TOP FOUR LIFTING ARTICLES OF 2017
IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFTING AND MAKE BETTER PROGRESS WITH MY FOUR MOST READ ARTICLES OF 2017 The quality of your training plays a huge part in the level of success you experience. Very often, the effort and commitment given to training outweighs the results...
HOW TO PERFORM THE CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT WITH PROPER FORM
The deadlift is a relatively simple movement, where the bar is pulled from a dead stop position, with the feet flat and the arms locked out, off of the floor and up until the knees, hip and shoulders are locked out. Most of the largest weights will be lifted with this...
HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO TAKE A BREAK FROM TRAINING
You are probably very familiar with the “go hard or go home” attitude when it comes to training. You’re either a big advocate of this yourself, or you definitely know of at least one person that lives his or her life by this rule. If you’re not pushing yourself every...
TOP 5 EXERCISES TO DIRECTLY STRENGTHEN THE EXTERNAL ROTATORS OF THE SHOULDER
In my previous post, FOUR MUSCLES YOU NEED GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO AVOID SHOULDER PAIN & LIFT MORE WEIGHT, I talk about the critical role the rotator cuff muscles play in stabilising the shoulder joint and ensuring it’s proper function. The internal rotators...
FOUR MUSCLES YOU NEED GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO AVOID SHOULDER PAIN & LIFT MORE WEIGHT
STRUCTURE OF THE SHOULDER JOINT Compared to the hip, the shoulder is a very fragile joint. Both have what’s known as a ‘ball and socket’ structure, but the socket of the shoulder joint is a lot shallower compared to that of the hip and is supported mainly by muscles,...
A PRACTICAL LOOK AT INTERMITTENT FASTING: WHAT TO EAT & WHEN
In a previous blog post, THE SIMPLE BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING I explain what intermittent fasting (IF) is and whilst more research is needed to confirm the physiological effects/benefits of IF on humans, I highlight some of the more simple benefits of IF that...
THE SIMPLE BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING
Calorie restriction has been documented to dramatically improve metabolic health (functioning of the cells in your body) by regulating blood sugars, controlling blood fats, managing body weight and gaining or maintaining lean body mass, as well as improving other...
EFFECTIVE WARM UP EXERCISES FOR BACK SQUATTING WITH GOOD TECHNIQUE
You will see many videos, posts and articles that talk about the “perfect warm up for exercise Y” or the “best warm up for exercise Z”. In truth however, a warm up for any exercise should be individual and specific. No two people are the same and we will each have our...
THE IMPORTANCE OF CARBOHYDRATES FOR COMPETITIVE STRENGTH ATHLETES
Strength sports such as Powerlifting and Weightlifting require maximal and explosive strength to be displayed for up to nine single repetitions in any one competition. It is a common/popular train of thought that muscle glycogen (our carbohydrate stores) is not used...
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING PART 3: FINDING A COMPETITION AND EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING PART 3: FINDING A COMPETITION & EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS If you haven't already, I recommend reading THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING Part 1 and THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING Part 2 before reading on. I explain what...
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING PART 2: COMPETITION SPECIFICS AND LIFT REQUIREMENTS
If you haven’t already, I recommend reading THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING Part 1 before reading on. I explain what the sport is and how the lifters are divided into their categories. It will give you a good insight into what the sport is about and put into...
CORE TRAINING FOR LIFTERS – THE PLANK WALK OUT
The core is made up of the muscles around our midsection that connect directly to our vertebrae and all the muscles that attach from the pelvis to the spine. It's not necessary to name each individual muscle but in short, the muscles that surround the hip or pelvic...
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO POWERLIFTING PART 1: WHAT IS POWERLIFTING?
Powerlifting is a unique sport, whereby each competition is a true measure of your absolute strength at that one particular moment in time. It is a chance for you to display the previous weeks, months and years of hard work and is a measure of the progress you have...
IPF WORLD CLASSIC POWERLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 – BELARUS, MINSK
THE CITY Over the last seven days I got my first experience of coaching for Great Britain at the highest level of International Powerlifting and I have to say, it was incredible! The Championship this year was held in Belarus, Minsk and if I’m totally honest, I was...