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You Versus Bodybuilders
2008-05-10 02:09:00
The one on the left is a top bodybuilder. The other guy, is not.This post may turn into a bit of a rant and for that my buff readers, I apologise.When in work tonight I noticed a young guy working his chest and even when I was 45 minutes into a session with a client he still seemed to be working his chest although the angle of the bench had changed ever so slightly. Now this young guy has probably read a lot of bodybuilding magazines and has been brainwashed into thinking that he needs to hit chest from every possible angle for it to grow. I could tell from his shape that he hadn't yet applied the same principles to his back workouts and was heading towards some muscle imbalances and potential shoulder problems down the line. This kid, like many gym regulars and board users that I interact with, was applying the wrong answer to the wrong questions.Neil, wtf, I hear you cry - whats all this about questions and answers?!?!Well lets look at Dennis James, a top pro bodybuilder that I m...
More About: Guide , Bodybuilder

You can buy this . . .
2008-05-08 02:07:00
I am deadly serious when I say that this is a real fitness product. If you wanted to invent a piece of shitty equipment to stroke people of their hard earned cash what would you come up with?
More About: Video , Humour

Efficiency
2008-05-03 11:15:00
I was flicking through a female fitness magazine recently looking at the usual articles produced for women. 'Tone those flabby arms', ' celebrity body' etc etc. When reading a calorie burning article I was amused to find that one of the benefits they had done was actually something that I would consider a negative.Something like this. . ."Cardio training will make the body more efficient and burning fat and calories!"Efficiency is a good thing, for example, with your car. If you drive 100 miles and it takes £20 pound of petrol then your wife takes her car out and goes the same distance but needs £30 of petrol then your car would be classed as more efficient. You cover more distance with less fuel.If you are a marathon runner then again, like the car, efficiency is a good thing. You want to be using a tiny amount of fuel to cover the furthest distance possible without having to load up on extra nutrients before or during the race.Efficiency with fat loss - We can see how effici...
More About: Running , Guide

Getting Old
2008-04-28 08:40:00
So on Sun the 27th I turned 28. Not too far away from 30 now but I don't mind, as being male, we get more distinguished and sophisticated whereas chicks getting bingo wings and wrinkles. :-)I used my birthday as my second real cheat since I start dieting at the start of the month. Progress has been good so far. I have taken it really slow and managed to hold weight pretty well as the ultimate goal here was just a steady body fat loss while staying as heavy as possible.So far - - I see veins sprouting out again in my legs and arms.- Abs starting to come through and the fat on my lower back is shrinking away. (This is where I hold my body fat)- Still over 14 stone and holding muscle well. Feel pretty strong.Changes -- This week I plan to tighten the carbs a touch by dropping the bread a bit and replacing my weight gain with a plain protein shake.- Protein upped slightly when carbs have dropped ie Breakfast was a few rounds of toast and 3 boiled eggs whereas now I will go for 4 or 5 s...

My kids will be like this . .
2008-04-24 00:45:00
I love how he spends time on the grip and checking his hands. Should have dropped the arse more though and made more of a celebration.
More About: Video , Humour , Kids , Exercises , Legs

MH TV
2008-04-21 00:52:00
Mens Health Magazine has been working on a new addition to the website known simply as MH TV. It is still early days and there are lots of small glitches to be ironed out I think it will be a great tool when finished.Keep an eye on it and I will give it a bump on here when everything is up and running 100%Mens Health TV
More About: Guide , Exercises

Feck
2008-04-21 00:48:00
I have gotta get me some of these sleeve cannons, aka large fecking guns.
More About: Bodybuilder , Biceps

Shopping List
2008-04-21 00:12:00
So I started back on the diet plan at the start of April. I feel my clothes getting loser and already the body fat around my abs, back and arms has started to melt away. I think I'm about 7 pounds down but to me that means spank all - its all about the visual aspect which has been pretty drastic already. Here are some of the foods I like to stick with when dieting.Weight gain powder - Yes, I do take weight gain powder. Why I hear you cry. Well I was taking it when bulking and rather than remove calories too quick I kept this in and only dropped the likes of junk food and accessories. (I count accessories as those wee things added in that you don't really notice ie grabbing a juice from the gym fridge when working etc.) The weight gain powder I use is also pretty good in terms of protein, good fats and quality carbs.Fillet steak - Cooked under the grill with some black pepper and a lick of butter. Quality protein with some fats and great taste. I tend to add something like peas or ...
More About: Shopping , Nutrition , List

MUSCLE MEMORY
2008-04-17 22:17:00
I was browsing online earlier look for men in thongs when I came across this guy.After a year of training naturally he had packed on some serious muscle and shaved off the Hasslehoff chest hair. Check out his before picture.Now before I hear everyone shout for a drug test he did admit to some serious drug use in the past which had dented his own hormone system and left him as the guy we see above holding the paper. This is his earliest picture.My point to all this isn't to get into a drug debate but instead show how quickly the body bounces back if you have put the work in before. When you weight train you work the nervous system and muscular system. Even if you stop, the body still remembers. Sort of like learning to ride a bike or drive - you may be rusty if you leave it for a while but you never have to start from scratch. Another good example is this guy from the same site as the bloke above -No spring chicken but has obviously put a lot of effort into getting in shape.Here we ...
More About: Memory , Guide , Bodybuilder , Muscle

Walking The Walk
2008-04-14 01:20:00
I came across this on the Mens Health forums . ."Cynthia Potier was named dietetic technician of the year by St. Charles Hospital. She is pictured with the hospital's director of food and nutrition, Blaine Guillot."We have had many discussions on the blog regarding the shape of personal trainers. Many people agree with me in that a trainers body is their uniform and being in shape is a top priority. Others believe that even a trainer in poor shape may have all the necessary knowledge to back up what they say. To be honest there are valid points on both sides of this debate.BUT . . . .The two guys pictured aren't dealing in looks and pure aesthetics. They are working with patients in a hospital environment where the top priority is health. To me these guys just don't look healthy. If Blaine was busting your balls for the odd cheat meal could you sit there and take it? If Cynthia sat you down and went off on one about your cholesterol could you seriously sit there without saying a ...
More About: Nutrition , Walking , Walk

Cheat Weekend
2008-04-11 15:47:00
Although I have only started dieting again this weekend sees me heading off to Liverpool for a stag doo. Then when I get back I have almost 2 weeks of clean eating before my own birthday. Then I will be pretty strict until a holiday in June. Weekend s like this happen but they don't happen all the time so I plan to eat well when I can and enjoy myself when I can't. To keep you all amused over the weekend, check out the new Gladiators soon to be hitting ours screens in tight outfits.NEW GLADIATORS PICS
More About: Cheat

New Ipod Nano
2008-04-06 23:35:00
I recently purchased one of these 4GB bad boys on eBay. Loaded up with everything from dance music to hard core heavy metal you can now see me bounce around the gym with a renewed sense of energy. If, like me, you train alone, (I suffer from protein farts ), this is probably one of the best gadgets you will buy. Smaller than many other ipods and super light.Working and training in the same gym means I have to listen to the same soundtrack over and over. Even with the best songs in the world they all begin to sound the same.My current tunes include . .Chris DaughtryMetallicaRage Against The MachinePearl JamMatchbox 20RHC PeppersG n RosesGatecrasher
More About: Ipod , Ipod nano , Nano

Bulking Complete - Now The Diet !
2008-04-05 19:15:00
Although I did have a target of 15 stone before switching to the diet I have decided to go for it now rather than shoot for those extra few pounds. Heres why -* Planning to go on holiday in the middle of June so this gives me 8 - 10 weeks to lean out then get a tan :p* The bulking picture of me in the garden surprised me a bit. I've added a decent amount of muscle in a year so I now want to see what shape I'm in with lower body fat.* I plan to tighten up the diet for the next few days then go to my mates stag doo next weekend for a blow out. Then I have 2 weeks before my birthday which I could use as another cheat then maybe go strict until the holiday with cheat days introduced to help with fat loss as I feel I need them.*This time last year I was dieting and I actually miss the discipline and structure that I have with dieting. Bulking tends to be an all you can eat fest!*Keeping muscle and dropping fat would have a positive impact on my grappling and MMA stuff.So the plan is to...
More About: Diet , Complete

I taught him this . .
2008-04-04 02:48:00
So lets say you had trained for months and dieted down to single digit bodyfat - what routine would you go for when it came to stepping on stage ?
More About: Video , Humour , Bodybuilder

Sport Specific Fitness
2008-03-27 16:00:00
When I wrote an article on being busted during an MMA competition because I wasn't used to competiting many people said it was down to the fact that I don't run long distance. This article provides a better answer than any I gave during that debate.For the full article by Alwyn Cosgrove click HERE3: Cardiovascular programming is an ass-backward concept. I don't know when I first thought this, but it was confirmed to me when viewing Lance Armstrong's performance in the New York Marathon. Throughout my college education, countless training certification programs and seminars, I'd been taught the same thing: that cardiovascular exercise was necessary to improve the cardiovascular system and subsequently aerobic performance. But there seemed to be an inherent flaw in that argument. Let's say I tested your aerobic fitness through a treadmill test. Then let's say that for the next sixteen weeks, we developed a five-day per week aerobic training program that involved you runnin...
More About: Fitness , Running , Sport , Guide , Specific

Yoga for MMA
2008-03-27 15:53:00
To improve my flexibility I am thinking of trying out Yoga . Not any class - just this one. I hear the coach is very good and they have nice changing facilities etc ;-)Why I Want To Try Yoga - Watch more free videos
More About: Video

Bulking . . .
2008-03-20 18:23:00
I have bulked a number of times over the years with targets being everything from 9 stone upwards. This time round I am shooting for the 15 stone mark. Not for any particular reason than simply to have a goal.When I switch to a lean out phase I plan to document the whole thing and make a bit of a montage with Rocky music in the background - I shit you not.(pic by younger brother. 14 stone 6. Unpumped and striking a blue steel pose)

Shopping Channel Gizmo's !
2008-03-16 21:10:00
Want to become a millionaire over night? - invent some shitty fitness equipment and play on peoples poor body image.Make sure you include plenty of myths like the 'fat burn zone' and 'toning fat from the core.'AB COASTERCARDIO TWISTERGRAVITY TRAINER AIR CLIMBER
More About: Humour , Shopping , Channel

Boditronics Photoshoot
2008-03-10 00:33:00
Rach and I got a few shots taken earlier to help promote Boditronics and their dogs balls range of supplements.Here's a few pics that got uploaded before the internet decided to die.
More About: Exercises , Rachael , Photoshoot

REAL Functional Training!
2008-03-09 02:00:00
So much better than that tit in the previous video. I would love to try out this killer move!
More About: Video , Training , Exercises , Legs , Real

Functional Training !
2008-03-02 17:51:00
By training functionally in this way, you condition the cranium to deal with hard blows - ideal for anyone involved in contact sports.
More About: Video , Humour , Training

Money Saving Expert
2008-02-26 01:41:00
Some pretty good tips for those who have avoided the Jan gym rush but are still planning on joining their local gym.Martin Lewis Gym Membership TipsFor anyone interested in joining Fitness First there is also a bit of a back door way of getting cheaper membership. Even if you live in London there is nothing to stop you joining an Irish club at a cheaper rate and using your membership in your home club. Interested in finding out more? Give Barry a shout at Fitness First Newtownabbey.
More About: Money , Guide , Expert , Saving

Full Body Routine
2008-02-25 00:22:00
Mike Mentzer - loved full body routinesI had planned on hitting upper body on sat and lower body on sun but with work and a bit of grappling yesterday I was left with just one day to do weights. I was meant to start some full body work before today but I was holding onto an Upper Lower split that had worked great. The best plan though is the one you are not on so here is the new look routine.NEW PLANMon - offTue - morn classWed - full bodyThur - night classFri - full bodySat - rolling classSun - full bodySo today my workout basically just came off the top of my head. I decided to keep my rest at a constant 1 min 45 and try to superset as much as possible. I have never really super setted the big three (squats bench and deads) so I decided I would. This should only be attempted when you have textbook technique and are happy enough to leave the ego at the door when choosing weights.TODAY -Squats then lunges then restDeads then triangles* then restRun the rack leg extensions from light...
More About: Body , Full

Bodyfat Machine
2008-02-20 23:25:00
So I was in work earlier and the mate at reception lets me have a go on a hand held body fat measuring device not unlike the one pictured here.Guess what number it spat out?a) 5b) 10c) 15d) 34.8Answers in the comments box. Winner will be picked at random and will receive a used scratch card that was almost a winner but was just one treasure chest away from a million.
More About: Machine

Poliquin Performance Centre
2008-02-17 00:55:00
If I ever own my own gym / personal training facility it will be a lot like this. Strongman kit and plenty of hard core weight lifting toys and gizmos . . lovely jubbly.
More About: Video , Performance , Interview , Exercises , Centre

Self Perception
2008-02-17 00:06:00
I present you with two pictures of the male form. In the first pic we have the bodybuilder who looks awesome. In the second pic we have an over weight guy playing with his man boobs (also referred to as moobs).The thing that gets me here - who is happiest with their body?I bet if you said to the bodybuilder that he looked in great shape he would would jump back with a reply like ' thanks buddy but I still need to lean out a touch more' or 'thanks man but I think next year I'm gonna work on my back more' - If you said to guy number two I bet he doesnt care about how he looks and actually enjoys his curvy figure!Food for thought :-)
More About: Bodybuilder , Perception

Incline Dumbbell Curls
2008-02-15 13:17:00
One of my favourite exercises at the moment. A great isolation move for the guns and with the incline back support you minimize cheating and keep maximum tension on the biceps. Often when guys train full body or an upper lower split they complain about missing the localised pump often found with split routines. This exercise can be supersetted with incline chest press and then when doing some lat pulldowns you could switch to the tricep pushdown. Chest back and guns worked in quick succession - try it out!Source
More About: Guide , Exercises , Biceps

Fight Science Videos
2008-02-10 02:29:00
Great videos on MMA athletes!Even if you have no interest in martial arts you still need to watch these videos. Lots of science in relation to the human body. 5 star stuff.PART ONEPART TWO
More About: Videos , Science , Fight , Guide , Fighting

You don't say!
2008-02-08 12:34:00
Studies have shown that weight training increases metabolism which leads to fat loss even when you are doing nothing!Wow!! I have been making a living for 10 years saying the very same thing. Although I often include the fact that running causes more impact injuries and weight training makes you more attractive to the opposite sex (he who curls, gets the girls). "Professor Ken Fox, an exercise specialist at the University of Bristol, said that attention was increasingly turning to resistance exercise as a means to improve metabolism. "If you have these muscles, even when you are not doing much, you are still burning up energy. "It's a hot topic at the moment. It's something that could be particularly useful for older people who may have trouble with endurance exercise, and it can be very satisfying because the effects of resistance training appear very quickly." Source
More About: Running , Guide

Beginner FAQ
2008-02-01 15:40:00
To make it easier for newbies both on the blog and on Mens Health I plan to have a shit hot FAQ with plenty of myths busted and links to useful info.This will be added to a more permanent position on the right of the blog as well as on the MH site to help guys out. Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section and I will ad stuff as I go. Here are a few pointers so far which have been roughly drawn up. The final FAQ will be tidied up a bit so it flows from point to point a bit better.1 ? I want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club? First off you may have a totally different shape genetically to BP. Your genetics and frame will determine how your chest looks, length of biceps etc. Brad Pitt wasn?t the biggest guy by any means but he was lean. You need to drop the body fat by cleaning up your diet and at the same time introduce some strength training.2 ? Do those ?Ab Belt? gizmos really work? No. If you have an injury then a small electrical impulse may help prevent muscle was...
More About: Beginner , Guide