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Celebrity Workouts – Angelina Jolie

What if we give you the secrets of Angelina Jolie’s killing figure and tell you that it is possible to achieve it with sheer determination and unwavering hard work? Yes, here we have weekly workout routine plan for you.

Exercise plan example:

Angelina uses light weights and high repetition usually incorporated in circuit training to keep it more interesting and less time consuming. She likes whole body and high intensity workouts.

•             Wide Dumbbell Squats (she repeats it 15 times)

•             Forward Lunges (15 repetitions)

•             Side Lunges with Twist (15 repetitions)

•             Squat and Press (15 repetitions)

•             Stability Ball Leg Curls (10-12 repetitions)

•             Cable Lat Pull downs (10-12 repetitions)

•             Dumbbell Rows (10-12 repetitions)

•             Dumbbell Bicep Curls (10-12 repetitions)

•             Close Grip Bicep Curls (10-12 repetitions)

•             Crunches (15 repetitions)

•             Reverse Crunches (15 repetitions)

•             30 sec of either Mountain Climbers, or Jump Rope

•             High Knees

•             She repeats circuit exercises for two to three times.

•             30-45 Minutes of High Intensity Intervals Training Cardio work (also known as HIIT). It includes either one of them or a combination of two or three machines:

•             Treadmill

•             Xtrainer

•             Stirmaster

•             Aerobics

•             Zumba

•             Or any other cardio activity

The single best thing you can do to lose weight

When doing cardio early in the morning on an empty stomach you are burning fat from the first minute, making it the most efficient time of the day for cardio. If you have not tried it yet, we recommend you give it a shot for at least a couple of weeks. Start with low duration and then build it up.

But what is the best cardio exercise you can do to get rid of your fatty acids? Well, it depends. We cannot say which one is the best, you need to find out for yourself. The most important thing is to make you feel good, to be safe to do and to help you reach your “target zone”. Your target zone is the heart rate you need to sustain while doing cardio in order to lose fatty tissue. Ok, but how to calculate our target zone?

The formula is:

220 – your age = number

That number is multiplied by 0.6 as well as by 0.75

Example:

If your age is 30, you get:

220 – 30= 190

190x 0.6= 114 (that is your lower range)

190x 0.75= 142.5 (that is your upper range)

You need to keep your heart rate between 114 and 142.5 because when you are in this target zone on an empty stomach the fuel that your body uses are the fatty acids. So let’s put it simply – you are losing fat and nothing else.

If you already do this – great! You can share with us your progress and experience. But if you are still considering it, we encourage you to try it out for at least a couple of weeks and then the results will keep you motivated to continue.

The summer is near, so let’s get to work! 🙂

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High Intensity Interval Training

So, you have done a proper bulk in the winter, but having trouble with the cutting? Or you want to change your routine a bit and challenge yourself? Ok, you can try our high intensity, high reps and low rest between sets program. In order for this to work you have to adjust your diet to get negative caloric balance. It works well combined with “the single best thing to lose weight.”


About the program: In its core are multi-joint exercises with free weights in supersets. It is very intense and the key is to rest no more than a minute between reps and 90 secs between sets. Choose the weight wisely: cheating is acceptable only as last resort for the final reps. The gym sessions are 3 days a week and at least 3 days of cardio training. For best results cardio needs to be done early in the morning on a rest day. If you can’t do it on a rest day you can do cardio early in the morning and later during the day (after at least two meals). You hit the gym at schedule. If you have overslept and everything indicates that you are going to miss cardio because it is already time for the gym – do the cardio after weight training.


The weekly split:

Monday – Chest , Biceps, Abs, Front/ Mid Delts

Tuesday – Cardio

Wednesday – Legs + Abs

Thursday – Rest

Friday  – Cardio

Saturday – Back, Triceps, Traps, Rear Delts, Forearms

Sunday – Cardio


Monday:

Bench press – 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10

Incline Dumbbell press – 4 x 15, 12, 12, 10

Pec Deck Fly – 4 x 12, 12, 12, 10

Barbell Shoulder Press – 4 х 12

Front Laterals Raise – 3 х 15, 12, 12

Barbell curl – 4 x 12

Incline Dumbbell Curls – 3 х 12, 10, 10

Oblique Cable Crunch – 3 х 20, superset with:

Decline Reverse Crunch – 3 x 20

Russian Twist – 2 х 20, 15

Wednesday:

Leg Extensions- 3 x 15, 12, 12 superset with:

Lying Leg Curls – 3 x 15, 12, 12

Barbell Full Squat – 5x 15, 15, 12, 12, 12

Leg Press 2x – 15, 12

Narrow Stance Leg Press – 1x 15

Romanian Deadlift With Dumbbells – 3 х 15, 12, 12

Thigh Adductor – 2x 12, 12

Smith Machine Calf Raise – 3 x 15, 15, 12

Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15, 12

Decline Crunch – 3 x 20 superset with:

Hanging Leg Raise – 3x 20

Russian Twist – 2х 20, 15


Saturday:

Front Lat Pulldown – 3 x 15, 12, 12 superset with:

Seated cable rows – 3x 15, 12,12

Deadlift – 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10

One-Arm Dumbbell Row – 4 x 15, 12, 12, 10

Hammer strength Shrug – 3 x 15

Triceps Pushdown – 4x 12, 12, 12, 10

Dumbbell Triceps Extension – 3x 12, 12, 10

Reverse Pec Deck Fly – 3 x 12, 12, 10

Seated Palm-Up Barbell Wrist Curl – 3x 15, 15, 12


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Hierarchy of fat loss

Hierarchy of fat loss

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of fat loss? Diet and exercise, right? Yes, these are undoubtedly important but when your fat loss efforts come to a standstill, it is good to remember that there are other factors that play a role in the process. We have arranged them by importance in a Hierarchy of fat loss. These are: diet, sleep, stress, physical activity and training.

1.      Diet – no training can overturn a bad diet.  In order to lose weight, you have to create calorific deficit. High intensity training increases appetite, which makes some consume more food. Therefore it is important to combine intense training with balanced diet. Make healthy choices when you shop and if necessary use diet and weight loss supplements to get a boost. Chronic overeating and overtraining can lead to insulin resistance.  If your weight loss comes to a halt, try reducing the amount of training you do and food you consume by a little.

2.      Sleep – Have you noticed that when you have not had enough sleep, your cravings for carbs increase? This is no coincidence. When you are in a state of chronic sleep deficiency, your body needs a fast energy source. This is why sweet things look so attractive when you are tired – a double blow to your dieting efforts. Sleep is a milestone for optimum health and when not sufficient, it affects everything – mood, hormones, stress levels, appetite, willpower, energy, ability for quality training and recovery. If your body receives less than 7 hours sleep very often, this is likely to be a barrier on your fat loss path. Try this: in the next few weeks make a daily plan which includes more sleep at night time. Forget about staying late on social medias or watching TV.

3.      Stress – Every one experiences stress at some point in their daily life. Stress can affect your eating habits (emotional eating) or affect your sleep. Even intensive training is perceived as stress by the body and it releases more cortisone – the stress hormone. This in turn has negative impact on muscle recovery and what is more under stress the body tries to store additional fat to use as energy source. Try this: make a list of things that make you calm – a 15 min walk in the park, 20 min in the bath, breathing exercises, listening to music etc. They can reduce your stress levels and will help you sleep better and avoid emotional eating.

4.      Physical Activity – it may sound surprising to you that even people who train 4-5times a week also can be classed as having a sedentary lifestyle. If you are sitting for 8 hours behind a desk, this makes you inactive and you should try and stand up and move about more often. That gives you the opportunity to break the sitting in one and the same position and will help avoid the imbalance in the musculoskeletal system. Additionally you will burn more energy. If you are already training- this is good, but try and increase your body movement as much as possible. It is easy – use the stairs instead of the lift, park further, run with your children or dog, park or get off one stop further from your destination.

5.       Training – last in this hierarchy of fat loss is the training. It plays a vital role in the muscle creation or preservation, regulates imbalances in the body, boosts confidence, improves bone density; it supports healthy heart and so on. What is more, larger muscle mass means burning more calories when resting bringing you closer to your fat loss goal. Without the first 4 steps in the fat loss ladder though, training can be ineffective for weight loss. For the ladies looking to get into shape we recommend power training with multi-joint exercises 3-4 times a week, 2 cardio sessions of 30 min each and 1-2 a week high intensity interval training.

Be S.M.A.R.T. about your goal and consistent, the results will follow soon.

10 Popular Kettlebell Movements with Sample Workouts!

10 Kettlebell Movements

What is a good starting weight for Kettlebells?

This would be all down to preference over movements, for example, if you wanted the Kettlebell for only Kettlebell swings then it would mean you would choose a heavier kettlebell (20kg). If you wanted to use the Kettlebell for other movements such as presses/snatches then a little lighter Kettlebell would be the most appropriate. 

What size Kettlebell should I get?

Most people choose to get more than one Kettlebell so they can do a wide variety of movements that require a heavier or lighter Kettlebell. The 12kg and 20kg Kettlebell are often bought together to take advantage of all the movements you are able to do with Kettlebells. Having a pair allows you to carry out intense workouts in the comfort of your own home.

How many Kettlebell swings a day?

It is said that 300 Kettlebell swings a day will help towards fat loss, but remember your diet has to be on point too! not just your workout.

What are Kettlebell swings good for?

The Kettlebell swing works lots of muscles such as; Hips, hamstring, lats, abs, and shoulders. It is also very useful for improving your overall grip as the kettlebells work away on your forearms!

Checkout the most used movements using a Kettlebell, designed to work all the muscle groups! Included with some sample Kettlebell workouts…

10 Popular Movements Using A Kettlebell:

1. The Swing: Grab the weight with both hands, palms facing you. Thrust your hips to swing it to chest height.

2. One Arm Swing: Perform as before, but this time hold the weight in one hand when swinging. Switch hands at the top of each repetition (works on defined abs).

3. Double Swing: Adopt a wide stance and lift the bells. Bend your knees and start with small swings, then slowly increase it to chest level (works back muscles).

4. Single Arm Front Squat: With your elbow by your side and the bell in front of your shoulder, lower into a squat. Stand up; keep the weight close to your chest (works abs).

5. Single Arm Press: Hold the bell at shoulder height, then push it up. Lower slowly (proven more effective than a dumbbell press).

6. Double Clean & Press: Swing two bells. Clean them so they rest in the crook of your elbows. Drive overhead (builds power & strength).

7. Single Arm Snatch: Swing a kettlebell between your legs, then pull it forwards and up, flipping it at chest level. Push it overhead. Swap arms (can be done by snatching to chest, head then overhead if full movement is too difficult).

8. Windmill: Hold the bell above your head. Push your hips to the right; slide your hand down your left leg. Repeat to the left (works on abs).

9. Turkish Get-Up: Lie down, the bell held above you. Rise up to standing, keeping the weight high throughout. Avoid using your arms to stand (works all major muscle groups).

10. Goblet Squat: Hold the bell in front of your chest and lower into a deep squat. Tense your abs and explode back to standing.

Design your own workout from 5 to 6 of the exercises above. If beginner: 3 sets with 10 reps, Intermediate: 3 sets with 15 reps and Experienced: 3 sets with 25 reps or burnout. 60 seconds rest in between sets.

Sample Workouts (Adapt To Your Threshold):

Workout One:

  • Dead to high pull x 6 reps, swings x 6 reps, goblet squats x 6 reps, 5 sets with 1 minute rest between sets. Designed to boost testosterone and work all the core muscles.

Workout Two:

  • Do 6 minutes of continuous movement, with as little rest as possible: Kettlebell swing x 1 minute, Clean and press x 1 minute, Snatch x 1 minute (left arm), Kettlebell swing x 1 minute, Clean and press x 1 minute, Snatch x 1 minute (right arm).

Workout Three (Experienced):

1. Kettlebell Swings; Sets – 3, Reps – 30, Rest – 1 Min. Place a kettlebell a couple of feet in front of you. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and bend your knees to lean forward and grab the handle with both hands. With your back flat, engage your lats to pull the weight between your legs (be careful with how deep you swing) then drive your hips forward and explosively pull the kettlebell up to shoulder height with your arms straight in front of you. Return to the start position and repeat without pauses.

2. Kettlebell Goblet Squat; Sets – 3, Reps – 15, Rest – 1 Min. Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, clasping a kettlebell in each hand in front of your chest with palms facing each other. Bend your knees and lower yourself into a squat, keeping the kettlebells in the same position and ensuring you don’t round your black by tensing your glutes throughout. Drive back up and repeat.

3. Plyo Kettlebell Press Up; Sets – 3, Reps – Until Burnout, Rest – 1 Min. Place one kettlebell on the floor and get into push-up possition, with one hand on the floor and the other on the kettlebell. Lower yourself as close to the ground as possible, keeping your back straight. Quickly raise your body and swap hands before doing a push-up on the other side, then keep repeating this fluid motion.

4. Single Arm Kettlebell Snatch; Sets – 3, Reps – 15 (each arm), Rest – 1 Min. Holding a kettlebell in one hand between your legs, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Drive upwards through your hips and knees and as the kettlebell rises to shoulder height, rotate your hand and push it upwards until your arm is locked out. Squat down and return the weight to the start position. Repeat. Complete the prescribed reps with one arm, then swap sides.

5. Renegade Kettlebell Row; Sets – 3, Reps – 20, Rest – 1 Min. Get into push-up position, with both hands holding a kettlebell underneath your shoulders. You may need to widen your legs for more support. Then drive one arm up, retracting your shoulder blade, and so the kettlebell is drawn to your side. Lower it back down to the ground and repeat on the other side.

6. Kettlebell Seated Press; Sets – 3, Reps – 10 (each arm), Rest – 1 Min. Sit on the floor and spread your legs. Hold a kettlebell at shoulder height before extending your arm to drive the kettlebell up above your head. Bring it back down and repeat the sequence.

The Best Way to Beast Those Biceps!

Sick of thinking of ways to get those biceps bigger? Not quite sure on what exercise is best for you? Bust out these simple bicep curl movements next time you’re in the gym and watch your bicep ‘GAINZ’!!

1. The Concentration Curl – This exercise is all about the bicep! Performed in a seated position with your elbow parallel to your thigh muscle, lift the dumbbell slowly from down below into a curled movement. Make sure that you perform this movement slowly whilst making sure that you’re getting a full contraction on that bicep! This movement is ideal at the end of your bicep session as it can pump and exhaust the bicep.

2. Bicep Curl/Preacher Curl – This is another simple bicep movement which can be performed either using an EZ Bar or a regular weight lifting bar. This is a maximum strength movement and is proven more beneficial than using single dumbbells. To perform this movement load the bar with the ideal weight for yourself, stand straight, feet at shoulders width, raise the bar to your torso and curl to the base of the neck/shoulder height. Make sure that you stand firm with no rocking movement as this detracts from the aim of the exercise. Again perform this movement slowly so that maximum contraction is gained!

3. Bent Over Concentration Curl – This movement is very similar to a common concentration curl! The only difference is for this movement you will flex your hips and knees into a bent over position; it is very important that you keep your back straight and support yourself with by placing your dormant hand on your knee. Grab your dumbbell & contract towards your shoulder; perform this movement slowly, avoid any swinging motions so that again maximum contraction is reached!

4. Standing Cable Curl – This movement should be performed in a similar way to the Preacher Curl, except it is performed using a cable machine! Grab the cable bar and raise to the torso, with hand grip facing upwards. For this movement only your forearms should move as you pull the bar up to neck/shoulder height. Try and keep this motion slow and keep the cable bar at the neck/shoulder for an extra second to make sure that contraction is tight and gives you the gains you’re looking for!

5. Lying Forehead Cable Curl – If this movement doesn’t give you those massive biceps that you’re looking for, then nothing will! Grab yourself a bench and place it in front of the cable machine, lie down on the bench with your head closest to the machine. Set the cable bar either straight or EZ bar to arms length away! Simply place yourself under the bar, grab the bar and pull towards your forehead. Make sure that you keep your arms straight and that the only movement comes from the forearms! Again don’t forget to perform slowly so that contraction is at its peak!

6. Incline Dumbbell Curl – Grab that bench and set it to an incline of your choice, ideally half way down from being straight backed or flat! Grab your dumbbells in each hand and place at arm’s length towards the ground. Pull the dumbbell up towards the shoulder, switching between arms as you perform the movement. Again only the forearms should move and hold that contracted position for an extra second, any other movement detracts from the main objective of jacking those biceps!

7. Plank Spider Curl – Performed in a similar manner to the Incline Dumbbell Curl! Except for this movement you’ll be lying chest down on the bench you used for the Incline Curl with your arms towards the floor using 2 dumbbells or you can either use a straight bar or EZ bar! Again the simple movement of moving your forearms up towards your shoulders with full contraction and holding that weight tight for an extra second. Don’t forget to contract slowly for those massive gains!

So there you go! Seven popular bicep movements to give you those shirt busting biceps that you’ve been looking for! As you can see these movements are very simple and are performed at a slower speed to maximise the contraction period. It’s entirely up to yourself how many reps & sets you’d like to perform and how much weight you want to jack into your hands or onto those bars! Just remember slow and steady gives you those bionic biceps that you crave!

How To Build Insanely Jacked Legs!

How often do you see that person in the gym working everything but their legs? Walking around on drainpipes!? Don’t let that person be you! Check out these leg exercises to help you build those ‘Insanely Jacked Legs!’ on your leg day!

Popular Leg Exercises:

Squats – These can be performed in many variations! Firstly the common Barbell Full Squat, which ideally should be performed where a squat rack or Smith’s machine is available. Place the barbell at ideal height, load with desired weight and place yourself under the bar with it resting on the base of your neck/top of your Delts. Place your hands onto the bar, raise the bar by pushing up with your legs and step away from the rack! Now it’s time to jack those legs by making sure your legs are shoulder width apart, now start lowering yourself into a squat position making sure that the hamstrings meet the calves and then raise back into a standing position. Make sure that you keep your back straight to avoid injury!  You can use many variations of this exercise; instead of using a barbell try using a pair of dumbbells or attempt a Pause Squat by holding the weight for an extra second at the base of your squat before extending back to a standing position. Whichever way you perform a squat you’ll be on course for plenty of leg gains!

Lunges – Another leg exercise that has many variations! But the most common being the Dumbbell Lunge. Performed using a pair of dumbbells for resistance; stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, step one leg forward lowering your body down, keep that back straight! Push yourself back up into a standing position and alternate between legs, feel the burn as those legs get pumped! You can mix up this exercise by performing with a barbell raised above your head, a jump lunge by exploding between legs in a continual movement & reverse lunge by stepping back instead of stepping forward!

Deadlift – An absolute beast of an exercise that will not only jack those legs but work other muscle groups too! Form is absolutely key when it comes to deadlifting, poor form can lead to increased chance of injury, that’s the last thing we want! Place your feet shoulder width apart with your overhand grip on the outside of the legs, keep your back straight and your shoulders pushed back. The barbell should never move away from the legs during the whole movement with the hips and knees moving in symmetry to transport the barbell from the ground to the upper thigh. Smash this exercise and you’ll be smashing leg day!

Bulgarian Split Squat ­– Another variation of the ever popular squat! The Bulgarian Split Squat is described as the ‘powerhouse of leg exercises’ with all leg muscles getting their fair share of work! To perform grab yourself a bench or something that you can rest your foot on that’s knee height. Place yourself in a forward lunge making sure your core is upright and place your back foot onto the platform. Lower yourself down until your thigh is horizontal; keep your knee in line with your planted foot. Explode back up into your starting position and feel that burn as you progress towards your leg gains!

Leg Press – Wanting to beast your legs? Well this well-liked gym machine will get your legs jacked to the max! The good old leg press is everyone’s favourite gym buddy when it comes to leg exercises. By simply placing your legs on the platform at shoulders width apart, lower the seat so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle. Simply push up so that your legs are extended and return back to your starting position. There’s absolutely no doubt that after you’ve done your sets on this that the burn will be real! This machine can also be used for the calves by placing the pad of your foot on the base of the platform and extending in the same manner.

Example Workout

Barbell Full Squats:  4 sets/6 reps.

Dumbbell Lunge: 4 sets/12 reps on each leg.

Leg Press: 3 sets/12 reps.

Deadlift: 3 sets/6 reps.

Bulgarian Split Squat: 4 sets/12 reps on each leg.

So there you have it, some of the most popular exercises to jack those legs! Which ones will you perform to get those gains started? It’s important when it comes to some leg exercises that form is on point as it’s far too easy to cause injury through bad form. It’s up to yourself how hard and heavy you’d like to go but bear in mind when it comes to jacking those legs, if there’s no pain, there’s no gain! It’s either go hard or go home!

The Beginners Guide to Medicine Balls

The Beginners Guide to Medicine Balls

One of the most over looked bits of equipment in the gym has to be the medicine ball, you often see dumbbells & kettlebells in use but most the time the medicine ball sits collecting dust. Why? They vary in weight and sizes just like the rest! Here’s your chance to get the most of this reliable bit of equipment to boost your gym session!

Popular Exercises Using a Med-Ball

Bear Hug Squat – Ever performed a normal squat? Now it’s time to add a little resistance! Grab your med-ball and hug it tight into your chest, now complete the squat movement. Unsure on how to perform a squat; simply place your feet shoulder width apart or maybe a little further, keep your back straight as you bend your knees, so the hamstrings should meet the calf muscles and then rise back into a standing position!

Shoulder Squat – Performed just like the movement before but this time you’re going to place the med-ball on your shoulder, gripping it tightly so that it does not fall to the floor. Use your free arm to keep your balance by elevating it by your side whilst performing the squat, once you’ve finished your reps on one side simply switch the med-ball over to your other shoulder and perform again!

Squat Press – This is where we ramp it up a little bit! Using the squat movement as you reach the base of the movement where your hamstrings meet the calf muscles hold that position! Once in that position you’ll simply push the med-ball out of your chest for your own desired repetitions, performed as if you were doing a chest press but this time you’re getting use of that med-ball! You can change the exercise up a bit by performing it in a vertical motion by extending out of the squat and thrusting the med-ball above your head working those shoulders!

Burpee – Everyone knows about the burpee but if you ask anyone who has performed the movement you’ll see their face turn! It’s that one exercise that can be described as ‘Marmite’. To use a med-ball for this movement all you’re going to do is grip it tightly with both hands and bow down into a press-up movement using the med-ball for balance under the chest, perform a press-up & explode back onto your feet! Once on your feet jump up off the ground keeping the med-ball within the torso area so that you can easily get back down into the press-up position to complete what may be some of the hardest reps you’ll ever do!

Russian Twist – This exercise will make your torso burn! Sit yourself on the floor heels on the ground with the toes pointing upwards; make sure your legs are at roughly a 45 degree angle. Place your med-ball at either side once you’re ready grab it and move it over your torso to the other side making sure the bottom of the ball touches the ground and then move it back into your starting position performing a twisting movement, carry this on until you can feel that burn!

Lying Chest Pass – It’s time to relax, well kind of! Lie yourself down back and feet flat to the floor with your knees arched. Grab your med-ball and bring it into your chest, gripping the ball slightly under, simply throw the ball up into the air and catch the ball as it comes back down bringing your elbows down to the side or your torso! Feel the burn in your arms as you gradually get those gains you’re looking for!

Twist Lunge – An easy way to simply modify the trusted lunge! All you’ll do to get the most out of this movement using your med-ball is to grip it firmly whilst you perform your lunge and twist to the side that you’ve planted your leg. Alternate between your legs for your desired reps, you’ll sharp soon feel the burn not only in your thighs but also in your torso! You can perm those movement in a nimber of variations, try as you step into the lunge raising the med-ball above your head to work those shoulders as well!

The Halo – An easy variation to possibly finish your workout off with! All you need to do is position yourself standing up straight and firmly grip your med-ball at chest height. From here you’ll swing the med-ball around your head as if you were shaping a ‘halo’ and reverse the motion back into your chest and if you were withdrawing the ‘halo’. Do this until you feel the burn and can no longer perform!

A beginner’s guide to using a Medicine Ball! Next time you’re in the gym or using a med-ball at home place a couple of these exercises into your routine to aid your progress, you’ll definitely feel the benefit! It’s entirely up to yourself the weight of your med-ball and how many reps and sets you’d like to perform but to begin with, stick to keeping it ‘realistic’ 8-10 repetitions, within 3 sets. Once you feel like you’ve cracked the movements up your weight and reps and see those gains come along nicely!

How to improve your grip!

To most our grip is a limiting factor which stops us from holding onto things for long periods of time, but to others grip is a common variable of training and is essential to achieve their goals. Grip training becomes more apparent for; Strongman, Powerlifting, Gymnastics, Weightlifting and other forms of physical exercise that requires you to hold onto things for a period of time. Saying this, improving grip is something we can all benefit from. Training grip will benefit all upper body exercises as it supports strong ligaments and tendons in the hands, arms and shoulders. Grip training has an influence on heavy lifts and therefore can help you perform better overall when you are testing your body.

There are no structured tasks that are required for you to improve your grip, instead it’s merged into your normal training routine and implemented where necessary. There is also such equipment that can be used to supplement your grip such as chalk and straps; both of these provide support and lead to holding onto things being just that bit easier. It’s also good to remember that as you get older Sarcopenia can take effect on your body, training grip can go towards battling this as it can be a good indicator of simple muscle strength as well as muscle functionality.

Follow our quick 5 step guide to achieve killer grip.

Step 1 – Timed Holds

Whenever you are doing barbell movements such as the deadlift make sure you are squeezing your hand as tight as possible, start to implement 5 second holds at the end of every set and this will start to test your grip strength and result in it getting stronger over time.

Step 2 – Pull More

Pulling more results in more grip training. Movements like; Pull-ups, pulldowns and rows do their part in training your upper back, but they can also improve your grip strength.

Step 3 – Heavy Carries

Exercises that require you to hold onto weight over a distance can really benefit your grip strength, this includes dumbbell movements such as; Farmers Carries and Lunges. Can do these with barbells or kettlebells which can be both found on our website.

Step 4 – Grip Equipment

Not everyone has access to such equipment but if you do then you should take full advantage. Hand grip exercises that provide different amounts of resistance depending on the one you use is good equipment to use as you can measure your grip strength constantly by being able to touch the prongs together. Once completed you can move on to higher resistance Hand Grips and keep going until you have finished all the ones in the gym and you now you need your own!

Step 5 – Bar Hangs

As simple as it sounds! Find a bar in your gym or somewhere at your local park and hang from the bar for as long as you can, do this for several sets. Make sure you record how long you are hanging for and try your best to improve your time each set. Do this for several weeks and you will surely benefit from it.

How long can you hang from the bar for? Put your grip strength to the ultimate test and join us in Newcastle City centre Monday 25th June to see if you’ve got what it takes to take home 1 of our prizes.

Come, get involved!

60 Days Before Summer

60 Days Before Summer

Firstly, be honest and don’t lie to yourself.

Making a judgement on your current condition in terms of fitness levels and body composition is necessary for you to achieve your goals.  You need to know your starting point and how you are going to measure your progress over the next 60 days. You can do this by establishing a weekly average weight – this will be done by weighing yourself every day for a week and finding the mean which will show your average weight. Once you have this number locked in you can firstly aim to achieve a lower average weekly body weight the following week. Now we also need to get a solid understanding of your current fitness levels and this can change from person to person as it depends upon what your current goal is, whether it be running, cycling, swimming we are aiming to improve your performance in a fitness orientated exercise.

Set Goals

What are your goals? A question we ask at the start of this journey and now needs answering, once a solid understanding of your current physique and capabilities has been understood then it is possible to set realistic goals that you can achieve. We do not want to set goals that are out of reach as this can be demotivating when the journey gets tough or you are getting cravings. If cravings are something that you really struggle with then a good way to combat this is to introduce high protein snacks into your diet! As you are going to be working out more and potentially eating fewer calories then you will be required to increase your protein intake which can be done using Protein Shakes and as mentioned previously high protein snacks.

Be Accountable

Possibly the most important part of the whole process. This can be done in many ways such as Calorie Counters, Step Counters, Cook Books, Fitness DVDs or even just a little notepad that tracks all of your nutrition and exercise in a week. You need to be honest with yourself as the only person that is stopping you from achieving your goals is yourself. Schedule your workouts, find a workout partner and even consider using a qualified PT to show you the ropes if you are struggling.

Easy Workout to Lose Weight Fast for Beginners

This plan is perfect if you have never really excercised before or have taken a long break and need easing back in. These simple exercises will jolt your metabolism out of lazy mode and get it moving again. But to make this plan work, you need to keep your workouts short and manageable. That way, you never have an excuse to skip a session.
 
For this workout, you only exercise 1-3 times each day, but each workout is only 7 minutes and are easily intergrated into your busy lifestyle. You do not need expensive gym clothes or any extra equipment.
 
Easy beginner workout:

7 minutes fast walk
7 minutes of easy lunges and easy push ups
7 minutes fast walk

These simple excercises are enough to increase your heart rate to a fat burning level. Set alarms on your phone to ensure that you stick to the plan. Looking to increase the intensity? Turn a fast walk into a run, do more advanced lunges and push ups against a wall and walk/run up the office stairs or channel your inner Rocky and find some outdoors.

Easy Exercise Routine for Regular Exercisers

If you are already a keen gym goer who needs that extra boost before hitting the beach then think about adding adding 30-45 minutes of easy enjoyable activity at the opposite end of your day as your normal workout:

If you work out in the morning, add a brisk evening walk to your schedule.
If you exercise in the evening, consider biking or walking to work in the morning.

If you stick to your easy workout routine and hit your goals and eat well you should see some change in the scale or in the way your clothes fit after a week or two!

Supplement Support

SS Healthfoods is here to support your fitness journey! We have a wide range of Supplements available as well as Health foods and Gym Equipment, anything you need we’ve got it covered!

Our Home Workout Bundle is ideal for anyone starting out – save yourself the stress of a 12 month gym contract that you are guaranteed to forget about. With a 12kg Kettlebell + 5kg Medicine Ball + Leather Skipping Rope + Shaker this bundle is all you need to work up a sweat from the comfort of your own home.

PhD Diet Whey is the best protein on the market for fat-loss, it contains a multitude of potential fat-loss ingredients which may assist with the building of fat-free muscle, without any bulking or excess calorie intake. With only 5g of carbs, a whopping 34g of protein; this palm oil free protein comes in several tasty flavours at the lowest price in the UK – just £17.99.

Our Deals Under £15 section contains plenty of best sellers at the best price – from creatine to energy drinks to high protein snacks you are bound to find a supplement that will help sculpt that summer body.

CBD Muslce Salves will help aid with recovery post-workout – with 1000mg of Broad Spectrum CBD Oil it incorporates a host of natural herbs and essential oils to provide a complete, muscle relaxing experience.

Our own range of SSnackboxes will help curb those cravings in a healthy manner. They come in three tiers, Our first tiered box is our Essential Protein Snack Box filled with our favourite snacks as well as some free samples of our best selling protein powder. The next level up is our most popular box the Premium Protein Snack Box. With the addition of a large cookie, the nations favourite protein bar, Grenade, plus more items this box represents great value for money! Finally we have the Platinum Protein Box, our largest ever box. Whether you share it with a friend or you think you can tackle it all yourself, this box will help you through all those cravings.

And that is that; get working on that summer body and in no time you will have the figure you have always strived for! If you require any advice then please do not hesitate to give us a message on Facebook.