Student Sport Magazine - November 2013 - Twelfth Edition

THE FIRST NATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR UNIVERSITY SPORTS...ONLINE, EVERY MONTH

SPORT AND LIFESTYLE ON AND OFF THE PITCH

Student Sport Magazine november 2013 - Edition twelve £FREE.

fat burning

the world university games kazan

easy ways to keep your metabolism firing!

squatting

like your ass depends on it...

your new

reviews on american football, athletics, hockey, lacrosse, water polo, rugby union & swimming...

active lifestyle

surf championships

+newfeature

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harder faster stronger

the lat

fistral beach, 2013 - in pictures

surviving a hiit • explosive power • olympic weightlifting

est

ats review h i n i ed za

!

teamssm

The Twelfth Edition November 2013

meet roman

mascot & poster boy

job title

matteditor @mattwalshssm editor@studentsportmagazine.com

WELCOME to Edition 12 of Student Sport Magazine,

The First National Magazine for University Sport.

With the BUCS season gaining momentum we thought we’d have a sneaky look back at the season previews and see if the predictions and preparations are paying off after a few fixtures.

After a great start for SSM last season, we had a number of requests for more training articles to help you in the gym. We got to work, recruiting the help of some professionals, and I am pleased to announce the release of our brand new ‘Harder, Faster, Stronger’ feature which, as you’ve probably guessed, contains articles tailored specifically to toughness, speed and strength! Don’t worry if you’re new to sport, fitness and training; you can get some top tips from HFS and many other articles dedicated to helping people of all levels from novice to elite!

We love to hear your thoughts, comments and suggestions so do get in touch, and don’t forget to keep us updated by using #BUCSWednesdayon twitter!

loves steak, Sleep & jess ennis hates long walks & rom-coms Editor Sub Editor Artwork Editor Design Business Director

@roman_ssm

Matthew Walsh Luke Shield Matthew Heard Ryan Benedict Nathan Gray

Journalists & Contributors Ash Quinlan • James May • Bowen Revill • Sam Headley • Emma Hart • Vicky Ashdown • Lucy Harvey • Joe Redmond • George Gigney • Simon Kemp • John Findley • Tom Henman • Luke Stevenson • Alex Sehgal • Will Aitkenhead • Tom Parry-Jones • Ryan Paine • Alister Houghton • Rob Weitz • James Scholey • James Taylor • Andrew Sixsmith • Emma Bird • Chris Kerr • Anthony Bowyer • Michael Baker • Josh Elderfield • James Long • Catherine Robertson • Sean Maloney • Edward Wade • Stephan Rowden • Talking Rugby Union Photographers Simon Rowe - www.simonroephotography.co.uk Mark Roe* - www.sports.markroe.co.uk Andy Smith *Front cover image.

subscribefree sendyourstories join teamssm! www.studentsportmagazine.com

editor@studentsportmagazine.com team@studentsportmagazine.com

© The Student Media House Ltd 2012. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The Student Media House Ltd. is registered in England and Wales (Registration Number - 08723068) with registered office at Oakhill House 3 Royal Gardens, Bowdon, Cheshire, WA14 3GX . All information contained within is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of publication. The Student Media House Ltd. cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Any unsolicited information sent to us is automatically granted, by you, with a licence to publish your submission, wholly or in part on all media platforms owned or operated by us. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, The Student Media House Ltd, its employees, agents or subcontractors will not be held liable for any loss or damage.

Health & Training. The Student Media House Ltd. is not qualified to issue medical advice and any instructions provided herein should in no way act as a substitute for such advice. Please seek medical advice for injuries, medical conditions and before starting any new sport or training routine. If you feel pain or discomfort whilst carrying out any physical exercise you should immediately cease training and consult a doctor, physician or healthcare provider.

CONTENTS EDITION 12/NOV 2013

Daryl Sim

16

SURVIVING A HIIT

Greg Westfall

20

EXPLOSIVE POWER

10 more songs for your ipod

iPod

Lovesport? write for teamssm!

SSM Playlists Weights Running Patriotic

send 500 words on your team, club or sport to:

team@studentsportmagazine.com

Greg Westfall

24 OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING

MENU

MORE INSIDE

32 interview with lewis butcher

the first national magazine for 48 your sports club on university sport tour online...every month!

> > >

Durham Hockey’s performance coach talks tactics for 2013/14 season.

From Cornwall to the Caribbean, we explore the art of sports touring.

8 World university games reviews

26 American Football 28 Athletics 30 Hockey 34 Lacrosse 36 Water Polo 38 Rugby Union 42 Swimming

50 bucs surf championships (pictures) 14 harder, faster, stronger 46 Fat burning metabolism 44 squatting deep 4 your active lifestyle

13

SSM PLAYLIST

cover Product review with p12 zaini hats

articles

EPOC - excess post-exercise oxygen consumption Sounds confusingly scientific but in basic terms it relates to the amount of calories you burn when your workout has finished and you are resting, which is why EPOC is commonly referred to as ‘Afterburn’.

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The higher the intensity of your workout, the greater amount of calories you will burn afterwards. Great news if your primary target is to burn fat!

how to increase ‘afterburn’

Cut down your rest between exercises - don’t kill yourself early as it may prevent you from lifting heavy but by not allowing yourself to fully recover you make your body work harder resulting in EPOC boost

Get started with your new active lifestyle.

An introduction to fitness

by Emma Bird

finding time to exercise whilst at university can be tough but will help to prevent becoming a post grad porker!

NTU

Lift Heavy - Lifting as heavy as possible will spike your heart rate, enhancing afterburn.

End with cardio - Finishing a weight routine with a 10-20 minute intense cardio session will get your heart rate up and make your body work harder for longer in post workout mode.

Are you, like many students at university these days, tight on time when it comes to fitting in library stints, a little bit of going out, and hitting the gym to keep up a decent level of fitness? Well, Student Sport Magazine is here to provide you with a few general tips on how to approach your training and get the most out of every gym session.

get to the gym (half the battle won!). If you are able to visit the gym 2 or 3 times a week you can start by incorporating one cardio session, one weights session and a mixed session; if you are able to attend more or less that this, the sessions can be repeated and interchanged. depending on your personal goals.

It’s a good idea to organise your workouts so you do a different type of session each time, to address different aspects of fitness. This provides variety and reduces ‘same session monotony’ making it easier to motivate yourself to

regular exercise can boost your academic performance during exams.

US National Academy of Sciences

Studentsportmagazine.com///5

articles When completing a cardio session it’s not always about hours on a treadmill, but how best you utilise your time.

Interval training is the best way to do this, especially with a restricted time frame. This training involves working out at almost maximum effort for a short period of time followed by a slightly longer period of time working at a lower rate, repeating this so that various energy systems are being worked on throughout. Basic time periods are 60 seconds of maximal work, followed by 90 seconds+ ‘recovery time’ and this can be continued for the duration of the workout, which can be completed in 3045 minutes.

When it comes to choosing machines, a lot of people like to do a few short workouts on a few different pieces of equipment to keep it interesting; good examples of these

working your cardio fitness.

oberazzi

are basic machines such as the running machine and cross trainer, and others that are just as good are the rowing machine and the adaptive motion trainer (AMT). The AMT is a personal favourite as it allows you to control your stride height and length, unlike the cross trainer, but remains akin to running in terms of motion, with reduced

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impact on joints so those with knee, hip or ankle injuries can still train the same muscle groups.

WORKOUT 1 Choose 3 different machines and complete a set of interval training on each one, lasting around 15-20 minutes; this allows you to mix up your workout and also work slightly different muscle groups while still

The second session of the week could be weights; this gives you an opportunity to work on your strength in different ways. For experienced gymgoers, weights will likely not daunt you, so feel free to head for the barbells and crack on with sets of squats, bench press and pull ups.

For others, weight training can be unnerving; so it’s a good idea to start on the weight machines to practice the correct technique (‘form’)before heading to the ‘free weights’. There are machines in most good gyms that replicate the basic exercises including, leg press, chest press and lat pull down.

WORKOUT 2 Legs, arms, chest, back and shoulders.

Find a machine that works out each of these (ask if you are unsure).Pick a

1. avoid scoffing

Stop eating when you are full. No one likes the Glutton-Guilt!

2. think: ‘Food is fuel’

Be practical and only take on the food that you need to complete your day.

3. eat naturally

Processed foods and sugary snacks kill your metabolism and make it harder.

weight that you are comfortable with and complete 10 repetitions (‘reps’), rest for 30 seconds then repeat two more times (ie. 3 sets). Tip: Increase the weight slightly at the start of each new set.

Moving onto dumbbells, when you feel comfortable, will help to develop smaller groups of muscles that are used to stabilise the large muscle groups.

Exercises include overhead press, lateral arm raises and leg exercises such as lunges, elevated single leg dips or even squats if you’re comfortable with a barbell.

A final addition to

your training week can be a mixed session; this will involve a mixture of exercises, including core and lightly weighted exercises, using either medicine balls or dumbbells, and possibly in a circuit format. It is best to choose a variety of exercises to work arms, legs and trunk and mix up the order throughout the circuit.

WORKOUT 3 Choose 10 exercises (lunges, squats, pressups etc). Do each exercise for 30 seconds, resting for 15 seconds after each. Once you’ve done all 10, have a 2 minutes rest then go again for a total of 4 rounds. The

working time can be reduced to 20 seconds for more of a sprint circuit, or extended to 45 seconds for more of an endurance circuit.

These basic ideas will mix things up and make working out more interesting.

Remember to warm up and cool down, and push yourself during sets and you can’t go far wrong. SSM

Exercise 3-4 times per week and you are 20% less likely to suffer from a stroke and other health issues.

An introduction to fitness

3 basic tips on nutrition

World Health Organisation

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team@studentsportmagazine.com

the first national magazine for university sport online...every month!

Studentsportmagazine.com///7

The 27th Universiade

the world university games kazan WORDS: Josh Elderfield PICTURES: BUCS

July for most students is a time of de-stressing and relaxing after a hectic, relentless few months

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of study, but for 119 of Britain’s scholars, this summer was quite the opposite and far from quiet, competing at the World University Games.

The 27th Summer Universiade for Great Britain’s athletes provided success and jubilation for some, and disappointment and dismay for others.

Kazan played host to this year’s Games, not quite a week in Ibiza or Magaluf but rest and relaxation was far from thought for the British athletes out there, and their hard work paid off as they made a one medal progression on last year’s Universiade campaign.

Great Britain won a total of 6 medals this time round – 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronzes, finishing 38th in the medals table.

Of the 20 sports Britain competed in, it was the Women’s football team who managed top of the podium. Head Coach

Kay Cossington’s side displayed a golden finish to their campaign in Russia, coming from behind twice to overcome Mexico to take the honours by winning 6-2.

Cossington commended her players given that some had no previous experience on the international stage: “It's a great achievement - some of these players hadn't played any international football.

Winning is what we came here to do, and thankfully we've achieved that,” she said.

"Personally, in terms of achievements, this is up there with the best of them.

I'm completely overwhelmed.”

Aileen Whelan came

SSM

kazan

Michael Rae’s 93rd minute equaliser took the French as far as extra time, but it was all Bleu-Blanc-Rouge as the French took the game and the tournament as Fanch Weyders goal, with just 8 minutes left on the clock, ensured a familiar footballing heartbreak for Britain.

Captain Kieran Murphy spoke of the disappointment to come so close but surrender the campaign to France.

“It’s been beyond my wildest dreams what we’ve achieved.

Obviously I’m gutted because I was desperate to win gold.

“But the silver medal represents the highs of our wins against Ukraine

and Russia, the team spirit, and all the memories we’ll take away from Kazan,” he said.

Head Coach James Ellis said: “It’s a disappointment because we’ve got to the final and could have won gold. But we’ve done so well to get into the final again, it’s a huge achievement, and I hope the players will reflect on that later.

“They’ve done their country and themselves proud.”

Elsewhere, and it was in the swimming pool where Great Britain excelled the most out of all the sports they competed in.

Caitlin McClatchey won Britain’s first medal of the Games, claiming bronze behind Russia’s Viktoriiya Andreeva and Veronika Popova in the 200m freestyle final. McClatchey, who was a finalist at last summer’s

London Games was accompanied in the final by team-mate Rebecca Turner who finished fifth.

It was as early as the following day where McClatchey picked up another medal for herself and her country, this time in the 400m freestyle. The University of Edinburgh student was pipped to the line

by Martina De Memme of Italy (4:07.69) and Russia’s Elena Sokolova silver (4:08.51).

McClatchey’s time of 4:08.77 was a season’s best.

"I'm really happy to have won two bronze medals at the World University Games, I knew it was going to be a hard competition, with Russia and America especially having full strength squads. I was really happy with my times,” she said.

Staying in the swimming pool, and Lewis Smith on this occasion made the podium in the 400m Individual Medley after finishing 5th in the same event at the previous Universiade.

TEAMSSM

World University Games

on as a substitute and scored the fourth goal in the 86th minute to give her side clear breathing space and cement the victory. Francesca Kirby added another just 60 seconds later and Danielle Carter-Loblack closed the curtain on her side’s campaign by scoring the sixth in added time.

Whelan was understandably thrilled to have scored in the final, and the Nottingham Trent student expressed her delight on twitter: “Scoring in the final of the world university games and coming home with the gold medal is the biggest moment of my life,” she said.

Their male counterparts almost mirrored that podium finish, but fell short in the final with an agonising loss to France 3-2 after extra time.

miniat. Illa con utet nulput

Both McClatchey and Smith now add their names to the roll of honour of previous Great British Universiade medal winners, which include Olympic medallists Beth Tweddle, Gemma Gibbons and Jess Ennis-Hill.

Swimming was by far Britain’s most successful sport during the Games, with Ryan Bennett from the University of Sterling making the 200m backstroke final and Rachel Lefley of Loughborough University and Christopher Steeples of Manchester Met representing GBR in the semi-finals.

However it wasn’t just swimming and football that gave strong performances.

The Men’s Rugby 7’s completed the medal tally for Great Britain after defeating South Africa 31-14 in the bronze medal match, and the Women’s 7’s were sadly thumped in their bronze medal decider against Canada – 360.

There were some convincing performances on the Tennis courts where Anna Fitzpatrick

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made it as far as the quarterfinal, before losing in straight sets to Katerina Vancova of the Czech Republic.

Fitzpatrick, University of East London, made it just as far in the mixed doubles with Dan Cochrane. The duo was bitterly undone by Lee and Lee of the Chinese Tapei by surrendering the match after a tie-break.

So Great Britain’s scholars certainly gave some superb performances out in Kazan, but it was the hosts, Russia, who finished at the summit of the medals table with a total of 292 podium finishes.

Unsurprisingly China were the runners-up, but Russia were just a different class, winning six times more gold medals than the Chinese, almost 50 more silver medals than them, and 40 more bronze medals.

But the students of Great Britain can hold their heads high, and be proud of the achievements set in Kazan – and not many students can boast a more productive a summer than that! SSM

Crisp

Reviewed

well made not too pricey cool and cosy overall - great buy

HOT HEADED by

ZAINI

A look at one of the winter essentials as the cold nights draw in and the countdown to Christmas begins...

R

umours of record snowfall launched by Scottish ski have got us all excited instructor, miranda harper, about dusting off the zaini hats are fast becoming a familiar sight on the sledge and hitting the local slopes. golf course for the ordinarily

friends in alpines, starting with these crocheted (oh yes) hats made by ski instructor, Miranda Harper. The well made and cosy Zaini hats are trending ferociously from £20.99 annoying slope on the 3rd fairway. and our rigorous testing concluded: “Robust enough www.zaini.com Snow sports are synonymous with style and we thought it for a two-man sledge wipeout. appropriate to follow up some of Good variety of colours for most the recommendations from our preferences. Priced reasonably”. by electronic arts inc. EA SPORTS (we all The only real football game know what comes for modern consoles. next) released Fifa 14 just before XBOX from £37.99 ONE makes its way www.play.com onto our xmas lists.

So people have been moaning about the

dribbling being a bit clumsy creating boggy battles in the midfield but shooting feels new and the opportunity to bag some long range screamers is even better! p.s IT’S IN THE GAME!

THE

Playlist FUEL • YOUR • RESOLVE

iPod SSM Playlists Weights Weights Running Running Patriotic General

>> > >> >

active The Monster Eminem ft. Rihanna

Look Right Through Storm Queen

Counting Stars One Republic

Children of the Sun Tinie Tempah ft. John Martin

5 AM Katy B

Afterglow Wilkinson

Booyah Showtek ft. We Are Loud

Skip to the Good Bit Rizzle Kicks

MENU

R U Crazy Conor Maynard

Give it 2 U Robin Thicke ft. Kendrick Lamar

newfeature

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harder faster stronger

surviving a hiit • explosive power • olympic we

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eightlifting //

Simon Roe Studentsportmagazine.com///15

HARDER

catherine robertson

THE HARDEST HIIT It’s one of the most popular forms of training - with countless studies providing conclusive evidence of the vast benefits of HIIT, fitness machines are going crazy for it. But...be warned! IT IS BRUTAL!!!

High Intensity Interval Training is challenging and self motivation is tough, especially when training alone - something you will have to get used to as an athlete or individual with goals to achieve.

HIIT is not for the weak so you need to get stuck in and ensure that you are pushing your limits.

Various psychological methods can help you train harder maintaining your focus and

preventing failure (ie. weakness).

If you are intrinsically motivated, finding the drive to train should come naturally, you’re the type of person who thrives in difficult sessions but remember that even the most self-assured athletes can struggle with motivation from time to time!

Alternatively, if you are motivated extrinsically, you seek prize and rewards so you may benefit by

anger can cause irrational thoughts leading to poor decision making and wasted energy.

fuelling a HIIT workout When you wake up, your body has to adjust from the overnight fast it has endured. If you plan to do a HIIT session before Uni you will need to charge your body at least 30 mins before training. Try eating a Banana with fat free, zero sugar natural yoghurt with half a scoop of whey protein. The Banana contains a small amount of fructose which will kick start your sleepy liver (which has low glycogen levels after your slumber), raise your blood sugar and aid in the hormonal response to HIIT! concentrating on getting that new pair of asics if you can complete a week’s worth of interval sets. Despite the NUS discount, new trainers every week could become a bit pricy, so a simple reward such as a piece of steak post training may be just as effective.

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Set goals Not achieving goals may leave you feeling disappointed or deflated; avoiding these negative feelings could be the motivation you need to drive yourself through a brutal session, reach your goal and finish feeling good.

Negative thoughts Negative ‘self-talk’ (the evil voice) is the main expression of athletes’ negativity and should be addressed immediately to combat the undesirable effects.

You need to tell yourself that you are capable of completing the session without trying

everything and still don’t

know how to get it done!

to convince yourself that you will break a world record - having unrealistic thoughts can have the same deflating effects as negative ‘selftalk’. Being an optimist will help you through challenges and by getting used to looking for the realistic positive impact in challenges

that you are faced with will provide you with a more constructive internal framework for dealing with negative events.

Scenario You belly flop your last dive in training and it bloody hurts!

Negative voice: “That hurt, it’s likely to happen

Pain Expect it. Pain will be your training partner

during an intense session. If you’re not the kind of hardcore sadist who seeks the pain, a good old distraction techniques could help see you through. Try focussing on your stride pattern when running, or leg cadence for cycling. This diverts your thoughts away from your crippling stitch or cramping thighs and is a simple method to enable focus. Music can be good for this too, listening to the lyrics or running in time to the beat can help you forget about exercise induced pain. Music doubles up as another motivator.

A well put together

harder

you know

again, probably at the next competition in front of everyone. What if Student Sport Magazine publish a story about how much of a diving failure I have become?”

Positive voice: “Right, I’m alive, I’m basically made of iron. Now that I have felt the brief pain and survived, I know I can take it. If that’s the worst that can happen I’m going to be even more confident going into my next dive. Who knows, if I give it even more I could end up on the podium!

OOOOSH!”

Daniel Flower

Studentsportmagazine.com///17

HARDER

a few gruelling workouts to get you on your way... sprint

skip

> 1 minute sprint +90 second stroll/rest > 1 minute sprint @ 3% incline +90 second stroll/rest > 1 minute sprint @ 6% inc. +90 second stroll/rest > 1 minute sprint @ 9% inc. +90 second stroll/rest > 1 minute sprint @ 12% inc. +90 second stroll/rest Repeat 3 times minimum Rating:

intense!

playlist can help get your mindset ready for exercise and competition alike - inspiring, motivating and instilling confidence.

Listen to your playlist before and during training (if possible) and you are more likely to keep pushing hard during the whole session, without sacrificing the intensity. If you are training in a sports hall or athletics track where there is a sound system, some athletes report benefiting more from hearing music over a loud speaker rather than a personal music device.

Control is a key mechanism in the prevention of being overcome by negative thoughts and will insure the efficiency

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these workouts should never be easy.

> 30 seconds skipping > 20 press ups > 20 knee to chest jumps +90 second rest > 30 seconds skipping > 15 press ups > 15 knee to chest jumps +60 second rest

always look for a way of making it more difficult.

Repeat 3 times minimum

cherish the burn!

Rating:

hard!

of a session completed alone.

Without control, positive traits can easily become mutated and yield negative effects. For instance, passion for your sport is crucial in order to compete to the best of your ability and will play a large role in training sessions on your own. However, if poorly controlled and inappropriately directed passion may evolve into aggression and cause you to think irrationally, potentially leading to poor decision making and energy loss through excessive anger.

Confidence is crucial to overall performance, but in a session completed alone, confidence is parallel with motivation. You must be confident not only in

your athletic ability but also in the strength of your mind.

If you do not have confidence in your resilience, motivation and enthusiasm your desire to work and push yourself to your limits may be reduced, thus reducing the overall benefits of completing the session in the first place. Training alone will always be a challenge without the outside motivation and encouragement of coaches and fellow athletes but, with the use of these tools, the challenge of training alone and maintaining the high intensity levels required will become more achievable. SSM

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the first national magazine for university sport online...every month!

FASTER

explosive POWER james long

The development of athletic performance within recent years has been phenomenal.

The correct implementation of both power and strength training has made the greatest impact upon these improved athletic performances. In every athletic program throughout the world, regardless of sport or gender, strength training influences athletes’ training protocols. It is important that all performers recognize the importance of conditioning programs to optimise performance for the competitive nature of a sporting season.

Research proves that athletic performance relies directly upon qualities of muscular strength, therefore muscular strength builds a platform for all other athletic qualities. For example, if you do not possess great strength in relation to your body weight you will never be able to run fast. Power training is a vital part of improving performance on the field. If an athlete improves power through becoming stronger, the greater the athlete’s muscular contractions will become.

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Having explosive power at your disposal is a desireable weapon for any athlete and may give you a critical edge over your opposite number and elevate your overall fitness.

Therefore the faster the athlete will run, the further they will throw/kick, the harder they will tackle, the higher they will jump.

An additional benefit of improving power is injury prevention, as athletes who strength train generally have fewer injuries. This is due to increased density of bones and improved strength of muscle attachments.

To build strength and power, you don’t need circus tricks – you need exercises that will have the greatest impact on your sporting performance. Below we have outlined 5 exercises to develop critical qualities such as power, speed, mobility and general athleticism.

1. the power clean 5 sets, 3 reps +90 sec rest

INSTRUCTION: Stand with feet between hip and shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outwards. Squat down and grab the bar with an overhand grip, arms placed just outside of legs.

Keeping your back flat, chest up and shoulder blades retracted: PULL explosively with your legs so the bar can travel upwards whilst staying close to your body.

As the bar rises above your knees THRUST your hips forward and ‘shrug’ the bar upwards. As your shoulders get to their highest point PULL your body back under the bar. Stand up to complete the repetition.

Tips and Advice: A power clean involves movement at the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. That means you’re using your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, traps deltoids and forearms, as well as the core muscle that stabilise your spine throughout the movement!

FASTER

2. the chin up 4 sets, 8 reps +90 sec rest Tips and Advice: If you only have a small amount of time to strength train, at least some of that needs to be geared towards strengthening the upper back. The chin-up will give you numerous benefits and should be a staple in your athletic strength program.

INSTRUCTION: GRASP a fixed overhead bar with an underhand grip. Full hang at the bottom; PULL through the elbows and SQUEEZE your shoulder blades down at the top.

Bitter Buick

3. the front squat

Tips and Advice: 4 sets, 8 reps Front squatting +90 sec rest ensures you maintain ankle, knee and hip mobility which make INSTRUCTION: Grip the it an amazing tool for bar in the same position as improving mobility. you finished at the top of the ‘Power Clean’. Legs at a shoulder width stance or slightly wider. Keep your chest up when you de-rack the weight to provide a solid platform for the bar to sit on.

Your shoulders support the weight not your hands. Put your elbows up with your upper arms almost parallel to the floor. Squat between your legs while pushing your hips back. As you break parallel return to an upright position with a controlled tempo.

Gregor Winter

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the first national magazine for university sport online...every month!

Studentsportmagazine.com///21

FASTER 4. the push press 5 sets, 3 reps +90 sec rest Tips and Advice: The push press improves your bench press!

The extra weight at the top of movement strengthens the triceps leading to new strength gains. An alternative to the military press or strict press, the push press allows the athlete to overload the movement with additional weight leading to additional strength gains.

“Research proves that athletic performance relies directly upon qualities of muscular strength...�

INSTRUCTION: STANDING with a weighted bar resting across the top of your chest, START with your hands just outside of your shoulders. Position your elbows under the bar to allow for the drive phase. DIP straight down through your legs keeping your torso straight. DRIVE from your legs to initiate the pushing movement (not the upper body). Finish with the bar over the crown of your head.

5. the deadlift 5 sets, 5 reps +90 sec rest

INSTRUCTION: SET your feet a little less than shoulder width apart and your shins close to the bar.

Keep your back straight and head upright fixed upon a point. DIG your heels into the floor and DRIVE your hips forward.

The hips and knees should extend simultaneously, and the shoulder and hips should rise together. As you reach lockout SQUEEZE your glutes, stand tall with shoulders back. Keeping your back straight return the bar to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Tips and Advice: The synergy of the hamstrings, glutes and lower back produce power and strength that is an extremely important component to many sports.

Jared Polin

boost power with creatine Creatine enables your body to produce energy rapidly meaning that you can train harder for longer. This allows you to lift those extra

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few kilos and squeeze in a few more hill sprints which will make

your muscles bigger and stronger.

WARNING: Supplements can have harmful side effects if used incorrectly. Do your research and always seek professional advice before taking supplements.

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the first national magazine for university sport online...every month!

stronger

weight lifting coach, luke stevenson, answers your questions and explains why olympic weightlifting should feature in your training schedule...

luke stevenson

olympic weightlifting ground up over your head utilises every muscle in your body. My experience in the health and fitness industry has shown that commercial gyms turn a disapproving cheek to Olympic weightlifting.

Will I look good?

Greg Westfall

Recently British University interest has been rising in what is known as Olympic Weightlifting. As a coach I’m often confronted by the same questions from beginner-level gym goers; how can this help me?

It’s always important to

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assess what you want, what are your goals? Olympic weightlifting can equal, in one exercise, what you are possibly doing in a week’s worth of training on resistance machines or looking in the mirror doing curls. The pure nature of lifting heavy weights from the

One of the biggest benefits that I see day-in and day-out is how great the members look at weightlifting clubs and Crossfit gyms. If only I could find a research study that calculated the correlation between ‘intensity of physical attraction in relation to kilo of weight lifted’... I can sure as the bible says confirm that I hear subsequent comments on this subject in weightlifting clubs every single day. You can be sure that weightlifting will help you gain the legs you dream of, the waist you envy, the back of a warrior and the confidence you deserve.

Am I likely to get hurt?

The worst injury I have seen personally to date is a sprained wrist and in today’s

often miss-use special supplements to create that look. Many athletes use weightlifting to build power that will help them in their chosen sport. Since moving to LA, Mo Farah has reportedly increased his use of squatting, deadlifts and clean and jerks in the gym, and Jess Ennis does the same in Sheffield. You could hardly acuse either of being a beefcake! Again, it is all down to having a personal goals and understanding what you want to achieve.

- so perfect that the bar felt almost weightless.

While others are devoted to competition and yearn for the purposeful walk onto the platform to exhibit the fruits of countless hours of dedication in front of their friends, family and team mates as they strive to beat an opponent, break personal bests and win medals.

stronger

sports weightlifting has been shown to have few recorded injuries compared to other sports played in Britain.

Another misconception is that lifting heavy weights will be detrimental to your back. The ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’ have been seen to generate more activity in your posterior chain, essentially your core, then any other isolated exercise option. You will walk tall like a champion, but do be aware that there is a safe way to lift and a dangerous way to lift. Having correct form is probably one of the reasons that I haven’t seen many injuries but, as with any exercise, poor technique can come at a cost. Most weightlifters will be happy to show you the basics so don’t be shy to ask for pointers.

What do you want it for?

Happy lifting.. SSM

Will it affect my sporting performance?

Olympic lifting will also benefit any sport you love to play. The powerful and fast nature of the lift is perfect for improving strength and speed. Reactive speed is one of the most common But won’t I get attributes shared in various massive and look like a sports as athletes are vein-riddled beefcake? required to change direction quickly on the pitch or This is all down to having court. Olympic weightlifting an understanding of your has been linked to drastic personal goals, train and improvements in agility and, eat accordingly and you will coupled with any SAQ (speed, work towards the body that agility, quickness) work you you want to achieve. The are currently doing, the gain nature of weightlifting and potential is vast. What ever the hormones within your your sport, a little extra speed own body will not turn you and a little extra strength will into the next winner of the beefcake factor. Testosterone be a welcomed addition to your arsenal. is the essential key to create that beefcake look and Most people enjoy for girls your bodies wont weightlifting for its very create enough for this to technical pedigree and the happen. The girls you see in mastery of powerful form; bodybuilding competitions the feeling of that one lift

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Studentsportmagazine.com///25

american football STEPHAN ROWDEN

MIDLAND’S

loughborough birmingham worcester nottingham nottingham trent warwick

PTS

6 6 4 4 2 2

The University of Birmingham Lions are one of the most successful American Football organisations in the country.

Having lost the 2012 and 2011 National Finals they were finally able to reclaim the title in a dramatic last-gasp victory over the Hertfordshire Hurricanes at the John Charles Stadium in May; reestablishing the dominance this proud university sporting program has shown over the last decade. With this in mind, Head Coach Wayne Hill along with the rest of the Lions setup would love nothing more than to be able to field the same victorious team again; but with the landscape of the sport continually shifting, the Lions will have to adapt

if they can hope to excel in the BUCS American Football League, this season, and again retain their National Title.

Graduations at the University sees the loss of many key squad members but despite their absence on the line of scrimmage, the appointment of Tom Levick and Eddie Cheadle as Offensive Line and Outside Linebacker coaches is anticipated to implant veteran skill from two outstanding alumni Lions.

Always looking to improve, the team had a busy offseason with a multitude of exciting developments taking place behind the scenes and, for the first time this year, the Lions squad will be using the world class applied sports science and sports medicine facilities at the University’s High Performance Centre.

This, and access to the expertise of the strength and conditioning coaches, players will be provided with tailored

workout plans depending on their initial abilities and specific position. With other University of Birmingham sports teams having utilised this facility before to great success, the Lions hope that such investments will provide a physical edge over their rivals.

In 2014 the Lions will be fielding a ‘junior’ team for players between the ages of 16 and 19 in the National summer leagues. This project will allow aspiring young athletes, from around the Birmingham area, to access the facilities and coaching that has made the University team so successful.

Despite the multitude of changes going on behind the curtains of the organisation, there will be one alteration that will be instantly obvious to players and fans alike in the form of the Lions uniform. With the University introducing a bold re-branding of its sports teams, instead of lining up

in their tradition white, this seaso will be stepping gridiron in a pre red colour schem logo will also be to the University completing an e look for the Lion

With high expec the current seas team will look to their backstage into on-field exec teams such as t Renegades (Cha Trophy Champio traditional rivals Loughborough A as dangerous ad in the Midland’s Conference, bef Lions can even c possible oppone playoffs at the J Stadium in 2014 standard of the University level c to improve year current season more exhilaratin than ever before

SEASON PREVIEW WITH THE BIRMINGHAM LIONS

nal blue and on the team out onto the edominantly me. The ‘Lion’ changing y’s version exciting new ns.

ctations for son set, the o translate operations cution as the NTU allenge ons) and s, the Aces, stand dversaries s Athletic fore the consider the ents in the John Charles 4. With the sport at continuing on year, the promises ng challenges e.

NTU

Studentsportmagazine.com///27 Simon Roe

SEASON PREVIEW

ANTHONY BOWYER After a superb 2013 BUCS athletics season, where the London Olympic legacy lived on, the 2014 season is already shaping up to be even better.

With the bids for the cross country in February now well underway and prospective fresher’s waiting eagerly for their results, it is an exciting time for the sport.

Last year saw some outstanding performances with Brunel stars Melissa Courtney and Andrew Wright catching the eye indoors and

Loughborough’s Niall Flannery and St Mary’s Zane Duquemin outdoors.

But those achievements now stand to be shot at as presidents, captains and coaches steady their aim on 2013/14.

Record numbers are expected in the cross country and most teams look to fill their allocation across the board and, as undergraduate intake remains high, the quality of this season’s track is looking positive.

Loughborough are the team to beat again in 2014 after claiming

a clean sweep of both male and female honours indoors and out last season but other universities are stacking their claim, with Birmingham, Brunel and Bath continually closing.

Leeds Metropolitan will also be up there this season as they welcome two potential BUCS sprint finalists as Northern U-20 100m champion, Demetric Nelson, and City of Sheffield sprinter, Abigail Bishell, make home in Leeds.

After success from a young age, a tricky season for Bishell

has meant 2013 has been a year of fewer competitions but she is ready to pull on the purple vest in 2014.

She said: “I'm really excited as it will be another improved level of competition and it will be nice and very different to run against other people who I have never raced against before, whether that be due to location or age.

“If I get chosen for the team then that's also a bonus as that is one of the main reasons I chose this University and I want to run the best I can. I know it is going to

her enthusiasm for starting University in the conquest of success at BUCS level with many fresher’s keen to make their mark early and follow in the footsteps of champions Flannery and Guy Learmonth.

Sheffield Hallam are aiming high as they look to improve on their twelfth place overall team finish at last year’s outdoor championships, with a top ten position within reaching distance.

Despite the closure of one of their training facilities, former athlete and Hallam graduate Rebecca Harrison says the goal remains the same as every other year.

Simon Roe

be tough and different but I am ready for the challenge.

“I think out of everything, after this year’s struggles and the new chapter of starting University, the thing I am looking forward to the most is being able to represent Leeds Metropolitan at BUCS.”

“Overall Hallam just want to keep improving and do well in the Varsity match against Sheffield University. That was the aim when I went there and it will continue every year.

“We have some really good athletes and if we can continue to do well then everyone will carry on enjoying themselves, regardless if the Don Valley track is there or not.”

Yet it is not just the elite Universities that

are looking to 2014 for more success. At the other spectrum, Huddersfield University are looking for an increase in participation and hope for another finalist, something they have had for both years since the foundation of their athletics club in 2012.

Current President and founder Josh Elderfield was hopeful that a big recruitment drive would help, especially in attracting the female athletes.

“The club are of course looking to expand on its membership figures from last year, and hoping that more of our female members step up to competition level,” he said.

“We've always had at least one of our athletes make it to a BUCS Outdoor final, so that is an ongoing goal for the University of Huddersfield Track & Field Squad but to grow again and get more people in the competitions is our main aim.”

200m athlete Charlie McMoran tasted BUCS competition for the first time last year and he is hoping to use that

experience to help him achieve in 2014.

“The best part for me last year was being part of the relay. To be in that environment with so many top teams was great, especially the adrenaline rush on the start line.

“Our University team has been built on that team ethos and to have so much fun with some of my best mates was amazing.

“Next year I want to individually work on my speed but I hope to be in the relay team again as our team spirit continues to develop.”

So, with a range of University standards all looking for more development, the future appears very bright for BUCS cross country and athletics.

The word on the lips of athletics clubs around the UK is development in terms of numbers and quality competition.

With a big year ahead for Scotland in the dawning of the Commonwealth games, ready the starting pistols for 2014!

athletics Bishell is not alone in

SEASON PREVIEW WITH HALLAM HOCKEY

The Hallam Hockey Men’s section were firing on all cylinders last year – Winning the BUCS Big Wednesday in Leeds, being crowned Conference North Champions and gaining promotion to the top flight premier division in the play-offs.

It wasn’t just a great season for the first team; the third team is came into this season following their most successful season ever.

Having been promoted 2 years running, they are set to compete in BUCS conference Northern 4B (The same league the 2nd team were in only 2 seasons ago), which means that they will compete against 1st and

Andy Smith

hockey

2nd teams from across the country, testament to the development at Hallam Hockey over the past 5 years. To achieve promotion last season the third team relied heavily on contributions from senior players: Nick Mobbs, dominating the defense, and AJ Blyth leading from the front. With the team losing these players to graduation they were hopeful of a strong intake of freshers and looked to the 3rd year student and Captain, Matt Lowe, to step-up and run the midfield by example.

The Second team has also enjoyed a similarly exciting past few seasons. Under the unrivaled stewardship

of Joe Lewis and Piers Du Boulay they have enjoyed promotion from 4B-2B from 2011-2013.

Captain for the upcoming season, David Knapton, will hope to emulate the previous year’s success.

Along with excellent leadership, the second team were fortunate enough to have former junior international goalkeeper, Will Burns, in goal for the season, exhibiting a string of fine performances - most notably the away game to local rivals, Sheffield University, where Hallam won 1-0 despite having had around 15 penalty corners awarded against them, plus a penalty stroke which prompted a game save from

Burns to the low right.

Burns will be central to the 2nd teams efforts this season, as will be roaming centre back, Alex Humphreys.

After a season of victory in the BUCS leagues last year, Hallam acknowledge that the loss of 5 senior players to graduation, most notably International players; Roper and Gowman as well as senior players Creed, Goodfield and DraytonChana - away on international duty with the England u21 side for much of the first half of the season - it is certainly going to be a big ask to repeat the successes of last season. However, having put in some brutal

summer pre-season training and recruiting numerous players with senior and junior international experience and experienced national league players, they are focussed on this 2013/14 season with high expectations and zero complacency.

That, and an upgraded training schedule to allow more crossovers between Wednesday and Saturday teams during the week, and the continuing development to their strength and conditioning program will certainly give Hallam Hockey an assured start to a fiercly competitive season!

as it stands MEN’S PREMIER NORTH PTS

Durham loughborough sheffield hallam birmingham nottingham manchester WOMEN’S PM NORTH

BIRMINGHAM Loughborough durham manchester nottingham leeds

MEN’S PREMIER SOUTH

10 7 7 6 4 1 PTS

oxford cardiff met exeter bath bristol reading WOMEN’S PM SOUTH

14 11 9 8 5 3

PTS

exeter cardiff bristol bath oxford CAMBRIDGE

11 11 11 10 4 3 PTS

13 10 9 8 5 4

for complete fixtures, results and tables visit: www.bucs.org.uk

SSM with lewis butcher Hockey Performance coach, durham.

Q: What are the clubs targets/ aims for the season?

It’s in our DNA at Durham to always target gold and I’m confident that we can compete towards that outcome. Of course there are lots of variables outside of our control with that and so we will just focus on controlling

what we can and make sure we deliver high performance in those areas to give us the best chance of success.

Q: Will Durham HC be adding anything new in terms of training on or off the pitch this season in order to keep improving?

We are looking at a few areas that we can add value to our performance. Certainly our video support will look to improve this season now that we have a full time coach again and, with the men in particular, we’ll be looking to take the next step in the development of our style of play. The women’s is a new proposition for me personally and there has been a reasonably high turnover in athletes and so there will be significant changes in playing style which will challenge

the new and remaining athletes.

Q: An unbeaten season for the Ladies 1st team last season, what will the coaching staff be doing to make sure they don’t become over-confident?

Last season was an excellent one for the women’s 1st XI and they can be immensely proud of their achievements. However, being new to the women’s programme myself and with an influx of new athletes, there is no danger of complacency. Existing players will have something to prove and we will look to develop our playing style as we progress throughout the BUCS calendar.

The coaching staff will be looking at all areas to seek performance enhancement and so we are striving for success again this season but the goals of this

group won’t be defined by those of the previous group.

gruelling, what was the most brutal bit for the team?

Q: What would a typical week consist of in terms of training (Strength and Conditioning Sessions, Pitch Sessions etc) and playing for the 1st team squad?

Well the 30:15 MAS sessions are pretty horrible and I’m glad I don’t have to do them! We also have Henderson Hell which involves repeated hill running which is probably the most brutal. It really tests their mental toughness and demonstrates, to the coaching team and their team-mates, who is willing to put themselves to the wall for the good of the team.

Once we’ve settled into our competition phase, the athletes will be looking at three pitch sessions a week plus 2-3 S&C sessions depending on their individual plans. They will also have two matches a week with a video session on top of that.

Q: Pre-season must have been

Q: Who do you think are going to be the standout players of the season?

I wouldn’t wish to pick out specific athletes in fairness to the squads as a whole but the depth we have this season means that no singular athlete will be critical to our success. Every athlete will need to contribute to make the season

successful.

Q: Can we expect to see both Durham 1st teams at the BUCS Big Wednesday next year?

We are certainly targeting being there but there are no guarantees! SSM

for complete fixtures, results and tables visit: www.bucs.org.uk

DURHAM HOCKEY

men’s 1s women’s 1s men’s 2s women’s 2s men’s 3s women’s 3s

PTS

POS

10 9 15 13 10 8

1 3 1 1 2 3

*correct at time of publishing

Andy Smith

lacrosse MEN’S PREMIER NORTH PTS

Durham Leeds met Loughborough NOttingham sheffield manchester MEN’S PREMIER SOUTH

bristol bath exeter oxford portsmouth plymouth

WOMEN’S PM NORTH

18 12 9 6 3 3 PTS

durham loughborough nottingham birmingham manchester newcastle WOMEN’S PM SOUTH

15 15 12 6 3 0

PTS

cambridge EXETER oxford bristol bath cardiff

18 12 10 9 3 1 PTS

15 12 8 7 7 0

for complete fixtures, results and tables visit: www.bucs.org.uk

ZACH ROONEY One of the fastest growing sports at university, maybe the quickest team sport on two feet and more team entries than ever before make the BUCS Lacrosse season an action filled arena as scores of armour clad undergrads go head to head in the “creator’s game”. No team anticipated the new season more determinedly than Manchester University, who after a disappointing 2012/2013 season were keen to get back to winning ways.

With only a 2nd place at the 2012/13 English Lacrosse University Championships at Warwick, the team are look to move forward in the current season. New Captain Mike Wilmott believes that after a year of transition in which the team adjusted to the loss of no less than 7

first team players, the team will come back stronger.

“It’s important we start well and that began with pre-season. There was a five day programme, to get the squad ready for the new year, which obviously covered fitness but placed emphasis on controlling pace of play, which was an issue for us last season”.

The club is optimistic for the new year despite a tough premiership fixture list.

Durham remain favourites, carrying their winning streak across multiple seasons and boasting numerous talented players, many of whom have NCAA experience in the USA. Loughborough cannot be ignored either following an impressive first season in the premiership in which they secured their place in the BUCS Finals, losing out

only to a strong Durham side. Club president Jamie Southworth recognises the challenge ahead: “The new season will be tough no doubt. Luckily we have retained the majority of players, losing only our old captain who has now moved to our rivals at Manchester Met. We have excellent coaching through our partnership with Timperley Lacrosse club and this will allow us to build on what we started last season. We will be back in contention with the likes of Loughborough and Sheffield to push Durham in the new season.”

Willmott is optimistic that the team can achieve a top three finish and repeat last year’s resounding victory over Manchester Met in the Varsity game. A second place finish at Christie Cup, an AU

wide competition be Manchester, Leeds Liverpool is also a to for the side. Attackm Nolan places a Chris high on his list of pri

“We have a long his both Liverpool and L and coming second Christie Cup summe season. It’s probably the kick we need to and push the squad this year.”

Manchester will loo build on their transit year and push for a three finish, built aro the new offence of in LDO, Jay Armstrong season left a bitter t in Manchester’s mo but currently sitting bottom of the Prem on 3 pts and a -47 g difference, can they their taste buds for

SEASON PREVIEW

etween and op priority man Josh stie win iorities.

story with Leeds, at ed up our y given us refocus d forward

ok to tion top ound ncoming g. Last taste outh, at the mier North goal save 2014?

Simon Roe

Last year the men’s competition saw Bristol enjoy a tenure of dominance in British water polo with a second consecutive win.

Commonwealth medal winning and former Great Britain coach, Mark Taylor, is at the helm of the squad as the team strive continually and take no glories for granted testament to high calibre coaching, team dynamics and collective attitude. The opportunity to attend a training camp in Serbia, one of the world’s best water polo playing nations, put the team in a good position for this season and, since replacing Manchester as the entrenched powerhouse, the team will surely be locked on and focussed towards a historical hat trick of consecutive titles come 2014.

Two teams stand as threatening obstacles for Bristol as close rivals Imperial and Bath fought a tough final for second place with a one goal advantage seeing Bath to league silver. This capped off an unexpectedly good season for Bath, who had built their success around a strong defence - if they can recoup from losses to graduation then there will be dangerous contention to local rivals Bristol once again.

After narrow deafeat, Imperial proved their strength at the close of last season with a significant effort from their outstanding

pit player, Adam Scholfield.

Scholfield, who represented Team GB in London 2012, has vast international experience. This added a massive boost to their team and, if retained, will undoubtedly maintain team strength.

Not forsaking the rest of the field, we are expecting to see Durham, Edinburgh, Manchester and newly promoted St. Andrews putting in a good shift this season. Durham placed 4th last year as they were unable to provide a team to send to the delayed and untimely finals weekend which took place during a busy exam period. The team unfortunately lost their captain but will be hoping to develop some of their younger players to fill the gap and be ready to come back fighting this year. Edinburgh and former British centre for water polo, Manchester, will be seeking a high placing; with Edinburgh having multiple Scottish International players and Manchester having Irish International, Connor Johnston, both teams are by no way incapable of challenging the top flite.

Newly promoted St. Andrews will be hoping to take advantage of the new premier league system after winning the trophy division last year. This new system will involve a premier league structure, akin to football and rugby, including

two preliminary groups of 8 teams. These teams will all play each other once (in future years the plan is to have both home and away fixtures, but only 6 teams per group) and the top half of each group will make the semi-finals. This will give teams a slightly better chance of making semi-finals even if they lose a match. In previous years losing a match became a problem when trying to reach further rounds, with only three matches were played between four teams, but, this year, more teams means more matches and creates more potential to gain points and climb up to those top group spots.

The women’s competition this year definitely seems more open than the men’s.

Last year’s winners, the University of Edinburgh, have also lost their captain, former GB Junior, Amy Middlemast, but will be hoping the addition of a few Scottish International players will boost their squad inspite of this heavy loss.

Benefiting from an extremely talented, and longstanding coach, who provides muchneeded continuity to training and the team, there is no doubt that Edinburgh will show little relent throughout the season.

Newcastle were runners up, having placed higher than Sheffield Hallam on goal difference, and enjoyed an impressive season with surprising results pushing

Edinburgh close for can this form live o 13/14.

A good all-round se Sheffield Hallam wh extremely close to placed finish but, w new season underw will be keen to push last year’s progres

Cardiff looked to b strongest team he into finals weekend Durham’s men, str with the delayed fin were unable to atte Always fielding stro players, they too wi discounted.

At the other end, a teams dredged thr troublesome seaso Manchester, showi performance defici the loss of their cap Leeds suffering a s drop of form, falling Champions to nonbut in retaining ma 2011/2012 cham winning team, they gold potential.

With teams in the league so close, it i almost impossible t predictions and sim a men’s team can season up to finals they will be in good when facing the de champions, Bristol.

Come finals weeke see which teams h advantage of the ne system and increas match play and wh

r the win; on through

eason for ho came a second with the way, they h on from ss.

be the eading d but, like ruggled nals so end. ong ill not be

a few rough a on with ing a it following ptain, and surprising g from -finalists any of their mpionship maintain

waterpolo by emma bird

MEN’S PREMIER NORTH PTS

loughborough durham edinburgh leeds sheffield hallam liverpool MEN’S PREMIER SOUTH

cardiff oxford southampton ucl imperial bristol

WOMEN’S PM NORTH

9 7 7 5 3 2

Loughborough Edinburgh Newcastle leeds sheffield hallam manchester WOMEN’S PM SOUTH

PTS

2 2 0 0 0 0

PTS

cardiff birmingham bath cardiff met oxford bristol

8 6 4 4 4 0 PTS

5 3 3 2 1 0

for complete fixtures, results and tables visit: www.bucs.org.uk

e women’s is to make milarly, if hold the s weekend, d standing efending .

end, we’ll have taken ew league sed ho has not!

SEASON PREVIEW bnim

rugby union

own challenges – TALKING RUGBY UNION most notably, the sheer turnaround Is there anyone to challenge of players each year. Players Durham for the BUCS Rugby arrive as freshers, leave crown? as finalists, take a year out on placement, return from The 2012/13 BUCS season placement or arrive as saw a ‘purple reign’ for mature students, to name Durham University. The North but a few. As a result, the East side emphatically won complete shape of a team the Premier North A division can change from year to without losing a single game, year. with Leeds Met Carnegie in second and Loughborough As university places are third. In the parallel, Southern accepted and the latest Premiership, Cardiff Met won batch of freshers prepare to the league only one point clear arrive, Talking Rugby Union of Exeter in second, and ten caught up with Durham points clear of Hartpury in head coach Alex Keay on third. The two league winners his newest recruits and met at Twickenham to fight for the club’s ambitions for the the BUCS Championship. Snow season. and sub-zero temperatures Durham’s pre-season did not stop both teams from providing a fantastic showcase commenced on the 9th of September, for a full month of student rugby. The game before their first game at home was a very close affair, with to Nottingham. both teams dominating different periods of the match.

Coach Keay explained that But it was Durham who “the plans for pre-season are reigned supreme, with a final always the same: get the squad score of 26-17. into the best shape possible by being fitter than anyone else, Durham’s win was their second of the last three years. integrate new players into the team and make them feel at Can they do it again? home.

Unlike other competitions, “Our main aim is to create a University rugby provides its

MEN’S PREMIER NORTH PTS

durham loughborough leeds met newcastle northumbria leeds

22 21 17 16 14 9

MEN’S PREMIER SOUTH

PTS

uwe (hartpury) exeter bath cardiff met bristol cardiff

30 23 20 14 13 8

WOMEN’S PM NORTH

PTS

leeds met durham loughborough birmingham nottingham newcastle

28 21 11 6 6 5

WOMEN’S PM SOUTH

gloucestershire cardiff met exeter sw p.pridd & cardiff oxford cardiff

PTS 20 15 14 5 5 4

for complete fixtures, results and tables visit: www.bucs.org.uk

great work ethic and attitude within the team; it was this, combined with a really good bunch of players that resulted in our success last season.”

When asked about the difficulties of losing a large amount of players – seven first team forwards and both half backs – from last year’s team, he confessed that “it’s obviously difficult, but that’s

the nature of university rugby.

We had a very strong second team last year, who won their league, and a lot of those players are knocking on the door with a point to prove this season. Also, there are always large numbers of good freshers who join the University each year and fit right into the team”.

One of the most notable losses is former captain and second row Josh Beaumont, son of ex England and British Lions captain Bill Beaumont, who has completed his three years at the University, reaching the BUCS final at the end of each season.

Josh is now a fully contracted

player at Sale Sharks.

Another of last year’s standout players was full-back Simon Hammersley, who is the new captain for the coming season.

Simon, a recently signed Newcastle Falcon and Red Panda player, is certainly a figure to watch out for in the BUCS Championship. Alex Keay describes: “Simon is an exceptional player and leader on the field; he combines strength and pace and is a very clever player. He was man of the match in this year’s final at Twickenham; it’s no surprise that Newcastle have signed him for two years.”

One of Durham’s most important and exciting new arrivals, however, is not an onfield addition, but a coaching one.

Ex Wasps/England fly half and Durham alumni, Dave Walder, returned to help with coaching at his former University. Head Coach Keay emphasised: “we’re thrilled to welcome Dave back and have him on board with us. He will act as a specialist attacking and kicking coach for the team. The University matters a lot to him and it means a lot to have him back.”

When asked about the current season and their competition, Coach Keay said:

SEASON PREVIEW

Simon Roe

“we never worry about any other teams; we just want to get ourselves in the best shape possible in pre-season, so we can play our best. We have a great bunch of mentally focussed, bright guys who always want to win.”

Durham will have stiff opposition this year from always strong Leeds Met Carnegie and sporting experts Loughborough.

In the Southern half of the competition, it was UWIC last year that came out on top, with their second trip to Twickenham in the last three years.

It was a slightly disappointing season for former southern giants, Bath, who won only five of their matches.

Bath engaged for almost a month’s solid training before the season began last month. The team had a relentless pre-season schedule, with a number of difficult fixtures, playing Championship side ,Cornish Pirates, Bristol Rugby Academy, Cambridge University and National 1 side Blackheath, within the space of three weeks.

Talking Rugby Union also spoke to Bath head coach Aaron James, who described that the main things the club focussed on in pre-season were: “firstly, the transition into University rugby for the club’s new players. With a large amount of personnel changes, we aim to integrate them into the side and build a team that plays for each other.

In the first few weeks of pre-season there is lots of running and lots of skills, so we can really get to know who’s who and build a pecking order for the season. In pre-season we aim to give as many guys a game as we can, with about sixty to seventy players to cover.

“No teams are ever weak in the BUCS Premiership; Exeter, Bristol, UWIC and Hartpury are always particularly strong. We will have to be at our very best to compete and execute our aim of being a top four side.”

Bath’s recently named captain for the season, hooker, Michael Perks, will have the all-important role of leading the team from the front and bringing

40///Studentsportmagazine.com

the side together after pre-season.

After a disappointing 2012/13 campaign, Bath were keen to put their hard work over pre-season into action and opened their BUCS season at home with a 39-19 victory over Bristol on the 2nd of October. With 20 pts, they currently sit in 3rd place in the Premier South A division with 4 wins out of 7 games played.

Aaron James is also a key member of the England Students set-up, which is an important part of every BUCS rugby season. James, an assistant coach to the team, said: “the England Students coaching team are currently reviewing ways to strengthen their selection process and acquisition of players from all over the country.

“Our aim is to find the best student rugby players in England, and help them towards, hopefully, a transition into both Championship and Premiership rugby.”

James maintained that the Students team: “is a vital part of BUCS rugby”, and that the “sheer volume of players who have now gone to play professionally or semi-professionally this season alone, is a real testament to that.”

The England Students calendar begins with an away fixture to Portugal in February, followed by the daunting prospect of an away trip to France.

Followed by Wales at home in April, and finally, a new addition to the 2013/14 campaign, a development match against Scotland. Coach James told Talking Rugby Union that: “a completely new squad will be selected for the game, combining a second team with a number of younger University rugby players, in preparation for the following season.”

Which new players this year will stand up and lead their teams from the front? Will anyone be able to knock Durham off their perch at the top of University rugby? Only time will tell…

Simon Roe Studentsportmagazine.com///41

SEASON PREVIEW

by emma bird

swimming

Simon Roe

Loughborough University.

We could end it at that as last year’s team placed first in all competitions; Short Course Championships, BUCS Gatorade Nationals Long Course Championships and the Team Championships.

Some of the stand out performers from last year were Tilly Gray, winner of the 100 and 200m Butterfly events; Emma Wilkins, winner of the 50m Freestyle and Butterfly and Adam Barrett, winner of the 50m Butterfly.

Younger members will look to make their mark this year, one such athlete being Rachael Kelly. Kelly ended last year on a high at British Championships in the summer of 2013, with significant best times and narrowly missing out on World University Games selection, but the upcoming Commonwealth Games year is looking good for the Loughborough swimmer.

Commonwealth Games selection will be on the minds of many swimmers during the year, and due to the nature of some selection policies, some have already achieved selection; Tilly Gray is one of those granted early selection onto the Welsh Team along with Georgia Davis of Swansea University.

Swansea University placed second at BUCS Gatorade Nationals; and with number 1 a forgone conclusion they will look to replicate, says Captain Chris Titterington, “Our BUCS target for next year would be a top three finish at both the long course and short course competitions, and hopefully to be in the fight for a second spot again”.

on Alice Tennant, winner of the 400m Individual Medley, Titterington said: “Alice is coming back to the new season after a summer of personal bests in California and the US Nationals, and will be looking to push for a Team Scotland Commonwealth Games spot.”

Swansea will also benefit from new blood; British Open Water Swimmer, Tom Allen, is looking to make an impression on the distance events. Oliver Tennant and Charlotte Bryan will be strengthening the Welsh representation and striving for spots on Team Wales.

Titterington added: “this is potentially my final year as captain and I am hoping the team put in some good BUCS performances and combine this with Commonwealth success.”

The rest of the top five teams in Britain include the Universities of Edinburgh, Bath and Stirling; all of these having enjoyed success in various individual events last year, with Edinburgh claiming second place at the BUCS Team competition. Edinburgh President Charlie Dane explains the club will be looking to continue this success this season: “Last year we had successful results, continuing to place in the top four and coming second at BUCS Wednesday was a real achievement. This year we will aim to push on from this and also hope to combine this with Commonwealth success in Glasgow”.

Edinburgh, having lost a couple of key figures will look to strengthen their team with Emily Jones, an experienced British Junior international who will

strive to make an impact at a senior level. The men’s 4x50m Freestyle Relay team will hope for another victory at the short course event this year, after a stunning race in 2012 to win with a new Scottish Record, and will be one of the races to look out for next month.

Stirling have individual champions returning who will be aiming for a place on the Scottish Commonwealth Games team; including Delhi medallist Jak Scott, BUCS champion for 100 and 200m Freestyle in 2013, and Ryan Bennett who was BUCS champion in all three backstroke events in 2013 and has recently returned from the World University Games.

The final member of the big five is the University of Bath, their success last year was lead by 2012 Olympic Silver Medallist, Michael Jamieson, and Olympic Finalist, Andrew Willis. The main squad has many experienced British Swimmers who will be keen for Commonwealth success and may use the BUCS competitions as preparation so it’s possible a few soonto-be-stars of Glasgow will be competing!

Along with the top five placed teams there will undoubtedly be champions from universities such as Sheffield Hallam, their team including Olympians such as Rebecca Turner and Ellie Faulkner; and Heriot Watt, with Commonwealth finalist, Scottish Record holder and BUCS Champion in the 50 and 100m Breaststroke, Kathryn Johnstone. With the BUCS competitions serving as prime Commonwealth Trials prep, expect some high calibre racing!

articles

Squatting deep.

by Sean Maloney An expert view of one of the most avoided large muscles-mass exercises with tips on how to stay safe!

Sarah Collier

A simple question with slightly more complex answer.

Some believe that performing full squats increases the risk of injury, others that they hold almost magical benefits. So let’s work out which side is closer to truth.

How deep do you squat?

Outlining what we mean when we talk depth would be a good place to start.

I don’t care what you call them so long as you know the difference.

Arguments for full squatting include greater muscle activation.

Evidence would

suggest this to be the case; increasing squat depth increases the work performed by the glutes and quads and therefore implies greater activation. When it comes to the hamstrings they’re not really that active during the squat and, contrary to popular belief, increasing depth doesn’t make a difference.

depth

General consensus gives us these three depths:

thig

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Decreased risk of injury A recent review

by Hartmann and colleagues suggests that training with deep squats, when done so appropriately, does have a protective effect on muscles, tendons and other passive structures.

Full squats are also a great way to train and maintain good mobility, particularly so in the ankle and hip where any

h

partial

thigh

paralell

h

thig

full

limitations can increase the risk of injury.

Greater performance benefit This is probably true, however, it’s not a clear cut case.

Research from other exercises demonstrates that training a full range of motion results in greater muscular adaption so, in theory, full squats should be better than partial squats.

Whilst a recent study appeared to show that training with full squats promoted greater improvements in jump performance than partial squats,

Full squats are perfectly safe...

There’s no evidence to suggest that full squatting places excessive stress on the knee, hip or lower back in healthy subjects, again evidenced in Hartmann’s review article. Performing partial squats is actually likely to increase the risk the injury relative to full squats as they will require a heavier loading to create an effective training stimulus. ...as long as you perform them

correctly You should only ever squat to a depth where you can maintain perfect form - and with a level of resistance that also allows this. Unfortunately,

lower back, let your knees collapse inwards or even come up onto your toes. All of these issues increase the likelihood of injury.

Remember that it’s better to be a little

tip It’s better to be a little high and a little light that to compromise technique.

a large percentage of athletes lack the mobility to perform deep squats safely. When you lack mobility it’s likely that you’ll have to ‘cheat’ the movement in order to get deep.

For example, you may round your

high and little light than to compromise technique.

Contraindications for full squatting For individuals with knee pain, hip impingement or spinal issues, full squats can pose a real problem. Live by these two rules:

research Resistance exercise elicits a milieu of hormonal responses critical to acute muscular force and power production as well as subsequent tissue growth and remodelling. In Performing large muscle-mass exercises general, the acute response is (ie. squat, deadlift, power clean) may dependent upon the stimulus produce significant elevations in (e.g. intensity, volume, muscle testosterone. mass involvement, rest However, if you are a woman, don’t worry intervals, frequency) and may be the most critical element to about completing a set to find that you tissue remodelling. Long-term have grown a chest rug; there was no adaptations in neuroendocrine significant increase in women. function appear minimal but Hormonal responses and adaptations may be related to the current to resistance exercise and training. intensity/volume of the training stimulus.

Kraemer WJ & Ratamess NA (2005) A study by the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut revealed a link between resistance exercise and testosterone production.

Rule one: if it hurts, don’t do it.

Rule two: if the above applies, see a professional.

Alternatives to full squatting Squats are a fantastic exercise, but they’re not the be-all and end-all.

Many of the benefits of squatting can be achieved using single leg exercises such as split squat variations. These exercises allow you to train in deep positions but carry much less of a mobility demand.

An introduction to fitness

the latter were performed in a Smith Machine and we already know this to be inferior to free-weights.

Summary The hip, knee and ankle should be trained throughout a full range of motion.

When performed correctly, full squats are perfectly safe and may actually help prevent injury Individuals should only squat to a depth where they can maintain perfect form.

Where full squats are not included in the S&C programme additional exercises should be incorporated to fill the void...Train hard, train safe! SSM

Studentsportmagazine.com///45

articles

Keep Your Metabolism Firing

By Ben Strutt

UNIVERSITY With a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Sports Nutrition, Ben Strutt focussed on the effects of weight management intervention on skeletal muscle mass among severely obese children. Working previously as a PE teacher, Ben is a regular contributor to national media and is set for a career as a nutritional consultant.

www.universitynutrition.co.uk

Levels Avicii

Turn Me On Subscape

master blitzy

If

you are thinking of dropping a few pounds or shedding some body fat to look good in time for next summer then you may be in a hurry to do whatever it takes to look better.

This temptation is where many will fail and in turn actually do themselves more harm than good.

A common approach is to state “I need to lose weight so I’m not going to eat today”.

This is obviously a very drastic approach and, although the person adopting such a ‘crash diet’ strategy will undoubtedly consume some food (although very little), the mind set is completely wrong

and detrimental if you are looking to lose body fat. This approach is a sure fire way to killing off your metabolism, losing muscle and actually increasing your percentage body fat, even if you drop a few pounds on the scales.

Here are some key principles of

Killing In the Name of

Rage Against the Machine

“...the mind set is completely wrong and detrimental if you are looking to lose body fat.“

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fact

Starving yourself is not wise and will only serve to kill your metabolism and make fat loss even harder!.

body is highly responsive, even to small changes. In this instance, it may be preferable to start with an extra 20 minutes of cardio a week or a small reduction in calories. Large reductions in calories or endless cardio will ‘alarm’ the body, causing it to react negatively by preserving fat tissue and slowing your metabolism.

CARBS ARE IMPORTANT: In weight training or

high intensity activity, a reduction in carbs may be preferable to assist in burning body fat whilst preserving lean muscle tissue but carbs should not be completely eliminated from a diet. Carbs keep muscles hydrated and, post workout, are necessary to replenish muscle glycogen stores by inducing an insulin response to help with recovery.

SLEEP: Sleep encourages the release of

growth hormone and allows the body to rest and recover for the day ahead. This is a key factor in allowing you to continue to train hard and stick to your nutrition plan, whilst keeping your metabolism firing on all cylinders.

how to keep your metabolism firing, even if your goal is to shed some body fat: Planning, Patience and Acceptance: Before attempting to get started on your mission to cut fat, it is important to set out a plan for an ultimate fat loss goal within a realistic timescale.

The optimum target of weight loss per week should be approximately 2 pounds to ensure the body does not burn muscle tissue a sure fire way to kill

off your metabolism and prevent body fat from being used as fuel.

Include Protein at Each Meal: Ensuring you consume enough quality protein at each meal will allow a steady stream of amino acids to be used to repair and build muscle tissue.

As skeletal muscle is very metabolically active, it will assist the body with burning fat even whilst resting, helping to keep that metabolism firing.

university nutrition

DON’T DRASTICALLY CUT CALORIES: The

CONSUME HEALTHY FATS: Fat is necessary

for utilisation of the hormones (including testosterone); a vital component to keeping your metabolism firing and encouraging muscle synthesis. Furthermore, cutting fat from your diet can lead to the body being deficient in the fat storage hormones A, D, E and K which can be detrimental to overall health.

Cutting fat to low levels shocks the body into ‘starvation’ mode, where it holds onto body fat to compensate for low levels in the diet. The knock on effect of this can lead to muscle tissue being metabolised for fuel, rather than fat.

Aaron Webb

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sports tours

By Will Aitkenhead

from cornwall to the caribbean...

There is always something special about a sports tour, whether you are going to Blackpool for a weekend or Barbados for two weeks.

Having just returned from a tour of Barbados with Sheffield University Cricket Club, my third tour in all, I can safely say that they are experiences of a lifetime.

Tours are important for many aspects of a sports club at University and there is an arguement that off-field activities bind a team and impacts the

Sportsvest

season on-field.

Many Universities now take place in their annual pilgrimage to Salou where minimal sport is actually played but everybody certainly enjoys themselves.

From my experiences, Salou is a trip that people feel they must do at some stage of their University career, but once is often enough.

Other clubs take the alternative route and head for less travelled routes. Many cricket clubs, including Southampton, Sheffield and Aberystwyth, have headed

5-18th april 2014 Lloret de mar, spain.

From ÂŁ169 p/person www.sportsvest.co.uk

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to the Caribbean shores in search of competitive playing tours. St Andrew’s netball club also headed to Barbados this summer for the first time.

You are welcomed wherever you go and in the Caribbean in

...there will always be a local offering you a cold beer or large rum and coke.

particular there will always be a local offering you a cold beer or large rum and coke. You leave with some great stories (the all you can drink bar at Harbour Lights in Barbados certainly provided a few!) and incredible memories.

Tours are a great way to not only develope your playing skills in different environments but to also really get to know people and create friendships that will last a life.

The invention of tour companies have made planning for tours a lot easier in recent times and trips to the Caribbean or Salou are all taken care of by companies such Outgoing.

Often it can be cheaper and more fun to organise things yourself though and then you are not restricted to the ideas and conditions of the tour rep or company. Two summers ago Sheffield University cricket club went to Prague and

Outgoing

Outgoing

organised it all themselves, resulting in a much cheaper trip that was tailor made.

You leave tours with experiences and if you take the games seriously then the gains are even greater. Many envisage that tour games are a bit of a joke and a laugh with the main purpose of the trip being the social side, but the reality is that once you get there and are on the pitch you want to win the game, whatever your sport. After-all, the beer (or rum and coke) does taste better when toasted to victory.

Tours create environments that allow for bonding to take place unlike any other scenario throughout the year and that’s why they can be so important.

A pre-season tour may provide momentum into the season ahead of BUCS fixtures, which was certainly the case when Sheffield University cricket club went to Somerset in April 2012.

Tours within the UK also allow for bridges to be built between other universities and this can be important for the future. Regular tours can be set in place and it’s always useful to have contacts

when it comes to arranging preseason friendlies or even joint socials.

Ultimately tours provide the chance to get away from your comfort zone within the University which can often bring out the best in some people, there is always somebody that emerges from their shell in surprise of the group.

...sports tours have unquestionably enhanced my University experience.

From a personal experience, sports tours have unquestionably enhanced my University experience. Getting the chance to go away with some of your best mates and play the sport you love in an incredible country is the chance of a lifetime so don’t miss out, or better still, get one organised! SSM

Studentsportmagazine.com///49

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Studentsportmagazine.com///51 PICTURES BY MARK ROWE

Levels Avicii

Turn Me On Subscape

Killing In the Name of

Rage Against the Machine

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