Hallo good people and welcome to the part of the website where I reveal to you what I do with my body during the time I step into the gym (what I do with my body out of this time is my business, haha)
As always I advise you to read through the principles I’ve written below first, since by learning the principles of training, you will better understand why it is I do the training I do, and knowing this will be far more beneficial than me just giving you a training plan. Since (in time) you will then be able to take control of your own training and will no longer need me. Since the whole aim of this website is to make you all dieticians and personal trainers (of yourselves.)

Note: The content gets progressively harder and more complex the further down the page you go (i.e. It starts with the basics and will become more advanced) So if you are new to training don’t worry, simply start from the beginning and work your way through. On the other hand if you are a little more knowledgeable simply skip the parts you know and read the parts you don’t.
(Note: Newly added content will be titled, “New Content”….catchy title I thought, haha)

BASICS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

The Major Muscle Groups

· Gluteals a.k.a The bum, this group includes the gluteus maximus (big muscle covering your butt.)
Exercises: The Squat, leg press machine, lunges, tall box step ups, and plyometric jumps.

· Quadriceps a.k.a. The front of the thigh.
Exercises: The Squat, lunges, leg extension machine, and leg press machine.

· Hamstrings a.k.a. The back of the thigh.
Exercises: The Squat, lunges, leg press machine, and leg curl machine

· Hip abductors and adductors a.k.a. The muscles of the inner and outer thigh. The abductors are on the outside and move the leg away from the body. The adductors are on the inside and pull the leg across the centerline of the body.
Exercises: Side-lying leg lifts, standing cable pulls, and multi-hip machines.

· Calf a.k.a. The back or the lower leg (include the gastrocnemius and the soleus.) The gastrocnemius is what gives the calf its strong rounded shape. The soleus is a flat muscle running under the gastrocnemius.
Exercises: Standing calf raises = works the gastrocnemius. Seated or bent knee calf raises = work the soleus.

· Low back a.k.a. Erector spinae muscles
Exercises: Back extension machine, prone back extension exercises, squats and dead lift.

· Abdominals a.k.a. tummy/belly (include rectus abdominus, a large flat muscle running the length of the abdomen, and the external obliques, which run down the sides and front of the abdomen.
Exercises: Standard crunches and curls target the rectus abdominus. Reverse curls and crunches (where the hips are lifted instead of the head and shoulders) target the lower portion of this muscle. Crunches involving a rotation or twist work the external obliques.

· Pectoralis major a.k.a. Fan shaped muscle covers the chest
Exercises: Push-ups, pull-ups, regular and incline bench press, and the pec deck machine.

· Rhomboids: The middle of the upper back between the shoulder blades.
Exercises: Chin-ups, dumbbell bent rows, and any movement that bring the shoulder blades together.

· Trapezius a.k.a. Upper portion of the back.
Exercises: Upright rows, and shoulder shrugs.


· Latisimus dorsi a.k.a. Large muscles of the mid-back (When properly trained they give the back a nice V shape making the waist appear smaller)
Exercises: Pull-ups, chin-ups, one arm bent rows, dips on parallel bars, and the lat pull-down machine.

· Deltoids a.k.a. The shoulder (comprised of 3 parts; anterior deltoid (the front), medial deltoid (the middle), and posterior deltoid (the rear). Different movements target the different deltoids
Exercises:
Anterior deltoid - push-ups, bench press, and front dumbbell raises.
Medial Deltoid - Standing lateral (side) dumbbell raises
Posterior Deltoid - Rear dumbbell raises (done while seated and bent at the waist, or lying face down on a flat bench)

· Biceps a.k.a. Front of the upper arm.
Exercise: Biceps curls (done with: barbell, dumbbells, or a machine. Other pulling movements like chin-ups and upright rows also involve the biceps.)


· Triceps a.k.a. Back of the upper arm.
Exercises: Pushing movements like push-ups, dips, triceps extensions, triceps kick-backs, and overhead (French) presses. The triceps also come into play during the bench press and military press.

Order/ Sequence of exercise

The following rule is a ‘must’ for any strength conditioning routine, all the great trainers do it; Popeye, Hercules and Superman, and people will continue to do it for years to come:
When beginning a series of exercises, start with the ‘Compound Movements’ (movements that require large muscle groups e.g. the bench press for chest, squat for the legs..etc) and work toward the ‘Isolate Movements’ (movements that require smaller muscle groups e.g. leg extension, single and concentrated bicep curls…etc.)
This is imperative for both muscle growth and weight loss, since you perform the ‘Compound movements’ far better when you are less fatigued. Meaning you can lift more, do more reps, perform with better technique and decrease the risk of injury

Speed of exercise

If you are just beginning strength training it would be wise to adhere to the 2:4 rule to begin. Meaning it should take 2 seconds during the lift part of the exercise and 4 seconds for the lowering part of the exercise. To fast and inconsistent movements may lead to injury through too much stress being placed on the muscle and connective tissue. Furthermore too fast a lifting action may result in too much momentum, thus taking the emphasis away from the muscle itself. Think of the speed when exercising to be like the speed when dating…too keen and move to fast and you’re going to loose out : ( and no one wants that.

Sets and Reps of exercise

Page 4 of my Year 5 Sport and Exercise School textbook says:
“A set is a group of successive repetitions performed without resting” and “A rep or repetition is the number of times you repeat the move in each set.” And there’s also a picture of a penis (but that last one was drawn by my friend Jamie and I’m sure it has no relevance to exercise, haha)
Example:
So…. if you were to do 3 sets of 12 (3 x 12) triceps extensions, you would extend the weight 12 times in a row to complete the first set. Then you’d put the weight down, rest a moment and do 12 more in a row to complete the second set. Then put the weight down, rest and do 12 more.
Studies show similar strength gains from one, two, or three sets. Therefore performing 1 set may be better with regard to time but performing 3 may be better for burning calories (weight loss.)

Resistance/ Weight of exercise

A few pages after Jamie’s scribbles in my textbook is a section on resistance, it says:
“The number of repetitions chosen for each exercise depends on the amount of resistance (weight) you’re using. Maximum resistance is the most weight you can lift with proper form one time. Generally, people can complete 6 repetitions with 85% of their maximum resistance, 8 repetitions with 80% of maximum resistance, 10 repetitions with 75% of maximum resistance, 12 repetitions with 70% of maximum resistance and 14 repetitions with 65% of maximum resistance. Training with more than 85% of your maximum resistance increases the risk of injury, and training with less than 65 percent of maximum resistance decreases strength gains.”
So to if you are new to strength training, I would recommend performing 8-12 repetitions using 70% to 80% of maximum resistance.

Range of exercise

Once again, if you are new to strength training it is probably best you perform each exercise taking the weight through the full range of motion throughout. Failure to do so may result in injury or inefficient working of the muscle, thus resulting in a strange and deformed body like Quasimodo (ok I’m exaggerating a little, but you get my point) (P.s. Apologise to Quasimodo if you are reading this)
Also if the weight is too heavy and you are having to swing, bounce (or any other method) to complete the movement, drop the weight since its compromising your form and thus the training of the muscle.

Progression of exercise

It almost goes without saying but Progressive Resistance is the integral to any well-designed strength program. This means as your muscles adapt to a specific exercise (i.e. They can comfortably lift a certain weight) you need to then further load that muscle above its habitual level by increasing the resistance or number of repetitions to further promote gains. A good example of this is:
Start with a weight you can do 8 repetitions with, once you can complete 12 repetitions increase the weight by 5% and go back down to 8 repetitions with this new weight. Then once you can complete 12 repetitions with that weight, increase the weight by 5% again and do 8 repetitions with it. The theory is to keep alternating repetitions and resistance, so that you continue to see results.

Frequency/ Rest

Increase in Muscle Size and Strength don’t actually occur while you’re training, they occur in the rest period between your workouts, that’s why rest is so important. The recovery of any muscle in the body takes at least 48 hours, hence why you should never work the same muscle group twice in 2 days. That’s not to say you can strength train everyday, it just means you must split you regime up (e.g. Chest + Triceps Monday, Back and Biceps Tuesday, Legs and Abs Wednesday, Shoulders and Traps Thursday, rest day, and then do it all again) The key is to stimulate the muscle (the workout) and then rest the muscle.

My Strength Training

Note: I don’t do all the exercises I’ve listed in one session, but I change the number of sets, reps, exercises, rest, and type of contraction pretty much every session. Also this is only one example of a split routine I do, I will be posting more later:

Day 1:
Chest + Triceps
Exercises:
Chest - Flat Bench Press, Wide grip, close grip, 5 inch bench press, incline, decline, Dips, press ups, Flys, Pec-deck, Overheads, cable cross-over, reverse bench
Triceps – Close grip bench, Reverse bench press, triceps extensions, overheads, close grip dips

Day 2:
Back + Biceps
Exercises:
Back – Lat pull-down (close and wide grip) chin-ups, rows (close and wide grip)
Biceps – Bicep curl (close and wide grip) Seated ¾ curls, plate curls, hammer curls, concentration curls

Day 3:
Legs + Abs
Exercises:
Legs – Squat, leg extensions, calf raises, seated calf raises, leg press machine, lunges, dead lift
Abs – standard crunch, reverse crunch, leg raises and then a mix of my own weird exercises, haha (note: all my ab exercises I try and perform with a weight for extra resistance)

Day 4:
Shoulders + Traps + lower back
Exercises:
Shoulders – Military press, dumbbells, using machine, lateral raises (my own preference, but I find the big compound movement that is the shoulder press, is more than enough. I find a lot of people over train this small muscle group)
Traps – Shrugs with dumbbells, barbell or machine
Lower Back – Dead lift, back extensions

Day 5:
REST DAY

And repeat: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Rest

Note: There will be new and more complex content added regularly

BASICS OF CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING

Definition:
Our friends across the pond at the America Sports Medicine Institute got it right when they said, “Cardiovascular fitness is a special form of muscular endurance. It is the efficiency of the heart, lungs, and vascular system in delivering oxygen to the working muscle tissues so that prolonged physical work can be maintained. A person’s ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles is affected by many physiological parameters, including heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and maximal oxygen consumption.” Or put simply by yours truly, “cardiovascular fitness is your bodies ability to perform exercise (aerobic) for a long period of time”

Aerobic and Anaerobic

Aerobic – Means with oxygen, since aerobic training requires oxygen for energy consumption of the body. Prime example being, you couldn’t run the London Marathon while holding your breath…if you can, you will practically re-write any literature ever wrote on human biology, physiology or fitness and as such I salute you, you are a talent!

Anaerobic – Simply means without oxygen, since anaerobic training does not require oxygen for energy consumption of the body. Prime example being the 100m sprint, now that you can hold your breath for, infact, little sporting History fact for you: The Great Linford Christie OBE, only English man to win Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European 100 m gold medalsm, used to hold his breath for the entire race.

Anaerobic Threshold

This is the point at which the oxygen burning, aerobic system can no longer supply enough energy to meet demands of the exercise and so the body begins to produce lactic acid (roughly over 85% maximum heart rate.) I’m sure you’ve all experienced this at some point, but for those who haven’t it feels like your running in hummus, while someone is poking your legs with a red-hot prod. Elite aerobic athletes are able to feel the point at which this ‘change over’ occurs and so can operate just below the anaerobic threshold, thus avoiding running in hummus.

Heart Rate and Cardiovascular Training

Your heart rate is a great guide for your cardiovascular training, it can be used to determine:
- Whether you are doing high intensity or low intensity cardio
- Whether you are working hard enough or just being lazy
- How fit you are
To do this it’s best to work off your Maximum heart rate (a theoretical number) which can be calculated by subtracting your age from 220. Then to measure your aerobic exercise intensity you simply take a percentage of that maximum heart rate. Example:
40 year old = 220 – 40 = 180 (max HR)
If the 40 year old then wants to exercise at 60% Max heart rate, he would have to work out at 108 beats per minute.
Your Target Heart Rate is the range of heartbeats per minute at which you should work at in order to best achieve aerobic fitness (Range typically between 50% to 80% of your maximum heart rate.) The bottom end of the scale (50%Max HR) is best for low intensity training while the top end (80% max HR) is for high intensity training.

Type of Cardio

The intensity and duration of someone’s cardiovascular exercise will be dependant upon their aspirations, thus the following advice is what I would give (generally) for someone with the following goals:
- Wanting to Improve cardiovascular fitness: Moderate intensity work out (65% max Heart rate) 3-4 times a week for 20-40 minutes
- Weight Loss (but in poor shape): Low intensity work out (40%- 50% max Heart Rate) 3-5 times a week for 20-40 minutes
- Weight Loss (but in good shape): High Intensity (75% max Heart Rate) 3-5 times a week for 20-40 minutes e.g. H.I.I.T training (explained later)
- Build Muscle Mass: Low intensity cardio (40%- 50% max Heart Rate) 2-4 times a week for 20-40 minutes

Cardio and Strength Training

Personally I believe the best way to incorporate cardiovascular training into your conditioning regime, is to do it completely separate from your strength training session. However if for whatever reason you can’t split them up, I recommend doing your cardio after your strength training, since:
- Cardio before strength training will fatigue your muscles thus limiting the progress of your strength training
- Strength training will serve to pre-exhaust the body, lowering blood sugar levels and therefore allowing your to burn fat more immediately. Doing cardio first will mean it takes approximately 20 minutes before you actually begin to burn fat.

Forms of cardiovascular training

Just as there are many forms of dates that you could take your ‘other half’ on, there are many forms of cardiovascular training you could undertake. However with both, it completely depends on what you want to achieve, since choosing the wrong date or form of cardiovascular training can be hazardous to both your fitness and love life. And so below I have listed the types of cardiovascular training and the characteristics and benefits of each, however with your love life you’re on your own:

Low Intensity, Long duration

· Intensities around 40%-60% Max Heart Rate
· Something long (40mins) relatively easy and you should be able to talk whilst doing it
· Least demand of aerobic exercises and is good for people just starting out

Medium Intensity, Medium Duration

· Intensity around 70% Max Heart Rate
· More difficult so only done for 20-40 mins
· Great for fat loss and increasing capacity

High Intensity, Short Duration

· Intensity around 80%-85% Max Heart Rate, very close to the persons Anaerobic threshold (threshold will obviously be higher or lower depending on the persons genetics, age, fitness levels…etc however it is estimated to be around 85% max Heart Rate)
· Duration only lasts 5-20 minutes (depending on fitness level)

Aerobic Interval Training

· Interval training is basically the altering between periods of high to moderate intensity through to periods of ‘rest’ where you perform at a low intensity. E.g. 3 minutes high intensity, 1 minute low intensity, 3 minutes high intensity, 1 minute low intensity…etc
· Great method of training the aerobic system to cope with the demands of sports such as football, rugby, tennis ..etc since the intensity in these sports is forever changing, much like the intensity in Aerobic Interval Training

Anaerobic Interval Training

· Intensity is around 85%- 100% maximum heart rate
· It involves going at a very high intensity for a short period of time and then resting for an equal amount of time e.g. Sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds, sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds

Fartlek Training

· A Swedish word basically meaning, speed play
· This involves mixing up all of the training I’ve explained above and incorporating it into a run. Basically leaving your front door and making it up as you go along. Although it doesn’t sound like the best thought out fitness regime in the world, it is actually really good at going through the ‘intensity spectrum’ and also prevents boredom.

Circuit Training

· This is best described as aerobic weight training. You basically go between exercises (press ups, chin ups, curls…etc) performing relatively low weights for a set period of time
· You can also use the cycling machine, treadmill, rowing machine…etc
· Great aerobic workout that works the entire body (not just the legs i.e. cycling and running)

Note: There will be new and more complex content added regularly

My cardiovascular training:
Is a mix of all of the forms of cardiovascular training I’ve explain above, I am constantly adapting it to suit my goals at the time. However from what I’ve now told you, hopefully you will be able to constantly change yours too depending on your goals.