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F R E E ! F L I P F O R Y O U R W O M E N ' S B O D Y BIBLE

• DON'T JUST READ IT, USE IT •

EXTREME FITNESS FIXER

TRAIN FOR WEEKS & OWN ANY OBSTACLE! KNOCKOUT ISSUE

CONQUER CANCER DESTROY BODY FAT LIVE FOR LONGER

HOW TO ACTUALLY LOSE THE WEIGHT YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO SHIFT

US & CANADA EDITION NOVEMBER 2017 / ISSUE 11 VOL 4 / US: $6.99 / CAN: $7.99

EXPLOSIVE POWER OVER 40 LEARN TO DEFY YOUR GENETICS INJECT FUN IN TO ANY DRILL

2TRAIN_COVER_US51.indd 1

CHRIS POWELL TRANSFORM GURU AND SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

13/09/2017 16:20

T R A I N M AG .C O M T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

Contents D etai l s 22 Muscle Retain that ‘just out of the gym’ pump with one small ingredient. 24 Sports Want to recover better? You’d best crack open a brewski.

54 Cardio Visuals Fix overuse to insure your body is in it for the long haul.

T ran s f orm 68 Health How near liver failure led to Bill Brower overhauling his lifestyle – and his career aspirations.

26 Nutrition The best bean for a guilt-free coffee has finally been found!

110 Health Focus: Carbs Carbs get a bad rap. It’s time to put up a defense in their honor.

100 Slim Down The greatest chicken soup recipes from around the world.

I n f omania

102 Timeline How to make the best out of Bugs Bunny with this delicious wild rabbit with thyme.

116 Cheat Sheet It’s everything you need to know from this issue in one handy place. We give the gift of time.

104 What’s The Difference? Root vegetables are put under the TRAIN microscope.

118 Just The Numbers Every stat from this issue in one manageable slice of knowledge.

106 Mediterranean Diet The benefits of eating like your European neighbors laid out.

122 The Back Page Act less like a dribbling window zombie after your workout.

70 Fat To Fit Tony Stark is a marvel, deciding to get fit for the sake of his kid.

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28 Age Leafy greens to help you live. 30 Weight Loss How your sense of smell may be the culprit in weight gain.

72 Opinion The experts reveal how to safely even out form imbalances.

Celeb

74 Slim To Stacked Teen Terry swaps the wrestling ring for the silver screen.

34 Chris Powell Extreme Weight Loss’ chief motivator whose ambition is to inspire you to be your best.

78 Outdoor Workout The best bodyweight exercises for more impossible workouts in the heart of your city.

P ow er

T h e Li s t

40 Body Science Trip the light fantastic and you can aim to heal all your ills.

82 Train Your Genes You don’t have to give in to your DNA. Here’s how to fight it.

46 The Flip Side Break through psychological barriers with a positive attitude.

Feat u re s

48 Age Eraser Natural remedies to ease the pain of training-induced heart burn. 52 Insight The best new workout products.

88 Put The Fun Into Exercise Is exercise as much fun as when you were a kid? Read this, and you can recapture your youth. 96 Obstacle Course Get over any obstacle in your way with this six-week program.

Powell Extreme The TV star whose career is about helping others shares his valuable know-how.

O N T H E C OV E R 28 Conquer cancer Discover the secret ingredient for success.

CONTENTS.indd 50

30 Destroy body fat We sniff out news of how to shed the pounds fast.

48 Live for longer Wake up to better health at the bottom of a cup.

82 Defy your genetics It’s in the genes, but do you know what it means?

96 Train six weeks... Own any obstacle course with this exercise plan.

TRAIN, ISSN 2380-0488, is published 13 times per year, monthly with a holiday issue, by i2media Ltd/Mast Circulation Group Inc. 712 5th Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Periodical postages paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TRAIN, PO Box 433316, Palm Coast, FL 32143-3316.

M AC R O S

13/09/2017 16:21

T R A I N M AG .C O M T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

CREATING THIS ISSUE

TRAIN magazine published by TRAIN Fitness Limited Unit 2 Bankside The Watermark Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 9SY UNITED KINGDOM E-mail: support@i2media.co Tel: (0044) 191 2332225

Editor in chief

Ray Klerck rklerck@i2mediagroup.com

Brandon Johnson

The list of Brandon’s associations and accomplishments is second only to his love for all things fitness. Certified personal trainer and exercise specialist, he’s also a TEAM Bodybuilding.com athlete and dog lover.

Sal Herrera

Another Bodybuilding.com bod, Sal is also a men’s physique champion and, in his own words, he’ll do his best to motivate and inspire you to be your best. In other words, everything he does is for the best!

Content director

Zoe Laycock zlaycock@i2mediagroup.com

Head of video

Jo Fairweather jfairweather@i2mediagroup.com

Contributing editor Michael Owens

Social media manager

Amy McDonnell amcdonnell@i2mediagroup.com

Head of global media commercials

John Donovan jdonovan@i2mediagroup.com

Administration department

Financial controller

Production manager

Accounts assistant

Art Director

Think an obstacle race is tough? Try 50 of them. Stuart has, along with taking part in IRONMAN triathlons, RAF training and more. Now he’s an ambassador to For Goodness Shakes, the Tough Mudder nutrition partner.

Harriet Mallinson hmallinson@i2mediagroup.com

Creative director

Jonathan Sever jsever@i2mediagroup.com

Stuart Amory

Copywriter

Ben Hackney-Williams bhwilliams@i2mediagroup.com

Nick Thackray nthackray@i2mediagroup.com

Certified personal trainer, online coach, athlete, YouTuber, model, entrepreneur, and most importantly, she is passionate about fitness. There’s not much that Yami hasn’t achieved when it comes to healthy living.

Altug Kop akop@i2mediagroup.com

Angela Simpson asimpson@i2mediagroup.com Dionne Flowers dflowers@i2mediagroup.com

Editorial director

Yami Mufdi

TRAIN digital editor

Jaclyn Baillie jbaillie@i2mediagroup.com

Nicola Kelly nkelly@i2mediagroup.com

President & CEO

Matthew Tarrant mtarrant@i2mediagroup.com

Rob Hewitt rhewitt@i2mediagroup.com

Deputy art editor

Board of directors

Adam Cushingham acushingham@i2mediagroup.com

Junior designer

Katie Wilde kwilde@i2mediagroup.com

Rob Hewitt John Josephs Maurice Dobson Darryl Newton

Cover image by James Patrick

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the contributors to this magazine may not represent the views of the publisher Train Fitness Limited. Train Fitness Limited accepts no responsibility for any loss that may be suffered by any person who relies totally or partially upon any information, description, or pictures contained herein. The company Train Fitness Limited is not liable for any mistake, misprints or typographic errors. All prices shown are in US dollars and subject to change.

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13/09/2017 16:22

T R A I N M AG .C O M

AU G U S T 2 0 1 8 • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

HEALTH

FIRST THOUGHTS

P OW E R

E D I T O R’ S L E T T E R . . .

RAY KLERCK EDITOR

C A N YO U K I C K I T ?

REG Editors letter.indd 17

While an hour a day of training might be doing your body good, getting it done with the plus button pressed to max may impart volumes of ill will to your ears. Don’t imagine music-related hearing loss won’t happen to you, because 26 million people between the ages of 20-69 have already suffered this deafening fate, according to the World Health Organization. Feel free to blame the tech. Back in the day, you could whip your Walkman to max volume without a hiccup. But today’s cans sport weapons-grade speakers. Add the fact most gym’s Top of the Pops mixtape is often so fiercely pedestrian you can’t help but get over zealous with the volume button, and you

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Q. Can listening to my tunes too loud while I train destroy my ears?

create a near perfect pathway to ‘what?’ and ‘pardon?’. Fortunately, you can mitigate it by applying certain rules to your wing nuts. First, don’t go past 60-70% of max volume. If you go over 100 decibels for just 15 minutes, you’ll exercise your ears toward a serious injury. How loud is 100 decibels? Yes, there are plenty of free apps that’ll give you the exact range, but it’s like hearing a jackhammer. You should shoot to listen to music at the average volume you watch your TV at. You put yourself in a safe zone if you try to limit your earphone usage to 60 minutes (the perfect length of time for a workout) and may want to consider becoming an audiophile. Noisecancelling and in-ear phones are ideal, because you don’t need to crank the volume to drown out the treadmill whir. Sadly, the more expensive the set, the better they are for your eardrums, providing you can exercise restraint when your favorite track booms. During your workout, get into the habit of fiddling with the volume as much as you fidget with the playlist, cranking it up for big sets, then hitting pause or minus in recovery. This strategy will not only help your ears recuperate, but will give your nervous system the time to be rested for your next set. Consider it a mic-drop tactic to train to your beats without negative feedback. To get your quandaries answered, write to us: info@train-mag.com

13/09/2017 16:23

T R A I N. C O M

NOVEMBER 2017

Virtual trainer

All the latest and cutting edge information that’s live on the world’s largest health and fitness website

Bodybuilding.com is your personal trainer, nutritionist, supplement expert, lifting partner and support group, providing the technology, tools and products you need to burn fat, build muscle and become your best self.

Don’t be afraid to fail

Too many people see “five sets of 10 reps” on their workouts and are scared to add weight because they might not make their rep count. For some reason, people see not being able to do all their reps with extra weight as not being good enough. However, what it really means is that they’ve pushed themselves by the right amount.

Up the leg days

Most people don’t train legs enough – or at all. If you’re going to the gym six days a week, you should be training your legs on three of those days, two of which should strict leg training sessions. On the third day, incorporate some form of leg training into your routine.

REG Virtual trainer .indd 18

fitness tips 3 billion

Probiotic bacteria you need in each serving for daily maintenance.

20-50 billion

Probiotic bacteria you need in each serving during times of travel or stress.

13/09/2017 16:24

072517_GAT_TRAIN_US_TESTROLGOLD_ES_OneThirdVert_1_SUBM

V I R T UA L T R A I N E R

Stop the comparison game

Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s fine to use people you follow on social media, or even legendary greats, for motivation and inspiration. But never compare yourself to them, because there will always be someone bigger, better, stronger and faster than you. Instead, measure success by the progress you’re making and by remembering why you started in the first place.

Cardio advice

Use low-intensity cardio as a warm-up before strength training, but limit the time to 10 minutes, max. Anything longer should be done post-workout. Don’t do it before strength training as it can interfere with strength gains. Where possible, use it as an active-recovery protocol, and choose an activity you can enjoy with family and friends.

CMY

Get more greens

Eggs are a gold-standard protein and can be a fast way to get your daily protein, so add a sunnyside-up or hard-boiled egg slices to your mixed greens or grilled veggies. If you really don’t like the taste or texture of vegetables, eggs can help disguise it. You can also flavor your eggs with spices, herbs, ketchup, salsa, hot sauce or cheese.

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13/09/2017 16:24

T RA I N M AG.C O M

Details • MUSCLE • SPORTS • NUTRITION • AGE • WEIGHT LOSS • CROSSFIT EDITED BY RAY KLERCK

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b l o o d , s w e a t, n o f e a r s

Don’t let your heart burn itself out We know how important looking after your heart is, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what to do in order to benefit it the most. However, if not checked then the risk is real so it’s worth doing your research. In an article published on Bodybuilding.com, Kellie Davis highlights 10 important ways to improve your heart. “Your cardiovascular health goes beyond spending 30 minutes on the treadmill,” she explains. “According to the CDC, heart disease kills more Americans than any other disease each year. That’s a scary slab of data. A growing body of evidence suggests that small lifestyle changes can strengthen the ol’ ticker, reducing your risk of cardiac-related health issues.” Her advice includes: knowing your own readings (adult blood pressure is considered normal at 120/80), eating and sleeping right, lifting weights, and ensuring good dental health. To read the full article visit http://bbcom.me/2w7Y0O9

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13/09/2017 16:25

MUSCLE

D E TA I L S

73 BY T H E N U M B E R S

Pump up the volume

Studies which show an increase in lean mass when taking whey protein between meals

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You know the way you look straight after the gym? Do you want to look like that all the time? Well, you can extend your sleeve-splitting pump way beyond the time of your typical post-workout, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition journal. Adding 200mg of glutathione to 2g of l-citrulline daily allowed gym rats to keep their nitric oxide levels (and biceps) swollen more than four hours after their gym session. NOx was much higher than using citrulline or glutathione alone, so visit Bodybuilding.com to add this secret ingredient to your club-pump cocktail.

53%

Of studies showed an increase in muscle mass taking whey with meals

3.7 times

Increase of 1.5kg in lean muscle mass with a shake between meals

A SWELL DISCOVERY H U L K I N G G R OW T H

Carb-load the guns

Sleepy-time for pecs Pre-exhaust sets were all the rage 10 years ago, but does this extra level of muscle warfare offer better activation? No, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, which found no difference in muscle activity for those who used pec flyes to exhaustion before hitting the bench press and those who shotgunned the bench immediately before another bro. Triceps did benefit, but a straight dumbbell press with two-minute rest put the biggest squeeze on man-cleavage.

DETAILS MUSCLE.indd 22

Pecs = Zero

difference whether you pre-exhausted.

Front delts = A slight

difference if you pre-exhausted.

Triceps = Significant

difference in favor of pre-exhaustion.

Imagine feeding muscles into a growth phase a week before your vacation – and watching yourself gain on the sun lounger. No, you haven’t just stumbled upon Aladdin’s lamp, but a study in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Following bodybuilders around their prep, they found an average 4.9% increase in bicep size in the final week using a carb-load. So, for three days before your holiday, wolf down three times the daily amount of carbs you’ve been eating while cutting, then watch yourself hulk up. If you start to turn green though, go see your doc.

13/09/2017 16:26

NUTRITION

D E TA I L S

Hungry with a smile

Pick of the beans GRIND IT OUT

BY T H E N U M B E R S

Many studies have carved chunks out of meat eaters’ diets, but a recent paper in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found plant-based regimes don’t bulletproof your ticker either.

DETAILS_NUTRITION.indd 26

A study group who ate a meat-free, plant-based diet that included processed foods – as long as they were free of animal products – were found to be at the highest risk of heart disease. Counter this by replacing refined plant foods with a daily portion of heart-defending asparagus or bell peppers, which fight off the heart’s eternal enemy, homocysteine.

Nonhearty veg

41.7

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If you’re downing a brew for your morning wake-up call, you may want to know what delivers the best caffeine jolt, and how to get it. A research review by the legends at SuppVersity found you can maximize the oomph your cup contains by choosing Robusta beans over Arabica, and by grinding them more thoroughly, significantly increasing caffeine content. And for the health conscious, you’ll be happy to know a medium roast robusta is also considered the “healthiest” coffee, containing the most antioxidants. Buy whole or finely grounded robusta beans, and own your morning like Tim Horton.

There’s no shame in feeling a little hangry – that moment you’re too ravenous to be polite. However, as hard as it might be to shake the sulk, a frown could worsen your cravings. A study in the journal Appetite had smilers face off against misers, and discovered the corrugator muscle used for frowning made emotional eating far likelier. On the flipside, the zygomatic muscle used for smiling curbed food cravings, so paste on a grin faker than Arnold’s in Terminator Genisys and terminate your hunger.

Increase in calories in recipes from food magazines since 1970.

32.96%

The whopping rise of entree dish calories since that year.

115

Covers from three popular magazines used in this study.

13/09/2017 16:29

AGE

D E TA I L S

Punching above its weight

NUMBERS GAME

100 is the new 80 If you thought centenarians look like uncooked chickens when they eventually kicked the bucket, think again. A study in The Journals of Gerontology found those who lived to be 100 or more had fewer co-morbid disorders than younger whippersnappers of 80. Here’s why it’s smoother sailing once you pass your ton.

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Spare a thought for your liver. If it were a sportsman, it would be a competitor in the Badwater Ultramarathon – the world’s toughest foot race. While its workloads are great, the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology suggests there is support in the form of 5-Aminolevulinic acid, which has been shown to clear fat from a liver that’s had a hard life. Supplementing with 5-ALA was seen to throw uninvited fat out of the party, and also helped regulate glucose homeostasis. Using mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach as veg sources, potatoes as carbs and beef as your main protein will boost 5-ALA levels in your body, and show your bloodied liver you really do care.

Flex your heart Vitamin K and D individually get a regular helping of praise from folk embracing labcoat fashion statements, but The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry says tag-teaming is where these nutrients work the most magic.

DETAILS_AGE.indd 28

Less co-morbid conditions Only 50% of centenarians recorded five or more disorders commonly associated with extreme old age, compared to 60% of folk aged 90 and 66% of elderly people aged 80. Better conditioning Those who reached 100 years or more only had an average of 3.3 conditions, versus 4.6 conditions in those who died in their 80s.

LIVER LOT LONGER

They found insufficient vitamins K + D correlate with an almost seven-times increased risk of stiffening arteries in those who had the lowest vitamins K and D versus the highest. To counter, eating leafy green vegetables, such as kale, spinach and broccoli, at every meal will give your arteries a muchneeded stretch from instructor K. It’s time to pay attention: heart class is in session.

BY T H E N U M B E R S

100s vs 80s It’s not all rosy for centenarians, though. Different types of dementia and heart failure are more common once you reach the big 100. The youngsters had higher rates of high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, renal failure and other chronic diseases, though.

Decrease in skin tumors in mice that were fed tomato powder daily vs no tomato, making it easy to ‘ketchup’ to skin cancer. Source: Scientific Reports

13/09/2017 16:30

WEIGHT LOSS

D E TA I L S

Sleep it off, son

BY T H E N U M B E R S

Weight lost by endurance athletes on a 10 week keto diet

Sleep hormone melatonin doesn’t only send you to the land of nod – it may keep you lean. The latest findings from Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity show when 30 dieters consumed 10mg before bed for 30 days, they blazed off a whopping 3.1kg more bodyweight than a placebo group. This was partly due to its anti-inflammatory effects, but mostly because it magically activates brown adipose cells to send body fat to its fiery death. Eating a fruit salad of pineapple and banana an hour before bed will shoot your melatonin through the roof – by 266% to be exact. It’ll also have you snoozing like a baby: a boss baby.

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B A N A N A S , T H E N P YJ A M A S

H O L D YO U R N O S E !

Smells like body fat A ground-breaking study in the journal Cell Metabolism found a keen sense of smell makes you fat. Not just a “mmm, that smells nice – I’m going to eat loads” type of deal, either. Smell-deficient mice literally torched the fat from their meals versus normal mice who gained 90% more weight from identical calories. The sympathetic nervous system was up-regulated by the whiffless rodents, providing them with a licence to burn fat at will. Dining with a peg on your nose may be a little extreme, but getting 90% of your foods from whole, less-fragrant sources should install this fat-hack.

DETAILS_WEIGHTLOSS.indd 30

Speedy Gonza-less Common fat loss dogma is you shouldn’t rush the issue, but is there evidence against losing weight rapidly? A paper in The Lancet flung the cat among the pigeons, finding strong evidence doing away with fat rapidly had better long-term outcomes. The study concluded very low calorie diets encourage adherence, weight loss and maintenance.

450-800kcal day

The rapid fat loss group was prescribed three meal replacements a day for a total of 800 calories. Their fat loss was to take place over 12 weeks vs 36 for the gradual group.

81% vs 62%

The higher completion rate of the rapid fat loss group compared to the gradual fat loss group. Participants could adhere to 12 weeks better than a gruelling 36-week diet.

144-week follow up There were no significant differences in weight regain, which was minimal, in both groups. The rapid weight loss group also maintained their weight with less exercise.

13/09/2017 16:31

CROSSFIT

BEST BOD FROM A WOD

Turn your CrossFit game upside down Some CrossFit WODs are well thought out, while others, are haphazardly slapped together. Here’s how to pick the quality workouts from the ones that don’t stick What draws many to CrossFit is the variety missing from many linear forms of training. In CrossFit, you can take any two, three or more movements and call it a WOD. Easy, right? In theory, yes. However, part of the challenge of being smart and a coach who actually cares for results and your trainees’ wellbeing is resisting the temptation to mash together movements for the sake of “beasting” your class. It’s the quickest way to get yourself and the sport immortalized in a “CrossFit fail” YouTube video. Some workouts are so random that you wonder whether a trainer chucked every exercise into a raffle and started drawing them out of a hat. That said, trainers worth their salt generally get it spot on and measure progress well. Here are my nominations for two of the best and two of the worst workouts of all time, with an explanation for why, underneath. After this article, you’ll be able to see what goes into a solid WOD and never waste your time, and safety, on a crappy workout again.

DETAILS_CROSSFIT.indd 32

EXPERT Patrick McCarty

is a CrossFit trainer and a masterslevel competitor in CrossFit. Owner of trainingandstirring. com, he’s also an author on

breakingmuscle.com

One of the best

One of the worst

King Kong

The “Miagi”

3 rounds for time: 1x Deadlift – 455lb 2x Muscle-ups 3x Cleans – 250lb 4x Handstand push-ups

50x Deadlifts (135/95lb) 50x Double kettlebell swings (53/35lb) 50x Push-ups 50x Clean and jerk (135/95lb) 50x Pull-ups 50x Kettlebell taters (53/35lb) 50x Box jumps (24/20in) 50x Wall climbs 50x Knees to elbows 50x Double unders

The loads are so specific and unchangeable because you don’t do King Kong halfassed. This WOD is the goal, rather than a means to get there. The beauty of this one is in its simplicity. No complicated rep scheme, no fancy exercises – just heavy weight and body strength. King Kong is a perfect test of raw strength which, with enough hard work can be achieved by anyone.

Take home lesson

Keep your WODs simple.

Even a YouTube video that describes the Miagi mentions: “it has no rhyme or reason to it.” It’s been around since 2008 and is nothing more than a poorlydesigned beatdown on box members. Workouts should whoop your ass, but provide some sort of purpose and a gain.

Take home lesson

Don’t beast yourself for no reason. You’re looking at an injury when your form breaks down, especially if complex movements like the clean is included.

13/09/2017 16:32

D E TA I L S

One of the best

One of the worst

OPT Repeatability Test

McCluskey

3 rounds at 100% effort: Row 250m 10x Kettlebell swings (70/53lb) 10x Burpees 10x Kettlebell swings (70/53lb) 10x Burpees 10x Kettlebell swings (70/53lb) Row 250m Rest 12 minutes between each round

Take home lesson

This is a “hero” WOD created for the late Sergeant Jason “Mick” McCluskey and I want to be clear that this critique is not a slight on him, just the irresponsible workout. This workout is made up entirely of pulling (with a little running for good measure). The rep schemes may seem low, but you’re hitting 27 muscle-ups and 108 pullups. Your training week will likely be unhinged with searing DOMS.

Take home lesson

Overdosing on pulling movements without any balance from other muscles isn’t the smartest option. Workouts that heavily favor particular planes of movement should be avoided in favor of a more balanced WOD.

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One of the hardest workouts you will ever do, but also brilliant in design and purpose. This WOD tests your ability to recover. After going all out in round one, your job is to maintain and not let your performance fall off in subsequent rounds. How much you fall off suggests your body’s ability to regenerate ATP, disburse lactic acid and recover to a near normal state. The final 250m row at the end of round three feels like riding a sled straight to Hades’ fiery underworld.

Three rounds of: 9x Muscle-ups 15x Burpee pull-ups 21x Pull-ups Run 800m

Going balls to the wall is fine when there is a valuable purpose and the exercises are kept simple, minimizing injury risk.

DETAILS_CROSSFIT.indd 33

13/09/2017 16:32

2FEATURE_HEROS OF MUSCLE.indd 34-35

CHRIS POWELL How does the man who has made a career out of other people’s fitness find the time to make sure his own body doesn’t suffer? TRAIN investigates... PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES PATRICK

How do you balance your lifestyle and the demands of your work? Health and fitness is a priority in my life, for many reasons. I need the energy it provides for work productivity and to be the best dad I can be, and I must “walk the walk”, to build health and fitness solutions with integrity. Because of these reasons, I developed a mindset to see my workouts as urgent. I wake and start my day with at least 20 minutes of cardio, then carve out some time later in the day for weight or cross training. As a result of creating that time for myself, I have so much more energy to perform at my best, mentally.

What happens when someone tries and fails?

e x p er t Chris Powell

Transformation specialist on ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss, best-selling author, co-creator of TRANSFORM and family man whose No1 ambition is to inspire you to be your best

Then we must revisit their plan. The human body is designed to change, so if you aren’t seeing results, you’re either not following the plan, or it’s not the right plan for you. To motivate, we use three tactics: 1 Surround yourself with visuals of what we are trying to achieve 2 Revisit our ‘why’ – the real reason we want this is in the first place 3 Set a series of rewards (gear, massage, excursions) for when smaller micro-goals are reached. If someone is really struggling, we shrink the goals down and aim for daily/weekly targets – easy ‘wins’ to build momentum.

How did competing add a new level to your training?

It completely removed the staleness of working out, and turned it into training for something, adding direction and velocity. The beauty of competition is it sets an immovable deadline for my goals. It forces training and nutrition to become a priority as the deadline draws closer, and I quickly get to see and feel the effects of a structured program. I think everyone should experience competing at some point in their life, not so much for the competition, but for the journey. It is such a wild experience to fine-tune all of the details of your physique, and learn how to do it for life.

How important is it to project good health and fitness onto your kids?

Embracing fitness as a family is one of the best things we can do for our children’s health and happiness. The patterns we set

in childhood are likely to stick for a lifetime, but here’s the catch: we can tell our kids what to do until we are blue in the face, and it will go in one ear and out the other. If we push, they will naturally push back. However, if we lead by example, they will follow. Especially in their younger years, they will naturally gravitate toward us and mimic what we, as parents, do.

What do you suggest people eat before, during and after training?

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extreme TRANSFORMER

HEROES OF MUScLE

I will typically have a chocolate/ peanut butter powder shake, with seven rice cakes and a scoop of pre-workout 30-45 minutes beforehand. During training, I sip BCAAs (one-two scoops in a gallon of water), and immediately after, I have another shake. Typically, I will mix frozen berries and greens, 1½ scoops of vanilla whey and one scoop of starch powder, such as Karbolyn.

“The human body is designed to change, so if you aren’t seeing the results, you’re either not following the plan, or it’s not the right plan for you”

13/09/2017 16:34

HEROES OF MUScLE

CHRIS POWELL How does the man who has made a career out of other people’s fitness find the time to make sure his own body doesn’t suffer? TRAIN investigates... PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES PATRICK

How do you balance your lifestyle and the demands of your work?

What happens when someone tries and fails?

2FEATURE_HEROS OF MUSCLE.indd 35

How important is it to project good health and fitness onto your kids?

Embracing fitness as a family is one of the best things we can do for our children’s health and happiness. The patterns we set

What do you suggest people eat before, during and after training?

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Health and fitness is a priority in my life, for many reasons. I need the energy it provides for work productivity and to be the best dad I can be, and I must “walk the walk”, to build health and fitness solutions with integrity. Because of these reasons, I developed a mindset to see my workouts as urgent. I wake and start my day with at least 20 minutes of cardio, then carve out some time later in the day for weight or cross training. As a result of creating that time for myself, I have so much more energy to perform at my best, mentally.

How did competing add a new level to your training?

“The human body is designed to change, so if you aren’t seeing the results, you’re either not following the plan, or it’s not the right plan for you”

13/09/2017 16:34

What is the secret to eating healthily and traveling?

I keep all my proteins to nonperishable items on travel days – mostly powders, but I’ll add beef or turkey jerky for variety. I also carry protein bars with me, just in case. For carbs, I stick with different low-fat starches like rice cakes, and for my fats, I like to have almonds. As soon as I land at my next location, I immediately hit the grocery store on the way to the hotel. I’ll grab some low-sodium sliced deli turkey, microwaveable rice, potatoes and frozen veggies. I’ll also pick up peanut butter and sliced deli cheese for fats, and sea salt and marinara sauce to add flavor to my meals.

What are your mental tactics for training?

Just five minutes. My workouts are a big deal, but sometimes life happens so fast, I need to do what I can. If I know a workout will take an hour, a lot of times I put it off, waiting until I can carve out a full hour – and it never happens. However, I can find five minutes. Once I put in five minutes, it always turns into at least 15, or 20, minutes. Sometimes, it turns into an hour. But as long as I commit to just five minutes per day, I win. Even if I fall a little behind on my work or another obligation, I never regret taking the time for myself and feeling that sense of accomplishment.

What do you think about while you’re training?

I like to imagine my body is a machine, and I exaggerate the tempo of movement through a full range of motion. It basically looks like I’m taking my training very seriously. I decrease my breathing tempo, which allows me to separate my mind from the sensation in the muscles, keeping my form rigid and taking the muscle to complete failure without feeling the discomfort so many of us associate with training!

2FEATURE_HEROS OF MUSCLE.indd 36

Week 1 – Alternating (light week) CHEST & BACK

SETs & REPS

Shoulders

SETs & REPS

Dumbbell chest press

3-3-3-10-10-10

Barbell shoulder press

3 x 10

Seated cable rows

3-3-3-10-10-10

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Barbell incline press

3 x 15

Underhand grip lat pulldowns

3 x 15

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Dumbbell incline flyes

3 x 15

Low cable rows

3 x 15

Bodyweight rows

Failure

Shoulders & ARMS

SETs & REPS

Arnold press

3-3-3-10-10-10

Barbell skullcrushers

3-3-3-10-10-10

(Rest 2 mins between sets)

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Machine lateral delt raises

3 x 12

Machine rear delt flyes

3 x 12

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Dumbbell front raise

3 x 15

Upright rows

3 x 20

arms

SETs & REPS

Hammer curls

3 x 12

Single arm reverse tricep ext

3 x 12

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Barbell curls

3 x 12

Dumbbell skullcrushers

3 x 12

Preacher curls

3 x 15

Seated incline curls

3 x 15

Machine lat raises

3 x 15

Overhead rope extensions

3 x 15

Pirate push-ups

50-failure

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Cable curls

3 x 15

Reverse grip tricep extensions

3 x 15

Upright rows

3 x 15

Dumbbell tricep kickbacks

3 x 15

Push-ups

50-failure

legs

SETs & REPS

Barbell back squat

3-3-3-10-10-10

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Bulgarian split squat

3 x 15

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Narrow leg press

3 x 15

Hamstring roll-ins

3 x 15

Leg extensions

3 x 15

Calf raises

3 x 15

Dumbbell lateral delt raises

7 x 15

Knee raises

3 x 15

CHEST & BACK

SETs & REPS

Smith incline press

3-3-3-10-10-10

Single arm dumbbell rows

3-3-3-10-10-10

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Machine bench press

3 x 15

Machine lat pulls

3 x 15

“Embracing fitness as a family is one of the best things we can do for our children’s health and happiness”

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Dips

3 x 15

Cable cross flyes

3 x 15

Cable straight arm lat pulldowns

3 x 15

Cable high rows

D/S 3x10-10-10

13/09/2017 16:34

HEROES OF MUScLE

Week 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alternating (heavy week)

CHEST & BACK

SETs & REPS

shoulders & arms

SETs & REPS

Smith machine press

3-3-3-8-8-8

Smith behind the neck press

3-3-3-8-8-8

Bent over underhand barbell rows

3-3-3-8-8-8

Barbell bicep curls

3-3-3-8-8-8

(Rest 2 mins between sets)

Dumbbell incline press

5x8

Barbell upright rows

5x8

Lat pulldowns

5x8

Single arm reverse extensions

5x8

(Rest 60 secs between sets)

Dumb-bell flyes

3 x 10

Plate front raises

3 x 10

Seated cable rows

3 x 10

Machine rear delt flyes

3 x 10

Push-ups

Failure

Dumbbell bicep curls

3 x 10

Underhand grip bodyweight rows

3 x 10

Dumbbell skullcrushers

3 x 10

Weighted crunches

3 x 10 chest

SETs & REPS

Barbell bench

4x8

(Rest 60 secs between sets) 3 x 12

Smith declines

3 x 12

Dumbbell flyes

3 x 20

Dips

3 x 20

legs

SETs & REPS

Smith machine squats

3-3-3-8-8-8

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Barbell back lunges

5x8

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Split squats

5x8

Leg extensions

3 x 10

Weighted step-ups

3 x 10

Calf raises

3 x 10

back

SETs & REPS

Single-arm dumbbell rows

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;˘ 3 7

Dumbbell inclines

4x8

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Pull-ups

3 x 12

Low cable rows

3 x 12

(Rest 60 secs between sets) Straight arm lat pullovers

3 x 20

Overhand bodyweight rows

3 x 20

Hanging leg raises

3 x 15

legs

SETs & REPS 3-3-3-8-8-8

Deadlifts

(Rest 2 mins between sets) Leg press

5x8 (Rest 60 secs between sets)

2FEATURE_HEROS OF MUSCLE.indd 37

Barbell hip thrusts

5x8

10 hip thrusts

3 x 10

10 narrow hack squats

3 x 10

10 seated leg curls

3 x 10

10 seated calf raises

3 x 10

13/09/2017 16:34

T RA I N M AG.C O M • T RA I N M AG AZ I N E

POWER

• BODY SCIENCE • TRAIN BY AGE • THE FLIP SIDE • AGE ERASER

• NUTRITION • INSIGHT • CARDIO VISUALS • HOW I GOT MY BODY

• PERIODIZATION • MUSCLE BUILDING WORKOUT

What’s the best weight for your body?

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • 3 9

What’s the best method for weight training when it comes to the same exercises? It’s an age old question that’s caused many a heated debate depending on what works for each person, and it’s one that a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research hoped to answer in a recent study. A group of 27 men were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Smith machine bench press, barbell bench press, or dumbbell bench press. Each participant performed eight sets of a 10 rep max with two minutes between sets.

Power opener.indd 43

LIFTING LESSON

Muscle thickness, peak torque, and soreness were measured pre, post, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after exercise. Many measurables were similar or the same, but the report stated that: “the dumbbell group did not present any triceps brachii muscle soreness.” The barbell chest press group, however, took a longer time to feel recovery benefits in the elbow extensors. Test what works best for you.

13/09/2017 16:35

t r a i n m ag .c o m • TRAIN MAGA Z IN E P OW E R

Light weight division Light therapy is a fast-growing way to heighten recovery from exercise and heal ills. Use this graphic to see what colors of the spectrum serve you best l i g ht fa n tast i c

White light Lift your mood

People who sat in front of a white light box for 30 minutes alleviated symptoms of depression. Source: School of Medicine at Mount Sinai The glad against SAD

The dreary skies are easily defeated by white light, which acts as an anti-depressant against the winter blues. Source: American Journal of Psychiatry Best kind Philips Wake Up Light Therapy (from $49.99, amazon.com)

A built-in alarm clock helps drag your sleepy butt out of bed on frosty winter mornings, so your workouts aren’t skipped.

Blue light Healthier skin

A 20-minute treatment helped reduce acne on people’s faces with pretty much zero side effects. Source: Journal of Dermatological Treatments Fatigue fighter

You’re told to keep your phone off before bed for good reason: the blue light dramatically improves alertness and performance. Great before a workout – never before a sleep. Source: SLEEP

Power Body Science.indd 40

Best kind Philips GoLITE Blu Energy Therapy (from $79.99, amazon.com)

Portable, comes with an alarm clock and has a good treatment field to give yourself a boost.

13/09/2017 16:36

B O DY S C I E N C E

Red light Hike your testosterone

Perhaps the red light district earned its rep for good reason: infrared light exposure can increase your testosterone levels by up to 200%. Source: Biomedical Research Recover stronger

Red and infrared light therapy is effective in preventing muscle fatigue and enhancing skeletal muscle performance. Source: Lasers in Medical Science

A panel you can hang from the back of a door to bathe yourself in these recovery and performance inducing beams.

Beat the scales

If you’re a perpetual hobbler, you may want to reconsider the way you eat fish. Firstly, eating more fish can help reduce the pain and swelling of arthritis, according to Arthritis Care & Research. Combine that with research in the BMJ, which found a fiber-rich diet lowers painful knee osteoarthritis, and you get a clue how to stay on the pitch for longer. Pair with jacket spuds, brown rice or a three-bean salad and you’re sure to keep moving.

Green light emitting LEDs had the effect of reducing pain and improving the overall tolerance for it. Source: University of Arizona Beat headaches

When migraine sufferers were sat in front of pure-wave length green light, they had less sensitivity to light and headaches that weren’t as bad. Source: Oxford University Press Best kind

Go natural (if you can) by getting some time in legit green spaces. You can also get mountable green bulbs from lighttherapyoptions.com to target problem areas.

2 SERVES FISH PER WEEK THE STUDY AUTHORS FOUND EATING THIS VOLUME OF FISH EACH WEEK WAS ENOUGH TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER. SOURCE: ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH

= LESS PAIN, LOWER BODY FAT, A HEALTHIER HEART

1 LARGE BAKED POTATO YOU DON’T NEED TO STOP EATING SPUDS WITH YOUR FISH. KEEP THE SKIN ON AND YOU’LL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR FIBER CONTENT.

SOURCE: BMJ

Power Body Science.indd 41

Calcitonin The info you need to keep your skeleton in science class quality What is it?

Secreted by your thyroid, this culls the concentration of calcium in your blood when it rises beyond normal levels – like if you ate your eggs, shell and all.

Short and sweet

Green light Destroy pain

C H E M I C A L R E AC T I O N

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • 4 1

Best kind Joovv ($995, joovv.com)

COMBINE & CONQUER

Your levels don’t stay elevated for long, but it’s used as a marker if anything is wrong with your thyroid, and sometimes for cancers.

Keep off these drugs

This isn’t a drug you want to be on, because it’s medicine that treats conditions which lead to loss of calcium from your bones, such as osteoporosis.

Balance

It stabilizes the balance of collagen and minerals in the bones and surrounding tissue. Peptides found in salmon make sure you have appropriate levels in your blood.

Keep your levels healthy

Your safest bet for healthy levels is to increase vegetablesourced supplies of calcium via the richest foods. These include kale, bok choy, seaweed, turnips and sprouted almonds.

13/09/2017 16:36

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E P OW E R

GET EXPLOSIVE

Plyometrics for the over 40s Reap the athletic rewards of explosive training without the wear and tear on your joints You may love plyometrics, but they’re famous for exacting a devastating toll on your joints. You don’t need to be a mature athlete to feel this way, because even younger sportsmen can come unstuck using this training. To find a workaround, it’s wise to define exactly what these moves entail. They are exercises that involve ballistic types of movement, which lend themselves to explosive or jumping activities. They enable a muscle to reach its maximum strength in as short a time as possible, using repeated, rapid, eccentric and concentric movements via jumping, bounding, hopping, arm pushing, catching and rebounding to increase muscular power. If you’re young, that may sound pretty cool. But ask any 40-plus athlete what box jumps feel like the day after a workout, and you’ll get a laundry list of sore backs, knees and ankles. Ask the same guy how his plyometric push-ups feel and again, you’ll get a feedback sheet of sore shoulders, wrists and backs. Now, that might be OK for a guy in his 20s, who may or may not need to use his body every day at work. However, anyone who plans to use their muscles daily may want to avoid them altogether, because the potential for injury and lost revenue is sky high. If you look at your joints, they were all made to only do so much in their

Power TRAIN BY AGE.indd 42

EXPERT Kevin Kearns is a nutrition consultant, author of Always Picked Last and a strength and conditioning coach specializing in aging (burnwith kearns.com).

life span. It’s as if once you pass 40, the warranty begins to expire on your knees and shoulders. Take the example of your knee – it operates in the same way as a door hinge. It’s great when brand new but, over time it needs to be greased and lubricated as well as kept clean. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to grease your joints because they are actually drying out due to age. Before you pack it all in and completely throw in the towel on the notion of plyometrics, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Some of the biggest challenges with this type of training can be carefully manipulated to add huge benefits to the 40-plus guy, so here’s what you need to elicit this kind of power in the safest manner possible.

FITTER AT

40+ Pain management tactics

What you may not realize is that plyometrics enhance recovery and regeneration after exercise. One of the benefits of rebounding is that it positively affects your body on a molecular and cellular level. Many oncologists recommend their patients start rebounding even after they are in remission to help cleanse the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is how your body gets rid of harmful things and is key to overall health. If you run out of anti-gravity tonic, don’t stress. Just jump on your trampoline, which will act like a springing fountain of youth. One of the other benefits of rebounding is that it slows down atrophy in the aging process. It also protects joints from chronic fatigue and the impact your body would

13/09/2017 16:37

t r a i n by ag e

p lyo m e t r i c c h e c k l i s t

1. Change your landing surface Too often, people think it’s a smart idea to do box jumps or plyometric push-ups and land on a hard surface. The thought of it is enough to make your spine ache. Look toward landing on a soft surface, such as a mat, grass, sand, fitness trampoline or ankle-deep water, as all these surfaces reduce the impact on your joints and help your recovery from the exercise.

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A safety first approach

2. Curtail training volume absorb if you were just working out on a hard surface. This is because it activates the pituitary gland, which stimulates bones and encourages growth, which is especially key in young children whose bodies are still developing. Often times, people associate increased G-forces with rebounding, but aren’t really sure what it does for the body. In addition to all the benefits above, G-force strengthens the musculoskeletal systems and it is at its greatest while jumping, or in a state of weightlessness. There are also benefits at a cellar level, as using a fitness trampoline encourages every cell to get stronger. Convinced? Keep reading for the best ways to employ these methods into your workouts.

Power TRAIN BY AGE.indd 43

Smarter set and reps structures Younger guys you can get away with training plyometrics every day for about three to six weeks then your joints will be talking to you. For the more seasoned guys you can try a number of different approaches

trying 10-20 reps in each set. 1. Do 1-3 sets once a week infused in your regular workout. 2. Do 3 sets, 3 times a week for 3 weeks. 3. Do 1 week on of a full plyometric workout and take the next week off.

In this respect, more is not better. Even the famous Dr Chu – who literally wrote the book on plyometrics – recommended a rotation of three weeks on, one week off. You can go one better by 1-3 drills into your workouts on a regular basis with different body parts.

3. Adjust the frequency

If you want to, add a full plyometric workout into your regime 1-2 times per week for four weeks max. Then take a week off and add in some new drills.

4. Listen to your body

It is surprising how simple this is, yet many exercisers tend to ignore pain. There’s nothing wrong with a healthy dose, but don’t cripple yourself the next day. If it hurts, back off or lower reps; just listen to your body.

13/09/2017 16:37

t r a i n m ag .c o m • TRAIN MAGA Z IN E

T R AIN BY AG E

P OW E R

B e ac h - b a s e d b e n e f i t s

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • 4 4

Impact-free plyometrics 1. Box jumps

On a fitness trampoline, you will not feel any pressure on your joints. In sand, you have to contend with the positive effects of an uneven surface, while in ankle-deep water, the added benefit is water resistance.

2. Plyometric push-ups

On a fitness trampoline, you will pre-stretch your wrists, which is excellent for the forearms as well as wrist musculature. Sand and ankle-deep water are alternatives.

3. Lateral bounds

The best scenario involves two fitness trampolines when doing this movement, but it is a real killer in sand and ankle-deep water.

4. Single-legged hops

To forge single legged stability, this has no equal. But it can also be done in sand and in ankle-deep water as a real leg fryer.

5. Plank to push-up lock

For shoulder rehab and core strength, this is excellent with a fitness trampoline. Sand works better than water for this movement.

Power TRAIN BY AGE.indd 44

Bounce-back-ability

The fitness trampoline’s big gains hit list

1. Improved sense of self-control. 2. Better mental performance with keener learning. 3. Heightened coordination between the proprioceptors in your joints. 4. Improved balance. 5. Reduced feelings of anxiety and depression by an increase in endorphins. 6. Increased lymphatic circulation.

7. Reduced blood pressure when the arterial pressures rise during exertion. 8. Enhanced digestion. 9. Encourages blood circulation by increasing the capillary count in the muscles and decreasing the distance between the capillaries and the target cells 10. Protects the joints from the chronic fatigue and impact delivered by hard surfaces.

11. Promotes tissue repair. 12. Increases respiration and capacity for breathing. 13. Boosted metabolism and improved resting metabolic rate. 14. Strengthens the heart and other muscles. 15. Lowers circulating cholesterol and triglycerides. 16. Prevents chronic swelling by decrease in the volume of blood pooling in the veins.

17. Keeps you young by slowing down atrophy in aging. 18. Rebounding for longer than 20 minutes at increases the mitochondria count within cells. 19. Aids the alkaline reserve, which may be of significance in an emergency requiring prolonged effort. 20. Relives pain from sore neck, back, headaches, and discomfort caused by lack of exercise.

13/09/2017 16:38

t r a i nm ag .c om • T R AI N M AGA Z I N E

F LIP SI D E

P OW ER

The lengths I went to prepare for this event were extreme. At each transition station, I even had my supplements such as RE-KAGED, HYDRA-CHARGE and fermented GLUTAMINE and BCAAs, portioned into bottles and ready to go. Dehydration is the biggest culprit for causing people to fail at events like this, so I ensured I consumed 24oz of water for every hour I was racing to enhance recovery and performance.

Winning the mental game A never-say-die attitude will help push past limits you place on yourself

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There are many layers to the mind. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand how far it can go until it’s forced to go there. During my recent half IRONMAN, I discovered, yet again, that my mental strength has more in its armory when the going gets tough. At the beginning of the event, the 1.2mile swim was physically challenging, as was the 56-mile bike ride. However, it was the final segment that really pulled each fiber of my mental being to the surface as I ran the 13.1 miles to the finish line. During that latter stage, there were elements of my physical state that were ready to give in. My hip flexors had become so fatigued they could barely lift my legs and from this point forth, it was all about my mental conditioning. Where some have folded under the pain and 92-degree heat, I kept moving. This is how I condition my mind to be unbreakable during my very first half IRONMAN as a bodybuilder with only four months of preparation. Be prepared I didn’t feel anxious at the start line. Although I knew there would be pain, the fact I’d prepared properly allowed me to calm any nerves, as the mind is more fearful when it thinks there’s a high chance of failure. It’s the “fight or flight” mechanism every human has encoded in their DNA, to preserve us from excessive struggle. We’re designed to avoid challenges like this. To bypass that natural inbuilt system, preparation is paramount.

Power FLIPSIDE 2.indd 46

Break the challenge up During the 13.1-mile run, I broke each section down into small parts. I’d tell myself to get to that person stood on a corner in the yellow top. Once I got there, I’d then set the next small target such as a tree, a signpost or aid station. It made things more realistic for my mind, while my hip flexors were screaming for me to stop. This technique can be used in any challenge. If I’m crushing a 50 rep set on the leg press, I won’t think about that big number. Instead, I’ll focus on the first 20, then the next 10. Breaking big challenges into smaller ones helps strengthen mental resolve.

expert Kris Gethin Nutrition consultant, trainer and CEO of Kaged Muscle.

Fear failure Whenever I’m feeling mentally vulnerable in a challenging situation, I’ll create a really harsh scenario to conjure up more courage. When every fiber of my physical being was asking me to stop, I kept telling myself: “If you stop, something bad will happen to somebody you love.” As much as the pain victimized my limbs, there was no way I was going to stop; I couldn’t because of the scenario I was in. As cruel or crazy as it might sound, I’m yet to fail once I’ve put myself into this mental situation. Sometimes, fear can bring out the best in us. Follow my free MAN of IRON video series updates on my Instagram account @krisgethin and on Bodybuilding.com V i ta l s tat s Training week: 14 of 26 Days trained this week: 6 Weight training sessions per week: 4 Hours spent on cardio per week: 9 Current body fat: 15.6% Current weight: 217lb Height: 5ft 8in Issues: Knees are feeling a little sensitive, so I’ve decided to run more on the trails and my Woodway Curve Treadmill.

MAN OF IRON

13/09/2017 16:39

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

AG E E R A S E R

P OW E R

GET A KICK FROM COFFEE

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Bean there, done that If you want to enjoy repeat performances of life’s greatest moments, an espresso could be the longevity ticket you desire Some fairytales are true, like the one about magic beans that bring you back to life every morning. Coffee has been slathered in accolades that include fighter of heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and kidney dysfunction. It all amounts to a single net result: longevity. Research at the University of Southern California found dudes who gulped just one cup of their chosen

Power AGE ERASER.indd 48

brew every day were 12% less likely to die than those who abstained. If you indulged in two cups, an 18% reduction in biting the bullet was calculated. It wasn’t the caffeine responsible for the uptick in life, but the antioxidants and phenolic compounds that fend off diseases, such as the big C. Just don’t abominate it with too much sugar, or you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.

100 CLUB A high protein diet can partner up with heartburn. Protein pump inhibitors may increase your risk of death by 25%, so eating more alkaline veg and taking apple cider vinegar is a more natural remedy that can also put your abs on show. Source: BMJ Journals

13/09/2017 16:40

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E P OW E R

Gel wishes There is a group of foods that acts as medicine for your gut, drawing toxins from your innards – you may not have even ever eaten them. Here’s what your body is dying to know… Your body wants to heal itself and does a damn good job of it, too. Well, providing you choose to load it with the correct raw materials, of course. Fortunately, there’s no secret diet which optimizes this process: load up with plenty of all-natural foods and you’ll grease your restorative cogs. That said, one genre of nutritional resource works a little differently to the rest – gelatinous foods. Like some sort of alien self-defense mechanism, some plants secrete a gel called mucilage when they become wet, which is a nice way of saying they can get to slug-levels of slimy. And it’s this special goo which acts like a clean-up crew for your insides. How it works If you’ve ever soaked chia seeds in water, you’ve seen these in action. This glue-like substance fortifies plants against injuries from pathogens, and helps disperse their seeds. Bear in mind this is not the stuff that comes from animal products (that honor goes to gelatin), but

this gel acts like a mild laxative that absorbs bile and is believed to dissolve cholesterol. It zooms through your digestive system and can help prevent your body storing too much fat. These unique effects have been known for some time, but are gaining traction. A near-vintage paper in Pharmacology and Therapeutics found when obese people ate a diet rich in mucilage, it created significantly more weight loss than with a reduced calorie diet alone. You could even say the gels have a detoxifying effect, because pollutants stored in your fat cells like unwanted houseguests did not always take the hint and leave. Worryingly, toxins can get more concentrated in the smaller amounts of fat tissue remaining in your body after you’ve been shedding, found a study in The Scientific World Journal. And fat cells are actually the safest storage unit, because in some instances, these toxins are redistributed to areas like your brain and bloodstream, where you definitely don’t want them lurking.

Fat loss solutions

It’s easy to suggest keeping away from toxins, even if you always buy organic and never indulge in fun foods. Yes, a diet high in fiber and anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3 fats will put you in the best possible position, but it’s worth adding a daily snack of the following foods, especially if you’re rapidly losing weight.

Flax seeds

Power Nutrition.indd 50

Chia seeds

Psyllium

Aloe vera

Kelp

Okra

Figs

13/09/2017 16:41

NUTRITION

How to eat more Blend to perfection

The most obvious solution for chia seeds, flax seeds and psyllium husks is to soak them in water (overnight if possible), then blend them into a protein smoothie to leave you feeling full and satisfied.

Reshape dessert options

gut instinct

Substitute rice and spuds

Other benefits One of the biggest plus points of almost all of these mucilage-creating foods is their positive effects on digestive health, courtesy of their high fiber content. You’ll be more regular and improve your levels of healthy gut bacteria, which may even help you out if you have a dodgy tummy. And that’s not all. A paper in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found eating high-fiber foods, such

Plantain is an underused carb that can be boiled, mashed or added to stews or soups. It’s a great immune booster, regulates your digestive tract and is loaded with potassium – heavy in electrolytes for endurance athletes.

as psyllium, can help you feel fuller for longer, which can aid in weight loss. Other research found these types of foods have a plethora of benefits, including prebiotic effects, fighting cholesterol, improving heart health and lowering blood sugar levels – pretty much the full remit of healing mechanics you want your body to be doing behind the scenes. It’s no surprise these exacts have been used medicinally for centuries.

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Agar has zero calories, sugar, carbs and fat, yet is a good source of fiber, calcium and iron. It’s a fantastic addition to any dessert and can be bought as bars, flakes or powder. You won’t notice a difference, but your gut will.

Prickly options

The clear inner portion of cactus pads and aloe vera is eaten. Prep it raw, poached, juiced or add to salads, but don’t go overboard and make sure it’s actually aloe, as there are many lookalikes, which are poisonous!

Agar

Power Nutrition.indd 51

Cactus pads

Fenugreek

Licorice root

Plantain

Cassava

13/09/2017 16:42

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E P OW E R

The path to great gains Another month of products you lift with power and powder to give your workouts a lift

NuFit NuBells

$39.99 – $229.99 a pair (5lb – 50lb) nufitcorp.com From 5lb upwards, NuBells evenly distribute the weight of a traditional dumbbell, using a circular design to reduce injuries such as tennis elbow and other strains. With a NuBar attachment they can also be used as barbell weights, too.

INSIGHT

2Power Insight.indd 52

13/09/2017 16:45

INSIGHT

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein $32.88 (27 servings) Bodybuilding.com The original all casein protein offers slowdigesting energy for between meals or overnight.

Dymatize ISO100

Polar OH1

$79.95 Polar.com Forget the chest strap or clichéd watch gadget, now you can monitor your heart rate with a powerful yet petit optical sensor arm band. It’s also waterproof up to 30m, meaning that your scope for stats in any sport or physical activity is greatly increased.

$29.99 (24 servings) Bodybuilding.com Each serve offers 25g of protein and 5.5g BCAAs, now available with no artificial colors or flavors and stevia leaf sweetener. N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • 5 3

MHP Glutamine-SR

$43.98 (167 servings) Bodybuilding.com A powerful anticatabolic amino acid, which delivers muscle-feeding energy for up to 12 hours at a time.

Cellucor C4 Original

$29.99 (30 servings) Bodybuilding.com Top of the class preworkout which boasts CarnoSyn® BetaAlanine to give you explosive energy to tackle your regime.

MuscleTech Protein Cookie

$11.99 (six cookies) Bodybuilding.com Guilt – and gluten – free cookies in three delicious flavors: chocolate chip, peanut butter chip and birthday cake.

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Gaspari Anavite

$28.99 (180 tablets) Bodybuilding.com The world’s first and only anabolic multivitamin, Anavite tablets contain 3200mg of CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine and 2000mg Carnitine Tartrate (per serving), which help increase energy and performance, and help aid post-exercise recovery.

13/09/2017 16:45

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E P OW E R

Is cardio destroying you? If you’ve got a pet style of cardio, you could be unraveling one step at a time. Here’s an easy fix so your body stays strong for the long haul Picture in your mind’s eye those awesome endurance athletes who’ve been running for years, and have probably clocked up a few marathons. Inspiring, right? Thousands of hours committed to a single, steady movement. Now, try to draw your attention to those body types who have been into running for a long time but haven’t mastered the gait or perfect alignment. When you look at how that’s impacted their body, you’ll notice a forward and posteriorly rotated hip (meaning minimal glutes as well), and often a rounded forward upper back. Sure, they’re lean and can run forever, but do you ever wonder what happens to the joints or muscles around them? Keep reading to find out what’s happening to your body while you’re sweating off your excesses. Shouldering the load Movement pattern overload is common for those who choose to do the cardio they are naturally good at performing. If you’re a runner, you’d probably stick with it as your preferred cardio. The same goes for someone who enjoys biking, swimming and so on, but the real problems creep in when your method of choice isn’t balanced by other forms of training which get opposing muscles involved. Take the running example

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RUNNING INTO TROUBLE?

again. Even when done properly, it’s still basically a quad-dominant exercise. Over time, the body lets go of muscle mass that isn’t required to stick around. This means your glutes, hamstrings, upper back and shoulders (to name a few) will begin to slowly waste away in favor of preserving the muscles used for the activity. Biking and stairmills are similar in their demands when done for aerobic training over a prolonged period of time. Long-term damage occurs through compensations and familiar movement pathways in training. What’s important is to learn how to identify movement pattern issues, to change cardio training in order to help regain muscle balance in your body, and to undo these compensations and improve weaknesses.

TRAINER Brandan Fokken

IFBB physique pro, Bodybuilding.com and Dymatize athlete.

As you do this, you have potential to initiate improvements in muscle growth for specific areas. This means by changing the demand and introducing new movement patterns, or improving the way your body performs typical patterns, even your cardio can be geared towards gaining muscle. OK, that’s typically only seen when someone is transitioning from a more sedentary life to a more active one, but it’s worth

“Running one mile is essentially 1500 plyometric repetitions at two-to-five times your bodyweight (depending on speed), so a three-mile run would include 4500 reps with very high landing forces going through your knees, hips and ankles.” Alwyn Cosgrove

13/09/2017 16:49

CARDIO

Cardio hiccups

Most cardio plans only train one plane of motion – forward or back, aka the sagittal plane. As you know, this isn’t the only direction your body moves in, so incorporating lateral training alongside rotational work will increase the metabolic and aerobic demand of your workouts.

Frontal plane Sagittal plane

noting that regardless of whether the person is sedentary or more active, immediate responses to training are going to be much more neuromuscular and relate to fluid retention capabilities within the muscle rather than functional strength and muscle fiber growth. You can expect to wait a few months for evidence of notable growth. Know your body It’s important to identify which muscles you’re over using when doing your preferred style of cardio. The first step is to try filming yourself on your phone during your next session. Plan to do an extended workout and get yourself really fatigued. This will be the best way to diagnose how pattern overload is affecting your body.

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Be sure to get a quick video of yourself prior to your workout, where you’re just standing and walking around. Next, film 15-30 seconds at the beginning, plus grab a clip of your midway point. Finally, take one last video right at the end of your workout and one of your posture when you’re walking around immediately after. What do you see? Do you notice you’re pretty hunched over? If you’re running, are your heels striking the ground first, or

is it the front of your foot? What are your hips doing? Do they move naturally from side-to-side slightly with your leg stride, or are they locked into place? What about your head and neck? What does this say about, which muscles are pretty bound-up for you? Here’s a little problem solving cheat sheet. 1. If your hips don’t move at all, your glutes, IT Band and lower back are too tight and this means force is not distributed evenly though your body. This

Quad dominant / frontal plane • Lateral helix trainer • Lateral speed drills • Jump rope

Mixed movement/ sagittal plane • Rowing (primarily quads, upper back, calves) • Kettlebell swings and pulls (glutes, lower back, shoulders, hamstrings, core) • Dance (varies) • Battle ropes (primarily shoulders, upper back, and quads, depending on positioning) • Swimming (varies)

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Quad dominant/ sagittal plane (primary muscles trained: quads, calves, anterior chain) • Walking, jogging, running, sprinting • Elliptical trainer • Stairmill • Speed drills • Upright plyometric jumping • Biking

As your body adapts, you must keep finding ways to challenge yourself, and cardio is the most easily adapted form of exercise. Below are the most common cardio modalities to help you identify which muscles you’re primarily targeting, and where to move in order to balance your body back out.

will cause tension in your lower back and most likely lead to knee issues. 2. If your shoulders are rounding forward, then your chest and anterior delts are getting tight, causing limitations in lung capacity. This leads to more rapid fatigue, because your air supply is lower. Above all, don’t worry about these: there’s a training plan to come that will improve your posture, strength and cardio capacity.

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T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

CARDIO

P OW E R

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Fix your imbalances If you have identified problem areas which could use some help, where do you go? Look at your current cardio program in terms of total minutes per week and work with that. Consider the example of someone who is performing two 20-minute stairmill sessions a week at steady state, which means their total workout time is 40 minutes. Now, apply this timescale to the following reboot that will dramatically improve your aerobic output and overall movement patterns.

WEEKS 1-3

WEEKS 4-6

WEEKS 7-9

WEEKS 10-12

Do half of your total minutes with opposing muscle group cardio and half in a similar muscle group, but a different plane.

Do half your total minutes in opposing muscle group cardio, and half with a different type.

Do a third of your minutes in mixed movement, one third in resisted movement, and the final third upper body.

Do one half of your preferred method of training, and one half opposing.

Example 20-minutes of kettlebell swings, and 20-minutes of jump rope.

Example 20-minutes of rowing, and 20-minute sprint intervals.

Example 15-minutes rowing speed training, 10-minutes high resistance biking, 15-minutes on battle ropes.

Example 20-minutes on the stairmill (you should be much stronger than before you started!) and 20-minutes of battle ropes.

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If you have movement patterns that really need work, you may want to consider taking a break from cardio that reinforces your posture limitations. Do opposing movements and muscles for three-four months while you work on loosening over-worked and tight muscles, to leave yourself with a pain-free body that moves more efficiently in every direction. You can keep getting leaner, while improving your long-term strength.

13/09/2017 16:48

t r a i n m ag .c o m • TRAIN MAGA Z IN E P OW E R

l i f t i n l e ss t i m e

Power to the people Use this explosive workout to strengthen and condition your body to accelerate and lift weights quickly What you’ve been doing: Pure strength training

What has it done to you?

The compound movements used will improve your overall strength and size and increase your loads when you go back to your hypertrophy training. You will now be able to lift more, therefore recruiting more muscle.

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What weaknesses has it created?

Following a strength-training program you cannot work as much frequency at such a high intensity. If you do, your central nervous system (CNS) will become overworked, leaving you exhausted and lethargic and increasing the chance of injury, eventually plateauing your goals. You would have to work in a lower intensity to keep it up. Although there are benefits from strength training, you have not improved your explosive power.

Selye’s model of adaptation Recovery and muscle growth

Plateau Overreaching



Performance

You are able to move more weight over a short range of reps while using the big compound movements such as deadlifts, squat, bench presses, bent over rows and overhead presses. Longer rest periods are used to ensure you’re fully recovered. Your typical training protocols will have seen you using weights that are 80% of your one repetition maximum (1RM) for 1-6 reps over 1-6 sets.

Overload



Overtraining Alarm Reaction

Stage of Resistance

Stage of Exhaustion

13/09/2017 16:53

PER I O D I z AT I O N

expert John Hayes

is an athletic trainer and owner of JHPT Performance Training.

Your next best steps

There is a difference between training for strength and training for explosive power. Power is more associated within sports, while top athletes will work on their explosive power to get that edge for competition. Explosive power is how quickly you can accelerate yourself or move weight, with the main muscles to help generate more explosive power found in the legs and hips. Strengthening these areas explosively will enable the power to be generated to the body where needed.

You’ll be doing 3-5% reps using weights that weigh less than 90% of your 1RM over 4-6 sets. The best movements to focus on include squats, overhead squats, jump squats, push presses, kettlebell swings and snatches. Adding these movements alongside your compound training will help develop the explosive power you need. This time round, we are focusing on accelerating and lifting weights fast.

Your plan Weeks 1-4

Weeks 5-8

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The main muscles to help generate more explosive power are in the legs and hips

How does the next step work?

Weeks 9-12

Primary movements to include

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Squat, overhead squat, jump squats, deadlift, push press and kettlebell swings.

Squat, overhead squat, jump squats, deadlift, push press, power snatch from hang position and banded kettlebell swings.

Squat, overhead squat, jump squats, overhead press, deadlift, push press, banded kettlebell swings and full snatch.

Do them 3-4 times per week using a weight that’s 75-80% of your 1RM.

Do them 3-4 times per week, using a weight that’s 80-85% of your 1RM

3-5 reps across 4-6 sets. For the kettlebell swings, do 8-10 reps over 4-6 sets.

13/09/2017 16:53

T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E P OW E R

Incite your athleticism There’s the bulky brawn you get from slogging away, then there’s high-performance muscle the pros use to sign their paychecks. Here’s how to get your own slice of sportsman-like muscle

PRO WITH PURPOSE

Ask any young athlete what they want to be when they grow up, there’s a good chance most of them will tell you about their dreams of turning pro. The sad reality is very few of us will ever make it, and the stats get even worse once you hit adulthood. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), reports that of the eight million high school athletes, only around 480,000 of them will go on to compete at NCAA schools. For those who want to make it further, they often need someone to show them the way. Fortunately, it’s never too late to start – or restart – training to move like an athlete, because it is one of the most exciting and productive ways to exercise. Not only are you improving basic

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athletic qualities, like speed and power, but you can also cut body fat, while packing on additional muscle mass. This is possible with a well-designed plan. Whether your goal is to improve athletic performance, or focus on building muscle, you can make it happen with a correctly structured workout.

Muscle that moves

There are several important differences between a training plan geared towards athletic performance enhancement and one solely focused on building muscle. It’s important to know what your workout goals are, so you can engage in the right training plan to achieve those goals. Here are three important things to keep in mind.

1. Train your entire body every day, but with a focus

Athletes use their entire body in practice and competition, so it makes sense they need to condition themselves to perform each and every training day. To effectively do this, without overloading your nervous system or risking injury, there needs to be careful management of training load and intensity. For this four-day a week plan, there are two upper and two lower body focused days, but within each day the total body is being trained.

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M U S C L E B U I L D I N G WO R K O U T

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • 6 3

3. Core bracing and other correctives

2. Power production

If you’ve become accustomed to more traditional bodybuildingstyle training plans, you’re likely to be unfamiliar with repetitions in the 2-4 range as applied to jumping and throwing: this is the power range. Training your body to produce great amounts of power takes time and focus. Do not rush through these repetitions; rather, put 100% focus and effort into each throw or jump. Max-out the opportunity to improve your athleticism.

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The top priority of any coach is to prevent injuries. To do this, there is a large focus placed on teaching the body how to brace (for the sake of resisting unwanted rotation) and the weaving in of exercises that are often seen in rehabilitation settings that are equally important for preventing joint injuries. Understanding distinct phases within portions of the workout means you’re effectively training towards great athleticism and building muscle. This workout will help achieve goals, reduce injury and keep you feeling great.

EXPERT Coach Sarah Walls

is a personal trainer to teams including the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc.

saptstrength.com

13/09/2017 16:54

T R A I N M AG .c o m • train maga z in e P OW E R

Pre-workout warm-up

Do this selection of exercises before each workout to prep your body for performance

Step 1

Foam-roll Calves, adductors, quads, glutes, lats, upper back & anything else that needs attention

Step 2

Do the following moves one after the other Bodyweight squat x10 reps Push-up x10 reps Band pull-aparts x15 reps Spiderman stretch with overhead reach x5 each side

Step 3

Movement prep Knee Hugs x8/side Walking single leg Romanian deadlift with reach x8/side Walking quad stretch x8/side Cradle walk x8/side A-skip x15 yards B-skip x15 yards Carioca x15 yards each direction Lateral skip x15yds each direction 10-yard builder sprints 3x1 at 65%, 75%, 85% effort

Your workouts start here Day 1: Lower Body Focus: Frontal Plane EXERCISE

Day 2: Horizontal Push/Pull Focus

FOCUS WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4

EXERCISE

FOCUS WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4

A1. Broad jump to falling sprint (10yds)

4x2/ side

A1. Med ball reactive side throw

3x6/ side

4x5/ side

4x6/ 4x6/ side side

A2. Split-stance forearm wallslide

2x8

A2. Band pullaparts

2x15

3x12

3x15

B1. Step back lunge with crossbody kettlebell hold: racked and suitcase

3x8/ side

4x6/ 3x10/ 4x8/ side side side

B1. Plyo push-ups (can use backpack setup for assistance)

4x5

5x4

6x4

B2. Feet-elevated side plank

3x20/ 3x25/ 3x30/ 3x35/ side side side side

B2. Alternating hand slideout

2x8/ side

3x8/ 3x10/ 3x10/ side side side

B3. Kettlebell armbar

2x5/ side

2x6/ side

2x8/ 2x10/ side side

C1. Barbell or dumbbell bench press

3x12, 10,8

4x6

3x12, 10,8

4x6

C1. Back-elevated barbell glute bridge

3x15, 12,10

3x15, 3x15, 12,10 12,10

C2. Barbell bent over row

4x6

3x12, 10,8

4x6

3x12, 10,8

C2. Suspension strap row with neutral grip

3x15

3x20 3x25 3x25

C3. Pallof press and hold

C3. Push-up (weighted)

3x15, 12,10

D1. Low incline single-arm alternating dumbbell bench press

3x10/ side

3x12, 3x10/ 3x12, 10,8 side 10,8

D1. Prowler sprint

6x20 yds

7x20 6x20 7x20 yds yds yds

D2. 3-point dumbbell row

3x15, 12,10

3x12/ 3x15, 3x12/ side 12,10 side

D2. Battle ropes

6x20

7x20 6x25 7x25

D3. Stir the pot

2x15/ way

2x15/ 2x20/ 2x20/ way way way

60 secs

E1. Spider crawl

3x15 yds

3x20 3x20 yds yds

E2 Double kettlebell racked carry

3x15 yds

3x20 3x20 yds yds

D3. Take a breather!

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3x15, 3x15, 12,10 12,10

60 secs

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M U S C L E B U I L D I N G WO R K O U T

Day 3: Lower Body Focus: Saggital Plane EXERCISE

FOCUS WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4

A1. Heiden with single rebound and stick

4x2/ way

A2. PUPP lateral crawl

2x10/ 2x12/ 3x10/ 2x15/ way way way way

B1. Trap bar or barbell deadlift

4x5

5x3

B2. PUPP with T-rotation

3x6/ way

3x8/ 3x10/ 3x10/ way way way

C1. Goblet lateral lunge

3x10/ 3x10/ 4x8/ 4x8/ side side side side

C2. Half-kneeling 1-arm landmine press

3x12, 10,8

Q/P

2x10/ side

3x8/ 3x10/ 3x12/ side side side

3x20 yds

4x20 4x20 5x20 yds yds yds

2 mins

C3. Low to high cable/band chop D1. Prowler push - heavy D2. Take a breather!

5x2/ way

4x3/ way

5x3/ way

5x5

5x2

3x12, 3x12, 10,8 10,8

90 secs

2 mins

Day 4: Vertical Push/Pull Focus EXERCISE

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FOCUS WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4

A1. Wall ball

3x8

4x6

3x10

4x8

A2. Split stance medicine ball slams

3x5/ way

3x6/ way

3x8/ way

4x8/ way

A3. Chin-up with 6-sec negative

3x3

4x3

5x3

B1. Pull-ups (add weight or assistance as needed)

3x8

4x5

3x10/ 3x10/ side side

B2. Single-arm half-kneeling dumbbell overhead press

3x12, 10,8

3x12, 3x12, 10,8 10,8

C1. Standing barbell or dumbbell overhead press

3x8

C2. Kneeling lat pulldown

3x12

C3. Hollow rocks

3x20

3x25 3x30 3x35

D1. Biceps curls

3x15, 12,10

3x15, 3x15, 12,10 12,10

D2. Pushdowns

3x15, 12,10

3x15, 3x15, 12,10 12,10

E1. Tiger crawl

3x15 yds

3x20 3x20 yds yds

E2. Split-stance Pallof press and hold

3x5/ side

3x6/ side

3x7/ side

P Power: quality repetitions with 100% focus and effort Q Quality: corrective or injury-prevention exercise that needs a quality technical execution S Strength: load up the weight, but not so much that form is sacrificed C Conditioning: work hard, work fast and tax your cardiovascular system

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Exercise focus key

Post workout wrap-up

After this workout series you’ll have… 1 More power 2 Faster speed 3 Improved agility 4 Fewer injuries

3x8/ side

13/09/2017 16:54

trainmag.com •

• Health kick • fat to fit • ATHLETE OPINION • SLIM TO STACKED • BOOK REVIEW • outdoor workout • MMA WORKOUT

Transform

EDITED BY Altug Kop

Think about what it is you’re trying to achieve

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Measurable data is one of the most important aspects of any transformation, whether that be pounds dropped, inches lost, reps counted or time spent exercising. A study in the Journal of Sports Sciences highlighted how, in the world of cycling, today’s metrics just don’t cut it. “Simple summary methods cannot reflect a session’s variable distribution of power output or indicate its likely metabolic stress.

Binning power output data, into training zones for example, provides information on the detail but not the length of efforts within a session.” The review highlights the need for new methods to be established that quantify the effects of training loads and models their implications for performance. The same goes for you. Don’t leave home without discovering and deciding on a measure of performance that works for what you’re looking to achieve long-term with training.

D e c i d e o n data

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13/09/2017 16:55

transform HEALTH • trainmag.com

From failure to success Bill Brower’s lifestyle led to a health crash when he developed liver failure. It jump-started his return to fitness…

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Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your health? At the age of 31 I was very out of shape, ate whatever I wanted and was not in touch with what my body wanted or needed. I indulged in a lot of fast food and alcohol, and I started getting sharp pains in my side and back, which worried me. I went to the doctor and found out that I was in the early stages of liver failure. Q. So how did you end up getting into fitness? After that diagnosis, I took it upon myself to change from that point on. When I want something, I get it or at least take it to the max trying. I hit the gym hard and was hooked when I saw the results. As of today (age 33) I have gained strength, stamina, and speed. I eat super healthy and work out daily. It is very hard for me to take one day a week off from the gym, but I know my body does need it sometimes.

“After my diagnosis of early liver failure, I took it upon myself to change” Q. What are your goals for the future? I am hopefully starting a healthy diet and training business online in the near future. I train other men and my passion is guiding them to health and happiness. I do this through improving their nutrition and training routine.

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Q. Were there any specifics you needed to change in your diet to improve your liver health? Yes. I take an all-natural product to help support my liver, and I also eat grapefruit and lemons regularly because they are effective for liver cleansing. My diet principles are simply eat super healthy. I keep my protein high, my fat intake as low as possible and my carbs under 150g. One day a week I eat higher carb levels, around 250-300g.

Q. What does your typical day of food intake look like? Morning An eight egg white omelet with green peppers and onion and a medium sweet potato. Snack Low-fat Greek yogurt, topped with mixed nuts. Lunch 225g-280g chicken breast, low-fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt. Dinner 280g fish, wholegrain rice. Snack Low-fat cottage cheese with fish on top. I eat a lot of fish, chicken and eggs.

I N S P I R AT I O N

Infomania

Increase in people dying from liver disease since 1991 – the only major cause of death still increasing year-on-year.

20-50 Percentage of liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol.

70%

Extent of liver damage that people can have and still survive.

13/09/2017 16:56

G A I N S I N H E A LT H

The physique comeback

Outside of lifting

Tony Stark’s hypertension left him on the verge of diabetes. He chose to live for his son – and transform for his life

Besides training, I’m pretty active. I enjoy pick-up basketball and also like riding my bike.

1 2 3 The motive

My son. I imagine him watching me when I feel like giving up, and that gives me the determination to push past feelings that threaten my accomplishments.

On the clock

My high-volume weight training tends to last about an hour-and-a-half. I then jump on a form of cardio for 45 minutes, burning a total of 400 calories.

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The release

Mental gain

On my off days, I take a light walk for about 40 minutes. I hike, and sometimes perform selfmyofascial release on the tight spots in my muscles.

Training gives me confidence. At 280lb, my selfesteem was nonexistent. Training keeps me sane and is my sanctuary. In that moment, I’m king of the jungle.

VITAL STATS Before

• Weight: 280lb • Body fat: 48%

After The physique

I’ve lost the weight, and now I want to have the best physique I can possibly attain. My ultimate goal with training is to be healthy; not just in body, but in mind and spirit, too.

• Weight: 175lb • Body fat: 12%

56 The fuel

The term ‘diet’ is a set-up for failure. This is a lifestyle from different diets, like keto and vegetarian. I love food and never deprive myself. I’m disciplined enough to use moderation.

The team

My motivation goes back to my son and also my mentor, who introduced me to training, encourages and pushes me. God and my mother complete my support network.

13/09/2017 16:57

916 TRANSFORM

T RA I N M AG.C O M • FAT T O F I T

101112 Start your engine

My typical breakfast is a cup of plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of mixed berries and 28g of walnuts for my healthy fats.

I train four days a week, then take two days off for recovery. My program is a mixture that includes bodybuilding, circuit training, isometrics and highvolume training.

A 4oz turkey burger on double-fiber wheat bread, ½ a sweet potato and mixed veggies. I drink BCAAs pre and post-workout.

Midnight snack

I love Dymatize chocolate peanut butter ISO 100 whey. Otherwise, I’ll grab a handful of walnuts, almonds and a cup of water.

Staple foods

White fish and kale lean me out very well. I don’t worry about carbs for energy, because I use a mixture of eating styles, ketogenic being the most used. It’s my go-to for the summer body.

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Train of thought

Pre-workout

14 15 Music boost

I can groove to just about anything. However, I start my workouts with motivational speeches. As the workout continues, I’ll ease into some old school hip-hop, R&B, pop and even some country.

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The split

Monday Fasted cardio and chest Tuesday Biceps and shoulders Wednesday Active recovery – 40 min walk and rest Thursday HIIT cardio & back circuit Friday Chest and triceps

The future

I would like to contest prep and do a men’s physique show. I also promised my grandmother – the greatest woman I ever knew – that I’d make her proud of me.

13/09/2017 16:57

TRANSFORM TRAINMAG.COM • OPINION

EXPERT TIPS

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Should you just squat or follow strict corrective exercises instead to even out any imbalances before you start to squat heavy?

1 Chad Hollmer

I would definitely recommend strict corrective exercises and nailing your form before you start to add weight and lift heavy. Form first, then weight.

2 Michael Gonzales

To correct any imbalances you can do both: squat and follow strict corrective exercises. I would recommend doing very light squats or just bodyweight to work on form while hitting corrective exercises to even out those imbalances.

3 Sal Herrera

Definitely follow strict correctives. You don’t want to lift heavy while having any imbalances.

4 Brian Casad

You should most definitely not just squat. It is a very complicated move that, if done incorrectly, can severely injure you.

5 Zane Hadzick

I always recommend corrective exercises as a priority. You don’t want to reinforce imbalances and cause potential injury because you didn’t take the time to make necessary corrective changes.

Transform OPINION.indd 72

6 Michael Hildebrandt

Always work to correct postural deviations before squatting at any kind of intensity. It is better and more effective in the long run.

7 Brandon Johnson

I would not suggest squatting heavy until major imbalances are corrected, as this is a great way to injure yourself. Fortunately, the squat itself can be used as a corrective exercise when done with a light load and proper form. Follow a protocol of corrective exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles (including the core) and increase hip flexibility, while also incorporating squat movements in your workouts.

13/09/2017 16:59

MINI TO MODEL

Wrestling his way to the top Terry’s aspirations of becoming a wrestler altered when he hit a growth spurt, joined a gym – the cameras loved him...

When I was younger, I had aspirations to become a professional wrestler – just like The Rock. I used to attend wrestling school in north London from the age of 13 and, up until my 16th birthday, I was the smallest guy in the class. Barely 5ft-tall and scrawny, the bigger guys in class would basically use me to practice their power moves!

I shot up from 5ft to 6ft 1in in a year. I was no longer the small kid taking a load of bumps

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VITAL STATS Before • Age: 16 • Height: 5ft 2in • Weight: 130lb • Body fat: 12% After • Age: 29 • Height: 6ft 1in • Weight: 185lb • Body fat: 9%

I was known as the kid who took all the bumps – the wrestling term for landing on your back, front or flipping as a result of your opponents’ latest move. Up, up and away! I continued wrestling and doing shows up and down the country until I was 16, when I suddenly shot up over a foot in height. I went from a shade over 5ft to 6ft 1in over a year. This meant my wrestling style could change, and I was no longer the kid who had to take a load of bumps for being small. I now wanted to change my physique, as I needed to be believable as a proper wrestler, rather than being slim and lanky.

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TRANSFORM TRAINMAG.COM • SLIM TO STACKED

Wednesday – rest

TRAINING

Model material As I started hitting the gym and putting on lean muscle, my confidence grew. I wanted to expand my skillset, so a few of us from wrestling started taking acting lessons, which complemented what we were doing. I started getting small roles as an extra, and these were where I was noticed. Someone suggested auditioning for adverts and the rest, as they say, is history. I’ve been in ads for brands like Nintendo, BlackBerry and Toyota and my journey even took me to LA, where I lived for a number of years and made a living modeling. And it all started with the gym!

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Monday – upper body • Overhead press – 4x 6 reps • Lat pulldowns – 4x 12-15 reps (superset) • Dumbbell incline presses – 4x 12-15 reps (superset) • Barbell curls – 4x 12-15 reps (superset) • EZ bar skullcrushers – 4x 12-15 reps (superset) Tuesday – lower body • Squats – 4x 6 reps • Lunges – 4x 12-15 reps (supersets) • Seated leg curls – 4x 12-15 reps (supersets) • Romanian deadlifts – 4x 12-15 reps (supersets) • Leg extensions – 4x 12-15 reps (supersets) • Ab superset – crunches/leg raises – 4 sets of 15

Friday – legs and arms • Deadlifts – 4x 6 reps • Walking lunges – 3x 8-10 reps • Hack squats – 3x 8-10 reps • Bicep cable curls – 4x 8-12 reps • Tricep cable pushdowns – 4x 8-12 reps • Ab superset – crunches/leg raises – 4 sets of 15 Weekend – cardio • Outdoor cycling, 40 minutes

Fuel for future goals My meal plan I generally eat well and certainly don’t go on these “forever bulk” type of diets, since that would be detrimental to my work. I need to maintain proportions advertisers deem ideal to show off clients’ clothing lines, so I tend to stay lean. I don’t track my calories – I just use common sense, eating high protein with adequate carbs and fats. I make sure I get lots of veggies in and from there, I use the mirror as my guide to let me know if my diet needs adjusting.

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I love to go hard in the gym so I can get in and out. I also find that using supersets keeps my heart rate elevated and I generally notice I can stay leaner when I’m using this method of training. It works perfectly for my goals.

Thursday – shoulders, chest, back • Bench press – 4x 6 reps • Dumbbell press – 4x 8-12 reps (supersets) • Barbell rows – 4x 8-12 reps (supersets) • Lateral raises – 3x 12-15 reps (tri-sets) • Pec ﬂyes – 3x 12-15 reps (tri-sets) • Pull-ups – 3x 12-15 (tri-sets)

My cheat day I love hanging out with my friends and I’d never let my lifestyle ruin my enjoyment. I think fitness should enhance, rather than detract, from our lives. A cheat meal once or twice a week with drinks never hurts my physique. Supplements I don’t take many, but a few help make my life easier and training more effective. These include: Pre-workout: Cellucor C4 Post-workout: ON whey protein

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T R A I N M AG .C O M • T R A I N M AG A Z I N E

REVIEWS

TRANSFORM

B R A I N W O R KO U T

Hot off the press

EXPERT Paul Goat Allen

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is powerlifter and professional book critic, who loves nothing more than a heavy read.

Do the latest fitness books have the info you need to be a better athlete, or are they junk? TRAIN finds out After more than 20 years working as a full-time book critic, it finally happened. I read a book that literally made me puke. Hero workouts of the day (WODs) – intense sessions named in honor of military members, federal agents and first responders who have given their lives in service – have been a CrossFit phenomenon for a while now. I’ll bet you either know someone who has competed in the Murph Challenge (a grueling workout named after Navy SEAL Michael Murphy, who died in a mission in Afghanistan) or have participated in a few yourself. The Hero Workouts by Carter Henry is essentially a list of 100 in-depth biographies of fallen soldiers and warriors, followed by an insanely challenging WOD to honor the particular hero. The workout that compelled me to tango with the toilet was called the PK, named for Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel, who died in

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2013. It’s deceptively simple: 10 back squats with 225lb, 10 deadlifts with 275lb and then sprint 400-meters. Repeat five times, with two minutes between cycles. Although I consider myself to be in good shape, the PK wrecked me. The next time I attempt this particular WOD, my goal will be to finish without the peristaltic pyrotechnics. The sticking point

The one big criticism of The Hero Workouts, however, is there is very little in the way of expert commentary or instruction. For example, the workouts are meant to be tough – it’s about putting in maximum effort and never giving up after all – but nowhere in this book is there anything about modifying the workouts for those who aren’t quite ready to complete intense WODs. Insight from a qualified coach would have made this a more comprehensive read, as well as increasing appeal to a wider audience.

The Hero Workouts Carter Henry. Hatherleigh Press, $15, (278p) ISBN 978-1-57826-658-6

The workouts are extremely challenging, but it’s the heartrending stories behind the workouts that will undoubtedly resonate with readers. And, ultimately, that’s the big takeaway – the emotional and existential impact of reading the biographies of these heroes. Author Carter Henry’s words in the introduction can ultimately act as a metaphor for life itself: “Attack these workouts, read about the person you are honoring, and give them your greatest effort.”

Three things you can take away from the book… 1. Take time before each workout to consider how grateful you are. 2. Attack every workout as if it could be your last, because it may very well be. 3. Carefully consider your intent and effort. If you’re not giving 100%, what are you even doing?

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transform trainmag.com • Outdoor workout

expertS Kavadlo brothers Acclaimed fitness trainers and authors of the new book Get Strong

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Do more in less time, with a workout which rests one muscle group while another is targeted

HOW TO DO IT Perform one set of each exercise, then move onto the next. Repeat three times for a full body workout on the go

Squat 3 sets of 20 reps Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your hips, knees and ankles, lowering yourself down until your hamstrings touch your calves. Pause briefly, then stand back up.

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Push-up 3 sets of 20 reps Place your hands on the ground and keep your body in a straight line. Bend your arms and lower your chest towards the floor. Pause an inch from the ground, then press back to the top.

Pull-up 3 sets of 10 reps Hang from a bar and pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Maintain straight legs and full body tension, then slowly lower yourself back to the bottom starting position. Repeat.

Hip bridge 3 sets of 10 reps Lie on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat. Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips. Pause with your hips high, and then slowly return to the starting position.

Hanging knee raise 3 sets of 20 Hang from a bar with your elbows locked. Lift your knees towards your chest, tilting your pelvis slightly forward at the top. Lower your legs back to the bottom starting position.

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Give your core a beat down Sit-ups will only take your abs so far. Here’s how to condition your stomach for stamina and power

The nucleus of truly functional abs isn’t the up and down movements everyone else is doing: your core isn’t a hinge attached to a door. Instead, truly useful abs rotate your body in several directions, propelling your limbs into the position you need for success in your sport. MMA fighters are the masters of this truly unique strength and fitness set that few, if any, sports can mimic.

Here’s an MMA and Muay Thai workout that will condition your core to move in new and innovative ways, while burning a monstrous volume of calories. All you need is a punch bag, 30 minutes of your time, and a handful of pain management options. Because this is going to hurt – in the best possible way…

Stomach strength

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transform t r a i n m a g . c o m • MMA W OR K O U T

Round One

Round Two

Round Five

Freestyle x2

Jab-cross combo

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B Jab at a punch bag with your nondominant hand then switch, distributing your weight and bending your knees as you jab, pivoting your rear foot.

Jab-jab-cross combo

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Throw two jabs at a punch bag with your non-dominant hand then switch, distributing weight and bending your knees like before.

Jab-cross hook

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Hit the bag with a jab, followed by a cross. Turn your core to swing your punch into a hook, keeping your elbow bent 90° in a horizontal arc to the bag. Rest 1 min.

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B Hit the punch bag with a jab, then forcefully drive your right knee into it at waist height.

Workout tips

Left knee, right elbow

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Drive your left knee into the bag at waist height. Step back to the start position, then hit the bag with the flat part of your left elbow.

Jab-cross-leftknee-right elbow A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Hit the bag with a jab, cross with your left hand, then drive your right knee into it at waist height. Finish with a right elbow. Rest 1 min.

• Perform all exercises (excluding freestyle) for one minute • Completed Round Five? Go Advanced: 20 kicks each leg before the minute’s rest • Advanced + = add 20 push-ups after the kicks (plus partner do 20 squats)

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A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Hit the punch bag with a jab, then forcefully kick it at approximately waist height with your right leg.

Round Four Freestyle

Jab-right knee

Jab to right kick

Have your pad man call out single shots and combos. Don’t get too complicated. Focus on keeping things fast, fluid and powerful. Do this for three rounds of 1 minute, resting for 1 minute between each set.

Cross to left leg kick

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Round Three

Have your pad man call out single shots and combos. Don’t get too complicated. Focus on keeping things fast, fluid and powerful. Do this for one round of 1 minute, resting for 1 minute between each set.

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Hit the bag with a cross from your dominant hand, then forcefully kick at waist height with your left leg.

Left kick-crosshook-right kick

A Adopt a fighting stance, leading hand cocked slightly back. B) Kick the bag at waist height with your left leg. Follow up with a cross, hook and a right leg kick.

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Survival of the fittest gene Don’t let genes dictate your health. Find out how you can overcome even the strongest of genetic dispositions to become stronger, fitter and – when it comes to many illnesses – invincible

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“It’s in my blood” is something we say, especially when referring to a favorite sport or activity. Whether it’s snowboarding, boxing or simply building huge muscles, it’s the idea we’re predisposed with certain skills and abilities which has triggered researchers around the world to hunt for things such as the ‘bigger muscle’ or ‘obesity’ gene. Here’s what they found: nothing! Sure, scientists have pinpointed some genes related to muscle growth or athletic performance, while others have found some which make you more prone to obesity or diabetes. But there are lots of these genes, and every one has various impacts on the body. To date, scientists have pinpointed around 220 genes which are responsible for athletic performance alone. “Our understanding is making incredible advances, but we still don’t have the entire picture,” explains neurogeneticist, Brandon Swan of selfdecode.com. Some findings hold up across all ethnographic and genetic differences, while others appear to be unique to certain groups of people. The nature of this work is in flux, but it is steadfastly moving towards more and more concrete ground. As Swan says, progress has been made, researchers have managed to pinpoint certain genes that, along with others, influence our bodies. And it’s these genetesting companies will assess. “The good news is that there isn’t a negative outcome associated

with any DNA that we report on,” says Avi Lasarow, of DNAfit. “A person may have more favorable genetics to gain muscle mass with heavy weight training, and another person may have a less favorable profile, but that other person would just need to change the type of training that they do.”

Make a note of all the exercises you do, and the volume you lift, as well as tracking your weight and body circumferences – chest, waist, mid-arm and mid-thigh at the very least.

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Armed with the right information, you can adjust your training to fight the odds, odds you knew existed because some lifting routines work better for some people. What else can you do? Study history. We’re serious! Not World War II or anything like that, but your own family history. Take a look at your mum, dad and siblings and observe how their bodies respond to exercise (or lack of). Make a note of their diets, too: are they carb lovers, or do they have a sweet tooth? These will give you clues as to what your dietary leanings are likely to be – and it could be nature or nurture.

Finally, keep an exercise journal. “By doing so, you can keep tabs on which set/rep range best suits you, as well as highlight any weaknesses you may have,” suggests personal trainer Chris Wharton (betterbodygroup.co.uk). “Make a note of all the exercises you do, and the volume you lift, as well as tracking your weight and body circumferences – chest, waist, mid-arm and mid-thigh at the very least. Be aware that it will take at least four weeks of consistent training to notice any significant differences. Stick with it, and study your data until you figure out what works best for you.”

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Genetics

Your genes say that you’re slacking

Once you’re armed with all this information, you can very comfortably beat your genes. This is what the Darwinian notion of ‘survival of the fittest’ is all about – the fittest, healthiest, most successful genes winning out over the weaker ones which exist inside you. Work with what you’ve got to ensure your good genes come out on top.

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Your genes say you’re strong and slow

There’s a reason you don’t often see big guys flying through the finishing line at a marathon – they’ve realized that their genes haven’t set them up for making running or sprinting easy, so they’ve gone for the big-muscle option, which for them is the easy road. The gene ACTN3 is a protein relating to fast-twitch (or white) muscle fibers, which helps generate force at high speed. For the guys with this gene, expression running may come

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“The key to muscle growth is fatigue and if you have been sticking like glue to the same 8-12 heavy reps, it could be that your muscles simply don’t respond as well to heavier reps or that you need a change.”

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (or ACE) is the gene linked to how you’ll grow muscles, at least to some extent. With one type of ACE, you’ll grow bigger muscles using a longer period of time and pushing them to work (so, higher reps with a slightly lower load). With another type of ACE you’ll need to do fewer reps, but with heavier weight. The problem is that we’re often told the best way to lift is to always reach the fail point when you’ve done around 8-12 reps. You try that, but somehow the guy on the bench press next to you adds inches to his biceps while you’re still rocking the same size. This is where your diary comes in. Look over your data and assess your reps style. The key to muscle growth is fatigue and if you have been sticking like glue to the same 8-12 heavy reps, it could be that your muscles simply don’t respond as well to heavier reps or that you need to initiate a change. Try doing 20-30 reps, focusing on a fast concentric phase (shortening your muscle), a brief muscle squeeze, then a slower eccentric (lengthening phase). After four to six weeks of including this type of lifting, check your stats and adjust your workout accordingly.

more easily. Another gene – PGC1A – is linked to your VO2 max. It’s this gene that researchers believe give some competing athletes an edge over us mere mortals. It’s a compelling thought to give into the dictates of your genes and not bother to try – you were made for muscle so why try and be fast, too? Don’t go so easy on your genes, though. While being big and strong is a great aspiration, it’s entirely possible to be that guy popping out of his shirt while also being one who can give good chase to the creep who just stole your girl’s handbag. Yes, you will shave off some of that muscle, but in return you’ll enjoy a different kind of strength – speed strength. It’s not easy to get fast once you’ve built up a lot of big muscle, but you’re a tough guy and you like a challenge, right? Switch out some protein for carbs, leave out some of your heavier lifting for more reps of a lighter weight and (this will be the hard part) get yourself onto the treadmill or the track at your local park. At the beginning running will feel slow and frustrating, but keep your focus on beating your genes and within time, you’ll become a big, mean, running machine.

Your genes say you’re a high-tension guy

Even if you don’t know you’ve got the stressed-guy version of the gene PER3, chances are the people around you do. This particular gene has several impacts on your overall health, including your stress levels and even your sleep cycle. “Having altered levels of PER3 would certainly impact a person’s circadian rhythm,” explains neurogeneticist Brendan Swan of SelfDecode. “PER3 is involved in a feedback loop with other wake-sleep cycle genes. Having lower levels of it would most

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Genetics

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likely mean it took longer for the feedback loop to occur and could result in that person feeling sleepier later in the day.” As you’ve probably observed, stress is aggravated by lack of good sleep. If you’re also the kind of guy who ends up pummeling the steering wheel in a traffic jam, it could be that your genes hark back to times when the flight or fight response was essential for daily survival – like when we had to fight woolly mammoths to get a steak. Today, this response just causes your cortisol levels to rise (no dead mammoth, just you still stuck, looking at number plates). Cortisol has a dramatic effect on heart health, so getting control of the effects of this gene is essential if you want a strong, tough heart that will see you

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through the hardest workouts and exercise regimes and keep you going long into old age. Address both fight and flight response by channeling your fight instincts into kickboxing, sparring or using a punch bag, while providing your body with a flight outlet via cardio.

Your genes say your body doesn’t burn calories fast enough FGF21 is the protein that gives some men the ability to wolf down plate after plate of steak,

fries and lasagna without crafting their double chin. It speeds your metabolism, helps your body burn fat and metabolizes glucose, too. If you suffer from less FGF21 gene expression than the next guy, you’ll find it hard to keep the weight off no matter what you eat. However, there are some nutrients that increase the expression of this protein. “If someone wants to increase their FGF21 levels they can try some of the substances reported to increase FGF21,” says Swan.

“Take comfort in the fact that pretty much every other male friend of yours will be bald like you in the future, except you’ll have had extra time to get used to it”

For example, methionine is found in high concentrations in sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and fenugreek. Choline is found in high concentrations in egg yolk, meat, fish, milk, cereals and legumes. However, by far the easiest way to show this particular gene that you’re in charge is some good old aerobic exercise. Research published in medical journal PLOS ONE found that when humans were made to do a single bout of intense exercise, their FGF21 gene expression increased. Do what the study participants did – 30 minutes at 80% VO2 max – and you’ll receive the same gene altering benefits. It’s simple but it works even if you’re not burning more calories than you’re consuming, because it’s about activating the right genes for the job.

Your genes say that you’ll lose your hair

Two out of three men over the age of 60 are smooth as boiled eggs but if you’re one of the less lucky ones, you’ll start to recede in your 20s or 30s, possibly losing it all by the time you hit middle age. This, according to research from the University of Bönn, Germany, is down to a variation in the androgen receptor gene, boosting the effects of male sex hormones and leading to hair loss. There are two treatments that aim to correct hereditary male hair loss – finasteride and minoxidil. Unfortunately, the first messes with your natural hormone levels and comes with some unwanted side effects – such as loss of sex drive – and the other doesn’t appear to be very effective. Take comfort in the fact pretty much every other male friend will be bald like you in the future, except you’ll have had extra time to get used to it. And focus on other benefits of an androgen boost: it gives you a hairy chest mat and a higher sex drive.

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G R I N S F O R G A I N S

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The big read

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Does training feel like a chore? Rewire your brain to embrace your inner player and enjoy exercise so you’ll never miss a workout

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towards the lasting values that extend beyond performance successes or failures on any given day, so follow these instructions on how to add a little appreciation to your life. Strategies for training and living with gratitude 1. Spend more time with the people you love. 2. Start a gratitude journal and commit to writing down 10 things you are grateful for each day. 3. Practice being thankful every day by asking some family members or good friends to tell you 10 things they are thankful for. Then, tell them yours. 4. Write down 10 things you don’t want in your life right now. This helps identify what you do want, and will encourage you to go and get it. 5. Give at least eight hugs a day. Research says it increases wellness not only emotionally, but physically. 6. Minimize distractions and be mindful of your actions. 7. Embrace adversity as a welcome challenge or game – and be grateful for that challenge. 8. Volunteer to help others.

f you are exercising without encouraging play, you will probably burn out and it will quickly become a burden. Fortunately, a simple solution is to participate in exercise that makes you feel young again. Sports like swimming, biking and running are basically play activities you probably enjoyed as a kid. In your youth, it was easy to get excited because exercise was a healthy by-product of play. The purpose was purely to have fun, but that’s easily lost when the pressures of adulthood grab hold. Keep reading to find the easiest ways to develop a playingfor-purpose mindset that will see you more amped for exercise than a five-year-old after a red cordial binge. Live with gratitude Enjoying exercise can get very complicated if you let your mind wander into casual or negative places. It can become a destructive experience and many people experience burnout when their focus of playing with passion is lost to ulterior motives like scholarships, winning at all costs or playing for people other than yourself. The solution is gratitude. It helps you focus on the good and will have a tremendously positive impact on the rest of the people with whom you interact within your communities. It will sharpen your ability to contribute

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Applaud adversity As a high school counselor and athletic director, I have worked with thousands of students, parents and athletes, many of whom want me to find a way to change their final grade in a class. When I say no, outbursts of ‘it’s not fair’ are all too common and swiftly followed by excuses. The truth is: life isn’t fair, so learn to celebrate adversity and get over it. You reap what you sow, which gives you a chance to be grateful for the lessons. If you can learn to grow and fail forward, you will assure yourself of a better result tomorrow. This is a great opportunity to realize fairness is always subjective, and you can look back and find areas where you could have worked differently to increase your ability to achieve a more successful outcome. If you agree that comparison is the thief of joy, then social media can be the biggest adversary in celebrating adversity. We typically follow what

expert

Sam Kristensen All-American triathlete and founder of Playing For Purpose Coaching playingfor purpose.com

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The big read

How to participate in your own rescue 1. Focus on what you can do at all times to help your teammates, despite your challenges. 2. Do not worry yourself with factors out of your control. Worrying doesn’t help – ever! 3. Respect yourself enough to try again and again when you fail, until you master the skill you are learning. 4. Develop a winner’s mindset – do not play the victim.

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“Life’s greatest experiences lie just beyond that barrier of fear,” Kendra Goffredo, professional triathlete is comfortable, and become what we follow. We retreat to peers who want to talk about the latest drama instead of taking proactive steps towards the results we want. This can mean focus is lost, training is not intentional and distractions of comfort take control, leading to a lack of execution when it matters most in athletic and life process and performance. Take the chance to be selective in what you follow because thoughts become words, while words become actions and beliefs. You are who our

Questions to ask after each training session or competition 1. Am I working at my best, especially in adversity? 2. Am I willing to look at my current failures and adversity, and learn from it to fail forward? 3. Am I willing to take the time to develop and implement new means of moving in the direction of the successes I’m chasing? 4. How am I going to make changes to improve my process and monitor those changes in a way that I can celebrate them?

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friends are, so choose wisely. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day: are you willing to have the hard conversation with yourself to make sure you fail forward? By celebrating adversity, it will make for a more interesting life. People are too often chasing a comfortable fix, but your end goal should be to become a self-reliant thinker. To do that, you must celebrate the process and hardships more than results. This is where the separation happens, because choosing to engage or minimize adversity will determine whether you achieve the benefits of long-term exercise success without working differently to achieve it. The choice is yours. The light bulb turns on or it doesn’t, and these are the questions you should ask yourself to find that spark.

Find your passion Coaching, whether it’s in a team environment or from your one-onone trainer, should always be geared towards developing you through positive competition experiences (even if they’re against your pervious self), versus winning at all costs. Athletes will grow only once they’re outside their comfort zones, and they need to be taught to learn and reach for something greater within themselves. To stoke your passion, try asking yourself these questions that extend beyond sports performance. They can be applied to school, college, work, relationships and so many other areas to give you a greater

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meaning beyond any season’s athletic accomplishments. Any suffering is both necessary and vital to the development of both the inner and physical strength. 1. How far did you come in one season’s duration? 2. How well (or badly) did you play on day one of training, and how are you playing at the end of the season? 3. Did you train and play your best every time you stepped on the field or into the gym? 4. Is your life better for having tried something new and chosen to play? Embrace the gift of grit It’s important to create a mental springboard to develop the attitude needed to bounce back from any kind of failure and self-limiting beliefs. Unwavering positive reinforcement, combined with high standards of accountability, will see you rise to every challenge. While easier said than done, it’s important not to let yourself and those around you accept everyday limitations and defeats. The power of being gritty can make all the difference to your outcomes. If you use it wisely, then you don’t have to be the most gifted athlete, or smartest person, to be successful, but you do need to do the hard yards when exercising. Sport and exercise, like life, is not a level playing field, or fair. Equal playing time does not promote fairness or create the best results and outcomes for individuals or teams. If you want something bad enough, encourage yourself to have the guts to take that risk, and the determination you can achieve great results. This will give you the platform to create amazing memories. It is truly up to you to create the best version of yourself to make the team better. And no matter what, smile, say thank you, and be grateful. It beats the alternatives. Remain curious The dictionary definition of ‘remain’ is “to stay while others go, to continue, to go on being, to continue to exist; to endure; to persist; to last.” ‘Curiosity,’ on the other hand, means “a desire

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“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” Three-time Olympic Gold medalist Kristin Armstrong

to gratify the senses with a sight of what is new or unusual, to gratify the mind with new discoveries; to learn; to know.” Placing the two together creates a powerful combination best summed up by legendary runner and coach, Tracy Harris: “The ability to stay while others go or fade. To endure when it gets difficult. To persist when others quit or give up. To seek new territories or places where your mind and body have never gone before.” Tracy’s mindset is worth emulating as he believes life, running and racing aren’t complicated until you hurt. Then, ‘remain curious’ kicks in.

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The big read

“It’s one thing to suffer and be a victim; it’s an entirely different thing to be willing to suffer for a cause and become a victor,” Kevin Hall, Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words

Love in sports play Love allows you to contribute towards the greater good, while fear will divide you and make you weaker both as individuals and as a collective society. The most successful and happy people don’t ask, ‘what’s in it for me?’ They ask themselves how they can contribute, grow, and share their unique talents toward the greater purpose that the team is trying to achieve. Consequently, these individuals, teams and programs achieve greater results and are rewarded, because of the collective and genuine focus towards established and shared values. Consider this case study for an example of how powerful the emotion of love can be. Over 10 years ago, Kendra Goffredo’s father was diagnosed with blood cancer that had no cure. He was given three to five years to live, and Kendra was set to start her Peace Corps service in Nepal a week after his diagnosis. Wanting to cancel her trip, her dad, Tony, said: “There are things in Nepal that I cannot teach you.” Kendra believed him, so she went. Upon returning, she began triathlon training to fundraise for his cancer with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). She raised huge amounts for the disease, won races,

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Embrace mindfulness Make no excuses about it, you have to do the work and you need to develop the ability through optimistic failure – failing forward – to learn to do the work in order to achieve great results. The sequence and timing looks different for everyone, because we all have unique obstacles and challenges to overcome. What often gets in the way of doing the work, though, can be your perceived excuses and lack of mindfulness. The quick answer to achieving your goals is developing the ability to undertake mindfulness consistently. This means developing your individual capacity to practice living in the present moment consistently. It involves being fully engaged in the immediate plan you want to achieve without worry or regard to the past

or the future, and to be resilient and get unstuck from negativity when things go haywire. It is the practice of re-focusing on the new present after you hit a perceived, or real, trauma and trudge forward without worry about the unknown path ahead. It is developing your ability to do this without anger, frustration or guilt. It is practicing mindfulness in our ability to open ourselves up and give fully in to the process of love, not fear. A good way to develop your ability to overcome perceived challenges is to say: ‘so what?’ The intent is not to minimize a situation’s gravity; it’s a way of honoring and acknowledging past obstacles, as well as those that confront you every day. This phrase will help you move through obstacles more mindfully and be present. Those two words will help you become more resilient and unstuck when you want to back down to your perceived fears. They will make you smile and ease anxieties when you say them out loud. It’s the surest way to become more mindful and learn how to play for purpose. Combine this with the gratitude, passion, grit, mental toughness, humility and love and you’ll create a mindset that gives back and serves the greater good. That’s the surest way to satisfy the kid inside you so you always train with a smile on your face.

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“We can all run fast when we feel great,” Tracy continues. “We can all get through life when things are going well and we feel good. The questions remain: who can still perform, who can still persist, who can still endure when things are not easy or going well in racing and life? You must train your mind to out-think your body.” That is, in Tracy’s opinion, what separates champions from others.

became a professional triathlete and traveled the world. Tony defied his three to five year limit and went on to finish a marathon with his daughter by his side. Though he died 13 years after his initial diagnosis, love won out because together, Kendra and Tony demonstrated great achievement just beyond the barrier of fear. Employ that into your thought processes each time you exercise, and you’ll soon find it becomes easier.

Questions to spark your curiosity 1. Are you mentally tough enough to remain curious, and how are you measuring this daily? 2. Are you willing to forgo feeling comfortable, regardless of your current age, status, or position in life, to contribute more?

3. Are you mentally, emotionally and spiritually committed to remain curious with the belief you were created to be more, do more and give more?

5. Are you willing to set aside fear of failure, popularity and acceptance of others to pursue your true gifts and greatness?

4. Are you willing to stay on your purpose path and let others go who intentionally, or unintentionally, pull you off your path?

13/09/2017 17:10

SURMOUNT EVERY OBSTACLE

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13/09/2017 17:11

FAT B U R N I N G

Can you get ready for your first obstacle course race in six weeks? Yes – providing you follow this plan to get leaping, jumping and crawling yourself fitter and stronger

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13/09/2017 17:11

o make an obstacle course like Tough Mudder as easy as possible, you need to put the hours in. Yes, some people do turn up without training, but they will pay for it. To help you achieve success, follow this six-week, intense but manageable training program. Some of the exercises may seem too difficult, but you can adapt them to suit your fitness levels. For example, on the Wednesday you’ll be doing some interval training, which can be done at any level of fitness. If you are fit, then you run when it says run. If you struggle with this, just push as hard as you can. This strategy can also be utilized on the actual obstacle course too, if you don’t feel confident in being able to run the whole thing. Anyone doing any obstacle race should first find out the distance and ideally be able to cover that before you actually tackle your event. Exercises that will give you ‘more bang for your buck’ are compound moves, which work over more than one joint. Great compound examples are squats, deadlifts, tricep dips, lunges, mountain climbers and everyone’s favorite… the trusty old burpee. Put these together with regular rest and stretching, and you’ll make your inaugural obstacle course as easy as possible. However, it won’t ever be too easy – because where is the worth in a challenge if it isn’t challenging?

EXPERT Stuart Amory

is a personal Trainer, ex-RAF PTI, IRONMAN triathlete, obstacle racer (50 events to his name) and an ambassador to For Goodness Shakes, the Tough Mudder nutrition partner

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BOXES TO TICK FOR SUCCESS

1. Prepare for the distance Are you fit enough to cover the 10-12 miles required? If so, great! If not, you need to use your time wisely to tackle a half-marathon, because the hills and obstacles will also take their toll. It’s all well and good having strength, but your legs need to carry your pecs around the course. So, join a running club or try the free weekly Park Runs to improve your time.

2. Adopt a run/walk strategy A run/walk strategy will mean you can carry yourself all the way to the end, due to the fact you’re giving your body regular rests. During a recent IRONMAN, I ran the marathon using an eightminute run/two-minute walk strategy; as soon as I started, I knew I had a rest coming up in eight minutes. This helps physically and psychologically.

13/09/2017 17:12

FAT B U R N I N G

YOUR SIX-WEEK PLAN STARTS HERE WEEK

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

30-minute walk and stretches

5x 10 squats, 10 press-ups, 10 mountain climbers, 10 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for 1-minute, walk for 4-minutes x 8

Rest day

HIIT. 20-secs work, 40-secs rest. Skipping, tricep dips, flutter kicks, high knees, bicycle crunches x5

Park Run, or 5km at your own pace. Use the run/ walk strategy if required

5-miles. Aim to cover this using Wednesday’s run/ walk plan, or jog 1-mile, run 3, jog 1-mile, or run all

15-minute walk, 5-minute jog, 15-minute walk and stretches. Only add the jog if you feel up to it

7x 10 squats, 10 press-ups, 10 mountain climbers, 10 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for 2-minutes, walk for 3-minutes x8

Rest day

HIIT. 20-secs work, 40-secs rest. Skipping, tricep dips, flutter kicks, high knees, bicycle crunches x6

Park Run, or 5km at your own pace. Use the run/ walk strategy if required

6-miles. Aim to cover this using Wednesday’s run/ walk plan, or jog 1-mile, run 4, jog 1-mile, or run all

15-minute walk, 10-minute jog, 15-minute walk and stretches. Only add the jog if you feel up to it

5x 15 squats, 15 press-ups, 15 mountain climbers, 15 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for 2½-minutes, walk for 2½-minutes x8

Rest day

HIIT. 25-secs work, 35-secs rest. Skipping, tricep dips, flutter kicks, high knees, bicycle crunches x5

Park Run, or 5km at your own pace. Use the run/ walk strategy if required

8-miles. Aim to cover this using Wednesday’s run/ walk plan, or jog 1-mile, run 6, jog 1-mile, or run all

15-minute walk, 15-minute jog, 15-minute walk and stretches. Only add the jog if you feel up to it

7x 15 squats, 15 press-ups, 15 mountain climbers, 15 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for 3-minutes, walk for 2-minutes x8

Rest day

HIIT. 25-secs work, 35-secs rest. Skipping, tricep dips, flutter kicks, high knees, bicycle crunches x6

Rest Day or easy Park Run/5km

10-miles. Aim to cover this using Wednesday’s run/ walk plan, or jog 1-mile, run 8, jog 1-mile, or run all

15-minute walk, 10-minute jog, 15-minute walk and stretches. Only add the jog if you feel up to it

5x 20 squats, 20 press-ups, 20 mountain climbers, 20 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for 4-minutes, walk for 1-minute x8

Rest day

HIIT. 30-secs work, 30-secs rest. Skipping, tricep dips, flutter kicks, high knees, bicycle crunches x5

Park Run, or 5km at your own pace. Use the run/ walk strategy if required

8-miles. Aim to cover this using Wednesday’s run/ walk plan, or jog 1-mile, run 6, jog 1-mile, or run all

15-minute walk, 5-minute jog, 15-minute walk and stretches. Only add the jog if you feel up to it

7x 10 squats, 10 press-ups, 10 mountain climbers, 10 lunges. Rest for 1 minute

Run/walk – run for two-minutes, walk for 3-minutes x8

Rest day

Gentle 5km jog and a wellearned massage!

Obstacle course race

Recover

3. Control your breathing Breathe deeply but slowly, to keep oxygen levels topped up. When you see a hill approaching, take big, deep breaths before you tackle it. This way, you’re less likely to gasp for air at the start of the climb. Try climbing stairs and holding your breath. Recover, then try again but perform 60 seconds of deep breathing before: preinhalation should make it easier.

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5. Improve grip strength on the monkey bars Perfecting the ‘Farmer’s Walk’ is a great way to increase grip. Pick up two heavy kettlebells, pin your shoulders back and walk as far as you can without putting them down or resting. Increase the weight or distance over time. Climbing also helps speed up your time over the obstacles, as you’ll become stronger and learn how to move your body better.

4. Eat on the way round The body can store energy for approximately 90-minutes of exercise. A race like Tough Mudder lasts longer than that, so you’ll need to carry something to give you an energy boost, or plan to properly reload at the many fuel stops en route. During a typical marathon, you’ll need anywhere between 25-60g of carbohydrates per hour to keep properly fueled.

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MONDAY

6. Get the right gear Footwear is where a lot of people go wrong, so you’ll need a trail-type trainer. Avoid cotton T-shirts, as it’s important clothes don’t hold water due to the increased weight, but also so you don’t end up cold on the course. Be prepared to layer up, too. Long sleeves or leggings can help minimize cuts and bruises (or ‘OCR Kisses’ as they are known by obstacle course racers…).

13/09/2017 17:12

T RA I N M AG.C O M

• slim down • Timeline • WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? • THE BIG READ • Health focus

A number of studies were published as an article in the Journal of Medical Research and Innovation to weigh up benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle with the negatives of potential nutritional deficiencies. As with every argument, there are two sides to this one, too. “Vegetarian diet is a boon to health. It can help a person to have a lower cholesterol level, lower weight, lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk of developing diseases. It may also help in prolonging the longevity. “However, if the diet is not planned properly, it may be proved to be a bane to the health. I would suggest everyone considers a vegetarian diet as an option to the adjuvant therapy if someone is developing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, kidney stones, or is suffering from depression.” Take away tip: Always plan your intake, whatever you eat for the biggest benefit long term.

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m a c r o s

Poor planning = poor health, whatever you eat

Is green supreme?

EDITED BY RAY KLERCK

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MACROS SLIM DOWN •

Soup for the soul Chicken soup might be good for you, but there are recipes that extend beyond grandma’s. Here’s some global inspiration...

Make it… South Benefit breakdown American More energy Add the following: Increased muscle • 1 cup cilantro building • 1 tsp ground cumin Improved endurance • ½ cup white rice • 1 ear of corn, cut oﬀ cob • 1-3 chilies • 1 lime

Classic base

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• 4-6 carrots • 4 celery sticks • 1 large onion • 1 cloves garlic • Shallot, diced • 2 leeks • 300ml chicken stock or broth How Dice up the ingredients and cook in a pot for 45 minutes. Simple, eh?

Benefit breakdown Improved fat burning Increased fullness Better recovery from training

Make it… Middle Eastern Add the following: • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 tbsp allspice berries • 2 bay leaves • 1 cup vermicelli noodles • Fresh ﬂat leaf parsley How Add these to the traditional recipe, removing the cinnamon sticks at the end.

Make it… Asian Add the following: • 8g ginger • 2 small red chilies • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 3 tsp brown sugar • 1 bunch bok choy How Add the traditional ingredients, then lump these in with the rest as you cook it. Benefit breakdown Anti-inflammatory agents Improved breathing Better fat burning

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Make it… Mexican Add the following: • 1 jalapeño chili • 400g diced tomatoes • 1-2 tbsp lime juice • 1 avocado, diced How Add these to the traditional soup base, then place the avocado in at the last minute.

Benefit breakdown Improved blood pressure Squashes hankerings for sweet foods Pain-free joints

Chicken soup’s health takeaways 1. Antiinflammatory agent, which fights colds. Source: American College of Chest Physicians

2. Healthier blood pressure. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

3. Helps cut calories at main meals. Source: Penn State University

4. Improved mood and happiness. Source: Association for Psychological Science

5. Congestion clearer. Source: American College of Chest Physicians

13/09/2017 17:15

Rabbit food

Step one

Brown the onion, garlic and fennel in olive oil. Onion may seem like little more than a garnish, but it scavenges free radicals and reduces your risk of gastric ulcers, while also helping to regulate your blood sugar. Ignore the tears – they’re good for you!

This is the most nutritious and flavorsome way to get big gains and lean muscle from Bugs Bunny

What: Wild rabbit with thyme and zucchini You’ll need

• 1 small onion, chopped • 30g fresh fennel, chopped • 3 large zucchinis • Olive oil, for frying • Seasoned flour, for coating • 200g wild rabbit, cut into equalsized portions • 1 large glass white wine • 150ml chicken stock • ½ a medium-sized bunch of tarragon • 1 bunch sage • 1 large handful thyme • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

CAL 240

PROT 40g

carb 14g

Step two

Place the seasoned flour and rabbit pieces in a plastic bag, then shake the bag gently to coat the meat. “I’m really into wild game – it’s leaner, tends to eat what it should and is quite cheap to pick up if you know a good local butcher,” explains Lovell.

expert

Matt Lovell

is a nutritionist to Olympic athletes and author of the book Palm Sized Plan

Step three

Add the rabbit to the onions, oil and fennel and brown. “Rabbit also gains lean weight on one-sixth of the food a cow needs so environmentally, they’re a really smart choice.”

Step four

Add the liquids, herbs and zucchini and simmer over a medium heat for 1-2 hours until cooked all the way through. “Health-wise, rabbit meat is a lean source of high quality protein, with a chicken-type consistency,” says Lovell.

Step five

FAT 5g

If you’re looking to burn fat, eat this meal as it stands. If you’re bulking up, serve it over a bed of a half and half mix of brown and white rice.

Nutritional highlights

Potass Iro

V V Pho ita Cop sp assiu

A amin Vit in C m a Vit min E ta Vi min K ita olate F m iu n

27% 9% 3% 78% 3% 3% 2

bunny broiler

56% 15 6 % 1 46 % 1 56 % 78% 5 0% 5

Pot

All values set out by USDA

min Thia in Niac B6 min ita in B12 m orus h r pe m

200g wild-caught rabbit

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3 medium zucchinis

13/09/2017 17:16

MACROS timeline •

a r n i e ’ s i n s p i r at i o n

Meat market

My family has a history of heart disease, so I’ve been anabolic fasting for a few years – and my body composition and blood results are the best ever. At 39, I’m at my biggest, leanest and strongest. Red meat has been debated for eons, so this is why I eat grass-fed beef. Yes, it’s more expensive – but extra bucks equal extra gainz.

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Cory Gregory is a training and nutritional expert

Strength & performance

I keep a daily log of what I eat, how I train and feel. I’ve tested to see what works for me, and grass-fed beef is here to stay. The higher omega-3 fat content aids recovery, and supports joints. Squatting daily, this benefit is dead on.

A better body

An anabolic fasting life means we want to be jacked. Grass-fed beef reduces triglyceride levels, vital to being – and staying – ripped.

Heart health

It’s loaded with anti-oxidants, less “bad” fat and more CLA. Most meat in stores today may be exposed to antibiotics or hormones. Which has more nutritional value? Hmm… • Cory is part of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fitness advisory board. To learn more about lifestyle and diet, visit corygfitness.com

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13/09/2017 17:16

MACROS W h at ’s t h e d i f f s ? •

Rooting out goodness Wintery vegetables are competing for their spot in soups and stews, but aside from the obligatory carrot, here’s what should be making the grade… souper veggies!

27% 9%

CAL

18g

FAT

CAL

PROT

carb

20g

FAT

Use it Their sky high vitamin A content will help all your cells recover from the damage done during hard training, so mash it up and load your plate to be stronger for all your tomorrows.

CAL

118

PROT

carb

28g

FAT

Use it Similar to sweet potato (but not the same), yams are actually richer in nutrients that yield both energy and electrolytes to deliver the oomph you need to punch out a new PB.

CAL

PROT

carb

18g

FAT

Use it You’ll get a handsome serve of vitamin K that improves your skeletal and ticker health, plus it will help you heal and stop bleeding if you’re involved in contact sports.

All values are raw as set out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Magne itamin

Magne in am

Vit

carb

Use it They may have garnered a bad rap in the recent past, but feast on them with skins on and you’ll get a nutritional powerhouse that actually won’t cause weight gain.

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10%

C 28% amin Vit B6 17% n i tam Vi m 11% ssiu ta 28% m siu A 28

C 28% amin Vit B6 15% n i tam Vi m 23% ssiu ta m 20% u i s A 3% Magne in m a

12%

4% 10%

Best for heart and bones: 100g parsnips

C amin Vit B6 n i tam Vi m ssiu ta m u i s A

33% 15%

Best for before exercise: 100g yam

PROT

Magne in am

Vit

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FAT

Best for exercise recovery: 100g sweet potato

A 0%

CAL

10g

Use it Deceptively good for you, because eating a whole beetroot acutely improves running performance, found a paper in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics.

Best for overall health: 100g white potato C amin Vit B6 n i tam Vi m ssiu ta m u i s

carb

Magne in am

A 16

PROT

Vit

Best for endurance: 100 g beetroot

8% 6%

Vit

C amin Vit B6 n i tam Vi m ssiu ta m u i s

13/09/2017 17:17

Muscle, fresh from the Mediterranean Great for life longevity, but can the Med method promote gains and performance? We ask the question, you take science into the kitchen

There is almost 50 years of research that provides glowing evidence of the magical benefits of a Mediterranean diet. Not only does it contribute to reducing the risk of a variety of chronic diseases, but it can also help lengthen your lifespan. Along with the DASH Diet, it’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended to promote overall health and prevent illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer. The research is compelling and provides strong evidence on the beneficial health outcomes, but can the Mediterranean diet also be used – and be beneficial to – those with physique and performance goals? By understanding the key components of the diet and its effects on our bodies, we can utilize this well known, yet often undermined, diet to enhance and strengthen our bodies from the inside out.

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expert Lacey Dunn

is a bikini competitor, with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics

13/09/2017 17:17

MACROS big read •

Goodness from the old country

The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional foods and eating patterns of the countries bordering the Mediterranean sea. It focuses on consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, low-fat dairy and n-3 fatty acid-rich foods, and a moderate wine intake. Unlike typical Western diets filled with processed and refined carbs, meats and saturated fats, it suggests more nutrient-dense options, which provide the body with the tools needed for optimal health, growth and development. The diet also has a substantial effect on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, which in excess can contribute to chronic diseases and increased mortality.

In 2011, the Journal of Nutrition concluded the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with significant reductions in a variety of health risk factors, oxidative stress and inflammation modification which, when elevated, can spell trouble for any fitness or physique goal. By reducing your risk for chronic disease and chronic inflammation, you can set yourself up for a life-long commitment to the gym.

The offer you can’t refuse

“Unlike a typical Western diet filled with processed and refined carbs, meats, and saturated fats, the Mediterranean diet focuses on whole, nutrient dense options”

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The diet’s muscle building power lies in its quality of nutrients and their ability to fuel your body for growth and recovery. Despite what marketers may suggest, protein is not the only nutrient needed for making those muscles grow, and more is not better. Sufficient vitamins and minerals in the diet are necessary in order to reach any goal, no matter how much protein you consume. Without these nutrients, your body will not be at its best, internally or externally.

A diet of 1.5-2.5g/kg of protein is sufficient for strength training athletes hoping to gain lean body mass, or reduce lean body mass losses in a diet phase. Though the Mediterranean diet limits red meats, which can be a good source of iron and protein, other proteins such as fish and seafood, beans, poultry, dairy, eggs and other plant-based sources supply plenty of necessary amino acids for the body while providing key vitamins and minerals. Without a healthy and fullyfunctioning body, reaching your performance goals or achieving that six pack won’t be easy and your body will do all it can to fight you. The Mediterranean diet is jam packed with nutrients, and if followed, can help ensure you’re in prime condition to reach any goal you set.

citric superfood

Give yourself a boost

Lemons are essential in the Mediterranean diet, playing an important role in preventing and even curing disease.

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13/09/2017 17:18

It’s important to make sure you pay attention to not only the quality, but the quantity, of food in your diet, making sure you consume healthy foods within your caloric needs.

Original fuel

The consumption of the right types and amounts of carbs and fats in the diet, on top of a proper protein intake, is essential for optimal performance in the gym and obtaining your goal physique. The Mediterranean diet promotes whole over refined grains, which not only contribute to healthy blood sugar and cholesterol, but also help to regulate proper hormone levels. Whole grains potentially contribute to weight loss due to their effects on satiety and improving gut microbiota which, if thrown off, can cause detrimental effects on your overall health. They also have substantial benefits on insulin sensitivity, keeping blood glucose stable and preventing rapid spikes and falls that may trigger hunger and hypoglycemic conditions mid-workout.

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A trial in Diabetes Care of 215 adults with a newly-diagnosed Type 2 variant found Mediterranean-style eating resulted in a greater reduction of HbA1c levels, higher rates of diabetes remission and delayed the need for medication, providing evidence that this style of eating may be advantageous to individuals with blood sugar issues, or who struggle with mid-workout crashes.

Fats of the motherland

Another key component of this diet are healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts and seeds. Contrary to the popular saying “fat makes you fat,” this is far from reality. Fats are an essential part of having a healthy, well-functioning body. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which include n-3 and n-6, are big players in a variety of metabolic functions including inflammation

modulation, platelet aggregation, cell growth, smooth muscle contraction and immunity. They help reduce inflammation, normalize your heart rate and play roles in vasodilation, which are beneficial for not only gym performance, but muscle recovery. Fish oils, a supplemented form of n-3 fatty acids, remain one of the top beneficial supplements for anyone who cares about both their overall health and fitness goals. Looking at monounsaturated fatty acids, their consumption has been linked to reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) when incorporated into the diet. Diets higher in monounsaturated fatty acids (12% of calories or less vs 12% of more) have also been linked to lower fat mass and blood pressure, providing evidence that it’s a good choice for those in both a fat loss or lean bulking stage.

“A Mediterranean diet is packed with nutrients, which can help ensure your body is in prime condition to reach any goal you set”

13/09/2017 17:18

MACROS big read •

These fatty acids provide significant benefits to your overall health, weight loss and performance, and can be a key piece of the puzzle in heading towards your goal. Regardless of if you want to follow the Mediterranean lifestyle or not, incorporating fish, almonds, walnuts, avocado and olive oil into your diet, while aiming for 500mg of EPA/DHA a day, can help to reduce your risk for chronic diseases and give your body valuable nutrients in order to fuel your metabolic fire.

Variety breeds success

Peppery pal

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Dietetics states there is no dietary pattern that is considered to be more successful than another diet approach on weight loss. However, some diets – including this one – have positive effects on cardio-metabolic outcomes and health measures, largely due to increased quality of nutrients and not any one factor of the diet itself. Incorporating the foods and eating patterns of Mediterranean countries continues to provide promising evidence on lengthening the lifespan and reducing the risk of chronic disease. By doing so, it also ensures a nutrient-dense diet that may be advantageous for those in a weight loss phase. It must be noted that a recent article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that for improving body composition, a wide range of dietary approaches from low and high-fat and low-carb, to intermittent fasting, all provide similar effects on body composition changes when calories are matched. Instead of focusing on one sole diet, you should follow an overall balanced diet filled with foods that make you feel your best, allow you to perform optimally and provide your body with the vital nutrients it needs to thrive in and out of the gym. One of the smartest things you can do is take this diet’s characteristics and incorporate them into your lifestyle, so you will live long and die strong.

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Red and yellow bell peppers serve up plenty of vitamins and carotenoids, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

With emphasis on a variety of nutrient-dense foods, its benefits on overall health cannot be contributed to one single component, but the consumption of all components. The Academy of Nutrition and

“Fish oils, a supplemented form of n-3 fatty acids, remain one of the top beneficial supplements for anyone who cares about both their overall health and fitness goals”

13/09/2017 17:18

Carbohydrate reprieve

expert Allison Fahrenbach

is a natural pro figure athlete, nutritionist, and owner of AFS Training.

It’s the trend that just won’t die. Despite all of the science and evidence, many exercisers still suffer from carbo-phobia...

Everyone wants to cut, remove or limit carbs – and not just sedentary, overweight folk, either. Active, hard working, hard training people do, too. It’s a shame, because active people who are already lean have the least to gain and most to lose by going low-carb. If you train hard, this energy source is your best friend because it will enhance your performance, physique, body composition and overall sense of wellbeing. Fuel your improvements This is the first and foremost reason why it’s important to consume adequate carbohydrate intake. Intense training is what provides the stimulus needed for you to make progress with your physique and if you cannot train intensely, you can’t make intense gains. Carbs provide the fuel. Cutting carbs too severely can leave you feeling lethargic, fatigued and miserable. Regardless of whether your goals involve performance, strength or aesthetics, it’s wise to consume the majority of your carbs around your training window. That means consuming them as part of the last meal you eat before training, during training and immediately

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c a r b o h y- g r e a t !

afterwards to maximize your workouts. How much you consume will depend upon your daily calorific requirements and the length and intensity of your workouts. Typically if your training lasts longer than 1.5 hours, then try taking some during training. Anything shorter than that, and consumption before and after will be sufficient. Be the boss of lean muscle Carbs are known to be “protein sparing”. This means they protect the protein you eat from being converted to glucose to serve as an energy source. The last thing you want is for valuable protein to undergo this conversion, because there aren’t adequate carbs to fuel your training. Without adequate carb intake, your body might be placed into a musclewasting state, which can have a negative impact not just on how you look or feel, but also on the overall health of your metabolism. You want protein to be available to sustain lean muscle tissue and the best way to prevent your body being forced to use protein for fuel is to consume carbohydrates, specifically in and around the time of your training.

Find your chill They are essential in the proper functioning of the central nervous system (CNS), which is impacted by your training just as the rest of your body is, and its ability to function optimally and recover appropriately is essential to your progress. Your CNS is responsible for generating muscular contractions in all types of training, so when you aren’t properly fueled, or fully recovered, eventually it can tire out. When your CNS is tired, you don’t have the ability to generate force or power as usual, and chances are you’ll feel fuzzy-headed and uncoordinated.

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MACROS h e a lt h f o c u s •

to drive protein into the worked muscle tissue for enhanced muscular growth and faster recovery. Therefore, fully replenishing your muscle glycogen levels as quickly as possible after workouts is important for growth. Abs left wanting A lot of hard working athletes avoid carbs in an attempt to coax their body to burn fat, but the truth is that carbohydrate needs to be present in order to enable fat metabolism.

Eating carbs helps combat this. The human brain uses blood glucose as its main fuel source, and it doesn’t have a stored supply in the same way the muscles and liver do. This is why low-carb diets make you feel like you’re in a brain fog, impairing your CNS function and affecting training. Consuming carbs helps facilitate proper CNS function, and also affords your nervous system time the to recover from hard training.

Carbs also provide dietary fiber, help boost your mood and bolster heart health

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Destroy squat ravaged legs Insulin has received a lot of negative attention in recent years, but the truth is at certain times, spiking insulin has its uses. One of these times is in the post-workout window. Releasing insulin post-workout acts as an anabolic hormone, helping

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In other words, you need carbs for fat to be successfully used as energy. If a low level of carbs exists, a substance known as pyruvate begins to build up. Pyruvate is formed during glucose metabolism and plays an incredibly important role in the energy process. If glucose is absent, pyruvate can’t do its job properly. When pyruvate can’t do its job, fat has nowhere to attach in the body’s mitochondria, which slows the metabolism and halts – or extremely lessens – the body’s ability to utilize fat for fuel. The final word Carbs also provide dietary fiber, help boost your mood, bolster heart health and can help you to focus and enhance your memory. A good rule of thumb is to eat around 1g per lb of bodyweight per day of carbohydrate to start. Depending upon your training, body, metabolism and goals, you can go as low as 0.5g per lb of bodyweight, or up to around 1.5g or so per lb of bodyweight. Strive to get most of your carbohydrates from nutrient-dense whole foods to ensure that you optimize body composition, health, wellbeing and recovery.

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Can a preworkout really supercharge your results?

95% 20%

Ingredients that excel

In an ocean of pre-workouts, one stands head and shoulders above the rest and is the gold standard by which all others are judged

ALLMAX is a trusted brand with worldwide appeal that has been delivering top-quality products for over 15 years. So when they say their new IMPACT IGNITER PRE-WORKOUT gives you real results, we’re all ears! But the skeptic in us says: “prove it!” What results can you expect? With ongoing use in high-intensity training, this is what you’ll get: • Improved muscle power and strength • Over 50% increase in reps and over 30% greater output • Muscle-swelling pumps • Over 25% increase in EPO, and more than 10% in blood volume • Ampliﬁed metabolism to incinerate fat while you train • A formula that gets you strong, pumped and lean!

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Black Pepper extract (95% piperine, 5mg) Promotes better bioavailability of nutrients by enhancing the uptake in your gut, reducing the breakdown of nutrients by enzymes. Greater absorption and utilization takes this formula to another level.

Beta-Alanine (3.2g) Four weeks of Beta-alanine supplementation can signiﬁcantly improve muscular endurance during resistance training. In published placebo-controlled research, the Betaalanine group saw a 20% diﬀerence in total reps after this time.

A L L M A X I M PAC T I G N I T E R

In summary, there are a dizzying array of pre-workouts on the market, but this product focuses on why you work out in the first place: to achieve results. The science backs it up, and with the ingredients dosed at effective levels, it’s pretty easy to give this product two enthusiastic thumbs up! How does it taste? A product with a formula this strong often means you have to grit your teeth to get it down. Not with IMPACT Igniter: the flavor is impressive. ALLMAX has leveraged triplepatented technology which results in a clean-tasting, candy-like blue raspberry which tastes like a Blue Freezie from when you were a kid.

NAC (N-Acetyl L-Cysteine, 500mg) Decreases exerciseinduced oxidation, improving overall performance, then increases glutathione for fast recovery. Elevated blood plasma, for greater muscle swelling pumps, is the cherry on top.

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Cinnulin PF® (10mg) Increases the uptake of nutrients by reducing the need for excess insulin, amplifying the impact of the stellar ingredients.

30%

BRAND • PROMOTION

L-Carnitine & L-Tartrate (1g) Following an exercise session at 80% of max, muscle lactate build-up was 44% lower, 50% less muscle glycogen was used, and an increased work output (30%), with a lower rate of exertion was noted.

1.7% Taurine (1g) Taurine regulates cell volume, and defends against exerciseinduced muscle damage and speed recovery. Exercisers who used IMPACT IGNITER improved their performance in a 3km time trial by 1.7%.

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Caffeine (400mg) Increases power output, overall muscle performance and nitric oxide levels, while there is also a hike in fat metabolism, so you’re getting leaner with every rep.

Synephrine, Higenamine & Hordenine (220mg) Increases metabolism, so you’re burning more calories with everything you do.

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2:1

Lions Mane & Alpha-GPC Working together with caffeine, these promote energy and contribute to the neuro-cognitive function that delivers a sharp focus and ‘inthe-zone’ feeling critical to powering through extreme workouts.

Citrulline Malate 2:1 Creates a reduced sensation of fatigue, increasing reps by over 50% during, and a 40% lower level of reported soreness after, resistance training.

For more information visit, allmaxnutrition.com

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Stressed all over If there’s one invisible force swept under the carpet, it’s stress – but we’re not sure your health thanks you for it. Here’s how it hits you where it hurts…

INFOMANIA • FUN FITNESS FACTS • THE BEST OF TWITTER * YOUR CHEAT LIST EDITED BT RAY KLERCK

Vision Chronically high cortisol and stress levels mean adrenaline is kept elevated. This has been linked to pressure in the eyes, blurred vision and headaches.

Weight loss A study by Kaiser Permanente put 472 obese adults on a diet to lose 10lb. The most stressed participants were least likely to hit their target.

CALMING INFLUENCE

Motivation A review of the literature in Sports Medicine found 86% of studies showed stress made hitting the gym far less likely.

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Fitness Cyclists who rated themselves highest in stress levels had the least improvement in VO2 max after two weeks of performing the same workouts as less stressed athletes.

Heart The European Heart Journal found those who perceive stress is affecting their health are over two times more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Slow recovery A study at Yale University explored how chronic stress affected recovery from a gym session. An hour postworkout, the lowest stressed group had regained 60% of their leg strength, vs 38% of highstressors.

Injury Sports Injury Bulletin explored injuries and their relationship with stress. Stressed athletes had decreased attention and increased muscular tension, which caused more injuries.

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Add 200mg of glutathione to 2g of l-citrulline daily to keep nitric oxide levels swollen. Choose Robusta beans over Arabica to significantly increase your caffeine content. A medium roast Robusta is considered the “healthiest” coffee bean. Plant-based diets don’t necessarily protect your heart against disease. Replace refined plant foods with asparagus or bell peppers. Recipes from food magazines have increased 41.7% in calories since 1970. Cutting sodium completely can increase inflammation by super charging aldosterone. Drinking a nonalcoholic beer after training can reduce your interleukin-6 levels by 24%. Polyphenols help prevent major diseases like cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases.

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One liter of beer contains 6.2g of fiber. Non-alcoholic beer could lower your blood pressure. A keen sense of smell can make you fat. Consuming 10mg of melatonin before bed can help you stay lean. Eating a pineapple and banana an hour before bed will increase your melatonin levels by 266%. Very low calorie diets can encourage adherence, weight loss, and retention.

Cheat sheet

Everything you need to know from this month’s TRAIN magazine in one simple list. What more could you ask for?

The human brain uses blood glucose as its main fuel source.

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme is the gene linked to how you’ll grow muscles. The gene ACTN3 is a protein relating to fast-twitch muscle fibers, which helps generate force at high speed.

20-50% of liver cirrhosis is caused by alcohol.

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I N F O M A N I A • C H E AT S H E E T

Cortisol has a dramatic effect on heart health. Beer has over 35 phenolic compounds.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids aid reduction inflammation, normalizing heart rate, and play roles in vasdilation.

When humans do a single bout of intense exercise, their FGF21 gene expression increases. Two out of three men over the age of 60 are bald. Finasteride and minoxidil are two treatments that aim to correct hereditary male hair loss. The Mediterranean diet is associated with significant reductions in a variety of health risk factors. Whole grains increase healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels and help regulate hormone levels.

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Monounsaturated fatty acids have been linked to reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing HDL cholesterol.

Cutting carbs too severely can leave you feeling lethargic and fatigued. You should consume the majority of your carbs around your training window. Carbs are essential in the proper functioning of the central nervous system.

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The zygomatic muscle, used for smiling, curbs food cravings.

FGF21 is the protein which speeds up metabolism, helps your body burn fat and metabolizes glucose.

Fish Oils remain one of the top beneficial supplements for anyone who cares about their overall health.

Foods such as fish, almonds, walnuts, avocado and olive oil can help reduce your risk for chronic diseases.

200%

Infrared light exposure can increase your testosterone by up to 200%.

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750 ml of olive oil consumed in 60 seconds, set by our June cover star, Furious Pete.

6050 685 Number of calories in the olive oil.

Grams of fat in that amount of olive oil.

P4P Strongest

3.17x 190kg

4ft 11in @60kg 152.5kg INFOMANIA NUMBERS.indd 118

His bodyweight lifted by ‘The Pocket Hercules’ – Naim Suleymanoglu – to smash the world record by 30kg in 1988.

Lifted in the clean and jerk. His short stature and weight means nobody has come close to his incredible strength, pound for pound, since he smashed the record in Seoul, South Korea.

Lifted in the snatch.

The most insane records Some of the craziest world records in the fitness and sporting world

The strongest humans

Fat in 60 seconds

1100lb/ 500kg

Deadlift record currently held by UK strongman, Eddie Hall.

738.5lb/ 335kg

The raw bench press world record, set by Kirill Sarychev in 2015.

1053lb/ 477.5kg

Raw, drug-tested record for the squat smashed by Ray Williams this year at The Arnold.

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mph Speed at which Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic Gold medalist, can swim. If this doesn’t sound very impressive, you will reach speeds of around 2mph…

Time by which a Great White beat Phelps over 100m, after he predicted he’d catch up over the distance as sharks can’t sustain their top speed. The head start was too great, though.

mph Top speed of a great white, with which Michael Phelps stimulated a race in South African waters. Source: www.elasmo-research.org

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Number of people hulahooping at the same time in Thailand in 2013.

Speed of man

Arm yourself

mph

inches

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sec

4483 27.8 28 Fasted speed ever recorded by man, belonging to… you guessed it, Usain Bolt.

50 % Rough chances of survival if you’re hit by a car traveling at the speed Usain Bolt runs. Get out of his way…

Circumference of Gregg Valentino’s biceps – until his left one burst, as seen in The Man Whose Arms Exploded.

inches Circumference of Egyptian bodybuilder Moustafa Ismail’s natural arms, trumping Valentino.

Source: Guinness Book of World Records

Shark vs man

The record for the heaviest bodybuilder to compete was broken by Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay at the 2015 Mr Olympia.

INFOMANIA • JUST THE NUMBERS

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T R A I N M AG .C O M B AC K PAG E

A N D F I N A L LY. . .

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MEMES OF TRUTH

“My face outside any restaurant after a workout”

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If you’re honest, the biggest perk that tags itself on to working out for a huge percentage of the exercising population isn’t looking good or becoming fitter for the most part, it’s more about being able to eat a truckload more food than you could if you didn’t. If you are always starving after a daily long workout though, and it’s starting to look like you may be welcoming a food-baby along any minute now, you might want to reconsider the routine you’re taking on in the gym. Adding a HIIT workout to your fat loss efforts may spare restaurant-goers your dribbling, zombie-like face plastered on their window.

A small but perfectly formed study in the International Journal of Obesity found that men who performed 30 minutes of high intensity intervals (repeated bouts of at least one minute of balls to the wall effort, with four minutes at 50% of VO2 max), ate far fewer calories in the 36 hours after a session when compared to the continuous, moderate intensity cardio group. So, peel your tongue from the window and let the public enjoy their meals. The time to enjoy your food will come, and you’ll be sporting a well-defined midsection when that fork enters your mouth by using this HIIT-hack.

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