Workout principles
The best workout for natural lifters
When you are thinking of starting a new training program, there are essentially 5 things that you need to decide upon before starting. These are the volume, intensity and frequency of the program as well as how well you can recover from each session and the end goal you want it to achieve.
Which Workout split should I do?
There are lots of different ways to break down your training, and it seems like each reputable athlete uses a different split to the next! How on earth are you supposed to know which split to choose to achieve your goals? For the purpose of this post I'm going to assume the objective is some kind of muscle growth, whether that means strictly Muscular hypertrophy (Muscle Growth), strength increase or developing muscle tone. I'm going to assess each of the most common workout splits and their suitability to these results.
The benefits of pullups
The pull-up is one of the most under-utilized exercises for size and strength and don’t blame anyone for shying away from the pull-up bar and heading over to the lat pull-down for two reasons, pull-ups are hard and can get boring, fast. In this article however I am going to explain to you why they must be a staple in your exercise arsenal.
Now, there are a few different variations of pull-ups that all differ in terms of grip and width but for this article I will focus on the most popular pull-up that is an overhand, just wider than shoulder width grip set up.
Plyometrics for body builders
You will have definitely heard of jumping and you will certainly have heard of hopping. But you may not have heard of plyometrics. Well, very simply, plyometric training combines jumping, hopping and leaping movements with the goal of improving explosive power. Typically, it is a training method used by martial artists, track and field athletes and gymnasts to improve their power and a result, their competitive performance. But plyometric training could also be of significant benefit for body builders and could be a training method to include in your training cycle. Read on to find out why.
Training with Joint Hypermobility
Many of us will remember that child at primary school who claimed that they were ‘double jointed’ before performing a strange movement with their wrists or elbows. Aside from being an unusual party trick, it could be a sign of something more. For some people, joint hypermobility is a genuine condition which can result in more serious complications. Very simply, hypermobility means that your joints are more flexible and extend further than other people’s. However, when this hypermobility results in pain and discomfort, it could be a sign of ‘joint hypermobility syndrome’. This is more serious as it can result in: chronic pain, joint dislocations, sprains and even digestive problems. It can even lead to osteoarthritis in later life.
Sleep to perform
This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects in terms of making progress not only in the gym, but also for general health.
I'm going to dive right in and ask you to be honest with yourself before reading this article. How much sleep do you really get? Is it enough and can it be improved? Also ask yourself if you feel like you are performing to the best of your ability not only inside the gym, but in your career as well.
High volume training versus one set to failure.
Whenever we consider the most important factors that lead to muscle growth, the amount of volume we produce in a training session, and how we progress this volume over time are the most important factors that determine rates of muscle growth.
Which cardio is best for muscle retention?
There is an old adage in bodybuilding, whatever builds muscle, keeps muscle. As we all know, lifting weights at the correct levels of intensity is the best way to build muscle, but we also have to acknowledge that it is possible to still develop muscle whilst performing cardio. Various types of circuit training and high intensity functional cardio have the potential to tax both the cardiovascular system and stimulate muscle growth simultaneously.
Exercise for weight loss.
When we consider what the best exercise for weight loss is there are several factors we need to consider in order to choose, not only which exercise is best from a purely metabolic perspective but also other lifestyle factors, alongside an individual’s goals and abilities.
Strength VS Cardio
Trying to compare which is better, strength or cardio, is like asking to compare apples and oranges. Yes, they are both forms of exercise (not the fruits, obviously!) but the outcomes of each type of training are very different, in terms of how the body adapts to the type of training we put it through. Obviously if you want to get stronger or build more muscle, strength training is the way to go. If you want to run a marathon, then you are really going to have to put in that cardio in order to be able to cope with the demands on the body