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MAGBOOK.

MensFitness
magazine
WORKOUTS

NEW FOR

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUILDING MUSCLE AND BURNING FAT


O
C o ver model workouts O Healthy diet advice
O No-kit fat loss circuits O F o r beginners and experts

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MorsFitness
magazine

WORKOUT
MANUAL

2015
Editor Nick Hutchings

Art Editor Camille Neilson


Managing Editor Chris Miller
Contributors Max Anderton, Ben Inee,

Additional photography Joel Anderson,

Huw Evans Agency, Pete Webb,


packshotfactory.co.uk, iStock, Thinkstock
Workout models Josiah Hunte, Sean Lerwill,
Jack Jefferson(aWAthletic
Art Director Ped Millichamp

Matthew Ray, Sam Rider, Joel Snape


Chief Subeditor Gareth Beach
Photography Tom Miles. Mike Prior

iflw ci
Croup Publisher Russell Blackman
Croup Managing Director Ian Westwood
International Business Development Drector
Dharmesh Mistrv
Digital Production Manager Nicky Baker
Operations Director Robir Ryan
Managing Director of Advertising
Julian Uoyd-Evans
Newstrade Director David Barker
Managing Drector of Enterprise
Martin Belson
Chief Operating Officer/
Chief Financial Officer Brett Reynolds
Croup Finance Director Ian Leggett
Chief Executive Officer James Tye
Company Fcunder Felix Dennis

The MagBook' brand is a trademark of Dennis Publishing Ltd.


30 Cleveland Street. London W1T 4JD
Company registered m England.
All material e- 2014 Dennis Publishing Ltd. A.l rights reserved
Men's Fitness is a trademark cf Felix Dennis and may net be
used or reproduced In whole or part without the
consent 3f the publishers Printed h China
WORKOUT MANUAL 2 0 5 ISBN 1- 78106 - 3 0 6 -0
To license this Droduct please contact Nkole Adams cn
44 (0) 20 7g07 6134 or nKole_adams@denms.couk
A d vertisin g

Simone Daws simone _daws(5>denr\is.co uk

While every care was taken during the production of this MagBook. the pubishers cannct be held responsible for the
accuracy of the information or any consequence arisinq from it Dennis Publishing takes no responsibly for the ccmpanies
advertising in this MagBook The paper used w ithr this MagBcok is produced from sustainable fibre, manufactured by mills
with a valid chain of custody.
The health and fitness information presented in this book is an educational resource and is not intended as a substitute
for medical advKe. Consult your doctor or healthcare professional before performing any of the exercses
desenbed n tms book or any other e<ercise programme, particularly if you are pregnant, or if you
are elderly or have chronic or recurring medical conditions. Do not attempt any of the
exercises while under the Influence of alcohol or drugs Discontinue any exercise that
causes you pain or severe discomfort and consult a medical opert Neither the author
of the information nor the producer nor distributors of such information make any
warranty of any kind m regard to the content of the information presented in this book.

To subscribe to M e n's Fitness magazine,


call 0 8 4 4 8 4 4 0 0 8 1 or go to m ensfitness.co.uk

Tom Wright Reflex'* Nutrition Athlet

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Workout Manual will help you.

CONTENTS
Must-do
m oves

Training
knowhow

17

Home
w orkouts

34

C o v e r m odel
w orkouts

48

Nutrition
knowhow

86

Sports drills

102

C ardio

124

Gym fe a ts

138

or anyone who carcs about


oven without leaving the house, you'll find
their fitness, this book is sim ply
those here too (p 34 and p]24).
a brilliant tool. It condenses all
Youll find out more about training tech
the expert ad vice from a year's
niques and how they work (pl7), as well as
the diet strategies that can produce superb
worth of Men's Fitness in one
place, making it hugely valuable results
when (p86). We also reveal how som e of
Britain's best sportsm en train, from world
you're planning your workout programme.
boxing champ Carl Froch to Lions rugby
M any people pic* u p the m ag because
skipper Sam Warburton, so you can em u
they want the ripped ab s they see on the
front. Weve got that covered, with com
late them - in the gym, at least (pl02).
prehensive workouts provided b y four of
We start with a set of innovative m oves
our best cover m odels (p48).
that not many people know about. So turn
top8 and start putting them to use.
Not surprisingly, th ese aren't for the
faint-hearted - so if you want a quickfire
workout you can do with minimal kit or

Nick H utchings, editor

Workout Manual 20 15

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MUST-DO MOVES

MUST-DO
MOVES
Everyone wants something that can give them the
edge - and these killer exercises will do just that.
While others are straining away at the same old
routines, you can give your muscle growth a boost with
a move they don't know about. Here Shaun Stafford,
WBFF PRO Fitness Model World Champion and
performance director of City Athletic (cityathletic.co.uk),
explains and demonstrates each of these innovative
exercises that will help you stay one step ahead.

mensfitness.co.uk

hat s t h e best
move fo r a big
chest? Judging
by th e m ajority
o f people in the weights room,
m ost would probably say the
tru sty bench press. B ut they'd
be sadly m istaken. M eres why
you're b e tte r o ff doing the flye .
T h e fib re s of the p ectoral
m uscles run from your sternum up
tow ards your arm pits,' says S tafford .
T h e flye lets you w ork the m uscles
in the d irection their fib res run,
unlike the bench press. This allows
fo r greater contraction, a g reater
stre tch and an increased range of
motion for full pec developm ent
with additional strength benefits
fo r all your pressing m oves.'
Mere Staffo rd dem onstrates this
top-notch chest-building e xe rcise .
S ave this m ove for the end o f your
strength session, slow it down and
start light so your form doesnt su ffer.

S e t th e h an d les J
of a d u al-cab le
c ro sso v e r m ach ne
at t h e ir h ig h e st
p o in t. Take a handle
in e a c h hand and
k n e e l b e tw e e n th e
sta n d s, p o sitio n in g
y o u rs e lf w ith your
hands ju s t ab ove
your e a rs and slig h tly
behind you so your
c h e s t is s tre tc h e d .

^ jk
P ELIC A N
FLYE

SETS 3
REPS 12

MUST-DO MOVES

HIT
FOR SIX
move

he abs are like any oth er


m uscle. T h e g reater the
resistance th ey have to
strain against, the harder
they will have to work and th e more
they will grow. It's not always easy to
train your co re with weight but its
certainly w o rth doing/ says S tafford .
Adding resistan ce stim ulates more of
the m uscle fib res in your abs than is
possible w ith bodyweight alone. W ith
this gym ball Smith crunch you
com bine the instability of the gym ball
with bar-based resistan ce.
T h is move also strengthens your
se rratus m uscles in your upper back,
which will im prove your shoulder
stability. Do this tough exercise at the
start o f your abs routine when youve
still got the required strength to get
through all the reps/ Staffo rd says.

GYM BA LL
SMITH
CRU N CH

SETS 4
REPS 8

P la ce a gym ball
u n d e r t h e bar in a w > .
S m ith m a ch in e . HoW
t
th e b a r w ith h an d s*"
^
ju s t w id e r than
I i/
sh o u ld er-w id th
a p a rt. L ie back
on th e ball so yo u r
f e e t a re fla t on th e
flo o r, yo u r k n ees
a re b e n t a t 9 0 and
th e b a r is above
yo ur u p p e r ab s.

K e e p your h ip s s till
and c o n tra c t your
ab s to c ru n ch up
e x p lo siv e ly , pushing
th e bar o ve rh e a d
w ith stra ig h t arm s.
T h e n slo w ly low er
y o u rs e lf b a ck to th e
s ta rtin g p o sitio n to
co m p le te o n e rep .

m ensfitness.co.uk

11

ARMED
FORC

H A LF
ZOTTM AN
V
D U M BBELL C U R L

Use the half Zottman curl to grow bigger biceps

irst lesson: its spelled bicep


plural, not bicep. Second
lesson: this means you need
to target tw o d ifferent
m uscles fo r well-rounded, sleevefilling arm d evelopm ent. Sw itching up f
your grip during a sim ple biceps curl
will tick both b oxes. Th is move targets
the biceps brachii during the
co ncentric (lifting) p art of the move,
boosting the peak o f your arm , while
the rotation and eccentric control on <the way down sw itches the focus to
the brachialis m uscle, adding
thickness to your arm , says S tafford .
It can be taxing on your nervous
system so get it in early in your
workout b efo re you sta rt to fatigue.
Lesso n over. Gold star.

S it u p rig h t on a
b e n ch , h o ld ing
d u m b b ells by
y o u r sid es w ith
p alm s fa cin g
fo rw a rd . C u rl
th e d u m b bells
up to ch e st
h e ig h t,
k eep in g y o u r
e lb o w s tu ck e d
in c lo se to
y o u r sid e s.

12

S q u e e ze your
b ic c p s h ard fo r
one se co n d ,
th en ro ta te
t h e w e ig h ts

9 0 so th e y re
p a ra lle l to
each o th e r in a
ham m er g rip .
S lo w ly lo w e r
th e d u m b bells
to th e s t a r t
and ro ta te your
palm s fo rw a rd
read y fo r the
n e x t re p .

W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

SETS 4
REPS 8

)
i

MUST-DO MOVES

G e t in to th e
s t a r t p o sitio n
by sittin g on
th e m id d le o f a
f la t bench w ith
a b a rb e ll a c ro ss
y o u r lap. W alk
y o u r fe e t o u t
and slid e down
on th e b e n ch
u n til yo ur k n ees
a re b e n t a t 9 0 ,
y o u r sh o u ld e rs
and n eck are
su p p o rte d and
th e w e ig h t is
on yo u r h ip s.

THRUSTERS
ENGAGED

W EIG H T ED

HIP

TH RUST

SE T S4
REPS 8

Power up your posterior chain with the weighted hip thrust

I^ H

H I our glutes, ham strings and lower


back often get an easy ride in the
gym,' says S taffo rd . W hen
squatting m ost people struggle to
fully engage these m uscles, known collectively as
the po sterio r chain, and miss out on the benefits
o f lower-body power, speed and acceleration.

T h is lift allows all these m uscles to be worked


with substantial resistan ce but without placing
too much p ressure on your b ack/ says Stafford .
Add it to your legs day w orkout afte r squats.' For
a variation to give you more control when going
heavy, perform this e xercise using the fixe d bar
in a Smith m achine.

D riv e th ro u g h
y o u r fe e t and
th ru s t your
hip s v e rtic a lly
u n til yo ur body
is h o rizo n ta l.
Y o u r w eig h t
sh o u ld be on
yo u r sh o u ld e r
b la d e s and fe e t.
S q u e e z e yo u r
g lu te s h ard a t
th e top o f th e
m o ve. Slo w ly
re v e rse
th e m otion
to re tu rn to
th e s t a r t.

m ensfitness.co.uk

13

1#
ou may not have heard of him,
but A rth ur Saxon, aka T h e Iron
M aster, is a man w hose lifting
advice you should take. Th is 19thcen tu ry strongman sp ent his tim e touring the
world and challenging people to match his
w eightlifting feats. T h e m ove named a fte r
him helped build the rock-solid core that
contributed to his legendary strongman status.
T h is move does much m ore than ju st give you
good-looking abs, says Staffo rd . T h a ts because
it relies m ore on your obliques to stabilise your
spine, allowing you to increase the weight on
oth er lifts. Fo r you, th at means improved
posture and im pressive shoulders. Fo r Saxon, it
m eant he could press 168 kg overhead w ith one
arm . And he only e ve r lifted in his pants - they
dont m ake em like th at any m ore. W hat a guy.

,
\t

ii,

S ta n d w ith y o ur
fo o t sh o u ld erw id th a p a rt and
p re s s a se t o f
lig h t d u m b b ells
o v e rh e a d . L o c k
y o u r arm s,
k e e p your c o re
b ra c e d and
d o n t arch yo u r
lo w e r b ack.

14

W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

'

K e e p y o u r hips
fa c in g fo rw a rd
and slo w ly bend
to one s id e , but
d o n t g o b e y o n d

a rang e yo u re
c o m fo rta b le
w ith . P a u se
b rie fly , m ove
slo w ly b a ck to
th e m id dle and
re p e a t on th e
o p p o site sid e.

O VERH EA D
SAXON BEND

SETS 2
REPS 8
E A C H SID E

MUST-DO MOVES

BACK IN.
BUSINESS
Level-up your lats with
the braced single-arm row

Y
BRA CED
^
SINGLE-ARM RO W

SE T S4
REPS 8
\

E A C H S ID E

S e t up a low ca b le w itll'a
D-hapdle n e x t to a bench
s e t a t a ste e p in c lin e . R est
one knee on th e s e a t and th e
o p p o site fo o t on th e flo o r.
G ra b th e c a b le , b racing
y o u r u p p er body ag ain st th e
bench w ith yo u r o th e r h an d .

K e e p in g y o u r c o re tig h t
and sh o u ld e rs r e tr a c te d ,
pu ll the c a b le to w a rd s y o u r
a rm p it. S q u e e z e y o u r la ts,
th e n slo w ly re v e rs e the
m o ve m e n t. C o m p le te th e
s e t b e fo re m irro rin g th e
m o vem e n t on th e o th e r sid e.

t s quite hard to w ork your lats

independently of each o th er, but this


H e xe rcise allows you to do e xactly that/
H H says Staffo rd . Th is im proves the focus
on the prim ary m uscles, the latissim us dorsi, as
w ell as targeting your biceps and co re.
The cables give you a directional force to
maintain tension in your m uscles from start to
finish,' says Staffo rd . T h is e xe rcise can be
deployed in two w ays: either early on in your
w orkout within the eight-to-12 rep range, or as a
finisher w ith 25 reps or m ore.' O r, if youre a
glutton fo r punishm ent, you can do both.

m ensfitness.co.uk

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L O N D O N

M A N C H E S T E R

E D I N B U R G H

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

TRAINING
KNOWHOW
Is weight training or cardio training more effective for fat
loss? When should you rest and for how long? What are
the benefits of lifting weights with one arm as opposed
to both? And whats eccentric about lifting weights?
Knowing the answers to all these questions will make your
training more effective - and youll find them all in this
chapter, thanks to our team of experts.

DOWN A
TREBLE
Three easy steps to
mastering eccentric
movements

1//GA1N FOCUS
C o n c e n tra te on the
lowering p hase of e v e ry
m ove by using the tem po
4 0 X 0 . T a ke four seconds to
lo w er the w eight and lift it
e xp lo sively w ithout pausing.

2//DO HALF REPS


Do eccentric-o nly s e ts to
exp o se yo ur m uscles to m ore
tim e under tension. C hoose a
v a rie ty o f e x e rc ise s fo r each
m uscle group.
C oncentrate on ihe
lo w e r in g p /iu e o f a n

exercise to increase its


m uscle-building benefits

3//ADD WEIGHT
Perfo rm in g eccentric-o nly se ts
o f e x e rc ise s such as weighted
chin-ups and dips w ill lead to
g re a te r size and strength gains.

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

LOWERING

STANDARDS

Build bigger and stronger muscles by mastering the eccentric


phase of every lift, says trainer Sean Lerwill
What does eccen tric m ean?
I he eccentric, or lowering, phase
of any lift is when the muscle
lengthens under tension - think of
your biceps w hen you low er a
weight dur ng a curl. Th e re are two
other types of muscle contraction:
the c o n ce rtric (lifting) phase, when
the m uscle shortens under tension,
as in the upward part of a curl; and
isom etric, when the m uscle stays
the same length while under
tension, as in a plank.

What's so im portant about


eccentric contraction?
If increases in strength or size are
your goal, the eccentric phase of
each exercise is crucial. Studies
have shown that the eccentric
phase triggers more hypertrophy
- the process of building new
muscle tissue - than the concentric.
Your m uscles are also far stronger
in the eccentric portion of a lift.

Is the concentric
phase im portant?
Yes. It builds explosive power, and
focusing on co rrect eccentric
lowering and concentric lifting
produces more hypertrophy than
eccentric Gaining alone.

W hats involved in
eccentric training?
Th ere are two basic approaches.
The first method is best for all

but the most experienced: simply


concentrate on the eccentric
phase of an exercise, increasing
the time you take to lower the
weight to four or six seconds,
and couple it with an explosive
concentric lift. O nce youre more
experienced, use a weight thats
too heavy to lift but that you can
low er eccentrically. This may
mean using a spotter for moves
such as the bench press, but with
a biceps curl you can use your
fre e hand to assist with the lift.

range of motion of the hip by an


average of 22%, with all other joints
seeing increases of at least 13 %.

What should I do in the gym


to get m ore from the
eccen tric phase?
Focus on the tempo of each lift lower o ver four seconds and lift
explosively, which means quickly
while retaining full co ntrol. Too
many people use momentum, such
as swinging the arm during a biceps
curl. This cheats the m uscles out of

I f increases in strength or size are


your goal, the eccentric (lowering)
phase of each exercise is crucial
W hats the ben efit o f
eccen tric training?
Paying greater attention to the
eccentric part of every rep will
increase the amount of time the
m uscle is exposed to tension. This
triggers maximum m uscle growth
by breaking down a higher number
of muscle fibres, which then must
be rebuilt. C ontrolled eccentric
lifting also improves tendon tissue
strength, making you more injuryproof. It increases flexibility more
than static-hold stretching, too: one
study found that t improved the

full engagement, so focus on using


correct form to get the greatest
benefit from your training.

How do I p rogress?
For certain e xercises, such as dips,
pull-ups and chin-ups, you can start
by just performing the eccentric
phase. T o do this, jum p to the top
position of the exercise and lower
yourself slowly. For single-arm curls
and extensions, lower the weight
unde- control then use the other
arm to help y o j com plete the
concentric phase.
m ensfitness.co.uk

19

FAST MUSCLE
Want to get lean and strong? Speeding up your cardio is the
answer, says trainer Anthony Shaw
There's one training method that
will help you get leaner, stronger
and more m uscular, improve your
skin and cardiovascular function,
make you feel healthier and cause
your stubborn calves to grow.
W hats more, you can do it in cne
or two 20-minute sessions eacn
week - and it doesn't have to cost
anything. W hats this magical
training system ? Sprinting.

I didn't think running


could help build strength.
Was I wrong?
Traditionally, people have lifted
weights to build muscle and done
cardio to bu^n fat. B u : this
approach of low-intensity, highvolume cardio work and high-rep
s tre n g th e n d u r a n c e w o r k le a d s to a

reduction in the size of your type 2,


or fast-tw itci, m uscle fibres (thats
b a d ), a n d e v e n to s o m e t y p e 2 b
fibres being converted to type 2a
(good for cardio, but bad for
s tre n g th ). It w ill a ls o le a d t o a n

increase in glycogen and


triglyceride stores in your m uscles,
w h ic h is w h y m a ra th o n r u n n e r s

dont tend to get super-lean.


Basically, if you stick to lengthy
cardio workouts youll get better at
moving slowly for long periods.
Y o u ll also become sm aller and
w eaker and store more fat. A
decent strength programme will
offset these effects, but essentially
youd he running hard and not
getting anywhere.

Should I do long cardio


sessions?
Not if you want to look ripped.
C ardio can help you to lose
2 0 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

fat but it wont do anything to


help you build muscle. In fact,
steady-state cardio is only strictly
necessary when ar individual
is so overweight that its the
highest level of intensity they can
handle. H ow ever, once theyve
adapted to it, the programme
should become tougher.
W hich brings us to sprinting.

To add variety, try running hills,


changing around the rest intervals,
performing a second, shorter
recovery workout during the same
week ('oughly 60% of the volume
of your main sprint day) or doing
sprints on the rower or bike. Ju st
stay within the hormonal principles
of short rest periods and highintensity levels and youll reap the
rewards.

Why is sprinting b etter


than jogging?
Tw o words: hormonal balance.
Sprinting stimulates the release
of a huge amount of anabolic
hormones into your bloodstream.
As a result, your m uscles become
more sensitive to insulin, which
means they readily absorb more
nutrients for growth, you oxidise
more fat and the stiffness of
large arteries is even reduced,
which is great for staving off heart
disease. Sprinting also uses a lot
of muscles, specifically the entire
posterior chain - which includes
the hamstrings, glutes and lower
back - as well as your quads and
hip flexors. Sprinting as fast as
you can is the definition of highintensity exercise - the impact
and fast muscular contractions
force you to w ork hard.

I'm convinced.
W here do I start?
Start with four or five lOOm sprints
with 9 0 seconds rest between
each. Then add one to two sprints a
week until youre at ten reps. O n ce
you can do ten lOCm sprints with
90 seconds rest, you should be
able to vary the workload and start
having some real fun.

PLAY FAST
AND LOOSE
G o t the hang of sprinting?
Vary things with these
workouts

1//ADD REPS
6 x 2 0 0 m sp rin t w ith 2m in re st

Progress by adding two sprints


each w eek fo r tw o w eeks until
youre at ten reps.
2 //

RUN BACK

6 x 80 m sp rin t and back (l6 0 m


o verall) w ith 90 sec rest
Running a se t distance and back
requires tw o acceleration
phases. Y o u ll have to work
hard to get back up to speed on
th e return sections.
3 //

GO FURTHER

6 x lO O m s p rin t w ith
6 0 s e c re st

Progress by adding 20 m to each


sprint eve ry w eek, so in w eek
tw o you'll do 6 x 12 0 m, in w eek
three you'll do 6 x 14 0 m and so
on. Keep the rest a t 6 0 sec.

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

REST HARDER
The time between your sets is just as crucial as what you do
in them, says trainer Alex Adams
Iju s t rest betw een sets until
/Ve reco vered enough to go
again. Isn't that right?
Not quite. Manipulating any of
the variables in a resistance
workout - the choice of exercise,
load, volume, the length of ycur
rest period or even the order
in which you do the exercises
- alters the unique structure
of the workout and changes
the cellular and molecular
response you get from it.
Basically, if you change your
weights, the number of reps or
sets or the amount of rest you have,
your workouts will produce vastly
different outcom es even if theyre
superficially similar. So w hen you're
planning an exercise programme,
your end goal should clearly dictate
how much you rest.

when strength is the primary or


only goal of your workout, so rest
periods of th ree to five minutes are
most effective here.

W hat if I want to g et
bigger? O r leaner?
Then keep your rests shorter 30-60 seconds if your aim is to
drop body fat, and one to two
m inutes if you want to gain lean
mass. These rest engths will help
increase the production of growth
hormone, which is important for
metabolising fat and repairing
tissue. Vour perform ance, which
means how many reps you can do
with the same weight, is likely to
diminish with each subsequent
set you perform. So you won't
be able to work as hard and your
gains will su ffer if you dont rest
for the right amount of time.

O K . So vshat a m 1

doing wrong?
W e've all seen people in the gym
cranking out reps, resting for 15
seconds, then cranking out a few
more and wondering why they
cant match their first set. If you osk
to share the bar or work in', the
response is alm ost always, 'Oh, Ive
just got on mor st, which they
start as they finish the sentence.
The problem is, working out I ke
this gives you density not intensity,
and you need both for muscle
growth and fat loss.

So how long should I


be resting fo r ?
It all d e p erd s on your goals. The
nervous system can take a long
time to recover when using rep
ranges of one to five, which you do

Is there a way to g et
the best o f both worlds?
A great way to maximise growth
hormone production while still
recovering between moves is to
use antagonist supersets - for
example, a chin-up followed by a
dumbbell bench press. This allows
the major m uscles fatigued in the
first e xercise to rest during the
second exercise, so you can get a
big growth hormone boost with a
sm aller reductior o f perform ance.
Y o u ll be getting both intensity and
density - p erfect for muscle,
strength and fat loss.

W hat else can I do to ensure


I m resting co rrectly?
Rest isnt just abcut the time
between w ork sets. O n some

non-workout cays, you can do


recovery sessions - low volum e,
low-intensity workouts that
drive blood into the muscles
and alleviate stiffness. Go for a
bike ride or do a quick circuit of
bodyweight moves, such as lunges
and press-ups, for example.
Dont o vertax yourself - you
should end up feeling more
energised after a recovery session.
Th is will help your m uscles
recover and grow, and prepare
you for the next workout.

WELL RESTED
Dont start texting try these rest-period
tricks instead

1//STRETCH OUT
S tre tc h the m uscles you a re n t
using - sa y, your ham strings if
yo u're bench-pressing. It w ont
a ffe c t your set, but it w ill help
im prove your fle x ib ility .

2//STAY ACTIVE
T r y a c tiv e re st, such as
perform ing a fe w bodyweight
squats during a squat sessio n .
Do it in fro n t o f a m irro r to
check th a t your form is c o rre c t.

3//THINK AHEAD
Use th e tim e to th ink through
th e tech nique fo r your
next s e t. E ven som ething
as sim ple as h eels down,
chest up fo r th e d ead lift
can m ake a d iffe re n c e .

m ensfitness.co.uk 2 3

MIND

OVER MUSCLE
Get bigger and stronger muscles by thinking harder,
says trainer Adam Gethin
How can my brain m ake my
m uscles bigger?
You r muscles are controlled
by your brain through a vast
network of reu ral pathways,
which connect to eacn and every
one of them. Electrical impulses
from the brain tell your m uscles to
contract and relax, and its these
acto n s that allow you to do
everything from standing to
running to lifting a weight.
Most of these actions are
subconscious: you move without
thinking about the m uscles
involved. But if you do think about
the m ovements, especially when
training, you will improve your
mind-Lo-muscle connection - and
this can result in bigger gains.

How d o cs that work?


Think of these neural pathways as
being like a motorway. If the read
isn't w ell maintained, traffic will
build up and it will take longer to
get to your destination. But if its
improved by constant attention,
traffic runs n o re smoothly. The
better shape these neural
pathways are in, the quicker the
signals from your brain will reach
your m uscles.

Why is this im portant to


weight training?
The speed at which the signals
reach your muscles has a significant
effect on their size and strength. A
fast signal means your m uscle can
2 4 W orkout M anual 201 5

contract harder and faster - making


it stronger and more powerful while alsc recruiting m ore muscle
fibres, which will lead to new
muscle growth.

Is this what is m eant by


m uscle m em ory?
No, its not quite the same thing,
although that's also to do with
neural pathways. Muscle memory
refers to the w ay you become
better and more efficient at any
physical task - w hether its driving,
typing or playing the piano - the
more you do it. Repetition trains
the neural pathways so that signals
from the brain travel quickly, and
the m uscles are better equipped to
execute the task.

How can I improve these


pathways to make bigger
gains in the gym ?
Going to the gym consistently
will improve these connections
because by doing so youre
improving your muscle memory
for each exercise you perform.
But the simplest way to enhance
the effects of your training is
literally to think about your
muscles while doing a move.
Slowing each rep and focusing on
how it feels to move the weight,
feeling the m uscle contract and
extend through the full range of
motion, and taking care to flex
your muscles at the top of the
move will all help.

MENTAL EDGE
G et bigger and stronger
by keeping these points
in mind

1//REPEAT
Going to th e gym regularly
w ill resu lt in the links b etw een
yo ur brain and m uscle
becom ing stronger.

2 //VISUALISE
Looking at and thinking about
yo ur m uscles also im proves
th ese connections.

3 //FLEX
Flexing yo ur m uscles at th e top
and bottom of each rep builds
stronger p athw ays so the
m uscles can c o n tra c t q u icker.

S ending out fast


brain signals
means your muscle
can contract
harder and faster
for more strength

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

FASTER

FAT LOSS
Looking for the best way to blast away
your belly? Adam Gethin reveals all
Which is b etter fo r fa t loss
- weights o r cardio?
Many people think that prolonged
sessions of slow, steady-state
cardio are the best - or even the
only - w ay :o burn body fat. This is
fundamentally untrue. In fact, this
type of exercise is inefficient at
reducing fat stores because many
people who train this way overeat,
especially when it comes to carbs.
What's more, training for long
periods places enorm ous stress on
your body, and high stress levels
instruct your body to store more of
the food you eat as fat.

Why is lifting weights b etter


than steady-state cardio?
W eight tra ning helps you to
develop and maintain lean muscle
tissue, which is highly m etabolically
active - so the more you have, the
more colories you burn even when
you're at rest. Lifting weights also
helps to create the ideal hormonal
environm ent to make your body
more efficient at building muscle
and burning fat.
Resistance training also puts
your body n a fat-burning state
around the clock because of the
'after-burn e ffects of your
workout, when your body has to
replace the oxygen you used
during training (the oxygen debt).

What's the b est weight


training strategy fo r fa t loss?

For the best results, you want to


place ycur m uscles under the
necessary tension to encourage
m uscle building, while also keeping
your rest p eriods b etw eer sets
short so the workout is as intense
as possible. T h is creates a larger
oxygen debt that needs to be
repaid, aiding fat loss. Supersets
(doing pairs of exe rcise s with
minimal rest between sets) are a
great option for working rrore
m uscle groups in a short amount of
tim e. C ircuit training keeps your
heart rate high - rest only when you
need to and go again as soon as
you're able.

so you could buy a basic set of


adjustable dumbbells. O r you c o jld
do some high-intensity cardio.

But I thought cardio was bad


fo r fa t loss?
Long, slow cardio sessions are
inefficient, but short, intense
training is great because it provides
many of the same benefits as
weight training - significant stress
on the muscles to encourage
growth, w hile creating a large
oxygen d ebt. A couple of ten- to
20-minute sprint sessions a week
will do wonders for your physique.
Ju s t make sure you warm up
th o ro u g h ly firs t.

How many sessions should I


do in a w eek?
If youre new to weightlifting, begin
with three sessions a w eek. Start
with a light weight as it will enable
you to m aster the co rrect
movement patterns. Th is will help
you avoid injury, and you can
increase the weight o nce you get
the hang of the moves. Some
people may find that doing three
sessions a w eek is enough, while
others may benefit more from four
or even five sessions.

I don't have m em bership to a


gym . What should I do?
A circuit of bodyweight moves can
be effective if youre new to weight
training. Using weights will make
your muscles work harder, though.

FASTED
CARDIO
Pasted cardio is a session o f
ve ry low in ten sity - a gentle
walk or e asy jog - done on an
em pty stom ach, which can
be b eneficial fo r fa t loss.
H o w ever, it should only be
used to e at away at small levels
o f body fa t. F a ste d cardio
can in c re a se stre ss levels, so
it should be avoided if youre
feeling tire d , fatigued or are
having troub le sleeping. To
m inim ise m uscle loss, try
taking B C A A supplem ents
during the session.

m ensfitness.co.uk 27

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VI.

ONE AT A TIME

Lifting with one arm or one /eg at a time is a great way to balance
growth, work your core and minimise injury, says Adam Gethin
What are unilateral moves?

W hy should I do them ?

a llo w f o r a b e t t e r o v e ra ll m u s c le

In the simplest term s, a unilateral


m ovement is one that uses one arm
or leg rather than both to move a
form of resistance from point A to
point B. O ne of the most popular
unilateral moves is the single-arm
dumbbell biceps curl. Exercises
that require the use of both arms
or legs are called bilateral lifts.

T h e re are many benefits to using


unilateral m oves. O n e of the main
benefits is the improved isolation
of a target m uscle - with a unilateral
e xercise you're able to focus more
on the soecific area of your
physique that youre trying to
stimulate. Y o u r range of movement
also often increases, which can

contraction, especially during the


eccentric (lowering) phase of a rep.

A re there any other benefits?


Unilateral moves will help you build
a six-pack too. All exercisesrecruit
your core muscles to some extent,
but during unilateral exercises the
core often has to fix certain
m ensfitness.co.uk 2 9

muscles in place toa greater extent


than the bilateral equivalent. Such
moves are also great for eliminating
any strength bias on one side of
your body (see box).

U nilateral exercises
such as the TUX pistol
squat can help you
iron out im balances

A re som e unilateral moves


b etter than others?
Some e xercises lend them selves
better to unilateral versions. For
exam ple, a dumbbell oench press
perform ed unilaterally is very hard
to stabilise, especially with a heavy
weight. Th is m akes it a poor choice.
In contrast, a single-arm dumbbell
row is a fantastic e xercise because
the body position is more stabie.
W hen deciding whether to
perform an e xercise unilaterally,
always consider whether the body
is in a stable position - if it isn 't the
emohasis is diverted from the
target muscle, w hich takes away
some of the tension on that muscle.

Should I use f r e e weights,


bodyweight or m achines?
It depends cn your goals. There
arent many bodyweight exercises
that the average person could do
unilaterally: d single-leg bodyweight
squat is probably the easiest,
especially if you use a suspens on
trainer for support. Th ere are some
fantastic machine e xercises, such
as the unilateral leg press and
certain variations of the row. There
are also many great free-weights
exercises. Using a com binatior of
free weights and machines for
unilateral exercises is best.

Can unilateral moves build


m uscle and burn fa t?
O f course, in the same way a
bilateral movement can. Its
training overall rather than a
specific form of e xercise th ats
responsible for building m uscle or
burning fat - and make no mistake,
it's always a good idea to include
unilateral exercises in a workout if
you w ant to achieve tnese goals.

3 0 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

With a unilateral move youre able to focus


more on a specific area of your physique
STRENGTH BALANCE
Your three-step guide to achieving balanced gains
for maximum size and strength
Doing b ilateral m oves
e xclu sive ly can lead to
m uscular im balances
because yo ur stronger
sid e may ta ke control o f
m ore of th e w eight.

An unbalanced
physique can lead
to injury and poor posture,
and m ake com pleting
those big lifts hard er.

Include unilateral
m oves in most
w orkouts to give your
w e a k e r side the
opp ortunity to develop to
red u ce th e se risks.

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32 Workout Manual 2015

O TRAINING KNOWHOW

PERFECT

CARDIO
Burn fat effectively by doing the right
type of cardio, says Adam Gethin
I have been running fo r years
but I don't seem to lose any
weight. Why is this?
Low-intensity cardio training,
such as jogging, is one of the most
popular tactics for weight loss
but it's far from the best. Longduration, steady-state cardio isnt
an efficient way to burn body
fat - if fat loss is your primary
objective, you'd be better off
doing short sharp sessions.

Why isnt this form o f cardio


best fo r fat loss?
Slow cardio training can lead
to an increase in your levels
of the stress hormone cortisol
because of the pressure this
type of training puts on your
system. Cortisol encourages the
storage of abdominal body fat - in
other words belly fat, the very
fat most men want to lose in the
first place - and also lowers your
levels of testosterone, which is
essential for building muscle and
burning fa t This type of training
is also often accompanied by
the desire to eat a lot of carbs
and not enough protein, which
will also lead to fat storage.

What type o f training should


I be doing then?
Lift weights and do high-intensity
cardio training instead. Lifting
weights helps to promote the
release of growth hormones that
burn fat. and you'll also add more

muscle, which has the effect of


making your body burn a greater
number of calories, even at rest.
High-intensity interval training
(MIIT) isalso an effective fat-loss
tactic because it has the same
effect on your body as weight
training.

What is H IIT ?
Short, intense bursts of sprinting,
cycling or any other type of
exercise. Typically, it involves short
periods of all-out effort followed
by slower periods of recovery
before repeatingthis pattern. HIIT
creates an oxygen debt that your
body must balance after your
training session, which has the
effect of burning far more calories
and releasing more growth
hormone.

How do I create a HIIT plan?


Due to the nature of this training
and the level of intensity required,
you don't want to be doing it every
day. If you did, it would quickly
fatigue your nervous system, at
which point it would stop being
effective. Instead, do two or three
workouts a week in which, after a
thorough warm-up, you alternate
between 90-30 seconds of all-out
effort and 45-60 seconds of
recovery. Repeat this pattern eight
to 12 times and finish with a warmdown. T ie beauty of HIIT is that
the exercise you do can be
sprinting, cycling, swimming.

FEELING
THE BURN
Why HIIT torches fat

1//CREATE
A DEBT
Intensive exe rcise creates an
oxygen debt as your muscles
use oxygen at a quicker rate
than you can take it in.

2//PAY IT OFF
This d e ficit must be replaced
once training has ceased,
to return your body to a
balanced state.

3//REAP THE
REWARD
As your body pays o ff the
oxygen debt, it increases the
rate at which calories are
burned,so fat stores are
chipped away during this
period o f m etabolic increase.

rowirg, punching - whatever your


favourite activity is. A s you get
fitt e r, in c r e a s e t h e len gth o f t h e

work period and reduce the


recovery period.

Should I still do longerf slower


cardio sessions?
If you love getting outdoors and
going for a long run or bike ride,
then you should definitely still
continue to do this every now and
then because the benefits to your
health, sense of wellbeing and
mood are undeniable and shouldnt
be ignored. However, you should
treat these activities as recovery
sessions rather than expecting
them to make a positive difference
to your physiq je if fat loss is youprimary objective.
mensfitness.co.uk 3 3

O HOME WORKOUTS

HOME
WORKOUTS
Short of time, cash or equipment? You dont have to
spend money on gym fees or even leave the house to get
yourself a strong, muscular physique. The six routines
here can he done in your living room and, as long as you
keep the intensity high , can be just as effective as any
gym workout. Five of them consist of purely bodyweight
moves so they don't require any kit at all - and the other
uses just a pull-up bar, the simplest hit of kit there is
and one that can be stuck in any doorway. No excuses
- you can start doing these workouts right now.

mensfitness.co.uk 35

SLIDES
Harness the power of the slider - not the burger kind and build gym-free muscles in just minutes a day
We wouldnt normally advise you to let your workouts slide but in
this case w e'll m ake a very important exception. By doing the
following five m oves with a pair of X R Slides (xrslide.com ) or a
pair of towels and a smooth floor, you can hit you r m uscles
from angles that just aren't possible with conventional
workout kit while keeping them under the constant
tension that will shock them into growth. G ive fat the
slip with th ese five moves.

Sliding flye
SETS 3 REPS 5
S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n w ith yo u r h an d s on
th e slid e rs . W ith a slig h t bend in your e lb o w s,
b rin g yo u r h an d s out to th e s id e s , low erin g your
c h e s t until it s a f is t s w id th fro m th e flo o r. Pause
a t t h e b o tto m , th e n b rin g yo u r hands b ack in .

3 6 Workout Manual 2015

devised this workout, suggests doing


it once a w eek, either as a finisher
fo r your upper-body day
standalone session.
Do all the reps of each move before
moving on to the n e xt one, resting
fo r 60 sec between sets.

O HOME WORKOUTS
Sliding hamstring curl

Sliding roll-out

SE T S 3 REPS 8

S E T S 3 R E P S 5 ................ ............

L ie on your b a ck w ith yo u r fe e t on th e s lid e rs , clo se


to yo u r g lu tes. E xte n d your legs a s fa r a s p ossible
w ith o u t le ttin g your bum to u ch th e flo o r, th en use
yo u r ham string m u scles to draw them b a ck tow ards
yo u. K eep y o u r glu tes and low er
b a ck o ff th e flo o r th rou ghou t.

S ta rtin g from yo u r k n e e s, exte n d your


arm s ahead o f you and a llo w th e slid e rs
to m ove fo rw a rd s until yo u r body
is as clo se to h o rizo n tal as po ssib le.
C o n tra c t your ab s to pull b a ck in
and fin is h the m o ve. Nothing
but yo u r fo o t, k n e e s and
hands should to u ch the
flo o r d u ring th is m ove.

Sliding triceps curl


;E T S 3 R E P S 5
S ta rtin g in a press-up p osition w ith
yo u r hands on th e s lid e rs , keep
yo u r u p p er a rm s v e rtic a l
w h ile you bend your arm s
and le t your hands slid e
fo rw a rd s. A t th e end
o f th e m ove yo ur
fo re a rm s sh ould be
f la t on the flo o r. Use
J
yo u r tric e p s to pull
^
y o u rse lf b a ck up.

GTS 3 RCPS12
S ta rt in a plank p osition w ith
your f e e t on th e slid e rs and
your fo re a rm s on th e flo o r
w ith yo u r hands clasp ed
in fro n t o f you. Pu sh on
your fo re a rm s to sa w
your b o d y b ackw ard s
and fo rw a rd s, keeping
te n sio n in your
*
abs th rou ghou t.

mensfitness.co.uk 37

PRESSED
OR TIME
No gym, no kit, no problem. This press-up
complex will test your chest to the limit
H eres the good news: you don't have to queue for your gym 's
sole bench to build an athletic upper body. In fact, ben ch
pressing isnt even the best w ay to do it. This zero-kit
workout, designed b y strength and conditioning expert
J C Santana, hits the muscle fibres in your chest and
arm s from every direction for the optim al num ber of
reps needed for growth. Better yet, you can do it at
hom e in just a few minutes a day.

Rotational press-up
RF.PS 20
T h is h its yo u r sh o u ld e r m u scles fro m an odd
an g le, building s tre n g th and s ta b ility . S ta r t
in a press-up p o sitio n and lo w e r y o u rs e lf to
o n e sid e , tw istin g as you do so m o st o f yo u r
w e ig h t is o n o n e s h o u ld e r . P r e s s u p , t h e n d o

th e sam e on th e o th e r sid e . T h a t s tw o re p s.

///// A

3 8 Workout Manual 20 15

D IR E C T IO N S
Do th is workout once or tw ice a w eek.
Do it 48 hours away from your regular
bench day or as your regular upper
body workout.
Do all the reps of each move back to
back (or with as little re st as possible),
re st fo r two minutes and repeat two
m ore tim es.

-O HOME WORKOUTS

Shuffle press-up

Diamond press-up

REPS 2 0

REPS 10_______________________

_________________

G e t in a p re ss-u p p o sitio n w ith on e hand


ah e ad of y o u r sh o u ld e r and on e
b e h in d . L o w e r y o u rs e lf to the
flo o r and p re s s up. T h a t s
on e rep . A t t h e top o f
th e m ove, ju m p or w alk
yo u r hands in to the
o p p o site p o sitio n ,
th e n do th e n e x t rep .
C o n tin u e a lte rn a tin g .

For th is tric e p s b laste r, p osition yo u r hands


to g eth e r under yo u r c h e st so your
in d ex fin g e rs and thum bs
fo rm a tria n g le , and low er
y o u rs e lf until you r
ch e st to u ch e s you r
hands. P ro s t b ack
up to th e s ta rt.

Gorilla press-up

One-leg press-up

}E P S 10

REPS 10

T h is v a ria tio n on the cla p p ress-up fo rc e s you


to g et m o re h e ig ht, ta x in g your fa s t-tw itc h
fib r e s . S ta r t in a stan d ard press-up
p o sitio n , lo w e r y o u rs e lf to th e flo o r
and then p re s s up q u ick ly, launching
y o u rs e lf o f f th e flo o r. S lap yo u r ch e st
q u ic k ly b e fo re retu rn in g
yo u r h ands to th e
s t a r t p o sitio n .

T h is is e a sie r th an th e one-arm
va ria tio n but still ta x e s you r
co re . P a is e one leg, keeping
your g lu te s tigh t, and do
a p ress-up. S w itch legs
and re p e a t. T h a ts two
re p s. Now do th e re s t.

mensfitness.co.uk 3 9

Boxers know that bodyweight conditioning is the fast track


to fat loss. Take on this circuit for lean, punch-proof abs
Forget pummelling a side of b e e f or hauling an ox-cart through the
Siberian snow - w hen it com es to conditioning, most b o xers like to
k ee p things sim ple. O n e of th e most effective w ays to build arm and
ab s strength without jum ping up a weight class is bodyweight
training, and nobody knows that better than sought-after boxing
trainer Ross Enam ait (rosstraining.com).
This workout based on the way Enamait trains his fighters, doesnt
require any kit but will tax your entire body. And you dont even need
a pint of raw egg as a chaser - that's what protein shakes are for.

One-legged burpee
TIM E 30SEC..........
T h is v a ria tio n on the b u rp ee ta x e s your b alan ce
and one-legged e xp lo siv e n e ss. D ro p in to a
press-up p o sitio n b ut w ith one fo o t o ff th e flo o r.
Po p b ack up to stan ding (keep in g th a t fo o t o ff
th e flo o r th ro u g h o u t), th en ju m p and land on
th e sam e leg. S w itc h legs fo r t h e n e xt re p .

D IR E C T IO N S
Do this workout two or
throe tim es a w eek.
Go straight through all
the exe rcise s, doing as
many reps as possible
in the tim e allowed.
Then re st for one
minute and repeat.
Th ree rounds is the
minimum. Five means
youre championship
m aterial.

4 0 Workout Manual 2015

O HOME WORKOUTS
Knuckle
T h is press-up variatio n te sts yo u r tric e p s and
g e ts your k n u ckle s used to a b it o f c o n ta ct.
S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n on cle n c h e d fis t s .
L o w e r y o u rse lf until yo u r ch est is
alm o st on th e flo o r, keeping
yo u r elbow s in , th en p re s s
_
b a c k u p p o w e r fu lly .

Mountain
climber
T IM E 30SEC
S ta rtin g in a p ress-up
p o sitio n , bring one
k nee to your c h e s t,
th en q u ick ly sw itc h legs.
P e rfo rm each rep q u ickly
as if yo ure sp rin ting .

TIM E 30SEC
L ie on th e flo o r w ith y o u r arm s stre tc h e d
ab ove your h e a d . B ra c e your c o re . Bring
yo u r arm s and legs up q u ickly so th at
yo u r hands and fe e t m eet at th e to p
o f th e m ove. Lo w er u n d er co n tro l.

S ta rt in a press-up p o sitio n , th en bring


one kn e e fo rw a rd to touch your
e lb o w a s y o u lo w e r y o u r

c h e st to th e flo o r. W alk
fo rw a rd w ith yo u r hands,
bringing your o th e r
k nee fo rw a rd to your
o th e r e lb o w C o n tin u e
m oving fo rw a rd until

t h e t im e is up.

m ensfitness.co.uk 41

YOUR
S
Adding the right dynamic stretches to your
workout will pay off in muscle gains

D IR E C T IO N S

Getting in shape isnt just about the tonnage you can


hoist in the gym. For starters, how fit are you really if you
can bench press an ungodly amount but cant touch your
to es? Also, consider the m uscle-building benefits of
greater b alan ce and flex:bility. Both m ean you'll be able
to shift m ore weight through a greater
range of motion, which will
increase your horm one
production and help you build
an athlete's body. This circuit,
b ased on N FL strength coach
J o e D eFranco's protocol
for professional
athletes, will keep you
sup ple and strong.

Do this mini-workout
four tim es a w eek,
either before your
regular sessions or
as a standalone plan.
Its a m obility workout,
so it wont tax your
muscles too much.
Go through all the
moves once, rest
fo r 30 seconds,
then repeat.

Rolling saddle stretch


PS 8___________________________
S ta r t in a s ittin g p o sitio n w ith your legs close
to g e th e r. Roll b ack w ard s along you r spine so you
end up w ith your b a ck on t h e flo o r a n d your legs in
th e a ir. T ry to g et a little fo rw a rd m o m en tu m during
each re p , rea ch in g fo rw a rd s w ith y o u r arm s.

4 2 Workout Manual 2015

O HOME WORKOUTS
Wide
mountain
climber
REPS 10 E A C H S ID E
S ta rt in a press-up
position and bring one
leg fo rw a rd s as fa r as
p o tsib le , outside your
arm . Move your fo o t back
to the s ta rt position, then
rep e at on the o th e r leg.

Squat to
stretch

Sq uat, grab th e ends o f


your to e s and stand up
w hile still holding on. You
should fe e l th e stre tch in
your ham strings. Release
your hold and straighten
up, th en rep e at.

Pistol
RbPS 5 E A C H S ID E
Th is is th e toughest move of
the bunch b ut is e xce lle n t
fo r k n ee and an kle m obility.
Stand on one leg and slow ly
low er y o u rse lf into a one-leg
squat, going as low as possible
and keeping yo u r o th er fo o t
straig ht out in fro n t o f you.
If i t s too tough, hold on to a
b e n c h o r c h a ir w it h o n e h a n d .

Groiner
S ta r t in a press-up
p osition and jum p
you r fe e t forw ard s
to land ju st outside
you r hands. Pause
fo r a second,
pushing out on your
kn ees w ith your
elbo w s fo r a more
in te n se s tre tc h .
Ju m p your fe e t
back to th e s ta rt to
co m p lete one rep.

mensfitness.co.uk 43

To build a strong back, all you need is a


pull-up bar and this quickfire circuit
E v e ry m em ber of th e B artend az, a N ew Y ork-b ased
co llective d e d icate d to pushing the b o u n d aries of w hat's
p o ssib le on a pull-up bar, h as a m uscular, V -sh ap ed b ack
- th ats w h y w e went to them fo r a w orkou : th at would
h elp you get the sam e. This routine, d esign ed b y
B arten d a A rleigh C orbin , in co rp o rates th ree variatio n s of
the classic pull-up to hit your posterior m u scles from all
an gles. It also adds m oves to carve y o u r abs an d arms,
an d you can do it all from th e com fort o f yo u r living room
d o o rw ay - all you n e e d is a bar. For m o re visit
b arten daznyc.com .

Triangle
SETS 2 REPS 8
T h is is th e s h o u ld e r b u ild e r. S ta r t in g w ith a w ide
g rip , pull y o u r s e lf up an d to t h e rig h t so y o u r ch e s t
to u c h e s y o u r rig h t f is t . P u ll a c r o s s to m o ve yo u r
c h e s t h o riz o n ta lly t o to u c h th e o th e r f is t , th e n
lo w e r y o u r s e lf to th e hanging p o sitio n to c o m p le te
t h e tria n g le . O n yo u r n e x t re p , go th e o t h e r w ay.

D IR E C T IO N S
Do th is w orkout tw ice
a w ee k, e ith e r as a
standalone c irc u it or
in addition to your usual
g y m s e s s io n s .

Do all th e reps o f each


move b e fo re moving
on, and rem em b er co ntro lled reps dont
ju st look cooler, they
also fo rc e your m uscles
to grow m ore.

44

W orkout M anual 201 5

O HOME WORKOUTS
Biceps builder
SETS 2 REPS 8
Th is is a tougher ta k e on th e
cla ssic close-g rip ch in up.
Hang fro m th e b a r w ith
your p alm s facing inw ard s
and hands touching. Pull up,
th en lo w e r und er co n tro l.

Invisible
stairs
SETS 2 REPS 8
It s a classic sh o w -off m ove
b u t also a pro ven ab s bu ild er.
P u ll y o u rse lf up and around
in a c irc le w h ile m oving your
legs as if clim bing s ta irs . Keep
y o u r le g m o v e m e n t s lo w an d

c o n tro lle d and tr y to m atch


th e step s to yo u r m ovem ent.
R e v e rse th e d ire c tio n
on th e n ext re p .

Tarzan
_________ S E T S 2 R E P S 8
A n o th e r b icep s-heavy
e x e rc ise . You can do th is on
a ju n g le v in e to o - b u t no
swinging. G ra b th e b a r w ith
one hand on e ith e r sid e and
pull up until you to uch th e bar
w ith yo ur sh o u ld er on one
sid e . L o w e r und er c o n tro l,
th e n pull up to the o th e r
sh o ulder. T h a ts two re p s.

SETS 2 REPS 6
Doing th is und er control
will ta x e v e ry m u scle.
S ta rtin g fro m a hang,
bring yo u r legs up until
th e y re parallel to th e
flo o r. P u ll up u n til your
chin is o ve r the bar, and
low er, keeping yo u r legs
a t th e sam e angle. If
th at's to o h ard , do it as
a k nee ra ise b y bending
your legs a t the k n e e .

mensfitness.co.uk 45

STRIKE BACK AT FAT


Losing the battle against that spare tyre?
Give your body a kick-start with the worlds
best martial arts exercises
Som etim es you can't beat the originals. Thats w hy
strength and conditioning exp ert M artin Rooney, trainer
to the likes of form er U FC cham pion Frankie Edgar, spent
a yea r travelling the globe to study with martial artists in a
huge variety of styles. Rooney w anted to harness their
centuries of exp erien ce to find the greatest m oves his
athletes w e ren t doing. This workout com bines the best of
them into a full-body circuit thatll test every m uscle and
fire up your m etabolism to burn fat - so even if you do nt
want to get in the ring, youll look as if you could.

Sit-out
REPS

30SEC

T h is w re stlin g sta p le m im ics th e m o vem ent


yo u d use to g et out fro m u n d e r an o p p o n en t.
S t a r t w ith h an d s and f e e t on th e flo o r, th e n
lif t one hand an d k ick th e o p p o site leg
th ro u gh th e gap. keep ing your fo o t o ff th e
g ro u n d . R e tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n ,
th e n re p e a t on the o th e r sid e.

D IR E C T IO N S
D o t h is w o r k o u t t w o o r t h r e e t im e s a w e e k .

Do each m ove at speed fo r 3 0 seconds, pause fo r


ten seconds, then repeat - th a ts one round.
R est for a minute and do two more rounds fo r a fatburning circu it roughly the length o f an MM A fight.

4 6 Workout Manual 2 0 15

O HOME WORKOUTS

Uchi mata
ress-up
BC----------------T h is builds th e streng th and
sta b ility needed to
pull o ff a signature
ju d o hip th ro w but it also w orks fo r
non*judoka. Startin g
in a press-up position
w ith one leg slig htly
raised, low er yo u rse lf to
the flo o r then push up,
kicking back as you do.
Repeat on the
oth er sid e.

Divebomber press-up
T h is favo u rite among Russian Sam bo w re stle rs w ill
w ork your arm s and shoulders into fighting shape.
S ta r t o r all fo u rs w ith your arm s and legs straig h t,
th en dive tow ards th e flo o r. Push your should ers and
torso up, then re v e rse th e move and
retu rn to th e s ta rt p osition.

Kick bridge
REPS 30SEC
This M uay Thai m ove w orks all
the m u scles used in the teep
fro n t kick including your quads
and g lu te s, w hich are vital fo r
most sp o rts. R aise
one leg, keeping it
straig h t, with th e
oth er fo o t close
to your b uttocks.
Push your hips as
high as possible,
kicking at the end
o f the m ove. Do lS s e c on one
side and 15 sec on th e other.

Hip bump
sit-up
REPS 30SEC____________________
T h is m o ve, used fre q u e n tly in
B razilian jiu jit s u , builds th e core
streng th and e xp lo sive n e ss
you need to get an opponent
o ff you and on his back. L ie on
your b ack, then raise yo u rse lf
in a brid g e, staying on one
elbow, and turn to look o ver one
shoulder. Return to the flo o r,
then re p e at to th e o th er sid e.

mensfitness.co.uk 47

O COVER MODEL W ORKOUTS

COVER MODEL

WORKOUTS
How do you get on the cover of Men's Fitness
magazine? Charm? Persistence? Handsomeness?
All of those help, but theres one thing all MF
cover models have in common - they train like
absolute demons. So if you want to look like you
belong on the cover, what better way than to
follow a cover models workoutplan? We asked
four of our best guys how they got in shape and
youll find the answers in this section. Follow
their advice and who knows - maybe one day
itll be you gracing the front of the mag.

mensfitness.co.uk 49

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

GET FU BY FEB 1

HUGH

MUSCLE
SEXAPPEAl.
H ftb w !,

usm\

PU 1-UP SAH

H B*isgiaria-oiPCnM W BK>ni

S T stbongq)

Multiple injuries and a full-time job haven't


stopped Richard Pearce making it onto the
cover of Mens Fitness. Heres how he did it

v e dislocated m y shoulder
a few tim es - m ostly playing
rugby,' says R ichard Pearce,
Men's Fitness cover model
and the man pictured on the
opposite page. 'Iv e had tw o operations
so 1 n e e d constant rehab to k eep it
stable. I do a lot of rotator cuff work.
O therwise, I try to k eep things sim ple.'
Sim ple, it should be noted, is not
the sam e as easy - esp ecially when
you've also got a full tim e jo b as a
surveyor. I hit the gym six times a week,
alternating betw een b o d y parts in a
pretty traditional split. I also cycle to
and from work - about 10 K each w ay and do cardio three times a w eek. Wait,
cardio on top of cycling? 'Yeah, I do a
circuit of H yde Park - about 6K - in my

5 0 Workout Manual

2015

lu rch break. I run, show er and eat in


u nder an hour. It can b e done, readers.
O f course, packing on the m uscle
while doing triathlete level cardio takes
dedication in the kitchen as well as
the gym. 'Ill typically have meat and
nuts for breakfast, meat and veg for
lunch then meat and salad for dinner,
he says. 'I tend to snack on chicken
pieces, and I h av e two protein shakes a
day - one after the gym and one in the
evening. Sunday is a cheat day - 1 eat
what Twant, som etim es in excess, but
it stops m e craving during the w eek.'
Its a pack ed schedule, but P earce
still thinks there's time for more. 'I
had a full rugby season last year but I
haven t played this season. I still n eed
to find a club in London. Crikey.

MUSCLE

FAST

The Training Plan


P e a r c e tr a in s s ix d a y s a w e e k ,
s p littin g his s e s s io n s in to
fo u r p a ir s o f b o d y p a r t s . E a c h
w o rk o u t is m a d e up o f th r e e
s u p e rse ts - a h e a vy com p ound
m o ve fo llo w e d b y a lig h t e r
is o la tio n h it. T r y it i f y o u d a re .

Wide-grip pull-up

_______ SETS 3 REPS 8 __________________________


G rasp the b ar with an overhand grip,
hands as w ide ap art as is co m fortab le.
S ta r t from a dead hang w ith you r arms
fu lly e xte n d e d . Pull yo u rse lf up by squeezing
you r lats tog ether. O n c e your ch in is
o ver the bar, pause b rie fly then lower
yo u rse lf slow ly back to th e s ta rt.

Chin-up
SETS 3 REPS 8

G rasp the b ar w ith an underhand grip,


hands shoulder-w idth ap art. S ta r t from
a dead hang w ith your arm s fu lly extend ed .
Th e n pull yo u rse lf up by squeezing your
lats tog ether. O n ce yo u r chin is o ve r the
bar, pause b rie fly th e n low er yo u rse lf
slow ly back to the s ta rt.

52 Workout Manual 20 15

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Bent-over row
SETS 3 REPS 5
Mold a bar w ith your hands ju st
w id e r than sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt.
Lean in g fo rw a rd at th e hips, pull
th e b a r up u n til it to u ch e s your
ab s. Lo w er u n d er c o n tro l.

Reverse bench flye


3 R E P S 10____________
L ie fa c e down on a bench s e t a t 45
w ith a w eight in each hand. Keeping
your a rm s slig htly b e n t, ra ise the
w eig hts until th e y 're level w ith your
sh o u ld e rs, th en lo w er u n d e r co n tro l.

Dumbbell curl
SETS 3 REPS 8
S tan d tall w ith your sh o u ld ers b ack
and your f e e t clo se to g e th e r holding a
p a ir o f dum b bells w ith an underhand
g rip , hands ju s t o u tsid e your hips.
Keeping yo u r elbow s tu cked in to
y o u r sid es, c u rl th e du m b bells up
to w ards y o u r c h e st, stopping ju s t
b e fo re your fo re a rm s reach v e rtic a l.
L o w e r slow ly back to th e

One-arm row
SETS 3 REPS 10 EACH SIDE
Hold a dum bbell in one hand w ith your
o p p o site knee and hand on a b ench , and
your o th e r leg o u t to the sid e . W ith your
core b raced and a n atural arch in yo u r b a ck , lif t
th e w eig ht up to w ard s yo u r sid e, lead ing w ith
th e elbow . Pause a t th e to p b e fo re retu rn in g
to the s t a r t. R e p e a t w ith th e o th e r arm .

mensfitness.co.uk 53

Wide-grip bench press


SETS 3 REPS 5
Lie on th e b e n ch w ith yo u r fe e t on th e flo o r
d ire c tly und er yo u r k n e e s. Mold th e b ar w ith an
o verhan d grip, hands 1V2 tim e s shoulder-w id th
a p a rt. Slow ly lo w er th e b a r until it s alm ost touching
th e m iddle o f yo u r c h e st, taking yo u r elbow s out
to 9 0 . D rive yo u r fe e t h ard into th e flo o r and
push th e bar strongly back to th e s t a r t p o sitio n.

L ie on a b e n ch holding a dum bbell


in each hand d ire c tly above your
c h e s t w ith p alm s facing . M ake su re
yo u r head and u p p er back are su p p o rte d by
th e bench and th a t yo u r fe e t a re fla t on th e
flo o r. Keeping a slight bend in yo u r e lbow s,
lo w e r the w eights slo w ly out to th e side as
fa r a s is c o m fo rta b le . R e v e rse th e m ovem ent
to ra ise th e w eig hts back to th e to p .

54 W o r k o u t M a n u a l 2 0 1 5

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Incline bench press
SETS 3 REPS 5
Mold th e b a r w ith an overhan d g rip , hands ju s t
w id e r than sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. Slow ly lo w er
t h e b a r u n til it s a lm o s t to u c h in g t h e m id d le o f

yo u r c h e st, taking yo u r elbow s o u t to 9 0 . Push


th e b a r strongly back to th e s ta rt p o sitio n.

Incline flye
SETS 3 REPS 10
L ie on an in clin e b on ck holding a dum bbell in
each hand d ire c tly above yo u r ch est w ith palm s
facing. M ake su re your head and b a ck are
su p p o rte d . Keeping a slig ht bend in y o u r elbow s,
lo w er th e w eig hts slow ly o u t to th e sid e as fa r as is
c o m fo rta b le , th e n raise th e w eig hts back to th e top.

L ie on a b e n ch holding a d um b bell in
each hand a t sh o u ld er heig ht. K ee p
yo u r fe e t f la t on the flo o r and your
back against th e b ench . P re s s th e
w eig h ts d ire c tly above your head but
do n 't lock out yo ur e lb o w s. S lo w ly
lo w e r the w eig hts back dow n, fla rin g
yo u r elbo w s o ut to th e sid es.

Skullcrusher
SETS 3 REPS 12
Lying on a b e n ch , hold a dum bbell o ve r your fa c e .
L o w e r th e w eight using yo u r tric e p s , keeping your
u p p er a rm s v e rtic a l. Push back up u n d e r co n tro l.

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k

55

Deadlift

_________ S E T S 3 R E P S 5___________________________ ~
G rip a b arb ell w ith hands shouldor*w idth apart
and fe e t u n d e r the b ar. Drop yo u r hips, th e n d rive
through yo u r h eels and push yo u r hips fo rw a rd to
pull th e b a r up your body. S tan d straig h t a t th e top
o f th e m ove, th en lo w e r the b a r und er co n tro l.

Walking lunge
S E T S 3 R E P S 10 EACH SIDE
H olding a k e ttle b e ll o r a dum bbell in
each hand, ta k e a big ste p fo rw ard
in to a lunge, th e n push o f f your
fro n t foo t to stan d . S te p fo rw ard
w ith th e o th e r fo o t and co n tin u e,
a lte rn a tin g , so you tra v e l fo rw a rd .

56 Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Stiff-legged deadlift
SETS

REPS

W ith legs straig h t, lean fo rw a rd fro m th e


hip s - not th e w aist - and low er th e bar dow n
th e fro n t o f y o u r shins until you fe e l a good
s tre tc h in y o u r h am strin gs. D o nt le t /o u r back
round as you lower. R e ve rse th e m ove back
to th e sta rt and push y o u r hips fo rw a rd .

______________________ 12 EACH SID E___________


W ith a w eight in each hand, ta ke a big step
fo rw a rd , m aking su re your k nee is o ve r your fro n t
fo o t and not beyond it. L o w e r until both knees
are b e n t a t 9 0 b e fo re p u sh in g b ack o ff your
fro n t fo o t to re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n .

SET S

REPS

R e st the b ar against th e back


o f yo u r sh o u ld ers - not on
yo u r n eck - holding it w ith an
o verhan d g rip , elbow s pointing
dow n. Your f e e t should b e w id er
th an sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt, to e s
tu rn e d out. Sq uat u n til your thighs
a re a t least parallel to th e floor.
D riv e back up through your h e e ls.

mensfitness.co.uk 57

Overhead press
SETS 3 REPS 5
W ith yo ur f e e t sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt,
position a b a r on your u p p er c h e s t, gripping
it w ith hands ju s t w id e r than shoulder*
w id th a p a rt. P re s s th e b a r d ire c tly upwards
u n til your a rm s are fu lly e xte n d e d . Lo w er
th e b a r back to your ch e st and re p e a t.

Military press
SETS 3 REPS 8
W ith your f e e t to g eth er, hold a p a ir of dum bbells
a t sh o u ld er height. P re s s the dum b bells d ire c tly
upw ards u n til yo ur a rm s are fu lly e xte n d e d . Lo w er
th e dum b bells back to your sh o u ld ers and re p e a t.

58 Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Seated press
SETS 3 REPS 6
S it on an u p rig h t bench holding a pair
o f d u m b bells at sh o u ld er heig ht. P re ss
th e du m b bells d ire c tly upw ards until
yo u r arm s a re e xte n d e d o verh ead .
L o w e r th e du m b bells under c o n tro l.

Seated lateral raise


S it on an upright bench holding a dum bbell in e ach
hand by your sid e s w ith palm s facin g . Keeping a
slight bend in yo u r e lbow s, raise th e w eig hts o ut to
th e sid e s using y o u r m u scles and not m om entum .
Stop a t sh o u ld er height and re tu rn to th e s ta rt.

Upright row
SETS 3 REPS 8
S tan d tall holding a b a rb e ll w ith an
o verhan d g rip slig htly n arro w e r th an
sh o u ld er-w id th . L if t th e bar to w ard s
yo u r chin, leading w ith your e lb o w s,
w h ich should point to th e ceiling.
S lo w ly lo w e r t h e b a r b a c k to t h e s t a r t .

Barbell shrug
SETS 3 REPS 10
Hold a b arb ell w ith your h an d s shoulder-w id th
a p a rt. Shrug y o u r sh o u ld ers up tow ards your
e a rs, keeping yo u r arm s straig h t. H old fo r
a second a t th e to p p osition b e fo re slow ly
low ering the w eig h t back dow n.

mensfitness.co.uk 59

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

Toby Rowland has been seriously ripped for


years - thats why he's our most-used cover model.
Heres how he stays in phenomenal shape

The Week

a p p e a r o n th e c o v esu
r of
re I target m y b o d y in a b a la n c e d

M e n s F itn e s s m agazin e

w a y a n d c h a n g e th e m u scle gro u p s

Your guide to Toby Rowland's training regime

is a b ig a c h ie v e m e n t fo r
an y m an. T o d o it fiv e

Im e m p h a sisin g e a c h w e e k .
If y o u re fe e lin g b ra v e , yo u c a n

MONDAY

WORKOUT 1

tim es, as T o b y R o w lan d

try ta ck lin g R o w la n d s p lan , w h ich

T U ES D A Y

WORKOUT 2

h a s? U n p re c e d e n te d . It w o n t su rp rise
a n y o n e to h e a r th at stay in g ir. s h a p e
fo r th e n e x t M F sh o c t is so m eth in g

is d e ta ile d o v e r th e n e xt fo u r p a g e s.
A im to d o W o rk o u ts 1-4 du rin g th e
w o rk in g w e e k an d , if y o u v e got

W ED N ES D A Y
TH U R SD A Y

WORKOUT 3

R o w lan d ta k e s v e ry , v e r y serio u sly .


1 tra in six d a y s a w e e k , h e says.

the e n e rg y , r e p e a t W ork o u t 3 on
S u n d a y s. W ant a p h y s iq u e to rival

FRID AY

WORKOUT 4

'A n d e v e n on m y d a y o ff, u su a lly

R o w la n d s ? A lte rn a te b e tw e e n d o in g

SA TU R D A Y ALTERNATE WORKOUT 1 AND 2

W e d n e sd a y , I still foam roll to g et


re a d y fo r the n e x t sessio n . 1 do a lot

W ork o u t 1 an d W ork o u t 2 again on


S a tu rd a y s. R est on W e d n e sd a y s y o u ll h a v e m o re th an e a r n e d it.

o f an tago n istic s u p e rs e ts to m ake

60 W orkout M anual 2015

SU N D A Y

REST/FOAM ROLL

WORKOUT 3

Heavy bench press


SETS 5 REPS 5
L ie on th e be n ch w ith yo u r f e e t on
th e flo o r, d ire c tly u n d e r your k n e e s.
Mold th e b ar w ith an overhan d g rip ,
hands l i tim e s sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt.
S lo w ly lo w er th e bar to your c h e s t until
yo u r elbow s a re b ent a t 9 0 and th e bar is
touching th e m iddle o f your c h e s t. D rive
yo u r fe e t hard into th e flo o r and push th e
b ar back stro n g ly to th e sta rt p o sitio n.

Dumbbell f lye
SETS 3 REPS 10
L ie on a b e n ch holding a dum bbell in each hand
d ire c tly ab o ve your c h e s t w ith palm s fa cin g .
M ake su re yo u r head and up p er back a re
su p p o rte d on th e be n ch and yo u r fe e t a re fla t on
th e flo o r. Keeping a slig h t bend in your elbow s,
slo w ly low er th e w eig hts out to th e sid es a s fa r
as is c o m fo rta b le . U se your c h e s t to re v e rse the
m o vem ent and raise th e w eig hts back to th e top.

62 Workout Manual 2015

Dumbbell incline
bench press

SETS 3 REPS 10
L ie on a bench set at a slight angle holding
a dum bbell in each hand at sh ou ld er height.
K ee p your fe e t fla t on th e flo o r and your
b ack against th e b ench. P re ss th e weights
d ire c tly above your head but dont lock
out your elbow s at th e to p . S lo w ly lower
th e w eights b ack down to your ch e st,
flarin g your elbows out to the sid es.

El

Explosive press-up
SETS 3 REPS 10_____________________

S t a r t w it h y o u r h a n d s s h o u ld c r - w id t h a p a r t

and your body straig ht fro m head to h eels.


Lo w er yo u rse lf until your elbows a re bent a t 90 ,
then p re ss back up p o w erfu lly - yo u r hands should
leave th e flo o r at th e top o f the m ove.
Land u n d er co ntrol and re p e a t.

El

Pec dip

SETS 3 REPS M A X

G rip parallel b ars and lean forw ard


as fa r as you can , bracing your co re .
W ith your elbo w s pointing straight
b a ck, lower your body as fa r as
you can co m fo rtab ly go w ithout
stressin g you r should ers. Dont
swing your legs fo r m om entum .
P re s s back up p o w erfully but dont
lock out you r elbows at th e top.

Diamond press-up
SETS 5 REPS 10

Place you r hands close tog eth er so th at


your thum bs and index fin g e rs form a
diam ond. Keep you r body straig ht fro m
head to h eels. Lo w er yo u rse lf until your
elbows reach 90 , then p re ss back up.

Wide-grip pull-up
SETS 3 REPS 10
G ra sp th e b a r w ith an o verhand grip
w ith yo ur han d s as fa r a p art as p o ssib le.
S t a r t fro m a dead hang w ith yo u r arm s fu lly
e xte n d e d . P u ll y o u rse lf up by sq ueezing
yo u r lats to g eth er. O n c e your chin is
h ig h er than yo u r hands, pause b rie fly , th en
slo w ly lo w er y o u rse lf b a ck ko th e sta rt.

Inverted row
SETS 3 REPS 10_______________
Hang fro m a b a r or su sp e n sio n tra in e r w ith
yo u r body in a straig ht line and o n ly your
h ee ls on th e flo o r. P u ll on the b a r o r handles
so yo u r body rise s and your th u m b s touch
yo u r a rm p its. L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.

64 Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

Underhand
bent-over row
Le a n fo rw a rd a t th e h ip s holding
a b a r w ith a sh o u ld e r-w id th g rip ,
palm s facin g aw ay fro m you. P u ll
th e b a r up u n til it to u c h e s your
ab s. L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.

Press-up to renegade row

_______ SETS 3 REPS 10______________________________


S ta r t in a press-up p osition holding th e
han d les o f a p a ir o f k e ttle b e lls . P e rfo rm
p re ss-u p . A t th e to p of th e m ove, ro w one
k e ttle b e ll u pw ard s u n til y o u r thum b to u ch e s yo u r
a rm p it. K ee p y o u r b ody s tra ig h t - d on t tw is t.
R e p e a t on th e o th e r sid e . R e p la ce th e k e ttle b e lls
w ith d u m bb ells fo r e x tra in sta b ility .

Dumbbell biceps curl

________ SETS 3 REPS 10_________________________ _


S ta n d tall w ith your sh o u ld e rs b a ck and yo u r fe e t
clo se to g e th e r, holding a p air o f d u m b b e lls w ith yo u r
p alm s facing fo rw a rd and your hands ju s t o u tsid e
yo u r h ip s. K ee p in g yo u r elbo w s tu ck ed in to you r
s id e s , cu rl t h e d u m b b e lls up to w a rd s y o u r ch e st,
stopp ing ju s t b e fo re y o u r fo re a rm s re a ch v e rtic a l.

Reverse curl
SETS 3 REPS 10
S tan d ta ll w ith y o u r sh o u ld e rs back and f e e t clo se
to g e th e r, holding a p air o f d u m b b e lls w ith y o u r
p alm s facin g b eh in d you and hands ju s t o u tsid e
your h ip s. K eep in g yo u r e lb o w s tu c k e d in to y o u r
sid e s, c u rl th e d u m b b e lls up to w ard s your c h e s t,
stopping ju s t b e fo re you r fo re a rm s re a ch v e r t ic a l.

mensfitness.co.uk 6 5

Deadlift
Standing w ith your fe e t shoulderwidth apart, grab the bar with your
hands just outside your legs. Pull the
bar up your body by driving your hips
forw ard, keeping your back fla t.

Barbell clean and press


SETS 3 REPS 10

Standing w ith your fe e t shoulder-width ap art and


knees bent, grip the bar with your hands ju st outside
your shins. L ift the bar o ff the flo o r by extending your
legs and driving your hips forw ard, keeping a flat back.
W hen the bar passes your knees, jump to propel it
upward*, and catch it at shoulder height by sinking
under it slightly. Stand and press the bar overhead.

66 Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Dumbbell push press
o E T o 3 R E P o 10
S tan d holding a p air o f d u m b bells a t /o u r sh o uld ers.
P e rfo rm a q u a rte r-sq u a t and th e n d rive up e xp lo sive ly ,
using th e m om entum to push th e dum b bells overhead .

Barbell upright row


S E T S 3 R E P S 10__________________________"
Stand ta ll holding a b arb ell w ith an overhand
g rip , hands slig htly n arro w e r than sh oulder-w id th
a p a rt. Pu ll the b a r up to w ard s your chin
e xp lo sive ly , leading w ith yo u r elbow s.
Slow ly low er th e b ar back to th e s ta rt.

Seated lat raise


S E T S 3 R E P S 10
S it on a b e n ch holding a light dum bbell
in each hand by your sid e s w ith
palm s facing o n e ano ther. Keeping a
slig h t bend in your e lb o w s, ra ise th e
w eig h ts o u t to th e sid e s using your
m u scles and no t m om entum . S to p at
sh o u ld er h e ig h t, pause fo r a se co n d ,
th e n slow ly re tu rn to th e sta rt.

Kettlebell swing
S E T S 3 R E P S 10....
Mold a k e ttle b e ll in both han d s, w ith your
fe e t ju s t w id e r th an sh oulder-w id th ap art.
Bend fo rw a rd a t th e hips and kn ees and
swing th e k e ttle b e ll b etw een your legs,
t h e n p o p y o u r h ip s f o r w a r d s t o s w in g t h e

k e ttle b e ll up w ard s. At th e en d of th e m ove,


th e k e ttle b e ll sh ould reach sh o u ld er level.

mensfitness.co.uk

Medicine ball V-sit


:TS

3 REPS 10__________

L ie on th e f lo o r h o ld in g a m e d ic in e
b all ab o ve y o u r h e ad . U s e yo u r c o re
to p u ll yo u r a rm s and le g s to g e th e r
a b o ve you so th e b all to u c h e s y o u r
s h in s . L o w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.

Medicine ball woodchop


SETS 3 REPS 10
S ta n d t a ll, h old in g a m e d ic in e b a ll in b oth
h a n d s ab o ve o n e sid e o f yo u r h e a d . T w ist
y o u r b o d y d o w n an d t o t h e s id e . T h e m e d ic in e
b all sh o u ld e n d up o u ts id e th e o p p o s ite
s h in . R e tu rn t o th e s t a r t .

6 8 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

-O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

Hanging leg raise

SETS 3 REPS 10

H ang fro m a b ar w ith yo u r body straig h t.


U se your lo w e r abs to ra is e yo u r legs
u n til th e y a re p arallel to th e g ro u nd .

Hanging twisting
knee raise

SETS 3 REPS 1 0 __________________________


Hang fro m a b ar w ith your k n e e s b e n t. Use y o u r
lo w e r a b s to ra is e your legs until y o u r thighs
are a t le a s t p a ra lle l to th e g ro u n d, th e n tw ist to
one s id e . R e tu rn to th e s t a r t , th en b rin g your
k n e e s b a ck up and tw ist to th e o th e r sid e.

Rower sprint
5 0 M REST 1M1N___________________________
SETS 5 DISTANCE 2250N

S t a r t w ith y o u r a rm s straig h t and the s e a t clo se to yo u r h e e ls. D riv e p o w e rfu lly


th ro u gh yo u r f e e t , k ee p in g y o u r back s tra ig h t. P u ll th e h and le to your stern u m
and lean b ack slig htly. S lo w ly re v e rs e th e m o ve m e n t to th e s t a rt .

mensfitness.co.uk

69

Kirk Miller trains for life - notjust to


look good. Learn from his wisdom

here are basically two ways


to get the nicknam e A b s:
either aw ard it to yourself
and hope everyon e join s in,
or get in such heroic shape
that it just com es naturally. Kirk 'A b s
Miller, in case yo u re wondering, did the
latter. A n d although he puts in the hours
at the gym , hes convinced that anyone
can follow his lead. Yes, including you.
'At the moment my workouts com e
from what I call m y Hero sessions,
M iller says. 1 train six days a week, blit
only do four main days of weights - and
no workout lasts longer than 50
minutes. E a ;h is designed to add power,
build muscle and torch b o d y fat.'
O f course, a lot of the hard work is
done in the kitchen, and Kirk s no
7 0 Workout Manual

2015

slouch there either. 'I'm a big fan of


keeping calories as high as possible and
increasing training intensity and
volum e, rather than cutting weight by
going too low with food,' says M iller.
'Even though what I eat is quite
regim ented, I p refer not to count
m acros or calories. And I just make
slight adjustm ents if Ive got specific
goals to hit.
In fact, as far as fitness m odels go,
M iller is at the m ore relaxe d end of the
s c a le . I lo v p fo o d a n d m y s o c ia l lif e too

much to worry abou : dieting 24/7. If I've


eaten healthy and trained hard, I'm
hap py to switch off at th e w eekend with
a decent cheat m eal and a few vodkas. It
helps with motivation and gives you
som ething to look forw ard to.'

E a c h p a ir o f m o v e s is a s u p e r s e t , s o c o m p le t e a s e t o f t h e f i r s t a n d m o v e
s t r a ig h t on t o t h e s e c o n d w it h m in im a l r e s t , t h e n r e s t a s in d ic a t e d a n d
r e p e a t . W a r m u p w it h t w o t o t h r e e s u p e r s e t s o f s q u a t s a n d g y m b a ll le g
c u r ls , u s in g a lig h t w e ig h t w it h 6 0 -9 0 s e c o n d s ' r e s t .

R e s t th e b a r ag a in st t h e b ack o f yo u r sh o u ld e rs - n o t yo u r n e c k - hold in g it
w ith a n o v e r h a n d g rip . Y o u r f e e t sh o u ld b e ju st w id e r than sh o u ld e r-w id th ,
t o e s p o in tin g o u t slig h tly . S q u a t u n til y o u r thig h s a r e a t le a st p a ra lle l to
t h e flo o r - t h e d e e p e r , t h e b e tte r. D riv e b a c k up thro u g h y o u r h e e ls.

Gym ball
SETS 4 REPS 5 REST
L i e w ith y o u r u p p e r b a c k on t h e
flo o r and y o u r h e e ls o n a gym b all,
w ith yo u r h ip s o ff th e g ro u n d . Pu ll
y o u r h e e ls in , ra isin g y o u r hips.

Alternating
dumbbell lunge
4.-1:

20 EACH LEG

30-60SEC

M olding a d u m b b e ll in e a c h han d, t a k e a
big st e p fo rw a rd so th a t y o u r tra ilin g k n e e
a lm o st b r u s h e s t h e g ro u n d . D ont le t yo u r
fro n t k n e e go p a st yo u r t o e s . R e tu rn to the
s t a r t p o sitio n , a n d re p e a t on th e o t h e r leg.

Stiff-legged deadlift
SETS 4 REPS 15
Mold a b a rb e ll w ith h a n d s ju s t w id e r than
sh o u ld e r-w id th a p a rt, using a m ix e d g rip,
a n d sta n d w ith f e e t hip -w id th a p a rt . Pu sh
y o u r hips fo rw a rd . A llo w yo u r k n e e s to b e n d
slig h tly w h ile y ou lo w e r th e b a r dow n y o u r sh in s
u n til you f e e l a s t r e t c h in yo u r h a m strin g s.
K e e p yo u r lo w e r b ack a rc h e d th ro u g h o u t.

72 W orkout M anual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

oeatea
med ball
Russian twist
SETS 4-5 REPS 8-12
REST 45-60SEC________________

Hanging knee raise


SETS 4-5 REPS 6-12 REST 45-60SEC
Hang fro m a b a r w ith yo u r knees b e n t. Keeping
th e m b e n t, use your lo w e r abs to raise th em
u n til your th ig hs are a t least p a ra lle l w ith
th e ground. Add w eig ht if its to o easy.

WKMKUSHBBSSMBSBBSBBBHKSBtBBKk

S it w ith your k n e e s b e n t, holding


a m ed icin e ball in fro n t o f you.
Keeping your c o re braced
and yo u r to rso u p rig ht, ro ta te
fu lly to one sid e. R e tu rn to
th e s t a r t, th en tw is t th e o th e r
way and re tu rn to th e s ta rt
p o sitio n . T h a ts o n e rep .

Plank
SETS 4-5 TIME 6 0 SEC REST 30SEC
Mold your body in a straig h t line fro m sh o u ld ers
to h ee ls w ith your elb o w s b e n eath your
sh o u ld ers and your head looking down. M aintain
th e p o sitio n w ith o u t le ttin g y o u r hips sag.

Weighted crunch
SETS 4-5 REPS 6-12 REST 45-60SEC
L ie on th e flo o r w ith your knees b e n t, holding
a dum bbell or w eig h t p late against yo u r ch e st.
C ru n c h up, then low er u n d e r co n tro l. Do
th e f ir s t se t w ith bod yw eight and th en
in c re a se th e w eig ht w ith each se t.

W arm u p w ith tw o to th re e s u p e rs e ts o f clo se -g rip b e n ch p re s s e s and sta n d in g


b a rb e ll c u rls , u sin g a lig h t w e ig h t w ith 6 0 s e c o n d s r e s t . P e rfo rm e x e rc is e s 2A
an d 2B a s a s u p e rs e t.

bench
L ie on a bench holding a barb ell w ith an overhand g rip , hands
*
roughly tw o f is t s w id th s ap art. K ee p you r head, shou ld ers
^
and back supp orted by th e b en ch , ycu r co re braced and your fe e t fla t on
th e flo o r. Lo w e r the bar slow ly to your ch e st, keeping your elbows close
to your sid es. Push back up p ow erfully, but dont lock out you r elbows.

Skullcrusher
Lying on a b en ch , hold a dum bbell
o ve r your fa c e . Lo w er th e weight using
you r tric e p s, keeping your upper arms
v e rtica l. Push back up under co n trol.

15

60S E C

Stan d w ith fe e t shoulder-w idth apart


w ith a dum bbell in e ach hand. C u rl
th e w eights to should er height, then
lo w er slow ly b ack to th e s ta rt.

Seated twisting
dumbbell curl
SETS 5 REPS 20 REST 60 SEC
S it upright on a bench holding a dum bbell
in each hand w ith palms facin g . C u rl the
weights up to shoulder height,
rotating them 90 as you do.

74 Workout Manual 2015

Warm up with two to three supersets o f power clean and presses and reverse
dumbbell f lyes, using a light weight with 60 seconds rest. Perform moves 3 A
and 3 B as a superset.

Standing push press


SETS 4 REPS 5 REST 60SEC ____________________________________

W ith your f e e t sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt, p o sitio n a b ar on your u p p er ch e st,


gripping it w ith hands ju s t w id e r than sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt. B en d a t
th e kn ees in to a q u a rte r sq u at, th e n stand and p re s s th e b ar d ire c tly
upw ards u n til yo ur a rm s are e xte n d e d o verh ead . K e e p your c o re braced
and dont tilt your hips fo rw a rd s. L o w e r th e bar b a ck to your ch e st.

Seated dumbbell lateral raise


60SEC
S it on a b e n ch w ith y o u r co re b ra ce d and f e e t a p a rt, holding a light
dum bbell in e a c h hand by your sid e s w ith palm s facin g each other.
Keeping a slig ht bend in your e lbow s, ra ise th e w eig h ts out to th e
sid e s using yo ur m uscles and not m o m en tum . Stop a t sh oulder
h e ig h t, pause f o r a se co n d , th e n slow ly re tu rn to th e s ta rt.

Power clean and


SETS

REPS

15

G ra sp a b ar w ith your hands ju s t w id e r th an s h o u ld e r


w id th a p a rt. Pu sh th ro u g h
_
yo u r h ee ls to lif t it o ff th e
*
flo o r, and as it p asses your
k n e e s, use yo u r hips to

keep driving it up. Catch the


b ar on your c h e s t in a shallow
sq u a t. Stand and p ress
th e b a r o verhead.

Incline reverse
dumbbell flye
SETS 4 REFS 15 REST 6 0 SEC
L ie fa c e down on an in clin e b ench , holding a
dum bbell in each hand. W ith a alight bend in
your a rm s, raise th em to e ith e r sid e . Pause
a t th e to p , and lo w e r und er co n tro l.

mensfitness.co.uk 75

E a c h p a ir o f m oves is a su p e rse t, so co m p le te a se t o f th e firs t and m ove


stra ig h t on to th e secon d w ith m inim al re st, th e n re st as in d ica te d and re p e a t.
W arm up w ith tw o to th re e su p e rse ts o f d e a d lifts and in clin e ch e st p re sse s
using a lig h t w e ig h t, w ith 6 0 se co n d s re s t.

Deadlift
SETS 4 REPS 5
S ta n d in g w it h y o u r f e e t sh o u ld e r -w id th a p a r t , g ra b

the bar with your hands just outside /our legs,


using a mixed grip as shown. L ift th e bar by driving
up through your heels, keeping your back fla t.

Incline barbell chest press

SETS 4 REPS 5 REST 2M IN

Hold the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width


ap art. Slowly lower the bar until it s almost touching
your chest. D rive the bar upward powerfully.

76 Workout Manual 2015

COVER MODEL WORKOUTS

Incline dumbbell press


________ SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 9 0 S EC _________________
L ie on a bench se t a t a 45 angle holding a
dum bbell in each hand a t sh o u ld er height.
K eep yo u r fe e t f la t on th e flo o r and yo u r back
against th e b ench . P re s s th e w eight d ire c tly above
your head but dont lock out your elb o w s a t th e
top. S lo w ly low er th e w eight back dow n to your
c h e st, fla rin g yo u r elbow s o u t to th e sid es.

One-arm dumbbell row


________ SETS 4 REPS 15 EACH SIDE____________________
P la ce one k n e e and th e corresp o nd ing hand fla t on a bench,
w ith your o th e r leg out to th e sid e . Mold a dum bbell in
yo u r o th e r hand. W ith a natural a rc h in y o u r back and your
c o re b race d , lif t th e w eight up to w ard s yo u r sid e, leading
w ith th e elbow . Pause a t th e to p , then re tu rn to th e sta rt.
C o m p le te all th e rep s on one sid e , th en sw itch a rm s.

Seated shoulder press


________ SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 6 0 S EC ______________
S it on an upright bench holding a dum bbell in
each hand at sh o u ld er heig h t. K eep y o u r fe e t
fla t on th e flo o r, c o re b ra c e d , back against th e

bench and head looking forward. Press the


w eig hts up p o w e rfu lly u n til your a rm s are fu lly
exte n d e d th en re tu rn slo w ly to th e s ta rt.

m ensfitness.co.uk 77

GET FIT
FOR LIFE
Mens Fitness model Richard Scrivener
doesntjust look the part - he's a heavylifting, high-kicking fitness machine

ome models look flawless


when stationary but
decidedly less stellar
when theyre in motion.
Not R ichard Scrivener.

The veteran M e n s Fitn ess model


and personal trainer spends at least
as long working on his movements
as he does on building muscle. I
typically train between five and
eight times a week,' says Scrivener. 'I
ensure that I work on multiple fitness
components every single week:
strength, conditioning, power, mobility,
movement mastery, flexibility and
basic gymnastics. When I feel that
my body can tolerate it, I'll add some
hypertrophy too. That clearly happens
a lot, because... well, look at him.
And in case theres any doubt, he
also throws a mean kick. 'Im absolutely
addicted to capoeira, says Scrivener. I
train at the I.ondon School of Capoeira
once or twice every week. Its a blend of
martial arts and gymnastics and gives
me one of the toughest workouts I do it's great for building flexibility, control
and strength and this definitely carries
over into my other training.'
78 Workout Manual 2015

It's definitely not just about looking


good for Scrivener - he describes fitness
as 'my lifetime's work and my passion. 'I
love to learn, he says. 'Over the years
an incredible amount of knowledge
about exercise has become accessible
from all the scientific research
conducted, and lhal's made the health
and fitness industry extremely
interesting. Working in this industry, I'm
constantly learning about how to make
myself and my clients more healthy. All
the other stuff people crave, such as a
strong, lean physique, enhanced energy
and better performance, comes as a
by product of good health.'
So there you have it: work on getting
healthy, and watch the rest follow.

How to do
the workout
This week of workouts is based
on a typical seven days of
Scrivener's training, where he
also incorporates a variety of
movement and martial arts
classes. Youre not him (or Batman)
though, so anything more than the
weights work is a bonus.

Monday

W orkout l (p81), m obility

Tuesday

M orning: W orkout 2 (p 82), m obility. A ftern o o n: capoeira class

W ednesday

Anim al Flow, basic gym nastics

Thursday

M orning: W orkout 3 (p 8 4 ), mobility. A ftern o o n : capoeira class

Saturday

M obility, conditioning, barefoot running. Anim al Flow, H IIT

Warm up with some dynamic stretches and general mobility work, such as leg
and arm swings and foam rolling, then do this circuit with a very light or even
unweighted barbell.

Downward/upward dog
REPS 10

Start in an upside-down V-shape, with your hips up. Dive


towards the floor, then bring your chest and head up.
Reverse the movement to return to the start position.

H H H H nBH H H H BH B

O verhead squat

________ REPS 10__________________ ____________


Hold a barbell overhead with your hands roughly
double shoulder-width apart. Squat down as
low as possible, keeping your armpits turned
forwards for extra stability then stand up.

Stiff-legged deadlift
REPS 10
Holding the bar in front of /our thighs with a
mixed grip, bend forward at the hips with a
slight bend in your knees. When you feel the
stretch in your hamstrings, pause for a second,
then straighten up. Avoid rounding your back.

Ju m p shrug
REPS 10

Holding the bar in front of your thighs


with a shoulder-width grip, do a small
jump - your feet should hardly come off
the ground. Use the momentum to help
shrug your shoulders up to your ears.

80 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Use low reps and multiple sets to m aster these lifts. You should tackle each
rep fresh with full concentration.

Snatch
SETS 3 REPS 3
S t a r t w ith yo u r hands roughly double sh o uld er-w id th a p art and
a b a rb ell on th e flo o r. K ee p yo u r back f la t , and d rive upw ards.
A s th e b ar p a sse s yo u r k n e e s, d riv e your h ip s fo rw a rd s
to c a ta p u lt th e bar o verh ea d . C a tc h th e b ar in a sq u at
p o sitio n , and stand up to fin ish th e m ove.

I
Hang clean
SETS 3 REPS 3
S t a r t w ith yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt, holding
th e b a r against your thighs w ith legs slig htly b e n t.
Sh ru g the b a r u p w ards. Your a rm s shouldnt be doing
m uch of th e w o rk. C a tc h th e b ar at your ch e st.

S t a r t w ith yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt


holding th e b a r against your th ighs w ith
legs slig htly b e n t. Sh ru g
to p ull th e b ar up. As
th e b a r p asses your
,
k n e e s , 'jum p and use th e
m om entum to keep th e
b ar trave llin g upw ards.
Y o u r arm s shouldnt be doing m uch
o f th e w o rk. C a tc h th e bar in a fu ll
sq u a t - you should be a b le to use m ore
w eig ht than you used fo r the hang
c lc a n . S tan d up to fin is h the m ove.

SETS 3 REPS 2 E A C H S I D E
S ta rt w ith th e b ar a t your c h e s t - e ith e r
clean it in to p o sitio n or ta k e it out o f
a ra c k. D ip into a q u a rte r sq u a t, th en
exp lo d e up w ards, using th e m om entum
to push th e bar o verh ea d . A s th e b a r
m oves u p w ard s, d ro p into a half-lunge as
you straig h ten yo u r arm s. O n ce yo u ve
locked th e bar o u t, bring yo u r fe e t back
to g e th e r and stand up to fin ish th e m ove.

mensfitness.co.uk 81

Scrivener uses cluster sets for strength and hypertrophy, resting


for 3 0 se c between each set, then 3min between clusters. Do the
same if you want big gains.

Behind the neck


barbell press
CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8
REST 3M1N BETW EEN CLU STER SETS__________
S tan d tall w ith fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt a b arb ell
a c ro ss your b a ck , gripp ing it w ith hands ju s t w id er
th an sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. P re s s th e b a r o verhead
P a u se at th e to p and lo w e r to behind yo u r neck
u n d e r co n tro l, taking c a re not to bash yo u r spine.

Bent-over row
CLUSTER SETS 3X 4 , 3 X 6 ,2 X 8
REST 5MIN BETW EEN CLU STER SETS
Lean in g fo rw a rd at th e hips and holding
a b a r w ith han d s ju s t o u tsid e yo u r legs,
pull th e b a r up until it to u ch es yo u r abs.
L o w e r back to the s ta rt und er co n tro l.

82 Workout Manual 2015

COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Dumbbell chest press
C L U ST E R S E T S 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8
REST 3M1N BETW EEN CLUSTER S E T S ___________
L ie on a b e n ch , holding a dum bbell in each

hand at shoulder height. Keep your feet flat


on th e flo o r and your b a ck against th e b e n ch .
P re s s th e w eig ht d ire c tly above yo u r head
but don't lo c k out y o u r elbow s a t th e to p .
S lo w ly low er th e w eig hts back dow n to yo u r
c h e s t, fla rin g your elb o w s out to th e sid e s.

Standing dumbbell
overheaa press
C L U S T E R SETS 3X4. 3X 6,2X 8
REST 3MIN BETW EEN C LUSTER S E T S _______
W ith yo u r fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt, hold a
dum bbell in each hand a t sh o u ld er heig ht. K e e p
your c h e s t upright and yo u r co re m u scles b ra c e d .
P re ss th e w eig hts d ire c tly upw ards u n til your
arm s a re exte n d e d o verh ea d . Lo w er th e bar
b ack dow n to yo u r sh o u ld ers and re p e a t.

Chin-up
SE T S 3 REPS 8______________________
G ra b the b a r w ith an und erhand g rip w ith
yo u r hands sh oulder-w id th a p a rt. S ta rt fro m
a dead hang w ith your a rm s fu lly e xte n d e d .
Pu ll y o u rse lf up by sq ueezing y o u r lats
to g eth er. O n c e yo ur chin is h ig h er than your
han d s, low er y o u rse lf b a ck to th e sta rt.

mensfitness.co.uk 83

Scrivener again employs cluster sets to train his legs and glutes for a
huge growth hormone boost.

Overhead squat
CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8
REST 3MIN BETW EEN CLUSTER SETS
Mold a barb ell o verhead w ith a g rip ju st
u n d e r double sh o ulder-w id th a p a rt. S e ttle
in to th e p o sitio n b e fo re you s t a r t to sq uat.
S q u at down a s low as p o ssib le, keeping th e
b a rb e ll stead y. Stand up und er co n tro l.

Front squat

CLUSTER SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8
REST 3MIN BETW EEN CLU STER SETS

R est the b ar on the fro n t of y o u r sh o u ld ers,


gripping it lig h tly w ith yo u r elb o w s pointing
fo rw a rd and f e e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt.
M aintain a natural a rc h in your back and
keep your c o re braced th ro u g ho u t. Squat
dow n until yo ur thighs a re at le a st p arallel
to th e flo o r. T h e d e e p e r you can sq uat, th e
b e tte r. D rive back up through yo u r h ee ls.

Workout Manual 2015

O COVER MODEL WORKOUTS


Kettlebell swing
SETS 3 TIME 2MIN
Holding a k e ttle b e ll in both han ds, hinge a t your
hip s and sw ing the b e ll b e tw ee n your leg s. D rive
yo u r hips fo rw a rd to sw ing th e b e ll up to sh oulder
le v e l, using yo u r arm s a s little a s po ssib le.

Kettlebell clean and press


S E T S 3 R E P S 15 E A C H S ID E
Swing th e k e ttle b e ll to s t a r t th e m ove, th e n , a s it
re a c h e s e y e le v e l, pull yo u r elbow u n d e r it and catch
th e b e ll on your fo re a rm in fro n t o f y o u r c h e st. Dip
into a q u a rte r-sq u a t, th en d rive th e b e ll o verh ead .

mmm

Kettlebell snatch

_________ S E T S 1 R E P S 25 EACH SIDE_____


W ith fe e t sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt and legs
slig h tly b e n t, sw ing th e k e ttle b e ll to sta rt
th e m ove, keeping it c lo se to y o u r body.
A s it re a c h e s eye le v e l, punch it upw ards
to catch it a t th e top o f th e m ove. If you
do it c o rre c tly , th e bell shouldn't bang into
yo u r fo re a rm . From th e top o f th e m ove,
flip th e k e ttle b e ll o v e r and lo w e r sm oothly
in to th e n e x t swing. Do all the re p s on one
sid e , th en th e other.

Dumbbell lunge

C L U ST E R SETS 3 X 4 ,3 X 6 ,2 X 8
R E S T 3M1N BETW EEN CLUSTER SETS_____________

Stand ta ll holding a pair o f du m b bells a t your sid es.


K eep y o u r back upright and co re b ra c e d . Take a big
step fo rw a rd , keeping yo u r k nee o ve r your fro n t fo o t.
Lo w er u n til both k n e e s a re b ent a t 9 0 , th en push
o ff yo u r fro n t fo o t to re tu rn to th e s t a r t p o sitio n.
R ep ea t on th e o th e r side to co m p le te one re p .

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k

85

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

NUTRITION
KNOWHOW
All the workouts in this book will help you build the
body you want - if, and it's a big if, theyre supported
by the correct diet. Muscles cant grow without fuel,
and youll never get lean if your post-workout snack
is a Crunchie and a large Coke. In this section our
nutrition experts give you advice on how to manage
your food intake for the best results, while
suggest some healthy, tasty meals that wil
the energy to train and ensure your musch
all the nutrients they need for serious grov

m en sfitn ess.co .uk 87

CARB

BACK-LOADING
Eating all your carbs in the evening could be the key to fat loss,
says nutrition expert Scott Baptie
What is carb back-loading?
In a nutshell, you avoid eating
carbs throughout the day, eating
only protein and fat. You save all
your carbohydrates for after your
workout, which should take place in
the late afternoon or early evening.

But I thought carbs


were bad for you?
Not at all. There are many cases
of carb-phobia going around
right now, but its pretty much
unwarranted. No one type of food
in isolation - with the exception
of man-made trans fats - is bad
for you, and you shouldn't think of
foods as either good or bad. Your
diet as a whole can be unhealthy,
or it can be healthy and supportive
of your goals. Its not advisable
to cut out ary one food group or
an entire macronutrient, such as
carbohydrate, from your nutrition
regime. Balance is the key.

However, the specific


manipulation of particular
hormones requires a level of
management that's difficult and
unnecessary for the majority
of people who train. For most
gym-goers, it's best to focus on
the bigger picture of hittingyour
macronutrient (fat, protein and
carbohydrates) targets and let the
hormones take care of themselves.

aim for body composition.


The time you choose to eat
your carbohydrates should be
dictated by your personal
preference, tolerance, schedule
and goals. You can eat them in one,
three or nine meals a day as long as
your total intake is the same at the
end of the day.

Ive always been advised to


avoid carbs in the evening.
Whats changed?

Any carbohydrates are allowed,


from nutrient-dense foods such as
sweet potato, brown rice and fruit
to more refined, sugary foods such
as ice cream, biscuits and cakes. Of
course, if cake is your primary
source of carbs, your fat-loss

The myth that carbs should be


avoided in the evening because
they are more fattening when
eaten later in the day has been

If I m back-loading, what
kind of carbs can I eat?

The myth that carbs are more


fattening when eaten later in the
day has been strangely persistent'

How does it work?


The idea behind carb back-loading
is that eating your carbs in the
evening after training has the
beneficial effect of manipulating
certain hormones, primarily insulin,
which can help with fat loss. If you
adopt this approach, you have to
avoid carbohydrates at breakfast
and throughout the day (except
for vegetables). The h e o ry is
that this helps to burn more
fat than eating more frequent,
carbohydrate-based meals.
8 8 Workout Manual

2015

strangely persistent. Most experts


agree that the timing of your
nutrient intake is far less important
than your total daily intake. With
regards to body composition,
neither the type nor timing of
when you eat your carbohydrates
really matters; ensuring you hit
your total macronutrient targets
while consuming sufficient fibre
and eating a range of nutrientdense foods is the most important

efforts won't be particularly


successful. Probably.

How many carbs


should I eat?
For the first nine days you're
limited to 30 g a day. This period
improves your bodys insulin
response, so youre primed to deal
with carbs without dramatic blood
sugar spikes. On the tenth day, eat
as much carbohydrate as you like.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW
A f te r th a t y o u can
c o n tin u e t o e a t c a rb s
a fte r y o u r e v e n in g
tra in in g sessions,
a c c o rd in g t o y o u r
goals.

Scott Baptie
,s a p h y siq u e and

sports nutrition
specialist, natural
b o d y b u ild er and

director of
W ont a ll th o se
ca rb s in su ch
a s h o rt tim e
m ake me fa t?

FoodForFitness.co.uk

It m ig h t se e m as if y o u re e a tin g
a lo t o f c a rb o h y d ra te s , b u t
re m e m b e r th a t y o u re r o t ha ving
a n y at b re a k fa s t, lu n c h o r an y o th e r
p o in t in th e day. A s lo n g as y o u
d o n 't g o ca rb -cra zy , yo u s h o u ld still
b e in a fa t-b u rn in g c a lo rie d e fic it.

So w h a t ca n I e a t b e tw e e n
w a king u p a n d tra in in g ?
W e ll, y o u r d ie t is p r e tty lim ite d - to
ju s t ve g e ta b le s , p r o te in a n d fats.
So yo u ca n e a t lo ts o f m eat, fish,
gre e n ve g e ta b le s , h e a lth y oils, nu ts
a n d seeds. T h a t s h o u ld k e e p th e
h u n g e r m o n s te rs aw ay.

1//SWEET
POTATO
S w e e t p otato co n tain s p le n ty
o f ch o leste ro l-lo w e ring
b e ta ca ro te n e .

2//PORRIDGE
Po rrid g e oats a re a good
so u rce o f carb s as well as
m uscle-building p ro te in .

3//PIZZA
E a tin g your d a y s
carbs a fte r yo u r
w orkout can b e
b e n e fic ia l i f yo u
w an t to lose f a t

Pizza d e liv e rs a lo t o f ca rb s and a F lo re n tin e adds proteinp acked egg and an tio xid an tfille d spinach .

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 89

A MATTER
OF FAT
Fats are crucial for a healthy diet, but theyre often
misunderstood. Get the fat facts from Scott Baptie
Should I avoid eating fats?
Fat may not be something you want
on your body, but it's something
you need in your body. Along with
protein and carbohydrates, fat is
one of the three main
macronutrients. As such, fats carry
out a host of functions, including
manufacturing hormones,
maintaining cells, providing energy
and transporting fat-soluble
vitamins. Despite the abundance of
supposedly healthy' low-fat or
fat-free foods, fats are essential to
the body and should certainly not
be removed from the diet.

V/hat types o f fats are there?


There are two main categories:
saturated and unsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats can be subdivided
into polyunsaturated fats, which
include omega 3 and omega 6, and
monounsaturated fats. A third
category is trans fats, which are
artificially produced during food
processing.

Are any types o f fat


particularly bad fo r me?
Almost all fats have benefits apart
from trans fats, which should be
avoided at all costs. Trans fats were
created to extend the shelf life of
foods such as crackers and biscuits,
as well as some margarines and
deep-fried foods, and high intake
has been shown to increase the risk
of Alzheimers disease, cancer,
heart disease, lymphoma and other

90 Workout Manual 20 15

chronic diseases. In fact, because


of these health risks, many
manufacturers have taken steps to
remove them from their products.
Saturated fats often get a bad
press, but they are important for
functions such as strengthening the
immune system, maintaining cell
structure and improving bone
health. Most importantly for gymgoers, they have a positive effect
on levels of testosterone, which is
crucial to building muscle.

Which fa is are particularly


healthy and why?
Unsaturated fats are referred to as
'healthy fats because they offer a
host of benefits, including
improved blood triglyceride levels,
cardiovascular function and
metabolism. They can also reduce
inflammation and help your body
control the blood sugar spikes that
can lead to weight gain. Good
sources include nuts, avocado and
olive oil. Omega 3 fats are also
important for cell health because
they keep cells 'fluid' - allowing
important messages from the brain
to be transmitted more easily.

How can I ensure I'm eating


enough healthy fats?
The ideal ratio of omega 6 to
omega 3 (ats in the diet is 1:1.
Unfortunately, many people have
a ratio closer to 16:1 in favour of
omega 6 fats. To help improve the
balance, try increasing your intake

of omega 3-rich foods (such as


oily fish, eggs and grass-fed meat),
supplementing with 3g of highquality fish oil daily and switching
from using vegetable oil to olive
oil for low-temperature frying or
coconut oil for high-temperature
frying. If you take on more omega
3 fats you should notice the
training benefits within weeks,
including reduced inflammation,
improved recovery times and
increased focus during workouts.

FAT FOR LIFE


E a t th ese omega 3-rich
foods to im prove your
healthy fa t ratio

1//FREE-RANGE
EGGS
These contain higher levels of
omega 3 than eggs from cagebound hens.

2//FLAXSEEDS
T h is is most omega 3-dense
food you can eat, containing
three tim es more than the
n ext best source.

3//GRASS-FED
BEEF
A natural diet gives meat
from grass-fed cows higher
levels of omega 3s.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

m ensfitness.co.uk 91

INTERMITTENT

FASTING

It's becoming popular as a fat-loss tactic, but is it a fad or


an effective long-term way to achieve a lean physique?
Scott Baptie separates the fact from the fiction
What is interm ittent fasting?
Interm ittent fasting (IF) means
restricting the amount of food you
eat for a given period, followed by
a period of rorm al eating. It is
growing in popularity, both among
fitness enthusiasts and the wider
population, as a fat-loss tactic - but
it's controversial. This is because it
challenges many established
beliefs, such as the importance of
frequent eating and meal timing to
prevent muscle breakdown.
H ow ever, proponents of IF say it
has m ultiple benefits, including
improving body composition and
reducing fat stores while increasing
m uscle mass.

Wow would I do it?


There are a number of w ays in
which people can approach IF.

ESiZm

Th eres the alternate-day fast, in


which you restrict your calorie
intake every other day, a fast once
in every seven days or a fast every
third day. H ow ever, the one that
has achieved recent prom inence is
the 16-8 method, when you spend
16 hours a day fasting and the
remaining eight hours feeding.

Does it work?
R esearch has shown that
interm ittent fasting has a variety of
benefits. Studies conducted on
animals have demonstrated
increasec lifespan thanks to fasting
and calorie restriction. Studies
have also been conducted on
humans, but the findings arent as
concrete. H ow eve', they are
positive in that they dem onstrate
IF raises insulin sensitivity - which
means your body becom es more

efficient at processing nutrients and lowers body-fat levels and


blood pressure.

W hat are the disadvantages?


A serious problem for many,
not surprisingly, is hunge'.
Going For long periods between
meals is something we in the
developed world are unused to
and research shows that a higher
meal frequency is better for
maintaining feelings of fullness.
A bigger issue for those
who train regularly is increased
expenditure of m uscle tissue
for energy. Pre-workout
carbohydrates and protein in
the form of essential amino acids
reduce the amount of muscle your
body uses for fuel, which would be
higher if you w ere to work out on
an empty stomach. Eating before

Here are three of the most popular fasting methods. See which one best suits you

1//16/8

2//24-HOUR TRIAL 3//20-4

Som etim es known as Loangains,


a term popularised by author
M artin Berkhan, this sim ply
m eans re stric tin g your eating to
an eight-hour period e ach day.
M ost people who do it w ill fast
fro m 9pm to 1pm, train , and then
eat tw o o r th re e large m eals in
th e ir eight-hour window.

Dr Jo h n B c ra rd i recom m ends
startin g at lOpm , eating your last
m eal ju st b e fo re th en. Drink
w a te r and g reen tea throughout
the follow ing day, and take lOg o f
B C A A to p re ve n t m uscle tissue
breakdow n. A t lOpm eat a sm all
carb -fre e sn ack, then go back to
norm al eating th e n e x t day.

92 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

Based on th e feed ing p a tte rn s


o f Roman and Sp artan sold iers,
th is consists o f 20 hours of
fastin g th en a four-hour feeding
w indow . Its arguably the
sim plest form of IF , but many
fin d it tough to eat clean when
th e y need to consum e 2 ,0 0 0
calo rie s in one sitting.

-O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

Proponents
of IF say it can
improve body
composition,
reduce fat stores
and increase
muscle mass'
training also increases protein
synthesis, or the building of new
muscle tissue, which is also helped
by eating high-protein meals
consistently through the day.
Many IF protocols also preclude
breakfast. Although this may be
beneficial for fat loss, eating first
thing in the morning has been
shown to improve memory,
concentration and food-choice
discipline later in the day.

W hat are the advantages?

A s well as improving your bodys


ability to process nutrients through
increased insulin sensitivity, IF has
also been shown to reduce levels
of body fat. It does have more
practical advantages too - its
easier to ensure you get all the
nutrients you need in a day, and it
will probably end up saving you
money in the long run since youll
be eating less overall.

So should I do it?

' V

A s with any nutrition goal, it really


depends on your individual goals,
physiology, preferences, lifestyle
and a host of other factors.
Research on IF dem onstrates
that there are ooth pros and cons
associated with the approach.
Besice s, anyone who claims
their nutritional methodology
is the single best approach to
fat loss is misguided - there
are rrany ways to skin a cat.

m ensfitness.co.uk 9 3

HEALTHY

OR HYPE?

Does organic food live up to the claims made about it?


Scott Baptie lays out the facts
How does a fo o d come to be
classified as organic?
The Soil Association defines
organic food as 'food which is
produced using environmentally
and animal friendly farming
methods on organic farms'. In
essence, this means it must not be
treated with chem icals such as
fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides,
herbicides or p esticices. Animals
used for organic meat cant be
given antibiotics and can only eat
organically produced food. Organic
food is not allowed to contain
genetically m odified ingredients.

What about
organicpesticides?
Most organic food is producec
without pesticides, but EU law
allows the use of some organic
pesticides. These are usually
derived from plant and herb
ingredients and contein no
synthetic components. That
doesn't mean theyre good for you,
though: a study published in the
journal E n viro n m e n ta l H e a lth
P erspectives found that consuming
these organic-approved chem icals
can still be bad for y o jr health

What are the advantages


o f organic fo o d ?
O rganic food was thought to be
more nutritious as a result of being
free from synthetic chem icals. It
was also argued that organically
produced food supports climate9 4 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

friendly farming, meaning its more


sustainable and can help reduce
the environmental damage caused
by mainstream farming methods.

A nd the disadvantages?
The main disadvantage is the cost.
Organic milk costs around filp per
litre, w hereas non-organic milk
costs 58p per litre, for example.
Som e critics also argue that
organic food isnt actually better
for the environment. Researchers
from O xfo rd University found that
milk, cereals and pork produced
organically resulted in higher
greenhouse-gas emissions than
their non-organic counterparts.
O rganic farming also uses m ore
land, so if demand for organic food
increases, more pressure will be
put on farmland, which may be
worse for natural d iversity tnan the
use of pesticides. Th eres also an
increasec risk of organic food
carrying disease, com pared with
food that has been treated . This is
why the W orld Health Organisation
imposes strict controls on organic
food production.

Is it worth the extra cost fo r


the health b enefits?
Not really. Researchers at Stanford
University in the US examined 17
studies in humans and 223 studies
of n u trie rt and contaminant levels
in foods and concluded - to their
surprise - that the studies did not
produce any strong evidence that

organic foods are significantly more


nutritious than conventional foods.
If you have the desire and the
money to buy organic food it's
unlikely to do any harm other than
to your bank balance. However, the
research shows that - compared
with conventionally produced food
- it wont have a positive impact on
physique, health or perform ance.

CHECK
THE LABEL
Y o u m ay c h o o se to
ignore organic* p ro d u ce,
but w hat is w o rtn looking
o ut fo r?

1//LOCALLY
SOURCED
Lo cally sourced fru it and veg is
fre sh e r and m ore nutritious
because it has had less tra v e l
tim e in w hich to d e te rio ra te /
says B ap tie.

2//GRASS-FED
'G rass-fed b e e f is low er in
fa t and higher in protein than
o th er ty p e s / says Bap tie.

3//FREE-RANGE
Free-ran ge chicken is higher
in vitam ins A and E than m eat
fro m caged hens/ says B ap tie .

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

m ensfitness.co.uk 95

Steak for

PR E P TIME
70 minutes

C O O K IN G
TIME
2 0 m in u te s

A d d s e r io u s m u s c le w ith
th is m e a t y m e a l p la n
Steak and chips is a classic m anly m eal
combo, but its one th ats o ften enjoyed
with copious am ounts o f sa lt, sugary
condim ents and lager at th e pub.
Swap your locals e ffo rt fo r this
healthy home-made version
and enjoy it as p art of the
m eat-filled musclebuilding meal plan below.

MUSTARD
helps to stim ulate circulation to
soothe your aching m uscles

SOURDOUGH BREAD
has a low glycaem ic load, which
helps you avoid fat-storing
insulin spikes

SW EET POTATO
contains high levels o f immunityboosting vitam ins A and C
D IN N E R
IN G R E D IE N T S
(serves 2)
1 sourdough

TO M AKE
H eat the oven to 200C /g as
mark 6 and p ace a shallow
baking tray inside.
W ash the sw eet potatoes and, leaving the skin on, cut

LU N CH
C hicken and avocado sa la d offers
heart-healthy fats and energy-

baguette /
2 150g lean
organic b eef
m in ute steaks / 3
m edium sw eet
potatoes /
2tbsp w holegrain
m ustard /

b o o s tin g B v ita m in s .

15 0 m l rap e se e d

them into finger-length oieces. P ace the sw eet potato


chips in a bowl, then add llOm l of the rapeseed oil and mix
thoroughly. Place them on the pre-heated tray in the oven
and cook for 15-20 m inutes, turning them halfway through,
Rub 35ml rapeseed oil on to both sides of the steaks and
season them with the salt and pepper.
Meat a griddle pan to a high heat, place the steaks on it and
cook them for one to two minutes on each side (one
minute for rare, two minutes for well done),
Slice the baguette in half lengthways. Spoon half the
mustard on one half of each baguette and brush a little
more rapeseed oil on the other half.
Place the steaks between the two halves and slice the
baguette in two. S e rve with the sw eet potato chips.

BREAKFAST
Bacon and eg g s provides
inflammation-reducing omega 3 fatty
a c id s a n d b o n o -s tro n g th o n in g

phosphorous.

SN ACKS
B e e f je rk y a n d cash ew n uts are
good sources of brain-boosting iron
and energy-enhancing copper.

96 W orkout M anual 2015

oil / S a lt and
pep p er to taste

KNOWHOW
PREP TIME
70 minutes

Thai curry

C O O K IN G
TIME
3 5 m inutes

E n jo y th is ta s ty g r e e n c u r r y
a s p a r t o f a p la n th a t w ill
g e t y o u rip p e d
If you w ant to look good w ith your T-shirt
o ff - and let's fa c e it, you do - your d ie t is
as im portant as your gym e ffo rts. T h is
fat-burning meal plan featu res proteinrich fo o ds with e v e ry meal to fill you up
and help you avoid the tem p tation to
snack on w aistline-expanding junk
food, w hile the sp icy c u rry recipe
below - provided by M ichelin-starred
chef and d uathlete Alan M urchison w ill help fire your m etabolism up so
you burn e xtra calo ries.

C H IL L IE S

are rich in m etabolism -boosting


capsaicin
C H IC K E N
is high in energy-boosting B
vitam ins
C O C O N U T M IL K
is packed w ith heart-healthy
unsaturated fa ts

DINNER

P R O T E IN

IN G RED IEN TS
(serves 4)

fresh ginger, grated /


2 sticks of lemongrass,
finely chopped / 1 fresh
chilli, finely chopped /
ltbsp olive oil / 2tbsp Thai
green curry paste /
1 can coconut milk /
450ml wator / 1 chicken
stock cube / 300g
chicken fillets, diced / 1
pack of straight-to-wok
noodles / 1 bag of mixed
stir-fry veg/ 2tbsp Thai
fish sauce / Juice of 1
lime / 1 bunch of fresh
coriander, finely chopped

FAT

lOOg

BREAKFAST
2 p o a ch ed eg g s with

avocado

provide joint-soothing omega 3s and


anti-inflammatory plant sterols.
LU N CH
Tuna sa la d w ith spinach and olives

contains muscle-building protein and


heart-healthy fats.
SNACKS
G reek y o g u rt w ith b lu eb erries is a

source of bone-strengthening
vitamin K.

per portion
TO M AKE
Heat a large non-stick saucepan, add the olive
o il, g in g e r, le m o n g ra s s a n d c h il i a n d c o o k fo r

three to four m inutes over a medium heat.


Add the coconut milk, water, curry paste and
stock cube, bring to the boil and simmer for
eight minutes.
Add the chicken and simmer for ten minutes.
Add th e vegetables and noodles and simmer
for five minutes.
Remove from the heat and set to one side for
five m inutes then season w ith the fish sauce
and lime juice.
Add the fresh coriander and serve.

Kick o ff your day with this energising, muscle-building


Am erican breakfast, courtesy o f ch ef Adam Gray

Much like an English fry-up, ar American-diner breakfast


tends to consist of cheap eggs and unhealthy trans fatloaded meat. This home-made alternative uses quality
ingredients and smart cooking techniques to help
you achieve your gym goals while still satisfying your
taste buds with an indulgent meal to start the day.
9 8 W o rk o u t M anu al

2015

Pancakes are normally loaded with blood sugarspiking white flour that encourages fat storage,
says Gray. Wholemeal flour reduces these and
provides an extra hit of gut-protecting fibre.'
Bacon provides plenty of energy-boosting vitamin Bl2,
while eggs are rich in joint-soothing omega 3 fatty acids.

O NUTRITION KNOWHOW

TO MAKE

PR EPTIM E

IN G R E D IE N T S (serves 2)

2 0 minutes

4 rashers of unsmoked back

CO O KIN G
TIME

b a c o n / 4 fr e e -r a n g e o ggs / 3 0 m l

2 0 minutes

s p r in g o n io n s, fin e ly c h o p p e d /

semi-skimmed milk / 3 2 0 g
Cumberland sausage meat / 4
lO O m l rapeseed oil / Maple syrup
to serve / Salt and pepper to taste
F o r w h o le m e a l p a n c a k e batter
230g wholemeal flour / itsp salt /
5 0 g caster sugar / itsp
bicarbonate of soda / ltbsp
baking powder / 5 3 0 m l semi
skimmed milk / 2 free-range eggs

Thoroughly mix the sausage meat


and the chopped spring onions
together and season the mixture
with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the mixture equally into
four and mould the pieces into
round-shaped patties roughly
lcm high by 5 cm wide.
Place them in the fridge (or 10-15
minutes before cooking.
To make the pancakes, mix the
ingredients for the batter
together using a hand blender or
whisk and pass them through a
fine sieve.
Heat a little of the oil in a non
stick pan over a medium heat,
then spoon a b o jt a quarter of
the batter into the centre of the
pan, creating a pancake roughly
icm high and 5 cm wide.
Lightly fry the pancake until its
golden brown on one side, then
flip it over and repeal on the
other side.
Remove the pancake from the
frying pan arid place it on a plate.
Repeat the process to make
three more pancakes.
Grill the bacon and the sausage
patties under a medium heat,
turning halfway through, until
cooked through.
W hisk the eggs and the
semi-skimmed milk together
and season with a little salt
and pepper.
Place the egg mixture in a small,
thick-bottomed saucepan and
cook it over a medium heat,
stirring until you have light,
fluffy scrambled eggs.
Spoon half of the egg on each
plate, along with two rashers of
grilled bacon, two sausage
patties and two pancakes.
Drizzle maple syrup over the
pancakes and serve.
mensfitness.co.uk 99

Fired up

w f J a v

T o rch f a t w ith th is m e ta b o lis m b o o s t in g c h illi con came r e c ip e


fr o m c h e f A d a m G r a y

*>
*$ v.

f
.. ' n
. ,|

"rV i

P '

Spicy fo o ds are th e sm art choice if


youre trying to lose weight, because
th eir high levels o f capsaicin help to
ramp up your m etabolism . This dish
also provides 30 g o f muscle-building
protein p e r serving. G re e k yogurt
contains four tim es m ore protein
than sour cream , but has less than a
third o f th e calo ries and half the
sa lt/ says Gray. It also o ffe rs m ore
than tw ice the energy-boosting
vitam in B l 2 .
A p art from th a t, kidney beans
are packed with fo late , w hich helps
to im prove mood, while shallots
contain q u ercetin, which soothes
inflam m ation a fte r training.

IN G R E D IE N T S (serves 2)

4 shallots,

chopped / 2 garlic
cloves, chopped / 1 red chilli,
deseeded and chopped / lOOml
rapeseed oil / SOOg lean beef
mince / 2 tsp smoked paprika / 3
plum tom atoes, chopped / 40Og can
of chopped tom atoes / 15 0 ml beef
stock / 3tbsp tomato puree / 1 bay
leaf / 40 0 g can of kidney beans,
drained / Salt and pepper to taste /
lthsp fresh hasil, chopped / Thyme
sprigs / 2tbsp chives, chopped /
200ml Greek yogurt

100 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

'A
-

ri

->

V '- V

PR E P TIM E
70 minutes

C O O K IN G
TIME
5 0 minutes

TO M AKE
Meat half the rapeseed oil in a large
saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic
and chilli and cook for a few minutes.
At the same time, cook the mince
in a separate pan over a m oderate
heat in the remaining oil. W hen
its browned, drain in a sieve
to remove excess fat.
Add the smoked paprika to the
shallot m ixture and cook for a
fu rth e r five minutes, then stir in
the browned mince.
Add the fresh a rd tinned
tom atoes and leave to reduce on
a medium heat for five minutes.
Pour in the beef stock and stir in
th e tomato puree. Add the bay

leaf, then bring the m ixture to


the boil and leave it to simmer.
O nce the sauce is beginning
to thicken, w hich should take
20-30 minutes, ado the kidney
beans a n c le a v e to cook for
another five to ten minutes.
Season with salt and pepper
and add the basil leaves.
Garnish with thyme sprigs.
Mix the chives with the
G reek yogurt.
Serve with brown rice (cooked
according to the instructions on
the packet) and with the
chive yogurt on the side.

SPORTS DRILLS

SPORTS
DRILLS
Pro athletes h a ve a jo b m any o f us e n vy
- not ju s t b ec a u se th ey re c h e e r e d on b y
thousands, but b ec a u se the fo c u s o f their
life is training. A n d s p e n d in g so long g ettin g
su p re m e ly fit m ean s they know a thing or
two. Wev e d istille d the know how o f fiv e
elite sportsm en into p o ten t w orkouts that
will g iv e y ou the s p e e d , pow er, e n du ra n ce
a n d control you n e e d to e x c e l in spo rts from
ru g b y a n d m ountain b ik in g to m ix e d m artial
arts a n d bo xin g. You m ay not h a ve as much
tim e to train as they do, b ut this sectio n w ill
allow you to b en e fit from their e x p ertise.

C A R L F R O C H

185cm

Current WBA and IBF super


middleweight champion
Former two-time WBC super
middleweight champion
Holds a professional record of
33 wins and two losses, with 24
wins by knockout

10 4 W orkout M anual 2015

COBRA
STRIKE
Super middleweight boxing champion
Carl1The Cobra Froch reveals how he
stays strong to the end of round 12

inishing strong has been a theme in Carl Frochs career,


from his first title defence - when he rallied to knock
out Jermaine Taylor having been knocked down in the
fourth - to his epic fights against George Groves in 2013 and
2014- His powers of recovery are clearly helped by a granite
chin, but Froch says his fitness is just as critical. Conditioning
plays a massive part in punch resistance. If you've got strong
legs and a hard core, you'll be far more solid. Durability isnt
Just something you have or don't have, though - it can be
developed. So turn the page and follow Frochs core strength
circuit to achieve some of his championship mettle.

mensfitness.co.uk 10 5

Build a punch-proof midsection with


Frocks old-school core circuit

L R E P S IO .__
L ie f la t on th e f lo o r , b en d
yo u r le g s a t th e k n e e s w ith
y o u r f e e t o n th e g ro u n d and
p u t / o u r h a n d s b e h in d / o u r
h e a d . R a is e y o u r u p p e r b o d y
u n til i t s v e r t ic a l, b re a th in g
o u t as yo u s it up. Mold Ih fl
p o s itio n f o r one s e c o n d ,
th e n lo w e r y o u r s e lf slo w ly
b a ck to t h e s t a rt p o sitio n .

D IR E C T IO N S
Perform the prescribed reps of
each exercise back to back. Rest
for 60 seconds then repeat
three times.

2
B B i

B icycles
REPS 5 E A C H S ID E

L ie on y o u r b a ck w ith y o u r
k n e e s b e n t and h a n d s by
yo u r te m p le s . C r u n c h up,
th e n t w is t yo u r to r s o to m o ve
o n e e lb o w to w a rd s yo u r
o p p o s ite k n e e u n til th e y to u c h .
K e e p in g y o u r a b s te n s e d ,
re p e a t t h e m o v e m e n t <o th e
o th e r s id e , and a lt e rn a t e
s id e s w ith e a ch re p .

106 W orkout M anual 2015

Lying
leg hold
Lie on your back with
your arms by your sides
and your legs together.
Tense yourabs and engage
your core, then lift your
feet 20cm off the floor,
keeping your legs straight.
Mold for 30 seconds, then
lower gently to the start.

Start with your hands


shoulder-width apart
and body straight from
shoulders to heels. Lower
your chest towards the
floor until your elbows are
at 90 , then press back up
explosively so both hands
leave the floor. Clap, then
land on your palms.

Plank
TIME 45SEC
Mold your body in a straight
line from shoulders to
heels with your elbows
beneath your shoulders and
your head looking down.
Mold the position without
letting your hips sag.

S A M W A R B U R T O N

Age 2 6
Height 1.88m
Weight 10 3 .5 k g
Achievements
Won the 2 0 10 European
Challenge Cup with Cardiff Blues
As captain he led Wales to the
20 11 Rugby World Cup semi-final
Won the Grand Slam in the 2012
Six Nations, and retained the title
in 2013
Captained the British and Irish Lions
to a historic 2-1 victory over Australia

SIZE
MATTERS
Wales captain Sam Warhurton explains how he bulked
up and knuckled down to become a Lions legend
n his relatively short rugby union
carcer, Sam Warburton has led
Wales to a World Cup semi-final
and a Six Nations Grand Slam, as well
as captaining the British and Irish
Lions to their first series win since
1997* Warburton has always found
sanctuary in the weights room, but
despite his love of training he initially
struggled to keep up with the giants in
the Wales academy system. Putting
on weight and size was one of my big
gest hurdles/ he says.
After experimenting with his nutri
tion, he eventually found success with
a plan that spread his quota of protein

108 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

and carbs across five meals a day, topped


u p w it h t h r e e p r o t e in s h a k e s . 'I r a r e l y g o

three hours without protein,' he says.


To maintain his optimum condition 1 0 3 .5kg and 7-5% body fat - Warburton
needs a huge appetite for training too. I
have to be dedicated in the gym, he says.
Rather than just strength training I have
to do hypertrophy to keep my muscle
mass. If I don't train I tend to lose weight.
The secret to Warburtons Herculean
physique is old-fashioned high-volume
resistance training, such as the dumbbell
shoulder complex he demonstrates on
the next page. So get started and develop
some of Warburtons impressive size.

SHOULDER
CHARGE
Big volume equals big muscles.
Use this 48-rep complex to build
battering-ram delts
C O A C H JO H N A S H B Y S A Y S T h e
key is to keep th e m uscle under
tension, so you d on't need to go to
full extension - ju st m ake sure th e
m uscles are constantly w orking.
Perform eight reps of each exercise
back to back w ithout resting. Do
two or th ree sets, resting for 90sec

WARBURTON SAYS This is one hell

of a circuit. The first set isnt bad but


by the end th e 12 kg dum bbell feels
like 40 kg. W hen we first start doing
hypertrophy sessions its horrendous.
The following day 1 can 't even lift my
hands up to rub in sham poo. But you
soon build up a to lerance.

tybt-z =1 <** 2
'W

WK

. *

MOUF
R ARMOUF

betw een sets. Choose a w eight


th at allows you to com plete all
eight reps of each exercise w ithout
dum ping them betw een exercises.
The W elsh players do th is shoulder
com plex tw ice a w eek at the end of
training sessions to m aintain m uscle
m ass throughout the season.

vTTfi.
UI My I N

1 . ^

ER
ARMOUI
ER ARMOU

\ V\V*\X\V
ll

\ \ % \ w \ \ \ y
$

I I
Shoulder
REPS 8
Press the dumbbells alternately
overhead from shoulder height.

i i

Lat raise
REPS 8
Lo w er your arm s so th e weights
a re in fron t o f your thighs. Then,
k eep in g them slightly ben t, bring th e
w eight out to your sid es and back.

Front raise
________ REPS 8________________ ____
Lo w er your arm s so th e w eights are
in fro n t of your thighs, and keep
them straight as you raise the w eights
to shoulder heigh t and back.

O SPORTS DRILLS

ON YOUR MARKS
Use th e W ales team s anaerobic te st to boost yo ur all-round fitn e ss

20

Begin by lying face down in fro n t o f th e firs t cone.


W hen th e tim er s ta rts , touch your bum w ith both
hands, th en jum p up and sp rin t around th e 5 m cone.
D a rt back around th e firs t co ne, then th e 20 m cone.
R etu rn to th e s ta rt to com p lete one rep .

REPS 8

Bend forward, keeping your back


straight, and raise the weights
out to your sides, squeezing
your reardelts at the top.

You h ave 40 seconds to com plete each rep b e fo re you can go


again. Think th a ts too e a s y ? Say th a t a fte r nine m ore reps. G e t a
frie n d to note down your tim e fo r each com p lete rep and add
them to g eth er fo r your fin al sco re. Do th is e xe rc ise once a
w ee k, e ven if yo u r goal is to pack on m ass, because sprinting
boosts te sto ste ro n e and aid m uscle growth.

Round
the world

Reverse flye

O verhead

press

REPS 8

REPS 8

K e e p y o u r p a lm s fa c in g fo rw a rd a s you

M old b o th d u m b b e lls a t
s h o u ld e r h e ig h t and r a is e th em
o v e rh e a d s im u lta n e o u s ly .

b rin g t h e d u m b b e lls fro m in fro n t o f


y o u r th ig h s in an a rc to m e e t o v e rh e a d .

ON THE
FAST TRACK
Downhill mountain bike champion Gee Atherton and his coach Alan Milway
explains how he builds the power and control to ride at death-defying speeds
ee Atherton is obsessed with
time, but not like an office
worker counting the minutes
until 5pm. The only clock-watching he
does is when hes working out the fast
est line to ride down a vertiginous
downhill mountain bike course. His
sport pits him against the clock down
3km chutes of the steepest, narrow
est, boulder-strewn terrain at speeds
of up to 5 0 km/h.

out of turns and muscle through tricky


sections, as well as the core strength
to keep a strong position on the bike.
The usual downhill track is like a
series of flat-out sprints, so recovery
is key. It may be downhill but there's
a hell of a lot of pedalling says Ather
ton. The plyometrics work he does en
sures that the strength he builds in
the gym is converted into cycling pow
er he can use on the track.

UPPER BODY

Atherton has won two world titles,


a European title and two British
championships, and has a showreel of
bone-crunching crashes to show for it.
So how does he build the strength to
handle the punishment that rocks,
roots and boulders can dish out?
People assume cycling is all legbased but we work more on upper
body strength, Atherton says. You
need lots of explosiveness to power

Sots press
SETS3R EPS5"

S ta n d w ith y o u r f e e t sh o u ld e r-w id th
a p a rt and th e b a r h e ld on yo u r t ra p s .
L o w e r in to a s q u a t p o s itio n and
h o ld . P r e s s t h e b a r o v e rh e a d , p a u se
and th e n lo w e r u n d e r c o n tro l.
M ilw a y s tip T h is m o ve b uild s
is o m e tric s tre n g th and a stro n g
b a c k , w h ich a r e e s s e n tia l
fo r rid in g roug h t e r r a in .'

112

W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

Weighted
wide-grip
pull-up
SETS 3 REPS 8
P u ll up u n til y o u r ch in c le a r s t h e b ar,
w ith o u t k ic k in g yo u r le g s. L o w e r u n d e r
c o n tr o l u n til y o u re in a d e a d hang .
M ilw a y 's tip To g e t a g ood stre n g th b u ild in g e f f e c t w e add w e ig h t. T h e g rip
is w id e to t a x t h e b a ck m u s c le s m o re .

P la c e tw o w e ig h t s ta c k s o f eq u al
h e ig h t ju s t w id e r th an sh o u ld e r-w id th
a p a r t . L o w e r y o u r c h e s t s lo w ly p a s t th e
s t a c k s . P r e s s u p e x p lo s iv e ly an d c a tc h
y o u r s e lf on t h e s t a c k s . D ro p y o u r
h a n d s b a ck to th o flo o r and r e p e a t.
M ilw a y s tip T h i s m o ve is a ll a b o u t
d e v e lo p in g e x p lo s iv e p o w e r.

SPORTS DRILLS
G E E A T H E R T O N
Age 2 9

H e ig h t 1.8 8 m
W eig h t 8 5 k g
A c h ie v e m e n t s
I B ritish n a tio n a l d o w n h ill
M T B c h am p io n 2 0 0 4 , 2 0 0 9 ,

I European downhill MTB


ch a m p io n 2 0 0 6
I U C I w o rld d o w n h ill M TB
ch a m p io n 2 0 0 8
I U C I M TB W orld C u p o v e ra ll

G E T

Itai
Ball throw
SETS 3 REPS 6 -8
Using a two-handed chest press,
explosively throw a 5kg ball as high
as you can. Have your partner catch
it and then drop it back to you.

Milways tip T h is accentuates


the eccentric phase and turns
the exercise into an explosive
m ovem ent that will help you resist
khe bike and generate power.

M T B F IT

LOWER BODY
Trap bar deadlift

Box jump

SETS 4 REPS 1-2

SET S 2 REPS 6

S ta rt w ith your f e e t slig htly w id e r th an shoulder-w idth


a p a rt. A s you lif t , d rive through y o u r h eels and push your
hips fo rw a rd , keeping y o u r ch est up. A t th e to p of th e m ove,
pull yo u r sh o u ld er blades back. L o w e r und er co n tro l.
M ilw ays tip U sing th e tra p bar help s keep th e back straig h t to
red u ce th e ris k o f in ju ry. It's a good w ay to in c re a se power.*

S t a r t on th e flo o r w ith your f e e t hip-w idth a p a rt. Low^r y o u rse lf,


swinging yo u r arm s b a ck , and d rive up in to the ju m p , staying
co m p act in th e a ir and looking fo r m axim um h e ig h t. Land so ftly.
M ilw ays tip C yclin g is all ab out w a tts, and
p ly o m e trics m ake su re G e e c o n ve rts gym streng th
in to pow er. G o fo r q u ality o v e r q u an tity .

Clockwise pistol
SETS 2 EACH SIDE REPS 4
L i f t o n e fo o t o ff th e flo o r ah e ad o f you and bend
your k n e e to lower, holding y o u r arm s o u t fo r
b a la n ce. Stand up, th en lo w e r to th e b a ck , th en
to one sid e , th en th e o th er. T h a t's o n e rep.
M ilw ays tip Th is m ove is g re a t fo r ironing out
w e a kn e sse s in each side o f th e body.

114 Workout Manual 2015

CORE

SPORTS DRILLS

Plate drop

Norwegian wrestler

SETS 3 Tl ME 60SEC

SETS 1 TIM E 2M1N

Pull th e plate up to your ch e st, re le a se it w h ile keeping


your hands around it. and catch it at knee height. Keep
your co re locked and yo u r knees so ft during e ach rep .
M ilw ays tip T h is e xe rcise builds th e iso m etric strength
G e e n eed s to hold position on th e b ike, w hile improving
his a b ility to handle un pred ictable loads.

G e t into a bent-over row position and keep your trunk


still w ith ten sio n in yo u r ham strings. S ta r t rowing
th e w eights in a loop by reaching them fo rw ard s and
th e n up and back as if you w ere pulling a rope.
M ilw ays tip We w e re at a C a n a ry Islands training camp and
t h e N o r w e g ia n O ly m p ic w r e s t lin g s q u a d w e r e t h e r e d o in g t h is

fo r th re e m inutes at a tim e - th e y had beast-like stre n g th .

mensfitness.co.uk

115

POWER
HUNGRY

Sonny Webster
explains why
everyone should
include Olympic lifts
in their training

SO N N Y W E B ST E R
20

180cm
94 kg
British junior records in 94kg
weight class for snatch (l45kg)
and clcan and jerk (l75kg)
Fourth place at the 2013
European championships
in the 94kg weight class with
a combined total of 320kg
Silver in the junior class at
the 2013 Commonwealth
championships in Malaysia
116 W o r k o u t M a n u a l 2015

M U L T IP O W E f*

SPORTS DRILLS

ower is everything. Want to win a race?


Want to impress on the football pitch?
Want to become stronger in the gym or
even look better in mirror? Power is the answer.
Weightlifting may not have been the marquee
event at the London 2012 Olympics, but you can
guarantee that the Usain Bolts and Jessica En
nises who made the headlines used Olympic lifts
in training to help them win gold.
For Sonny Webster, the Bxistol-based weightlifter who hopes to join them on the top step of
the medal podium one day, the appeal of the two
Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch,
is simple. They build pure power/ he says.
Olympic lifting is a whole-body exercise. Youre
strengthening every part of your body.
T h e appeal is catching on too. A survey by
the Sport and Recreation Alliance in 2013
showed a 45% annual increase in adult partici
pation. One reason is the growth of CrossFit,
which has shown how Olympic lifts such as the
snatch and the clean and jerk can be used to
build fitness - and that you dont need to be built
like a bull to take part. I recently found two re
ally promising weightlifters through CrossFit
gyms, and more and more people are coming
over from CrossFit, says Webster. Weightlifting
is one of the original Olympic sports but its so
far behind in popularity. CrossFit will drag a lot
of good lifters back into weightlifting and bring
the sport back where it needs to be.

m ensfitness.co.uk 117

5 REPS 5

Webster says You probably already


do deadlifts, and this is similar but
with that explosion at the top.
It's very good fo r your lower
back. For strength we also do a
lot of front and back squats.

OLYMPIC

POWER

OLYMPIC STRENGTH

SETS

Add the clean pull to your strength


workout. Start with your shoulders over
the bar, gripping it with hands shoulderwidth apart. Keep the bar close to your
body and your arms straight throughout.
Push through your heels to raise the
bar off the floor and past your knees,
then squeeze your glutes hard and
perform a shrug to raise the bar higher.
Mold the top of this position for a
moment before reversing the move.

Build dynamism with this move. Hold


the bar with your hands just outside
your hips. With your chest up and your
back straight, lift the bar o ff the floor,
keeping it close to your body. Once

118 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

its past your knees, drive your hips up to


generate power and raise the bar to chest
height, then drop into a half squat and catch
the bar with your hands in a front squat
position. Stand up to complete the rep.

Webster says T h e hip drive is important


but make sure youre driving up instead
of driving your hips through and kicking
the bar away from you. The bar has to stay
close to your body for the whole lift.

OLYMPIC ENDURANCE

SP O R T S DRILLS

Super pulls
SE T S 3 R E P S 9
Bo o st yo u r en d u ran ce w ith Son nys
su p er p u lls. A im to use a w eight th a ts
clo se to yo ur sn atch P B . W ith a sn atch
grip (a rm s tw ice sh oulder-w id th a p a rt),
your c h e s t up and your back straig h t,
lift th e b ar th re e tim es fro m the flo o r
to kn e e height and b ack. Im m e d iate ly
go in to th re e hang pulls, low ering th e
bar fro m w aist heig ht dow n to th e
knee and back up. Th en go into th re e
norm al sn atch pu lls fro m th e flo o r to
w aist height so yo uve co m p le ted n ine
re p s. N ow you can set th e b ar down.
W e b ste r says 'T h is th ree-p hase
co m p lex is b ru tal - last tim e I did it I
th re w up th re e tim e s. B u t it s the be st
e x e rc ise fo r m aintaining th e strength
you n ee d in th e f ir s t phase o f the
co m p etitio n lif t s . I do high-volum e
se ssio n s o f b a rb e ll co m p le xes at th e
beginning of a new phase o f train in g .

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 1 1 9

PAUL DALEY
Age 31
Height 1.75m
Weight 77kg
Achievements
34 professional M M A wins,
25 by knockout
UFC Knockout Of The Night and
Newcomer Of The Year winner
UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Elite
XC and Cage Rage veteran

HITTING
THE ROAD

Nomadic MMA knockout artist Paul Daley has travelled


far and wide in his career but his devastating punching
power has remained constant. Heres how he builds it
120 Workout Manual

2015

SPORTS DRILLS

lite welterweight MMA fighter


Paul Daley has fought for every
major organisation in the sport,
knocking out a string of top-tier oppo
nents around the globe during an e x
plosive 12-year career. At 3 1 be has
many highlight reel finishes to his
name, and he says his striking is still
improving. But to what does he attrib
ute his incredible punching power?
To some extent its something youre
born with, he says, but over the past
year Ive been doing a lot of work in
the gym to get stronger and faster.
Daley does a lot of classic strengthbuilding moves and heavy lifting, as
well as weighted pull-ups, weighted
dips and a brutal medicine ball circuit
that helps build the explosive power
he uses to flatten opponents. Turn the
page and try it for yourself.

m ensfitness.co.uk 121

POWER
GENERATOR

Increase your knockout potential with Daleys


punch-boosting medicine hall circuit
x

o D IR E C T IO N S
Perform the prescribed number
o f reps for each exe rcise then
m ove imm ediately on to the
n e x t. Once you've com pleted all
the exe rcise s in a c irc u it, rest
fo r 40 seconds, then repeat fo r
another four rounds.

EB

Medicine
ball slam

1 RSPS20

Mold a m e d icin e b all in both


han d s. B ring it behind yo u r
head and slam it to th e
flo o r a s hard as p o ssib le .

One-arm
medicine ball cross
REP S 10 E A C H A R M
S ta n d in a boxing sta n c e w ith y o u r lead fo o t
fo rw a rd ( le f t if yo u r e o rth o d o x , right if y o u re
a so u th p aw lik e D a le y), holding a m e d icin e ball
in b oth h a n d s a t ch e st h e ig h t. R o ta te yo u r hips
slig h tly to t h e sam e sid e as y o u r tra ilin g fo o t,
d raw ing th e ball in clo s e to y o u r ch e st by w inding
up your a rm . R o ta te e x p lo s iv e ly through yo u r
h ip s and e x te n d your tra ilin g a rm , using a jab bing
m o tio n to th ro w th e ball fo rw a rd w h ile keeping
yo u r o th e r h and up to p ro te c t yo u r fa ce .

122 Workout Manual 2015

SPORTS DRILLS

M edicine ball side throw


REPS 10 E AC H SIDE
H o ld a m e d ic in e b all in b o th h an d s a t c h e s t h e ig h t.
K e e p in g y o u r c o re b ra c e d th ro u g h o u t, r o t a te e x p lo s iv e ly
9 0 th ro u g h y o u r hip s to o n e s id e , an d th ro w th e b all b y
p ush in g w ith y o u r fro n t a rm u n til i t s s tra ig h t. R e tu rn to
th e s t a r t p o s itio n and r e p e a t on t h e o th e r s id e .

Medicine ball

plyometric press-up
S t a r t in a p re ss-u p p o s itio n w ith a m e d ic in e
ball d ir e c tly b e n e a th y o u r c h e s t. L o w e r
y o u r s e lf u n til y o u r c h e s t to u c h e s t h e b all,
th e n p re s s up e x p lo s iv e ly , p ullin g y o u r hands
o ff th e flo o r. L a n d w ith y o u r h an d s on top
o f th e b a ll. C a r e fu lly lo w e r y o u r
h and s b a c k to t h e s t a rt .

m ensfitness.co.uk 12 3

C ARD IO

CARDIO
F a r too m a n y p e o p le th in k th a t to b e co m e
th e b e s t ru n n e r, c y c lis t o r sw im m e r y o u
c a n b e, y o u s h o u ld ju s t d o lo a d s o f ru n n in g ,
c y c lin g o r sw im m in g . It's n e v e r b e e n tr u e .
G y m m o v e s th a t b o o st p o w e r, stre n g th
a n d e n d u ra n c e w ill a lso im p ro v e y o u r ra c e
tim e s. W h a te v e r d is c ip lin e y o u fa v o u r , th e se
w o rk o u ts w ill le t y o u g o h a r d e r f o r lo n g e r
- a n d th e y c a n be d o n e w ith sim p le k it in
u n d e r h a lf a n hour. Y o u ll th a n k u s w h en
y o u 're m o v in g s t e a d ily u p th e le a d e rb o a rd .

mensfitness.co.uk 125

SWIM
GYM

Gym ball roll-out


________ REPS 5_______________________________________________

Kneel with your elbows and forearms on the ball and


your trunk and torso 45 to the floor. Slowly lean forward
until your arms are almost straight, rolling the ball
forward and bracing your core. Mold for five seconds
before slowly returning to the starting position.

These moves will improve your


swimming technique, range of
motion, power and speed

The coach
Ian Thorpe is Australias most
successful com petitive swimmer, with
five O lym pic gold medals and ten
from th e Com m onwealth Gam es.

The goal
Now more than ever, th e guys and girls you see
excelling in the pool are those who put a lot of work
in at the gym, says Th o rp e. T h e exercises I've chosen
for this workout are moves I used to do in training,
and they genuinely m ade a m assive d ifference to my
perform ance in the pool. They strengthen key m uscles
used in swimming, as w ell as increasing your range
of motion for smoother, more efficient strokes.

The workout
For tangible results you should do this workout tw o or
three times a w eek, says Thorpe. Dont worry if you feel
sore after the first few tim es - thats a sign that you have
engaged m uscles that aren't used to working fw d . Do
:h e circuit th ree times with 9 0 seconds rest between
each move and two minutes rest between circuits.
You should find the workout challenging but be able to
complete all the recomm ended reps or durations.'

126 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

Two-point box
REPS 4 E A C H SID E

Start on all fours with your knees and palms on the


ground. L ift one arm and the opposite leg and stretch
them away from your body to form a straight line
from your hand to yo tr toes. Mold for 30 seconds.

L ie on a b e n ch on yo u r stom ach w ith your


legs e xte n d e d behind yo u . R aise one leg as
high as you can w hile keeping it a s straig h t as
po ssib le. H old th is p o sitio n fo r 30 seco n d s.

Stand w ith foot sh o uld er-w id th a p a rt holding a lo k g


dum bbell in each hand w ith palm s fa c in g fo rw a rd .
C u rl th e dum b bells up to w ard s your sh o u ld e rs,
bending a t th e elbow . T h e n lif t your a rm s above
your h e a d , ro tating your w ris ts to fa c e fo rw a rd s.
Slow ly re v e rse th e m o vem ent back to th e s ta r t.

One-arm medicine
ball throw
R E P S 10 EA CH SIDE_______________________________________
L ie on your b a ck w ith yo u r kn ees bent and fe e t fla t on the
flo o r holding a m ed icin e ball in one hand w ith / o u r arm
s tre tc h e d b e h in d yo u. T h ro w th e ball o ve r your opp osite
k n e e . G e n e ra te the p o w er fro m your sh o u ld er and tr y
no t to lift yo u r head o r pull up w ith your c o re .

Mountain climber
R EPS 10 EACH SIDE
P la ce yo u r hands on the flo o r ju s t w id e r than
shoulder-w id th a p a rt. O n e leg should b e straight
out b e h in d you and the o th e r should b e tu cked
s o y o u r k n e e is d ir e c t ly b e n e a t h y o u r p e c s .

Ju m p th e straig h t leg fo rw a rd and th e bent


leg b a ck so th e ir p o sitio n s a re re v e rse d .

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k 1 2 7

BACK ON
TRACK

Eccentric calf drop


REPS 10 E AC H SIDE

Stand on the toes of one foot on the edge of a box, with


the other leg out behind you. Slowly lower the heel of
your standing leg as far down as you can go without
losing balance. Hold for 3sec, then slowly return to the
start. Complete all reps on one leg, then the other.

Strengthen your posterior


chain to realise your true
running potential

The coach
-o rm er Team G B head coach N ick
Anderson is a U KA level 4 endurance
coach and a running consultant to
Saucony, Highs Sports Nutrition,
Brighton Marathon and RunBristol.

The goal
T h e posterior chain is essential for good running
form and power, says Anderson. It's made up of your
calves, hamstrings, glutes and lower back m uscles. But
strengthening your posterior chain isn't just essential
for increasing running speed, it also reduces your risk of
injury. Even if you run regularly, doing exercises that ta'get
this key muscle group will have a tangible effect on your
perform ance while also combating the negative effects
that sitting at a desk all day can have on your posture.

Alternating reverse lunge


REPS

The workout
'Do this workout by performing one exercise after
another in three circuits, resting for 30 seconds
between each exercise and two minutes between
each c ircuit, says A nderson. T o ensure you get the
maximum benefit from each exercise its important
that you concentrate on completing each rep
properly rather thon hurrying through th e moves.
Do the workout two to three tim es a w e e k.

128 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

15

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on


hips and head facing forward. With your core braced,
take a big step backwards with one leg until both knees
are bent at 90. Drive up through the heel of your front
leg to return to the start. Repeat with the other leg.

CARDIO

Barbell glute bridge


REPS 6

L ie w ith yo u r u pp er b ack against a b en ch , fe e t on th e


flo o r and k n e e s b en t, holding a b arb e ll a c ro ss your h ip s.
B ra c e your c o re and u se your g lu te s to p o w e r your hip s
upw ard s u n til yo u r b od y is s traig h t fro m k n e e to c h e s t.

El

Single-leg
Romanian deadlift

REPS 5 E A C H S I D E ..............

S tan d on one leg and hold a k e ttle b e ll in th e hand


o p p o site you r su p p o rtin g fo o t. K e e p in g your
b ack stra ig h t, lean fo rw a rd a t the h ip s to lo w e r
th e k e ttle b e ll, raisin g your leg behind you. Hold
fo r tw o se co n d s, th e n r e tu r n to th e s ta rt.

Plank with leg raise


TIME 6 0 S E C

.......

..." ..............

L ie on your f ro n t and lif t your b od y on to yo u r elb o w s


and to e s to fo rm a s tra ig h t lin e fro m yo u r sh o u ld e rs to
yo u r a n k le s. Prom th is p o sitio n , ra is e o n e leg o ff th e
flo o r, keep ing it stra ig h t. H old fo r 3 s e c , th e n slow ly
re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n and do th e sa m e w ith yo u r
o th e r leg. A lte rn a te s id e s fo r th e p re s c rib e d tim e .

Single-leg squat

_______ KEFS 8 EACH SIDE_____________________


B a la n ce on on e leg w ith y o u r a rm s e xte n d e d
and y o u r o th e r leg b eh in d you. S q u a t down
as f a r a s you can w h ile keep in g y o u r e le v a te d leg o ff
th e flo o r. M ake su re y o u r b ack is s traig h t and you r
su pp ortin g k n e e p o in ts in t h e sam e d ire c tio n a s your
su pp ortin g fo o t. S tan d to re tu rn to th e s ta rt p o sitio n .

mensfitness.co.uk

129

POWER
TRIP
Use this circuit to boost your
cycling power so you can ride
faster for longer

Clap press-up
REPS 6
G et in a press-up position, then lower yourself
until your elbows reach 90 . Explosively press up
so your hands leave the floor. Clap them together
and quickly return them to the floor to break
your fall. Bend your elbows imm ediately to soften
the impact and go straight into the next rep.

The coach
Paul Butler is a British Cycling
coach who specialises in strength
and endurance development.

The goal
Cycling power means the ability to sustain speed over
a short period of t me,' says Butler. When Chris Hoy
jumped to the front with a lap to go in the Olympic keirin
and no-one could catch him, it was power that kept him
ahead. To get technical, power is the amount of work
done per unit of time, and to produce more you need
to build more fast-twitch rruscle fibres. This workout is
based around explosive movements that do exactly that.

The workout
To get your muscles used to sustaining power while
you cycle, do these m oves in a circuit with no more
than a 9C-second rest betw een exercises/ says
Sutler. 'You need some rest to make sure you're
moving as explosively as possible during each rep
and are therefore optimising fast-twitch muscle
growth. When you con perform each set perfectly,
start doing the circuit twice, then three times over.
Always warm up first with ten minutes on a
stationary bike, slowly increasing the intensity. Do
:he workout twice a w eek to se e results that'll leave
other riders eating your dust during a sprint finish.

13 0 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

Box jump
REPS

Stand with your fe e t shoulder-width apart, then


lower into a shallow squat. Drive your hips upwards
and jump clear o ff the floor using your arms for
momentum. Land with both feet on the box. Regain
your balance, then step back to the start.

CARDIO
Medicine ball slam
REPS

Mold a m ed icin e ball in both hands in fro n t


o f y o u r c h e s t, raise it behind yo u r head and
slam it to th e flo o r a s h ard as p o ssib le.

Jum p lunge
REPS 6 E A C H S ID E
Stand u p rig ht, th e n ta ke a long step fo rw a rd until
your b a ck k nee is alm ost touching th e flo o r. D ont
le t y o u r fro n t kn e e go ahead o f yo u r fro n t fo o t.
Ju m p up and q u ick ly swap leg p o sitio n s in m id-air.
Bend y o u r kn ees to ab sorb th e im p act o f landing.

Burpee
REPS 8
S t a r t in a press-up p o sitio n w ith your hands
ju s t w id e r th an sh oulder-w id th a p a r t Ju m p
yo u r fe e t fo rw a rd so you end up in a tuck
p o sitio n , th e n exp lo d e up into a v e rtic a l
ju m p . W hen you land, jum p straig h t
b a ck into th e press-up p o sitio n .

Vertical jump test


REPS 3 E A C H S ID E
Th is last m ove c h a rts your p ro g ress. C h alk th e
e n d o f y o u r fin g e r t ip s , s t a n d s id e * o n t o a w all

and re a c h up as high as you can and m ark it.


Th en sq u a t dow n, jum p a s high as you can and
c re a te a new m ark w ith yo u r fin g e rtip s on th e
w all. M easure th e d istan ce b e tw e e n th e two
m ark s, and reco rd an averag e fro m all reps.

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 1 3 1

One-arm swing

DRIVING
BELL

REPS 8 E A C H S ID E

Increase power and improve


performance with this
kettlebell workout

Stand with your fe e t just w ider than shoulder-width


apart, chin up and chest out. Grasp a kettlebell
in one hand, swing it back between your logs
and then out in fro nt of you, keeping your arm
straight. When the kettlebell reaches chin height,
switch hands and repeat the movement.

The coach
C h ristian V ila is one of the
c o u n try s leading kettlebell
e xp e rts and se t up Brighton
K ettleb ells in 2 0 0 8 . He's a strength

and conditioning coach for elite


ath lete s, including fo rm er U F C fighter and
U C M M A heavyw eight cham pion O li Thom pson.

The goal
K ettleb ell training is a total-body activity and will boost
your overall pow er, sa ys Vila. T h is m akes you strong,
fast and m obile - v/ithout adding unw anted m uscle
m ass that could slow you dow n - which is useful for
e very sp ort from rugby to swim m ing A s w ell as making
you lean and strong, this circu it will also im prove
your shoulder stability, helping to p reven t injury.

Halo
REPS 8

The workout
'Use a 12 kg kettleb ell to avoid getting injured until youve
p e rfecte d yo ur form , then you can progress to 16 kg, says
Vila. Dont w orry, you w ont put on unw anted m uscle
mass with m ore weight - youll ju s t build strength. To

Grasp each side o f a kettlebells handle and hold it in


front o f your face. Slowly move the kettlebell in a circular
motion around your head, keeping your elbows as close
to your head as you can. O nce you have competed one
rotation, repeat the movement in the other direction.

warm up, do fiv e m inutes of light cardio and som e joint


m obility work such as arm c irc le s and hip rotations.
Perform three sets of each m ove with 3 0 seconds' rest
betw een se ts. G o straight from one e xe rcise to the
next fo r a fast and e ffe c tive high-intensity w o 'ko ut.'

132 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

1 y

CARDIO
One-arm thruster
R E P S 0 E A C H S ID E
S t a r t w ith th e k e ttle b e ll in th e ra c k p osition (on th e
back o f yo u r fo re a rm a t sh o u ld er heig h t). Lo w er
in to a d e e p s q u a t , t h e n d r iv e u p th ro u g h y o u r

h e e ls, pressing th e k e ttle b e ll o verh ea d .


S lo w ly bring th e k e ttle b e ll back down to
th e rack p o sitio n b e fo re your n e x t rep.

/&

Lying pull-over
REPS 8
L ie on th e flo o r w ith your logs b on t, fo o t fla t on
th e flo o r and both arm s s tre tc h e d out behind
your head holding a k e ttle b e ll w ith both hands.
L if t th e k e ttle b e ll, engaging your c o re and back
m u scles until th e k e ttle b e ll is o ver yo u r fa c e .
Slow ly low er th e k e ttle b e ll back to th e flo o r.

S t a r t to p e rfo rm a one-arm sw ing a s in e x e rc ise 1 on


th e o pp osite page. A t th e top o f th e sw ing, pull th e bell
to w ards y o u r sh o ulder, keeping yo u r w ris t straig h t w hile
raising your elbow . Sw ing it b a ck down through yo u r legs.

Russian twist
R E P S 8 E A C H S ID E
S it dow n w ith yo u r legs b e n t and h ee ls
on th e flo o r. Mold th e k e ttle b e ll w ith both hands
a t ch est height and lean b a ck so yo u r body is a t
4 5 to th e flo o r. R o tate yo u r body to one sid e by
tw istin g a t th e w a is t, th en to the o th e r side.

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 1 3 3

HANG
TOUGH
Build strength, mobility and
co-ordination with these
suspension trainer exercises

T-Y-I posterior flye


T IM E 2 0 SECONDS

Lean back and hold both handles with straight


arms extended in front of you. Pull your arms to a
T position, back to th start, then to a Y position
and back to the start, then overhead to an I position
and back to the start. Keep your body in a straight
line and your core engaged throughout.

The coach
Alexis Antonopoulos is the ow ner of
N KD Ambition, a private personal
training club w here he oversees a
team of trainers, sports rehabilitation
specialists and dieticians. An ex
professional rugby player, Antonopoulos has 15 years
experience as a certified strength and conditioning coach.

The goal
Suspens on training com plem ents aerobic sports
such as running, cycling, swimming and rowing,
says Antonopoulos. T h a ts because it uses your
own bodyweight as resistance so the m uscle you
build is lean and functional, rather than bulky. Th ese
exercises have been sp ecifically chosen to increase
m o b ilit y a n d s t re n g th a ro u n d y o u r h ip jo in t s , le g s ,

back, chest, shoulders and arms to help you make


big, purposeful movements in any sp ort.

The workout
I recomm end doing this workout two tim es a w eek on
days when you arent doing any other training, says
Antonopoulos. 'Warm up with five minutes of skipping
or any other light cardio exercise, followed by dynamic
stretches such os leg swings ond orrr rotations. Do
the moves in a circuit with 3 0 seconds' rest between
exercises and two m inutes rest between circuits. Start
with three circuits and build up to four. Por moves that
use one side of the body, switch sides halfway through
each se t.T o make any move harder, position yourself
further away from the suspension trainers anchor point.

134 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

/
*

mm

Single-leg floor touch


and reach lunge
T IM E 2 0 S EC O N D S

Assume a lunge position with one foot through both


suspension trainer loops. Keeping your chest up and
back straight, lower and touch the floor with both hands.
Stand up by driving through your heel, then
extend your arms straight overhead.

ICARDIOI
Single-arm
T-row and reach
TIM E 2 0 S E C O N D S
L e an back and hold both su sp e n sio n tra in e r
han d les in o n e hand. R o tate and touch
th e flo o r w ith your f r e e hand. Pu ll
y o u rse lf b a ck up and co ntin ue
ro tatin g so yo u r fre e hand
re a c h e s as high as po ssib le.

Press-up to
oblique jackknife
T IM E 2 0 S E C O N D S
P la ce both fe e t in th e loops and assu m e a
press-up p o sitio n . C o m p le te a press-up , then
pull yo u r k n ees up to one elbow . R e tu rn to
th e s ta rt and re p e a t on th e o th e r sid e .

Single-leg jumping lunge


witn knee drive
1

2 0 SECO N D S

W ith one fo o t through both loops


assu m e a su sp end ed lunge p o sitio n .
Ju m p so y o u r fro n t fo o t is 10 -15 cm
o ff th e flo o r and d rive your b ack
kn e e up in a running m otion. R e tu rn
to th e sta rt p o sitio n and re p e a t.

Back extension
T IM E 2 0 S E C O N D S
Hold both han dles in fro n t o f you and lo w er y o u rse lf
to a sittin g position w ith yo u r b acksid e around 3 0 cm
o ff th e flo o r. K ee p in g yo u r arm s e xte n d e d , pull the
handles back and over yo u r head, straig htening your
body. S lo w ly re tu rn to th e s t a r t p o sitio n and re p e a t.

m e n s fit n e s s .c o .u k 1 3 5

STAYING
POWER

K ettlebell swing
REPS 2 5
Stand with your fe e t a little wider than shoulder-width
apart and hold a 14kg kettlebell in one hand between your
legs, hingeing at the hips and with knees slightly bent. Snap
your hips forward to swing the weight up to eye level, then
swap hands. Swing the bell down between your legs again.

Want improved endurance and


functional strength? Try this
CrossFit-inspired routine

The coach
Darren Freeman has worked in the
fitness industry for 18 years and is
now chief coach at Train Manchester
where he teaches Crosshit classes.
Train M anchester also offers personal
training v/ith an emphasis on strength
and concitioning for footballers, runners and triathletes.
r

The goal
-

C a rd io end urance re fe rs to your h e a rts ability to

supply am ple oxygen to your m uscles w h ile exercising,


says Freem an. W h a te ve r sport you do, improving your
cardio en d u ran ce will mean being able to go hard er for
longer. The e xe rcise s in this c irc u it rep licate the natural
m ovem ents th e human body w as designed for so it also
builds your functional strength, which tran slates to more
pow er on th e bike o r running tra c k c r in th e pool.

The workout
'In CrossFit lingo this type of workout is known as an
AM RAP (as many rounds as possible), says F'eem an.
'The idea is to get through as many circuits as you can
in 2 0 minutes. But don't go flat out the whole time.
G o at a pace you can m aintain (about 8 0 % intensity)
for th e first 16 m inutes, then romp it j p to 100% in the
final fo ur m inutes. T h is helps build cardio end urance

by keeping your heart rate in th e aerobic zone fo r the


m ajority of th e w orkout, and th en taking you anaerobic
at th e end w hich will help your sp rin t finishe s. H ave a
short rest betw een each circu it if you need it and do
the w orkout at least tw ice a w eek to get resu lts.

B u rp ee w ith press-up
REPS 10
Stand with your fe e t shoulder-width apart, then drop
into a press-up position with your hands directly under
your shoulders. Perform a press-up, then jump your
feet forw ard into a tuck. Jum p up and land softly.

136 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

CARDIO
Box jump
REPS 10
S tan d in fro n t o f a thigh-high box and lo w e r into
a jum ping p o sitio n by bending yo u r knees and
h ip s. E x p lo s iv e ly ju m p w h ile s w in g in g y o u r a rm s

fo rw a rd s. Lan d so ftly on the b o x. Stand ta ll, th en


ste p b a ckw ard s o ff th e box to th e s ta rt p o sitio n.

Press-up
REFS 15
S ta rt w ith your hands shoulder-w id th ap art and
body straig h t fro m sh o u ld ers to h e e ls, w ith your
hands d ire c tly u n d e r your sh o u ld e rs. L o w e r y o u rse lf
until yo u r arm s a re bent a t 90 . P re ss back up.

Sit-up
REPS 2 0
L ie w ith y o u r knees b e n t, fe e t fla t on th e flo o r and
hands n ext to your hea d . T ig hten your abdom inal
m u scles and raise yo u r torso to a v e rtic a l p o sitio n . H old
fo r a se co n d , th en slo w ly low er back to th e sta rt.

Double-under
REPS 4 0
Add in te n sity to y o u r skipping by swinging th e
rope around tw ic e fo r e v e r y jum p you do. Engage
your ab s, pull yo u r sh o u ld ers back and push
your c h e s t out to a id e ffic ie n c y and co n tro l.
K eep y o u r hands close to y o u r body and use
your w ris ts to sp in the ro p e , not yo u r arm s.

m e n s fitn e s s .c o .u k 1 3 7

GYM FEA TS

GYM
FEATS

Wie a ll k n o w i t s im p o rta n t to fo c u s on a g o a l - it p r o v id e s
m o tiva tio n , p u r p o s e a n d c la rity . W h e n e v e r y o u tra in ,
y o u sh o u ld h a ve y o u r ta rg e t in m in d . B u t i f y o u h a p p e n e d
to im p re ss a fe w b y sta n d e rs, th a t w o u ld n t be so b a d ,
w o u ld it? T h a ts w h y w ev e p u t to g e th e r th is c o lle ctio n
o f - le t s b e h o n est - sh o w -o ff m o ves, the e x e r c is e s
th a tll a ttra c t a d m irin g o r eve n e n v io u s g la n c e s fro m
y o u r fe llo w g y m -g o ers. D e m o n stra te d b y tra in e r C ha ka
C la rk e , fo u n d e r o f fitn e s s c re w S p a rta n fa m , th e y re a ll
tou g h b u t a ch ie v a b le - a n d , a s w e ll a s lo o k in g g o o d ,
th e y ll a ll c o n trib u te to y o u r m u scle g a in s too.

mensfitness.co.uk 139

T H E O N E -A R M O N E -L E G P R E S S -U P
Think youre strong? Try this brutal move thatll impress anyone who sees it
T h e one-arm p ress-u p has b e e n a test of m an liness sin ce tim e im m em orial - or at least
sin ce R o cky cam e out. But if y o u re looking to u p the stak es, th e re s only o n e solution:
take aw ay an other lim b. H eres the form.

pushed down and


v isu a lise sc re w in g your
sh o u ld e r in to its s o c k e t/
sa y s C la rk e . B ra c e yo u r
ab s a s if y o u re ab o u t to
ta k e a p u n ch /

140 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

lt also h e lp s if you
k ic k " y o u r hip o v e r
to th e sid e youre
p re ssin g o n . H aving yo u r
hip u n d e r your w o rkin g
arm h e lp s you sta y
b alanced as you p re ss up.

*lf you cant do the


m ove, put y o u r hand
on a step o r a bench fo r
an e a s ie r an g le, and tr y
th e flo o r v e rsio n once
y o u ve d e ve lo p e d m o re
s tre n g th . N o w a ll th a ts
le f t is to film your own
tra in in g m o n ta g e.

GYM FEATS

lf you can o n ly m anag e the


lo w er b u t c a n t p re ss b a ck up,
d o n t w o rry - ju s t k eep w o rkin g th a t
n e g a tiv e m otio n and try to p ress
h ig h e r up on each t r y .

m ensfitness.co.uk 141

T H E O N E -L E G G E D B O X J U M P
Test your balance and explosiveness
with this variation on a classic
A n y m an w ith an in te rest in skipping
e ffo rtlessly u p stairs, esca lato rs o r hills
sh o u ld h ave a resp ectab le b o x jum p - th ats
ju st scien ce. T o b etter mimic sprinting
or jum ping, ho w ever, yo u shou ld do th e
o n e-legged versio n in w hich yo u take off
an d land on the sam e foot. Its not fo r the
fa in t-h earted but, as a test of balan ce,
e xp lo siv e n e ss and strength, it's tough to beat.

S t a r t by balancing
on o n e le g , says

C la r k e . Y o u d o n t n e e d

to sq u at - ju s t bend
y o u r k n ee slig h tly ,
s w in g y o u r a r m s a n d

ju m p .'
B en d yo ur leg as you
land on th e b ox to a b so rb
th e im p a c t. And ste p back dow n ju m p in g m ig h t o v e rs trc s s yo u r
a c h ille s te n d o n /
C a n t m anag e th is ve rsio n ?
W o rk on yo ur tw o -leg g ed box
ju m p s and do som e e x p lo siv e jum p
lu n g e s. D o n t go n e a r f a ilu r e - ju s t
do a fe w q u a lity re p s , g e ttin g as
m uch h e ig h t as p o ssib le.

142 W orkout M anual 2 0 1 5

GYM FEATS

T H E P L A N C H E P R E S S -U P
Nailing the hardest press-up of all is within your reach. Honest
So yo u 've m astered th e d ivebom ber, the one-arm , the c la p and th e one-arm one-lego n ly one thing rem ains. The p lan ch e press-up , ty p ica lly th e dom ain of gym nasts an d
b re ak d an ce rs, is the ultim ate act of gym braggadocio. It takes strength, balan ce, an d a
w illingness to risk yo u r face-b on es in th e nam e o f gym c red . H e re s how it's done.

F ir s t , youll n e e d to
be ab le to do ab out
50 p ress-u p s in a row , and
a h an d fu l o f th e one-arm
v e rs io n , sa y s C la rk e .
T h e n w ork on press-up s
w ith yo ur han d s as fa r
b a ck as p o ssib le , id e a lly
by y o u r h ip s .

N e x t, w o rk on
y o u r tu c k . From
all fo u rs , w ith y o u r hands
f a r b a c k , bring y o u r f e e t
o f f th e g ro u n d . A s you
g et c o m fo rta b le in the
p o sitio n , w ork on
k e e p in g yo ur a rm s and
leg s stra ig h t. T h is is
th e p lan ch e.

Now fo r th e pressup. U se press-up


h an d les a t f ir s t fo r m ore
c o n tro l - b u t fo r doa n y w h e re sh o w -o ff valu e ,
y o u ll need to do th is on
th e g ro u n d . Lo w e r and
p re s s up slo w ly to
m ain ta in b a la n ce.

m ensfitness.co.uk

143

T H E T R IP L E -C L A P P R E S S -U P
E x p lo s iv e a c tio n th a t w ill e a r n yo u a p p la u s e - fro m y o u r s e lf a t le a s t
Legitim ate exercise or just a flashy w ay to break your n o se? Realistically, the fearsom e
triple-clap press-up has the potential to b e both. W hile th eres no doubt it can go
humiliatingly wrong, it also prom otes hand speed , core tension and co-ordination. It
fo rces you to get as much airtim e as possible - unlike the traditional clap press-up, which
is norm ally done a whisker off the floor - so you develop exp lo sive strength and fasttw itch muscle. Your nose is a small price to p a y for gym glory.

'T h e f ir s t clap
happens as soon as
you leave th e ground,'
says C la rk e . Push o ff
exp lo sive ly and keep your
abs braced to make sure
you get enough lif t .

144 Workout Manual 2 0 15

C la p num ber two


happens behind
your b a ck . T h is is the
risk y b it,' says C la rk e .
G e t your hands back and
then fo rw a rd , and the
hard b it's done.'

C lap num ber th re e


happens ju st before
im p act. O n e rep is good/
says C la rk e . Two or th re e
is im p re ssive s tu ff/

GYM FEATS

THE B A C K LEVER

Looking to get into bar calisthenics, or im press the kids


at your local playground? The back lever may not b e as
fearsom e as the planche but it still dem ands (and builds)
im pressive strength across your shoulders, back and
arms. And it all starts with a m anoeuvre you probably
perfected w h en you w ere seven. H eres how its done.

To s ta r t, youll need
to be ab le to skin
the c a t ,' says C la rk e .
G rab the bar, get into a
tu ck , then bring your fe e t
over your head and down
until you're hanging w ith
your palm s facing fo rw ard .
Now re ve rse th e move.
As you get stro n g er at
th is, straig h ten your legs
a second halfw ay
through the c a t.

Soon youll be strong


enough to try the
one-legged b ack lever.
G e t into the po sitio n, but
keep one leg tu ck e d . It
fe e ls odd, but it s a g rea t
way to build s tre n g th .

To nail th e full lever,


keep your back, arm s
and sh oulders locked . B u t
this m ove brings all your
m ajor m uscle groups into
play, not ju st your upper
back.' Holding it fo r th re e
seconds is im p ressive.
M anaged it on your firs t
try ? T h e n the fro n t le v e r
- w here you lif t and
straig h ten your body fa c e
up - aw a its...

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CELEBRATING

25 YEARS

A vailab le at Holland & Barrett, GN C sto re s and U K gym s.


A lso a va ila b le o nline at w w w .m ultipow er.com

MULTIPOWER
S P O R T S FO O D

www.multipower.com

magazine

l he Men's Fitness
Workout Manual
collects the very
best workouts and
advice from Men's Fitness
magazine in one place to
create a comprehensive,
easy-to-use guide for
anyone who wants to get
a lean, muscular body.
It includes plans
designed by our cover
models so you can build
the kind of physique that
could girace the cover of
the magazine. Alongside
those are straightforward
routines that will help
you burn fat, injury-proof
your body and get better
at any sport, along with
expert nutrition advice to
support your training.

WORKOUTS
DEMONSTRATED IN DETAIL

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