Tonight was another Eastbourne Boot Camp session which took place on Brighton University Astro Turf in Meads, Eastbourne.
There was a good turn out of 12 keen boot campers and thankfully the weather held off for a very good session.
Tonight's session had a long kettlebell set focus and went as follows:-
10 Minute Dynamic Warm Up
Round 1
Kettlebell Swing Ladder
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 30, 25, 20 reps with 20 -30 seconds rest between sets.
Round 2
Kettlebell Squats 20 reps
Prisoner Squats 20 reps with pulsing, half rep holds etc
Run 40M
Skipping, star jumps, prisoner squats
Run 20M
Walking Lunges, Jump Squats, Walking Lunges
Run 40M
Prisoner Squats and star jumps
Walking Lunges
Run 20M
Round 3
8 minute kettlebell set including:-
Push Press
Pass Round
Stiff Leg Deadlift
Upright Row
Suitcase Deadlifts
Round 4
2* 2.5 minute rounds of crunches, v ups, planks, superman planks and leg raises
Round 5
Kettlebell True Snatch Pull
Kettlebell Side Bends super set 15 reps each until 6 minutes completed.
Round 6
Single Arm Kettlebell Rows 3 sets of 10 reps each side continuous.
WELL DONE EVERYONE and a great effort by all who attended!
If you want to find out more about the MOST intense exercise class in Eastbourne visit Eastbourne Boot Camp HERE!
Monday, 8 November 2010
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Recent Strength Training
My power lifting training has been going extremely well recently and seems to have taken a step forward since I have started using a slightly less conventional approach to my squatting and deadlifting.
Many sources on the Internet suggest that squats and deadlifts, due to their extremely demanding nature, should be performed infrequently at around once per week.
Personally, my squat has always been my weakest lift thus in an attempt to bring it up to scratch I have been squatting twice weekly using weights of around 80 - 85% of my one rep max.
By using lighter percentages and squatting for between 2 and 4 work sets of 3 and 5 reps with good form I have found that my strength has continued to increase alongside improvements in my technique which now allows me to squat much deeper while maintaining an upright torso position.
One very welcome side effect of this twice weekly squatting has been the improvement in my deadlifting.
4 weeks ago I struggled to hit 170kg for 5 reps but yesterday I managed to get a new personal best of 170kg * 7 reps @ 76.6kg body weight.
My weekly plan in respect of squats and deadlifts has consisted of:-
Session 1
Squat - working up to 4 triples at 80 - 85% max.
Deadlift - 4 warm up sets up to 140kg with 3 work sets of 150, 160 and 170kg.
Sumo Deadlift - 5 singles up to 190kg.
Kettlebell swings - 100 reps with a 20kg bell broken down to 3-5 sets.
Session 2
Squat - working up to a top set of 5 reps with 80 - 85% max.
Stiff Leg Deadlift standing on a 5" block - 5 sets up to 130kg
Heavy Kettlebell Side Bends - 3 sets each side
Weighted Decline Crunches - 4 sets.
I also think that regular Kettlebell training (using swings and snatches) has also played a significant role in the conditioning and recovery of my posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors)which has made my recovery from one squat session to the next that much faster.
Notably I cycle for 4 weeks of training before taking an easier back down week to allow for deloading of the spinal column, extra stretching and recovery of the central nervous system.
Here is a video of yesterdays personal best.
Note: -
I re-set between each rep as in competition I only ever perform 1 rep.
By training my rep sets this way, each rep, is in effect a new single rep and is more specific to the nature of powerlifting. The reach up technique is used to help get a larger breath before the descent which assists with a stronger valsalva technique helping to keep the abdomen and torso tighter with less chance of back rounding and injury. (Please excuse the bellow on the last rep!)
Many sources on the Internet suggest that squats and deadlifts, due to their extremely demanding nature, should be performed infrequently at around once per week.
Personally, my squat has always been my weakest lift thus in an attempt to bring it up to scratch I have been squatting twice weekly using weights of around 80 - 85% of my one rep max.
By using lighter percentages and squatting for between 2 and 4 work sets of 3 and 5 reps with good form I have found that my strength has continued to increase alongside improvements in my technique which now allows me to squat much deeper while maintaining an upright torso position.
One very welcome side effect of this twice weekly squatting has been the improvement in my deadlifting.
4 weeks ago I struggled to hit 170kg for 5 reps but yesterday I managed to get a new personal best of 170kg * 7 reps @ 76.6kg body weight.
My weekly plan in respect of squats and deadlifts has consisted of:-
Session 1
Squat - working up to 4 triples at 80 - 85% max.
Deadlift - 4 warm up sets up to 140kg with 3 work sets of 150, 160 and 170kg.
Sumo Deadlift - 5 singles up to 190kg.
Kettlebell swings - 100 reps with a 20kg bell broken down to 3-5 sets.
Session 2
Squat - working up to a top set of 5 reps with 80 - 85% max.
Stiff Leg Deadlift standing on a 5" block - 5 sets up to 130kg
Heavy Kettlebell Side Bends - 3 sets each side
Weighted Decline Crunches - 4 sets.
I also think that regular Kettlebell training (using swings and snatches) has also played a significant role in the conditioning and recovery of my posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors)which has made my recovery from one squat session to the next that much faster.
Notably I cycle for 4 weeks of training before taking an easier back down week to allow for deloading of the spinal column, extra stretching and recovery of the central nervous system.
Here is a video of yesterdays personal best.
Note: -
I re-set between each rep as in competition I only ever perform 1 rep.
By training my rep sets this way, each rep, is in effect a new single rep and is more specific to the nature of powerlifting. The reach up technique is used to help get a larger breath before the descent which assists with a stronger valsalva technique helping to keep the abdomen and torso tighter with less chance of back rounding and injury. (Please excuse the bellow on the last rep!)
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Bulgarian Bag Training
At the end of November I will be attending the IBBC Bulgarian Bag Certificate delivered by Optimal Life Fitness.
For those who have never seen a Bulgarian bag it was originally developed by Ivan Ivanov who is the head coach of the Greco Roman wrestling team at the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC).
More information can be found here:-
http://ibbconline.com/
Bulgarian Bag training is an intense and incredibly effective way of increasing the bodies muscular endurance, anaerobic power and over all strength.
A Bulgarian Bag workout has to be experienced to be appreciated. These funny shaped bags can deliver truly BRUTAL sessions!
Here is a clip of me training for the Spin Test which is a prerequisite for passing the course.
The test comprises of:-
10 spins on each direction followed by 10 push ups.
This is repeated 5 times in under 3 minutes 30 seconds.
For those who have never seen a Bulgarian bag it was originally developed by Ivan Ivanov who is the head coach of the Greco Roman wrestling team at the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC).
More information can be found here:-
http://ibbconline.com/
Bulgarian Bag training is an intense and incredibly effective way of increasing the bodies muscular endurance, anaerobic power and over all strength.
A Bulgarian Bag workout has to be experienced to be appreciated. These funny shaped bags can deliver truly BRUTAL sessions!
Here is a clip of me training for the Spin Test which is a prerequisite for passing the course.
The test comprises of:-
10 spins on each direction followed by 10 push ups.
This is repeated 5 times in under 3 minutes 30 seconds.
My Recent Powerlifting Competition
Apologies for the lack of updates on my blog, it seems the world and his wife wish to get in shape for the upcoming festive season so consequently I have been kept incredibly busy!
A couple of weeks ago I took part in the British Drug Free Powerlifting All English competition held in Bournemouth. This competition was run by Paul Rees from Bournemouth Barbell Club who always puts on a great day. The All English was the first opportunity to qualify for the British Championships next year and my goal on this occasion was to qualify.
On the build up to the competition I took it upon myself to drop a weight category from the 82.5kg Class to the 75kg Class. This was mainly due to me wishing to be more competitive by holding onto my current strength levels while reducing body fat.
Prior to the cut I was walking round at a body weight of 85kg and over the course of 6 weeks dropped to 75kg on the morning before the competition. My approach consisted of lots of strength training combined with high intensity conditioning using kettlebells and Bulgarian Bag training. The result is I look and feel so much more athletic which is always a good thing!
On the day of the competition I weighed in at 74.3kg after a little fluid manipulation the day previous. Perfect!
I had a great day and managed the following lifts:-
Squat 135kg, 142.5kg, 150kg
Bench Press 110kg, 115kg, 120kg
Deadlift 180kg, 187.5kg, 195kg.
Each of the top lifts was a personal best at this body weight and my total of 465kg qualifies me early for the British Champs next year.
Now I have the winter to prepare and gradually get stronger while keeping my body weight around the 77kg mark. So far it is going incredibly well and last week I hit a 170kg * 6 rep personal best and 190kg sumo deadlift.
Here is a clip of the 190kg Sumo Deadlift.
A couple of weeks ago I took part in the British Drug Free Powerlifting All English competition held in Bournemouth. This competition was run by Paul Rees from Bournemouth Barbell Club who always puts on a great day. The All English was the first opportunity to qualify for the British Championships next year and my goal on this occasion was to qualify.
On the build up to the competition I took it upon myself to drop a weight category from the 82.5kg Class to the 75kg Class. This was mainly due to me wishing to be more competitive by holding onto my current strength levels while reducing body fat.
Prior to the cut I was walking round at a body weight of 85kg and over the course of 6 weeks dropped to 75kg on the morning before the competition. My approach consisted of lots of strength training combined with high intensity conditioning using kettlebells and Bulgarian Bag training. The result is I look and feel so much more athletic which is always a good thing!
On the day of the competition I weighed in at 74.3kg after a little fluid manipulation the day previous. Perfect!
I had a great day and managed the following lifts:-
Squat 135kg, 142.5kg, 150kg
Bench Press 110kg, 115kg, 120kg
Deadlift 180kg, 187.5kg, 195kg.
Each of the top lifts was a personal best at this body weight and my total of 465kg qualifies me early for the British Champs next year.
Now I have the winter to prepare and gradually get stronger while keeping my body weight around the 77kg mark. So far it is going incredibly well and last week I hit a 170kg * 6 rep personal best and 190kg sumo deadlift.
Here is a clip of the 190kg Sumo Deadlift.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Eastbourne Boot Camp - Winter Sessions
If you are looking to stay in tip top shape this winter but have no desire to step foot into an over crowded, sweaty gym and perform boring workouts that deliver at best, mediocre results, then look no further than Eastbourne Boot Camp this winter.
Eastbourne Boot Camp is truly unique, there are simply NO OTHER classes like this in Eastbourne.
So what sets Eastbourne Boot Camp apart from all other classes?
Matt Shore is the founder of EBC ans is the leading Advanced Kettlebell Instructor in the South East.
All sessions are based around intense kettlebell, bulgarian bag, battling rope and functional fitness training techniques. These techniques are implemented to strengthen and tone your muscles while burning lots of calories and helping your body to burn more fat - even when resting! In addition you can look forward to increased joint stability, flexibility and total body fitness.
When you enrol on Eastbourne Boot Camp you get free access to one of the leading personal trainers in the county who is willing to answer any questions you may have.
You are helped every step of the way by a free information pack which details how to lose weight effectively and get the most from your training and nutrition.
The current boot camp block starts on Monday 4th October and runs until Saturday 30th October.
Times of sessions are:-
Monday 19:00 - 20:00 @ Hillbrow Sports Centre Astro Turf, Denton Rd, Eastbourne
Thursday 19:00 - 20:00 @ Hillbrow Sports Centre Astro Turf, Denton Rd, Eastbourne
Saturday 09:00 - 10:00 @ Gildredge Park, Eastbourne.
More information can be found at: -
Eastbourne Boot Camp - Winter Fitness!
Eastbourne Boot Camp is truly unique, there are simply NO OTHER classes like this in Eastbourne.
So what sets Eastbourne Boot Camp apart from all other classes?
Matt Shore is the founder of EBC ans is the leading Advanced Kettlebell Instructor in the South East.
All sessions are based around intense kettlebell, bulgarian bag, battling rope and functional fitness training techniques. These techniques are implemented to strengthen and tone your muscles while burning lots of calories and helping your body to burn more fat - even when resting! In addition you can look forward to increased joint stability, flexibility and total body fitness.
When you enrol on Eastbourne Boot Camp you get free access to one of the leading personal trainers in the county who is willing to answer any questions you may have.
You are helped every step of the way by a free information pack which details how to lose weight effectively and get the most from your training and nutrition.
The current boot camp block starts on Monday 4th October and runs until Saturday 30th October.
Times of sessions are:-
Monday 19:00 - 20:00 @ Hillbrow Sports Centre Astro Turf, Denton Rd, Eastbourne
Thursday 19:00 - 20:00 @ Hillbrow Sports Centre Astro Turf, Denton Rd, Eastbourne
Saturday 09:00 - 10:00 @ Gildredge Park, Eastbourne.
More information can be found at: -
Eastbourne Boot Camp - Winter Fitness!
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Short Term Fasting and Your Metabolic Rate
Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy our bodies use at rest. It can vary enormously from one person to the next and can be affected by many variables including age, muscle mass, thyroid output, hormones and fitness levels.
BMR plays a crucial role when it comes to fat loss as the higher your BMR the greater your potential for fat loss due greater numbers of calories being expended.
If you have spent any time reading around the subject of fat loss and nutrition you will have no doubt read about the importance of eating small meals regularly. Current trends suggest that eating 5-7 small meals per day is the best approach for fat loss while ensuring BMR does not decline.
One very interesting study (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/6/1511) flies in the face of this common belief and reported that short term fasting for a period of up to 4 days had no negative effect on metabolic rate and even more surprisingly indicated that resting energy expenditure significantly increased.
The implications of short term fasting for fat loss are that by including a short term fast (for example 24 hours) into your nutritional strategy you can effectively cut out an entire days worth of calories with no negative effect on metabolic rate thus making fat loss easier and faster.
I have personally done several short terms fasts and found the experience interesting.
The first thing I became aware of is how often I would turn to food, or rather feel hungry when I became bored.
The second thing I noticed was that what I often thought of as hunger was not REALLY hunger at all. By the end of my first 24 hour fast I can safely say I was properly hungry!
I experienced a deep seated yearning for food rather than a passing thought of “ok I am hungry now and should eat.”
Of course I lost a few pounds too but most of this would have been through my muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores emptying and taking water with it.
If you want to find out more about intermittent fasting and how it can be used to promote fat loss you may be interested in reading EAT, STOP, EAT which is a very informative e-book written by Brad Pilon.
Brad is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.
Please Note:-
Short term fasting is not something that should be jumped into blindly.
If you do decide to try short term fasting please make sure you do your research first. It is NOT for everyone and participating in such practices is at your own risk. Should you have any doubts you should consult your Doctor or GP.
BMR plays a crucial role when it comes to fat loss as the higher your BMR the greater your potential for fat loss due greater numbers of calories being expended.
If you have spent any time reading around the subject of fat loss and nutrition you will have no doubt read about the importance of eating small meals regularly. Current trends suggest that eating 5-7 small meals per day is the best approach for fat loss while ensuring BMR does not decline.
One very interesting study (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/6/1511) flies in the face of this common belief and reported that short term fasting for a period of up to 4 days had no negative effect on metabolic rate and even more surprisingly indicated that resting energy expenditure significantly increased.
The implications of short term fasting for fat loss are that by including a short term fast (for example 24 hours) into your nutritional strategy you can effectively cut out an entire days worth of calories with no negative effect on metabolic rate thus making fat loss easier and faster.
I have personally done several short terms fasts and found the experience interesting.
The first thing I became aware of is how often I would turn to food, or rather feel hungry when I became bored.
The second thing I noticed was that what I often thought of as hunger was not REALLY hunger at all. By the end of my first 24 hour fast I can safely say I was properly hungry!
I experienced a deep seated yearning for food rather than a passing thought of “ok I am hungry now and should eat.”
Of course I lost a few pounds too but most of this would have been through my muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores emptying and taking water with it.
If you want to find out more about intermittent fasting and how it can be used to promote fat loss you may be interested in reading EAT, STOP, EAT which is a very informative e-book written by Brad Pilon.
Brad is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.
Please Note:-
Short term fasting is not something that should be jumped into blindly.
If you do decide to try short term fasting please make sure you do your research first. It is NOT for everyone and participating in such practices is at your own risk. Should you have any doubts you should consult your Doctor or GP.
Friday, 23 July 2010
Eastbourne Personal Trainer - Last nights Eastbourne Boot Camp Session
As the leading Eastbourne personal trainer I see it as my job to be ahead of the game and deliver exciting and unique ways of getting fit - whether that be in 1-2-1 personal training sessions or in my Eastbourne Boot Camp sessions.
Last night was the second week of the current Eastbourne Boot Camp 4 week block which saw 10 enthusiastic bodies turn up for a very pleasant evenings training.
As always we began with a warm up incorporating body weight mobility drills, dynamic stretching and jogging to get the blood pumping and breathing rate up.
From there we performed the following rounds:-
Round 1 60 seconds on each, 30 rest, repeat twice more
Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell Squat to Press
Kettlebell Single Arm Swing
Kettlebell Single Arm Push Press
Round 2 10 minutes total
Circuit including various stations of calisthenics, battling ropes, tyre hitting and running drills.
Round 3 30 seconds on each, rest 30 seconds and repeat once more
Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell Strict Press
Kettlebell Upright Row
Kettlebell Squat
Round 4
Ab track with Matt using windscreen wipers, crunches, planks, leg raises
Round 5
As per round 2
We finished with 5 minutes of stretching to cool down.
It was a great session, everyone worked incredibly hard and really pushed their boundaries. There is some great progress being made in terms of strength, fitness and conditioning.
If you would like to come along and try what the hottest workout in town has to offer why not visit my web site for more information?
Information can be found at www.eastbournebootcamp.com
Last night was the second week of the current Eastbourne Boot Camp 4 week block which saw 10 enthusiastic bodies turn up for a very pleasant evenings training.
As always we began with a warm up incorporating body weight mobility drills, dynamic stretching and jogging to get the blood pumping and breathing rate up.
From there we performed the following rounds:-
Round 1 60 seconds on each, 30 rest, repeat twice more
Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell Squat to Press
Kettlebell Single Arm Swing
Kettlebell Single Arm Push Press
Round 2 10 minutes total
Circuit including various stations of calisthenics, battling ropes, tyre hitting and running drills.
Round 3 30 seconds on each, rest 30 seconds and repeat once more
Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell Strict Press
Kettlebell Upright Row
Kettlebell Squat
Round 4
Ab track with Matt using windscreen wipers, crunches, planks, leg raises
Round 5
As per round 2
We finished with 5 minutes of stretching to cool down.
It was a great session, everyone worked incredibly hard and really pushed their boundaries. There is some great progress being made in terms of strength, fitness and conditioning.
If you would like to come along and try what the hottest workout in town has to offer why not visit my web site for more information?
Information can be found at www.eastbournebootcamp.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)