stressful to the body if the session is too long, decreases metabolic rate over time, is not muscle protective (we want to protect muscle as much as possible on a cut) and often comes at a performance detriment to other training sessions. Cardio, in the manner I think you mean, is only something I use in the dying weeks before a competition if I need to, where someone needs to make weight and fat loss needs to be up-regulated a bit, again because it’s effective, but only short term, adaptation is quick. So I might use it in the last 2-3 weeks. I find that if a coach is using cardio at the beginning of someone’s 1216 week prep they are covering all the bases too soon, leave tools in the bag for when the s**t hits the fan so to speak. studyfit

STUDENT STUDIES

MONTHLY

Bringing you the latest relevant research carried out by current students surrounding fitness and nutrition.

work. study. learn. 54

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STUDENT STUDIES

MONTHLY

The Effects of Synephrine Supplementation on Sports Performance

n the current supplement market various products are claiming certain increases in performance and weight loss without scientific support, since the ban of ephedrine was imposed by WADA, supplements are replacing said ingredient with others that have supposed similar properties in chemical makeup and subsequent effects upon performance and weight loss. Synephrine is one of those proposed stimulants, and is often used under the name Citrus Aurantium. Daniel Baldwin, a 22-year-old, BSc Sport Science student at Liverpool John Moores University investigated whether there are any performance or weight loss improvements from ingesting Synephrine alone...

ne angle for the testing was that synephrine has only been tested in combination with other ingredients making it hard to quantify what exactly is causing any seen improvements. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that following ingestion of 50mg p-Synephrine alone, exercise performance would improve. In a repeated measure, fully randomized double blind design, all 11 testing subjects completed three experimental trials with at least 24 hours apart. Subjects performed a reaction time test, lung function, strength tests and also a 30 second maximal effort Wingate Test on a cycle ergometer. Various measures were taken throughout testing such as: Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Lung Capacity, Glucose, Lactate, NEFA (nonessential fatty acid) and also Weight. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) found between each of the differing supplementation conditions under all of the above-required tests. The Study provided novel data through demonstrating that following ingestion of 50mg of Synephrine pre exercise, no anaerobic, strength or cognitive improvements were found with regards to exercise performance. Further research is also needed on the ingestion of p-Synephrine to decipher whether it deserves its place within many performance supplements widely available today.

Citrus Aurantium, is more commonly known as bitter or Seville orange. The most active ingredient in Bitter Orange is synephrine; a “chemical cousin” to ephedrine, since their structures are so similar.

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Synephrine is present in many citrus fruits, and so is found in common foodstuffs such as orange juice and other orange products, both of the “sweet” and “bitter” variety.

The most common use of Citrus Aurantium is medicinal rather than culinary. The dried, entire unripe fruit is used in Asian herbal medicine primarily to treat digestive problems.

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MONTHLY

APP’SREVIEW MY FITNESS PAL

GYM HERO

ith a wide ranging database of foods and their relevant nutritional information, My Fitness Pal is an essential app for anyone wanting keep track of their daily nutrition, whether it be to lose weight or gain weight. Enter foods into the search mechanism, scan barcodes or input your own recipes to work out their nutritional and calorific value. You can also enter your own foods or recipes and the nutrional information if it isn’t already available in the database. It is also possible to diet with friends by adding them to your tracker - that way you can keep the motivation up and get encouragement from your fellow dieters. It also adds an aspect of self accountability, knowing yourself and your friends can see if your diet slips. Daily nutritional summaries of the foods you eat are asvailable with totals and pie charts illustrating them. Price – Free. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Also available on Android.

his is a simple and easy-to-use app that lets you track your workouts on your iOS device. Thanks to Gym Hero you can forget about carrying a pad and pen around the gym to keep a track of your workouts. All you have to do is type in the workout name, enter an exercise name, choose the weight, and then set the reps. With the ability to record your weights in both lbs and kg’s the app is made for all sorts of gym equipment. It is an easy and simple process that can be done during your rest periods of a workout or afterwards from memory. The app will also allow you to view your “last” workout of the same type, so you know how many sets and reps you did, and with how much weight, helping you lsowly progress in your workouts! Then you cn even post your workout to Twitter or Facebook if you’d like. Price – Free. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

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STUDY FIT issue one