Push workout – working out when ill

Push day – Chest focused – still ill 😷 but battling it! ⚔️
I went through my whole workout in a vest, tee, jumper and woolly hat 🎩 😂 Normally I would just take a few days off and let my body recover fully but at this point ☝️ 26 days out! 😱 I’m not taking any chances so I decided to sweat it out! 💦 

In order to recover a little faster I slowed down the intensity and lowered the reps, today’s cardio is going to be LISS as well just to avoid taxing my immune system.
🤒 Tips on faster recovery 

📌Stay hydrated 

📌Stay warm

📌Pull back on training

📌Add in more food (not for me though)

📌Get enough sleep 😴 

📌Lower intensity of workouts and cardio

📌Get in your vitamin C

@beargrips – wrist wraps – 10% off: 7030fit

Leg day – How do you look at yourself? 🙄

Bit of a weird title but the idea of this came from the picture on the left which was a mistake, started taking the photo (which can be awkward enough as it is) and then someone came in the door behind me 😂 We had a laugh, I called myself a gym douche and the world 🌎 goes on. – Some people will think that the pictures are a show of vanity or big headedness, maybe some people do look at themselves like that but for the majority of people I think it’s for many reasons.

📌Log where you have been – keeping track on improvements or being able to compare your physique (seeing where I was 4 weeks out last comp and this comp I can see improvements so I’m on track) 

📌Critic your physique – for example looking at this picture I can see I’m holding some more water weight than last leg day, my low abdominals need a lot of work and my quad separation needs more work.

📌A trophy – being proud of your achievements is a bad thing, it’s just when it starts going to your head when it becomes a problem. ❤️ The only thing with this is if you start criticising yourself and putting yourself down you can develop bad habits and body image disorders, don’t forget no matter what you look like ugly, cute, fat, skinny, fit that doesn’t change your value. Love yourself 👌🏻 Okay enough cheesiness 🧀🧀

@deucelifestyle black tee – code: 7030fit15 for 15% off

@gymheadzuk SnapBack 

30 days out – the struggle

Today I was feeling slow, low and sluggish. My mind was in the wrong place going into my day and into my workout. 

I told myself “this is going to be crappy workout” whilst I was warming up I said “NO, screw that I’m 30 days out I’m stronger than this I can do this” I had a great workout! 

I set some great squat rep PR’s and had a high intensity workout with suprising weights.

This keeps me reminding me that your mind set is such a powerful tool in the gym and in life! 

Think strong be strong, think successful be successful! 

Leg day

Today I decided to suprise my body and legs with some GVT – German volume training – this is a great way to shock your body and fire up your metabolism! 

• 10×10 squats super set with calf raises minimal rest
• 5×10 romainian deadlifts super set with cable crunches 5×15 
• Leg extensions 10 each leg then 5 both legs
• 4×16 walking dumbbell lunges superset with decline sit-ups 
• Leg press 10 reps then 5 pause reps superset with leg curls 10 reps then 5 pause reps
• Leg press heavy – 6-8 reps X 5
• Calf extension 5×12 supersetted with leg extensions 5×12

Energy level is good this morning I was very sleepy to be expected from yesterday’s low carb day, after I got through the 10×10 squats the bloody was pumping and my energy levels were up! Crushed the workout! 

6 weeks out

So guys I’m 6 weeks out from the next men’s physique competition with UKDFBA nationals! 

I think that’s this is going to be a more competitive and higher standard of physique. Having read the critics from my last comp I’m aiming to come in more crisp.

What has changed so far?

My diet has stayed pretty much the same as the lead up to my last comp and I’ll be honest it’s taxing on my body so far once a week I’ve been having a cheat day and it’s not affected over all weight gain just water.

My training has changed from chest&aback, shoulders&legs, arms&abs to legs, push, pull I changed this up in the week after my comp. I’ve been finding it is beneficial for maintaining strength so I will probably keep running it for now. 

How are you feeling?

I’m feeling good on those cheat days and the following days after but towards the end of the week the litharge body and mind hits with full force! My carbs are low so this is to be expected.

How are you looking?

Overall I’m still very lean and my weight shows that! After those cheat days obviously I hold more water so I don’t look so lean but it’s going well I’m still on track. 

Mind set going into this competition – with my last competition I was feeling dead set on placing in the top 3, this competition is extremely competitive and I feel I have already achieved more than I did last year. Obviously I still want to win but I think because I have just gotten to this far I know I have won my and made progress. At the end of the day progress is what I am striving for! 

Leg day

Leg day – “You vs You” man this was a killer workout! The humidity today really made me sweat! 😅 either the humidity or the tri-supersets of leg exercises, yeah could have been that as well 😂 one super set was Barbell front squats – Dumbbell Stifflegged deadlifts – Reverse Dumbbell lunges 😵 10 reps each 6 sets 😠 Get mean with yourself and push yourself through it 💪🏻….also have fun with it tho 

😊 Someone told me the other day that they hate working out, they dread each workout and hate the process of each workout. I felt so sorry for this person, but I told them I couldn’t relate 😍 I love each workout even when I’m in the last weeks of prep yes it get a bit grindy and hard but I thrive off that challenge. 

Life your not enjoying your workouts:

📌change up the style – strength, high intensity, GVT, supersets mix it up!!

📌get some music 🎧

📌reassess what you want to achieve 

8 weeks out – UKDFBA nationals

Another couple down series! Haha here we go!

What’s my weight?

So I’ll be honest there was no point of weighing myself this morning as I had a full blow cheat day yesterday I’m talking icecream, cake, burgers it was very satisfying 😂 but the day before I weighed in at just 1 kg over my stage weight from the 24th of July 😳 so at this point I can still endulge in a few cheat days here and there.

How do you feel?

I’m feeling great to be honest the only little niggle in the back of my mind is that my joints are feeling sore and click ALOT! My knees especially. Energy levels are good, mood is good and over feeling good.

How do you look?

Well obviously today I’m a bit watery and bloated from the cheat day but i was feeling very lean before so I’m pretty confident that I can maintain this.

Workouts

Today was a leg day and you’ll see how that went In my next post.

Pull day

Pull day – Back and Biceps 😁😜 great workout but of a grind towards the end up we got it! Worked on width rather than thickness today really good to get to long ranges of movement in this workout felt very nice! 💪🏻 Solid back pump 👌🏻 •@deucelifestyle tee 😝 great for in the gym and for making you look like you actually lift outside of the gym! – for 15% off use 7030FIT15 😘 

Back and biceps workout highlights 💪🏻 – I was focusing more on width this workout so I concentrate on more movements where I pull down, making sure that I also got the full range on movement stretching out at the top and pausing with a strong squeeze at the bottom. 

Pull day and competition comments

Pull day 😝 boosting up my carbs after this workout! 😁🎉 I got feed back from my comp today which was motivating! Words of improvement were to be harder on stage 😂 don’t worry it’s not what you think! Looking harder means having more definition – I have to agree with the judges I did spill over a little on comp day making me look watery which was fustrating because I got real lean and made it appear less so on stage because of spelling over 😪 it’s all a learning curve and I will improve on this for October 16th 😏 @ukdfba let go! 💪🏻💪🏻  

Boost your metabolism

There are many ways natural and healthy ways to boost your metabolism here are some of them.

1. Drink plenty of water – wake up and have a glass before anything else, keep drinking though the day as well.
2. Fasted cardio – just a 30 min walk or jogg in the morning before breakfast boosts your metabolism for the rest of the day! Not only that, it’s a really good way of getting you head clear before the day starts.
3. Ingredients – adding cinnamon, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic and mace will all help to boost that metabolism.
4. Carbs before bed – believe it or not some people that consume complex carbs before bed end up burning more fat while they sleep!
5. Fats before bed – in men fats before bed can boost testosterone which in turn can boost your metabolism.
6. Quick cuppa – green, white and chai teas all claim to have “fat burning properties” not sure about that but they can boost your metabolism, which in turn would help your burn fat.
7. High workout intensity – keeping your heart rate higher through your workouts will also kick start that metabolism for the rest of the day.
8. Caffeine – don’t go crazy with it but yes caffeine does speed up your metabolism because you end up moving more.

Why is a fast metabolism good?

• Firstly you can eat more and not gain weight 😋
• Recovery from workouts and illnesses can be faster.
• Your ability to burn fat and get lean is a lot easier.

Why is a fast metabolism bad?

• Building muscle can be harder because your using up so much more energy just with your metabolism.
• You have to keep it ignited – your metabolism will try to keep you alive, so if your food is suddenly reduced then your body will slow your metabolism down to keep your body alive.