How much Protein is Enough Protein?

CD himself

The following article was prepared by CD, a personal trainer visiting Factory Gyms from Colorado, USA, for the next 7 weeks. If you’re a member of the gym, you will have seen the ‘new guy’ in the strange American shorts – that’s CD. Give him a wave next time you in – we’re delighted to have him and want to make him feel very welcome!

How much protein is enough protein?

Protein, as many people know, is the building material that our muscles rely on to grow in both strength and size. Many people in the gym watch their protein intake very closely, so as to get the most hypertrophy (muscle growth) out of each training session. For the most part, however, many of us obtain relevant information from protein supplement manufacturers, who obviously just want us to consume more, more, and even more. “Alright, well how much protein will give me the best results?” Good question. In order to answer that question, we need to look at how much protein will supply each individual’s needs. Let’s look at some facts…

Individual Daily Protein Requirements

Each person is different, obviously, so it is to be expected that our individual protein needs are different as well. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for the average person. This is enough to keep the nitrogen balance in the body at the right level, as well as support the muscles for everyday living. However, most of you reading this are not so interested in just “maintaining.” For those who are looking to increase muscle mass, the recommended amount is about 2 – 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for both men and women, depending on the intensity of daily physical activity. For example, an active 70 kg individual would need 140 – 175 grams of protein per day in order to best support muscle growth.

1,250 KCal and 50g Protein in each Serious Mass shake.

“Ok, that’s great to know, but how much of that should I be taking at one time?” Another great question! Here’s the answer…

In 2009, a study was performed by the American Diet Association that compared the muscle building properties of 90 grams of protein to 30 grams of protein ingested at one time. They determined that there was no difference of muscle growth between the two groups. What this means is that anything over 30 – 35 grams of protein at one time (i.e. in a protein shake) is unnecessary. You will get the same muscle building benefits regardless.

“Cool! When should I have my protein, then, if I’m not taking it all at one time?”

Your daily protein requirement should be met throughout the day, ideally in 5 or 6 increments. It is important to have one of those increments directly following your training, as this will allow your body to begin utilizing the amino acids immediately.

“Alright, then. I’m off to put these principles into practice!”

WAIT! There is one more thing to remember. Protein is processed through the kidneys, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to drink plenty of water so you don’t put too much stress on your kidneys. Ok. That’s it for now. Go have fun.

CD

Summer Fitness Plan… Sorted!

“What’s the plan Chloe?”

Okay, so I’ve had a bunch of emails asking, what’s the plan for the summer? I had previously mentioned another Fitness Booster (but longer) and some triathlon style training. Plans have now been set, and the date to begin is nearly upon us. It all kicks off on the 4th July, and I’m very excited. The summer is a great time to build and improve upon your winter training – endorphins are elevated, the weather is less of an impedance and the daylight hours are almost endless. It’s time to switch from endurance efforts to short, sharp interval training and cardio-strength circuits to raise your metabolism, burn fat and generally kick ass! So if you’re ready to break out of a rut, test yourself or even try something new this summer, the solution is here!

... time to get your heart going!

So, back to the plan….

The Summer Blitz program begins on the 4th July. The program is made up of a combination of short high-intensity circuits and rapid interval sets. The program constitutes 24 individual workouts which can be completed over 4 weeks (6 per week), six weeks (4 per week), 8 weeks (3 per week) or 12 weeks (2 per week). The workouts focus exclusively on cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength endurance. They are short, but carefully designed to provide a comprehensive full-body cardiovascular training session. They can either be completed on their own, or used in combination with your present training to kick things up a gear and rapidly build cardiovascular fitness, strength endurance and power.

Is this suitable for me?

The program is suitable for anyone with an adventurous spirit! The Summer Blitz operates along the lines of the Fitness Booster – a workout will be issued every day except Sunday for four weeks, so you won’t know what’s to come. It’s all about exploring the unknown, pushing yourself hard, and enjoying something new with a bunch of people you’ve never met before. Every workout accommodates every fitness level, from complete beginners all the way up to advanced gym addicts. My goal is to get everyone addicted!

Okay sounds good, how do I get involved?

Simple. Just register to our blog and the workouts will be sent to you by email every day for a month. Then drop me a line below, indicating whether your aim is to do the workouts over 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks – so I can make sure there are gym buddies to train with and group sessions to get involved in throughout, to keep you motivated and entertained.

Did you say something about Triathlon?

Indeed I did! Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays we will be organising group training sessions for our Craggy Island Triathlon Team. Fridays we run intervals in Holyrood Park, Saturdays we cycle and Sundays we swim. All weather permitting. Should Mother Nature turn on us, I’ll arrange some in-house HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions for our Triathletes, to which you’re also welcome. If these outdoor/ HIIT sessions interest you, find me on facebook and I’ll add you to our training group. Everyone is welcome, so don’t be shy! Get involved, we’d love to have you!

Chloe

Ever heard of Jack3d?

…it’s turning gym addicts 3D!

Jack3d

The hype surrounding pre-workout nitric oxide supplement Jack3d is phenomenal. It started life as “Jacked”, but was rebranded and reformulated after patent infringement claims by the manufacturer of NO Xplode (the other dominant nitric oxide supplement on the market). It consequently became Jack3d, which tastes significantly different to Jacked and contains a higher concentration of the proprietary blend. Shortly after this transition, there were stories of it being banned in the UK (it was banned in Ireland) and it was suddenly sold out everywhere. Was this impressive marketing or is there some magic in the tiny tub? Is it my ideal supplement? Does it increase motivation, increase performance/ work output, increase recovery, increase fat burning and reduced appetite as promised?

Simple test…

In my initial post, Potent White Blue Raspberry Flavoured Bikini Body Ripped Abs, I promised to test each supplement for two weeks, however, when I began to experiment with Jack3D, I realized this wasn’t sufficient time to determine its benefits nor draw any conclusions regarding resistance and tolerance. I consequently tested the product for 30 days, followed by a two-week period of training without it. My conclusions are based on averaging the effects over the full 30 days as compared to the preceding month and subsequent two weeks. This is in no way scientific, but it is an accurate reflection of my experience of the product.

My experience in a nutshell:

Jack3D Results at a Glance
	Worse	No Change	Improved	Awesome	Phenomenal
Perceived Training Output				✓
Actual Power Output (measured on bike)			✓
Absolute Strength (ability to perform low-rep/ single rep resistance training)		✓
Strength Endurance (ability to perform high-rep resistance training)				✓
Focus				✓
Motivation			✓

How does it work?

Jack3D’s proprietary blend contains 5 major ingredients: 1,3-Dimethylamylamine, Schizandrol A, Caffeine, Beta-Alanine and Creatine Monohydrate. USP Labs (the manufacturers of Jack3d) pride themselves on the fact that the product contains no fillers, artificial dyes or colorants. Indeed, for a training supplement the “Other Ingredients” list is quite short. What concerns me, however, is USP lab states that each scoop contains 4145mg of the proprietary blend, but gives no indication of the quantity of individual components. Consequently users could be paying roughly £23 for a tub of 90% caffeine… caffeine tablets currently retail at about £3.

• 1,3-Dimethylamylamine – this is a sympathomimetic compound and therefore mimics the effects of the sumpathetic nervous system by the same method as adrenaline and dopamine. The claimed result being improved strength output, focus, alertness and mood. A side effect being reduced appetite.
• Schizandrol A – to be honest the evidence that this does anything is poor as there are no studies in humans (that I could find), and even in rats the conclusions are mixed. Botanists claim the Schizndra fruit (from which it is isolated) can increase the speed of the reflex nervous system. Some studies suggest there may be a chance that it is a CNS stimulant, therefore, also improving focus. Monstersupplements.com claims it improves physical force.
• Beta-Alanine – a non-essential amino acid thought to increase muscular strength and power output, muscle mass, anaerobic endurance, aerobic endurance and delay muscular fatigue. Weights training is a largely anaerobic activity and carnosine (synthesized from Beta-alanine) is thought to act as a buffer to hydrogen ions produced during training. These ions result in muscle failure, predominantly at the end of a set. Studies have found increased carnosine levels in muscles with Beta- alanine supplementation, however, it takes about 2 weeks for the effect to kick in.
• Creatine Monohydrate – this is believed to support energy supply to all cells in the body, but primarily muscle cells, by increasing production of ATP. Creatine Monohydrate is naturally produced by the kidneys and liver from amino acids.

Side effects?

USP labs claims that the lack of fillers in Jack3d significantly reduces the number of potential side effects. Nonetheless, I experience a tingling sensation in my fingers and legs every time I took it, and found it difficult to run within an hour of drinking it, as it seemed to unsettle my stomach. Tony White also noted the tingling sensation, however, Tom experienced no side effects. Do let me know, if you have ever had any problems taking it.

Other important factors…
	YES	NO	Infrequently	Sometimes	Often
Tastes okay?	✓
Mixes with water easily?	✓
Reduces hunger				✓
Easy on the stomach?		✓
Addictive?	✓
Reduced sensitivity within a month?	✓
Side effects?	✓

The effects of Jack3d began to diminish towards the end of week 3. However, cycling the supplement would likely slow the development of tolerance. Most people I’ve spoken to that use Jack3d, quickly moved up to the maximum dose (three scoops per day). I stuck to 1 scoop throughout the 30 days, and even though the perceived effects diminished, I continued to train hard. Coming off the Jack3d for two weeks was not easy! My training fell apart somewhat, and I was definitely grumpy. I didn’t feel like training and I found training boring. This may have had more to do with the psychological effect of a pre-workout routine involving the taking of a supplement (the placebo effect), than the specific effects of Jack3d. It’s difficult to say.

Let me know what you think…

If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line below. Indeed, if you have tried Jack3d and like it or hate it, I’d love to hear your experience of the product.

The Thor Training Plan – Week 4

A new week and a new set of challenges to pur your strength and fitness to the test.

By now you should have a pretty good idea of what weight you can do on which exercises for a certain number of reps. For the first exercise on each day this week, choose a weight that is approx your 5 rep max. In other words, a weight with which you could complete 5 full, quality reps with the weight, but would struggle to complete 6 or more. With that weight you are going to perform 10 single reps on the main exercise supersetting with the paired exercise.

There are a few changes to rest periods this week. Make sure you check your rest period for each set and keep it strict.

Session 14

Back Squat + Chin Up Hold – 10x 1 squat +1 chin up with 5 second hold at the top (30-60s rest Max)
Dumbbell Goblet Squat + Plank Hold Rotations – 4x 5+5 each side (15-30s rest max)
Seated Row (machine or cable) + Mountain Climbers – 3x 20+20 (30-45s rest max)
Intervals– (bike, rower or treadmill) – 30s sprint + 90s steady work – x5 = 10 mins

Session 15

Bench Press + Squat Jumps – 10x 1 bench + 5 squat jumps (30-60s rest Max)
Dumbbell Shoulder press + Burpees – 4x 5+5 (15-30s rest max)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise + Cable Rotations – 3x 20+20 (30-45s rest max)
Intervals – (bike, rower or treadmill) – 60s work + 30s rest (complete rest, stop) – x6 = 9 mins

Session 16

Deadlift + Explosive Press Up – 10x 1 deadlift + 5 explosive press ups (try & push your hands off the ground) (30-60s rest Max)
Dumbbell Stiff Deadlift + 20kg Plate Squeezebox – 4x 5+5 (15-30s rest max)
Bodyweight Lunge + Sit Ups – 3x 20+20 (30-45s rest max)
Intervals – (bike or treadmill) – 90s work high resistance + 60s steady pace lower resistance – (Bike – increase resistance + out the saddle, Treadmill – increase speed + incline) – x4 = 10 mins

Session 17

Push Press (bar or dbells) + KettleBell swings – 10x 1 Push Press + 5 Kbell swings (30-60s rest Max)
Incline Bench Dumbbell Press + Leg Dops (on flat bench) – 4x 5+5 (15-30s rest max)
Cable Tricep Extensions + Reverse Lunges – 3x 20+20 (30-45s rest max)
Intervals – (bike, rower or treadmill) – 45s sprint + 45s steady work – x6 = 9 mins

Session 18

Pull Up/Chin Up+ explosive push up step overs  – 10x 1 Pull Up + 5  Step over push ups (use large plate or step. 1 hand on step, 1 on floor, push up over and across, work side to side) (30-60s rest Max)
Bar Bent Over Row + Press Up hold knee tucks – 4x 5+5  – holding a press up position, bring your knee up and touch your elbow. 5 each side = 10 reps total (15-30s rest max)
Alternate dumbbell bicep curls + Standing dumbbell shoulder press – 3x 20+20 (30-45s rest max) (20 alternate curls = 10 each arm)
Intervals – (bike, rower or treadmill) – 20s Max Sprint – 40s rest (complete rest, stop) – x8 = 8 mins

Remember to drop a comment here to let us know how you get on!

Tom

p.s. Thor Week 5 & 6 include a total body metabolic conditioning circuit. I will be running a free circuit class for this session for anyone that wants to do a Team Thor group session. The session will be on either Friday @ 7pm or Saturday @ 10am. Drop a comment & let me know if you are up for it and which time slot suits. If there is enough interest for both I will run both sessions.

The Thor Training Plan – Week 3

This week the training steps up a notch. Week 3 is the first week of 5 training sessions. This week is a high volume mix of rep ranges, working from sets of heavy doubles to supersets of 60 reps. Having this wide rep range in each workout should challenge your body in a completely different way. There are also a couple fitness challenges built in for you to test yourself and beat your score.

Get to it!

Session 9

Bench Press – 5x2reps (+ weight as required), 5x 10reps (- weight if required) Rest – 5x2reps = 120-150s max. 5x 10reps = 60-90s max.
EZ Bar Curls/Cable Curls + Cable Tricep Extensions – 5x 8+8 (aim to increase weight on both exercises each set, so start at a comfortable weight). Rest 60-90s max.
6^th set 1x 30+30 (drop back to the weight you started at on the 1^st set and completed 30 reps of each, alternating between exercises if you need to stop/rest or you fail – such as 12curls + 12ext + 7curls + 9ext + 5curls + 6ext + 6curls + 3ext) Work continuously until completed 30reps of each.
1500m Row or Run – (steady pace, note your time to complete)

Session 10

Squat – 5x2reps (+ weight as required), 5x 10reps (- weight if required)
Rest – 5x2reps = 120-150s max. 5x 10reps = 60-90s max.
Incline Dumbbell Press + Dumbbell Pullover-Squeeze Box – 5x 8+8 (aim to increase weight on both exercises each set, so start at a comfortable weight). Rest 60-90s max.
6^th set 1x 30+30 (as described in session 9) Work continuously until completed 30reps of each.
4 rounds non-stop – (note your time to complete)
• 20 Kettlebell Swings +
• 10 Press Ups +
• 20 Mountain Climbers

Session 11

Pull Ups – 5x2reps (+weight as required or do negatives) Rest – 5x2reps = 120-150s max.
1 Arm Dumbbell Rows – 5x 10reps (- weight if required) Rest – 5x 10reps = 60-90s max.
Dumbbell Front Squat + Dumbbell Glute Bridge –  5x 8+8 (aim to increase weight on both exercises each set, so start at a comfortable weight). Rest 60-90s max.
6^th set 1x 30+30 (as described in session 9) Work continuously until completed 30reps of each.
1500m Row or Run – (Faster pace, beat your time from session 9)

Session 12

OH Press / Push Press – 5x2reps (+ weight as required), 5x 10reps (- weight if required) Rest – 5x2reps = 120-150s max. 5x 10reps = 60-90s max.
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown + Dumbbell bent over reverse flyes – 5x 8+8 (aim to increase weight on both exercises each set, so start at a comfortable weight). Rest 60-90s max.
6^th set 1x 30+30 (as described in session 9) Work continuously until completed 30reps of each.
1500m Row or Run – (Full speed, smash your time from session 11)

Session 13

Deadlifts – 5x2reps (+ weight as required), 5x 10reps (- weight if required) Rest – 5x2reps = 120-150s max. 5x 10reps = 60-90s max.
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press + Dumbbell Stiff Deadlift (either with 1 or both dbells) – 5x 8+8 (aim to increase weight on both exercises each set, so start at a comfortable weight). Rest 60-90s max.
6^th set 1x 30+30 (as described in session 9) Work continuously until completed 30reps of each.
4 rounds non-stop – (beat your time from session 10, last exercise set for week 2, end with a big effort)
• 20 Kettlebell Swings +
• 10 Press Ups +
• 20 Mountain Climbers

Tom

Set your sights on Craggy Island!

Training is a lot more fun when there’s a goal at the end. Hence, myself and two friends have decided to undertake the Craggy Island Triathlon this September. It’s an off-road triathlon involving a 550m swim from the mainland to the Isle of Kerrera, followed by a 15km off-road bike segment and an uphill 4km run. None of us has any open water swimming experience (in fact, not much pool swimming has been done either), nor much off-road biking experience and our abilities when it comes to running is dubious (hampered by a variety of injuries). Nonetheless, Katie is a good rower, Kelly certainly knows her way around a gym and I can ride on the road, so we’ve decided we’re qualified – albeit we obviously need some serious training!

Why am I telling you this??

Because I want you to consider joining us. Training is also a lot more fun when you’re doing it as part of a group. Thus I’ve decided to put together a FG Craggy Island Triathlon Team. We’ll learn together, train together and participate together. FG will pay 50% of your entry to the triathlon and provide “team kit” – still to be designed, but it will be cool. Our FG experts will also design a training program for you to follow, and I will be organising discipline specific training sessions. Wahoooo… it’s going to be awesome fun!

Don’t be silly, I can’t do that!

Sure you can! No really, you can. It’s a challenge, but it’s very possible. Nonetheless, I’m afraid you do need to possess certain skills and qualities to join the FG Craggy Island Team:

• A willingness and desire to train – group training is the mission, so team members need to want to train. However, ‘training together’ doesn’t necessitate physically doing every session together, rather it implies working towards a goal together. Obviously there’s no way our schedules will enable us to train together every session, but once a week would be awesome, and the rest of the sessions can be done on your own. The team will be small (5 max) so we should be able to work around schedules.
• Some ability to swim – you need to know how to swim and be reasonably comfortable in water. I haven’t trained in a pool for years, so I know I will need a lot of practice, but fundamentally I know how to swim, and that’s what we’re looking for. We will work on technique, efficiency and speed, but you do need to know how to swim (freestyle/ front crawl). You will also need to buy a wetsuit for the race.
• Saddle experience – similarly you need to know how to ride a bike. This will be an off-road race, so we will do some off-road training. I’ve never done any off-road biking myself, so I’ve recruited an expert to train us. You can rent a bike for the race, so you don’t necessarily need to own one, but you do need to be reasonably confident on a bike.
• To be prepared to run – speed isn’t important to us (this is for fun), but you will need to be able to or prepared to learn to run. If you’re running ability is poor/ non-existent this doesn’t exclude you, providing you’re prepared to learn and/or improve.

Okay, I’m interested…

Woooopeee! Check out the Craggie Island Triathlon website and then post message below to let me know you’re interested. We’ll all need to get signed up soon, so give it a think and let me know asap.

Not for me, but some of the training sounds fun…

The sessions will be open to anyone, so even if you don’t want to do the full event you’re very welcome to train with us. A general program outline will be posted on the blog and I’ll be arranging group runs, swims and rides – you’re very welcome to join in. Again, if you’re interested in elements of the training, let me know so I can ensure to include you. The more the merrier.

Knee Pain? What does it mean?

This article has been prepared by Chiropractor Colin Wellsted. If you have any questions regarding its content, please feel free to comment below or get in touch with Colin via email at colinwellsted@hotmail.co.uk. Colin also provides free chiropractic consultations and assessments every Tuesday lunchtime and evening at Factory Gyms.

Hampered by a twinge in the knee?

Concerned by a non-descript knee pain?

Knee pain can be worrying. Particularly as it often appears for no apparent reason and it is often difficult to find an obvious cause. For those who run it can be really confusing as one knee can hurt, whilst the other does not. Normal activity is affected, gym routines are compromised and climbing or descending stairs and getting out of chairs all become difficult and maybe painful on the knee. The vast majority of knee pain can be traced to a number of factors:

1. direct trauma (the bad tackle or skiing accident);
2. degenerative anatomical changes (osteoarthritis – the gradual achy stiff knee); or
3. functional issues, where undue stress is placed on the knee due to one or more aspects of the lower limb not working properly.

Whilst injury to the knee occurs often during sporting activities it should be noted that a high percentage of these occur without contact. For example 72% of Anterior Cruciate Ligament ruptures are reported to involve no contact (Michael Owen ACL injury – 2006 World Cup). Experiencing knee pain when running, squatting or jumping, could suggest that an intrinsic degree of instability in high load situations is the likely cause, particularly if there is no history of trauma or obvious degenerative changes.

It’s a unique joint…

The knee is a simple “hinge” joint, with a few clever tricks. Uniquely, the joint it has two incredibly strong ligaments (ACL / PCL) that keep the joint “centred” through all its movements, especially when excessive weight is added, for example in the squat position. The Knee “locks” when extended so that you do not have to use enormous amounts of effort to keep the leg straight whilst standing. As simple as it is, it is often the “victim” of other issues within the lower limb from foot to hip. Undue stress in the knee is often the result of dysfunction in the hip, foot, ankle or lower limb muscles. Some examples listed below:

• Hyperpronation of the foot (collapsing arches when walking)
• Reduced muscle length (tight muscles)
• Abnormal hamstrings: quadriceps ratio (over dominant muscle groups)
• Faulty motor control (poor control of knee movement)

Impact of the Foot & Ankle

Foot and ankle problems can lead to pain felt in and around the patella (kneecap), particularly if you are susceptible to early pronation (flattening of the arch) during the stance phase of running.

Reduced Muscle Length

Conversely how difficult or easy is it for you to touch your toes? Or when you walk or perform leg exercises (squats, lunges, glut raises) do the front of your thighs or calves always hurt the most? Reduced muscle length around the hip, thigh or calf, all affect the balance and movement pattern of the knee. Shortened quadriceps (thigh) and or shortened gastrocnemius (calf) muscles are predictive of patella-femoral-pain-syndrome. If the muscle strength ratio is out of balance, particularly in the thigh and hip, the stresses of maintaining the congruity of the knee joint can affect the ligaments around the joint (inside edge and outside edge of the knee) causing pain.

Faulty Motor Control

Faulty motor control refers to a lack of control of knee movement either in the muscles or the joints. Whilst attempting one legged squats, does your knee “wobble” from side to side? This could indicate a lack of control, particularly if there is pain in the knee.

Other than pain, what is the impact of knee injury???

Research suggests that the effects of a knee injury on lower limb function look very similar to problems that cause knee problems. The list is as follows and is very similar to the above list:

Inhibition and atrophy of quadriceps (Particularly VMO – motor control of the knee)

Inhibition of popliteus muscle (motor control of knee)

Hypertonicity soleus, hamstrings, rectus femoris and ITB contracture (tight muscles)

Disruption of normal Hamstring : Quadriceps ratio

It’s a viscous circle if the disfunction of the lower limb is not addressed.

In summary:

Knee pain is more likely to be as a result of functional imbalance rather than traumatic injury (bad tackle) or anatomical changes (osteoarthritis) although the knees can be affected by all these aspects at one time or another.

The whole leg – from hip to toe need to be considered when trying to address knee pain.

Injury to the knee can exacerbate functional issues which may cause further problems

Understanding the underlying cause of the knee pain will often make addressing it far more effective and allow a return to activity without the concern of causing more damage to the knee.

Colin Wellsted MChiro

The Thor Training Plan – Week 2

Become a Thunder God checklist:

• All 4 training sessions from week 1 completed? Check
• Ready to work harder in week 2? Check
• More broccoli & lean protein added into your diet? Check
• Cut out the junk food crap from your diet? Check

Warm up principles and the sets & reps protocol stay the same for week 2 (and every week from here on).

Week 2

Session 5 –

Squat – 6×3 – (3 work sets to get up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set*
Deadlift – 6×3 – (work up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set*
(Squat & Deadlift – Sets 1-3, 90s rest max, sets 4-6, 120s rest max)
Front Squat+Squat Jumps – 4×6+6 (90s rest max, Front squat ideally with a bar. Dumbell front squat/Goblet squat can be used as an alternative)
Dumbbell Reverse Lunges+Jump Lunges – 4×6+6 (60s rest max)
6 mins Spinning – 1 min steady then 30s work out the saddle (increase resistance) + 30s slow recovery x5 intervals = 6mins total

Session 6 –

Bench Press – 6×3 (work up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set*
Pull Ups – 6×3 (work up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set* – complete weighted is x3 with bodyweight is comfortable. Complete as negatives if full reps are not manageable.
(Bench Press + Pull Ups – Sets 1-3, 90s rest max, sets 4-6, 120s rest max)
Incline Db Press + 1 Arm Dbell Rows – 4×6+6 (90s max rest)
Seated Row + Press Ups + Sball Jack-Knife – 4×10+10+10 (60s rest max, seated row can be cable or machine)
6mins Rower Intervals – 1min steady row then 20s hard sprint + 40 slow recovery x5 intervals = 6mins total

Session 7 –

Push Press – 6×3 (work up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set*
Hang Clean, High Pulls or Upright Rows – 6×3 (work up to a heavier weight for 3×3) +7^th set Drop Set*
(Push Press + Pulling exercise – Sets 1-3, 90s rest max, sets 4-6, 120s rest max)
Seated Dbell Shoulder Press + Dbell Shrugs – 4×6+6 – (90s max rest)
Alt Dbell Curls + Reverse Flyes + Cable Wood-Chops – 4x 10+10+10each side – (60s rest max)
8 min run – Speed Pyramid – This is a 4min run to be repeated twice. Each min, for 4mins increase the speed so you move from jog to run to fast run to sprint. Go back to your jog speed and repeat through to sprint.

Session 8 –

1000m Rower  – sprint last 200m
20kg plate circuit – Bent Over Row to Shoulder press x8 + OverHead Lunges x8 + Squeeze Box x8 – 5 rounds of 8+8+8 (60-90s rest max)
500m Rower Sprint – complete as fast as possible
Kettlebell circuit – KBell or Dbell Swings + Side Plank Hold Rotations (SPR) each side – x3 rounds, 30-45s rest max between rounds

• Round 1 – 10 swings + 10 SPRs e/s
• Round 2 – 20 swings + 10 SPRs e/s
• Round 3 – 30 swings + 10 SPRs e/s

500m Rower Sprint – complete as fast as possible
Bodyweight Circuit Finisher – Hanging Leg Raise/Knee tuck x10 + Inverted Rows x10 + Press Ups x10 – x3 rounds, a little rest as required (none) between rounds.

* 7^th set Drop Set – As soon as you finish the 6^th set, with no rest, drop the weight down to a load slightly less than what you used for the first work set and aim for 8-12 reps. (if your 6 work sets were 70×3, 80×3, 90×3, 3x 100×3 drop down to 60-70kg depending how fatigued you are feeling)

FG Super6 Series – Challenge 6

This is the final workout of the Super6 series – this is what we’ve been building towards. Again, we’re focusing on high intensity cardiovascular training using intervals. Today we’re using a straightforward pyramid including sprints on a treadmill (10s – 100s). However, unlike workout 4, in this workout all the reps increase at the same time, making this significantly tougher! Start with the most advanced version of the workout you can, and then (if necessary) drop to a less advanced exercise or circuit. Operate continuously until Set 5 and thereafter take no more than 15s rest if you’re doing the beginner workout, 20s if you’re doing the intermediate and 30s on the advanced.

Final Super6 Workout
Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
Pyramid SETS to 10:	PYRAMID SETS to 10:	PYRAMID SETS to 10:
10s Sprint	10s Sprint	10s Sprint
Bulgarian Split Squat (one each leg)	Bulgarian Split Squat (one each leg)	Bulgarian Split Squat (one each leg)
Push-up (box)	Push-up (Kneeling)	Push-up (Full)
	One Armed Row (one each arm)	One Armed Row (one each arm)
		Burpees!
All Done Folks!! Nice One!!

Feedback Please…

Next week, put your fitness to the test again by seeing how long it takes you to cover 3km or 5km. Compare your results to three weeks ago and let me know how you’ve done. Also, I’d love to know how you’ve found the past 4 weeks of training (the Booster and FG Super6 combined). All feedback is very much appreciated. We’re looking to launch a Summer 4 Week Training Program here on the blog in a couple weeks, so I’d love your feedback before I start designing and testing the workouts!

FG Super6 Series – Challenge 5

It’s a mental game…

Feeling tired? Sore legs? Long day at work? Just don’t feel to train? A lack of motivation is completely normal, everyone from complete novices to professional athletes suffer from a lack of motivation. The key difference between those who get results and those who don’t, is consistency and perseverance. If you’ve been following this Super6 Series, you’ll no doubt be feeling sore and tired. If you followed the Booster too, you’ll be even more tired. Forget it. Feeling sluggish doesn’t mean it’s time to rest. Hell no! The way you ‘feel’ actually has no baring on the success of your workout, you don’t need to be having an awesome day to have an awesome workout. Rest and recovery are indeed important for progress, however, they should be part of an overall training system and not determined by your emotions. Training according to how you feel will unfortunately get you nowhere. Today’s workout is all about mental strength, so buckle down, dig deep, and get into the gym for this workout. It is worth the effort.

Push, push, push… together we get fitter, faster & stronger!

Today’s workout adopts a different approach – rather than completing a set number of reps, this workout is based on time. The goal is to complete the circuit as many times as possible within a given time. Training like this requires mental toughness as there is a natural tendency to work less intensely and let the time pass. That’s the very point of this workout, not only will we be training your mind to tolerate maximum efforts but to do so when an easy option sits right in front of you. It’s your choice. Relax, and the workout will pass by all the same, or work like an animal, sweat like a dog and train your body and mind to operate at its max. During every minute of every second of this workout you get to choose, push hard or chill out. Train like a champion, or don’t.

Challenge 5
Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
400m Run or Walk/run	400m Sprint	800m Sprint
12 Cossak Squats (no weights)	20 Cossak Squats (no weights)	12 Cossak Squats (with weight)
10 Renegade Row (no weight)	12 Renegade Row (with dumbbells)	10 Renegade Row (with dumbbells)
10 Shoulder Press	10 Shoulder Press (with dumbbells)	12 Push-press (with bar/ dumbbells)
5 Inchworms	5 Inchworms	8 Inchworms
Perform the circuit continuously for 20 min	Perform the circuit continuously for 30 min	Perform the circuit continuously for 40 min

All the exercises in today’s workout have been demonstrated previously, so if you’re unsure of anything watch the past videos or come find me in the gym.

The final Super6 Challenge is epic! So get some rest before you do it. I’ll be in the gym on Sunday to give it my all, so if you’re looking for company, come join me!

^{Challenge 6}