Total NRG - the UK's leading health & fitness magazine

TOTAL NRG The Health, Fitness and Lifestyle magazine from the experts at Bio-Synergy.

GEMINI MAN

THE ART AND MAKING OF THE MOVIE AND YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THE ULTIMATE SMART BUNDLE

SUPERFOODS & BOTANICALS WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT DO THEY DO AND WHICH ONES SHOULD YOU BE TAKING WITH DR RICK HAY

IN

4 WAYS STRESS AFFECTS OUR WELLNESS & PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNING PERSONAL TRAINER & NUTRITIONIST STEVE HOYLES

, 3D & 2D CINEMAS GeminiManMovie.co.uk /GeminiManUK #GeminiMan

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£2.50

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It is with great excitement that we present the latest edition of Bio-Synergy’s Total NRG.

As sports nutrition experts, you can rely on us for all your nutrition needs.

As you would expect from Bio-Synergy we have poured a lot of passion into this issue and have had the pleasure of working with a number of industry experts to bring you the latest research, best recipes and workouts to fuel your passion for fitness and #makeithappen

Since 1997 Bio-Synergy has won numerous awards, accolades and most importantly millions of happy customers worldwide have adopted our products to get the most out of life.

If you want to join the conversation and get the latest news make sure that you follow on social media, simply search biosynergy.

Since its inception Bio-Synergy Total NRG has been devoted to bringing the latest and most exciting fitness news to give you the tools that you need to get the most from life.

I hope that you enjoy reading the articles as much as we did putting them together and feel free to share with your friends, family and colleagues.

Yours in fitness, Daniel and The Bio-Synergy team

Whether your goal is setting a new personal best or dropping a dress size, the information that you will discover in each issue will be practical, informative and exclusive.

Over the last 22 years we have dedicated ourselves to putting you the customer first, whether that be the quality of our products, our commitment to innovation or our desire to provide you with thought provoking and helpful articles and advice.

If you want to get in touch email makeithappen@bio-synergy.co.uk or call - 0044 207 569 2528

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1 3 5 9 13

CONTENTS Fitness Testing Ex-International Rugby League Star Alex Hurst explains the Importance of Fitness Testing

How Long Should A Training Session Last Award Winning Strength Coach Mike McGurn

Gemini Man The Art and Making of the Movie by Titan Books Plus Gemini Man competition

INEOS Recovery Exclusive article from Will Alloway about his preperation and recovery

4 Ways Stress Affect Our Wellness & Performance Personal Trainer & Nutritionist Steve Hoyles

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Creatine Supplementation for Runners

17

Karate Champion Lloyd Birt

19

Functional Sports Nutritionist Paul Ehren puts an end to the misconceptions once and for all

An interview with World Karate Champion Lloyd Birt

Twin Challenge Can Supplementation Give You The Edge?

23

Natalia’s Reviews

31

Autumn Comfort Food

33 37 39 42

Adventure and Endurance athlete gives her thoughts on the latest in sportswear and equipment

A Powerhouse soup packed full of antioxidants, full of vitamins and nutrients

Growing your own superfoods What to plant and when to plant them

Superfoods & Botanicals What are they, what do they do and which ones should you be taking by Dr Rick Hay

Tips for increasing your Deadlift Top Strength Coach shares 5 Top Tips for increasing your Deadlift

The Hub Elite Sports Performance Academy Setup by Former British Number 1. Tennis Coach

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FITNESS TESTING

ALEX HURST // ALEX IS AN EX-INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYER WHO REPRESENTS EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER, MATRIX, AND FITNESS & EDUCATION PROVIDER, PREMIER GLOBAL NASM, WHILST ALSO STUDYING A SPORTS REHABILITATION DEGREE AT BOLTON UNIVERSITY. With 10 years in the Sports/Fitness industry, Alex has spent 7 working with clients and the last 3 adding tutor roles to teach personal trainers. He has now established himself as an experienced fitness professional.

INTRO

There are many different aspects of fitness which coaches and trainers need to consider in order to deliver Strength & Conditioning (S&C) to the team and each individual within sports, rugby is no exception, so I have looked at Fitness Testing with a view on, “When, What & Why”.

TESTING

From a player’s point of view, this is a double edge sword as the player finds out their current physical status. However, it is usually not enjoyable, as it is quite a demanding session of training that, if results are lower than expected, can put the player under pressure to improve.

The points of the season of which you should test your players at are vital: 1. Start of pre-season—see what condition the players have returned back from the offseason in 2. End of pre-season—has pre-season had a positive effect?

3. Mid-season point (i.e. winter break)—where are the players at physically?

4. End of season—get a marker for the players returning back from offseason Testing is a strong indicator to know a player’s current status and to give them targets for improvement. The results can also be used to know when a player has completed a recovery period from an injury and can be used to show if they are back to a pre-injured state. I always bought into testing regularly and used it to focus my individual training.

I personally found my level improved when I was given a target.

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WHAT TESTS SHOULD BE USED?

WHY USE THIS TEST?

BENEFITS OF EACH TEST:

IN SUMMARY

My preference to the 3RM test is to maintain a better posture and form through the 3 reps. It is also more relatable in terms of how it only takes around 10 seconds to complete, which is similar to a tackle phase.

My go-to testing methods are: • VO2 Max (estimated)—yo-yo intermittent test • Body Composition—skin fold callipers • 3RM testing—squat/bench press

VO2 Max is usually measured in millilitres of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute—in a nutshell, aerobic capacity. One of the players main roles is to be able to last 80 minutes, are they fit enough to do this?

WHY USE THIS TEST?

How will this shape your programming, man-management and periodization throughout the season?

The results should be used as key markers that give you, as a coach, specific data regarding the player. As a player, it can give you focus to improve and a target to move forward with.

This test is sport specific; it uses a short distance and incorporates a change of direction followed with a small recovery period where the player decelerates and has an active recovery. This is perfect for a rugby player and will give them a change of direction conditioning, too.

EXPERIENCE

Alex is an Ex-International Rugby League player who represents Matric and Premier Global NASM. With 10 years in the Sports/Fitness industry, Alex has spent 7 working with clients and the last 3 adding tutor roles to teach personal trainers. He has now established himself as an experienced fitness professional.

Body Composition Skin-fold callipers, most commonly using 5 or 6 site methods, can give an estimate of body fat percentage. This is a simple tool that is easy to use and very effective if used with the same method and tested at the same site each time of retesting. This can be used more regularly—1-month repeat testing can be effective.

FITNESS INDUSTRY

WHY USE THIS TEST?

In Australia and UK, he has supported several Health club providers such as Fitness First Australia, Uber Shape Australia, DW Fitness, Local Leisure Providers based in Trafford/Salford, as well as other independent gyms.

When performing this test, I use the following 5 sites: Bicep, Subscapular, Suprailiac, Thigh, Calf The effect of this test is to gain some data on their Body Composition and can be trackable throughout the season.

This test is also very quick and shouldn’t take too much time to perform on a squad of players. Demands set from a coach can be indifferent. From experience as a player, I have been at clubs that require <70mm of body fat from 5 sites, and at others that are not as strict with the results use. My personal approach is player dependent and, in most occasions, manmanagement and improvement are the aim here.

CURRENT WORK

Alex is currently working as a full-time tutor and assessor for Premier Global NASM whilst also studying a Sports Rehabilitation Degree at Bolton University. He also maintains personal training clients and massage clients through a local clinic/gym. These clients include professional rugby players, football players and professional golfers.

3RM Testing (Strength Testing) This method provides a clear test of strength as well as giving an improved chance of maintaining better form. 3RM and 5RM approaches are used as estimated maximal strength tests, whereas 1RM is a test of maximal strength. However, the earlier mentioned loss of form may indicate energy leaks and may not be a true test of the lift in question.

Normative data to achieve for certain lifts: Squats: 1.3-1.8 X body weight Bench Press: 1.3-1.5 X body weight

My question to ask a trainer is why are you doing the selected test and what are you going to do with the data that you have collected?

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Other professional sports Alex has worked with include triathletes, golfers, professional football and rugby teams— currently 2 League One sides & 2 Super League clubs. He is still currently playing for a National League Rugby Union side, where he also holds the role of Head of Strength & Conditioning.

Head of Strength & Conditioning for Preston Grasshoppers RFU Master Trainer for Matrix Fitness UK Master Trainer for Premier Global NASM

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HOW LONG SHOULD A TRAINING SESSION LAST? Some gym goers who I speak to tell me their gym session lasts 90 -120 minutes!

I programme my sessions to last 40 -50 minutes. My reasoning for this is the body physiologically can only develop for this length of time.

Charles Poliquin famously quoted in his own inimitable humorous style, “if your workout takes longer than an hour you are making friends, not building size and strength”.

When you consider the rest time in between sets that Poliquin also advocated, of 45 – 60 seconds when training for hypertrophy and from 3 – 5 minutes when training for strength, you can then accurately assess the number of exercises that you can fit into that one hour time slot to optimize your training intensity. If you need to train longer than an hour, personally I would say that you are not training hard enough or you need to split the workout into two sessions throughout the day allowing sufficient time in between for recovery.

It is unrealistic to try and maintain high intensity for more than 50-60 minutes and I feel it is not conduicive mixing strength and cardio training in the same session as the body starts questioning what are the objectives and outcomes of the training session.

A great way to squeeze more out of your 50/60 minute window in the gym is to incorporate Time Under Tension

(TUT) training. To execute this correctly you perform a concentric contraction of 2 seconds, pause for 1 second in the fully contracted position then perform the eccentric phase of each rep in 4 seconds for a total repetition time of 7 seconds. A set of between 8 – 12 repetitions would then take approximately 56 – 84 seconds to complete although each set will be taken to momentary muscular failure during the concentric phase for most people.

Another training modality strategy which can be used is the rep speed timing method of 3:3 (3 seconds concentric, 3 seconds eccentric. No pause) and working to technical failure or an inability to maintain the given rep speed. This method requires approximately 60 - 75 seconds per set, with a 60 seconds rest in between sets, and can be used with 5 sets on movements in approximately 10 minutes, so perfectly placed to get 4/5 exercises done inside an hour, A third methodology of adding volume and intensity into your 50/60 minute workouts is supersets, 2 exercises done back to back before you take a rest period.

Classically this is executed with a push/pull prescription.

Bench press super-setted with lat pull down or DB Shoulder Press Super- setted with Barbell Shrugs. Personally I like to involve a lot of legs in my super set prescription due to the massive growth hormone release training the lower body gives us.

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A SAMPLE SESSION MAY LOOK LIKE THE FOLLOWING; 5-10 minute warm up and mobility; 1a) Front Squats. 5 x 5. S/Set. 1b) Wide Grip Pull Ups. 5 x. 12.

Rest 45 seconds 2a) Barbell Step Ups 4 x 8. S/Set. 1b) DB Incline Bench Press. 4 X 10

Rest 45 seconds.

3a). RDLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4 X 6 S/Set. 3b). Barbell Supported Rows 4 x 8

Rest 45 seconds 4a) DB Curl to Front Squats to Overhead Press. 3 X 8.

S/S.

4b) Renegade Row 3 X 8 each side.

Rest 45 seconds

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THE MOTORCYCLE CHASE One of the undeniable highlights of Gemini Man, and among the most physically and technologically ambitious to film, was the spectacular chase between Henry and Junior in the streets of Cartagena, first on foot and then on motorcycles. The scene is important because it’s the first time that the audience meets Junior, and that Henry has to deal with the incredible skills of his younger, and strangely familiar, pursuer. “This is the kind of sequence,” says Jerry Bruckheimer, “in which every department pulls together and makes their own huge contributions. Without that kind of inter-department cooperation, the whole thing falls apart. I’m really proud of how brilliantly the teams from the US and Colombia worked together to create this memorable sequence.”

Perry and his stunt team came to Cartagena four months before the filming of the sequence to begin working on its intricate choreography. “My process is always the same,” says Perry. “Bring the best tools for the job, put them in the right place at the right time, and let them do it.” Perry continued working on the sequence during the company’s shooting in Savannah, working with costunt coordinator Justin Yu, fight coordinator Jeremy Marinas, and two world-class motorcycle stunt riders, Jalil Jay Lynch and Tony Carbajal. One of the true heroes of the scene was the covert camera bike, or ‘e-bike’ (electrical motorcycle), operator Regis Harrington, according to Perry. “Driving that

. The beginning of the chase scene, Henry has fled Baron’s house to entice the shooter away from his friends.

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GEMINI MAN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE MOVIE

c A detailed map of the route the motorcycle chase would take through the streets of Cartagena.

e-bike with a 300-pound camera system in front was like

that I’m doing with the big, heavy camera on the front of

riding around with a rhino sitting in front of you. You can’t really see where you’re going. I don’t know too many

his e-bike.”

“Ang wants a lot of speed, so we had to go as fast as

other people who could do that.” Harrington was called upon to sometimes drive the camera-laden e-bike through centuries-old city alleyways in long, sustained one-shots.

“It is a bit of a challenge,” says Harrington with more than

we could in those little tight corridors,” adds Harrington, “and finally, stopping on a mark and making sure we hit it perfectly.” The all electric e-bike began as a Victory Impulse.

“We took it down to the frame and heavily modified it,”

a little understatement, “being that most action shots are done with multiple cuts. I had to chase Will’s character

explains Harrington, “put a camera cage of our own on it and made a purpose-built camera vehicle that is film-

down the tight corridors of Cartagena, and up onto the sea wall in about a forty-five second to one minute long shot with a massive 3D rig on the bike that weighs substantially more than your normal camera. This is a completely new endeavor that I’m taking, and it adds about 300 pounds onto the motorcycle. So hitting the corners correctly, and allowing stunt rider Jay Lynch to do what he needs to do to make the shot look great while staying with him is very, very challenging.” Confirms Lynch, who numbers more

friendly. It’s very, very quiet, there’s no heat from it, and it’s got really good torque.”

It goes without saying that, although Will Smith did a great many stunts and riding on his own, driving a motorcycle on narrow city walls at more than 100 miles per hour occasionally has to be left to the experts. “Will can do just about everything,” says Perry. “Actually, we’re trying to find things that he can’t do, that’s how good he is. He can pretty much walk on water. He can shoot it, cut it, rig

than 250 films as a stunt player, usually as a stunt driver, “Coming out of what we called ‘Speed Alley’ was a big one,

it, right it, flip it, burn it. But we didn’t want to put Will in a position where we would all have to start swimming back

which is very hard to shoot. We’ve got pedestrians, we’ve to the States if he got hurt. So we give him what he can do GEMINI MAN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE MOVIE got animals, we’ve got cars, we’ve got obstacles that we’re perfectly and he does it.” swerving through, and Regis has to keep up with the speed

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Gemini Man: The Art and Making of the Movie is out now from Titan Books.

Gemini Man © 2019 Skydance Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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INEOS RECOVERY

Specifically, can I request a breakdown of what you eat when recovering the day after competition? For example shall we say the day after Act 4?

Our recovery protocol doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start the day after competition, it starts 10 minutes after the last race of a regatta. We use essential sports fuel after each day of racing to help replenish glycogen stores and promote tissue maintenance after a gruelling day. For dinner our nutrition intake will be planned around our output data from our HR monitors that we wear during training and racing.

This ensures that we take on enough to recover effectively and not be in deficit. We eat a lot of lean meats, seasonal veg and complex carbohydrates. Nothing fancy, no secret recipes, just good healthy real food in appropriate portions and macros to fuel performance and recovery.

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Then before bed I will take on another shake of Whey Better. Bio Synergy has a big range of flavours which helps avoid monotony. Rocky Road is my favourite for sure though.

Each day I take Super 7 Armour, combined with Omega 369. This helps me to build a strong immune system and recover quicker.

Reducing the risk of illness is a big focus for us and taking these together helps mitigate that.

What does your recovery schedule look like the day after competition? i.e ice baths, compression gear etc Often we are travelling straight back to the UK and the plane trips can finish you off so it’s really important we put the right things into our body to help us get back to 100% as quickly as possible.

After a day of racing, were all pretty quick to get our Bio-Synergy Essential Sports Fuel in as I mentioned. At the Extreme Sailing Series Cascais it was really hot so to try and cool the body down as quickly as possible, we would jump into the Atlantic for 10 mins. During the Senior and Youth America’s in Bermuda we had infrastructure so ice baths and other protocols set by the performance staff came into play.

Those things are a logistically harder on the Extreme Sailing Series tour though.

For the flight we may use compression clothing if its long haul and we will carry our own bottles and hydration mixes so we’re actively working on recovery as best possible in the air.

Once we land back in the UK we are into two days of recovery and reload. Depending on how we feel we have a few recovery sessions that range from mobility and recovery CV to muscle stimulators and soft tissue therapy if we are at our Team HQ in Portsmouth.

Which Bio-synergy product do you use to aid recovery and why?

My favourite is the Bio-Synergy Essential Sports Fuel, it tastes good and has a good blend of protein and carbs. Before bed I will take on whey Better. Depending on our training and competition load the conditioning and nutrition coaches may change up our performance intakes to include BCAA’s, additional glutamine, power-beet etc.

Some of the guys have slightly different set ups though. It’s not a blanket protocol. I am always maintaining or reducing so my supplements may be a bit leaner. Some of the crew are always striving to increase lean size so they will be taking on Super Gain or Super Max for example.

Will Alloway, Skipper INEOS Rebels UK

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IN

OCTOBER 11 , 3D & 2D CINEMAS GeminiManMovie.co.uk

/GeminiManUK

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#GeminiMan

GeminiManMovie.co.uk /GeminiManUK #GeminiMan

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Taking stress into account will help boost your training and improve your competitive results, so read on to learn how stress can and does effect wellness and performance if it’s not controlled…

Stress in Active Populations

Stress is an interesting concept for athletes and general exercisers, because as active people, we voluntarily and willingly place stresses upon ourselves. To a degree this aids our performance but pushing these stresses too far can have an adverse effect on our physical and our mental well-being.

To perform at our best we need to be both physically and mentally fit. The brain and body work in synergy. You don’t have to look far to see how much importance professional sport applies to athlete psychology. Many top athletes and teams employ sports psychologists to give them a psychological edge in training and competing.

As active people, we have a complex relationship with stress.

Let’s closely at what stress is and four ways it can affect our wellness.

Defining Stress

Defining stress is tough because there are so many different types. There’s physical stress that we generate through training and competing. Other types of stress we may encounter include; emotional, financial, sleep, thermal, work and chemical to name but a few...

Whilst these stresses are all different, at a physiological level they all look roughly the same. They stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, increase the inflammatory conditions, raise levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and can bring about feelings of anxiety, nervousness, sleep difficulties and a drop in performance.

So, in the absence of an ‘official’ definition of stress, let’s use health and wellness practitioner Paul Chek’s version…

Reactions of the body to forces of a deleterious nature, infections and various abnormal states that tend to disturb its normal physiologic equilibrium (homeostasis).

Now we have a general definition of stress, lets look at what being stressed does to our wellness.

1. Intense Training and Athletic Performance

As an athlete, you’re most likely to create physical stresses on yourself through periods of intense training and performance.

Punishing training and competing schedules without sufficient recovery time can put an unsustainable amount of stress on the body. With this in mind, you should always look to include recovery times in your schedule if you want to be at your best.

If we look at this study, it shows how the inclusion of rest in pre-season soccer players training schedules actually increased performance. If this rest isn’t included, physiological stresses are allowed to accumulate and subsequent performance drops.

2. Stress and Delayed Injury Recovery

A strength coach once said to me that in his mind, the most important ability an athlete has is availability…I couldn’t agree more. All of the talent in the world is no good if you can’t compete. Studies have shown that stress is a major contributor to injury recovery delays.

One interesting study assessed six psychological variables and their impact on time lost from sport through injury. The conclusion was that optimism, hardiness and reduced stress led to reduced time lost through injury and faster recovery rates from injuries.

4 WAYS STRESS AFFECT OUR WELLNESS AND PERFORMANCE www.bio-synergy.uk

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3. Stress and Sleep Quality

The most important factor when it comes to rest and recovery is sleep. Without adequate sleep in terms of both quality and quantity, risks of injury, illness, missed sessions and general fatigue levels can spiral out of control.

So far in the article we’ve already discussed how stress can affect athletic performance, but there’s another layer to the cake… stress is also responsible for a drop in sleep quality, which has a knock-on effect across many different areas of the wellness spectrum.

Stress, Wellness and Performance: Concluded

As active people, we invite a certain level of stress into our lives – we need this stress in order to improve our capabilities, but we have to respect the fact that too much stress is a bad thing. Over training and under-recovery will lead to a drop in our physical capabilities and will be detrimental to our performance.

Be aware of stress and plan your training and recovery strategies around it.

About the Author

4. Sleep and Athletic Performance

Steve is a Personal Trainer and Professional Nutritionist

by Steve for KYMIRA Sport

This study shows a direct link between active participation in stress relieving and wellness-boosting activities and an improvement in sleep quality.

Other research found that this link between improved performance and regular, good quality sleep, could be carried over into other sports, the military and emergency services.

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule helps keep a relative lid on stress and the performance benefits certainly more than make up for it.

KYMIRA and Physical Stress Reduction

You can help offset the physical elements of stress with KYMIRA Sport infrared sportswear range. The infrared generated by the fabrics help to alleviate the physical stresses that are accrued through intense training and competition.

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CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION FOR RUNNERS Every time we breathe, take a step or perform any type of physical work our bodies require energy. This muscular movement is powered by a high-energy compound within our bodies called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). However, as we only hold a limited supply of ATP it is necessary for us to continually replenish our reserves and this is achieved by 3 energy systems: THE PHOSPHAGEN SYSTEM: An anaerobic process i.e. one that occurs without the presence of Oxygen and uses Creatine Phosphate to resynthesise our supply of ATP. GLYCOLYTIC SYSTEM: Uses Glucose or Glycogen to resynthesise ATP and its exact nature depends on the duration and intensity of the activity and the availability of oxygen.

OXIDATIVE SYSTEM: use carbohydrates, fats and (to a lesser amount) protein to resynthesise ATP. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an aerobic system requiring the availability of sufficient oxygen.

None of these systems work totally independently of each other but the Phosphagen system tends to be involved in brief, intense bursts of energy which has given rise to the theory that supplementing Creatine is only of use to athletes in the strength or power sports.

Looking specifically at running in all its variations, with our own supply of ATP lasting merely a few seconds under conditions of very intense exercise and up to approximately 10 seconds with the intervention of the Phosphagen system the use of creatine supplementation for the sprint events becomes clear.

However, what about events from middle distance to marathon and beyond?

If we consider the actual phases of, let us say a 3,000 or 5,000 metre race it would be very unusual for the race to be run at a completely even pace from the start to crossing the finish line.

If we take a classic scenario the first few laps may well be taken at a steady pace which is comfortably within the race leaders lactate threshold and they

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are working at a good aerobic capacity. As the pace begins to wind up over the course of the race and the exercise intensity increases more and more runners will find that lactate production is becoming increasingly uncomfortable, fatigue starts to set in and that characteristic “burn” starts to manifest itself.

At some point one or more of the athletes will decide to make the break for home and a dramatic change of pace will occur. This may be a lap or two from the finish when the athletes involved hope that the “kick” will be decisive enough to win the race or it could be at any point of the race when the tactics will be to vary the pacing in order to “break” the rest of the field.

This is also very common in other endurance sports such as road cycling, anyone who has watched the Tour de France will have seen riders attacking the peloton with a sustained sprint hoping to gain a crucial advantage.

In these examples the phosphagen system will be called upon at both the very start of the race before the Glycolytic and/or Oxidative systems kick in and, most importantly, when the dramatic change of pace (intensity) is injected. This will require the sudden immediate replenishment of ATP achieved by the breakdown of Creatine.

without exception the results have been found to be positive. However, two points of caution, as with any new food stuff or supplement creatine use needs to be trialled in a training environment before being used in a full race scenario. A certain percentage of the athletic population will be “non-responders “and will not obtain any advantage from creatine use. More importantly some individuals may experience a degree of increased water content within the muscles thereby increasing bodyweight and skewing power to weight ratios.

Quality research has yet to find any serious adverse health side effects resulting from Creatine use in either healthy or clinical populations Interestingly, recent creatine research has shown potential benefits of creatine use in Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. Such study remains in its early phase but represents a fascinating line of enquiry.

Bottom line is to seriously consider the use of Creatine supplementation outside of its traditional home of the strength and power sports.

Written by Functional Sports Nutritionist Paul K Ehren and Marathon Des Sables Competitor Natalia Andreyeva

Therefore, it can be seen that any radical increase in race speed will initially require optimum levels of creatine to be available even though the overall event would be classed as endurance or aerobic.

This will hold true regardless of the actual nature of the event, marathon, steeplechase cross country etc.

Together with caffeine, creatine is probably the ergogenic aid with most research behind it and almost

BIO-SYNERGY CREATINE BOOST Every serving provides an impressive 6.4g of creatine monohydrate – that’s more than most other products in the category – as well as an exact dose of pure dextrose. Studies show that dextrose accelerates creatine absorption and uptake in your muscles, giving you better, faster results than creatine alone.

Also, Creatine Boost® contains over 1g of L-glutamine per serving to support muscle recovery and repair. Research suggests L-glutamine is essential for anyone who takes their training seriously. And you get all of this in a deliciously refreshing drink.

BIO-SYNERGY CREATINE PLUS The world’s first encapsulated creatine supplement. Used by 1000’s of athletes and those who want to get the most out of every training session.

Creatine Plus comes in a two-phase pack, one for loading and one for maintenance, making it more effective, precise and convenient for you.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH WALES INTERNATIONAL KARATE ATHLETE

LLOYD BIRT

An insight into what it takes to compete at the highest level.

entered the cadet category (16-17 years) and the junior age group (18-21 years). I reached the finals in both of my events.

I won a silver medal in my cadet category, narrowly missing out on becoming champion. I took home a Silver and Bronze Medal from this Championship.

What got you into Karate?

I was naturally disappointed that I didn’t win but I feel this result has made me a better person. I took away many positives from this championship; having the attitude that if you train harder, the results would eventually come. At first I was not selected for this championship or for the previous WSKA in Mexico; I remember being told for Chicago “You are not good enough”. But, with the backing of others, this decision was then overturned. I gained 2 medals at my first major International event and medaling in the next age category above. This is what has driven me forward.

I started participating in Karate because of being bullied at school. My parents thought it would help develop my character and improve my confidence levels to enable me to handle my problems at school. I initially began practicing Karate at just eight years old, earning my 1st Dan black-belt aged 11 and 2nd Dan black belt at aged 14.

What are the highlights of your career?

My current accolades are:

- UKC Ultimate Karate Champion “17 - JKS World Shoto Championships “16, Bronze - BKF British Open Champion “15

In September 2013, I was then selected to represent Wales again at the WSKA Championships at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. This event saw almost 900 competitors from 28 different countries. I again faced a host of many top Shotokan competitors from around the World and came away with two medals going up against the likes of many athletes that are part of their WKF (World Karate Federation) National Teams.

I won a Silver Medal in the junior category and a Bronze in the senior, despite the fact that I hadn’t turned 21. I again narrowly missed out on a gold medal in the junior category.

I have been practicing Karate for 18 years, achieving many titles along the way.

Some have been very memorable;

WSKA World & ESKA European Shotokan Karate Association Championships

For those of you who don’t know, for 10 years I was part of the KUGB Wales Team, where I was selected to represent them at both the WSKA/ESKA Championships. In both the ESKA and WSKA Championships, I won medals in all age categories for individual events (Cadet/Junior/Senior categories). These events attracted some of the best Shotokan practitioners from around the World and competing at these events gave me the first taste of competing internationally.

My first major international championship was when I was selected to represent Wales at the WSKA Championships in Chicago Illinois (2011). At the time, I was 16 years old and

BKF British Open Champion 2015

Of all my achievements, this is probably the most meaningful.

In 2015, I made the biggest decision of my career, and moved organisations from the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB) to the (World Karate Federation). Due to my success in a single style organisation I wanted to see how I’d cope in an ‘open-style’. This was a very difficult decision for me as I had a lot of success in my previous organisation and moving over gave me a brand new start. I naturally was concerned that I may not be as successful. For many years throughout my career many have told me that I have a natural WKF style, so I felt very eager to give the WKF a go. I took the attitude

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that I may not be as successful with my move, but I would be happy with competing and training amongst people which I have always looked up to and who have inspired me. The World Karate Federation is the largest international governing body of sport karate with 191 member countries. It was formed in 1990, is the only karate organisation recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than ten million members.

In less than 6 months of being with the WKF, the first competition I entered was the BKF British Open Championship 2015, at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. This was my first Championship since moving organisations, so I wasn’t expecting much of a result. But I became the BKF British Open Senior Kata Champion. I hold this achievement very close to my heart. I felt that everything had paid off for me. It also showed me that I can be just as successful in this association. This achievement has pushed me to train harder and I am enjoying my Karate more than ever.

JKS World Shotoremnei Championships 2016

I performed Gojushiho Sho in the finals, placing 3rd behind Koji Arimoto (Japan) and Shohei Toyama (Japan) in Male Senior Kata. A great podium to be standing on with two top full time Japanese Athletes.

23 x Welsh Champion

I have won a total of 23 Welsh titles throughout both associations.

kata competitors. He has won multiple WKF World and European titles. I have watched and studied him for many years and met him at the EKF Senior European Championships in Montpelier where I represented Wales.

After watching and studying him for many years, it was such a privilege to meet him in person. I have learnt so much throughout my career by studying many of the top athletes, picking bits from their katas and incorporating them into my own style. A lot of people say that YouTube is no good for aiding your Karate, but I feel that YouTube has made a huge impact on my style as I have analysed many athletes and applied and adapted their technique into my own Kata’s.

Short/Long Term Goals?

Throughout my career I feel goal setting has been an important aspect for my success and development. It has kept me motivated by having something to aim for. I enjoy competing as much as possible. I take part in many events as this is what keeps me motivated to train and keep/ improve my performance level. As soon as I have competed, I’m planning my next competition, as this is what keeps me motivated. Over the past few years, I have attended many WKF events over the World, trying to set myself an International every 2/3 months, as this gives me something to aim and work for. The next major goal for me is to be selected for the WKF Senior World Championships in Dubai next year and the WKF European Championships in Azerbaijan.

What advice would you give to aspiring athletes?

What does your training consist of?

I train 6 days a week doing a minimum of 2 hours per day; Sunday is usually my rest day. Training 6 days a week can be quite a challenge, as I have to find time between balancing train with competing and work commitments. However I have always treated my training and competing as if I’m a full-time athlete. I have always made time for my Karate and have put it first. I fit all other commitments around it.

Due to competing at many high level and World events throughout the year, I feel it’s important for me to train as much as possible in order for me to compete at this level.

Sunday is usually my rest day, but I still make sure I go to the gym and do some mobility exercises such as light stretching; I feel it’s better to do something as over time the body will adapt to the training it’s given. I have recently built my own dojo, to help me manage my training time much easier.

My training days incorporate a range of different training methods. E.g.

If I had to give aspiring athletes some advice, I’d say to never give up on what you believe in. A quote that I have on my black belt is, ‘If you believe, you will achieve!’ This is what I have always thought throughout my career. Many people may tell you that you can’t achieve certain goals however there is a saying that goes ‘set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it, until you grow into the person who can’. A career is short, it’s important to take every opportunity that you can, and to never turn one down.

At the end of my career I want to be able to say that I have done everything that I have wanted to do and have taken every opportunity given to me, and have absolutely no regrets.

To follow me on my journey and keep up to date with my progress, visit my Instagram page: lloydbirtkarate I’m also taking many seminars & talks around the country along side my competitions. If booking me to a club or event is something you are interested in, please contact me at karatebirt@outlook.com

Monday- Kata Training & Basics Tuesday- Weight Training (Upper) Wednesday- Cardiovascular Thursday- Weight Training (Lower) Friday- Kata Training & Kumite Saturday- Cardiovascular Sunday- Flexibility & Computerised performance analysis.

Dietary preferences before a competition?

1 week before competition, I limit the amount of carbs which I consume in comparison to a typical day. 2 days before competition I will do the opposite and ‘carb load’. Consuming more carbs than usual e.g. pasta and bread etc. This maximises the storage of glycogen in my muscles, known as energy. Due to my muscles over the last few days being starved from their main source of energy, on competition day after ‘carb loading’ they are then ready to ‘Make It Happen’.

Who has been your role-model?

Throughout my career I have always looked up to Luca Valdesi, who is one of the all time best and most successful

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TWIN CHALLENGE: CAN SUPPLEMENTATION GIVE YOU THE EDGE? Bio-Synergy challenged twins, Jessica & Francesca, to discover how nutrition supplements can help boost your fitness results When it comes to sports nutrition, we often get asked ‘Will supplements really make a big difference to my training’The answer is yes! Diet and exercise are naturally the key building blocks when it comes to achieving your fitness goals, but many underestimate the impact sports nutrition can have on helping you to amplify your results. Ensuring you have the right nutritional support can give you that extra oomph to take your training to the next level!

To show the true power of sports nutrition and disprove a few myths too, we decided to recruit twins Jessica and Francesca and conduct our own mini trial!

The identical twins underwent a bespoke eight-week programme created

by Bio-Synergy ambassador and qualified trainers, that incorporated a personal training regime and a diet plan. The twist? Only one of them took Bio-Synergy supplements (and we did not know which one) to support their results. Both girls wanted to lose weight and tone up. We wanted to see how supplements from our best-selling range could impact that goal.

To kick start, we measured both of the girls to ensure we could go beyond weight loss to see genuine inch loss. Remember scales can lie and don’t often represent true results!

Both girls followed exactly the same workout routine and diet plan. The only difference was the addition of Bio-Synergy supplements. The twins themselves decided who would be the supplement taker, keeping the BioSynergy team in the dark. Without this knowledge we were able to ensure both of the girls received exactly the same coaching and advice.

It was Jessica who selected to trial the sports supplements, which saw her take Bio-Synergy Whey Better Protein Powder, Bio-Synergy Creatine, Active Women Multivitamins, OMEGA Fish Oils, Perfect Body CLA and Bio-Synergy Skinny Water.

When the measurements came through at the end of the eight weeks, the results spoke for themselves. The final stats showed that taking supplements really does help lose inches whilst adding definition!

In fact, Francesca who didn’t take sports nutrition supplements actually gained inches on her arms and hips, whereas Jessica who took the BioSynergy supplements lost inches everywhere as you can see from the impressive results below:

Jessica (with sports nutrition supplements)

Francesca (NO sports nutrition supplements)

• Upper arm: lost 0.9 inches • Waist: lost 2.2 inches • Hips: lost 4.5 inches • Thigh: lost 0.7 inches

• Upper arm: gained 0.4 inches • Waist: lost 1.3 inches • Hips: gained 0.6 inches • wThigh: lost 0.1 inch

JESSICA’S TRAINING & NUTRITION PLAN Thanks to the added support from Bio-Synergy’s supplement programme, Jessica managed to take her workouts to the next level and see her body give back even more than expected. Want to follow Jessica’s plan yourself? Here’s her sample training plan.

TRAINING PLAN CARDIO - repeat circuit 3 times a week 10 rounds, 30 seconds work of each exercise & 1 min rest between rounds • High knees • Star jumps • Slam balls • Kettle bell swings AB / CORE WORKOUT - repeat circuit 3 times a week 4 rounds, 15 reps of each exercise & 1 min rest between rounds • Hanging knee raises • Touch and go’s (with resistance) • V-ups 30 seconds of each exercise for 8 minutes continually

• Crunches • Leg extensions • Mountain climbers • Plank www.bio-synergy.uk

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NUTRITION PLAN (REST DAYS)

UPPER BODY - perform this circuit once a week 4 sets, 10-15 reps of each exercise & 90 seconds rest • Press ups • Seated machine rows • Pull ups • One arm dumbbell row • Rope hammer bicep curls • Rope tricep extensions

Breakfast • Medium free range eggs (3 Eggs) scrambled with butter • Kerry gold Butter (10g) added to scrambled eggs • 1 slice granary toast • 60g Avocado • Additional supplements to take separately: • Active Women Multivitamins x2, OMEGA Fish oils x2 & Perfect body CLA x2 • 1 scoop of Bio-Synergy Creatine mixed with water

LOWER BODY - perform this circuit once a week 4 sets, 10-15 reps of each exercise & 90 seconds rest • Goblet or barbell squat • Single leg split squat • Barbell hip thrust • Deadlifts • Walking lunges • Glute kick backs or reverse hyper extension

Mid Morning Snack • 1 scoop Bio-Synergy Whey protein powder • Fage Total 0% greek yoghurt (100g) • 40g Nuts Lunch

• Any lean meat or fish of your choice (200g cooked weight) • Avocado (80g) • Salad or Greens (300g cooked weight) • x1 Bio-Synergy Skinny Water

NUTRITION PLAN (TRAINING DAYS) Breakfast • 1 scoop Bio-Synergy Whey protein powder • 1 scoop of Bio-Synergy Creatine (mix with protein) • 35g oats • 3 ice cubes • 1 x 1/2 banana • Handful of spinach • Handful of kale • 300ml of coconut or almond milk or water • Add fruit of your choice if you wish • Additional supplements to take separately: • Active Women Multivitamins x2, OMEGA Fish oils x2 & Perfect body CLA x2

Mid Afternoon Snack

• Light spreading of Philadelphia • 2 Ryvita or plan rice cakes • 1 Medium banana • 1 scoop Bio-Synergy Whey protein powder (mix with water) Dinner

• Any lean meat or fish of your choice 200g (cooked weight) • Greens or Salad of your choice 300g (cooked weight) • x1 Bio-Synergy Skinny Water Bed time snack (1 hour before bed)

• 20g whole earth peanut butter

Plan written in conjunction with Hayley Sinclair (centre)

Mid Morning Snack • Fage Total 0% greek yoghurt (100g) • 2 x Snack a Jacks Jumbo Chocolate Chip Rice cakes Lunch

• Any lean meat or fish of your choice (100g cooked weight) • Sweet potato or any carb of your choice (150g cooked weight) • 30g nuts • Add salad or greens to your liking • x1 Bio-Synergy Skinny Water Mid Afternoon Snack

• 1 Scoop Whey Better Protein Powder (mix with water) • 1 Scoop Bio-Synergy Creatine (mix with protein) • Fage Total 0% greek yoghurt (100g) • 20g nuts Post-training

• 1 Scoop Bio-Synergy Whey Better Protein Powder (mix with water) • 1 Scoop Bio-Synergy Creatine (mix with protein) 6 • 50g Pineapple Dinner

• Any lean meat or fish of your choice (200g cooked weight) • Greens or Salad of your choice (300g cooked weight) • x1 Bio-Synergy Skinny Water Bed time snack (1 hour before bed)

• 1 x pot of sugar free jelly • 1 x square of dark chocolate

For women, a common misconception of taking protein powders and creatine is that it will make you bulky or masculine in appearance. ‘I don’t want to look like Hulk or grow hair on my body’ are just some of the comments we get daily.

However, Jess’ impressive results are testament that, when taken correctly, supplements can give you the lean, feminine physique you crave.

If you’d like to lose inches and add more definition just like Jessica, why not sign up to the Bio-Synergy 12 week challenge. Discover more on our website!

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wellbeing

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wellbeing

LIMITLESS NOOTROPIC

FEEL LIKE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS.

x60

Scientifically formulated with evidence-backed, multi-tasking nootropics, new Limitless Nootropic Capsules from Bio-Synergy promote a peakperforming, healthy state of mind. Our formula is designed to help improve your memory, focus, learning, concentration and multi-tasking ability.

Take two capsules when required with a glass of water. Do not take more than six capsules a day.

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NATALIA’S REVIEWS

9/10

KYMIRA SPORT RECOVERY I’ve tried almost every active wear under the sun, always searching for a product that can help me feel most comfortable during or after a race.

Many brands have perfected comfort but I’ve never before come across an activewear that also promises to help the user perform better or recover quicker.

With that being said, KYMIRA Sport is not any old activewear, the fabrics capture the body’s wasted energy and convert it to a specific wavelength of Far Infrared Radiation (FIR) that has proven beneficial effects on the body. Its KYnergy infrared technology is embedded within the fibres of their fabrics so that the wearer gains the benefits provided by the FIR emitted by KYMIRA Sport products: · · · ·

Increases circulation Increases tissue oxygenation Increases cellular repair and replication Pain relief

I tested the recovery leggings, understandably I didn’t have a surge of energy, they aren’t magic, but my legs certainly felt a little more loose than usual. When it comes to recovery though, these leggings are fantastic. After my typical fasted cardio, I’d feel sorer than usual but after wearing the recovery leggings throughout and after (as suggested) I was amazed by how fresh my legs felt.

I’d give the leggings a 9/10 and look forward to sampling the rest of the range.

The KYMIRA Sport range includes leggings, shorts, long sleeve tops, short sleeve tops, gloves socks and can be purchased from www.KYMIRAsport.com

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SKULLCANDY XTFREE WIRELESS SPORT EARPHONES

8/10

These headphones are a game changer! The fins keep them in your ear. Excellent sound and they’re comfortable. The Bluetooth connection means no more holding my phone in my hand at the gym or on my arm while I run. You can change the song or volume from the headset. Great for short or long-distance run.

PULSE ROLL PEANUT ROLLER The best thing about this small vibrating roller is that is ultra-portable and you can take it everywhere with you.

10/10

The peanut design makes it easier to roll out smaller muscles, and to get into small crevices like the dimples in your lower back.

I used mine every day for a month, I placed the peanut roller in my two lower back dimples and laid down on it, it felt unusual at first but before I knew it the eyes were rolling back in my head. This was my favourite exercise; it provides a much deeper massage than you can even get from a masseuse, you’re putting all your bodyweight onto the roller and let me tell you, it feels good afterwards.

I also have to recommend rolling the sole of your foot over the middle of the peanut roller, this felt heavenly, relieved tension in my foot and calf muscle and is brilliant to help with the very painful plantar fasciitis.

While the peanut design is perfect for rolling out smaller muscles, it can still be used to provide a high-quality massage to larger muscles like the hamstrings, quads and calves.

It comes with 4 vibration levels, a remote control, an average battery life of 3 hours that is rechargeable and is available in red, black or purple for £89.99 at www.pulseroll.com Highly recommend, it’s without doubt the best roller we’ve used and given the best results… Verdict: 10/10

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BE INSPIRED MEET SOME OF #TEAMBIOSYNERGY Bio-Synergy Ambassadors are from a wide range of backgrounds including; Paralympians, fitness models, martial artists, footballers and triathletes to name but a few.

Over the coming issues we will introduce you to all the members of #TEAMBIOSYNERGY, but if you cant wait to find out more then head over to our ambassador section on our website bio-synergy.uk.

What makes them all inspirational is that they have overcome adversity and often juggle busy work and home lives, yet continue to compete at a high level.

If you think you have what it takes to join the team, we would love to hear from you.

Email - makeithappen@bio-synergy.co.uk

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MARVIN-PAUL AMBROSIUS // FIT IN FIVE CREATOR

LAUREN WINFIELD // ENGLAND CRICKETER

FEE TANG // ENGLAND BADMINTON PRO

MATT NEWMAN // PRO FITNESS MODEL & UK CHAMPION, AND SERVES IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES

JULIE DAVIS // POWERLIFTING CHAMPION 2018

GARY BARTLETT // GB PRO SNOWBOARDER & GP

JAYNE NESBIT // COMMONWEALTH GAMES FINALIST & PT

JERMAINE JOHNSON // HEAD PT AT THIRD SPACE

PHOEBE SCHECTER // TEAM GB AMERICAN FOOTBALL CAPTAIN

TONY MILLS // ENGLAND AMPUTEE FOOTBALLER

JO BARRETT // PT AND PRO BODYBUILDER

DARREN GRIGAS // ADVENTURER, ULTRA ENDURANCE ATHLETE AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

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Designed exclusively for men, the cutting-edge, patented formulas in Activeman were developed alongside the ultimate active men: Olympic goldmedallist, James Cracknell Activeman is a science-backed range of six products for body and mind, ranging from unique protein shakes and healthy snacks to sport-specific multivitamins, designed especially for men whose workouts put pressure on their bodies.

Our Activeman lineup includes everything you need to improve your performance, including Energy Charge, our energy-boosting preworkout formula, and Thermo Lean, our most powerful thermogenic fat burner. All you need to do is pick the right one for your goal and get ready to start your fitness journey.

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As recommend by James Cracknell OBE, rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist

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TASTY RECIPE

CARROT, CAULIFLOWER & TURMERIC SOUP A POWERHOUSE SOUP PACKED WITH THE ANTIOXIDANTS, FULL OF VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS. DELICIOUSLY CREAMY & DAIRY FREE. Ingredients

Method

1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1kg carrots, peeled and cut length ways then into ½ inch slices 2 Echalion shallots, sliced 3 pints boiling water 4 tsp. bouillon powder (vegan if required) 2 tsp. turmeric 2 tsp. coconut sugar 2 tbsp. rapeseed or coconut oil herbamare white pepper

1. Preparation time – 30 mins, cooking time – 40 minutes

Garnish

5. In a large 5 litre sauce pan, add the oil together with the sliced shallots and sauté until translucent and soft, then add in the carrots and continue stirring over a gentle heat.

1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tbsp. rapeseed oil chilli oil coriander sea salt black pepper

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C (180°C fan-assisted).

3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and lay the cauliflower florets for the garnish on the tray. Drizzle the rapeseed oil over the cauliflower and season with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, turning the cauliflower every 10 minutes to prevent burning. Once roasted, take out of the oven and set aside.

6. Add the cauliflower florets, season with herbamare and white pepper and 2 tsp. of turmeric and coconut sugar and continue to stir until vegetables are coated.

7. Then add 4 tsp. of bouillon powder and stir into the vegetables until coated. Add the boiling water, bring to a boil and simmer over a gentle heat with lid on for 30 minutes.

8. Once cooked, using a hand stick blender, blend until creamy and smooth and garnish with the crispy roasted cauliflower, coriander and chilli oil.

TIP - Turmeric is a very powerful spice, a popular spice in India, used for thousands of years. It contains curcumin, which is the substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and is a very strong antioxidant. It helps the body fight foreign invaders and has a role in repairing damage. Turmeric is also a powerful tool in the fight against cancer and obesity, helps towards the prevention of dementia and fights colds and flu. It does colour utensils a shade of orange so be cautious which ones you use. I find steel utensils are best to use when cooking with turmeric. www.bio-synergy.uk

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HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN SUPERFOODS What are superfoods?

Now largely known as something trendy, with various fruits and vegetables coming in and out of fashion like a seasonal collection, superfoods play a vital role in a balanced diet and are a fantastic way for us to boost our nutrient intake. Superfoods are fruits, vegetables, fish, and even dairy products, that are particularly dense with vitamins and minerals, bringing with them great health benefits.

You may have heard of some exotic superfoods such as acai berries, dragon fruit, and rambutan, but while these fantastic fruits are bursting with nutrients, you won’t have much luck growing them in the UK. Below are my five top picks for superfoods you can grow in the UK in 2019, a couple of which are packed-full of protein making them ideal for vegetarians and vegans.

Asparagus When to plant: Between February and April.

One of my favourite vegetables, asparagus has 3g of protein in every cup, and lots of other vitamins and minerals your body needs. Fairly easy to grow in well-drained soil, asparagus likes to be planted in open spaces with a lot of sun, but they can also grow well in partial shade. Plant them in trenches that are a foot wide and eight inches deep, with a four-inch ridge down the centre of the trench. Most soil types are fine for asparagus, as long as they provide good drainage and you stay on top of the weeds. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t harvest asparagus for the first two to three years but, following that, the plant can remain productive for as many as 25 years.

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Kale When to plant: Between February and May.

After seeing its popularity skyrocket in recent years as an ‘on-trend’ superfood, kale has managed to work its way into the daily lives of many. This leafy green is fairly easy to grow as it tolerates cold weather and shade quite well and is generally pest and disease free. Kale should be sown half an inch deep in rows that are about 6 inches apart. Once they develop five or six leaves, they should be replanted 18 inches apart from each other. Kale should be watered well in dry conditions, and mulch can be used to increase moisture retention.

Beetroot When to plant: Between February and July.

These easy-to-grow vegetables are great for first timers and make a fantastic addition to your culinary repertoire. They generally prefer to be in a sunny spot in moist soil. For best results, create a small 2cm trench and drop in two or three seeds every four inches or so. If you want to plant more, create further trenches that are around 12 inches apart.

Repeat this process on a monthly basis from April to July and you will have a constant supply of beetroot. If you lack the garden space, you can also try growing this pink vegetable in pots.

Jerusalem artichoke When to plant: Between February and April.

Spinach

A relative of the sunflower, Jerusalem artichokes are root vegetables which are grown from tubers that can be purchased in early March and April. The tubers should be buried at a depth of four to six inches, and prefer to have lots of space (at least 12 inches apart from each other).

If you plan on growing multiple rows, they will need to be around five feet apart from each other. They won’t need much watering, and their considerable height can act as a wind shield for other, more delicate, plants. If you use them for this purpose, you will need to stake them for stability.

When to plant: Between March and September.

If you’ve ever watch Popeye, you won’t be surprised to know that 30% of the calories in spinach are protein, making it a fantastic choice for non-meat-eaters. Packed full of vitamins and amino acids, this leafy green can be grown all year round, making it an ideal addition to any garden. For best results, rake in plenty of garden compost and general fertilizer to improve the soil quality. Starting in March, spinach can be grown outdoors, with fresh cultivars planted every few weeks. They should be well-watered through the summer,

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DUALFUEL™ SHAKER

THE CONVENIENCE OF TWO PRE-MADE DRINKS OR THE ABILITY TO STORE ANY TWO ITEMS KNOWING THAT THEY ARE SECURE.

750ml

The Bio-Synergy™ Dual Fuel™ Shaker Bottle combines style with convenience. Uniquely, the Dual Fuel™ bottle is effectively split in half, creating two completely separate mixing compartments.

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BCAA POWDER

HIGHEST PERFORMANCE 2.1.1 PRE-WORKOUT.

Bio-Synergy BCAA powder is a great pre, post or intra workout supplement. But we feel it’s most beneficial before a workout to help maxmise your training.

RASPBERRY

360g

If you’re hitting the weights hard or training at a high intensity, this is the essential amino acid supplement. Every serving gives you 5g of high performance BCAAs, as well as beta alanine, caffeine and taurine.

WATERMELON

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SUPERFOODS & BOTANICALS with Dr Rick Hay

Superfoods are foods that are nutrient dense and have strong antioxidant properties - a true superfood has a high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Score (ORAC) and the higher the ORAC score the stronger the foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s antioxidant ability. In short, this means that most true superfoods will have a positive effect on immune function.

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If I were to ask you about superfoods you would probably think of something exotic - perhaps something from the Amazon or Asian Rainforests like, Chia Seeds, Maca, Acia, Goji Berries or Cacao.

These rainforest foods are indeed Superfoods but the good news is that many every day foods, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices are in the superfood league. Many are probably in your fridge or kitchen cupboard right now.

Common colourful fruits and vegetables like Raspberries, Blackberries, Beetroot, Blueberries and English Spinach all fall into the superfood category. They all have high ORAC scores and as a result are all good immune boosters in their own right - with Beetroot Powder and Cherry Powder or Juice being the current standouts in terms of enhancing sports performance.

When looking at everyday fruits and vegetables those that are brightly are most likely to be considered a super food - some

Herbal teas such as Licorice, Spearmint, Raspberry, Lemon Balm and Fennel and Peppermint all have the properties of a true superfood. These teas can also assist with digestion, blood sugar regulation and immune function. Many like Chamomile and Valerian can be taken at night to help promote relaxation and reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

of the best immune boosting fruits and veggies are those that stains your fingers There is also lots of research currently being undertaken in order to identify the medicinal properties of common culinary herbs and spices. The results for Turmeric, Cinnamon and Oregano for example, are promising. Turmeric has strong anti inflammatory and fat burning properties whilst cinnamon is a great blood sugar regulator and may assist with better mood and improved cognition. Oreganoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti microbial and anti bacterial properties show promise.

I would even include some pulses in the superfood category - chickpeas, lentils and beans all are high in fibre and a rich in nutrients. They are great foods to include into the diet to provide plant based protein - a diet that is high in plant based protein is generally the healthiest. Foods that are high in fibre also assist with sustainable weight management, satiety and healthy digestive function. They help with regularity and with blood sugar regulation and may help to fight unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Even things like the bitter salad greens chicory, endive and rocket come under my superfood category - their bitter quality stimulates liver and gall bladder function which in turn has a positive effect on digestion and fat metabolism.

I am a fan of the Supergreen powders like Spirulina, Chlorella, Wheat Grass and Barley Grass to assist with alkalisation and cleansing. They can also help with heavy metal detox and natural energy production.

Like any true superfood they are powerful antioxidants that help the body in the fight against oxidative stress and free radical damage. Teas can indeed be super, but herbal tinctures are like a turbo charged version of the tea.

Traditional medicine options such as Globe Artichoke, Olive Leaf, St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wort, Vervain and Licorice have been used successfully to treat a wide range of health conditions including stress and anxiety, digestive disorders and low immune function.

On trend adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Got Kola and Siberian Ginseng also help with nervous system support and are worth considering if stress levels are a problem.

As stress levels decrease you may notice a reduction in visceral fat reduction around the abdominal region which in turn leads to improved cardio vascular health.

I also like Boabab, Lucuma, and Maca to help with energy production and sports performance. Chia Seeds are rich in essential fatty acids which help to reduce inflammation - they are also high in protein to help with satiety and hair, skin and nail health. Turmeric and Olive Leaf extract are two of my favourites when it comes to boosting immune function and fighting bacteria, viruses and microbes.

They may also help to reduce the severity and duration of painful mouth ulcers.

Finally, I recommend Fish Oil or, if you are vegan Algal Oil, to help with cardio vascular and brain health. They can improve mood and help with concentration, focus and mental performance.

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5 TOP TIPS FOR INCREASING YOUR DEADLIFT The Deadlift is one of the best lifts you can execute.

Anyone who argues this is probably a poor deadlifter.

The Deadlift taxes the body in a way no other core lift does, putting stress on the grip, quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, and pretty much every muscle in the upper back and trap region.

This article is aimed at intermediate to advanced lifters who find their deadlift numbers reluctant to increase and are sat scratching their heads on a plateau.

I stress this as if you are a beginner and new to deadlifting the best way for you to gain pulling strength is to simply Deadlift regularly with proper form.

It doesn’t need to be said but I’ll say it anyway – muscle building aside, regular deadlifting with correct form will groove the motor pattern, potentiating the CNS, which is essential for the mastery of any new lift.

So what do you do if you are an intermediate to advances lifter experiencing a slump in gains in the king of lifts? Well try implementing one or more of these 5 tips to get the extra pounds on the bar.

Tip 1 – Strengthen your Posterior Chain.

When I talk about the posterior chain I refer to the entire musculature that runs the length of posterior of the body, making up the posterior kinetic chain.

Muscles in the posterior chain include the trapezius group, the erector spinae group, the glutes, the hamstrings and even the calves. I also include the upper back muscles as part of the kinetic chain as they play a key role in thoracic spine and scapulae stability, and the lats, due to their attachments along the length of the lumber spine,they act as a stabiliser for the low back. I will speak further on them later.

It is strikingly obvious that strengthening these muscles will strengthen your Deadlift. Including assistance exercises such as the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) and Good Mornings will increase strength in the glutes, hamstring, calves and Good Mornings especially, will strengthen the erector spinae. These exercises will massively aid lifters in the early portion of the lift and by including reverse hyperextensions and 45 degree back extensions in your programme lifters can strengthen their Erector Spinae and Glutes further, aiding in the lock out portion of the lift. By strengthening these muscles you are not only increasing the poundage lifted but more importantly decreasing the risk of injury. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

To progress your posterior chain even further, you can modify the GHR by simply raising the back of the GHR station. This can be done by placing 20kg plates under it. This serves to alter the force curve of the motion. In effect, by raising the back of the GHR your posterior chain is under tension for the duration of the movement, and this is especially noticed at full extension of the hip. On a regular GHR set up, when full hip extension is achieved your torso is perpendicular to the ground and so your bodyweight is going straight down through your femur, making the lock out at the hip relatively easier as there is no turning moment at this point. In contrast at full hip extension on the modified GHR, your torso is not perpendicular to the ground…its forward of being perpendicular to the ground, meaning that your glute ham tie in is going to take a pounding as it is taking more of your bodyweight at full hip extension as there is still a significant turning moment about the hip!

Throw in some added resistance or bands to the mix and your deadlift numbers will soar.

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Tip 2 – Pull from Different Heights Deadlifting off different height blocks or rack pulls from various heights allows for the lifter to focus on overloading a certain section of the lift, such as the lock out or the transition over the knee.

Generally pulls from mid shin or just below the knee are best utilized for overloading the lock out as they allow for a greater weight to be lifted. Avoid Pulling from heights above the knee. While many elite deadlifters use them to work the grip, they can be over-used and can become an “ego” lift, moreover the actual carry over to a regular deadlift is minimal as soon as you pull from too high above the knee.In addition to pulling off blocks be sure to perform deficit deadlifts. The Deficit Deadlift is a conventional Deadlift performed while standing on a small block or a couple of plates. Its’ purpose is the increase the range of motion (ROM) making the lift much harder from the pick up, through the transition and all the way up to the lock out. By doing this, the body is overloaded and forced to adapt to this new, tougher height, increasing strength and making standard Deadlifts feel much easier.

that force to the scapulae. As a result, the force and energy is lost at this area and the lift is unsuccessful.

Commonly the thoracic spine is horribly rounded at this point and aside from failing the lift, the inability to maintain correct posture give rise to increase injury risk.

The best way to strengthen these muscles is to focus on barbell and dumbbell rows in addition to variations of chin ups. Bent over and T-bar rows with various grips are all you need with the barbell. Again various grip pull/chin ups, working up to sets with additional resistance are the way to go in that department. With dumbbells, high rep, heavy weight dumbbell rows (a.k.a. Kroc Rows) are a tried, tested and proven method to strengthen the upper back.

Note these exercises are also fantastic at strengthening the grip (another important aspect of the Deadlift) if you perform them without the use of lifting straps.

The increased ROM puts the body in a poor position to pull from thus increasing strength. Running deficit deadlifts instead of standard deadlifts for a few weeks will make the weight feel more manageable when the return to standard deadlifts is made.

Tip 3 – Change your Stance and Grip There are 2 different stances used for the Deadlift; Conventional (narrow stance, grip just outside knees) and Sumo (wide stance, narrow grip). Both stances attempt to shorten the distance the bar has to travel thus allowing for a greater weight to be lifted and increasing the efficiency of the lift.

For the conventional Deadlift the feet should be inside shoulder-width with the grip taken very slightly outside the knees. This allows for the hips to be slightly higher and the range of motion decreased. The sumo stance will put more emphasis on developing your hips whilst the conventional deadlift, whilst still developing the hips greatly, places more stress on the low back. By placing your hands outside your knees while in a wider than shoulder width stance, the body is forced into a poor pulling position and the distance the bar has to travel increases.

Of course your stance should be comfortable to you so find a foot placement and grip width that feels comfortable but don’t be scared to try new things and experiment with different stances and grips.

Tip 4 – Increase Upper Back Strength The deadlift, as with any anatomical movement, is all about the transfer of forces using kinetic chains. In the case of the deadlift, force generated in the legs travels up and along the back and is transferred across the scapulae, down the arms and eventually to the bar.

If there is a weak link in that chain then the force dissipates, and it is prevented from being applied to the bar. In many cases this weakness occurs in the upper back of lifters.

Here, the force travels up all the way as far as the upper back, but the musculature there is not sufficiently developed to continue the transfer of

Tip 5 – Train Smart to Ensure Progression Far too many lifters attempt to go into the gym and pull a 1 rep max every week expecting gains! Avoid overreaching syndrome and ensure progress.

Simple linear progression involving 3 weeks progression followed by 1 week deload is a great way to keep the weights going up and avoid any neural distress as a result of maxing out week in week out.

Below is a simple outline of this process: Week 1: Work up to 4×3 @ 85% 3RM Week 2: Work up to 3×3 @ 90% 3RM Week 3: Work up to 2×3 @ 95% 3RM Week 4: DELOAD – 5×3 @ 70% 3RM Week 5: Work up to 4×3 @ 90% 3RM Week 6: Work up to 3×3 @ 95% 3RM Week 7: Work up to 2×3 @100% 3RM Week 8: DELOAD – 5×3 @70% 3RM Week 9: Attempt new 1RM The deload weeks are important in order to avoid any over-reaching and allows the body to recover from the ever increasing load being place on it.

Summary If you find you Deadlift gains stagnating, implement one or more of the simple techniques listed above into you own training program and get ready to see your Deadlift regain its crown as KING OF LIFTS.

by Mike McGurn

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ELITE SPORTS

PERFORMANCE FOR ALL www.bio-synergy.uk

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science programme, which they believe is unique, and second to none, benefiting athletes, junior and Senior.

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The programme consists of many elements, the following being an example of some: Periodisation Plan, VO2 Max test – treadmill, Force Plate , Qualysis – Biomechanical analysis, Biodex Isokinetic Testing, Growth and Maturation measurements, Body composition assessment, Field fitness testing, Nutritional analysis, Training load monitoring, Hydration analysis, Musculoskeletal screening, Strength and conditioning consultancy, DNA Testing, Psychological Programme Support.

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For more information about the Hub, please contact Nino amssportuk1@gmail.com

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