Great Interview with Dave Tate of Elite FTS

Hey Guys,

Today I thought that I would share with you an amazing interview with one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the sport, Dave Tate.

In the video dave covers a wide range of topics from lifting, to business to dealing with injuries.

Take a look!

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Great Tips article

Hey Guys,

I wrote a post earlier this week that some have called a bit harsh. Others have called it fair. As with most things the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. With that in mind I thought that I would share a great tips article that covers everything from diet to training and only takes a quick few mins to read.

You can find that HERE

Stay healthy,

Mike

NEW SERIES! Strength and Conditioning articles!

Hey Guys,

Today we start our Strength and Conditioning article series with Coach Mat Fitzgerald.

Here is what he had to say!

‘YOU’RE A WHAT?’

..or put another way ‘What the hell is a Strength & Conditioning Coach anyhow?’

I know, not exactly a snappy title right?  It is hard coming up with a title that is going to grab your attention and make you read the words below it.  This was my fourth attempt; ‘The role of strength and conditioning professional in performance enhancement and the critical elements of periodization for optimal performance’ wasn’t really doing it for me – so hence the rather shorter one above!   Still awake?  Ok, lets crack on then…….. 

If you work in a job that isn’t on someone’s  register of ‘I know what that is’ then the chances are, this has happened to you.  In any kind of social gathering; parties, christening, that kind of event - there is a point where you will come across someone you don’t know and inevitably in the flow of polite conversation comes the question ‘So what do you do?.   That’s when the ‘You’re a what?’ comes back at me.

I’m a Strength & Conditioning Coach and to the general population these words conjure up an image of huge men lifting barbells full of weights or bodybuilders strutting round in really tight little pants.  To be fair, unless you were an elite athlete or a professional in your sport it was probably something you had ever been exposed to or experienced before either.  It doesn’t help that different job titles pretty much mean the same thing; Performance Specialist, Physical Performance Coach, Sports Enhancement Consultant, Re-Conditioning Coach….it’s basically all strength & conditioning. 

Some people think that kettle bells, ropes, sledgehammers or tractor tyres are strength & conditioning; ‘Right lads, we’re doing strength and conditioning tonight…break out the prowler’. 

(Note: if you have never used a prowler before – it’s really not what you think.  You should try it sometime…honest!)  

These are actually some of the ‘tools’ that we use in strength & conditioning, but in reality, it is a little bit more involved than that. Thankfully more and more athletes understand what they get from strength & conditioning and gradually it is becoming more accessible to recreational, amateur and semi-professional athletes across a wide range of sports and it is no longer just the preserve of high level performers.  So…just for clarity…let’s look at what S&C really means and what it involves.

I always take the view that if you take part in a sport, then you want to be GOOD at that sport.  I can’t really think of any one I have worked with that didn’t really care how they performed (you may know different).  Being good at any sport depends on three important elements coming together.  Together these elements are what I call the ‘Model of Optimal Performance’.

Technical Preparation + Tactical Preparation + Physical Preparation = OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

Technical preparation – traditionally this has the biggest focus for most athletes (and while I’m at it - if you take part in a sport, at any level – you’re an athlete).  This is about learning and developing your skills in your sport.  You can learn a skill quickly, but it can take years to develop that skill and most athletes will continue to improve their skills for however long they participate in their sport.  Even for sports that might look quite simple to execute, for example throwing a javelin.  The number of different motor skills that have to be developed then brought together seamlessly to have the ability to propel the javelin across long distances is staggering.

Tactical preparation – this can apply to team and individual sports.  What is your plan going into the game or match?  Tactics can apply to what formation your team will play to give you an advantage  or It could be knowing that your opponent is carrying an injury and how you will use this to your advantage.  Tactical preparation enables you to solve problems and think how you put together your skills to come up with solutions. 

Physical preparation – this is where I come in.  My role as an S&C Coach is to make sure an athlete has the physical capacity to use and sustain their skills at the highest level possible.  Strength & Conditioning Coaches use science and evidence of what works and put into practice in a plan for the athlete. 

Every athlete is individual and every sport has very different physical demands, so if you really want to be good (or even the best) at your sport, your training should be structured to meet the demands of your sport – and not how good you want to look in a pair of ’swimmies’ on the beach in Ibiza.

How this works in practice – what we actually do!  When I start to work with an athlete there is a basic process to go through.  Before we even look at a weight or get out on to a field, we learn! More specifically…..I learn.

The most important part of the whole process is the athlete.  A good S&C Coach will get as much information as possible about that person.  How long have they being taking part in their sport?  At what level do they take part?  What is their injury history like?  Have often do they train?  What other commitments and pressures do they have in their life?  How much sleep do they get?  There is a lot to find out; because if I have any chance of improving their performance in a sport, I need to make every plan I write individual to them! 

The next part of the process is understanding the sport.  An S&C Coach should be able to improve performance in ANY sport.  To do this I analyse the physical demands of the sport.  I look at movement patterns (not just muscle actions).  Are there are lot of quick changes in direction?  How fast do you need to be?  What distances do you need to cover?  What is the work to rest ratio?  How long is the total play?  What forces are the body and the joints subjected to?  What is the potential for injury and what are the common injuries of the sport? 

A big part of S&C (if not one of THE most important parts) is to minimise the risk of injury.  You could be the star player in your team; but if you miss half the season through injury, the guy (or gal) who is not as good as you but has played every game and had more chance to improve than you have is going to be the better choice for any coach.

After I have collected all this information I have to put it together in a plan.  Sometimes the plan covers a fairly short space of time, like an 8 week Fight Camp or six weeks of pre-season football training.  Other times it will cover a full year where the athletes has anywhere from two or three competitions right through to an entire season. 

The plan gets you to your ‘Peak’ before your competition.  It tells you when and how to train and when to rest.  The plan is there to develop all the physical qualities you need improve, whether that is movement efficiency, strength, co-ordination, speed or power.  Everything the S&C Coach does is focused on you as an athlete and how to make you better at your sport. 

Ok, so maybe now you have a better understanding (if you didn’t already know) about what we actually do and what S&C is all about – this is however making it sound very simple, which sometimes it is and other times it is very, very complex.   What I hope to do is make S&C more accessible, for everyone. 

Through regular monthly articles on this site, I have the opportunity to break down S&C into manageable, understandable chunks.  From planning training, developing power and speed- right through to improving specific aspects of performance.  

I will talk about why being strong doesn’t mean having bigger muscles and or making you slower.  Why running isn’t the only way to improve your aerobic capacity.  I will cover why resting is vital to your performance and why learning to move properly is foundation of all sports and might be what is holding you back in your sport.

You may have questions – great, send them in and I will try to answer them. If you have a specific issue or topic you want me to cover….just let me, or Mike know!   I do this job because I want to make people (athletes) better at what they do.  Hopefully that will include YOU!

Biography

Mal Fitzgerald is a self-employed Strength & Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer trading as Performance Conditioning & Fitness.  He works with a broad range of individual athletes (mainly combat athletes) and teams at all levels from recreational though to British & World Champions.  He is currently studying for an MSc in Strength & Conditioning at Teesside University and as well as being an Olympic Lifting Coach, competes in the Masters Category of weightlifting.  

Product Review - MyProtein Pulse : Gel

Hey Guys,

Today I am reviewing MyProteins Pulse : Gel.

Pulse is a Pre workout Gel that is designed to enhance your focus, performance and pump if that's what you're chasing.

Here is what MyProtein has to say about it.

What are Pulse:Gels?

Pulse:Gels are a unique pre-workout gel which can be conveniently consumed straight from the sachet without the need of mixing it with water. It is Myprotein's most convenient pre-workout and comes in two great tasting flavours; Berry Blast and Tropical Storm.

Pulse:Gel Benefits

Pulse:Gels contain 1500mg of Citrulline Malate, 1000mg of Taurine, 1500mg of Beta Alanine, 200mg of Caffeine and 750mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine per sachet.

Key Benefits

• Convenient pre-workout supplement 
• Contains 200mg caffeine per serving 
• Two great tasting flavours

Here is the nutritional information,

Contains Per Serving:
Beta-Alanine: 1500mg 
Citrulline Malate: 1500mg 
Taurine: 1000mg 
Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 750mg 
Arginine AKG: 750mg 
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine: 300mg 
Caffeine: 221mg 
Guarana Extract: 150mg 
L-Norvaline: 50mg 
B Vitamins 1,2,3,6,12: 100% RDA 

Nutrional Information: Per 100g
Energy (kJ): 275
Energy (kcal): 65
Fat (g): 0
of which saturates (g): 0
Carbohydrate (g): 4.5
of which sugars (g): 0
Protein (g): 7.8
Salt (g): 0.04

Nutritional Information: Per 50g Sachet
Energy (kJ): 138
Energy (kcal): 32
Fat (g): 0
of which saturates (g): 0
Carbohydrate (g): 2.3
of which sugars (g): 0
Protein (g): 3.9
Salt (g): 0.02

Here is the ingredients list,

Tropical

Water, Tapioca Starch, Beta Alanine, Citrulline Malate, Taurine, Acetyl L Carnitine, Arginine Alpha Ketogluterate, Gellin Agent (Hydroxpropyl Methyl Cellulose), N Acetyl L Tyrosine, Caffeine, Guarana Extract, Natural Flavour, L Novaline, Sweetener (Sucralose), Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate), Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B12.

Berry

Water, Tapioca Starch, Beta Alanine, Citrulline Malate, Taurine, Acetyl L Carnitine, Arginine Alpha Ketogluterate, Gellin Agent (Hydroxpropyl Methyl Cellulose), N Acetyl L Tyrosine, Caffeine, Guarana Extract, Natural Flavour, Natural Colour (Anthocyanin), L Novaline, Sweetener (Sucralose), Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate), Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B12.

I tested the Tropical flavour.

First things first, taste. The taste of the supplement is a bit like a dillutable drink that you have made to strong. This isn't unpleasant if you down it in one go, but is a bit much if you have just a little bit at a time.

As far as performance, I tried the Gel before normal weights, sparring and when testing my max lifts. I would say that it was exactly what you would expect from a caffeine based pre workout. I am quite caffeine sensitive so I always got a hot tingling feeling that contributed to a feeling of focus and made me sweat quite a bit more (this was great for warm ups lately as my gym is pretty cold).

The Gel didn't give me an edge when it came to normal training sessions or sparring as being in an overly heightened state doesn't do anything for me in those situations. I would also not recommend it for competition, simply because as you are already nervous and pumped with adrenaline, adding a caffeine heavy supplement is probably not the best idea.

Where the supplement did come into its own is when I was testing my maxes. As most trainers will tell you, there are a few things that must be considered before making a heavy lift (technique, mental state, physical ability and preparedness). Simply put, if you're not mentally ready and hyped to lift something, you're going to miss the lift and possibly get hurt. The Gel was great in getting me in the zone and helped keep my focus on the bar.

I would definitely recommend this supplement but only to be used when you need a little edge, rather than a staple you use on a weekly basis.

MyProtein Pulse : Gel can be purchased here and costs £12.99 for 12 sachets (don't forget that clients also get discount).

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Product Review - MyProtein Wrist Straps

Hey Guys,

Today I am going to be talking about MyProtein Wrist Support Straps

Wrist straps are used when lifting weights to protect the lifter from sprains, strains and other injuries. They do this by supporting the wrist, allowing it to stay in a straight line under the bar while remaining flexible.

Here is what MyProtein have to say about the product,

Product Overview

The Myprotein Wrist Wraps are designed to offer enhanced comfort and support to wrists while reducing the risk of sprains and injury during workouts.

Made from durable cotton these elasticated wraps are fully adjustable and fasten with a strong Velcro grip. They are complete with an elasticated thumb loop for added comfort and easy wrapping.

Sold in pairs, our wrist wraps are approximately 30cm long and stretch to fit all wrist sizes.

Key Benefits

• Elasticated & fully adjustable
• Supports wrists
• Thumb loop for easy fit

When I got the straps I was impressed by the look and quality of the product. However after a few uses and washes the stitching on the right hand strap started to come undone, making it impossible to use.

I E mailed MyProtein with the details of what had happened and within a few days a brand new pair of straps was on my doorstep.

I am very happy to say that the new straps stood up to numerous tests and washes with not one stitch coming loose. The wraps really supported my wrists and allowed my to push things when going for Rep PRs and trying to break actual PRs.

While many will say that your wrists get all the support they need from heavy training and devices such as these are a crutch, I use these as a precaution to protect myself from injury. As an athlete I want the majority of my focus to be in my sport and not in the weight room. Tweaking a wrist or injuring myself in a way that keeps me from practice is counter productive to lifting in the first place.

It os for this reason that I highly recommend you picking some of these up!

The Wrist Straps can be purchased from MyProtein for £7.99 (don't forget that all clients also get discount!)

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Brilliant Video on Workout Nutrition

Hey Guys,

As many of you will know I am a big fan of using workout nutrition to improve training performance and recovery (check out a few articles I have wrote about the subject HERE)

However as much as I like to rabble on about my own approaches I still get most of my ideas from other great coaches that are a hell of a lot smarter than me.

One of these coaches is Justin Harris.

In the following video he goes over his own approaches and why he uses them in great detail. If you have a quick 15 mins I would highly recommend that you give it a watch!

Stay healthy,

Mike

P.S. if you have any questions on workout nutrition and what might be best for you, please ask away in the FREE Q&A

Great Article by Dan John

Hey Guys,

As most of you know I am always on the look out on how to make my own training better.

Sometimes this means better techniques or methods, other times it's just tweaking what I am already doing to get the most out of what I can. All of this comes from reading articles and watching videos.

Here is a great article by Dan John that could really help some of you with your training (especially if you are an athlete).

Give it a read and let me know what you think!

Stay healthy,

Mike

Great workout designed for women

Hey Guys,

Today I wanted to share with you a great workout routine designed specifically for women.

When you look around the web and do your research it';s often hard to find a good quality weights based workout that is designed to help women get the look at they want (lean and toned).

Here is an article by Christian Thibaudeau that really high lights the subtle differences between men and women and how to programme for this.

Give it a read and let me know what you think!

Stay healthy,

Mike

BJJ Training Plan

Hey Guys,

Today I want to share with you a little something.

As readers will know I love supplementing my BJJ training with strength training. Not only do I think that it helps you be better on the mats but it slap makes me feel better.

As I have talked about it in the past people have often messaged me to ask what specific workout plan that I follow.

The main answer is that I follow Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 and add in my own accessory work to complement BJJ. While I am not a Strength and Conditioning Coach or even remotely qualified in that area, I have seen very good results using the following plan.

With that in mind I thought I would share with you a small snippet of what I am currently doing. The main movements stay the same and I change the accessory exercises every 4 weeks or so.

If you don't know what Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 is I recommend you get it as it is awesome. I'm not going togo into the details of what it is if you don't know as I'm not going to rob a coach of his plan. Just buy the ebook!

Again this isn't my area at all and this is just works FOR ME. Please speak to your coach and doctor before undertaking any kind of exercise plan.

If you don't like this or think it is rubbish (plenty will) then don't do it. As always comments and constructive feedback is appreciated but being a dick isn't.

Ok, so here is the plan! Main movements in bold.

5 rep week on 5/3/1

Day 1

Bench from Pins

Incline Dumbell speed press (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could throw the dumbbells on each rep (but don't...)

Rear delt DB raise (5x10) 

Plyo jump from knees (5x5)

Hyper extension (4x8)

Weighted twists (3x10)

Day 2

Deadlift

Explosive pull up (5x5) - No weights. Try to get your hands to leave the bar

SLDL (5x8) 

Incline row to neck - 5 sets max reps

Split Squat (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could jump on each rep.

Scissor jump (6x3) – again these are to be done as explosively as possible. No weight to be added.

Day 3

Squat 

Seated Jumps (5x5) - Set up a bench. Sit down on the bench like you were doing a box squat. As soon as your arse hits the seat, do an explosive jump as far as you can.

abductor machine (4x8) - 

100 chins (33 reps in variations)

Hyper extensions (3x10)

Weighted Crunches (3x10)

3 rep week on 5/3/1 

Day 1

Bench from Pins 

Incline Dumbbell speed press (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could throw the dumbbells on each rep.

Rear delt DB raise (5x10) 

Plyo jump from knees (5x5)

Hyper extension (4x8)

Weighted twists (3x10)

Day 2

DL 

Explosive pull up (5x5) - No weights. Try to get your hands to leave the bar

SLDL (5x8) 

Incline row to neck - 5 sets max reps

Split Squat (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could jump on each rep.

Scissor jump (5x5)

Day 3

Squat 

Seated Jumps (5x5) - Set up a bench. Sit down on the bench like you were doing a box squat. As soon as your arse hits the seat, do an explosive jump as far as you can.

abductor machine (4x8) - 

100 chins (33 reps in variations)

Hyper extensions (3x10)

Weighted Crunches (3x10) 

(5/3/1)

Day 1

Bench from Pins 

Incline Dumbbell speed press (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could throw the dumbbells on each rep.

Rear delt DB raise (5x10) 

Plyo jump from knees (5x5)

Hyper extension (4x8)

Weighted twists (3x10)

Day 2

DL 

Explosive pull up (5x5) - No weights. Try to get your hands to leave the bar

SLDL (5x8) 

Incline row to neck - 5 sets max reps

Split Squat (10x3) - Press the weight as fast as possible. Speed is what we are after, light weights so no grinding reps. You should feel as though you could jump on each rep.

Scissor jump (5x5)

Day 3

Squat 

Seated Jumps (5x5) - Set up a bench. Sit down on the bench like you were doing a box squat. As soon as your arse hits the seat, do an explosive jump as far as you can.

abductor machine (4x8) - 

100 chins (33 reps in variations)

Hyper extensions (3x10)

Weighted Crunches (3x10) 

Deload on the fourth week (just BJJ training).

There we go. Really simple and short but gets me great results. If you have annoy thoughts on this or any other strength routine, let me know in the comments section :)

Stay healthy,

Mike