All aboard the Occlusion train !!

As a keen follower of the fitness trends, and especially the fads that come and go quicker than the seasons, I thought I would try my hand and research the latest facebook "suggested post" and trending word at the moment…Occlusion training.

 

Sometimes referred to as blood flow restriction training and some other names. Occlusion training seems specific to limb muscle training (i.e. biceps, quads, forearm etc.) and no other muscle groups like Chest or delts. The gist is this method, tie off the desired limb/s that you are training with a flexible tourniquet and use lighter weights to reach faster/bigger/harder muscle growing pumps.

 

Sounds dangerous right? Well certainly it can be. Too much tightness and there goes ALL of your blood supply and in severe cases (normally linked to hereditary predisposition to or poor health and hydration) Rhabdomyolysis can occur. However it seems that this BFR (Blood flow restriction) training has been around for a while, with wikipedia sighting a 1966 as its discovery year.

 

Ok.

So the negatives aside, yes I had heard of this some years ago, BUT for some reason it seems to be having a resurgence. If you want to read more about the technique and tips from “professionals” that have been using it for a while follow some of the google links in a search like www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-muscle-prof-occlusion-training.html .

 

Where I am heading with this post is to see if there is any truth to the hype and hypertrophy!

 

So here goes.

 

For some time now my arms days have become a standard fixture and for all the gains in strength and the vein busting pumps at each session, the best I could get measurement wise from a session was 41cm (with a resting size of 39-40cm ) and to top it off, no DOMs in the days after. As much as DOMs is not the key sign that muscle growth is occurring, it is a sign of muscle fatigue causing damage and hence requiring repair and thus growth.

 

So last night I changed up my usual plethora of workouts to choose from to include some lower weight, higher rep occlusion movements.

 

As far as my first attempt went, I wasn’t quite using the right gear (elastic pressure bands etc.) But the level of tightness and the ability to allow flexibility in the tourniquet was there (so my arms didn't drop off) and I proceeded to hit biceps and triceps with the lower weights and higher reps. Mixed in with some unbanded regular work also, I did notice some vein bulging beyond what I had seen before, but the real results came in the measure up after the session.

 

We had pushed the results to 43 cm! 2 cm of swell beyond my normal so 3 cm from a standard flex, visually I had never seen my arms so big post workout.

This was stage 1 in my process of tests.

As I research it a bit more and test its effects on legs I will update this post.

Stay tuned for more updates!

AFK Sorry BRB

So my twin boys are taking a lot of my free time and the rest of my spare time then goes to sleep or spending time with the wife. So it's fair to say, family time is outweighing fitness time at the moment. I wouldn't have it any other way!
BUT the gym is progressing with more gear that can use (I now have a squat rack set up so I can move past 67kg squats, and have just about finished a tricep pull-down device.)

So what is next in the plans?
Not much more in the equipment side, except a stand alone bench, instead, focusing on getting more gym sessions in and amping up my game!

Currently on the way home from a 10 day family holiday...no gym, excess food...let me post a real start weight with pics and then follow how I get back on the fitness track and what set backs I face along the way.

Don't hold a grudge!

It's pretty important to respect and love yourself AND your body.

Since life is about balance, so what if you mess up your usual meal plan over a weekend, are you about to compete in a competition?  What about having to sacrifice some gym because family is more important? Again I ask, do you have a fitness expo to star in?

What am I getting at?

We see so many fit body images all the time on social media and the likes. But lets be realistic,  most of these people have this as their job or are showing off years of dedication or months of competition prep for an up coming or finished competition. I'm not knocking those that do, I'm just asking those who have lost their way to NOT hold a grudge against themselves.

Sure idealy, eat healthy, train often and you will feel awesome AND look awesome because of it.

But if you are not a bodybuilder or fitness model cracking down to attain a goal don't let a couple of extra cookies at a morning tea catch up, or a party with friends binge cause you too much upset.

Instead, breifly acknowledge the fun time you had, register that this is not a normal thing AND move on.

Did you overbuy naughty treats for the kids birthday party? Chuck em out or take them to work to share with others. Don't keep snacking and regretting over the week.

Did you have to miss a week of gym? Use that thinking time to plan what you will do in the week ahead.

Remember it is fine to dream and healthy to have a body image goal. But if it is not realistic, you might be on a path to self loathing and enivitably...loss of motivation.

Enjoy food, family and experience ad balance that with healthy choices where you can and as much exercise as you can to keep it all in check!

Push it to the limits!

So the home gym is coming together and breaking PBs have already begun for 2016!

But there is still one PB that I can't achieve...yet

Back when I was using my old gym, the power rack setup made for a great environment to try and smash squats. Currently I have no facility to go large on my squats.

Instead I have to load the bar, then clean and press it above my head, lowering it behind my head to a squat position. As you might imagine,  this starts to become dangerous and limited by my clean and press ability.

So next weekend the build for a squat rack of sorts will begin. I will update this post with pics and progress so you can see what I came up with.

Stay tuned!

The twelve tasks of Hercules!

I am going to share an overall body workout to do at home with some basic equipment. It was developed for a great friend and brother from another mother, this herculean workout is split into 3 for 3 separate sessions and is designed to be high intensity for weight loss and strength conditioning.

Here it is,
The twelve tasks of Hercules.
WORKOUT 1
1. Push ups 25. ANY WAY YOU CAN (low option on knees, just get them 25!)
2. 2 min fast jog 3 min slower jog (treadmill or around the block )
3. 25 dumbell/kettle bell shoulder press
4. 25 dumbell/kettle bell bicep curls
REPEAT X4
WORKOUT 2
5. Plank till failure
6. Burpees 12 (Low option, no final legs throw out)
7. 25 Lat pull down (machine or 10 chin ups  )
8. 25 chest fly (machine or on bench)
REPEAT X4
WORKOUT 3
9. 25 Prisoner squats.
10. 25 lateral Dumb bell shoulder raises
11. 25 Leg raises (machine OR dumbbell beginner squat /front kettlebell squat )
12. 25 calf raises  (on ledge or edge)
REPEAT X4

Don't know an exercise? Google it or ask me!

Get up off the couch or spend that last 30-40 minutes after or before work getting one of these bad boys knocked out and you too may become...Hercules!

Dad life!

So almost  two and a half months have passed since

Sorry interrupted by one of the boys...where was I?

Yeah two and a half months and what can I tell you? Father hood is an energy drain. BUT I believe that the work I put into my fitness over the last five years has paid off.  Ab strength, leg strength and core strength have given me no end of talent for holding and caring for these guys in the most awkward positions. Even the constant up and down from the couch becomes wearysome.

Currently I do a Grit styled HIIT session in my garage with my pupil and wife. And at least two other targeted weights sessions through the week and weekend utilising my new gym additions.

Besides fitting in around 3 home gym sessions a week, I have set myself 2 daily challenges.
1. 100 pushups a day
2. Plank beyond PB each day.

The pushup and plank challenge is easy to get in each morning while taking care of the boys, because I only have to be present to tend to their needs, the rest of time would normallybe spent killing time watching the Food network...

To attain the push ups, batches of 25 are used and I vary between wide mid and close hand positions as well as on raised fist and flat palm. The variety helps work a wider range of muscle fibers.

My journey of Fatherhood is still only young, but I remain determine to enrich my boys life with fitness and health as well as encourage momma to stay fit also.

It's not easy and not always convenient for the boys to get that workout in, but in between it all, I'm making it work!

The Fit Pit! Under construction

In the last week or so I have begun the task of setting up the third garage to be the base of the "Fit Pit" my very own home gym!

Flooring has been taken care of for now with the use of interlocking EVA foam mats. They are cheap as from Kmart and if damaged too badly, can be easily swapped out for a replacement. And if you want to wrap it around something you want to have firmly planted on the concrete, they are easy to cut.

At the moment I'm trying to nut out a neat solution for a squat rack come power rack. I want to to stack against the wall when not in use so as to maximise the current floor space for other activities.

With more equipment to come...I can't wait to see what the Fit Pit will be capable of next.

Homeless...but home

Where am I at, at the moment?
Slipped a home gym session in yesterday and ended up deadlifting for numbers.

LOVED IT!!

What I have come to realize over the last few weeks is that taking myself out to the gym and leaving my wife and boys at home is selfish. Not because I'm doing something for me, but because I'm taking myself away from being able to give my family support when things change all of a sudden (even when you think you have a couple of hours between feeds, they change the game plan!)

So I have decided that, rather than stop altogether, I would initiate something I had been planning for a few years.
Setting up a better home gym. This makes me accessible immediately if things change on the home front.

The next thing to do was cancel my gym membership.
I feel homeless now...BUT it will only be temporary. How temporary I don't know for sure, but I will invest my usual gym membership into more gear for the home set up.

It is a sad day, but exciting at the same time.

Bring on the next new challenges for the future of my fitness!!!

Getting it in...

Wow, two weeks into having the boys home.
Sleep...what is that?
Oh yeah that's the time at night that seems to last 5 mins between feeds.
Oh well.
The boys are getting the gains, so the important people are being looked after.
Wait, I'm important too.

Including a home gym workout and a half hour leg session that was cut short for a call to arms on the home front, today marked the 3rd time at the gym over two weeks.

Knowing that the "getting back into the gym thing" was not going to be smooth for the first part of fatherhood, I looked after what I was eating to make sure that the time away from gym was not spent permabulking.

I have gotten some of my home gym equipment back from a friend I had loaned it too and now with a quick garage clean out,  I will set up shop again to make sure that, when time or circumstances don't permit it, a session can still be had.

Fitness is going to remain high priority even as a busy father. It always has been one of my goals since starting this blog.

So watch this space for some interesting set ups that I will use to convert my third garage into a workout hub!

Post gym selfie game strong!

I once was lost but now, am found!

Ok so another week had passed, away from gym and home.

I had been stricter on my diet, no deserts after dinner and keeping it as healthy as one can while not shopping for yourself.

I had participated in a wickedly energised box fit class with the family I was staying with and gone for two 5 km cardio interval runs.

But my muscles yearned for more! I wanted to achieve that pump. It's mentally tormenting to be away from the norm. But I had to be there for my family. Two to three weeks away from it all wont be a bad thing, it will make me hungry.

I had measured myself after the first week of being dormant and well fed, this increased my body fat percentage on the gym scales to the low 20%. While weight gain was minimal.

Since being back, all be it only about half a week, I have hammered the gym sessions quite well, getting those post day DOMS like I was a virgin again.

Weigh in results for Sunday, 13.9%body fat and a good weight to start from.

So what's in store for the near future? More gym, but looking to get back into the game a little more with getting back into supplements to help grow and acheive more personal bests and recover better.

I have a military obstacle course to complete in early November,  so I want to be on point for that too.

Ain't nothing gonna stop me being strong for my boys! Nothing!

My little Hercules'

Well it has happened.
I have become a dad.
Feeling awesome, powerful and emotional all the time.
I am now the proud daddy of two little Hercules' these boys though premature, are strong and very quickly on their way to coming home.

Hardest thing right now is going to be getting my gymlife and family life balance right.

At the moment, I'm sailing on cloud nine and taking a week to rest and energize as much as possible for what will be the biggest disruption to my life since 4am gym wake ups! But like my early gym wake ups this disruption is welcomed and will be so benificial to my health and life.

But, the weekend will bring a chance to smash out a few power gym sessions and tickle that fitness bone.

Am I worried? Nope, for the last few months I have mantained a great track of workouts and started up training my pupil again. So one week off is not going to worry or effect me, in fact gainz and PBs will be most likely increased due to this break.

What am I doing food wise? I'm not being too strict on myself. Sometimes you have to eat what you can find close to places you are stuck in, my case,  a hospital. But where I can, I've tried to eat healthy. Where I am staying, well, being well looked after for tea and breakfast, but always healthy!

Next week I'll participate in some of the family fitness activities. This will keep me going till the next oportunity to gym sesh!

Till my next post.
Keep it fit and healthy!

Obligatory pic of the boys

New workout music!

I'm always on the hunt for good cardio, pumped up, jacked up music to train to. If you don't see me boppin my head... the music hasn't got me!

Epic Gainz Review

A little while back but not too long ago,  I stumbled across a supplement touting itself as a natural alternative to breaking the genetic hold back that stops many from advancing in muscle growth.

Well after a lot of research and some deliberation,  I decided to get my hands on this supplement and test it and record my findings far better than the current reviews for the product.

Current reviews lacked good continuity,  injuries,  very relaxed and poor wording,  limited measurement to actually gauge the results and a poor level of convincing before and after shots. Further to that, some of the guys were just coming off a "cycle" which meant that they were not trying this as natty BB's to begin with.

I am natural in that I do not AND will not do steroids of any kind. And further to that,  my reviews are thorough.

Sunday morning will mark day one!
Let the gainz begin? !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, last words on the Epic Gainz...

After posting my review to the Facebook page of Epic Gainz/wicked supplements I received a call by the end of the day to talk with Kirk from the company. 

Here is the email response after the phone conversation. 

To: Kyle Johansson

Subject: Re: [Wicked Supplements] epic gainz

Hi Kyle,

Good speaking with you, as said your tanita electric scale is never going to be accurate it sends an electric pulse up one leg and down the other, measuring the resistance of the electric pulse. If you are well hydrated, have eaten more salt or have sweaty feet this effects the reading, it also effects the reading if you are dehydrated, have not eaten enough salt and have dry feet etc, this is why my reliable methods are always preferred like a dexa scan.

Based on your scale these were the results:

Lean Body Mass Results:

Day 1) 89kg 13.2% bf gives you a lean body mass of 77.252kg Day 7) 87.5kg 13.2% bf gives you a lean body mass of 75.95kg a loss of muscle tissue of 1.302kg Day 20) 89.3kg 14.2% bf gives you a lean body mass of 76.61kg a loss of muscle tissue from the first weigh in of 642g

Fat Mass Results:

Day 1) 89kg 13.2% bf gives you a fat mass of 11.748kg Day 7) 87.5kg 13.2% bf gives you a fat mass of 11.55kg Day 20) 89.3kg 14.2% bf gives you a fat mass of 12.6806kg a gain in fat from the first weigh in of 932.6g

I believe and I think you can agree with me here that your measurements are all incorrect and thus are not very forgiving in your review of our product. It is not possible to loss this amount of muscle tissue within 7 days let alone 20 days if as you say your diet and training have been in order. It is also impossible for you to gain nearly a whole kg of fat in only 20 days if as you say your diet and training are in order, thus your review is VERY unforgiving on the product.

As said we had 1 person in a trial before the product was a product that had zero response, everyone else responded. You can see his comments here:  

http://www.bodybuildingforums.com.au/supplement-reviews/4762-epicatechin-anyone-herd-of-this.html his username is Dutch

As also said Olympus Labs EP1C and Black Lion Research's product Follidrone also have listed a failure rate from 3-5%...some people simply are non responders with no possible explanation. Olympus Labs are currently looking into a transdermal cream to try and get it working for everyone. As said we also have a gel carrier but have not put it into use at this time....it may happen in the future.

We strongly stand behind all of our products, we have always felt supplements should work, results should be quantifiable and if blood work can be completed or dexa scans etc we always welcome them we want people to get the results they deserve and not a placebo good feeling effect.

I think we have been vary fair in giving you a refund so I am politely asking that you remove the review from your blog and please do let me know how your friend goes with his bottle. You are also more than welcome to contact anyone on the forums who has used it for a follow up or through facebook etc....as said the product does work it just seems it wont work for a small number of people. You are now the 2nd person we have heard from about it.

Cheers

Kirk McWade

Managing Director Wicked Supplements

Righto. So. Sadly I cannot take the review down. I must keep my integrity for my followers. I believe I have been fair in my measurements. Yes I agree that the body fat % reading cannot be taken as gospel, however on previous cutting cycles the same scales have shown significant drops in the %, so as a tracking tool this has been suffice. The reason for adding this stat in this review was to make sure that the weight gained couldn't be attributed to massive fat gains instead. The other reviews of the product I had read only made suggestions that the gains were "lean" with no tracking or before and after bf% readings. Take that away from the test and the results are still the same. No appetite change,  no size change in a month in body parts measured and no Kg's gained. 

I'm interested to see more reviews and will continue to hunt and read. Perhaps I am the 5% they speak of. Could this be attributed to my blood type? AB+ is only 3% of the population and since this supplement is supposed to be all about blood, muscle and nutrient absorbtion...it could be linked?

I appreciate the refund as originally I was ready to write it off as a tried and failed. 

I hope if anyone else trys the supplement they have better results, but if you only read the good reviews, you may not be prepared for the potential for failure and may think you did something wrong to not acheive the results. When the truth is it could just be that the product wont work on you!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Day 30. 

Final day of trial. 

Honest opinion of Epic Gainz? More like Epic Fail!

Not only did I not gain extra mass in dimensions but I also remained just as lean and weight almost 100% the same as I did a month ago. 

I would not recommend this supplement to anyone serious about "getting big"  

I dare Wicked Supplements to put this review on their site/page!

Let's see, not a single super hunger feeling (maybe the people that were having this just were not eating enough before? ), never threw around extra heavy weights (perhaps the previous weights this guy was lifting was down in the 10kg and under section, perhaps this is why he gained 2 extra Kilos) I didn't feel anymore swollen during the day after exercise and by itself it made no difference to recovery time. 

Is the secret im the SEDDS system they use? Perhaps people are taking this and getting a better effect from the other supps they are taking lile preworkouts, protein powdes and such. I feel like it may have effected my L Glutamine effectiveness, lord knows I was feeling it when I ran out of the Glute. 

Taste was ok, till you left it in your mouth as prescribed. Then the taste went a little weird sort of like the taste of failure...

Re measured my body

 Wednesday  28/1/15

Upper arm - 39cm (40 flexed)

Fore arm - 32.5

Chest - 112cm

Upper leg - 59cm (61 flexed leg lifted)

Calf - 39cm

Waist - 84cm

Shoulders - 127cm

actually lost size in the biceps and that was AFTER an arms day!?

No point in posting a pic to visually compare...because it all looks the same. 

I will spare you all another picture in my undies. 

Well that's it, I'm not going to use that supplement and perhaps I was naive to think that the results could be soooo dramatic. 

Onward and upward. 

Stay tuned to see what I can do with a special stack that I'm going to recommend for those looking to hit the gym hard for big results!

Kdawg out!

______________________________________________

Day 20 - notes and measurements

Weigh in - 16/1/15 - 89.3kg 14.2%bf

Measurements...same as before...oh I grew 1 cm in the calf. 

Notes: No extreme hunger (most reviews rave about this "hunger" and "being hungry") No crazy strength gainz (again, read the reviews on the product page, one guy proclaims throwing the weight around on day 1) No super swolen feeling through the day (this supplement is supposed to have your muscles retain nutrients etc. Making them stay fuller) And recovery has not been effected (a review from a "fitness guru" says that it helped recovery...).

Perhaps at the 2/3 mark I'm too synical? I cant wait for the day 30 compare shots, but here is one from day 20. You decide.

______________________________________________

Day 14 - notes and measurements 

Notes: still no hunger. Ran out of my L-glutamine this week. The DOMS are back full force now. So the Epic Gainz has been doing nothing special there except maybe allowing the L-Glutamine to absorb more? I try and take the morning dose before gym on an empty stomach, as it is suggested to do so, this leads to a sick feeling while working out. 

______________________________________________

Day 7 - notes and measurements

For body measurements...see day 1 measurement list. Because there have been nil changes. 

Weigh in 2/1/15 - 87.5kg 13.2 bf%, so weight lost and body fat not effected. This was 5 days in. 

Notes: still no case of the super munchies. Still no weights being thrown around, though this new week when I compare the same types of exercises I might get a surprise. I have been trying to eat more with each meal just to see how I feel. Disappointed at the moment with no grow, but it has only been 1 week and 1 set of workouts for the muscle groups. I will take some comparison photos this week near the middle. But I would say that without measurement changes there wont be much to see and compare. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from this supplement too soon? The only thing that I may hae noticed is DOMS seem less to none, perhaps this is the secret?  Quicker recovery means one could train more and build faster than normal?

______________________________________________

Day 1 pics and messurements, plus notes from the experiences so far at day 4. 

*Body Measurements*

Upper arm - 40cm (41 flexed)

Fore arm - 33

Chest - 113cm

Upper leg - 59cm (61 flexed leg lifted)

Calf - 38cm

Waist - 84cm

Shoulders - 127cm

*Weigh in stats*

28/12/14 - 89kg 13.2 bf%

Notes: no case's of throwing extra heavy dumb bells around the gym (as one review read on day one of taking the supplement). My focus at the gym seems to be only slightly more than usual and that's because of my subconscious knowledge that I've got to give it all I have to make sure I'm giving the supp a good run. No extra special pumps, I've felt more buzz from pre workouts, and this has not got that effect. No exceptional hunger, I try and eat 7- 8 meal portions a day anyway... maybe I'm not noticing it? Will hold reserve judgement on "muscles feeling fuller " till first week re measure and new photos. 

Is this supplement for me?

If you have ever been to a supplement tasting booth or seen a supplement shop lately you will have noticed mountains of options, from pre workouts to intra, protein powders and BCAA's.

Do you need them all?  Probably not.

Ok. So here are my tips for the "non bodybuilding" fitness goers in regards to supplements.
🔸preworkouts - if you exercise after work, or feel lethargic while working out, a pre might be a good idea. They can create focus and have you running longer or pushing yourself that bit further past failure, rather than reaching failure. Try and get free samples from your local supplement shop before investing your hard earned coin into a full tub. Many people react differently to the chemicals in these pre's so some might flop, while others might just make you itch.
🔹intra workouts - yeah nah, unless you are looking to marathon run or spend 2-3 hours at the gym (like a bodybuilder might) why u need dis? 40mins to an hour of workout does not require anything special throughout besides some good quality H2o. Don't waste your money on an intra unless you get it for FREE.
🔸Protein powders - do you hate steak? Do you hate chicken? Do you hate fish?  If you said yes to all of these questions and you are not a bodybuilder, then maybe you should get a protein powder. This is a supplement after all. It is designed to supplement elements that are missing from your diet. Include chicken, steak, fish, etc. with your normal meals... and you shoukd be sorted.
🔹BCAA's - these are great...but not 100%needed for a non bodybuilder. Again these are supplements of Branch Chain Amino Acids, which, you guessed it! Apear in your foods on a regular basis. However extra supplementation can be good to give your body the tools to repair quicker and more efficiently. This means less soreness over the dreaded DOM dayz.
🔸Fat Burners - this might cause controversy... DO NOT BUY!!! these all have chemicals toting fat burning properties that mobilize fat or magic fat away... all have been tested... and all have failed to produce conclusive results. All you will get is instructions to pop a pill or two, three times a day on an empty stomach. This leads to a funny feeling in the gut and no fat lost.

As for those going for a body building supplementation plan... that's a whole nother story!

What are you waiting for?

So maybe your gym is shut for the holiday break, or maybe with all of the commitments that this time of year brings, you are busy traveling.

Also this time of year brings over eating,  food comas and a level of loathing and lethargy that can have you saying,  "I'll start again next week..."

But what are you waiting for?  Turn that christmas overload of foods energy into gainz and a kick arse ends to 2014!!!

My top tip is to engage in gym time asap! The sooner you get back on the horse the better you'll feel and the less the numbers will be reflected in the dreaded scales!

Tip number two...  don't use the scales!  If you can help it,  wait for the end of your first week of fitness to jump on the scales. If you really have to,  don't be shocked or burdened by the numbers. If you have increased in weight,  it won't be long till its off again. Remember the kilos are not the main defining factor of your health or fitness.

Tip number three,  start your routine with something big!  Get stuck into a big leg session to really start kick off the fat burning process.

But whatever you do,  just get back onto it!!!

Shoulders maketh...

I believe there is a saying that shoulders maketh the man. It's even suggested that it's one of the top things that a female look for in a prospective partner. All that aside, I don't think it quite works the other way around. But who am I kidding, some guys have profound tastes. 

Either sex that you be, respect the shoulders!

Shoulders is a very broad statement though. It refers to any top section of the arm, this includes some chest, tris, biceps and some of the back muscles. But what most people are simply referring to is the deltoid group when speaking of shoulders. 

So why respect the shoulders (deltoids)? Well because they are so interconnected with all the other previously mentioned muscles, damage the shoulders, say goodbye to chest day, arms day and upper back day!!!

When it comes to training them you also have to be mindful of the front, middle and rear deltoid regions because not all shoulder excercises and other muscles that incorporate a bit of the deltoid with them hit all three sections evenly. 

The chest, bicep and tricep workouts that everybody loves, have a tendency to put strain on the front deltoid thus giving you more front facing mass to your shoulder. This can be detremental to the look of your body, causing pulled forwad shoulders and no width. So be mindful on shoulders training day to even out the playing field a bit if you do a lot of chest and arms work during the rest of the week. Hit the lateral raises more for width and ensure that you carry out rear deltoid raises (bent over or on a bench for support) to ensure an all over shoulder look that won't have you looking like Quasimodo. 

Gyms, gyms everywhere!

As I have been recently finding, the fitness industry as a whole seems to be everywhere. News programs are reporting on it, supplement stores are hundreds to choose from and every second gym rat is becoming a fitness model or competitor. The other thing that seems to be on the rise is gyms AND more importantly 24hr gyms. 

Driving through big cities it's not uncommon to see even three 24hr gyms side by side. In my own town area we have gyms AND training centres to please and appease all tastes. What kind of gym is going to suit you best and is it worth the dough to join?

Doing some research and even dropping in for a one time use of a gym is most advisable for those looking for the right gym. But if you aren't 100% sure if the gym you have chosen is right, before you sign your paperwork for membership, find out what it will take to bail out our leave the gym contract. 

Some gyms are better suited to certain workout goals, so entering with a plan of how you want to workout will help you keep an eye out for what the gym has to help you achieve your goals. Don't chose a flash gym with loads of cardio equipment and no free weights if you plan to focus on resistance training. Look at the group fitness timetable if this will be more your thing to see if it will suit your own work and life schedule. Check the opening hours to ensure that this also suits your chosen workout time. 

Is it worth the money? If you are starting to get into your fitness and jogging round the block isn't cutting it any more, gym is an answer, but it can be a dollar investment that might end up costing you if you don't use it or choose poorly. Now most gyms have done the hard work for you, to stay competitive in your area they will all have a very similar price for membership as the rest of the town. But a gym with little equipment might be worth driving past to get to another gym if the other gym will suit your needs better. Don't let the fact that a gym is open 24hr sway your decision to pay more, I've belonged to two gyms that where not 24hr and I've learnt to build my training days around this. If you are game, ask the front desk attendant of you can try the gym for a free session, most gyms don't have a problem giving you a free trial session to test the waters, they will probably give you the membership cost spiel at the same time.  

Lastly, what about niche gyms? I'm talking crossfit, boxing, boot camp styles of gyms... These might be a better option to break away from the normal gym type routine, but might not be as permanent a choice for some. These gyms have very target specific equipment and goals. If you don't plan to be a boxer, boxing training might not be for you, but if you don't try... You might never know!

One things for sure, there are many choices and options for those looking for a place to call home (for fitness) so no excuses!!!

Fitness App review - BAU5

Ok, I’m always up for testing new things in the realm of fitness.

Since I was coming off day to day training in the lead up to a bit of a holiday, I decided to scroll through the iTunes App store to see what was new.

Though it reaches back to May this year (2014) I found BAU5, a personal training application that promised 3 workout days a week to get you into shape.

Is this going to kill the personal trainer game? Nope, some people just don’t have the drive to do it themselves and cheating the electronic system might seem too easy to do if you don’t want to be honest with yourself. You cannot cheat a personal trainer. That said, if you are willing and determined, this app could be the ticket for YOU.

Let’s start with a few gripes first.

1.       It is really weird having these REST day intervals. I’m more of a listen to my body type rest dayer. But…it has opened me up to being able to relax a little more on the start of my holiday. Once I’m overseas, I will have to stop almost altogether as I won’t be taking my phone. I did utilize one of the rest days to tackle one of my other passions in the fitness, a RPM class. Being able to see what my next workout was going to be I could see that legs were not on the board after rest day, so I was able to put a RPM class in the rest day just to get back into the cardio.

2.       If you have a really busy gym… Forget about this app. The way the app has you jumping from one machine to another and giving you a short period of time to set up and even throwing supersets that have you going straight from one machine to another, you will not want to be waiting for the machine to become free for your set.

3.        That leads me to the next problem, this app can only be used in a gym environment, and

you had better have a pretty well equip gym to use it.

Now for some positives.

1.       If you treat the app as a trainer and minimize the change over times from machine to machine, you will get an intense all over workout. Some of the routines are top balanced and others are lower body balanced. But in the end expect some work all over the body.

2.       The app uses visuals to really show you how your machine could or should be set up to achieve the weight that they are setting up for you.

3.       You get rest days. SO GO HARD! No need to worry about burning out and conserving some energy for the rest of the week, some people lack about for shoulders day so that they can go harder for arms day. Nope none of that here. I would liken this type of workout to that of Jason Statham’s, “…get serious, do 40 hard minutes, not an hour and a half of nonsense.”

So some other cool things that I can tell you about this app. The app gauges you on an exercise first up. So if the exercise is new and you haven't done the test before…be prepared to fail, but give it all you got. If you think you can get just one more rep out of the weight that they are testing you with, DO IT. You won’t achieve your goals if you just sit back and call it quits early. If the whole set of exercises are new, then give yourself around an hour and a half to complete it all. You might end up doing 15 sets on one exercise before failing and this can extend your workout significantly if you end up doing this with all the exercises.

Once the trails are done, the app will sometimes string together a super set of 2 to 3 movements. This took me by surprise originally. But they give you a heads up as to what the next exercise weight will require so that you can either set up before or move on knowing what weights you are going to have to stack on.

Other than that, the app is pretty self explanatory in its use. Though it would help to have a quick help section to explain what the heck the Flame logo is on the capstone set (and also, I’ve kinda figured it myself, but what is the capstone set?) You do have the ability to view an exercise from a YouTube link that is accessible within the app itself if you don't have a good level of know how on the exercise they are setting you up with (be warned though the guy they use talks...a lot.).

I will defiantly keep tracking with this app for a little while longer once I return from my holiday and see what kind of results I can get from it. Hopefully by then a few more updates might have been made to the app.

If any of my readers give this app a try, please let me know how you go.

Motivating music

Always chasing good remixes. Here's one for the end of the week, ad it to your gym playlist NOW!!

Motivating music

Always chasing good remixes. Here's one for the end of the week, ad it to your gym playlist NOW!!