To me, fitness and weight training for a lot of YOU can simply start as a craze…. It’s something that the Kardashian family may be doing and on Instagram.  People want to have a shot of them pushing a sled and slamming a rope!!

A lot of trainers HATE this “Phase” but to me it’s absolutely awesome! You have the chance to show a ton of new gym goers how to use an ACTUAL GYM!! Not the treadmill, not the rower and 100% NOT the stair master for your silly side hops!!!

It gives them a chance to learn real technique and real exercises, to create a badass platform to lift from….It teaches you the fundamentals from day one, which allows your lifting and physique to blossom into something pretty crazyyyy.

What I’m trying to say is…if you are scrolling through Instagram and you want to have a shot!! GO DO IT! Find a coach who’s passionate about lifting (and lifts) then go smash the HELL out of it. It’s the most fun you will ever have in a Gym… Promise.

Set new goals, do new things, and not only does it allow you to achieve more in the gym, it also allows you to explore things in your life! It will take you to cool and crazy places….and the best part… you will be fit!

So please…If your going to do anything this week contact a trainer, call a gym and get on with it….Yes, the first session or 2 may be super super scary, but trust me, 2 hours in, you wont know any different!

Join the moment! Pick up the barbell….Drop treadmills : )

Peace,

Jack

This week Jack shows us the correct way to perform a Pendlay Row. This exercise, will increase your back strength and performance.

FWX Therapy is a treatment that has been developed for those involved in physical activity to aid recovery from injury and to prevent injuries from occurring.

Sports Massage treatment will focus on the individuals’ needs. It is important that your muscles are relaxed, full of blood and nutrients. This will then ensure optimal performance in your workouts and also your daily activities.

So this was one of the hardest sessions I have completed to date!!

I thought the coach had done me in with the deadlift cluster sets….but no….Hatfeild squats, belt squats and every other form of squats did me over….

Anyway

Lower body session 11 weeks out…We are still working in the Hypertrophy range, of  as there is many more weeks to being the reps down and increase the weight, reason being, I think the coach wants to try and add a little bit more size to certain areas … I certainly need some bigger quads.

The first exercise was an absolute killer which also set the standard for the next 2 hours of my life!

Hatfeild SSB squats, man these are a killer! You can feel how much they are working the quad so you can not complain. If you don’t know what a Hatfield squat is….get on YouTube! – This squat allows you to have more balance, and because of this, more weight is distributed over the quad. We worked up to 4 top sets – 205/225/245/245/225  

Belt Squats, until we have the machine set up, we are using 2, 5inch blocks onto 2, 25kg red plates! For the belt its self we used the dipping belt with a kettle bell tied around your waist! Last week we used 30kg ,this week we added 2 x 20kg plates! – 40kg for 3 sets of 12.

Back extensions, we used the Hyperextension for this one as it’s a new bit of kit which is frigging awesome! It’s very similar to a back extension. With the hyper you need to control the movement on the way down, really squeeze your glutses at the top too! There is no point in doing this exercise unless it’s done with control. Your lower back takes over, hips come off the pad and it’s a totally different exercise than it should be!! –  4 sets 10 reps at 20kg

Bent knee glute ham raise. This exercise is performed on the GHD, I have never performed it with bent knees, as I have always been told to keep my legs straight and focus on a slow eccentric! BUT this way seemed to actually hit my hamstring and glutes a lot more, it also didn’t feel like my hamstring was about to snap – 3 sets of 20

Finally Pull Through. The funniest looking hip thrust you will ever perform, you get some funny looks in the gym! This exercise is designed to hit the glutes and to also mimic the lock out of a squat and deadlift! – 3 sets of 15

Done!!

I have noticed a lot of Instagram Power Lifters that they seem to smash just the compounds, which to me is silly! You have a coach who has created you a program…..STICK to it. The accessory work to me is what’s made me feel a lot stronger and has also allowed me to gain a few KGS!

Peace….

JACK

So we all love a bench day!!!

The difference is I bench for performance now, not aesthetics….This session was more focused on speed and triceps work as this is one area a lot of you forget to improve, triceps’ strength, your triceps is massive involved in pressing and defiantly in bench…..So this workout was concentrated around speed, triceps and general upper back work.

• Close Grip bench – 4 Sets of 3 reps at 130kg followed by an AMRAP which I hit for 13 reps! AMRAP meaning as many reps as possible!!! Killer
• Dips – Weighted, hung a 10kg plate around my waist with the dipping belt! 4 sets 10 reps
• Tate press ( Youtube it ) – Awesome tricep exercise which will build you some serious mass if its done correctly and often! Im new to Tate press but I wish I had discovered it months agooo!!
• Arnie press – God I’ve not done this exercise in a while and I struggled with all the added tightness and muscle I had gained around my shoulders! I remember when I could practically touch the dumbbells in the middle!!! Not any more! Was about a mile away.
• Seal row ( can do DB supported row if not) 60kg for 3 sets of 12 Reps.
• Narrow neutral grip pull downs (Lat Machine) what ever weight your machine does! I went for 3 sets of 12, increasing the weight each time!
• Suitcase holds – Man these are hard!!! 30 seconds each hand for 4 sets! They looks so innocent and easy until the 15 second mark….Then my god is it tough.

Workout complete!!!

So as you can see there is no real massive weight in this workout! Remember I am still 13 weeks out so the weight is a lot lighter, in this block it’s more about volume and intensity, technique and not ruining your body for the rest of the prep!

I’ve seen and heard a lot of lads and girls maxing out 10 weeks out!! GOOD IDEA… then where do you go from there? Start repping your 95% haha, way to tear something and be so fatigued mid prep you get ill and have to have a week off. Remember is a slow process….build it up and peak for your meet….do not peak for the gym….remember, leave your ego at the door and smash the platform!

Peace…..

JACK

www.fitness-worx.com/onlinetraining 

MEN, We don’t have to be superman everyday!

So today, well the last few days, I have felt terrible! I am not sure why, it’s not been an illness as I cant stop eating and I don’t feel “ill” but I am just drained! I have ZERO energy, ZERO motivation and to be honest, I have not done a great deal!

But..

Does it matter……I would say no, who cares .. Men have this weird attitude towards being tired and un-motivated, unlike women who write 85 Facebook statuses and 17 snapchats. We say nothing, we power through or just hide away, we have terrible gym sessions, nutrition goes to pot, concentration drops and we just feel a little sorry for ourselves.

Rest??

This is what i need to learn, TO REST….I never rest and this is why I get more of these phases than I would like. I work 15 hour days, 7 days a week. This is not ideal whilst trying to get ready for a competition. It isn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had, but there is work to do and no on else is going to do it!

I don’t really know where I am going with this blog, I thought I would just put fingers to keyboard and type! What I am getting at is, it’s ok to feel tired, sluggish and not motivated and it’s ok to show emotion and it’s ok to have a “moment”. WE ARE ALL HUMAN, and we all go through every emotion most days, well a few people I know go through every emotion hourly….

If you don’t feel like training, don’t train, if you feel full don’t eat! Too many of us create stress around training and nutrition depending on what mood we are in. Training should be fun and eating healthy should be fun.

When your having a off day……have a off day!!! But don’t make this off day EVERYDAY.

Don’t be superman….

Peace,

Jack

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