Personal Training in Liverpool Street

How to Get The Most Out Of Your Deadlifts

In the Gym

Now that you’ve made the majority of your choices regarding how to perform your deadlifts, it’s time to get to the gym. This part of the guide will help you make the most of the workout.

Not sure what to start with deadlifting? Check out 10 Things You Need to Know About the Deadlift.

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10 Things You Need to Know About the Deadlift

Whenever I take someone through a new gym programme for the first time, I find myself wishing there was a resource I could direct them to with all the information they need on each element of their training. This is my attempt at creating such a resource for the deadlift.

People have a lot of questions about deadlifts. From concerns about proper deadlift form to wanting to hit a new personal best, it’s a nuanced exercise. For some people, the deadlift is just about grabbing the bar and ripping it off the floor. For others, it’s about being as cautious as humanly possible to avoid your back exploding. If you’re a regular reader of this site, you know by now that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Part 1 – Before You Lift

As with my previous squat guide, Part 1 will focus on the things you need to know before you go into the gym on deadlift day. Part 2 will focus on execution of the deadlift, BUT this is not a step-by-step guide to performing the deadlift. That would be much more effective in video form.

Note: My online deadlift programme is now available. Check it out if you want a stronger deadlift!

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The Most Effective Superset Choices for Your Workout Type

Adding supersets to your workouts is a fantastic way of saving time in the gym. Depending on your training aims, you can use different superset types to convey different benefits. Each category of superset that will lead to different considerations so that you can get the most out of them.

Antagonist Muscle Group Supersets

Antagonist supersets use muscle groups that work against each other. They perform opposite actions, such as the biceps and triceps, which bend and straighten the arm respectively. When one muscle contracts (shortens), its antagonist will relax (lengthen). Due to their opposite nature, antagonist supersets carries a very low risk of the two exercises interfering with one another. This makes them great for either high-volume work or strength training.

Examples

  • Biceps curls and tricep extensions;
  • Dumbbell bench press and bench rows;
  • Squats and leg curls;
  • Romanian deadlifts and leg extensions.
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Why The Rocky Mentality is Harming Your Progress

Photo by Attentie Attentie on Unsplash

Rocky Balboa once said, “You gotta be willing to take the hits.”

These are big words for someone who retired from boxing after getting brain damage – from taking too many hits.

I like a lot of things about the Rocky films. They’re inspirational and emotional. They have big 80’s soundtracks and exciting workout montages. As films, they are super fun to watch.

And before we go any further – Rocky 3 and Rocky 4 are the best!

My issue with the Rocky series has more to do with how it embodies a certain training culture I see in the gym. I’m not just talking about the fighting athletes I know either; regular gym-goers train this way too.

My problem is not with Rocky, but with the Rocky mentality.

What is the Rocky Mentality?

Rocky mentality, pronoun – the pursuit of suffering and discomfort in fitness activities, with no guarantee of superior or faster results.

Example:

“Did you hear that Nick did supersets of deadlifts, pullups, and backflips yesterday?”

“Yeah, he has that Rocky mentality.”

By Pisit Heng on Unsplash

If you’ve ever stepped into a gym, chances are you’ve met someone who suffers from the Rocky mentality. But how can you tell? I’ve compiled a list of ways that this mindset manifests itself on the gym floor:

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Enhance Upper Body Mobility and Strength with These Exercises

In Part 1, we established that increasing the flexibility of our tissues does not instantly improve the way we move. If we don’t add other ingredients like strength and motor control, we won’t improve our mobility in any meaningful way. You can learn about this principle in part 1. This is especially true with the areas on today’s list: the muscles of the spine and the upper body.

Historically, mobility in these areas is a matter of some debate. There are some who believe more flexibility is always better, while others feel these two areas should be permanently locked into a “safe” position. As always, the answer lies somewhere in the middle: you need to be able to take joints through range, but you also need the strength and control to make sure this happens at the right time, with the right limitations. Being very strong in just one position is almost never the answer.

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Back Mobility and Jefferson Curls

Ask anyone what they should be wary of when it comes to exercise and they’ll tell you it’s the lower back. Having suffered from my fair share of strains in the back muscles (the erector spinae and quadratus lumborum), I do feel that some caution is justified. However, losing your spinal mobility because you’re afraid to move can be harmful too.

After those injuries in my early training years, I started to move like a robot. I would lock my back up and hinge perfectly from my hips, even to pick up a 2.5kg plate. I even got a reputation for it among the athletes that I coached at the time. It makes sense, right? Rounding the back is a well-known lifting sin, and every manual handling course ever tells you not to lift with your back. Surely I was onto something.

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Enhance Lower Body Mobility And Strength with These Exercises

I don’t think I need to convince anyone that mobility and flexibility are crucial aspects of any fitness regime. I probably also don’t need to point out that mobility training goes a lot further than just static stretching these days. But whether you like PNF stretching, dynamic stretching, partner-assisted stretching or anything in between, I think there is a missing link in many mobility routines.

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5 Reasons to Stay Away From Celebrity Workout Advice

A close up of a woman's hands on the floor as she performs a pushup
By Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

In our search for better fitness results, many of us are tempted to see what workouts and fitness products our favourite celebrities are using in order to achieve their successes. Whether it’s an elite athlete or a celebrity with “perfect” body, it can be appealing to try and follow along with the steps they’ve posted on social media or in a magazine. Unfortunately, this can lead to a lot of disappointment.

When I talk about celebrity workouts, I’m referring to the following:

  • Celebrity workout DVDs (yes, these are still a thing);
  • Superhero movie transformations (any celebrity transformations actually);
  • Elite athlete strength and conditioning sessions;
  • 1-minute snippets of workouts on reality TV shows;
  • Cover model/Influencer workouts;
  • Use of fitness products advertised or endorsed by celebrities.
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Take Your Squat to New Levels – Part 2

In the Gym

Previously, we discussed the decisions you have to make when adding squats into your routine. I answered some of the most common questions that will prepare you for the best squatting workout. In this post I’ll be discussing the finer details of performing the squat itself.

Although anyone can learn how to squat from a Youtube video, the devil is in the detail.

Was there something I didn’t cover? Let me know!

Table of Contents

How Should I Warm Up for Squats?

When preparing for squats, you should focus on mobility for the ankles, hips, and back. You can dedicate more focus to the areas you struggle with. I have attached a sample warm-up, including variations for back and front squats.

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Take Your Squat to New Levels – Part 1

Whenever I take someone through a new gym programme for the first time, I find myself wishing there was a resource I could direct them to with all the information they need on each element of their training. This is my attempt at creating such a resource for the squat. If it’s well-received I will make similar guides for other exercises.

This won’t be a step-by-step guide through the act of squatting. This would be much better demonstrated in a video, not to mention the fact that writing 1000+ words about squatting would probably make it easier to overthink the exercise. Instead, I’ll be focussing on those nitty-gritty decisions that will get the most out of your squat workout.

Part 1: Before You Squat

This part will focus on things you should know about squatting before you even set foot in the gym. Part 2 will be focussed on things you need to know to get the most out of your squatting session.

Table of Contents
  1. Part 1: Before You Squat
    1. Why Should I Squat?
    2. What Muscles Are Worked by the Squat?
    3. Am I Ready to Squat?
    4. How Low Should I Squat?
    5. Squatting to Parallel
    6. “But When I Try To Squat Low, I Feel Like I’m Going to Fall Over…”
    7. Do I Need to Be Completely Upright?
    8. Do I Need Weightlifting Shoes?
    9. Should I Squat Barefoot?
    10. What Kind of Squat Should I Do?
    11. But Aren’t Squats Bad for My Knees?

Why Should I Squat?

It’s a fundamental movement pattern, which means it is a blueprint for a number of other key movements such as:

  • Sitting and standing;
  • Jumping and landing;
  • Decelerating suddenly from a forward sprint;

Any task that requires moving up and down using our legs!

Squatting and Jumping
By Fabio Jock on Unsplash
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6 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Strength Training

If there’s one training service that I’ve provided the most (besides trying to convince people to stop worrying about getting “bulky”), it’s introducing novice gym-goers to strength training. And when I say strength training, I am referring to dedicated strength training as I described previously.

What is strength training

There is an unfortunate stigma that this is “meathead” training, which discourages many people from trying this training style, and in turn missing out on a huge number of benefits. Because of this barrier, most people don’t know where to start with strength training.

If you can relate, please don’t be discouraged. I spent the first two years of my life as a PT oblivious to the benefits of true strength training, and only changed my ways when I went to University to get my strength and conditioning degree. In the years since, I have identified the key lessons people need when they start strength training.

1. In Strength Training, Technique is King

This is an adage that has been repeated so often that it mostly falls on deaf ears now, but if you want to get stronger, you can’t just focus on what you lift – you need to focus on how you lift it.

Strength training is often seen as a physical process; we get less soreness and more muscle, then we can lift more weight. But strength is a skill – a lot of improvements occur because the nervous system gets more efficient at managing our muscle contractions. That means lifting weights is practice, and good, mindful practice makes perfect.

When I was a strength and conditioning intern, I shadowed a coach who told his athletes that starting a set should be like stepping onto the stage in a theatre. You need to be dedicated to your performance – your setup, your bracing, your tempo, everything. Finding this focus will elevate your strength training to new heights.

strength technique is king
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