Yesterdays workout: 16/9/11

Had a beast of a workout yesterday and feeling on top of the world today and raring for some more training.

1) a thorough warm up and mobility.

2) deep squats 5x5reps (first 2 sets were progressively heavier warm up sets)

Supersetted with:

Single arm dumbbell rows 5x8reps with a 4 sec negative (last set was with 3 drop sets to failure)

3) 3 sets of 5 reps of a charles poliquin variation on squats to hit the VMO (these are brutal and my VMO is feeling it today, in a good way of course)

See it here: http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/693/The_VMO_Solution.aspx?lang=EN

4) stiff leg Deadlifts (explosive reps) 3x12rps (the last 4 reps of every set set the hamstrings and glutes on fire)

Supersetted with:

Dumbell shoulder press 3x8reps with a 4 sec negative.

5) cable tricep extensions 3x10 reps with a 4sec negative

Supersetted with:

Reverse grip ez bar curls 3x10 reps with a 4sec negative (feeling the burn baby)

6) mobility and stretch.

Plastered myself with magnesium oil after my workout which is working wonders for my recovery and reducing DOMS.

Bring on today's workout.

Have a great day folks and happy lifting.

Yours in strength,

Matt

My Wild Physique Unleashed: Part 3

Last time I left you with my journey through school, getting well into my training regime and maintaining my hench status :-) Doing everything a teenager did just with a huge passion to train.

I went through the rest of my school years like this until I hit my college years. This is where things took a drastic turn...........

I had a well established routine going on that I stuck to religiously. I hated missing a training session but didn't lose any sleep if I did. I was 15 years old and started investing in fitness mags such as Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Flex, Muscle and Development, the list is endless. I was amazed by the guys I saw in these mags, so big and ripped, just how I wanted to be.

The thing that caught my eye that I had never before even thought about was nutrition and in this instance, meal plans to get big and lean. I looked at them only to be shocked as they were nothing like what I was eating. For me it was Frosties for breakast, fish & chips for lunch, chocolate and Dr Pepper, not to mention my post workout meal of deep fried chicken and chips from the Chicken Cottage across the road from the gym. I still have memories of my bus journey home and being that pumped and tired from my workouts that even holding up my chicken leg to eat it was hard work :-)

I knew instantly that I needed to change my diet and also the mags were screaming and shouting about protein shakes amongst other supplements. Of course I had to get me some of that.

Things changed, I started having eggs or porridge for breakfast, drinking water instead of Dr Pepper, wholegrain sandwiches instead of chocolate. I introduced protein shakes post workout, in fact my immediate post workout meal was a protein shake and a banana and honey sandwich. I used to look forward to this about half way through my workout. It was amazing.

I may have been young but it was not long until I really noticed a difference in my physical appearance and I was getting heavier and most drastically stronger.

On my next visit to the gym I was informed on arrival that system indicated I was due for a review of my workout and a body stat analysis. A body stat measures your body fat, lean mass and water etc I thought why not. So the instructor linked the leads up to me entered the relevant data........"Wow you're 5.2% body fat", he said, "Is that good", I replied. Apparently it put me in the same category as an elite athlete, so you could say I left the gym that evening feeling pretty good about myself.

Dun dun dun............the juicy bit

I thought - I had gotten bigger, stronger and leaner and now been told I was like an elite athlete. It had to be the new eating regime I was on I thought. But I couldn't help but feel that I wanted to get to 4% body fat. And if only I reduced even more fat in my diet I would get even more gains.

All of a sudden, I stopped adding sugar to my porridge, I didn't put butter in my sandwiches and I refused to add tomato ketchup to anything (looking back this was crazy as ketchup was my favourite thing in the world and was added to everything I ate) but it was full of sugar and I decided it had to go. I became obsessed with reading the calorie and fat content on everything I ate and if the fat was high or it had a lot of calories, I didnt touch it with a barge pole.

Slowly my portions got smaller, my food became bland and boring as in my head nothing that tasted any good could possibly be healthy. My post workout chicken and chips was a distant memory and to be honest I was obsessed.

I would refuse to eat a sandwich that had butter or mayo, I would turn away desserts put in front of me, nor would I eat chocolate. And I'm talking never, not even a little bit. I became gaunt and ridiculously lean to the point where my family were worried about me.

I felt abnormal, whilst all my friends were eating burgers and chips, chocolate and ice cream, all things I was so desperate to eat but felt overwhelmed with guilt just by thinking about it. It was clear I had developed an eating problem, one that actually took over my life for almost a year......seriously. I was miserable, didn't eat out with friends, I felt depressed and felt like a weirdo but I honestly felt as though there was nothing I could do about it. The months went by and the more miserable I became, my training became a chore that was purely just another part of my obsession with being lean, strong and big.

Men's Health saved my life:

Now, as much as I don't rate the magazine nowadays, back then I believed everything I read. I remember this issue very well, it was the summer holidays and they had a six week, bigger and stronger training regime by some top sports coach. This seemed perfect as I had 6 weeks off until college. It covered training over a 6 week period and also had a diet plan to follow. The regime was split into 2 halves, the first part was targetted towards getting big and the second was all about getting strong. Now the thing that struck me about this pull out was the guy featured in it. He was huge and was completey ripped and was lifting what appeared to be huge weights. I wanted to look just like that. I was so excited at the thought of going back to college and being the man mountain that was on every page of this pull out.

But then I got to the diet part..........

It was here I was left somewhat confused. As I was back where I was the previous year in that everything it said I should be doing was the complete opposite to what I was actually doing. Now I was on the right track in terms of what I was eating but more so just how little I was consuming. I will never forget the words "To get big you need to lift big and eat big".

I was told to eat healthy fats, get plenty of carbs and lean protein in my diet. Pasta, bread, cheeses, chicken and tonnes of vegetables. I felt low, like I had been wasting my time for a year although I was only doing what i thought best. I believed it all being the naive kid I was. I went out with my grand parents that very day with a shopping list.

Oily fish, nuts and seeds and oils all very calorific and high in fat (good fat) foods which before would have been avoided like the plague were piled up in my shopping basket. Peanut butter, pasta and brown bread were also present. I also stopped off at holland and barrat on the way back to get a big tub of protien.

I figured if i wanted to look like this guy in the mag, I had to do exactly what the strength coach said. I followed the routine and eating plan to a T. It was just what I needed, I was enjoying my food again guilt free, I was getting stronger, bigger and I just felt so excited about every training session. I got my mojo back and it felt great.

Like I said, Men's Health is not something I follow now but back then it really did save my life, I don't know what I would have done had I not found that pull out.

I went back to my first college year with my new found focus and still managed to maintain my hench status :-) Even my PE teacher Mr Lloyd who was 6ft 7 and built like a brick sh*t house was impressed.

I maintained this similar body split routine and eating guideline throughout my first college year. My passion for training was through the roof, I loved it and no one ever got in the way of my training. This frustrated my girlfriends but I was set in my ways and it was just something they had to deal with.

My first year of college was over and to be honest I hated it. Instead of studying I spent most of my time planning my workouts, reading training articles and watching training videos. I was so bored at college and dreaded most days. I was so excited when the bell went and it was time for my pre workout meal.

It was the middle of the following summer holidays and I was doing my summer job as an ice cream man (such a great job). I was averaging about 5 ice creams a day, a great mass gainer ;-) And it hit me - I wanted to become a personal trainer.

The summer holidays were over I went back to college with a letter stating that I was leaving for my own reasons which was that I was ready to start a career as a personal trainer. The headmaster thought I was mad and told me I would never make a decent leaving without any A levels but I didn't care, I knew what I wanted to do.

I left that day and booked straight on to a 2 week intensive level 2 fitness instructor qualification. I have never looked back since.

So to recap, I developed an obsession which led to an eating disorder and a lack of motivation and illness, I rediscovered my focus and my passion was back, I meant business again and I was on the path to fulfilling my dream to become a personal trainer.

In the next part, I will share with you how I evolved from my body split training routine and how I all of a sudden was on a level with all the guys at the gym who once upon a time were so far ahead of me, infact guys who I thought I could never possibly compete with.

Train smart, eat well and sleep peacefully,

Matt Whitmore

My journey towards unleashing my inner beast: Intro

This is an introduction to a new series - "My Journey Towards My Wild Physique Unleashed"

I'm sure some of you have seen CJ Swaby's recent blog posts discussing his training methods, dietary changes and mindset disciplines in his journey towards obtaining his wild physique. CJ is not only a good pal of mine, he was also a huge inspiration to me from the moment I met him at a kettlebell course 18 months ago. After reading his awesome blog entries I decided I wanted to share my training journey with you too.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting blogs explaining:

- How I discovered a passion for training from a very young age.
- How I remained disciplined and worked around barriers.
- The mistakes I made along the way.
- How changing my eating habits added kilos to the bar and my own lean mass.
- The key to restoration and recovery for awesome gains.
- And much much more

In my journey towards achieving my forever evolving goals I have tried, I have tested, I have failed and I have also succeeded, but most importantly of all I have learned from my mistakes.

My reason for sharing this journey with you is simply because I want to help you, inspire you and add some great value to your current training, diet regime and lifestyle. I want to share with you the mistakes I made and the fads I followed to prevent you making them yourself. It won't be rocket science, it won't be technical, it's just a South East Londoner's journey towards unleashing his inner beast :-)

Enjoy

Matt

GET A GRIP

Get a grip:

As important as it is to do so, I'm not talking about keeping your your cool, staying calm or remaining composed. I'm talking hand strength and developing a bone crushing grip.

In my experience as a personal trainer, rugby player and strength enthusiast, it has become very clear to me that having a strong grip is a huge advantage. Whether your performing deadlifst or pull ups, tackling a 20 stone oooooffffff on the pitch or just trying to squeeze out a couple of extra curls. If your grip is weak, you will be at a disadvantage in all of the above situations.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not implying that I have a crazy strong grip, however, I once relied upon straps to perform my Deadlifts, pull ups and heavy rows. This was great from a poundage point of view but before long my natural grip strength was fast fading. This was most apparent to me on the rugby pitch, I could not hold on to people without them breaking through my grip. I felt pathetc.

So after some reading I ditched the straps and went back to raw lifts. The only disappointing thing was, I had to drastically reduce my poundages to prevent my grip failing me before my muscles had even started to get warm. Let's just say this was not great for my ego and now felt even more pathetic. But I was determined to obtain the bone crushing grip I longed for.

Within just a few weeks and with the introduction of magnesium chalk (my lifesaver) my poundages went through the roof and my grip felt solid. What a relief. Now, if I get a hold of a shirt on the rugby pitch it's like a pit bulls lock jaw. There was no way I was letting go.

Again, my grip strength has a very very long way to go. However I am now safe in the knowledge that my grip is never the first to fail me on any exercise. Don't let your grip get in the way of your lifting potential. It really is a crucial part of what will get you to the next level.

Over then next couple of weeks I will be posting various grip developing videos. I will be using kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells and weight plates, all of which are great to work with and I wanted to give as many options for people as possible.

I hear so often the famous saying "it's annoying because my muscles could keep going but my grip fails me". Remember having a strong grip is as much about having strong ligaments and tendons as it is strong muscles. They all work together to create a devastating grip.

The videos will show you how to develop the strength in your fingers, hands and forearms to improve both pure grip strength (1 rep max deadlift) and endurance (high rep kettlebell swings or snatches). I will show you ways to develop strength and condition your ligaments and tendons to back up your muscular strength.

Whatever your goal I am sure you will find the videos helpful for both yourself or that of your clients.

Enjoy,

Matt Whitmore

Best Status Updates

I love reading status updates, I like hearing the gossip, what people are up to and there’s loads of useful knowledge sharing that goes on, especially in the health and fitness world. Some updates have the profound ability to lift your spirits. I came across a Personal Trainer in Melbourne who posts some of the best updates on Facebook. Every day he puts up quotes either motivational, inspiring, uplifting or just funny. I asked him if I could share some of my favourites in a Fitter London blog and he agreed.

His name is Anthony Goldsmith (anthony@performants.com.au) you should add him as a friend as I promise his quotes can change your mood for the entire day!






‎”Just like to say most of my quotes are either by myself or unknown. I do not wish to take credit for any. But, if i can make an impact on somebodies life by a simple quote...it makes me happy. I try my best to put up the most powerful quotes to make a difference in people’s life.....after all, I am a personal trainer....isn’t this one of our roles anyway?”
Anthony Goldsmith







Wise Words

Failure is like fertilizer, it may stink, but it’s necessary for proper growth

People too weak to follow their own dreams, will always find a way to discourage yours.

If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.

Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.

Won’t power is better than Will power.

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.

You can't make the same mistake twice. The second time you make it, it's no longer a mistake. It's a choice.

Dear Past, thanks for all the lessons. Dear Future, I'm ready.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success


Motivational

I've learned that millions of people can believe in you, and yet none of it matters if you don't believe in yourself.

When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.

If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you're strong enough to get back up.


Feel Good

You want to know who’s got the most amazing and best smile ever? Read the first word again.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are not nice, but because YOU are nice.

Your character is more important than your reputation or your wealth. Take good care of it.


Diet and Fitness

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit.

If you don't watch your figure, no one else will either.

If pubs don’t serve to drunk people, how come Mcdonalds serve fat people?

A man asks a trainer in the gym: "I want to impress that beautiful girl, which machine can I use?" Trainer replies: "Use the ATM"


My Personal Favourites

Bad news: Time flies. Good news: You’re the pilot.

Life always offers you another chance. Its called tomorrow.

Anyone can make you smile...but only certain people can make you happy

Amazing Breakthrough

Our scientists in the Fitter London lab have been running extensive tests for the last few years and have made a huge breakthrough that will take the health and fitness industry by storm.

We are so confident in the results that we can now put it out as an official statement.

We discovered that when we ran tests on individuals (including both males and females between the ages of 18 - 55) and placed them in a situation where we were trying to advise them on different ways in which they could assist their fat loss goals, achieve great things with their training regime and to lead a healthier, more energetic and happier lifestyle (please know that this advice was only offered to those who requested it as they were not happy with their current physical health/appearance) shockingly 82% of those tested showed strong signs they were suffering from a forever growing condition known as:

"I talk a load of bollocks and can find an excuse for absolutely anything syndrome".

It's shocking I know but the test results prove it. The worst part is that the symptoms of this condition are in most cases unknown to the person with it.

The bad news is that there are as yet no pharmaceutical medicines to counteract this global epidemic.

How to spot if someone has ITALOBACFAEFAAS:

Example:

Someone tells you they are unhappy with their weight and wish to embark on a training and diet protocol to help them lose weight and feel better.

Fitness professional gives advice to then hear:

- I cant possibly cook my own food, I work an 8 hour day like most people and by the time I get home there really is no chance.

- Reduce my alcohol intake? Are you mad, I work in advertising and im always out with clients.

- how can you expect me to get more sleep. By the time I get in and microwave my cottage pie and catch up with my sky plus recordings its gone 11.30.

- lol drink less coffee! that's insane, I get to bed at 11.30 and have to be up at 5.30 for work and you expect me to get by without my caffiene hit.

You get the picture here.

The above is just an example but the point here is that everyone claims they want to make change yet throw every excuse that they have at you as to why those changes are not possible when it comes to the crunch.

Now I am not going to hold anything against these sufferers as all I want to do is help them and rid them of these awful condition before it spreads and takes over the world.

To make change you have to be open to advice and make time to read, learn and trial different methods to discover what works best for you.

If you are 100% happy with how you look, your training, your energy levels and how you feel generally then please crack on with what your doing as it is obviously working great for you.

If on the other hand you are not, then please visit a Fitter London scientist who can help you overcome this awful condition and rid you of it forever.

We at Fitter London are not machines, we do not lead boring and bland lifestyles and live off chicken and leaves. We simply believe in a well balanced, structured lifestyle involving smart yet tasty eating habbits, a rewarding training regime and providing ourselves with the rest we deserve.

Don't be afraid of change, change is good.

Have a vision, lay the stepping stones and then tread them one at a time.

Much love, double espressos and full body workout,

Matt Whitmore

Radiators and drains.

Radiators and drains:

Throughout life you meet all kinds of people who are different in many ways, however they all fall in to two very important catergories........"Radiators and Drains".

Think about it, we surround ourselves with so many different people, some make us feel great and we love being around them, others tend to zap us of all things positive and wish to bang on about how their life is so miserable because they had to stay in the office for an extra 30mins.

What are radiators?

Radiators are people who give off warm and comforting vibes, that are a joy to be around, are genuine and ooooooze positivity (not too much mind, as that's just annoying :-) They make us feel great, inspire us and we look forward to seeing them. Radiators don't bombard us with poor me comments and require constant reassurance. Radiators motivate us to succeed in our goals, provide us with the drive and support us on our chosen journey. Radiators are happy when we are happy, they congratulate us on our success. Radiators are simply AWESOME.

These are the people we should spend as much time with as possible. Surrounding ourselves with radiators will make us happier, healthier and allow us to lead a positive, energetic and successful existence.

What are drains?

Drains are the kind of people that always respond negativly. "hello mate, great to see you, how are you? Bloody awful, I'm working overtime, not getting any sleep and on top of that I had no clean underpants to put on this morning". Drains are never happy for your success, instead respond with something like "oh its alright for you with your cushty job" (cheers mate). Drains need constant reassurance "oh my god i am so effin fat" (yet 3 days later you see a pic on facebook of them off their tits holding a jug of pimms in one hand and a sausage roll in the other) my heart goes out to you. Drains oooze negativity, jump to the down sides and dismiss the up sides. Drains lack self belief therefore lack belief in you. Drains are are, well, draining to be around, they lack enthusiasm and question yours. Drains are needy yet ignore your positive incentives when provided........you get the picture. Drains are those who no matter how much of a radiator you are to them, they are not interested, their life is already over....apparently.

These are the people that quite simply, you do not need in your life. These people will drag you down into their negative pit. Zap you of your confidence, positivity, motivation and warm energy. Dont let this happen.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know we all have our moments and our friends do too. It's these times where we need a radiator to get us out of that rut, not a drain to make us feel even worse and believe there is no way out.

My point is we all need great family and friends. People who love us and want to see us smile and and live a long and happy life, succeeding in what we set out to do and who provide the encouragement we need to take risks and come out better off. Life is not always this straight forward I know, but believe me if their were more radiators in the world it would be a far warmer place to be (see what i did there?)

You know who they are, surround those drains with warmth, love, positivity and motivation. If it they don't want it, move on. Because they will only "drain" you.

Much love, poached eggs and bacon,

Matt